This past week I got back on track with my training. It wasn't 100% where I wanted it to be, but it was better than the week before, and that's what is important. Plus, I'm starting to feel better about the full marathon in Alaska again. I was wavering, and wanting to do the half, but I'm thinking the full is going to happen for me. Yay!
I hit 5 out of 7 days for working out. Here are the highlights:
Monday and Wednesday - I didn't work out either of these days. Monday I went to dinner with a group of friends and Wednesday my roomie and I went to the Counter, yum.
Tuesday - Treadmill run followed by a spin class. I did an easy run on the treadmill in my new KSwiss Kona's, loved them. The spin instructor was 10 minutes late for the spin class, I was annoyed at first, but she more than made up for it, it was a crazy hard workout. Glad I waited for her to show up. Starting to feel better about my spin capabilities every time I go to a class, and less likely that I'll fall off again. (In case you didn't know, I fell off a spin bike back in November and got a terrible gash on my shin - I've got the scar to prove it, and I sprained my knee at the same time. So, I've been a little nervous about getting back into it.) I'm still super careful about the spin bike, but I'm not nearly as freaked out by it anymore.
Thursday - I went for a run, it was my longest weekday run in ages, and it was really great, I wore my new KSwiss shoes and fell even more in love with them (KSwiss running shoes, who knew?!). I went out with the idea that I'd go out for 15 minutes and then come home. I got about 15 minutes out and decided to keep going until the rain started, the forecast said there was going to be heavy rain, it seemed like a good turnaround point for me. Well, I got from my house to Coldwater Canyon and the supposed "heavy rain" was just a light mist. I decided to turn around at Coldwater, cause I knew I was about three miles from home and I didn't want to push it, since my knee is still having good days and bad days and because I had the long run with the team on Saturday. I stuck with an interval the whole time, 6:1 (6 run, 1 walk), and I think that helped me get as far as I could. I got home and I realized I had run just under 6 miles in an hour. It was a really great run. I felt happy and strong and good, even at the end. I was tired, but in the best possible way. I was so happy to finally have a really good run after so many not so great ones. Mileage: 5.92 miles, time: 1 hour 5 minutes.
Friday - Yoga and stretching before Saturday's long run.
Saturday - Long run with the team. I wasn't sure if I was going to stick with the mileage for the 1/2 or the full, even as I set out I really didn't know what I was going to do. We do a looped 5 mile course, so I had 5 miles to decide. I stuck with my pace group and the 6:1 interval. I would like to get rid of the intervals, but for now, while I'm just getting back into the long runs, I don't want to push it too hard and re-injure myself. My legs felt heavy at the beginning of the run, as seems to be the case a lot these days, I'm hoping this feeling will pass as I add mileage back in. Part of the park where we run was flooded and one of the streets closed to traffic, so we got to run on the street (as the bike/run path was muddy and nasty). It was like being in our own little road race. When we got back around to the 5 mile point I had to decide, I figured I might as well try to do the 10, and if I had to I could walk it. But, I have my nutrition down for long runs, and I was fine, even my knee didn't hurt. It was another great run. Not my best time for 10 miles, but I got it done, and that is far more important to me at this point. Mileage: 10.24 miles, time: 1 hour 58 minutes.
Sunday - Core/Strength training.
This week I'm aiming for a workout of some kind every day. We'll see how that pans out. I'm really happy with how last week went and I'm glad my runs are starting to be enjoyable again. Throughout my training for Alaska I've been debating between the half and the full marathon. I'm still not 100% sure which race I'm going to do, but I am leaning more toward the full. I just need to stick with the training. After watching my friends at the LA Marathon run through that miserable weather, I must say, I feel like I have no excuse for not working hard. They inspired me to get out there and try my hardest. And, I can say this last week, I did just that. I'm going to do the same this week, try my hardest and give it my all.
Please show me some support and consider making a donation, however large or small to help me give my all in my training:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco
And, don't forget about my iFitness hydration belt giveaway!! Less than a week left...
http://runningatthespeedofme.blogspot.com/2011/03/giveaway.html
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Week 6
To say my training was way off base last week would be a gigantic understatement. My goal was to get in some type of workout every day. Epic failure is the only way to describe it. Everything started out great on Monday. I went for a run, with the dog, my pace was a little bananas, because he just does what he wants, and I follow. It's more about just getting out and moving when I take him, not about getting really quality miles in. It was fun and then I followed it with an hour of yoga. It looked like the week was going to be very successful training wise. Wrong. I didn't work out again until Friday.
