Today I got in a great run outside. It was so pretty and I was very motivated to get past my 10 minute 5K pace. I have decided that from now on, there is no reason that I should be running any slower than 9:45 for a 5K run. I want to get my time below 28:00 for 3.1 miles. I am very motivated since the Azalea Trail Run to maximize my running potential in these shorter runs. And, since I have been running longer distances my shorter runs have already begun to decrease in pace time. Today I ran 2.36 miles in 22:01. This gave me a 9:21 pace! I wanted to get at least 2.5 in, but I decided to just finish at the building I started and that was my distance. I estimated my time for 2.5 miles to be 23:20 if I would have maintained my final pace. You can view my route here.
I am very proud of myself today! I also did a great job increasing my speed with each mile. I ran mile 1 in 9:30, mile 2 in 9:19 and was on track to run mile 3 in 8:37, but I could see it being closer to 9 minutes! That could have potentially put me at a 27:49 3 miles, which I will take any day! But, one can only speculate and I can "shoulda/coulda/woulda" all I want...but until I do it, it is only speculation!
I want you to remember whatever motivates you as you workout. Each time remember why you are doing what you are doing. I want to be a better me :) What about you? Here's to the next workout! Until then...
April
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Cross Training
On Tuesday I decided to get in a treadmill run and some weight training. I ran 2.2 miles in 20:18 at an incline of 0.5%. Once I was warmed up I decided to get in some weight and ab training. I did the following sets:
2 sets of 10 each arm tricept kick-outs (5lbs in each hand)
2 sets of 10 butterfly arm raises (5 lbs in each hand)
2 sets of 10 squats (one 15lb weight in the center)
1 set of 10 press up with 15lb weight
5 spiderman push-ups military style
5 spiderman push-ups girl push-up style
25 bicycle abs
15 leg declines, one leg at a time (start with back flat on the floor and legs straight up as if making a 90 degree angle. Then lower one leg to just above the floor without raising your back off of the ground then back up and do the other leg.)
I enjoyed getting some cross training in. I am getting excited about my run in just 8 days! It is hard to believe I have been training for almost 10 weeks for this. Here's to the next workout! Until then...
April
2 sets of 10 each arm tricept kick-outs (5lbs in each hand)
2 sets of 10 butterfly arm raises (5 lbs in each hand)
2 sets of 10 squats (one 15lb weight in the center)
1 set of 10 press up with 15lb weight
5 spiderman push-ups military style
5 spiderman push-ups girl push-up style
25 bicycle abs
15 leg declines, one leg at a time (start with back flat on the floor and legs straight up as if making a 90 degree angle. Then lower one leg to just above the floor without raising your back off of the ground then back up and do the other leg.)
I enjoyed getting some cross training in. I am getting excited about my run in just 8 days! It is hard to believe I have been training for almost 10 weeks for this. Here's to the next workout! Until then...
April
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Azalea Trail Run 2013
Saturday, March 23rd was the 36th annual Azalea Trail Run. This was the 2nd time I have run it. The first time was in 2011 and I decided last minute to run it. I also did not do well coming in at an hour and 20 minutes and so many seconds. At that time, that was my second 10K, the first being the Crescent City Classic in 2009 where I ran the 10K in one hour and 13 minutes. Both times I was very disappointed in my times, but it was completely my fault. This year I knew I would do better on this race because I have run many miles over the past 8 weeks. So, my goal was to run this 10K (6.2 miles) in under 1:06:00. The closer it got to the race I felt I could do it in 1:03:00 or better. This was my new goal, one hour and three minutes or less for the 6.2 miles. In my runs that included 6.2 miles (which includes a 7, 8, 9, and 10 mile run) I ran the 6.26 miles (what I actually ran on Saturday) in 1:05:05, 1:07:55, and 1:07:16. I do not have my splits for my 9 mile run since it was on a treadmill, but I believe I was close to these times. I have noticed that the longer I run, the slower my pace; which is not necessarily a bad thing!
So, Saturday March 23rd I ran 6.26 miles in 1:03:57! I did not beat my goal of 1:03:00, but I was faster than I originally planned and ran this distance faster than I had in previous runs. You can view my route here. I was very proud of myself! The only part that kind of sucked was that as of mile 5 I could see the finish line. This made for a long last mile! I felt like I was never going to get there! I highly recommend racing in a rather large race so that you can get perspective on how to maneuver through a crowd. It took me a good mile or so to get my bearings and regulate my pace. I am getting super excited about this half marathon. I am continuing to remind myself that it is OK to a) walk and b) run it in a slower pace than I hope for. My ultimate goal is to finish. I would LOVE to finish it in 2:30:00 or less, which is very attainable!
