FIT:
My legs are still recovering from the pounding of downhill technical running. It's a bit jarring, and maybe that's partly why my arms were strangely sore on Sunday. Other than the bit of poundiness in my shins, I felt up for a cardio workout, so I biked instead.
Oh, I had a nice strength session yesterday. Records in several areas... 120/140 adductor/abductor leg lifts were suprising, since I would've thought that 3 weeks without PT would've made them weak... 400 crunches aren't a record, but the fact that I breezed through them wasn't expected... 3x60 single-leg quad dips weren't deep, but that's a lot
I've noticed more muscle definition. Was it marathon fitness setting in after the recovery period? Was it all the protein (ridiculous amounts) I had in Buenos Aires? Was it the reduced training (so reduced natrual trimming of excess mass through running, even if it's lean muscle)? Notably, there are two muscles... the inner lower shin, and the semi-inner upper quads.
Back to the bike session... I was tired before and contemplated just going to bed early... need it, but exercise helps you sleep better, and it reduces stress, and it keeps all of your systems in check (horomone, insulin, whatever else balance). Always more energy after a workout. My mind's still a little fuzzy, maybe, from being tired, but my body is ready for action, and I'm more psychologically ready for bed, feeling like I've adequately finished off my day with a nice workout, plus the benefits of stress reduction.
Anyway... bike session... 45 minutes, 11.1 miles, 350 cal. With running, they ask you to enter your weight, and I don't remember the bike asking me. I'd think that some adjustment factor is required, even for a non-weight-bearing exercise like cycling, since you still need to lift your quads, and quad mass is proportionate to body mass. With a non-recumbent bike, I guess extra mass working with gravity to produce force would also reduce the energy output, perhaps cancelling the quad lift. So maybe body weight is a negligible factor. There should be ways to tell, through oxygen/CO2-measuring devices. Well, with running, my factor is about 2/3 of the standard reading, so the lower limit would be 2/3 of 350, since if there was a weight factor with cycling, it wouldn't exceed the weight factor of running, which is a weight-bearing exercise. Although... different machines seem to estimate energy expenditure differently. Ellipticals, I think, are way off, for whatever reason, greatly overestimating the actual output. Maybe they don't factor in all of the momentum that gets cycled through with every stroke. The elliptical does give you a good workout, believe me, but the settings need to be right. I once used one at a hotel that lets you adjust stride length... it was awesome. I've also tried ellipticals that don't make me feel like I'm doing anything, no matter how easy or hard I make the level... something... maybe stride length... just didn't fit right.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Feb 26 - p
FIT:
A super outdoors-packed day. Just what I needed to relax. Had a nice long run, and then I got to join up with MS and AD for about 8.2 miles of hiking (about 2 miles of it was run).
For the run, 12.0 in 1:43:27, 8:37 ave. Temps were perfect, initially chilly, then sports bra weather. Wore the n3's w/ Spenco insoles, Oxysox. It went pretty well. My knees started feeling the early signs of poundiness on my second of three laps, but the feeling passed. I think getting into PT again (didn't get to really do it for 2+ weeks while travelling) will make it all better, since hip strengthening does wonders for eliminating runner's knee. For reals.
I did have to take a detour from the usual trail due to trail maintenance, and that added dirt (nice) but a big hill. Splits> 8:08 b, 6:53 p short, 7:36 c, 7:34 p, 7:47 b long, 6:23 p short, 7:36 c, 7:29 p, 7:36 b long (second lap way faster than the first), 6:17 p short, 7:11 c, 7:06 p, 7:22 b long (flew through the third lap), 8:17 car. Man, a super negative split. That's great. Really great.
Hiking...
I had been to Paris Mountain before, and last time, it seemed kind of dinky, since the trails I had gone on had views of the road the whole time. With the trails we went on this time, it felt much more rustic. I got to eat an orange, a protein shake, an orange, and goldfish in between, but by the end of the long hike, I was ready for some good fuel. I had mixed greens with fat free feta and balsamic, a banana, mixed nuts, beef, black tea, and bread with cheese spread. Quality fuel. Mmmm...