I was convinced at the time that I had a good reason for not working out each day, but looking back, I'm pretty sure that's not what really happened, for the most part I was being lazy. One day I had to do laundry, but the other two, I was just feeling off and didn't want to do anything. I know that working out would have made me feel better, but I could not get myself motivated. I even got to leave work early Wednesday and Thursday, leaving me with the perfect opportunity to get in a longer run or workout. But, alas, I wasted it.
Friday however, I redeemed myself, a little bit. Back to Friday, I got off work at 1pm, so I decided to take the dog for a hike at Fryman. He loves going and it seems to calm him down a bit for a few days, he's just much happier when he gets to explore the great outdoors, and Fryman is always an adventure for him. Although, he was incredibly pokey and curious this time, and kept trying to climb into plants and bushes. I wouldn't mind, but I don't want him to get bit or attacked by an animal. We took some new side trails and had a good time exploring. So, 3 miles down, and dog was pooped.
I got home and decided it was still early enough to go for a run. I had a mile in mind that I wanted to hit, 7. But, before I left, I decided since my previous runs hadn't been great (I've had a couple of not great runs in a row, and its been beyond frustrating), I would just go for as far as felt good and then come home. I wound up running four miles, at a fairly slow pace, about 11 minute miles. It wasn't a fantastic run, but it was an improvement over my previous runs and I was glad to get a few more miles in.
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| Fun new shoes! |
I did not get in a workout on Saturday. Instead I was at the LA Marathon expo all day, and I got some awesome new KSwiss shoes. They are seriously so comfortable. I can't wait to go for a run in them. I volunteered at the booth til 1pm, and when I was just about done, I ran into my favorite running family, the de la Vega/Yepes clan. I ran the LA Marathon with Lisa and Rico last year, and was super sad not to get to run it with them this year. As they are all super busy all the time I decided to wander around the expo with them. I found some fun new stuff (more about that in future posts), and found some races that look like fun (again, more later).
Sunday was a fail for working out, but I did something more important. I woke up at 5am not to run, but to get out on the course and support all of my amazing friends running the LA Marathon in that insane weather. They were out there in that torrential downpour for hours kicking ass and I could not be more proud of each and every one of them.
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| This is what the street looked like when we got there, just barely raining (~mile 6) |
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| This is what the street looked like about an hour later, flooded gutter, almost ready to crest onto the sidewalk |
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| Deborah, my first TNT mentor, already soaked at mile 6 (she looked, at the time, like she was thinking about trying to get across the 3 foot wide gutter river to hug us, but then thought better of it). She is so amazing! |
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| Lisa, my favorite running buddy ever! And, a rock star! Looking great at ~19 |
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| Amanda! My other favorite running buddy... There's a reason she looks so excited at mile ~19, and it wasn't just the pb/nutella/banana sandwiches ;) |
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| Matt, also looking good at ~19, I think the sandwiches Susie and Becka made, made everyone feel better |
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| Rico and Greg, sandwich time at mile ~19! |
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| Arin is super excited for not only the sandwich but the dry shoes and socks she had Susie bring for her, such a good idea! |
Epic failure turned into pure pride and joy as I watched my friends and everyone else out there battle through those insane conditions.
Here are a three more pics of the day (I took a ton of photos, but here are three of my favorites, I also capture Waldo, the guy with the watermelon on his head, a guy with a monkey on his back, a teenage mutant ninja turtle and SOOOO many others that I'll share another day)
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| elite women (~mile 6)... i can only dream of being that fast/efficient |
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| elite men... seriously, they're just really speedy |
Please consider supporting me and check out my page with Team in Training and my efforts to run the Alaska Mayor's Marathon:
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| wet road, soggy, squishy shoes |
And, check out my awesome iFitness belt giveaway: http://runningatthespeedofme.blogspot.com/2011/03/giveaway.html
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| "Run or Die" I thought this was an overstatement when I first saw it at the Expo, and then Sunday everyone just RAN. Seems a fitting description for the LA Marathon |
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Hydration Belt Giveaway/Fundraiser!
The incredibly generous people over at iFitnessinc.com (check out their website for all of their awesome products) have donated one of their new hydration belts to me for my fundraising efforts with Team in Training and LLS.
I LOVE my new iFitness hydration belt, see this post for my full review - http://runningatthespeedofme.blogspot.com/2011/03/ifitness-hydration-belt.html. And, I want to share the love with you!
Here's the deal, I have one of these AMAZING belts to give away. It's black with an orange zipper, works for men and women. It has an adjustable belt with two 6-oz bottles, race number toggles, a neoprene pouch (big enough to fit smart phones) and slots on the side for nutrition.
See the picture:
Good luck!!! Again, I love love love this belt, and I'm sure you will too!
