Two. Weeks.

In two weeks I will be southbound to Louisville to run my first ever half-marathon.  Nervous is an understatement at this point.  I don't feel prepared and I have no one to blame by myself.  Could I have run more?  Absolutely! 

A few weeks ago I was vacationing in Grand Cayman and the temperature shock to my body made it difficult to breath while running. I stuck to my plan and ran on all of my scheduled run days but they were slow and I took more walk breaks than I should have.

Once I was back in Michigan I had a hard time getting back into my training plan.  I skipped runs when I knew I shouldn't and I wasn't drinking enough water, which made the runs I did do, difficult. 

Last Saturday I headed out for a 10 mile run, the longest scheduled run on my training plan.  I completed it, and with a pace that would get me across the finish line under my time goal, but it wasn't without some problems.  The first 5 miles were great.  I had a good pace and I was feeling good.  I ran all 5 without stopping for a walk break.  After that, it was all downhill.  I walked a lot and when I ran I had pain running up the back of my right leg.  When I sat down in my car after the 10 miles a sick feeling hit me like a semi-truck.  I made it through the car ride home and then I got sick. 

I am sure my lack of fuel before the run is to blame.  I am heading out for another 10 miler tomorrow morning and I have planned a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, a banana and peanut butter, the same thing I plan to eat in two weeks before the half.

I'm going to make it through this half and then decide where I want to take my running.  It might be 5k's for the rest of the summer. 

For me, running is hard.  I tend to compare myself to other runners and I need to stop.  I don't know their stories.  They may have been running since they could walk.  It comes natural to some.  I compare my pace to other runners and I feel defeated when I don't match up. 

Tomorrow I am running by myself, for myself  No running partner, no time goal.  I just want to get through the 10 miles and still feel human when I'm done.

Dear Motivation,

Please come back.

It's been almost a week since I last ran.  In 56 days I need to be half-marathon ready and not running isn't going to help!

This winter has been rough.  February alone has been tough and extremely long for the year's shortest month.  According to The Detroit News, this has been the second coldest February in Detroit.  We've seen an average temperature of 14.5°F and with the record being set in 1875 (of 12.2°F), this is definitely the coldest February I've ever seen.  Cabin fever has set in around my house and my motivation to stay active is near zero.

Thankfully, that all changes tomorrow at 6:30 am, when I board a plane headed for sunny Grand Cayman Island!

My running gear is packed and I am ready to enjoy my training runs by the Caribbean!

This week's "long run" is actually scheduled to be a 5K race but I think I need to take advantage of the sunshine and warm weather and try for 7 miles.  I won't have cell phone service down there so I won't have Map My Run in my ear calling out the miles as I run.  I'm not really sure how that will affect me.  I really like hearing where I'm at in my run, especially my pace.  I've mapped out a few landmarks that are about 3.5 miles from our hotel and it looks like you can run right along the highway there so my runs should be easy out and backs, my favorites!

I am probably going to hit my treadmill tonight for at least a mile, I need to make sure my new running shoes fit, although at this point I think I'm stuck with them.  They are the same shoe I'm running in now, just a half size smaller.  They fit fine in the store, I just want to make sure I have enough room for movement.  No black toe nails here!

I'm very hopeful that my next running update will include all good runs.  At least the views will be good ;)

A Snowy 6 Miles

It's pretty pathetic when 28 degrees feels "nice".  I was finally able to get outside and run since the "feels like" temperature was nearly 50 degrees warmer than the previous week.  

When we got to the Metro Park the snow had been falling for about a half hour.  The running path was covered in snow but I wasn't too worried, I had run in fresh snow before.  I hadn't run in falling snow, though. That was...different.  

I prefer to run an out and back route and Saturday I had 6 miles on the schedule.  For the first 3 miles I ran into the wind and into the falling snow.  I also learned pretty quickly that it wasn't just snow on the path.  Underneath there were some very slick spots.  I managed to keep a decent pace, even though it felt like I was moving like molasses.  

