SUZWARNR posted an incredible Nike quote that really spoke to me. I gave a pretty emotional response - both through my tears & my words! I thought I'd share it here...
"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES"
This is a TERRIFIC quote! What was I told that I couldn't do???
...sing solos...and as an adult I get a lot of positive comments when I sing (in the congregation at church, etc), but in the back of my mind I wonder & am still afraid to ever sing a solo!
...play piano 'real' well because my fingers were too short...but I found a piano teacher who taught me (3 years ago!) I just didn't have to play the songs that needed 'big' hands...or I could modify them! I play the piano wonderfully!
...in the past few months, 'you can't run a half marathon!', 'you can't run a triathlon!'...OH YES I CAN!!! And, I DID!!! AND I WILL DO MORE!!! And, yes, it HURTS to hear those things & I want to scream!!! But, my actions are proving that I CAN ACCOMPLISH WHAT I SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH!
Whew! There's more pain inside than I realized!
What has someone told you you couldn't do??? Are you showing them that YES, you CAN!
As a comment on SUZWARNR's post, my friend SLEEPYDEAN wrote about a shirt that says "I'M DOING IT". YES! I AM doing it! And, I want that shirt!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
4x400 & a 5K PR!!!
On my schedule from my new running coach today was a 4x400 speed workout. I was supposed to run 1 mile as a warmup and 1 mile as a cool down. And, basically, we use the McMillan Running Calculator to figure out how fast I should be going. My times are based on my fastest mile EVER...9:43! (which I did on the beach in June)
Here's an email I sent my coach after today's run. I hope she likes DETAIL!
"Well, I did the 4x400 workout this morning on a treadmill. Boy, was it TOUGH!!! I had to mentally talk myself into sticking with it 4 or 5 times. But, I DID IT!!! And, I set a new PR for a 5K! (though it was on a treadmill, so doesn't quite count the same)
Here's what I did...
I did a warmup mile at a slow (I know!) 4.6, which is a 13:02 pace. This actually seemed kinda slow & I thought about bumping it up, but I knew this was only the beginning!
After 1 mile, I bumped it up to 6.1 (9:50 mile pace, so 2:27.5 pace). HR settled at 63.
Ran 2 mins at 5.0 (12:00 pace)
Ran 2nd .25 miles at 6.1. HR at 65.
Ran 2 mins at 5.0.
Ran 3rd .25 miles at 6.1. HR at 67. (Big mental battle to start this run!)
Ran 2 mins at 5.0. (Big mental battle to not slow this down a LOT, but kept at 5.0!)
Ran 4th .25 miles at 6.1. HR at 69, though got to 71 briefly.
Ran 12 mins (1 mile) at 5.0. Another mental battle! The first few minutes I wanted to STOP!!! But, it actually started feeling almost easier as I went on. My HR was 65 most of this & dropped to 63 the last few mins.
So, all together I ran 3.56 miles (without a SINGLE WALKING STEP!!! AMAZING!!!) in 41:42. My PR for a 5K was from the CB&I triathlon (which was CRAZY as I walked about 1/2 the time...I must have been running fast!) of 36:40. When the treadmill reached 3.1 miles, I was at 36:10!!! 30 seconds off my PR!!! And, when I finished and calculated the LAST 3.1 miles instead of the FIRST (so less of the warm up at 13:00 and more of the faster running at 12:00), I ran 3.1 miles in 35:43!!! That's SO exciting as my 'realistic' 5K goal is 35:00 and my 'dream' 5K goal (in near future) is 33:00! SOMEDAY...I'd like to be under 30:00, but that still seems like a fantasy!
As I mentioned, I did a spin class yesterday, so this run is after a HARD day. (I'm suprisingly not sore!) I'm also going on a group bike ride tonight. I think we're going 16 miles.
I haven't decided what I'm doing for a workout tomorrow. And, I'm still unsure as to whether I'll do my 5 mile run on Friday or Sunday. I'll let you know!