The last bit of the hike was 2.2 miles of glorious trail running. Half was flat and fun, and half was downhill, which required a lot of braking. I may be feeling it tomorrow. It was great, although I'm not a big technical downhill person. Too much risk and pounding for me. The flats were great, though. I wore a long sleeve Brooks bright yellow shirt, the Oxysox, and my old 1224's with arch supports, plus the usual visor and shades. Since the temps were cool, no water necessary.
It was a great day to just relax and do whatever you felt like. Making my own schedule... like I used to love being able to do on Saturdays when I was still in school. Freedom.
A super outdoors-packed day. Just what I needed to relax. Had a nice long run, and then I got to join up with MS and AD for about 8.2 miles of hiking (about 2 miles of it was run).
For the run, 12.0 in 1:43:27, 8:37 ave. Temps were perfect, initially chilly, then sports bra weather. Wore the n3's w/ Spenco insoles, Oxysox. It went pretty well. My knees started feeling the early signs of poundiness on my second of three laps, but the feeling passed. I think getting into PT again (didn't get to really do it for 2+ weeks while travelling) will make it all better, since hip strengthening does wonders for eliminating runner's knee. For reals.
I did have to take a detour from the usual trail due to trail maintenance, and that added dirt (nice) but a big hill. Splits> 8:08 b, 6:53 p short, 7:36 c, 7:34 p, 7:47 b long, 6:23 p short, 7:36 c, 7:29 p, 7:36 b long (second lap way faster than the first), 6:17 p short, 7:11 c, 7:06 p, 7:22 b long (flew through the third lap), 8:17 car. Man, a super negative split. That's great. Really great.
Hiking...
I had been to Paris Mountain before, and last time, it seemed kind of dinky, since the trails I had gone on had views of the road the whole time. With the trails we went on this time, it felt much more rustic. I got to eat an orange, a protein shake, an orange, and goldfish in between, but by the end of the long hike, I was ready for some good fuel. I had mixed greens with fat free feta and balsamic, a banana, mixed nuts, beef, black tea, and bread with cheese spread. Quality fuel. Mmmm...
The last bit of the hike was 2.2 miles of glorious trail running. Half was flat and fun, and half was downhill, which required a lot of braking. I may be feeling it tomorrow. It was great, although I'm not a big technical downhill person. Too much risk and pounding for me. The flats were great, though. I wore a long sleeve Brooks bright yellow shirt, the Oxysox, and my old 1224's with arch supports, plus the usual visor and shades. Since the temps were cool, no water necessary.
It was a great day to just relax and do whatever you felt like. Making my own schedule... like I used to love being able to do on Saturdays when I was still in school. Freedom.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Let's Reason a Bit about the BQ
If I want to run Boston 2012, I need to qualify with a decent time by September.
Due to the summer heat, something in late April would be ideal.
That's only 2 months away.
I don't know if I could 1. train properly within 9 weeks (vs. 16 weeks), 2. train safetly, having to increase mileage at a rapid rate.
I don't want to get injured.
Marathon training gives you a demanding schedule with little flexibility, and you need to give up smaller races like 5Ks and 10Ks because you can't sabotage your planned workout or risk injury. Even if you do them, you won't perform at your peak, since there's no time to taper during training. I do miss being super fast.
If I wait until the fall, or even spring of 2012 to make my next BQ attempt, I'll have far more choices of races.
All seems to point to waiting...
One reason to do Eugene is that my near-term work schedule is predictable, and there's no chance of sell-out, so I can register pretty late.
Hmmm... maybe I'll go on my run tomorrow morning... like 13 or so... and if I feel fantastic, I can go for Eugene. It's only been 25 days since my marathon. The farthest I've run continuously is 10.5 mi.
Due to the summer heat, something in late April would be ideal.
