So close...

Well after a rest from running this week I decided to hit it hard and go for 12 miles today. I have been skiing all week, because we've gotten hit with this FANTASTIC storm! 35 inches of new snow in 7 days, and I got in 4 powder days this week! I could not be happier. Yesterday I wanted to do my long run but I've had 4 days in a row where I've had to be at work before the sun was up so needless to say yesterday I was a bit tired so I relaxed at home. I worked 6am to 10am this morning and it was a nice sunny day so I decided to go for it.

First of all I have to say that I didn't give myself enough of a time buffer for this run. I wanted to start at 11 but didn't leave until 11:45 and I had to be at work at 2:15. The first 6 miles were fantastic, I felt great, nice pace, very comfortable and fun. Then as I neared my turn around point the wind picked up which was great to get me to my turn around. However I turned around and ran smack into the wind. I felt the extra effort and I definatly had to work much harder. My back fatigued much earlier than I had expected and that made it even more difficult to finish the run. Mentally I was on top of it though, I kept myself up beat and pushing forward.

It is very clear to me now that I have to focus more on strengthing my core and back, it's going to play a huge roll on finishing this race in May. I also became very aware that my runs are reaching to point where I shouldn't be running without water or gatorade. I was really thirsty today and there was only so much snow I could eat to compensate. This week I'm going to go in search of a water bottle lumbar pack. If anyone has any recommendations I'd greatly appreciate it!

The end of the run was really painful, my feet hurt and my back was fatigued, I also ran out of time so I couldn't push for the full 12 but instead I did 11.7 miles, close enough? I am going to try for 13 next week but only after I get in 2 mid-distance runs this week. I was reading my Runner's World and discovered that my long runs should be half of my total weekly distance. Lately I've just been doing my long runs and 1 or 2 3 mile runs, definatly time to up the mileage!

Congrats to Jocelyn for finally getting to Central Park for a run. It's amazing how different the road is compared to a treadmill!

Rest Week

So after the most amazing run of my life I had 2 very unamazing runs. I promised myself a rest week after I hit 10 miles and the timing couldn't have been better. I am fighting with all my might not getting sick so trying for a long run this week would have been disaster.

Instead I did one hill repeat workout and one short run. My hill repeat workout was basically me running 2.8 miles straight uphill, I walked then ran, walked than ran and repeated that. It was a 45 minute workout and a solid effort so I was pleased. Then yesterday I was going to go out for a longish run, 5 to 6 miles, before work. It was a disaster, my mind and body were totally disconnected. I was really angry because I wanted a solid run and instead walked most of it. I'm way to hard on myself sometimes and freaked out that after running 10 miles I had rested too long and was now screwed.

The guy I'm seeing calmed me down after the run and made me see that since my body is fighting off being sick it's not going to have much energy for a run. He was totally right, I was just too caught up in wanting to have another amazing run to give myself a break. Another co-worker pointed out, "At least you went out for a run!" Which is a good point, I tried, it wasn't what I had hoped it would be but some effort is better than no effort right?

We are getting hit with a big snow storm right now so we'll see how conditions are tomorrow for a post work run. This week though I am going for 12 miles probably on Saturday so wish me luck!

And big ups to Jocelyn for running 10 miles tonight! You make me so proud I could cry lover!

The most AMAZING run of my life!

10 Miles Baby!  I can not believe it that I actually did it but this morning I got up and headed out.  To start out I wasn't really sure I was mentally up for the run but I just decided I would get as far as I could.  4 miles in I was feeling AMAZING!  I knew that today would be the day that I would run 10 miles.  Today was also one of those days where you could feel the pay off from all the work you've been doing.  The run out to Eagle-Vail was a bit uphill but I tell you I could barely feel it. I also ran way more of this run than I did my 9 mile run.  I allowed myself 2.5 hours for the run but shockingly I finished the run in exactly 2 hours! That means I ran each mile in 12 minutes which for such a long run is a great pace.  

During the run I couldn't believe how good I felt.  My hip flexors got tight so I would stop to stretch them but other than that I never felt like I was dying throughout the whole thing.  Just a few months ago I was sitting around thinking about how excited I was to get to running 10 miles and how amazing it would feel to hit that mile marker.  When I started this blog running 4 miles at home was brutal and now here I am 6 months later running 10 miles and it felt like a breeze.  This whole experience has been an amazing lesson in discipline for me.  I've never been a very well disciplined person.  Especially the past 5 years of my life, I've been wanting to do an Ironman since I was 21 years old but I've allowed life to interrupt my training a lot.  Now I see what I am capable of, I have doubted for a long time whether or not I would really ever be able to do something like this.  I don't have doubts anymore about what I can do.

This past  year I allowed someone to break my spirit and make me doubt myself again.  This marathon is my way of showing myself just how important I am and how important my wants in life are to me.  You can't break me again, and you'll never catch me.

 I actually ran up the hill by my apartment in the last 1/2 mile that I normally walk after my shorter runs! So Mr. Rainman stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

I now am going to purchase myself a full body massage as a reward for my efforts as well as some tape for my feet because now I'm starting to get blisters on my toes!  Pretty soon I'll start a photo album like Jocelyn's!

