60 minutes of running. That's almost 6 miles at the pace I usually run. That's what I accomplished yesterday morning. Am I sore? Holy cow am I!! Was I hungry post-run? Famished was a better way to describe it. Was it a good run? Absolutely!
This has been the longest distance/time I've run ever. Let me just say that this training program has been so worth every penny. I know I've said similar statements previously, but yesterday made it really sink in. I hadn't realized that it was almost 6 miles until one of the coaches pointed it out to us. Woohoo! And our favorite coach, Michele, was back! She said she definitely noticed that we're running faster and better. Everyone said my running buddy and I were going to kick butt at Peachtree. Yay!!
We also had a good session with a nutritionist post-run. We learned a lot about carbs, sports drinks, and other cool stuff that I will make a separate post about later. The short version is I need to eat a much better breakfast with more protein. Now I just need to figure out how to make that happen.
Btw, I think I need a cool nickname for my awesome running buddy. Her determination and positive attitude have kept me going when all I wanted to do was quit. I hope I've been able to do the same for her. Any suggestions?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
How to run underwater
That should have been the lesson for tonight's run since it was so humid. The whole thing about your heart working harder because it's hot outside is so true. The 45 minute run tonight was okay, but I really had to keep that motivating speech going in my head. It's so easy to let our minds declare defeat when you know your body can handle more. I haven't had to let my heart rest like that in a long time (had to take a break halfway).
A couple things that I think I've learned though...
1. By focusing on lifting from my knees and powering with my glutes, I have taken the strain off my calves and I think my endurance and pacing is better for it. Yay!!
2. By focusing on lifting from my knees and powering with my glutes, my butt now gets sore. Doh!
3. Longer runs are so much better with a buddy. You keep pushing each other when you want to give up, and you have so much more motivation to just show up to run in the first place.
Am I over the exhaustion? Sort of. I think ultimately I need to quit beating myself up for not being able to give 100% all the time. I'm only human, and it's okay to have an off day, week, but it lasts longer than a week something's wrong.
A couple things that I think I've learned though...
1. By focusing on lifting from my knees and powering with my glutes, I have taken the strain off my calves and I think my endurance and pacing is better for it. Yay!!
2. By focusing on lifting from my knees and powering with my glutes, my butt now gets sore. Doh!
3. Longer runs are so much better with a buddy. You keep pushing each other when you want to give up, and you have so much more motivation to just show up to run in the first place.
Am I over the exhaustion? Sort of. I think ultimately I need to quit beating myself up for not being able to give 100% all the time. I'm only human, and it's okay to have an off day, week, but it lasts longer than a week something's wrong.
Too much soda??
Apparently according to some Greek researchers too much soda can cause a medical condition called hypokalemia. At first I was really concerned, because I love Coke Zero. I drink about a can, maybe two, a day. Then I read that the people studied drank at least 2 liters a day. 2 liters a day?! Holy cow! Those folks need some water as of yesterday. Sheesh! It just goes to show - everything in moderation!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Remember that part about being exhausted?
Yeah, so I decided to rest up this morning instead of going for my training run (decided last night, not when the alarm went off). I ended up sleeping for more than 9 hours! Do I regret skipping the run this morning? No. Am I wondering how I'm going to fit in a run today? Yes. If I can't, will I be upset? No.
See folks, there's something we all tend to forget about in our hectic lives packed with work, school, running, family, friends, pets, and anything else that might try to claim our time. Sometimes it's okay to just rest. After the attempt at running on Thursday, I still had to go to work on Friday. It was a half-day, meaning I got to leave at lunch, but boy was it hectic! I should have been named honorary firefighter because that's all I did - I put out fires (in the business sense, not for real). Then I had an appointment with a realtor to discuss buying a house. While buying a house is exciting, it's also stressful and eats up a lot of time. Normally I would say a run would be the perfect stress reliever, but with the energy levels at an all time low that was not an option.
Am I letting running decline as a priority? Not really. I just need to let my body recuperate. I have a feeling that the next time I write about a run I will be so excited because it went so well. So listen to your bodies and if you're exhausted like I am this week, rest!!
See folks, there's something we all tend to forget about in our hectic lives packed with work, school, running, family, friends, pets, and anything else that might try to claim our time. Sometimes it's okay to just rest. After the attempt at running on Thursday, I still had to go to work on Friday. It was a half-day, meaning I got to leave at lunch, but boy was it hectic! I should have been named honorary firefighter because that's all I did - I put out fires (in the business sense, not for real). Then I had an appointment with a realtor to discuss buying a house. While buying a house is exciting, it's also stressful and eats up a lot of time. Normally I would say a run would be the perfect stress reliever, but with the energy levels at an all time low that was not an option.
Am I letting running decline as a priority? Not really. I just need to let my body recuperate. I have a feeling that the next time I write about a run I will be so excited because it went so well. So listen to your bodies and if you're exhausted like I am this week, rest!!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
And the exhaustion has finally taken its toll...
After 3 months of grad school and adjusting to a new and better role in my company, I have finally begun to truly feel the effects of exhaustion. All this week I've barely been able to get out bed, only to have drunk so much caffeine or gotten my mental state so worked up that I can't sleep. Today was the last straw. I got home and promptly fell asleep on the couch instead of running. Upon waking, I realized that I had to get the run in or not run until Saturday, which is a long run. I drag my poor tired body to the Greenway, and sure enough didn't have the energy to continue running past a mile. It was a good 11:40 mile, but my energy was gone. I did try to run some more after taking a couple walking breaks, but after about 25 minutes I gave up and just walked. Some good things came from it though...
I saw 6 deer! Holy cow that was cool! And they were really close too. The sad part is that they must be so desensitized to humans to have come so close to me, but they were beautiful. I also saw a cute little squirrel about two feet from me. Again, sad that he let me get so close, but he was cute!! I realized how awesome it is to run outdoors today. You don't wish you had brought your camera running inside a sterile gym.
I think I have discovered the cause to my post-long run headaches. I don't know if I've mentioned them yet, but after my long runs on Saturdays I have been getting killer headaches. They're not dehydration (as long as I'm mindful of my water intake) and they're not migraines (I get an aura before migraines start). Turns out they're tension headaches. I figured that out last week. Now I think I know why I'm so tense. Not only do I have a tendency to be stiff with my upper body when running (thanks to Coach Jim for pointing this out), but I think I'm lifting my head too high in an effort to not look down. I've had it in my head so much to stop looking at the ground that I think I'm overcompensating. I guess it was good that I was able to walk today and have some time to figure this out.
I saw 6 deer! Holy cow that was cool! And they were really close too. The sad part is that they must be so desensitized to humans to have come so close to me, but they were beautiful. I also saw a cute little squirrel about two feet from me. Again, sad that he let me get so close, but he was cute!! I realized how awesome it is to run outdoors today. You don't wish you had brought your camera running inside a sterile gym.
I think I have discovered the cause to my post-long run headaches. I don't know if I've mentioned them yet, but after my long runs on Saturdays I have been getting killer headaches. They're not dehydration (as long as I'm mindful of my water intake) and they're not migraines (I get an aura before migraines start). Turns out they're tension headaches. I figured that out last week. Now I think I know why I'm so tense. Not only do I have a tendency to be stiff with my upper body when running (thanks to Coach Jim for pointing this out), but I think I'm lifting my head too high in an effort to not look down. I've had it in my head so much to stop looking at the ground that I think I'm overcompensating. I guess it was good that I was able to walk today and have some time to figure this out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)