That's only 2 months away.
I don't know if I could 1. train properly within 9 weeks (vs. 16 weeks), 2. train safetly, having to increase mileage at a rapid rate.
I don't want to get injured.
Marathon training gives you a demanding schedule with little flexibility, and you need to give up smaller races like 5Ks and 10Ks because you can't sabotage your planned workout or risk injury. Even if you do them, you won't perform at your peak, since there's no time to taper during training. I do miss being super fast.
If I wait until the fall, or even spring of 2012 to make my next BQ attempt, I'll have far more choices of races.
All seems to point to waiting...
One reason to do Eugene is that my near-term work schedule is predictable, and there's no chance of sell-out, so I can register pretty late.
Hmmm... maybe I'll go on my run tomorrow morning... like 13 or so... and if I feel fantastic, I can go for Eugene. It's only been 25 days since my marathon. The farthest I've run continuously is 10.5 mi.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Feb 23
FIT:
Bloooooh. Don't mention food right now.
Intervals soon after dinner... not a comfortable idea... actually, that's not bad. It's force-drinking 1.5 bottles of water afterwards because you can't drink out of the tap here that does it. I'll live, though.
Intervals... went better this time than it did a week ago. Maybe I'm getting stronger. It's soooo hard to believe that it's only been 23 days since the marathon.
It was a sauna again, though it didn't feel as bad this time. Maybe it really wasn't that bad... or maybe, I hope, I'm acclimatizing. Summer's rolling back in - boo.
So.... intervals. I wore Oxysox, Paramounts w/ Staiblity insoles, the Asics singlet (love it), and my Reebok short shorts. I normally go with the durable soccer shorts that I can wash a million times without it ever looking any older, but I'll go for my light, short shorts whe I want something that dries quickly and allows freedom of movement.
The wokout was the usual 1 degree treadmill, with the embedded mini-fan going. Oh, tummy. 1K @ 12kph, 2 x [1K @ 14kph, 0.5K @ 12kph], 0.5K @ 14kph, 0.5K @ 12kph. I could've forced myself to tur that last fast interval into a full K, but there was a chance I would've puked, and I figured... not worth it. Hahaha. Too soon after dinner. What was dinner? I can think about it/answer it now that I feel better. But it was good - lentils, black beans, pumpkin, quinoa, water, whole wheat baguette with nutella (lots of grains/legumes), water, and a bit of fruit salad. No wonder. Blaaaah.
5K in 22:53, 7:22 ave... half marathon race pace! Man... can't imagine going like that for 13 miles, haha. I still have no idea how that happened.
LIFE:
Tonight's my last night in BA! I've enjoyed the trip, as hectic as it always is. The second week was a lot less stressful, once the majority of the big issues got solved. Thank goodness. And I like my team... always have, and I always enjoy being with them. Great people. Mmm.
I like my job, so this doesn't necessarily apply directly here, but even the worst situations can be okay and almost pleasant as long as you're with people you love. That's what I've found. It's just really comforting to be with people you care about. Especially napping. Maybe it just indicates that I don't sleep enough, but to me, the most peaceful thought is just napping with someone you are about. It doesn't matter whether they're napping too or if they're awake or whatever. Just feeing safe and loved and drifting off into peaceful rest.
Long night ahead... gotta finish strong.
I'm tired... maybe a 1 hr nap first... that's what I always say.
Bloooooh. Don't mention food right now.
Intervals soon after dinner... not a comfortable idea... actually, that's not bad. It's force-drinking 1.5 bottles of water afterwards because you can't drink out of the tap here that does it. I'll live, though.
Intervals... went better this time than it did a week ago. Maybe I'm getting stronger. It's soooo hard to believe that it's only been 23 days since the marathon.
It was a sauna again, though it didn't feel as bad this time. Maybe it really wasn't that bad... or maybe, I hope, I'm acclimatizing. Summer's rolling back in - boo.