By the way, I'm already looking at the 3x800 run in 2 weeks and thinking...could I??? That sounds TOUGH!!! And, today's run was a BEAST, but I DID IT! Thanks for believing in me!"
Here's an email I sent my coach after today's run. I hope she likes DETAIL!
"Well, I did the 4x400 workout this morning on a treadmill. Boy, was it TOUGH!!! I had to mentally talk myself into sticking with it 4 or 5 times. But, I DID IT!!! And, I set a new PR for a 5K! (though it was on a treadmill, so doesn't quite count the same)
Here's what I did...
I did a warmup mile at a slow (I know!) 4.6, which is a 13:02 pace. This actually seemed kinda slow & I thought about bumping it up, but I knew this was only the beginning!
After 1 mile, I bumped it up to 6.1 (9:50 mile pace, so 2:27.5 pace). HR settled at 63.
Ran 2 mins at 5.0 (12:00 pace)
Ran 2nd .25 miles at 6.1. HR at 65.
Ran 2 mins at 5.0.
Ran 3rd .25 miles at 6.1. HR at 67. (Big mental battle to start this run!)
Ran 2 mins at 5.0. (Big mental battle to not slow this down a LOT, but kept at 5.0!)
Ran 4th .25 miles at 6.1. HR at 69, though got to 71 briefly.
Ran 12 mins (1 mile) at 5.0. Another mental battle! The first few minutes I wanted to STOP!!! But, it actually started feeling almost easier as I went on. My HR was 65 most of this & dropped to 63 the last few mins.
So, all together I ran 3.56 miles (without a SINGLE WALKING STEP!!! AMAZING!!!) in 41:42. My PR for a 5K was from the CB&I triathlon (which was CRAZY as I walked about 1/2 the time...I must have been running fast!) of 36:40. When the treadmill reached 3.1 miles, I was at 36:10!!! 30 seconds off my PR!!! And, when I finished and calculated the LAST 3.1 miles instead of the FIRST (so less of the warm up at 13:00 and more of the faster running at 12:00), I ran 3.1 miles in 35:43!!! That's SO exciting as my 'realistic' 5K goal is 35:00 and my 'dream' 5K goal (in near future) is 33:00! SOMEDAY...I'd like to be under 30:00, but that still seems like a fantasy!
As I mentioned, I did a spin class yesterday, so this run is after a HARD day. (I'm suprisingly not sore!) I'm also going on a group bike ride tonight. I think we're going 16 miles.
I haven't decided what I'm doing for a workout tomorrow. And, I'm still unsure as to whether I'll do my 5 mile run on Friday or Sunday. I'll let you know!
By the way, I'm already looking at the 3x800 run in 2 weeks and thinking...could I??? That sounds TOUGH!!! And, today's run was a BEAST, but I DID IT! Thanks for believing in me!"
Monday, July 25, 2011
Where do I go from here?
I had another great run today. That's 6 in a row!!! Wow!!!
I decided to kind of 'repeat' my great run on the beach from Friday. If you'll remember, I did a mile in 9:43...an incredible time for me! Then, we did some high knees, running backwards, and 15-20 second sprints.
So, I was eager to see if I could run 1 mile in under 10 minutes on my own. I couldn't run until 8 am and it was HOT & sunny. I guess the temperature was 83 or so. (It was 85 at 9 am.) So, I decided to give myself a little bit of a break.
I warmed up for about 2/3rds of a mile and then set off on my run. Well, the first half was GREAT! I was averaging about 9:45! But, after that, it got harder & harder. I wanted to give up several times. It was HARD to keep running for an entire mile. But, I did it...I ran the entire mile! And, I did it pretty well. 10:15. So, no, I didn't break 10 minutes, but I know I CAN...and I WILL again...though maybe when it's cooler!
After that, I sat my watch to run 20 second sprints followed by 2 minute walking breaks. I hadn't used my watch last time so I don't know how fast I was going.
