Eat Drink Run Woman

This week’s theme: “I think I can, I think I can, oh maybe not, oh yes I can! but then again perhaps not, but on the other hand…”

Given the tough workout last week, I wanted to scale things back a bit this week. Mind you, I didn’t skimp on my mileage; I just chose routes that were easy and flat (okay, so MOST of them were easy and flat). I also made sure my core work wouldn’t leave me spent for my speed work.

The biggest boost this week? The weather! Pretty much the entire week was glorious: blue skies; few clouds crisp, cool air. Studies have shown that us Pacific Northwesterners are vitamin D deficient due to the lack of sun, but this week we all came out in droves to soak it in.

Sunday: rest day (I toyed with hitting the pool for a few laps, but instead got engrossed in creating my Medoc shadowbox).

Monday: Arms, abs, stretching (and lunges!). 8-mile lactate threshold run w/4 miles @ 15K-half marathon pace. For this run I ran 2 miles at a very relaxed pace, then picked it up for 4 miles. My goal was to run at a 8:52 pace (my estimated 15K pace). Just as I got to Greenlake I saw my darling, who was in the midst of his own LT run. Since he had run fairly hard he decided to join me for the remainder of his run.

Although I intended to run slower, I was a bit dismayed to see I was averaging about a 9:45 – 10 min. pace; I felt I was running much faster! I didn’t think this would bode well for my speed work, so I decided I’d be happy if I could average an 8:52 – 9:04 pace (the latter being my half marathon pace). When I got to 2 miles I hit the lap button on my Garmin and picked up the pace. I was determined to just run what felt comfortable, albeit fast; I wouldn’t keep checking my progress on Garmin.

A half mile into my speed work my darling had to make a potty stop, so we bid each other adieu. At that point I noticed a runner approximately 100 meters in front of me, running about the same pace. I was determined to pass him at some point, but I also didn’t want to speed up too quickly for fear I’d bonk at the end. As we wound our way around the lake I’d get close, but then he’d speed up and increase the gap. I’m sure I vexed him as much as he vexed me. I finally hit mile 4 and exited the outer loop for a nice leisurely jog along the inner loop (I’m sure my tormentor was more than happy to see me go).

Given it was not only a holiday, but a sunny day to boot, I knew the inner loop would be packed. It didn’t bother me for the first mile since I wanted to cool down from my speed work, but the crowds soon became unbearable. I headed back out to the outer loop to finish out my run. When I downloaded my run upon returning home I was shocked to see what my average pace was for my speed work: 8:46! Goes to show what you’re capable of if you take things slow in the beginning.

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Week 2 — your new Delta Tau Chi name is “Quads, They Burn.”

I’m DEFINITELY feeling the effects of increased mileage during the week. In looking through my past training schedule, I realized the last time I ran more than six miles during the week was my 9-mile birthday run in November. Although I racked up 150 miles in December, my longest runs were on the weekends when I hadn’t been standing all day cooking.

To make matters worse, I’ve decided to do two other exercises I hate (in addition to planks): lunges and squats. Actually, I should say I’ve decided to follow my physical therapist’s advice and do the exercises as they help build my core. For the lunges, I hold a 4 lb. medicine ball out in front of me, lunge forward on one leg, turn to each side, then come up to standing. I then repeat on the other leg. For the squats, I cross my arms at chest height and then squat.

On Monday I did 10 lunges on each leg and two sets of 15 squats. That afternoon I ran a little over 8 miles, which included speed work, so by Tuesday morning my quads were pretty sore. Of course my yoga teacher decided we were ready for new poses — the triangle and pigeon — plus she had us do more warrior poses. My quads didn’t appreciate the extra work and I grumbled and groaned throughout.

Although I refrained from doing the lunges and squats on Wednesday, my quads were still sore during the afternoon run. I must be a masochist, as I chose a rather hilly route for the 10 miles. We live at the bottom of Phinney Ridge, and the run took us over the ridge (I swear the hills are at a 45-degree angle!) Thursday was either a cross-training or rest day, and considering it was Valentine’s Day I chose the latter (I wanted to get an early start so I’d get home in time to prepare a nice dinner for my darling).

On Friday I was ready to do some more lunges and squats (in addition to my typical arm weight routine), but since my cook date went so long I ended up bagging on my 5-mile afternoon recovery run. Sure, I felt guilty, but I didn’t get home until well after 6 p.m., and by then it was dark and rainy. I vowed to make up for some of it during the next day’s long run, and boy did I. The beginning of the run followed the same route as Wednesday’s, but it also included the loop trail through Discovery Park, which is also quite hilly. Although I was scheduled for a 13-miler on Saturday, it ended up being just under 15. With the extra mileage I ran earlier in the week, I’m only behind a mile and a half.
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Okay Pfitz, it’s show time.  You come highly recommended — many have said they’ve qualified for Boston with you — so for the next 18 weeks I’m all yours.  I know it won’t be easy, but I’m ready for the rigors ahead.  I’ve been working on strengthening my core and increasing my flexibility, plus I’ve increased my mileage considerably.

