Seattle Half 08 - Run 5 of 63

Distance: 2 mile speed
Time: 20:20
Course: Loop from home

I was supposed to do this run on Thursday, then yesterday, and wimped out both times because of the heat. Today, though, we spent the afternoon in an air-conditioned theatre watching Tropic Thunder and the first part of the evening in the air-conditioned bedroom watching the Olympic swimming and running. Paula Radcliffe finishing 23rd in the marathon, running basically on one leg after a horrible three months leading up to the Olympics? Yeah, time for me to suck it up and do my measly two 1-mile intervals.

We warmed up with a 1-mile jog, and then started at the corner of the block for the first interval. I tried to be steady all the way through, and truthfully was waiting the entire time to just completely lose it. The plan says 2 one-mile intervals at a 10:43 pace; I did the first mile in 10:04, on a slight downhill. Recovery was a half-mile walk/jog over to the next block, and then we started the second mile interval. By this time I was really afraid that I wouldn't even make it to the halfway point, but somehow at the quarter-mile point, I felt myself start to get into a good glide and rhythm. I ran the first half-mile at a 10:49 pace, and then bumped it, going uphill even, to finish the second half-mile at a 10:32 pace.

I need to keep doing speed intervals, because they give me solid evidence that I can, in fact, go significantly faster than my usual 12:00 pace, and over a decent distance as well. Evidence means confidence. This was fun!

Seattle Half 08 - Run 4 of 63

Distance: 2 mile easy
Time: 25:00
Course: Loop from home

So, morning running. UGH. 2 miles felt like forever, but I have to admit, it felt pretty good the rest of the day to know that I'd already gotten my run in. CM thinks that doing this short run every Tuesday (or Wednesday, as the schedule permits) in the morning is a good idea.

What would an athlete do? Embrace the morning run, right? Ugh. We'll see how it goes.

Seattle Half 08 - Run 3 of 63

Distance: 5.86 mile long
Time: 1:16
Course: Loop from home

When I'm being coached, I do whatever the coach says to do, but left to my own devices, I tend to shy away from pain, or even the possibility of pain. I'm not afraid of pain itself; I think it's more that I don't trust myself to know where the line is between pushing hard into the zone where you break down and improve your muscles, and the redline zone where you just break down. I'm terrified of hurting myself, and that's keeping me from trying harder.

I guess it comes down to not wanting to take a risk. But I'm pumped up now from watching two days of Olympics coverage, and I'm thinking that I probably know enough about my body now to start bumping up the intensity in an intelligent manner.

Today's run was listed as a 6-mile long run at a 13:00 minute pace. I went out a little too fast for the warmup, managed the big hill at about a 14:00 minute pace, and walked twice to ease off some persistent numbness on the ball of my left foot. According to the Garmin, my pace wavered quite a bit between 11:30 and 13:30. I wonder if part of that is because when I run with CM, he tends to change up the pace so that his legs don't fall into the same slow rhythm.

I concentrated on going easy, which for me means barely noticeable breathing. Today felt good.

The upcoming week looks like this: 2 miles easy on Tuesday, 5 miles speed on Thursday, and 6 miles long on Sunday. FOCUS, DISCIPLINE, ATTITUDE.

Seattle Half 08 - Run 2 of 63

Distance: 3 mile tempo
Time: 34:45
Course: Loop from home

We did a one-mile warmup, and then did a 3-mile tempo run at an average pace of 11:35 per mile.

I tend to use any excuse that I can to slow down: my shoulders ache, my back hurts, I'm starting to breathe hard, et cetera ad infinitum. So today I focused on RPE, and keeping myself honest. For the most part, I don't think I pushed hard enough. My mind was telling me this was a hard run, but I kept checking the state of my breathing (medium tending to medium-hard near the end) and my legs (not tired at all, just slow) and an honest assessment of my physical state says that I could have pushed it more without going into the red zone.

I'm not disappointed; on the contrary, it was a lovely misty morning and I had a great time. But I know I have a lot to work on, mentally even more than physically, and that's going to be a big challenge going forward.

Seattle Half 08 - Run 1 of 63

Distance: 2 miles easy
Time: 24 minutes
Course: Treadmill

I had a super long day and it's been hot for the past few days, so instead of jinxing the start of the training plan, I opted to get my easy run done on the treadmill. Easy peasy. I can't express how much I love an air-conditioned gym. I'm a wimp.