I LOVE my new iFitness hydration belt, see this post for my full review - http://runningatthespeedofme.blogspot.com/2011/03/ifitness-hydration-belt.html. And, I want to share the love with you!
Here's the deal, I have one of these AMAZING belts to give away. It's black with an orange zipper, works for men and women. It has an adjustable belt with two 6-oz bottles, race number toggles, a neoprene pouch (big enough to fit smart phones) and slots on the side for nutrition.
See the picture:
If you want to win this AWESOME belt you have to do any of the following:
First, you must donate!
1. Donate to my fundraising efforts with Team in Training. Click this link, http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco (Donations are tax deductible and are going to an incredible cause.) [Any donation up to $10 donation counts as one entry ($1, $5, whatever you can give). Any donation above $10 counts as an additional entry, in increments of $10, so $11-$20 counts as 2 entries, $21-$30 counts as 3, etc.]
Second, here are some additional entry options:
2. Tweet about this giveaway and mention me @ewallerscott and @iFitnessRunning (comment here letting me know you tweeted it) [one entry]
3. Follow me on Twitter @ewallerscott (comment here that you're a follower) [one entry]
First, you must donate!
1. Donate to my fundraising efforts with Team in Training. Click this link, http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco (Donations are tax deductible and are going to an incredible cause.) [Any donation up to $10 donation counts as one entry ($1, $5, whatever you can give). Any donation above $10 counts as an additional entry, in increments of $10, so $11-$20 counts as 2 entries, $21-$30 counts as 3, etc.]
Second, here are some additional entry options:
2. Tweet about this giveaway and mention me @ewallerscott and @iFitnessRunning (comment here letting me know you tweeted it) [one entry]
3. Follow me on Twitter @ewallerscott (comment here that you're a follower) [one entry]
4. Post the giveaway on your Facebook Page (comment here letting me know you posted it) [one entry]
5. Follow my blog here (again, comment that you follow my blog) [one entry]
I'm extending the time to enter, so if you want to win you've still got time. I'll announce the winner on Monday, April 4th, in the afternoon, so you have until noon (PST) Monday April 4th to get your entries in.
Good luck!!! Again, I love love love this belt, and I'm sure you will too!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Week 5
This past week I tried to increase my workouts and get one in every day (you'll see that didn't really happen). I'm going to try to get back in to more running now too. My knee is feeling better and I think I'm ready to increase my mileage. And, now that we've switched to Daylight Saving Time it will be light after work and I can run outside again, instead of running on the treadmill (which I only do for about 20-30 minutes on average, before a spin class).
So here's how the week went:
Monday - The last thing I wanted to do was go work out. But, my roommate, Sheree, convinced me to go with her to the gym and get in even an easy workout. My knee was a little sore so I didn't want to run. Sheree suggested doing the rowing machine. I spent about 20 minutes on the rowing machine and got through 2.5 miles. I got a tiny little blister on my hand, annoying, but it was a workout and I broke a sweat. I'm glad I did it.
Tuesday - I decided to go to a spin class. I had to get to the gym really early to go to spin, as the classes fill up quickly. I got in a two mile run (22 mins, so not super speedy) on the treadmill before class, so I was warmed up by the time we started. The spin class was tougher than the previous week's classes I had tried, and I really liked the teacher. It was a good class and a hard workout.
Wednesday - I didn't work out on Wednesday. Exercise fail.
Thursday - Earlier in the week the Team got an email from one of the coaches, Tony, letting us know that he would be having a practice for core strength on Thursday night at the park where we have mid-week runs. This park is about 2 miles from my house, so I decided I needed to go, cause it would be silly to skip it, what with the proximity to my house. I figured it would be a good workout. It definitely was, and I was sore the next day, making me realize that I really need to get more core/strength training in.
Friday - I didn't work out on Friday. Again, exercise fail. (I went out to dinner with a friend instead.)
Saturday - All team event at Griffith Park. This was our long run for the week, 6 miles for the 1/2, 8 for the full. It was a run that started near the carousel at Griffith Park, went up through the Old Zoo, through some trails, around Zoo Drive, past the front of the LA Zoo and back to the carousel area for 6 miles. There was a mile out and back for the 8. I was planning on running the 8. I was feeling good that morning and excited for the run. But, alas, things went a little haywire. I don't know exactly where things went wrong. But, the whole run my legs felt heavy and I felt sluggish. Maybe it was the workout on Thursday, or the fact that I gave up soda for Lent and had consumed almost no caffeine in the previous three days. Whatever it was, the run was yucky for me. I stopped at 6 miles because I didn't think the additional two miles was going to do anything good for my body or my psyche. I was a little upset, but I had to remind myself, not every run is going to be perfect, or great, or even good for that matter. I decided to let it go and go for a run on Sunday.