Because I ran my first two marathons for fun, my baseline marathon time is hypothetical (based on some recent runs, I’m guessing it’s in the 4:10:00-4:15:00 range).  To qualify for Boston, I need to get that time down to 4:00:59.  I know the mileage you recommend will certainly help (I’ll be following your “up to 55 miles/week” schedule), as well as the speed work.  But to be safe, I’ll also be adding some hills — repeats, as well as incorporating hilly courses into my regular runs.

As for cross training, I’ve finally found a yoga class I enjoy, so I’ll be taking that every Tuesday and will hit the pool or do some biking on Sundays (I’ve tweaked the schedule to begin on Sunday so that my long runs fall on Saturday).  I also have an elliptical available at my gym, and will be doing an arm/shoulder weight routine three days/week.  (And no, I won’t forget my core work — I’ll be doing that at least five times/week.  I hope to be able to hold a plank for two minutes by the end of the year!)

Ironically, I think my major challenge will be to keep my pace SLOW enough during my general aerobic, recovery and medium/long runs.  In fact, I may actually incorporate walk breaks during the long runs to ensure I stay within my projected pace (I’ll also have my heart rate monitor guide me).

Oh wait — there is one more challenge: my weight.  Mind you, I’m happy where I am, but I know my running would benefit if I were to lose 10 more pounds.  I love my wine (and salt), so my weight has stubbornly stayed in the 162-167 range.  I’m hoping to get down to 150 by my goal race (the North Olympic Discovery Marathon on June 8), but I’d be happy with 155.

Anyhoo, check back weekly for a progress report.  And please, don’t be offended if I use your name in vain.

I’ve been playing a numbers game. I’m about to embark on some hard-core training in my quest to qualify for Boston (goal time of 4 hours, 59 seconds), but I have not established a good baseline. Although I have two marathons under my, er, feet, neither demonstrated what I’m truly capable of (after all, I don’t intend to drink wine or take pictures with Disney characters at North Olympic). Therefore, I have to use my best guesstimate. But what do I base it on? My best 5K time? 10K? Half marathon? Best 15K-30K training run? They all predict different outcomes when plugging in the numbers on the MacMillan Running Calculator.

I originally estimated my time at 4:30-4:40, but recent runs have had me question this. So I plugged in my best times for seven different distances, coming up with projected marathon times ranging from 4:20-4:40. Just when I settled on a middle-of-the-pack time (4:32), I decided I should run a 15K “race” to see if I could improve on that time. (In other words, I chose to run around Greenlake for 9.3 miles as fast as I could. Not the same as true race conditions, but it was close and the price was right!). My goal was to average 9-9 1/4 minute miles.

I’ve managed to convince my darling to join me on my BQ quest (he too will attempt a BQ), so rather than run together we ran in opposite directions, high fiving each other as we crossed paths. Although I wore my Garmin, I was determined not to look at it. Rather, I wanted my body to indicate when I should speed up and slow down.

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I’m signed up for the North Olympic Discovery Marathon (where I hope to BQ).  May the madness begin!

Boy, some gung-ho runner I am. Here I am crowing about running 150 miles in December, only to bring in the New Year with a whimper.

Since I had to work on New Year’s Day our New Year’s Eve celebration was low-key. We noshed on raw oysters and sipped champagne while watching movies. By 10:30 we were ready for bed; when we heard firecrackers go off in the neighborhood signaling midnight we rolled over, kissed, wished each other happy new year and then promptly fell back to sleep. What an old married couple we are!

My cookday on the 1st went quick, but rather than go for a run upon returning home I decided what would be of greater benefit would be to catch up on more than two months of bookkeeping. (I am in taper mode, after all). I fully intended to go for a run after my cookday on Wednesday, but as I headed back over the bridge toward home I saw dark storm clouds forming. By the time I arrived home it was a downpour, so I was easily convinced to join my darling and his friend for a beer at the pub (so much for not drinking until Saturday after the half marathon).

I had a pint and a schooner of beer, plus I shared a mediterranean appetizer plate with my darling. By the time I got home I started feeling bloaty and just a bit off. The feeling got worse after our dinner — an Asian chicken salad with a spicy sesame dressing. I was heavy-handed with the chile oil, so I thought that was what was making my stomach upset. I then kept smelling the sesame oil and my queasiness intensified. I tried chewing a few Altoids (normally they’re a great way to tame an upset stomach), but to no avail. Within the hour I knew I was dealing with a bug (I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say I was thankful for the Pepto Bismol and Imodium A-D in the medicine cabinet).

Fortunately I already had Thursday off; while I had hoped to get even more caught up with various office duties, here’s how I ended up spending it:

(And in case I haven’t said this before, I have the absolute BEST husband. Not only did he make me chicken noodle soup, he also got me some mango popsicles).

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Now that I’ve got Boston on the brain I’ve been rethinking my training strategy. I’m still a fan of Jeff Galloway (he’ll always have a place in my heart given he got me to Medoc), but I question whether the run/walk program will get me to Boston. It’s a fabulous program for one’s first marathon: the “to finish” plan requires only 3 days/week of training with relatively low mileage (although he does recommend running the full 26.2 miles before the race). And because you’re interspersing walk breaks with your running, you recover much quicker (and reduce the risk of injury).