No, wait, no negative self-talk! That's my focus this time around--eliminating the internal criticism. The mental aspect of training is definitely much more challenging for me than the physical workout, so for the next four months my touchstone words are FOCUS, DISCIPLINE, ATTITUDE.

Last run before real training begins

Distance: 6 km
Time: 44:57
Course: Loop from home

I got a Garmin Forerunner 305 as a first anniversary present, and I've gone for just a few runs with it so far. I love that it tells me everything I want to know about my run: pace, distance, heart rate, elevation, temperature. I hate that it tells me everything that I fear: that I run really really slow, that I've lied to myself in the past about how far a run actually was, that my heart rate likes to sit in the 160s no matter how slow I am. I think Garmie and I are going to have an interesting relationship.

Today's run was nothing special. I had the Shuffle with me, so I went out way too fast and ended up having to take a few walk breaks in the second half, which killed my overall pace. On the plus side, it's nice to know that a 6 km run is not a scary proposition at all.

This week I have three runs: a 2 mile easy run tomorrow, a 5 mile tempo run on Thursday, and a 6 mile long run on Sunday.

Goal #4 - Seattle Half-Marathon, November 30

I didn't mean to take a blogging break, but as the days counted down to the May half-marathon, I was less and less inclined to record every detail of every run. I think I just got tired, what with everything else going on in my life. In any case, I did complete the half, but just barely. I totally ran out of juice at the 10-mile mark, and walked a good part of the final 5K.

So I've registered for the Seattle Half, and as I did last time, I've counted out the number of runs remaining to the race. 63 this time!

I probably ran about 50 of the 67 runs that I had planned out last time, so my goal this time around is to hit every one of the 63 I have planned for Seattle. I know that if I complete all of the training, the race itself will not be a problem. I've had some difficulty in the past two months hitting any kind of consistency with my runs. Now that I have a solid goal and the training plan in place, I have no excuses.

Run 35 of 67: 4 miles tempo

Distance: 6 km
Time: 44:00
Course: Loop from home

The first half of the run was all nervous energy. I went out way too fast, but I really needed to burn off the extra static. I ran out of juice about three quarters of the way through, but it's a nice feeling to know that a 5K run is no longer a big deal to me. Looking forward to Sunday's long run!

Run 34 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 24:00
Course: Loop from YWCA

Back out on the Seawall! This was barely a warmup, but felt really nice, and was greatly needed. My nerves are completely shot this week.

Run 33 of 67: 3 miles easy

Distance: 4.72 km
Time: 35:49
Course: Loop from home

Another crappy-feeling run. Let rest week be over, please!

Run 32 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 23:40
Course: Treadmill

I can't say it was fun, but it was over before I got too bored to keep moving. I've made arrangements with KV to run Thursday's 5K outside, so that one should be better. This is an easy week, and next week I run another 7 miles long. I'm actually looking forward to it!

Run 31 of 67: 7 miles long

Distance: 7 miles
Time: 1:25:00
Course: Loop from home

This is officially the longest distance I have ever run. Woo!

It always takes about 20 minutes to feel fully warmed up, and there were a few stretches where the running was effortless. I experimented with lengthening my stride a bit, and ran the sixth mile in about 11 minutes. Mostly I tried to concentrate on keeping my torso centered and relaxed, with a minimum of side to side movement. The big hill was easier than last week; I'm starting to use my big hams and quads rather than the calves to push up the hill, and it's making a difference in the level of effort.

I was a little apprehensive about this run, and I'm glad it turned out so well. The upcoming week is an easy one, and then the following week there is a 6 mile tempo run and another 7-mile long run. It's time to start experimenting with run nutrition.

Run 30 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 23:00
Course: Loop from home

It's been an odd week. I got about two hours of sleep on Monday night, and dragged through Tuesday, leaving work early and having an early evening nap. I completely forgot that I was supposed to run that day. That hasn't happened in awhile.

Today I left work early again, and decided to run from home. I've just been exhausted all week, and was thinking that I would do the missed Tuesday run today, and then do the tempo run tomorrow.

Edited to add: Nope, no Friday tempo run. Just too frickin' tired.

I hadn't eaten anything since lunch, and was feeling pretty sorry for myself when I headed out. Suck it up, buttercup. It's barely more than 20 minutes of running. I had no jam while running, but since things have gotten to the point that a 2-mile run is a warmup, I just slapped myself a little bit and cranked this one out.