Sunday - Instead of going for a run I went for a hike at Fryman Canyon with my sister and my dog. We did this hike last week, and it was fun. I'm glad I decided to do this instead of run. If I had a second bad run in a row I would've been very bothered. The hike was good, it felt like a good, easy work out. And, the dog LOVED it, just like he did last week. He had so much fun exploring nature. We took a few different trails off to the side, exploring, and there is so much more to see that we'll check out the next time we go. It was a really good way to spend the morning with my sister (who is crazy busy with work right now, so when we get a chance to do something together I always want to go). And, the dog was so well behaved. Fryman is fast becoming one of my favorite spots in LA. It's nice to go somewhere that's still right in the middle of the city, yet feels very apart.
I think five out of seven days isn't bad. I'm planning on getting in a work out every day this week. Let's see if that happens....
Please take a moment to click this link and support my effort to run the Alaska Mayor's Marathon and raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco
So here's how the week went:
Monday - The last thing I wanted to do was go work out. But, my roommate, Sheree, convinced me to go with her to the gym and get in even an easy workout. My knee was a little sore so I didn't want to run. Sheree suggested doing the rowing machine. I spent about 20 minutes on the rowing machine and got through 2.5 miles. I got a tiny little blister on my hand, annoying, but it was a workout and I broke a sweat. I'm glad I did it.
Tuesday - I decided to go to a spin class. I had to get to the gym really early to go to spin, as the classes fill up quickly. I got in a two mile run (22 mins, so not super speedy) on the treadmill before class, so I was warmed up by the time we started. The spin class was tougher than the previous week's classes I had tried, and I really liked the teacher. It was a good class and a hard workout.
Wednesday - I didn't work out on Wednesday. Exercise fail.
Thursday - Earlier in the week the Team got an email from one of the coaches, Tony, letting us know that he would be having a practice for core strength on Thursday night at the park where we have mid-week runs. This park is about 2 miles from my house, so I decided I needed to go, cause it would be silly to skip it, what with the proximity to my house. I figured it would be a good workout. It definitely was, and I was sore the next day, making me realize that I really need to get more core/strength training in.
Friday - I didn't work out on Friday. Again, exercise fail. (I went out to dinner with a friend instead.)
Saturday - All team event at Griffith Park. This was our long run for the week, 6 miles for the 1/2, 8 for the full. It was a run that started near the carousel at Griffith Park, went up through the Old Zoo, through some trails, around Zoo Drive, past the front of the LA Zoo and back to the carousel area for 6 miles. There was a mile out and back for the 8. I was planning on running the 8. I was feeling good that morning and excited for the run. But, alas, things went a little haywire. I don't know exactly where things went wrong. But, the whole run my legs felt heavy and I felt sluggish. Maybe it was the workout on Thursday, or the fact that I gave up soda for Lent and had consumed almost no caffeine in the previous three days. Whatever it was, the run was yucky for me. I stopped at 6 miles because I didn't think the additional two miles was going to do anything good for my body or my psyche. I was a little upset, but I had to remind myself, not every run is going to be perfect, or great, or even good for that matter. I decided to let it go and go for a run on Sunday.
Sunday - Instead of going for a run I went for a hike at Fryman Canyon with my sister and my dog. We did this hike last week, and it was fun. I'm glad I decided to do this instead of run. If I had a second bad run in a row I would've been very bothered. The hike was good, it felt like a good, easy work out. And, the dog LOVED it, just like he did last week. He had so much fun exploring nature. We took a few different trails off to the side, exploring, and there is so much more to see that we'll check out the next time we go. It was a really good way to spend the morning with my sister (who is crazy busy with work right now, so when we get a chance to do something together I always want to go). And, the dog was so well behaved. Fryman is fast becoming one of my favorite spots in LA. It's nice to go somewhere that's still right in the middle of the city, yet feels very apart.
I think five out of seven days isn't bad. I'm planning on getting in a work out every day this week. Let's see if that happens....
Please take a moment to click this link and support my effort to run the Alaska Mayor's Marathon and raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco
Thursday, March 10, 2011
iFitness Hydration Belt
Let me start this off by saying I always carry hydration with me on runs longer than 5 miles. I have a tendency to overheat/dehydrate fairly easily. Having my own hydration is essential, even during races. Sometimes I carry a handheld bottle, but most of the time I wear a belt. There are a lot of different brands out there. I have previously tried 2 different belts and have 2 different handhelds (I really like both handhelds but that's not the point of this post).
