Sunday, March 29, 2009

Disappointed

This is kind of how I felt after my long run yesterday. My silly knee started hurting. Grrr. My six miles did not go well. I finished it. I didn't do it as fast as I wanted, but I completed the six miles. This coming week, I supposed I am going to do a lot of IT band stretching. I even resorted to taking a couple ibuprofen. My knee was still throbbing a little after I had finished and stretched. I don't do drugs. That in and of itself was kind of a set back. The fact that my run went so bad kind of put me in a funk for the rest of the day.

Trying to stay positive however, the sunrise was absolutely gorgeous. It was totally worth getting out of bed at 5:55 in the AM. Just beautiful.

6.02 Miles
1:23:52
13.56 min/mile

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Sweet!

That is what I said in my head today after I finished my "magic mile" time. Two weeks ago, I cut four seconds off my time and I was mildly excited. 8:48 to 8:44. Really, four seconds is nothing to get your Under Armor in a bunch. Frankly, I was kind of disappointed. The training schedule today said it was magic mile time. I was almost apprehensive. What would I get today? 8:40? Warm up mile. Stretch. Go. I felt great. I was really pushing it. Mile over. Check my time.

8 minutes! Are you serious? Is it possible I cut 44 seconds in two weeks? Needless to say, I was a bit ecstatic. Not only did I have an incredible runner's high from practically sprinting for a mile, (a slow sprint) but 44 seconds?

I re-read the story this morning of Katherine Switzer before my run. The first woman to enter the Boston Marathon in 1967. The amazing part of her story is that in 1967, it was illegal for women to compete in the big race. She entered with the help of her cross country coach, Arnie, using her initials, K.V. Officials didn't know she was a woman. When the race started, word spread that a woman was running with an official number! (Roberta Gibb Bingay entered the Boston Marathon the previous year without an official number. She just jumped in and finished the race in 3:20.) Unbelievably, the race organizer, Jock Semple, physically tried to stop Katherine from finishing the race. Here is an execerpt from Running to Catch the Hero Inside, an essay she wrote about the experience:

At 4 miles, it turned into a nightmare...I could hear a barrage of cameras snapping. The race director, Will Cloney, stepped into my path to shake a menacing finger at me. I side stepped him.

Then I heard quick scrabbling steps behind me and turned as a ferocious Semple grabbed me by the shirt and shoulders, spun me around and screamed, "Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!" For a second, I was paralyzed with fear, embarrassed beyond words.

Arnie tried to pull Jock away, saying, "She's okay; I've trained her," but Jock was like a terrier, clenching my shirt. "Stay out of this Arnie!"

There was a flash in my peripheral vision, then a crunch. Big Tom [
Katherine's boyfriend] hit Jock with a flying shoulder block and sent him through the air. There was another thump when he landed. Now I was truly frightened. A wide-eyed Arnie shouted, "Run like hell!" and away we ran, cursing and crying..."




So maybe it was Katherine's image of defying ignorance over 40 years ago, helping to set the scene for women to compete whenever where ever they wanted. Literally blazing trails of equality in women's sports. Maybe it was this image that spurned me on. I know 8 minutes isn't the fastest mile around. But today, for now, I did run like hell.



More on this race hero, click here.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Motivation Tip For the Week

I don't feel completely qualified to offer solid advice on running. I'm not an expert. But here it goes anyway.

Have a long run coming up?

Drive somewhere to run it. This completely helped me today. It was so much easier to get started when I wasn't running straight from my driveway. New scenery, new trails, new asphalt. The five miles went by no problem.

Drive. Then run.

5.00 Miles
1:05:03
13.00 min/mile

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Long Saturday Run

In theory at least. It wasn't that long. Only 4 miles. But eventually my Saturday runs will be longer and longer. So I am just calling them long from the get go. I really have to get used to how long it is taking me to run! I'm trying to follow Galloway's plan, and it took me 50 minutes to run 4 miles! I can't imagine when I have to run, like, 10 miles.... 8 y e a r s l a t e r . . . . . . . .

Still enjoyed myself though. I try not to have headphones for every run, but it was dusk and I ran on a road that has no traffic because there are no houses. Just asphalt. So today, I podcasted it while I ran. Listened to a podcast that is. 2004 April GC Session. Not a bad way to spend the end of the day.

4.01 Miles
56:52 minutes
14:09 minutes/mile

Monday, March 2, 2009

New Magic Mile Time!

I did another "magic mile" run today. I maxed out a mile. Ran hard for 5,280 ft. I really pushed it too. I wasn't sure if it was going to be faster than my previous two magic miles. (Which were identical times.) But it was.

Previous mm time: 8:48

MM time today: 8:44

Oh yeah.

Today also marks week 2 of my 30 week training program.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

2.28.09

Yesterday was my first real run with the run/walk method. It was only three miles. (My 30 week countdown has officially begun.)

A couple of things.

1. I'm not sure I had the run/walk time ratio correct. There is some math involved with the "magic mile" scenario and I was worried the whole time that I was running more than I should have been. Running more than I should have been? And I'm on a marathon training program? Something is wrong with that picture.

B) I am going to need a lot of patience for this program. You are running way below the level you think you should be at. My 3 miles didn't take the usual 30-33 minutes it usually does. Forty minutes! But I need to keep in mind this is an "injury free" training program. I suppose less injuries occur when you take it slow.

3.06 miles
41:49
13:40 minutes/mile