Run 29 of 67: 6 miles long

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:15:00
Course: Loop from home

Rather than the usual late-afternoon run, we left at 11 AM to try a different time. I know that doing the weekend long run in the morning makes sense for a few reasons: most races are in the morning, you get the run out of the way and can spend the rest of your day doing whatever, etc.

I should have eaten oatmeal or cereal instead of a ham and cheese sandwich, I think, although the caffeine in the accompanying coffee probably helped a bit. I made it up the massive hill without stopping, and in fact ran the entire distance without having to resort to a walk. I lost steam, though, in the last two miles, and made it through the final mile at barely more than a geriatric jog.

And now I feel really, really tired. I'm supposed to spend the rest of the day studying, but my leg muscles are already stiffening up as I sit at this desk. I suspect I will be spending the next few nights trying to catch up. Ugh.

Run 28 of 67: 5 miles speed

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 55:00
Course: Loop from YWCA

Note to self: go for a run even if you feel tired and your eyes hurt from looking at spreadsheets all day. You're tired BECAUSE you've been looking at spreadsheets all day, dumbass. Sheesh.

Yep, I had to have some pep talked into me before I made it to the gym, but once I was out on the Seawall, no problem. The workout was:

1 mile warmup
2 x 1 mile hard in 11:15 w 800 m jog between
1 mile cooldown

11:15? Pfft. Try 10:00. OH YEAH. For both, even!

Run 27 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 24:00
Course: Treadmill

Met up with KV and did an easy treadmill run to get the blood moving. Completely forgot to up the pace on the machine, and watched the start of a Harlequin Presents movie while my legs went into auto mode. I can hardly call this a workout anymore!

Run 26 of 67: 6 miles long

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:11:00
Course: Loop from home

It's been a good day! Got my midterm assignment done two days ahead of deadline, finished off another chapter of required readings, and, oh yeah, ran 6 miles!

The run started out downhill, and I concentrated on moving my feet and keeping my torso properly centered. The first 3 kilometres went by really quickly. Then there's a long uphill pretty much exactly between the 3 km and 4 km marks, and wow, that was a slog. I did make it all the way up the hill before having to walk to get my breathing back under control. The remaining 6 km was practically a cake walk, I tell you.

The highlight of the run was the solid 10-minute mile on the rolling flat between the 4 and 5 mile marks. Awesome. I felt like I could have gone for at least another mile at that pace, but we slowed down for the last bit as a gentle wind-down. I think today's run has been the best one so far.

Run 25 of 67: 5 miles tempo

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 57:00
Course: Loop from YWCA

Wow, that was hard. My first tempo run was described as a 1 mile warmup, 3 mile tempo run at 11:55, and a 1 mile cooldown. The mile warmup went by very quickly, and then I started the 3 mile tempo run. I think I did pretty well, despite having forgotten to bring a watch. For the first half, I concentrated on leaning forward a bit and kicking my heel to the back a little more quickly. I got a bit of a cramp near the mile mark, but figured that since my breathing and legs were fine, I would be able to gut it out at least until the turnaround point. I definitely lost steam in the second half, and had to walk twice to get back to the starting point.

I surprised myself with my ability to run at a significantly faster pace than my easy runs, for an extended period of time. I'm getting used to the feeling of running being uncomfortable without being exhausting, if that makes any sense.

Run 24 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 19:00
Course: Elliptical machine

Oh, elliptical machine, how you LIE LIE LIE to me. As if I went the equivalent of 2 miles in 19 minutes while barely getting my heart rate above 160. I'm not quite sure how to properly discount this figure, but I'm not going to record it in my log as anything other than the usual.

The New Year's resolution crowd is still jamming up the treadmills in the evenings, so I had to make do with an alternate machine tonight. Anything is better than nothing, though. I was miserable all day, completely stressed out and freaking slightly about the volume of studying I still have to get through this month. I feel much better now.

Run 23 of 67: 5 miles easy

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 1:15:00
Course: Loop from home

I knew this good vibrations streak was too good to last. My fatal mistake was to change the start of the usual route, and begin the warmup with a couple of hills. My lower calves were aching pretty quickly, and I never managed to find a groove. I was starting to feel pretty sorry for myself before the 2 km mark. We stopped and walked between the 4 km and 5 km marks, and then again somewhere around the 7 km mark. Miserable.

Run 22 of 67: 3 miles easy

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 36:00
Course: Treadmill

Technically this run occurred on Feb 1, but I'm booking it as Jan 31 because it was meant to be a January run, and only due to circumstances beyond my control was it deferred by a day. (I am excellent at self-justification.)