I have had an issue with both of the belts I tried previously, no matter how hard I try both of the belts move around and bounce. Its uncomfortable and annoying. I am constantly readjusting and it's very annoying. Neither of the belts has a big enough pocket for my cell phone (a blackberry) and the GUs I carry on a long run. One of the belts doesn't have a pocket big enough for my cell phone, at all. It has been a frustrating process finding a belt that works.
I didn't just buy it right off the bat. I emailed iFitness to ask a couple of questions and found them to be highly responsive. In fact, they guaranteed that I would love the belt. The belt has a great price point, in fact its cheaper than the other two belts I have. I was concerned that it would only have two six ounce bottles, but I realized that my other belts only have 7 or 8 ounce bottles. (One of the belts has two 7oz bottles, the other four 8oz bottles, but I haven't used the one with four bottles in more than a year.) So, it's really not that much less, and I can always refill them.
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| my new hydration belt. |
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| wider belt that sits on my body more comfortably, and you can see the adjustable part of the belt |
I bought the belt and it arrived really quickly. I had a five mile run a week after the belt arrived. So I loaded up the bottles and took it with me. (My doctor insists that I take hydration, electrolytes, with me on every run 5 miles or more, as I can overheat and/or dehydrate easily.) At first it was was kind of moving around a little, I was starting to get disappointed that I would face the same problem with this belt that I had with all of my previous ones. But, I readjusted the size* and I was back in business. The rest of the run I basically forgot I had the belt on.
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| look! my phone fits! |
This belt is by far my favorite one. It didn't ride up, bounce or shift around at all. It's very comfortable and easy to forget that it's there. I absolutely loved it. It will take a little time to get used to the way the bottles slide in and out, as they are on a slight angle and my other belts have them straight up and down, but I think its better that they are at an angle because it makes them fit to your body better. It had room for my phone and it didn't get sweaty or gross at all in the pocket. I am so excited to use this belt on my longer runs, and even in my races. I've worn it a couple of times already, and I love it!
I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a hydration belt. I also tested out the pocket to see how much stuff I could fit in it. And between the pouch and the two slots for GUs I can carry a ton of stuff with me on my runs. Not that I need a ton of stuff, but its good to know that I'll be able to fit everything comfortably. Yay!
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| the belt with the bottles, two GUs in the slots, my phone inits pouch and all the GUs I'm about to try to stuff in with the phone to see if they'll fit |
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everything in the previous picture fits in the belt, and it still doesn't bounce or move around. yay! |
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| one last picture, look, an extra hidden pouch for money/cards |
In the photo on the iFitness website you can see the belt was meant to wear in front, I'm just more comfortable with it the other way. I am going to try going for a run with it on the front and see if that makes the bottles easier to access. Either way, I still love this belt and highly recommend it.
You can buy yours here**:
*Something I love about this belt is you can adjust the size on the belt by sliding the plastic pieces to make it bigger or smaller, the other belts I have both use Velcro and it can only tighten or loosen as far as the Velcro goes.
**I purchased this belt and was not asked to write a review of it. I just love it so much that I wanted to share.
I am currently training for the Alaska Mayor's Marathon in June, in Anchorage with Team in Training. To support me please visit this web page and consider making a 100% tax deductible donation:
THANK YOU!!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Week 4
Again, this past Saturday I really did not want to get up. I'm hoping this next week I start to enjoy this early morning Saturday rising thing again...
On to more interesting things. I got myself to practice again this week. The schedule called for 5 miles for everyone doing the half, 7 for the full. As I'm hoping to do the full I decided I was going to do the 7 miles. I wasn't really paying attention to the pace groups when they announced them again. But, I had a general idea of where I should be. I was chatting with someone as the pace groups started to leave and I realized mine took off. So, off I went, on my own, a little behind them. I was fine with that, because at this point I prefer running by myself as opposed to with a group. My trusty Garmin was set at the same interval from the previous week - 6 minute run, 1 minute walk. I do not like this interval, for reasons I will get in to later, and I will probably change it this week.
As I was running one of the coaches caught up to me (I was just behind my pace group) and told me to feel free to drop to the group behind me if I needed it. I thanked him and let him know that I was actually very familiar with the park and the whole routine as this is my fourth go-round with Team in Training, once as a mentor, and he didn't need to worry too much about me. Two other members of the leadership staff also came running up to me to make sure I was okay running alone. I appreciate the effort, its better than being ignored, but I do prefer to run alone, clear my head.