So.... intervals. I wore Oxysox, Paramounts w/ Staiblity insoles, the Asics singlet (love it), and my Reebok short shorts. I normally go with the durable soccer shorts that I can wash a million times without it ever looking any older, but I'll go for my light, short shorts whe I want something that dries quickly and allows freedom of movement.
The wokout was the usual 1 degree treadmill, with the embedded mini-fan going. Oh, tummy. 1K @ 12kph, 2 x [1K @ 14kph, 0.5K @ 12kph], 0.5K @ 14kph, 0.5K @ 12kph. I could've forced myself to tur that last fast interval into a full K, but there was a chance I would've puked, and I figured... not worth it. Hahaha. Too soon after dinner. What was dinner? I can think about it/answer it now that I feel better. But it was good - lentils, black beans, pumpkin, quinoa, water, whole wheat baguette with nutella (lots of grains/legumes), water, and a bit of fruit salad. No wonder. Blaaaah.
5K in 22:53, 7:22 ave... half marathon race pace! Man... can't imagine going like that for 13 miles, haha. I still have no idea how that happened.
LIFE:
Tonight's my last night in BA! I've enjoyed the trip, as hectic as it always is. The second week was a lot less stressful, once the majority of the big issues got solved. Thank goodness. And I like my team... always have, and I always enjoy being with them. Great people. Mmm.
I like my job, so this doesn't necessarily apply directly here, but even the worst situations can be okay and almost pleasant as long as you're with people you love. That's what I've found. It's just really comforting to be with people you care about. Especially napping. Maybe it just indicates that I don't sleep enough, but to me, the most peaceful thought is just napping with someone you are about. It doesn't matter whether they're napping too or if they're awake or whatever. Just feeing safe and loved and drifting off into peaceful rest.
Long night ahead... gotta finish strong.
I'm tired... maybe a 1 hr nap first... that's what I always say.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Feb 20
FUN:
Thank the Lord for a good day at work. Everyone's excited about how things went on our big day. Thank the Lord. That's all I have to say.
FIT:
Afterwards, a 10.5 mi run to celebrate. There were fuzzies all around, from some kind of plant. Going out along the median park, I breathed in a couple and swallowed a couple. Once in the ecological reserve, though, the trees filtered most of them out of the air. It was 76 degrees, 4pm, and windy. I'm glad it was windy, since it cooled things down. I wore my Houston UA tech tee, since it isn't sleeveless. I didn't wanna worsen my burn... my skin has a baby peel spot. I also wore my Pak w/ ID and my hotel card, my visor, my shades, UA calf sleeves, and the 1225's with stability insoles. It wasn't too long after I had eaten an apple and goldfish, but it didn't affect me. I was afraid I'd get really thirsty, because I hadn't had too much water today, but it was suprisingly fine.
The run went faster this time, maybe because I wasn't doing stop-and-go for pictures, and maybe because I knew the course. I even felt stronger as time went on. It was nice that shade increased throughout the run as the sun sank.
10.5 in 1:29:02, 8:30 ave. 753 cal. Made up for the Empanada (good) I ate today. It was white bread crust with probably butter and cheese inside. The opposite of my usual, but if you're special, I'll make an exception.
Splits> 13:46 to park entrance (1.58 mi, 8:43/mi), 11:53 to the other entrance (1:43 mi, 8:19/mi), 31:24 back to main entrance (3.78 mi, 8:19/mi), 4:22 to middle path (0:55 mi, 7:56/mi), 5:38 to vertex (0.66 mi, 8:36/mi), 7:53 to main entrance (0.86 mi, 9:12/mi), 11:44 to other entrance (faster than the first time!... 1.37 mi, 8:33/mi), 2:18 to port (0.24 mi, 9:27/mi)... woo hoo!
Thank the Lord for a good day at work. Everyone's excited about how things went on our big day. Thank the Lord. That's all I have to say.