Miles 4 through 6 were the worst.  I began to have the worst stomach pains.  More than just a typical side stitch.  This was a sharp pain that almost took me to my knees a few times.  I powered through and finished the 6 miles with a decent pace, considering it was slick outside and I took a few walk breaks in those last 2 miles.

I picked up my new running shoes on Saturday so I'll be taking to the treadmill at least once this week to test them out.  Next week I get to do all of my training runs outside in the sunshine and warm weather because I'll be vacationing in Grand Cayman!

One more week of sub-freezing temperatures...  

Treadmill Defeat

I consider myself a planner. When I decide to do something, it’s usually after a lot of thought over-thinking and research. I don’t usually make impulsive purchases and when I do I know there’s a good refund policy. With all of that said, I don’t know what I was thinking signing up for an early Spring race living in the Great Lakes region. We get cold, snowy winters! Our state is shaped like a mitten, for goodness sake!

We've been dealing with dangerously cold temperatures with no real relief in sight. After last week’s awesome (for me) 4-miler, I was forced to the treadmill for another 4 miles. Failed miserably and only got through 2 before calling it quits. Saturday, I was scheduled for my long run of 5 miles. We woke up to negative temperatures and I made the decision to do it on the treadmill.

 Big mistake.

 It was the worst run I've had since I began running towards my half-marathon goal. I barely ran half mile stretches before having to walk, or worse, completely stop. I had side stitches, heel pain, shin splints and could not catch my breath. Or, it was all in my head. Either way, running on a treadmill is giving me a serious case of anxiety over this race! I left the gym in tears. On the ride home I was given a pep talk assuring me that I could run a half-marathon and reminding me of how far I've come since I started running. It helped but in my head I was seriously doubting myself.

 I went to the running store and let the guy helping me talk me into a pair of neutral running shoes when I’m used to wearing stability. Right off the bat they felt the best and I tried on A LOT of shoes. I took them home and tried them on my treadmill and I hated them. They felt bulky, they poked my arch in all the wrong spots, they pulled my socks down into the shoe and there was a lot of pressure on the tops of my feet. After a half mile I changed back into my old shoes and packaged them back up for a return.

 I went to a different store (same company) in hopes of getting someone a little more knowledgeable in hard to fit feet and I lucked out. They did an entire new fit analysis on me and in the end I ordered a newer model of the current pair I've been running in. I’ll pick them up tomorrow before my long run of 6 miles but I won’t wear them until I can test them out on a treadmill. I’m planning on doing my long run outside this weekend! We might hit 30 degrees!

 I hope the weather breaks soon so I can get more running in outside…or I’m in big trouble on April 25th.

Still running!

It’s been over a month since I’ve last written about my chase to the finish line of my first half-marathon.  It was an unexpected break from my new blog life but I didn’t take a break from my running! Things got pretty serious two weeks ago when I pulled the trigger and actually registered for the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon.  It’s official!  I’ll be running my first half-marathon in one of my favorite cities on April 25.

I must be a crazy person for picking an early spring race when I live in a state that regularly sees sub-freezing temperatures.  For being Michigan born and bred I sure am a whimp when it comes to the cold and snow.  I’m following Hal Higdon's Novice Training Plan and my first official training run took place at the end of January and the sidewalks were covered in ice.  That was interesting.  The next day, it snowed all day and the sidewalks were covered in snow.  Running in fresh snow is definitely nicer than running on ice!

After the first few runs it got really cold.  Negative temps with and without the wind chill.  I was forced to train on a treadmill.  I was only a week into my training plan and I was seriously starting to doubt my ability to run a 5k, let alone a half-marathon.  I had two solid weeks of terrible runs on a treadmill.  I’m talking walk breaks with every mile terrible!  Discouraged was an understatement.  I was thinking I had made a huge mistake in actually registering for the race.