As I got to just before mile 4 my knee started to feel a twinge. I was hoping it would pass. Shortly after that one of the pace groups caught up to me, and the other coach was with them and suggested I stick with them, so I did. (By this point I had completely lost my own pace group, I didn't stop at the water stop, and I think they did, I'm pretty sure that's where I got completely separated from them.)
When the water stop back at home base came in to view, about mile 4.75, and my knee was hurting a little bit (the twinge had become a little bit more than a twinge), I made a decision to call it a day at 5 miles. I knew I could finish out the last two miles, but I also knew that my knee would not be happy, and would actually probably feel worse. I knew that the best thing to do was to stop.
At mile five I called it a day for the run. I would have preferred to do the seven, but five is better than zero.
I think I know what the issue with the knee pain is now. The pain seems to kick in when I slow to a walk on my intervals. I think slowing to a walk is giving my knee time to get a bit stiff and swell. I've been trying to eliminate the intervals completely from my runs, and I think this is the perfect opportunity to try reducing/eliminating intervals and seeing if it helps with the knee pain. (I also think I shouldn't do my physical therapy exercises the night before I run in the morning, because while they are strengthening my knee, they might be making it sore for an early morning run.)
Going to test out both reduction of intervals and no physical therapy exercises the night before. Looking forward to this week's long run at Griffith Park. Hoping for the best.
To suport my fundraising efforts please visit my Team in Training web page and consider making a donation! Thank you!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco
On to more interesting things. I got myself to practice again this week. The schedule called for 5 miles for everyone doing the half, 7 for the full. As I'm hoping to do the full I decided I was going to do the 7 miles. I wasn't really paying attention to the pace groups when they announced them again. But, I had a general idea of where I should be. I was chatting with someone as the pace groups started to leave and I realized mine took off. So, off I went, on my own, a little behind them. I was fine with that, because at this point I prefer running by myself as opposed to with a group. My trusty Garmin was set at the same interval from the previous week - 6 minute run, 1 minute walk. I do not like this interval, for reasons I will get in to later, and I will probably change it this week.
As I was running one of the coaches caught up to me (I was just behind my pace group) and told me to feel free to drop to the group behind me if I needed it. I thanked him and let him know that I was actually very familiar with the park and the whole routine as this is my fourth go-round with Team in Training, once as a mentor, and he didn't need to worry too much about me. Two other members of the leadership staff also came running up to me to make sure I was okay running alone. I appreciate the effort, its better than being ignored, but I do prefer to run alone, clear my head.
As I got to just before mile 4 my knee started to feel a twinge. I was hoping it would pass. Shortly after that one of the pace groups caught up to me, and the other coach was with them and suggested I stick with them, so I did. (By this point I had completely lost my own pace group, I didn't stop at the water stop, and I think they did, I'm pretty sure that's where I got completely separated from them.)
When the water stop back at home base came in to view, about mile 4.75, and my knee was hurting a little bit (the twinge had become a little bit more than a twinge), I made a decision to call it a day at 5 miles. I knew I could finish out the last two miles, but I also knew that my knee would not be happy, and would actually probably feel worse. I knew that the best thing to do was to stop.
At mile five I called it a day for the run. I would have preferred to do the seven, but five is better than zero.
I think I know what the issue with the knee pain is now. The pain seems to kick in when I slow to a walk on my intervals. I think slowing to a walk is giving my knee time to get a bit stiff and swell. I've been trying to eliminate the intervals completely from my runs, and I think this is the perfect opportunity to try reducing/eliminating intervals and seeing if it helps with the knee pain. (I also think I shouldn't do my physical therapy exercises the night before I run in the morning, because while they are strengthening my knee, they might be making it sore for an early morning run.)
Going to test out both reduction of intervals and no physical therapy exercises the night before. Looking forward to this week's long run at Griffith Park. Hoping for the best.
To suport my fundraising efforts please visit my Team in Training web page and consider making a donation! Thank you!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco
Friday, March 4, 2011
Marine Corps
I'm joining the Marine Corps! Haha! No, I'm not, they wouldn't take me even if I wanted to join, which I don't. Actually, I'm running the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in Washington, D.C. in October. Woo hoo! I signed up for this race sort of on a whim. I saw on my Facebook that a couple of my friends were talking about registering for the race and I thought, I really want to do that one. I've known for a few months that MCM is a race I want to do eventually. I just didn't think this year would be the year that I would do it.
I was planning on running the LA Marathon this year, but now I'm running the Alaska Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage in June instead (see this post for why my plans had to change: http://runningatthespeedofme.blogspot.com/2011/01/decisions-disappointments-dreams.html). I was really sad about LA, but I'm moving on and now I'm incredibly excited about Alaska.