I also got some great news at work, I've won an award called "The Spirit of Beaver Creek." It's very  hard award to get and you have to be nominated for it.  It's like the equivalent to an Employee of the Year Award.  So I get to go to a banquet and I now have a chance to win an all expense paid trip to Cancun!  Literally they whisk you off the day after the season ends and you fly to Cancun to an all inclusive resort with $500 in spending money.  Should I get this trip I would get to take one person with me from here, it's so exciting because I would LOVE to get this trip it is so needed!  

Anyways so today, is an awesome day I feel amazing I spanked 10 miles and can't wait to spank that marathon baby!

Rainman

Ok so for those of you who have ever trained for any kind of endurance event, even a simple 5K I'm sure you've encountered them, "The Rainman."

I am not a big fan of ranting on blogs but it's enviable that you will encounter some situation in which you just have to vent and since this one is related to my marathon this is where I'm gonna vent.

So there is this guy at work, he's an older gentleman and he has run some marathons.  On my 7 mile run day I went through the office on the way home to get a drink of water.  He was there on the computer and that's when he discovered I was training for a marathon.  He asked what my longest run was and I announced (with pride) that is was today's 7 miles.  He asked when the marathon was and then the rain came down on my parade.  He proceeded to give me unsolicited advice on how hard it was going to be and how far behind I was in my training.  I was as polite as I could be and headed home.  Well of course who do I see all the time now? RAINMAN!  

Every time he sees me, "What's your longest run?"  At least I've been able to announce longer runs each time but he is still shaking his head at me and telling me how far behind I am.  Then yesterday he proceeded to mention that he might be in San Diego around the marathon. Oh joy just what I want at the end of the greatest achievement in my athletic career, you shaking your head at me looking for vindication that you were in fact right. Seriously dude I'm not trying to win the damn thing I just want to finish!

Ok so here's the rant, Why must you rain on my parade?  This is my personal decision to run this marathon, it has nothing to do with speed or time, I just want to cross the finish line and know that I pushed and succeeded.  I want to hold my friend's hand and look at her and say, "We did it!"  So why do you, Mr. Former Marathoner, feel the need to be so negative towards me?  I know I am more sensitive to it than most but still I am the one who has to suffer through the marathon, not you.  And why must you be around every corner?  In the bus while I'm the attendant and I have to talk to you every 20 minutes? Or in the suburban driving up to the Wolf Lot with me? Egads man get a life and go away!

And what is with the people who react horrified and offended when you tell them you are training for a marathon.  As if you're announcement is an invitation for them to join you.  Who hasn't experienced the, "Yeah I'm training for a marathon," "That's insane! I would never do that! That's ridiculous!"  Well Miss ShockedandHorrified, I think I said that I AM training for a marathon not that I am recruiting for my marathon running cult.

Anyone else experience this? Please share!

twofer

Well normally I get caught up on my blogging and email during my call taking shifts but the past two I've had were really busy and I never did it!

So here it is, last week I did an 8 mile run!  I ran out to Edwards and back which sounded like a great route however I forgot that go to Edwards is a nice gentle downhill and coming back is well uphill!  the first 4 miles were amazing, felt great, good pace no real walking breaks etc.  Then I turned around to head back and it was U-G-L-Y!  It became painfully obvious that I need to really focus on my back and core strength.  The more tired I became the more I leaned forward and my back fatigued really quickly.  It's an awful feeling because it's all the muscles in your upper back around your lungs so you start to feel like you can't breathe.  But none the less in 1 hour 45 mins I completed 8 miles which until today was the farthest I'd ever run.

Now to this week! I fit in a quick 3.5 mile speed workout which I've been neglecting and realize now will really help my long runs.  The funny story of the week involves this run.  So about 3 weeks ago I was sick with the flu and after getting better I tried for a long run which didn't go well.  I tried going up to the Village but had to turn back about a 1.5 miles in.  I felt as though I couldn't breathe.  I chalked it up to being sick.  Then this week I went out for a quick run and again felt as though I couldn't breathe.  It didn't make any sense because I had done the 8 miles about 2 days before and thought maybe it was because I didn't have enough water in me.  

Here's the "Ah Ha!" moment, I had chosen to wear one of my new sports bras and it's a pull over style with a clasp for extra support.  It's a tight fitting bra so I thought it'd be perfect for running.  About 2.5 miles into the run I realize that it could be the sports bra making it so hard for me to breathe.  So I undo the clasp and the heavens opened and a choir of angels sang "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

So turns out this bra, a tad too tight for running, great for weight lifting or a cycling class but no more running!

The big news is that today I did 9 miles!  I decided that I would be smarter to get the uphill portion of my run out of the way in the beginning.  So I started out heading up village road.  It took 45 minutes to do 3 miles and I gained about 700 feet in elevation, a challenge to say the least!  Then it took about 30 minutes to get back down.  I then tacked on another 3 miles running around the river and through Avon.  I felt amazingly great in the last 4 miles of the run which was a great mental boost.  My timer on my iPod said 2hrs 10 minutes when I got back to my apartment but I had taken 2 bathroom breaks and stopped to talk to a friend at the end for about 10 minutes so I think the time was closer to 1 hr 50 mins.

I am really starting to see and feel changes in my body and am looking forward to getting my 10 mile run done next week cause after that I get a massage!!!!!!!!!!!