First of all, I think we were only running about 10-15 second sprints on the beach. This seemed like quite a bit longer! And, my quads felt it immediately! I was actually sore for 3 days (up until yesterday!) from my sprint workout last time. But, I felt like I was running FAST!
In fact...on one of my 20 second runs, I felt like I was FLYING! My legs seemed to barely be touching the ground. I felt so FAST! It was amazing!!!
After the 5 sprints, I checked out my speed. Here's what I saw:
6:24 (what??? that's FAST!)
6:20 (& faster!)
5:45 (WooHoo!!!)
5:30 (Me???!!! Going 5:30 for even 20 seconds! Wow!)
6:07 (OK...slowing down a bit, but wow!!)
I was amazed...and thrilled! And, my fastest time period...4:46!!! WOW!!!
I'm just not sure what's going on here! I am feeling so much faster! And, if I can run these kinds of paces for 20 seconds...what could I do in 30 seconds? or a minute? I was thrilled 2 weeks ago when my 2 minute pace got near a 10 minute pace. What am I capable of???
So, I'm not sure where I go from here. As far as the miles, once I've ran one mile near 10 minutes, I can NOT run another mile. I've thought about slowly increasing it and running 1.1 miles... then 1.2...etc. Or, I could try to run .5 miles 3 times...then 4 (with 2 minute breaks).
As far as sprints, do I continue to do 20 second sprints sometimes and 2 miinute sprints at others? Or see if I can keep up that 'fast' pace for 30 seconds...or 40? I feel like I need a coach to lead me right now.
I also just read Bart Yasso's book about his Yasso 800s. My fastest 20 second run hit 322 yards. So, I might be able to do an 800 in under a minute??? You're supposed to work up to 8 of these 800's (I think). Should I start working on 800 yard sprints instead of time? UPDATE: THOSE ARE FEET ON MY GARMIN, NOT YARDS!!! (Oops!)
So many questions! I'm really excited to see myself developing as a runner. I can't wait until fall when I can run some 5Ks. September 11th I'll re-run my first 5K...which I did in 46:30. What will I be able to do it in? And, how will I accomplish it?
I'm just having a lot of fun! I hope you are, too!
I decided to kind of 'repeat' my great run on the beach from Friday. If you'll remember, I did a mile in 9:43...an incredible time for me! Then, we did some high knees, running backwards, and 15-20 second sprints.
So, I was eager to see if I could run 1 mile in under 10 minutes on my own. I couldn't run until 8 am and it was HOT & sunny. I guess the temperature was 83 or so. (It was 85 at 9 am.) So, I decided to give myself a little bit of a break.
I warmed up for about 2/3rds of a mile and then set off on my run. Well, the first half was GREAT! I was averaging about 9:45! But, after that, it got harder & harder. I wanted to give up several times. It was HARD to keep running for an entire mile. But, I did it...I ran the entire mile! And, I did it pretty well. 10:15. So, no, I didn't break 10 minutes, but I know I CAN...and I WILL again...though maybe when it's cooler!
After that, I sat my watch to run 20 second sprints followed by 2 minute walking breaks. I hadn't used my watch last time so I don't know how fast I was going.
First of all, I think we were only running about 10-15 second sprints on the beach. This seemed like quite a bit longer! And, my quads felt it immediately! I was actually sore for 3 days (up until yesterday!) from my sprint workout last time. But, I felt like I was running FAST!
In fact...on one of my 20 second runs, I felt like I was FLYING! My legs seemed to barely be touching the ground. I felt so FAST! It was amazing!!!
After the 5 sprints, I checked out my speed. Here's what I saw:
6:24 (what??? that's FAST!)
6:20 (& faster!)
5:45 (WooHoo!!!)
5:30 (Me???!!! Going 5:30 for even 20 seconds! Wow!)
6:07 (OK...slowing down a bit, but wow!!)
I was amazed...and thrilled! And, my fastest time period...4:46!!! WOW!!!