FIT:
Afterwards, a 10.5 mi run to celebrate. There were fuzzies all around, from some kind of plant. Going out along the median park, I breathed in a couple and swallowed a couple. Once in the ecological reserve, though, the trees filtered most of them out of the air. It was 76 degrees, 4pm, and windy. I'm glad it was windy, since it cooled things down. I wore my Houston UA tech tee, since it isn't sleeveless. I didn't wanna worsen my burn... my skin has a baby peel spot. I also wore my Pak w/ ID and my hotel card, my visor, my shades, UA calf sleeves, and the 1225's with stability insoles. It wasn't too long after I had eaten an apple and goldfish, but it didn't affect me. I was afraid I'd get really thirsty, because I hadn't had too much water today, but it was suprisingly fine.
The run went faster this time, maybe because I wasn't doing stop-and-go for pictures, and maybe because I knew the course. I even felt stronger as time went on. It was nice that shade increased throughout the run as the sun sank.
10.5 in 1:29:02, 8:30 ave. 753 cal. Made up for the Empanada (good) I ate today. It was white bread crust with probably butter and cheese inside. The opposite of my usual, but if you're special, I'll make an exception.
Splits> 13:46 to park entrance (1.58 mi, 8:43/mi), 11:53 to the other entrance (1:43 mi, 8:19/mi), 31:24 back to main entrance (3.78 mi, 8:19/mi), 4:22 to middle path (0:55 mi, 7:56/mi), 5:38 to vertex (0.66 mi, 8:36/mi), 7:53 to main entrance (0.86 mi, 9:12/mi), 11:44 to other entrance (faster than the first time!... 1.37 mi, 8:33/mi), 2:18 to port (0.24 mi, 9:27/mi)... woo hoo!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Feb 17
FIT:
This week is another marathon (figuratively) business trip week. And still 7 days to go! Whew!
I got about 6, 4, 5, 7 hours of sleep the past few nights. So last night was better, but the previous nights wear on you. When I woke up groggy this morning, I needed an energy boost. I had no pressing work to wake up extra early to do, so I got my boost by going to the gym. I hadn't planned to, but I could either worrydoze, or I could refresh myself. I did the elliptical, level 12/20, for 25 minutes. It did't feel like much... I think I simply spent 25 minutes sweating. It wasn't cardio at all, maybe because I wasn't going fast. It was more strengthy, but even then, not with much of a range of motion, and much of it probably was done by momentum. Oh well.
Tonight, I wasn't up for a big dinner. Normally, I eat a million mini-meals a day, so 3 big meals are strange to me. They keep me full right through the day, but maybe just because I'm working so hard/ putting out fires the rest of the time. I never get hungry. In Buenos Aires, we have lots of meat and lots of fruits and veggies. Few carbs. That's a pretty good way to eat. At home, I'd be more lightly proteined carbs + veggies and fruits. It feels lighter, and it's cheap.
I got a sandwich (with some cheese!... didn't expect it to have it... they did some substitutions... I'll be okay with it if it's rare) and a salad, but it wasn't enough (even though it was 2 menu items... tiny!), so I had Goldfish and a peach and peanuts. Then, maybe 50 min later, a run. While I was waiting for dinner to digest, I was run-surfing (surfing the web on my favorite running/nutrition sites), and I saw the news about Boston's tightening standards. I was even more inspired/frightened into running.
Too soon. Food + heat... especially the heat... don't mix. It's a sauna in the hotel's gym... literally. There's a sauna in there, and someone must use it, because heat's coming from it. It's hot in there.
5K in 24:28, 7:54 ave. It was a speed session. Normally, my speed sessions are much faster. It was hot. I did 1.5K warmup at 10.85kph, 1K at 14kph, 0.5K at 11kph, 0.75K at 14kph, 0.5K at 11kph, 0.5K at 14kph, 0.25K at 11kph. Tough... because it was hot. The food alone would've been bad, but food+heat... man.
And now for work. Goodies.
