Oy!!! I made it to halfway through my training!!!!
This week had a few challenges, first on Tuesday evening the weather was brutal- so I opted for the free admission I had left for a gym. I figured it was the best possible scenario for a treadmill run because I could at least watch my favorite show - The Biggest Loser!
I hopped on the treadmill with the intention of completing 9 miles... By mile 2 I didn't care WHAT was on tv I just wanted to be done. It was nice to see my show don't get me wrong, but oh man was it ever hot in there!! I managed to complete 7 miles before I decided enough was enough.
My Thursday run moved up to Wednesday so that Greg and I could get to the Red Wings game - and it was great that my Thursday running partner agreed to meet me a day early! We had a slow and steady 5 miler which worked just fine for me!
Overall I was happy with my week of training and nutrition and was actually looking FORWARD to the challenge of a 16 miler Saturday.
That Saturday run was BRUTAL. the weather was cold and very windy, but all that was irrelevant when I started mile 8 with a splitting headache. I have never run with a headache before and at mile 12 I keeled over and broke down in tears because I just couldn't take the constant pain and pounding. Thank god my mom was there with me otherwise I would have panicked for sure! The only thing really getting me to the end was knowing my poor best friend was waaaaayyyyy ahead of us not knowing at all what was unfolding with me. She had to have been freezing in that car waiting for us with the key.
Needless to say it was Advil and a LONG nap afterwards just to recover. After all - I still had hills to run Sunday!!
Just goes to show ya.... Training will prepare you for SO MUCH MORE than just the distance of the run.
I read a quote that I loved: "if you want to win something run 100 meters. If you want to experience something run a marathon"... I would like to change that a bit... If you want to experience something- TRAIN FOR A MARATHON!!
Happy and healthy running!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Training for my first Marathon: Week 6
Week 6 was officially my highest mileage week EVER. 38 whoppin' miles including a 9 miler while most of my friends were on romantic Valentine's dinners.
On that note I want to take a moment and say a huge THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to my boyfriend Greg. With his support I am able to run while my son is sleeping, and on most occasions I return home to a cleaner house than I left it. My running girls have been my rock on the pavement, but man oh man this training challenge would have been immensely more difficult without his support, love, care, and amazing understanding.
Ok enough of the sappy stuff...
On that V-Day 9 miler I made a decision: I AM COMMITTED TO ENJOYING EVERY TRAINING RUN and if that means the pace on my running app doesn't have the numbers I want to see, then OH WELL!! I do not run for numbers. I run for my life.
My long run was 15 miles on a windy windy Saturday. Mom and I headed out on the Greenway and luckily dealt with almost all cross-wind. It felt good to do the distance, but at the tail end of the run I thought to myself "now imagine adding 11 more miles..." - - - I have a LOT more training to do!
Sunday's hill training was SO fun because I got to have my 2 best friends along with me. Thank goodness for the laughs and good conversation because after the 15 miler the day before, my legs were jello!
I also decided that my Monday 3 milers will be taken off my schedule. I need the three days of rest: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays.
Next week's schedule looks to be quite like this one, so we'll see how my legs feel after 2 heavy mileage weeks!
STAY TUNED!
On that note I want to take a moment and say a huge THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to my boyfriend Greg. With his support I am able to run while my son is sleeping, and on most occasions I return home to a cleaner house than I left it. My running girls have been my rock on the pavement, but man oh man this training challenge would have been immensely more difficult without his support, love, care, and amazing understanding.
Ok enough of the sappy stuff...
On that V-Day 9 miler I made a decision: I AM COMMITTED TO ENJOYING EVERY TRAINING RUN and if that means the pace on my running app doesn't have the numbers I want to see, then OH WELL!! I do not run for numbers. I run for my life.
My long run was 15 miles on a windy windy Saturday. Mom and I headed out on the Greenway and luckily dealt with almost all cross-wind. It felt good to do the distance, but at the tail end of the run I thought to myself "now imagine adding 11 more miles..." - - - I have a LOT more training to do!