I'm just not sure what's going on here! I am feeling so much faster! And, if I can run these kinds of paces for 20 seconds...what could I do in 30 seconds? or a minute? I was thrilled 2 weeks ago when my 2 minute pace got near a 10 minute pace. What am I capable of???
So, I'm not sure where I go from here. As far as the miles, once I've ran one mile near 10 minutes, I can NOT run another mile. I've thought about slowly increasing it and running 1.1 miles... then 1.2...etc. Or, I could try to run .5 miles 3 times...then 4 (with 2 minute breaks).
As far as sprints, do I continue to do 20 second sprints sometimes and 2 miinute sprints at others? Or see if I can keep up that 'fast' pace for 30 seconds...or 40? I feel like I need a coach to lead me right now.
I also just read Bart Yasso's book about his Yasso 800s. My fastest 20 second run hit 322 yards. So, I might be able to do an 800 in under a minute??? You're supposed to work up to 8 of these 800's (I think). Should I start working on 800 yard sprints instead of time? UPDATE: THOSE ARE FEET ON MY GARMIN, NOT YARDS!!! (Oops!)
So many questions! I'm really excited to see myself developing as a runner. I can't wait until fall when I can run some 5Ks. September 11th I'll re-run my first 5K...which I did in 46:30. What will I be able to do it in? And, how will I accomplish it?
I'm just having a lot of fun! I hope you are, too!
Are you pushing yourself enough? I'm not!
When I lift weights, I feel I really push myself. When I run, I thought I was pushing myself. But, my running coach thinks I'm being too comfortable! And, from today & the past couple of months, I think she's right!
Today was a TREADMILL TEST. Kinda scary. I was a little afraid that I might push myself TOO hard and hurt myself. But, I didn't. In fact, my results showed my maximum HR was 171. My coach says, that with my age my max HR should be 179! And that's for a non-athlete! I think that means I quit too soon. Let me tell you about the test, though...
First, I needed to do a warmup on the treadmill. She wanted to start me at a 5.5. 5.5??? That's an 11:00 pace! That's quicker than my usual run! I settled in at a nice 13:00 pace. Left to my own, I would have done about a 14:00 pace.
I was supposed to warmup for 10 minutes. For the last 2 minutes, she 'pushed' me to go 5.0 or a 12:00 pace. It was actually fine after that original 8 minutes.
After that, I got a 2 minute rest. Then the real test would begin. She would start me at a 5.0 (12:00) pace, then bump me up by .2 every minute. She would record my HR and my RPE (rate of perceived exertion). When I felt I could not go on any longer, I was to hit the stop button - but try to give her a minute warning.
I started running. I totally ignored the numbers. I didn't want to scare myself! We were starting at a 12:00 pace which is about where I usually run. I was scared to see how fast we would get...or how high my HR would get!
Of course it got harder & harder, but not as quickly as I imagined. I started breathing heavier & heavier & she told me to breathe in through my nose & out through my mouth & to imagine all of my cells receiving oxygen. It helped! But, 'eventually' (at about 10 minutes), I told her I was about ready to stop...I would finish up the last minute.
I finished! Whew!!! I had to walk around for 3-4 minutes. Very winded!
She asked if I'd seen the results. No, I hadn't been watching. Well, my fastest minute was 7.0 (8:34)! Pretty good! But, my HR was only 71, and like I mentioned...I probably could have kept going. I was, like I said, a little scared to push myself too hard.
After that we talked quite awhile and went over my running schedule, particularly for this week. She is working with me for 7 weeks leading up to a 5K...the 5K that was my 'first' last year after completeing C25K (couch to 5K). I'm hoping to get a WONDERFUL time for me.
She said we had 3 miles on today's plan, so I could go back and do 1 more mile if I wanted. I wanted.