I also want to run a full marathon in the fall, in addition to Alaska in June. I have a buy-in for the Nike Women's Marathon in October (due to a finisher's necklace debacle), but, while I improved a lot on that course last year I don't really want to run the full again, I'd rather run the half marathon. I've been looking for other options for a full for the fall. I registered for the NYC Marathon lottery, and while I can keep my hopes up, that's kind of a long shot. I'm not expecting to get to run that one until my fourth time of entering the lottery.*
Anyway, I don't want to count on getting in to New York, because its not guaranteed, and the get lower every year. Like I said, I'm expecting I will get to run NYC in two more years. So, while Nike and New York were being considered I made a decision, not quite spur of the moment, but I didn't think about it for a crazy long time either (just a few hours actually), and I looked up the Marine Corps Marathon, I talked to my mom and some friends (on Facebook and Twitter), and I decided to go for it (I also talked to my dad who didn't seem excited about the idea and told me not to do it, I obviously didn't listen to him). The registration fee was pretty low for such a big race, only about $95 after fees. Yay! And, I'm glad I registered when I did, the race sold out in just 28 hours this year. Crazy!
And now, here I am registered for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. A couple of friends have said to me, "Watch, now you'll get in to New York." That would not be great news, as New York is the weekend after MCM. But, I know that's not how the world works. If I get in to NYC I know I can waive my registration for one of these races to next year. So, problem solved.
I'm really excited for MCM, and I've heard from everyone who's run it before that its an incredible race and an incredible experience. Washington, D.C. here I come!
*Here's what I found out about the NYC Marathon lottery, and why planning on this being my fall race is a long shot. The odds of getting in are between 8% and 12%, but will probably be lower this year because more people apply for entry to get in the marathon every year. From 2009-2010 lottery applications increased by almost 35% (from 102,500 to 125,500) and its expected to rise at least 10% more in 2011. All of this means the odds of getting in go down. The number of participants is capped at 45,000, but a number are saved for guaranteed entry, not all of the spots are given out in the lottery. (If you want more detailed info check out the marathon website: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/1066.htm)
I was planning on running the LA Marathon this year, but now I'm running the Alaska Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage in June instead (see this post for why my plans had to change: http://runningatthespeedofme.blogspot.com/2011/01/decisions-disappointments-dreams.html). I was really sad about LA, but I'm moving on and now I'm incredibly excited about Alaska.
I also want to run a full marathon in the fall, in addition to Alaska in June. I have a buy-in for the Nike Women's Marathon in October (due to a finisher's necklace debacle), but, while I improved a lot on that course last year I don't really want to run the full again, I'd rather run the half marathon. I've been looking for other options for a full for the fall. I registered for the NYC Marathon lottery, and while I can keep my hopes up, that's kind of a long shot. I'm not expecting to get to run that one until my fourth time of entering the lottery.*
Anyway, I don't want to count on getting in to New York, because its not guaranteed, and the get lower every year. Like I said, I'm expecting I will get to run NYC in two more years. So, while Nike and New York were being considered I made a decision, not quite spur of the moment, but I didn't think about it for a crazy long time either (just a few hours actually), and I looked up the Marine Corps Marathon, I talked to my mom and some friends (on Facebook and Twitter), and I decided to go for it (I also talked to my dad who didn't seem excited about the idea and told me not to do it, I obviously didn't listen to him). The registration fee was pretty low for such a big race, only about $95 after fees. Yay! And, I'm glad I registered when I did, the race sold out in just 28 hours this year. Crazy!
And now, here I am registered for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. A couple of friends have said to me, "Watch, now you'll get in to New York." That would not be great news, as New York is the weekend after MCM. But, I know that's not how the world works. If I get in to NYC I know I can waive my registration for one of these races to next year. So, problem solved.
I'm really excited for MCM, and I've heard from everyone who's run it before that its an incredible race and an incredible experience. Washington, D.C. here I come!
*Here's what I found out about the NYC Marathon lottery, and why planning on this being my fall race is a long shot. The odds of getting in are between 8% and 12%, but will probably be lower this year because more people apply for entry to get in the marathon every year. From 2009-2010 lottery applications increased by almost 35% (from 102,500 to 125,500) and its expected to rise at least 10% more in 2011. All of this means the odds of getting in go down. The number of participants is capped at 45,000, but a number are saved for guaranteed entry, not all of the spots are given out in the lottery. (If you want more detailed info check out the marathon website: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/1066.htm)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Week 3
This past weekend it was supposed to be pouring rain. I was happy to receive an email from our coaches saying that we would have practice rain or shine. My feeling is unless the weather poses some kind of danger you should get out there rain or shine, because what happens if it rains on your race day? Are you not going to run because of inclement weather on race day? Unlikely, so its best to just go do it, rain or shine.