Sunday's hill training was SO fun because I got to have my 2 best friends along with me. Thank goodness for the laughs and good conversation because after the 15 miler the day before, my legs were jello!
I also decided that my Monday 3 milers will be taken off my schedule. I need the three days of rest: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays.
Next week's schedule looks to be quite like this one, so we'll see how my legs feel after 2 heavy mileage weeks!
STAY TUNED!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Training for my first Marathon: Week 5
Well you may notice that I missed a week.... week 4 I was so sick I could barely run... and the thought of blogging about a seemingly "failed week"only made me feel worse.
................. so on to week 5!
Week 5 was a "cut back" week - only 20 miles! It was perfect timing considering I'm still trying to recover from my cold/flu and my legs were in a permanent state of fatigue. The cut back week felt almost like a vacation! My long run was ONLY 10 miles!! I'm looking forward to getting healthy, but to be completely honest, doubt is creeping in that I'll be able to finish this marathon anywhere close to 4h 30min.
I'm so glad to know that I'm not in this alone. Having friends to struggle through this has made this whole experience a lot easier to process.
I'm also realizing that registering for a race between the half and full distance is a nice stepping stone. When I get overwhelmed thinking about the full marathon, I tell myself that that race is sooooo far into the future and the only one to focus on at this point is the 30k Around The Bay in Hamilton. Its only just over a month away, and its distance in mileage is still in the "teens"... eighteen to be exact. The thought of running 5 miles past a half marathon with proper training is a lot easier to mentally digest.
Now if only I can keep this darn cough and cold away!!!
................. so on to week 5!
Week 5 was a "cut back" week - only 20 miles! It was perfect timing considering I'm still trying to recover from my cold/flu and my legs were in a permanent state of fatigue. The cut back week felt almost like a vacation! My long run was ONLY 10 miles!! I'm looking forward to getting healthy, but to be completely honest, doubt is creeping in that I'll be able to finish this marathon anywhere close to 4h 30min.
I'm so glad to know that I'm not in this alone. Having friends to struggle through this has made this whole experience a lot easier to process.
I'm also realizing that registering for a race between the half and full distance is a nice stepping stone. When I get overwhelmed thinking about the full marathon, I tell myself that that race is sooooo far into the future and the only one to focus on at this point is the 30k Around The Bay in Hamilton. Its only just over a month away, and its distance in mileage is still in the "teens"... eighteen to be exact. The thought of running 5 miles past a half marathon with proper training is a lot easier to mentally digest.
Now if only I can keep this darn cough and cold away!!!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Training for my First Marathon: Week 3
Training week 2: 27 miles run
Week 3 was NOT fun. I somehow logged 25 miles but it sure wasn't pretty!! It started with the chills and a horrible cough and turned out to be 3 days with a fever, and some bouts of vertigo. I did everything I could to get runs in but thankfully I have amazing running friends that strongly suggested I rest and not risk injury or prolonged illness.
For the first time in training I missed a run. I had a horrible feeling about it but also knowing that my weekend run was to be 12 miles I simply HAD to relax.
My long run was on a horribly windy day. It's days like this I'm so thankful to have running partners like my mom to help me push through.
My pace suffered as expected but I'm glad to have gotten out on the pavement and get any mileage in at all.
As the week progressed I noticed many of my running mates suffering from viruses so here's a friendly reminder for us all: get healthy FIRST for the sake of quality training!! And if you're determined to get out there, Steph and I realized Thursday that whether you're on the couch or on the road, you still feel just as sick so ya might as well try to sweat some of it out if you can!
On a weight loss note, I'm feeling the excess few pounds from the holidays finally starting to melt - so for anyone that wants a killer workout 'just in time for bikini season' - TRAIN FOR A MARATHON!!