Since the 5.0 had scared me before, I decided to start there. I think I was supposed to be doing intervals (though now I'm questioning that...better recheck!), so I came up with this plan...run 2 mins at 12:00 (5.0) then 1 min at 11:00 (5.5) and repeat 4 times. That'd be close to a mile. One BIG thing she wants me to start doing is RUN SLOWER when I need a break, not WALK! (This'll be HARD!)
So, I did it. Run slower 2, run faster 1, run 2 slower, run faster 1...HEY!!! The 'run slower' DOES feel like a recovery!!!
And, I'm feeling pretty good! Maybe I can bump up my run to 10:00 (6.0)!
Run slower 2, run faster (10:00) 1, run slower 2, run faster 1...run slower 2 (to cool down). COOL!!! I did it!! And, in my 14 mins, I ran (without walking) 1.22 miles. That's an 11:29 pace. That's pretty good for me! But, I KNOW I can do better. Just wait until NEXT TIME!!!
Today was a TREADMILL TEST. Kinda scary. I was a little afraid that I might push myself TOO hard and hurt myself. But, I didn't. In fact, my results showed my maximum HR was 171. My coach says, that with my age my max HR should be 179! And that's for a non-athlete! I think that means I quit too soon. Let me tell you about the test, though...
First, I needed to do a warmup on the treadmill. She wanted to start me at a 5.5. 5.5??? That's an 11:00 pace! That's quicker than my usual run! I settled in at a nice 13:00 pace. Left to my own, I would have done about a 14:00 pace.
I was supposed to warmup for 10 minutes. For the last 2 minutes, she 'pushed' me to go 5.0 or a 12:00 pace. It was actually fine after that original 8 minutes.
After that, I got a 2 minute rest. Then the real test would begin. She would start me at a 5.0 (12:00) pace, then bump me up by .2 every minute. She would record my HR and my RPE (rate of perceived exertion). When I felt I could not go on any longer, I was to hit the stop button - but try to give her a minute warning.
I started running. I totally ignored the numbers. I didn't want to scare myself! We were starting at a 12:00 pace which is about where I usually run. I was scared to see how fast we would get...or how high my HR would get!
Of course it got harder & harder, but not as quickly as I imagined. I started breathing heavier & heavier & she told me to breathe in through my nose & out through my mouth & to imagine all of my cells receiving oxygen. It helped! But, 'eventually' (at about 10 minutes), I told her I was about ready to stop...I would finish up the last minute.
I finished! Whew!!! I had to walk around for 3-4 minutes. Very winded!
She asked if I'd seen the results. No, I hadn't been watching. Well, my fastest minute was 7.0 (8:34)! Pretty good! But, my HR was only 71, and like I mentioned...I probably could have kept going. I was, like I said, a little scared to push myself too hard.
After that we talked quite awhile and went over my running schedule, particularly for this week. She is working with me for 7 weeks leading up to a 5K...the 5K that was my 'first' last year after completeing C25K (couch to 5K). I'm hoping to get a WONDERFUL time for me.
She said we had 3 miles on today's plan, so I could go back and do 1 more mile if I wanted. I wanted.
Since the 5.0 had scared me before, I decided to start there. I think I was supposed to be doing intervals (though now I'm questioning that...better recheck!), so I came up with this plan...run 2 mins at 12:00 (5.0) then 1 min at 11:00 (5.5) and repeat 4 times. That'd be close to a mile. One BIG thing she wants me to start doing is RUN SLOWER when I need a break, not WALK! (This'll be HARD!)
So, I did it. Run slower 2, run faster 1, run 2 slower, run faster 1...HEY!!! The 'run slower' DOES feel like a recovery!!!
And, I'm feeling pretty good! Maybe I can bump up my run to 10:00 (6.0)!
Run slower 2, run faster (10:00) 1, run slower 2, run faster 1...run slower 2 (to cool down). COOL!!! I did it!! And, in my 14 mins, I ran (without walking) 1.22 miles. That's an 11:29 pace. That's pretty good for me! But, I KNOW I can do better. Just wait until NEXT TIME!!!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Bike SPEED!