Here's to the next workout! Until then...
April :)
So, Saturday March 23rd I ran 6.26 miles in 1:03:57! I did not beat my goal of 1:03:00, but I was faster than I originally planned and ran this distance faster than I had in previous runs. You can view my route here. I was very proud of myself! The only part that kind of sucked was that as of mile 5 I could see the finish line. This made for a long last mile! I felt like I was never going to get there! I highly recommend racing in a rather large race so that you can get perspective on how to maneuver through a crowd. It took me a good mile or so to get my bearings and regulate my pace. I am getting super excited about this half marathon. I am continuing to remind myself that it is OK to a) walk and b) run it in a slower pace than I hope for. My ultimate goal is to finish. I would LOVE to finish it in 2:30:00 or less, which is very attainable!
April :)
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Racking up the miles
Today was another lunch run :) I didn't quite have time to run 3 or 4 miles so I put in a hard 2 miles on the treadmill and then did some upper body workouts. I ran 2 miles in 19:19! It felt great! I stayed around a 6.2 on the treadmill and began to increase once I got to 1 mile. I ran the last .25 at a 7.2 pace! What a rush...plus it was super hot in there!
When I got done with running I did 2 sets of 8 of the following exercises:
Triceps kick-backs (8 each arm)
Military press (overhead)
Butterflies
Spiderman Push-ups (Push-up then pull one knee in to your elbow and back out)
*I did 2 sets of 10 of these and did girl push ups.
I felt great when I got done too. I hope tomorrow will be a good day for a great run! Then I will take Friday off to prepare for my 10K on Saturday. Here's to the next workout! Until then...
April
When I got done with running I did 2 sets of 8 of the following exercises:
Triceps kick-backs (8 each arm)
Military press (overhead)
Butterflies
Spiderman Push-ups (Push-up then pull one knee in to your elbow and back out)
*I did 2 sets of 10 of these and did girl push ups.
I felt great when I got done too. I hope tomorrow will be a good day for a great run! Then I will take Friday off to prepare for my 10K on Saturday. Here's to the next workout! Until then...
April
Monday, March 18, 2013
I ran out of time, but did it anyway
Monday I had it already decided that I was running 4 miles at lunch. I left a few minutes early to get myself out the front doors of the Payne Center as close to 12:00 as possible so I could be done in enough time to shower and get back to work. I began my run at 12:07...I was already behind! I ran a great run around campus. It was just the right temperature...until I hit mile 3! That last mile was so hot...and seemed so long! I did great with my pace too...averaging 10 minutes per mile. I ran 4 miles in 40:04. I felt like I ran it hard too, which made for a great calorie burn! You can view my route here.
It also helped tremendously for me to do the stretches before I ran. Usually my hips and hamstring on the left side begin to hurt me after about a mile and a half, but this time I ran the whole thing with no pain! I definitely recommend doing these stretches everyday, even if you don't run. It opens up your hips and stretches your legs good. I look forward to my run today...even though it is very gloomy outside and looks like it may be a treadmill run! Here's to the next workout. Until then...
April
It also helped tremendously for me to do the stretches before I ran. Usually my hips and hamstring on the left side begin to hurt me after about a mile and a half, but this time I ran the whole thing with no pain! I definitely recommend doing these stretches everyday, even if you don't run. It opens up your hips and stretches your legs good. I look forward to my run today...even though it is very gloomy outside and looks like it may be a treadmill run! Here's to the next workout. Until then...
April
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
And then there were 10
Yesterday I woke up and decided that I needed all day to mentally prepare myself for what I was going to do after work. I drank water, ate breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack. I told myself over and over again that I could do it. So, at 4:22 I went to the restroom and changed my clothes. I filled my camelbak with a bottle of water, got my things together, and put them in my truck. I stretched for about 12 minutes. I made sure I had my keys, sunglasses, phone, and earbuds.