Happy running :)
Week 3 was NOT fun. I somehow logged 25 miles but it sure wasn't pretty!! It started with the chills and a horrible cough and turned out to be 3 days with a fever, and some bouts of vertigo. I did everything I could to get runs in but thankfully I have amazing running friends that strongly suggested I rest and not risk injury or prolonged illness.
For the first time in training I missed a run. I had a horrible feeling about it but also knowing that my weekend run was to be 12 miles I simply HAD to relax.
My long run was on a horribly windy day. It's days like this I'm so thankful to have running partners like my mom to help me push through.
My pace suffered as expected but I'm glad to have gotten out on the pavement and get any mileage in at all.
As the week progressed I noticed many of my running mates suffering from viruses so here's a friendly reminder for us all: get healthy FIRST for the sake of quality training!! And if you're determined to get out there, Steph and I realized Thursday that whether you're on the couch or on the road, you still feel just as sick so ya might as well try to sweat some of it out if you can!
On a weight loss note, I'm feeling the excess few pounds from the holidays finally starting to melt - so for anyone that wants a killer workout 'just in time for bikini season' - TRAIN FOR A MARATHON!!
Happy running :)
Friday, January 27, 2012
Training for my First Marathon: week 2
Training week 1: 5 runs totaling 23.5 miles.
So my second week I ran a total of 27 miles. I felt a lot less fatigued this week and it was great to even inspire some new friends to look into the same training schedule that I'm running! There were some runs this week that I ran alone, and some that I ran with friends. This schedule didn't get tough for me until my long-run that was scheduled the day after my birthday.
After a late night of food and drinks at the casino it sure was nice to have my best friend (one of my training partners) get up and run 10 miles with me Saturday. That run wiped me out for the whole day but it was so worth it to stay on track for my training schedule.
I ate a lot better this week as well. Well except of course, for the night of my birthday.
At this point I'm starting to feel pretty good about the training overall. But I am getting nervous because the long runs that I've never experienced before are just around the corner. Stay tuned!!
So my second week I ran a total of 27 miles. I felt a lot less fatigued this week and it was great to even inspire some new friends to look into the same training schedule that I'm running! There were some runs this week that I ran alone, and some that I ran with friends. This schedule didn't get tough for me until my long-run that was scheduled the day after my birthday.
After a late night of food and drinks at the casino it sure was nice to have my best friend (one of my training partners) get up and run 10 miles with me Saturday. That run wiped me out for the whole day but it was so worth it to stay on track for my training schedule.
I ate a lot better this week as well. Well except of course, for the night of my birthday.
At this point I'm starting to feel pretty good about the training overall. But I am getting nervous because the long runs that I've never experienced before are just around the corner. Stay tuned!!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Training for my first marathon: week 1
So I'm training to run my first full marathon. And I decided that I wanted to log my progress week by week so for the next 17 weeks you will see updates on how my training went, how I felt, what I did, what I ate, how my body responded to the training.
I am running the Rock 'n roll Marathon in Nashville Tennessee on April 28th. It will be an amazing unique experience because I am running it with my three closest friends. Two of which are running their first full marathons as well.
I decided to train using the runners world magazine full marathon training schedule for intermediate runners. My first goal is to have fun and enjoy myself somehow. My second goal is to run it in four hours and 30 minutes in the hopes of beating Oprah (4:29:15 to be exact).
So my training schedule is to run five times a week. I have a few short runs, a few tempo runs, a long run and hill training.
Being a single mom, I am relying heavily on my family and friends to help me execute this hectic schedule without sacrificing time with my son. I am running on my lunch hour, late nights, and early mornings on the weekends.
So my first week I ran a total of 23.5 miles. My body felt okay during the intermediate runs during the week. But I did find myself falling asleep very early those nights. By the time my long run came on Saturday I was wiped. They may have been the hardest 8 miles I've ever had to do. I'm starting to think how am I ever going to get to 26.2 miles?