I felt fully warmed up at the 2 mile mark, and the last mile was a nice groove. Difficult breathing is no longer an issue on these shorter runs, and the time seems to go by relatively quickly.

Run 21 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 23:30
Course: Treadmill

It snowed yesterday! I'm timid, so I stayed home and didn't get in my usual Tuesday treadmill run. Luckily the weather has turned wet so I made it to work without any problems this morning.

I bumped the speed to 5.1 mph, which made a 30 second difference in my usual 2 miel time. It wasn't hard, but it wasn't the jaunt that it usually is. Boggling to believe that a 30-second reduction in time over 2 miles requires that much more effort!

Run 20 of 67: Steveston Icebreaker 8K

Distance: 8 km
Time: 59:00
Course: Steveston Icebreaker

Some kind soul went out at 7 this morning to salt down the race route. How awesome is that? It was pretty slippery out on the path and the boardwalk, but the gravel route was fine. I hit the 4 km mark at 29:15, and finished the race in exactly 59 minutes. Not a scorcher of a time, by any means, but I ran steadily and without any difficulty with breathing or my legs. My back ached a bit, though, so I took a couple of 10-second walk breaks in the first half of the run, and then concentrated on leaning forward and trying to achieve a midfoot landing. I picked it up for the last 500 metres or so, and had a decent finish.

We cleaned up at the draw prizes: CM picked up a sweet Timex Ironman Triathlon watch, and I got an Adidas technical shirt in a men's large, which fits CM very well, For a $28 entry fee, he's seeing a 500% return on investment. Nice!

So the mini-plan for the next three weeks is this: bump the speed on the Tuesday treadmill runs by 0.1 mph each time, so that I get comfortable running at 5.3 rather than 5.0 mph on my easy runs.

Fashion corner!

It started snowing this afternoon while we were at MEC. A sign, perhaps?

I originally went in with the intention of finding a decent pair of windbreaker pants. Happily this pair of Breeze pants are only slightly too long, and will wear very nicely over a pair of running tights:



Then I found the coordinating Breeze jacket, on sale and in a lovely, flattering shade of pink:



One of my main objections to running in inclement weather is that my hands get too cold, but I don't like sweaty palms either. Solution: windproof, wicking gloves:



And to protect my ears:



In conclusion, unless I "forget" to do laundry, I now have no gear-related excuse not to go out for a run.

Run 19 of 67: 3 miles easy

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 36:00
Course: Treadmill

Luckily I did manage my 3-mile run on the treadmill today, as there is a fortuitous dearth of people who work out on Friday afternoons. However, I have to go shopping this weekend for outdoor running gear. From now on, two of my three runs each week will have to be outside to accommodate the increasing distance and time--can't reliably do more than 30 minutes on the gym treadmills--and all I have are yoga pants and a super light pair of running capris that are just not sufficient for the current cold snap.

I continue to faithfully follow my schedule of easy runs, and don't start the runs officially designated "tempo" and "long" until the second week of February.

Run 18 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 24:00
Course: Treadmill

The Tuesday easy runs are getting easier. I feel pretty comfortably warmed up by the end of the run, and it's over before I can start mentally beating myself up. I'm looking forward to my 3 mile run on Thursday; I'm going to plan to do it outside on the Seawall.

Run 17 of 67: 4 miles easy

Distance: 6.6 km
Time: 48 minutes
Course: Loop from home

Today has been an uncomfortable sort of day--one of the cats did its business in CM's office, a behaviour that has never manifested itself before and which is worrying in the extreme. I changed a few things, and I know they've been stressed out because of repairs in the basement that require people to come in and invade their space. Hopefully things will straighten out, but I've been on edge all day. We watched the last part of the first football game, and then decided it was time to get out there before it got too cold and dark.

Hooeeee, it is WINDY out there! The first 2 km were uncomfortable, and running into the wind sucks. I couldn't find a decent pace until the 3 km point, but started to feel better once we were out of the east-west wind corridor. Between the 4 and 5 km points is a gradual hill that used to just destroy me, but today we took it quite easily, and the final mile or so were also fine. I know there was a helpful tailwind there for awhile, but I'll take what I can get.

I'm past the point where I dread runs, but I haven't quite gotten to the point where I'll go out on my own without prompting. Good thing I have a running partner!