This week is another marathon (figuratively) business trip week. And still 7 days to go! Whew!
I got about 6, 4, 5, 7 hours of sleep the past few nights. So last night was better, but the previous nights wear on you. When I woke up groggy this morning, I needed an energy boost. I had no pressing work to wake up extra early to do, so I got my boost by going to the gym. I hadn't planned to, but I could either worrydoze, or I could refresh myself. I did the elliptical, level 12/20, for 25 minutes. It did't feel like much... I think I simply spent 25 minutes sweating. It wasn't cardio at all, maybe because I wasn't going fast. It was more strengthy, but even then, not with much of a range of motion, and much of it probably was done by momentum. Oh well.
Tonight, I wasn't up for a big dinner. Normally, I eat a million mini-meals a day, so 3 big meals are strange to me. They keep me full right through the day, but maybe just because I'm working so hard/ putting out fires the rest of the time. I never get hungry. In Buenos Aires, we have lots of meat and lots of fruits and veggies. Few carbs. That's a pretty good way to eat. At home, I'd be more lightly proteined carbs + veggies and fruits. It feels lighter, and it's cheap.
I got a sandwich (with some cheese!... didn't expect it to have it... they did some substitutions... I'll be okay with it if it's rare) and a salad, but it wasn't enough (even though it was 2 menu items... tiny!), so I had Goldfish and a peach and peanuts. Then, maybe 50 min later, a run. While I was waiting for dinner to digest, I was run-surfing (surfing the web on my favorite running/nutrition sites), and I saw the news about Boston's tightening standards. I was even more inspired/frightened into running.
Too soon. Food + heat... especially the heat... don't mix. It's a sauna in the hotel's gym... literally. There's a sauna in there, and someone must use it, because heat's coming from it. It's hot in there.
5K in 24:28, 7:54 ave. It was a speed session. Normally, my speed sessions are much faster. It was hot. I did 1.5K warmup at 10.85kph, 1K at 14kph, 0.5K at 11kph, 0.75K at 14kph, 0.5K at 11kph, 0.5K at 14kph, 0.25K at 11kph. Tough... because it was hot. The food alone would've been bad, but food+heat... man.
And now for work. Goodies.
The Boston Bar is Raised
The BAA has announced how it's going to deal with the issue of selling out in record time last year (8 hours, 3 minutes). For 2012, they will let the fastest qualifiers register first, going by increments of 20, 10, 5, and 0 minutes faster than the BQ time. It begins on September 12, which means I won't be going for a late September/early October marathon. I guess it may need to be late April... I'm thinking Eugene.
For 2013, they will tighten the qualifying standards by 5 minutes. Doable. I guess if it's doable, I can at least be third-tier. 3:29... possible, too. It would be incredible to get in the 3:20's. So... 3:35 is the new time to beat. I have a 3:40 pace bib hanging up on my porch door. That won't fly any more. With the race to register this year, people who do make it will probably have more incentive to register while they still have a valid BQ, since simply making it over the bar doesn't give you an equal shot. The faster, the better. I wonder how far the registration process will get before it sells out. What if it filled up at the 20- mark? 3:15! Whew!
Click here for the press release:
http://www.marathonguide.com/pressreleases/index.cfm?file=BostonMarathon_110216
For 2013, they will tighten the qualifying standards by 5 minutes. Doable. I guess if it's doable, I can at least be third-tier. 3:29... possible, too. It would be incredible to get in the 3:20's. So... 3:35 is the new time to beat. I have a 3:40 pace bib hanging up on my porch door. That won't fly any more. With the race to register this year, people who do make it will probably have more incentive to register while they still have a valid BQ, since simply making it over the bar doesn't give you an equal shot. The faster, the better. I wonder how far the registration process will get before it sells out. What if it filled up at the 20- mark? 3:15! Whew!
Click here for the press release:
http://www.marathonguide.com/pressreleases/index.cfm?file=BostonMarathon_110216
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