I woke up on Saturday morning and it was cold and I really didn't want to get out of bed. Being forced to take a couple of months off because of my knee pain has gotten me out of the habit of waking up early on Saturday for my long run. As much as I didn't want to get up I threw myself out of bed ate a quick piece of toast with peanut butter and honey and rushed off to practice.
Saturday's practice was moved, but only slightly, because the park where we usually run gets flooded and closed when it rains. We were doing a timed mile, plus four additional miles. I took the first mile very slow and easy, to get my knee warmed up. I've been doing my exercises and wore my neoprene knee brace. But, the cold makes it feel more stiff/sore, not sure what that's about.
Our second mile was our timed mile. I went out hard, I probably could've gone a bit faster, but I didn't want to hurt my knee. I ran down the path, without looking at my watch once, because I didn't want to be focused on how long the mile was taking me, I just wanted to do it the best I could. When I got close enough to hear the coach saying the times I thought I heard him wrong at first. I thought I heard him saying 8:50, 51, etc. But, I knew that couldn't be right, I'd be closer to 10 or 11 minutes.
Then, we I was right there, I heard him say 9:04 as I was passing. I was shocked. I hit the stop button on my Garmin, looked at it and realized that I had, indeed run that mile at just over 9 minutes. I could hardly believe it. When I started with Team in Training in October of 2009 I ran my first timed mile with the team in about 11:45. I was getting over bronchitis, but still, that was a HUGE improvement. I was really excited. The last time I timed my mile on my own, last June, it was around 10-10:30. Again, a big improvement.
We were then put in to pace groups and took off for our last couple of miles. Even though it was cold out and I really didn't want to run, it turned out to be a good morning and a good run. I'm really excited about my timed mile improvement. I think that taking a couple of months off for my injury was really good for my running. I'm feeling stronger and better about all of it. I am SO glad that I got up and went to practice on Saturday morning, it really put a positive spin on my entire weekend. It's crazy how one little run can do that for me.
I'm getting more and more excited about running the Alaska Mayor's Marathon in June, and I'm feeling better about my running and my chances of improving my time. Please take a minute to look at my fundraising page and see why I'm running this marathon and why I chose Team in Training to help get me there.
Thank you.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco
I woke up on Saturday morning and it was cold and I really didn't want to get out of bed. Being forced to take a couple of months off because of my knee pain has gotten me out of the habit of waking up early on Saturday for my long run. As much as I didn't want to get up I threw myself out of bed ate a quick piece of toast with peanut butter and honey and rushed off to practice.
Saturday's practice was moved, but only slightly, because the park where we usually run gets flooded and closed when it rains. We were doing a timed mile, plus four additional miles. I took the first mile very slow and easy, to get my knee warmed up. I've been doing my exercises and wore my neoprene knee brace. But, the cold makes it feel more stiff/sore, not sure what that's about.
Our second mile was our timed mile. I went out hard, I probably could've gone a bit faster, but I didn't want to hurt my knee. I ran down the path, without looking at my watch once, because I didn't want to be focused on how long the mile was taking me, I just wanted to do it the best I could. When I got close enough to hear the coach saying the times I thought I heard him wrong at first. I thought I heard him saying 8:50, 51, etc. But, I knew that couldn't be right, I'd be closer to 10 or 11 minutes.
Then, we I was right there, I heard him say 9:04 as I was passing. I was shocked. I hit the stop button on my Garmin, looked at it and realized that I had, indeed run that mile at just over 9 minutes. I could hardly believe it. When I started with Team in Training in October of 2009 I ran my first timed mile with the team in about 11:45. I was getting over bronchitis, but still, that was a HUGE improvement. I was really excited. The last time I timed my mile on my own, last June, it was around 10-10:30. Again, a big improvement.
We were then put in to pace groups and took off for our last couple of miles. Even though it was cold out and I really didn't want to run, it turned out to be a good morning and a good run. I'm really excited about my timed mile improvement. I think that taking a couple of months off for my injury was really good for my running. I'm feeling stronger and better about all of it. I am SO glad that I got up and went to practice on Saturday morning, it really put a positive spin on my entire weekend. It's crazy how one little run can do that for me.
I'm getting more and more excited about running the Alaska Mayor's Marathon in June, and I'm feeling better about my running and my chances of improving my time. Please take a minute to look at my fundraising page and see why I'm running this marathon and why I chose Team in Training to help get me there.
Thank you.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/anchor11/ewallersco
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