As for my nutrition, I certainly slacked. I know that I need to give my body the fuel it needs to get me through these training runs. As with every attempt at health and well-being, nutrition has always been my downfall and I'm hoping that somehow I will finally get it right.
I'm so inspired by my three closest friends who are all on this journey with me. I know that we will get through this together and enjoy every moment.
I hope by writing this blog that we can inspire others to do what they once thought was impossible. Something crazy like maybe even running a marathon!
I am running the Rock 'n roll Marathon in Nashville Tennessee on April 28th. It will be an amazing unique experience because I am running it with my three closest friends. Two of which are running their first full marathons as well.
I decided to train using the runners world magazine full marathon training schedule for intermediate runners. My first goal is to have fun and enjoy myself somehow. My second goal is to run it in four hours and 30 minutes in the hopes of beating Oprah (4:29:15 to be exact).
So my training schedule is to run five times a week. I have a few short runs, a few tempo runs, a long run and hill training.
Being a single mom, I am relying heavily on my family and friends to help me execute this hectic schedule without sacrificing time with my son. I am running on my lunch hour, late nights, and early mornings on the weekends.
So my first week I ran a total of 23.5 miles. My body felt okay during the intermediate runs during the week. But I did find myself falling asleep very early those nights. By the time my long run came on Saturday I was wiped. They may have been the hardest 8 miles I've ever had to do. I'm starting to think how am I ever going to get to 26.2 miles?
As for my nutrition, I certainly slacked. I know that I need to give my body the fuel it needs to get me through these training runs. As with every attempt at health and well-being, nutrition has always been my downfall and I'm hoping that somehow I will finally get it right.
I'm so inspired by my three closest friends who are all on this journey with me. I know that we will get through this together and enjoy every moment.
I hope by writing this blog that we can inspire others to do what they once thought was impossible. Something crazy like maybe even running a marathon!
Monday, December 5, 2011
A loss is a loss is a loss... Right?!
Well after a less than stellar week of nutrition I managed to rid myself of half a pound in the scale this week. My weight now is 162.5. Last week was one of those weeks, a week that all us busy working parents can relate to; where what can go wrong WILL go wrong, and the world feels as though it's crashing around you. When you can hardly sleep how do you work out right?? And if you're like me and you're an emotional eater how do you curb it??
I put my 'operation black skirt' on hold for part of the week and just focused on getting through life. Once things calmed down I convinced myself to get back on the healthy train. I couldn't do it alone. I really wonder if anyone can! Thank goodness I have a planned run date each and every Saturday and this week, the run turned out to be a half marathon alongside my amazing mom.
It was just what I needed because I know no matter what life brings me I will always run.
My suggestion to you is to find ONE activity you love and stick with it, use it as your outlet. It will make your head better AND your jeans looser! It even acts as a safety net to work off the extra calories and stress that have been built up as well.
I learned this week that it IS ok to put the weightloss goal on the back burner when 'life' happens, so long as I go back to it when life sort of settles down.
This week I'm hoping for the ability to focus on losing the pounds but if life takes over, I know that running may save my weight as well as my sanity.
How was everyone else's week??
I put my 'operation black skirt' on hold for part of the week and just focused on getting through life. Once things calmed down I convinced myself to get back on the healthy train. I couldn't do it alone. I really wonder if anyone can! Thank goodness I have a planned run date each and every Saturday and this week, the run turned out to be a half marathon alongside my amazing mom.
It was just what I needed because I know no matter what life brings me I will always run.
My suggestion to you is to find ONE activity you love and stick with it, use it as your outlet. It will make your head better AND your jeans looser! It even acts as a safety net to work off the extra calories and stress that have been built up as well.
I learned this week that it IS ok to put the weightloss goal on the back burner when 'life' happens, so long as I go back to it when life sort of settles down.
This week I'm hoping for the ability to focus on losing the pounds but if life takes over, I know that running may save my weight as well as my sanity.
How was everyone else's week??
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