But something tells me Boston will require much, much more.

After perusing the Runner’s World discussion boards on marathon training I picked up a copy of Pete Pfitzinger’s “Advanced Marathoning.” As the name implies, it’s definitely more hardcore than Galloway. They offer several training options: 12-, 18- and 24-week plans with 55, 70 and 70+ miles per week (not every week includes that mileage, rather, you work up to it). However, they do recommend a hardy base — you should be running at least 25 miles/week within the past month and should have comfortably completed a run close in length to the long run called for the first week.

I won’t be following this plan for Disney, but will start the 18-week, 55-mile plan once I’ve recovered (I’ll be giving myself three weeks) for the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in June (where I hope to BQ). The first week calls for 32 miles with a 12-mile long run; while I knew it would be an increase in mileage, I hadn’t realized how much.

I had been reading Runner Gal Leana‘s post on breaking 100 miles for the month of November (way to go!), which prompted me to figure out how much I’ve run per month. I was shocked to see the results: even during my marathon training, not only did I never break 100, I only broke the 80-mile mark one month! My average monthly total has around the 75-mile mark. Part of it has to do with sickness and injury, but most of it has to do with laziness. While I’d be diligent about getting my long runs in, I was pretty lackadaisical about the midweek runs. Obviously I was still able to finish the marathon, but again, if I’m to run in 4 hours, 59 seconds, I’ve got to step it up.

At first I chose a very optimistic goal for the month of December: 150 miles. But considering my hip/hamstring issues, I should be more realistic (most training plans don’t recommend increasing your mileage by more than 10% each week). So I’ve revised my goal: the bare minimum is 100 miles, the “Way to Go Betsy!” target is 125 miles, and the “Wonky Body Mechanics Be Gone!” target is 150 miles.

I’m happy to say I’m off to a good start: 22 miles for the month! (Although I hope to not have to do a lot of it, I’m including treadmill running. With the nasty weather we’ve had over the past couple of days, I decided to do my 4-mile run this morning indoors). But I’ll be outside — rain or shine — for Nancy’s 8 on the 8th!

I MISS RUNNING!

If I didn’t have this darn hip issue I’d be lounging on my couch with a glass of wine, recuperating from a 16-mile run. Instead, I’m lounging on my couch with a glass of wine, recuperating from… an hour of cleaning my kitchen. (Oh — and making homemade arugula and goat cheese whole wheat ravioli).

Fortunately today’s slothfulness is an anomaly; I’ve been very diligent in not only doing my physical therapy exercises (I hope to get a gold star from my PT on Tuesday), I’ve also been going to the pool for deep water running and also put in a good hour on the elliptical machine on Thursday. While those have been good, hard workouts, they just aren’t the same. However, I know if I push things then I’ll really screw myself up.

Must. Learn. Patience.

As an added torture, I spend an inordinate amount of time reading running blogs and articles on various running sites. I figure if I can’t run myself then I’ll “run” vicariously through others. I’ll be waiting with bated breath to see if See Zanne Run qualifies for Boston in the Columbus Marathon tomorrow; I’m cheering on Tall Girl Running as she wraps up her marathon recovery and is eyeing her next challenge: getting a new 10K PR; I’m sending “heal quick” vibes to See Diva Run as she recuperates from her tumble during the Spirit of Survival half marathon; and I’m feeling both happy and envious of Frayed Laces, who was given the go-ahead to run by her doctor after having to take off almost two weeks due to Achilles tendonitis.

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As I hinted in my last post, I’m once again training for a marathon. Even before we completed our first, I had signed us up for our next adventure: the Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World January 12-13. By running the half marathon on Saturday participants receive a Donald Duck medal; for the full marathon on Sunday it’s a Mickey Mouse medal. So, what must you do to receive the Goofy medal? That’s right — run BOTH races. (I’ve never claimed sanity was my strong suit).

But perhaps even crazier than that, I’ve decided to try to qualify for Boston. It won’t be at Disney — my goal for that race is to merely survive both days — but I am kicking my training up a notch to see how my body responds. (If the first week is any indication, my body is acting like a petulant child, sending me into the throes of a 100-degree fever at the first signs of increased activity. I’m hoping it will start to behave soon.)

I first toyed with qualifying for Boston earlier this year. I even broached the subject with one of my blogging buddies, asking if she’d be up to the task with me. (I got a definitive “maybe.”) My target would be Boston 2009, for which I’d need a 4 hour qualifying time (excuse me, 4 hours, 59 seconds, thankyouverymuch) during a 2008 race. While certainly challenging, it didn’t seem particularly out of reach.

However, after pulling a hamstring during the Fremont 5K I began to question my decision. Perhaps I wasn’t meant to go fast, I told myself. Maybe I’m better off shooting for another goal not determined by speed: x number of marathons before I’m 50, running a marathon on every continent, becoming a member of the Marathon Maniacs, etc. etc. A total copout, I know.

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