This past weekend was my third long run, five miles.  It was above freezing and slightly sunny so I was able to run outdoors.  What. A. Difference.  My first mile was a little rough but once I found my groove I continued running until I had run a 10k.  I felt pretty good during the run, I took a few very short walk breaks but overall had an average pace under 12 minutes.  My goal for the race is to be under 12 minutes a mile.

Since I've discovered I just cannot run on a treadmill I have to suck it up and run in the cold.  Yesterday I dressed in layers and busted out 4 miles at my favorite Metro Park.  The sun was out so 29 didn't feel too bad.  Not only did I run my fastest mile but I ran all 4 miles non-stop!  No walk breaks.  That's pretty big news for the girl that couldn't even run for 30 seconds straight when I started.

Today I get to cross train, so it looks like I'll get to catch up on Netflix while I get a few miles in on the bike.

This weekend I’ll be heading to the running store to replace my running shoes.  I've been running on them for a year and I want to break in a new pair well before the race.  I noticed some shin splits during a few of my runs last week and that’s a new problem for me.  I think that’s a sign to replace my shoes!  I’ll probably stick with Brooks but I’m going to talk with the experts and make sure I have a proper shoe for my foot and running goals.

Just over 10 weeks to go!

Hello, 11's

I'm still running.  Slowly, but still running.

Adding a running partner was the best thing I ever did for my progress.  He's significantly faster than me but drops down to just above my pace so I'm forced to work a little harder than if I was running by myself.

A few weeks ago we signed up for a 5k and the morning of the race we woke up to ice covered EVERYTHING!  All of the trees, sidewalks and streets were covered in a sheet of ice.  Walking was difficult, driving was difficult, I could only imagine what running would be like!

We slid our way to the starting line and found the race organizers had moved the course to a perfectly cleared route.  We set off on our run and I felt pretty good.  I ran the entire route without stopping to walk, which is huge for me.  When we got to the finish line I noticed our time was just over 30 minutes.  I knew something was off because there is no way I ran 10 minute miles.  It turns out, when they moved the course we lost about a quarter of a mile.  I was still pretty happy with the run though, I came in at just over 12 minutes a mile.

I knew I was progressing, albeit slowly!

After the confidence boost from that run we headed out a few days later for a run after work.  I felt like I was flying but I did my best to keep up and not walk.  I took 2 short walk breaks and after 4 miles I finally saw an average pace in the 11-minute time frame!  I was so excited.

Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, I set out on my own run and despite a few walk breaks I still averaged in the 11's.

I'm 19 weeks out from the mini-marathon I want to run so it's time I start focusing on distance and endurance.  I think speed will come naturally. I'd like to run the half between 10-11 minutes per mile.

Someone suggested I download a playlist with songs that run at 160 bpm so I might try that!

A Running First

Tonight, after work,  I headed to the Metro Park again for my run with a goal of 4 miles. On my way to the park I received an offer for some company if I wanted it.  My initial reaction was no way!  I am a mess when I run.  I'm slow, I breathe heavy, I stop and walk when I feel like it and I certainly don't look pretty when I'm done.  He does Crossfit regularly and is a seasoned runner.  I shocked myself when I said "sure".  I warned him that I was slow and it wasn't a pretty sight to watch me run. 

He caught up with me around my halfway point (2.5 miles) and ran with me the rest of the way. It was weird to run with someone else, especially someone that is way faster and far more physically fit than I am.  I definitely pushed myself a little harder than I think I would have if I had been alone.  

In the end, I finished 5 miles with a 13:12 pace.  I was initially disappointed with that pace, especially since I felt like I was working really hard.  My heart rate was at the higher end of my "high" the entire run.  I log my miles with Map My Run and I scrolled back to a month ago and my pace was 13:54.  I'm definitely improving, it's just a really slow improvement.  

He offered to run with me again, which I'm actually going to welcome.  I think training with someone who's better than I am will push me.  I just hope he doesn't get sick of dropping down to my snail's pace.   

One day, maybe I'll just run slower than a herd of turtles...without the peanut butter ;)

I'm taking rest days until Saturday morning, when I hope to get my pace under 13 minutes.