Run 16 of 67: 3 miles easy

Distance: 2.6 miles
Time: 30 minutes
Course: Treadmill

I forgot that the treadmills at my downtown gym are set to stop after 30 minutes, so I nearly fell off the machine when it automatically slowed down to a walking pace and dropped the incline to zero. Looks like I'll have to map some outside routes from the gym to get my Thursday runs done.

Run 15 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 24 minutes
Course: Treadmill

Had to shift things one day over to accommodate some work scheduling. I barely paid attention during today's run! Heart rate was moderate, breathing was barely noticeable, and my legs just did their thing while I contemplated a muted Japanese cartoon on the TV monitor mounted on my treadmill. The epitome of easy!

Run 14 of 67: 3 miles easy

Distance: 5 km
Time: 35 minutes
Course: Loop from home

Started out a bit too fast, I think, but that's what happens when you're cooped up all day with nothing to do but procrastinate. I really need to see about getting this run in before noon; it's killing my productivity to put it off until the afternoon.

The run itself was fine. The slight uphill at the midpoint of the run is no longer daunting, but I still struggle with remembering that getting to the stoplight at the bottom of the hill is not actually the end of the run, that there's another 400 metres to go from that point. I fixate on the light, and then find the last few hundred metres to be really mentally difficult.

---

I've had to ban potato chips completely from my diet; the word "moderation" just does not exist in the same room as me when I'm confronted with the divine delectability that is a full-sized bag of Original Lay's. Dinner tonight will be homemade pizza, and then I'm starting a 12-day cleanse tomorrow: no dairy, fermented foods or flour products.

Run 13 of 67: 2 miles easy

I stayed home today to stave off a flu attack, but I was feeling pretty antsy by the end of the day so we went to the gym. Finally! Today is the first day in a long time that I can actually say that the run really was easy. I hopped on the treadmill and bounced out 2 miles at 5 mph while watching "The Biggest Loser Australia." It is super packed at the gym in January and February, so I was lucky to grab a treadmill right away.

I love the feeling of clarity that inevitably comes with the end of a workout. No matter how crappy the day has been, and no matter, really, how well or badly the workout goes, whether it's endorphins or just that sense of having accomplished something on an otherwise difficult day, getting some exercise is always better than getting none. Why do I keep forgetting this?

Run 12 of 67: 2 miles easy

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 22:30
Course: treadmill

I mixed it up a bit, starting out at 5 mph, bumping to 5.3 mph and 5.6 mph after about 5 minutes each, and ending at 5.3 mph. I like the 2 mile run because it's over fast. :)

Inspiration: Haile Gebrselassie

It is absolutely entrancing, watching this man run.

Run 11 of 67: 3 miles easy

Third run of the year, third run outside. We ran a 5K loop from the house in about 38 minutes. The loop ends on a hill, which probably explains why I feel a little nauseous right now. There were two stoplight breaks at approximately the 1 mile and 4 km points, but other than that I ran the whole way through. I do find it's a lot easier to run the whole way when there's someone else there; you don't want to slow other people down unnecessarily.

---

I've decided to adjust the schedule so that I don't go more than a day without a workout. I was feeling pretty antsy yesterday and could have benefited from burning some energy. Starting next week, I've dropped in a 30-minute light weights workout on Saturday mornings.

---

Body observations: my calves have regained their definition, and my hips are looking a lot less, um, hippy.

Run 10 of 67: 30 minutes

Second run of the year, second run outside. I really need to pick up some cheap acrylic gloves; I don't mind the cold anywhere so much as in my fingers.

I started out slowly, but just couldn't seem to get the pace down to something comfortable, and had to take two short walk breaks as a result. Still, I managed 4K in 27 minutes. Now I'm looking forward to the weekend 5K!

Run 9 of 67: 2 miles easy

It was my first run outside since the infamous falling-down-while-waiting-at-the-stoplight incident in September, and boy was it COLD for the first kilometre or so. I've turned into such a wimp.

We ran up the hill to the house, which is a little over a quarter of a mile from the corner where the map said we should stop, so we did about 2.3 miles overall. I don't have an exact time, as neither of us thought to wear watches for this one, but I would say we were under 30 minutes.

Tomorrow we go back to work, and the true test of the training schedule begins. January ends with an 8K event on the 27th. I've got 13 runs scheduled this month. I've decided to institute monthly rewards for myself for hitting 100% of my runs. For January, the prize is a set of running socks. I aim high!