What was this adventure I was about to embark on...my first ever 10 mile run. I had been told over and over that this run was a pivotal point in my training for my half marathon. I walked about .15 of a mile and prepared myself to find 10 miles on campus. I didn't want to re-run any route so it posed a challenge to try and run every street I could before repeating my terrain. I started out okay...completing the first mile in 9:56. A bit fast for my long haul ahead, feeling good I decided to slow down a bit and continue on my journey. Mile 2 brought me a pace of 10:16 and mile 3 I was at 10:33 (this is close to where I should have finished mile 1 and maintained it for at least 6-7 miles). Mile 4 was a 10:43 and mile 5 was 10:49. This is when I decided that I wanted to slow down and drink some fluids. I was working on mile 6 and my hydration when I realized I had slowed to an 11:49 for mile 6 and a 12:25 for mile 7.
At this point I was moving slower than I wanted to, so I picked up the pace a bit. I began to notice at about 7.5 miles that my hips were beginning to ache...right along with my knees. I told myself, "Just 2.5 more miles April, you can do it". I completed mile 8 in 11:45 and mile 9 in 11:57. With one mile to go I told myself to pick it up a bit and finish strong. I ran mile 10 in 11:27. At least I gained 30 seconds back in the last mile. I completed my run in 1:52:17. My goal was to run between a 10:30 and an 11:00 mile consistently. I finished with a pace of 11:13...by no means terrible at all! This was my first ever 10 mile run! I was only 3:17 off of my target time. My overall goal is to run the 13.1 miles in 2:30:00 or less. My time still gives me 37:43 until I reach the 2 and a half hour mark to run 3.1 miles. Now I know this seems like a breeze considering I can run a 5K in under 30 minutes...but not after already running 10 miles! You can view my route here.
I am very proud of my dedication and commitment to this training. Today I am sore, walking a bit slow, and my hip still hurt for a good 2 hours at the beginning of my day. But, through this pain will come strength and with strength I can continue to build endurance and stamina. I have to remember to maintain my pace and be consistent. Hydrating myself also helped. For the first time after a run, any run, I was actually hungry and ate. Usually I am not hungry or thirsty, which is not good for your body. I took today off to rest and found some great warm-up exercises that will help with my hip and knee pain. I read an article in Triathlete Magazine that the key to good long runs is a strong butt. Seriously, a weak butt can attribute to hamstring pain, cramping, and possible long term injury.
Check out the following article and videos to help you with your training!
A-Better-Pre-Run-Warm-Up-5-Moves-in-20-Minutes
Here's to the next workout. Until then...
April :)
What was this adventure I was about to embark on...my first ever 10 mile run. I had been told over and over that this run was a pivotal point in my training for my half marathon. I walked about .15 of a mile and prepared myself to find 10 miles on campus. I didn't want to re-run any route so it posed a challenge to try and run every street I could before repeating my terrain. I started out okay...completing the first mile in 9:56. A bit fast for my long haul ahead, feeling good I decided to slow down a bit and continue on my journey. Mile 2 brought me a pace of 10:16 and mile 3 I was at 10:33 (this is close to where I should have finished mile 1 and maintained it for at least 6-7 miles). Mile 4 was a 10:43 and mile 5 was 10:49. This is when I decided that I wanted to slow down and drink some fluids. I was working on mile 6 and my hydration when I realized I had slowed to an 11:49 for mile 6 and a 12:25 for mile 7.
At this point I was moving slower than I wanted to, so I picked up the pace a bit. I began to notice at about 7.5 miles that my hips were beginning to ache...right along with my knees. I told myself, "Just 2.5 more miles April, you can do it". I completed mile 8 in 11:45 and mile 9 in 11:57. With one mile to go I told myself to pick it up a bit and finish strong. I ran mile 10 in 11:27. At least I gained 30 seconds back in the last mile. I completed my run in 1:52:17. My goal was to run between a 10:30 and an 11:00 mile consistently. I finished with a pace of 11:13...by no means terrible at all! This was my first ever 10 mile run! I was only 3:17 off of my target time. My overall goal is to run the 13.1 miles in 2:30:00 or less. My time still gives me 37:43 until I reach the 2 and a half hour mark to run 3.1 miles. Now I know this seems like a breeze considering I can run a 5K in under 30 minutes...but not after already running 10 miles! You can view my route here.
I am very proud of my dedication and commitment to this training. Today I am sore, walking a bit slow, and my hip still hurt for a good 2 hours at the beginning of my day. But, through this pain will come strength and with strength I can continue to build endurance and stamina. I have to remember to maintain my pace and be consistent. Hydrating myself also helped. For the first time after a run, any run, I was actually hungry and ate. Usually I am not hungry or thirsty, which is not good for your body. I took today off to rest and found some great warm-up exercises that will help with my hip and knee pain. I read an article in Triathlete Magazine that the key to good long runs is a strong butt. Seriously, a weak butt can attribute to hamstring pain, cramping, and possible long term injury.
Check out the following article and videos to help you with your training!
A-Better-Pre-Run-Warm-Up-5-Moves-in-20-Minutes
Here's to the next workout. Until then...
April :)
Monday, March 11, 2013
Speed Train Your Short Runs
Hello Spring Break! I had hoped that this week would bring warmer weather and sunny days...so far this Monday is dreary! So, I got another treadmill run in today. I ran 3.01 miles in 29:24 which give me a 9:46 mile pace. Not too bad. I like seeing these 9 minute and some seconds pace I have going! It makes me feel like I have hit another mile stone by lowering my pace bracket! I have been in the 10 minute range since I began this long distance training in September of 2008. Now I can see big changes in my lower miles because I am running so much farther than before. In the past, 3 miles was my cap. Occasionally I would run 3.5, 4, 4.5, or 5 miles, but that was only when I was training for the 10K's I have run. I should have been running that far all along and I would be even further now. But, there is no need to mull over the past! I am in a great place now and I am proud of myself for getting here :)
Provided the weather holds up, I plan to run my 10 mile run tomorrow. I am a little bit nervous. I know this is a big run...but I have to remind myself what I say every time I leave the house for a long run, "April, it is ok if you have to walk, but lets try to run the whole thing"! I seem to get down on myself if I can't "run" the whole way. Ever since I have told myself this I HAVE run the whole way! It takes the pressure off. I am my own worst enemy and I break myself down with every workout...telling myself I just can't do it, or maybe not today. So, I woke up positive conscience April and made her tell me good things while I run instead of bad! I think of who I am running for...why I started this long training regime in the first place. It helps! Think of what motivates you and stick with it your whole workout...trust me, it helps! Well...here's to the next workout! Until then...
April :)
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Exercise does not take a vacation
We decided that we needed a much deserved vacation. So...we went to fabulous Las Vegas for 5 days! It was AMAZING! Check out our view from the room :) We were in the Excalibur casino hotel and this view is of the Luxor hotel and casino. We had an amazing time shopping, relaxing, getting massages, seeing shows, laying by the pool! However great this trip was...I still made a point to bring my workout clothes and made myself commit to getting in at least one run while here! So, on March 5th I got up and ate breakfast, stretched good and set out for the fitness room where I treadmill ran for 9.01 miles! WHAT?! I am usually not a fan of a treadmill run, especially for that many miles in a row! I found out that a treadmill is programmed to end after 60 minutes...so I had a moment of transition after an hour. I decided to try and incorporate drinking and some food in my run for 2 reasons...1) your body will need refueling in a race this long and 2) I have never taken anything in during a race and I need some practice! Even during my first Triathlon which took me 2 hours and 23 minutes, I still did not in-take until after...which is not good! I always seemed to get choked up if I drank during a run race, or on my bike...so I just never do it. Well, I don't want to fall out in LA during this half marathon, so I got a start on drinking and eating. I ran 4.5 miles then walked at a 4.5 pace for a half mile and drank and ate. Then, I ran for 2 miles and walked a half of a mile again and drank and ate. Then I finished my last mile and a half running. I completed this training in 1:39:50, which is an average of 11:04 a mile. Not too bad. I would like to stay between 10:30 and 11:00 minutes per mile. It made me feel good to know that I walked a mile out of 9 and still kept my pace. I noticed when I got done that I felt surprisingly good, it was refreshing too. I wasn't sore the next day too bad either like after the 8 miles. My next obstacle is the 10 mile run. I have been told that this is the pivotal run in my training. I plan to do it on March 12th after work. I will have to make sure I carb up all day! The bad part about doing this run on a treadmill is that I don't have split information to base my next run off of. I did however purchase a camel back...so we will see how well that works in my run! Hopefully the water sloshing around won't get on my nerves! :) I will leave you with this great picture of my view during my run...
April
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