Today I got my bike out of the garage. How excited it must have been! She's just sat there with air slowly leaking out of her tires for almost 2 months. Shame on me! But...I'm back into training mode!!! I have faithfully worked out 6 days/week for the past 1.5 weeks! And, with races scheduled through January 15th, I have a lot of training to do!
I find riding my bike by myself kind of boring. On the other hand, I find running by myself to be a wonderful 'me time!' I think part of it is because I don't let myself listen to music while riding. And, often, I get one song 'stuck' in my head. It keeps me steady, but it's kind of aggravating, too!
Today I only planned on riding about 30 minutes as I have a treadmill test tomorrow with my new running coach. (I'm excited!) I actually almost didn't go out. I just didn't 'feel like it' and I wasn't sure how this might affect tomorrow's performance. But, I am trying to train 6 days per week and I REALLY want to get back into cycling! So, I got up and went out there and aired up my poor, almost empty, tires.
I warmed up for about a mile or so...then I decided to try some SPEED WORK! This is something I've been incorporating a LOT in my running the past few months, but haven't really tried on my bike. I kind of just made it up as I rode, but here's what I did...I rode 1.5 miles "FAST" (meaning 15-16 mph) and then 0.5 miles "slow" (meaning 12-13 mph). I did this basically 3 times.
I ended up riding a total of 7 miles in 30:28 for an average pace of 13.79 mph. That's pretty good for me. I'm trying to build up to where my average pace is 15-16 mph! It'll come, right?!
I find riding my bike by myself kind of boring. On the other hand, I find running by myself to be a wonderful 'me time!' I think part of it is because I don't let myself listen to music while riding. And, often, I get one song 'stuck' in my head. It keeps me steady, but it's kind of aggravating, too!
Today I only planned on riding about 30 minutes as I have a treadmill test tomorrow with my new running coach. (I'm excited!) I actually almost didn't go out. I just didn't 'feel like it' and I wasn't sure how this might affect tomorrow's performance. But, I am trying to train 6 days per week and I REALLY want to get back into cycling! So, I got up and went out there and aired up my poor, almost empty, tires.
I warmed up for about a mile or so...then I decided to try some SPEED WORK! This is something I've been incorporating a LOT in my running the past few months, but haven't really tried on my bike. I kind of just made it up as I rode, but here's what I did...I rode 1.5 miles "FAST" (meaning 15-16 mph) and then 0.5 miles "slow" (meaning 12-13 mph). I did this basically 3 times.
I ended up riding a total of 7 miles in 30:28 for an average pace of 13.79 mph. That's pretty good for me. I'm trying to build up to where my average pace is 15-16 mph! It'll come, right?!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
"Long Run" of 4 Miles
It seems like it's been awhile since my long runs were 'only' 4 miles. In late April through early June, I'd worked up to long runs of 6-8.5 miles. But, then the HEAT & the vacations happened. So, I've not been doing 'long' runs.
Today, though, was my 2nd run with my new running group. (It's part of USA Fit...I think they might have branches around the country.) Anyway, I ran with the HM group last week, since I'm only preparing to run a HM (well, actually 3 HMs!). But, today I tried out the marathon group. It put my long run at 4 miles in stead of 2. But, with a start time of 7:15 am, it was already in the low 80's...and in the mid 80's when we finished!
I started off on my own, but hooked up with another lady after about .5 miles. We stayed together the rest of the time. It was great to have a running buddy, and we really helped each other out!
She has been with the group for 6 years! She has trained for a marathon for the past 5 or 6 years, and yet always ended up injured so never actually ran one! She's trying again, and I hope she makes it. This year, she said she's adding strength training (ST)- something she hasn't done in the past. I hope it helps her to train without injuries! I DO think ST is very important to endurance running.
We made it through about 1.7 miles wihout walking. I was going to try to make it to mile 2, but she suggested a 1 minute walk. We walked. We ended up walking for 1 minute four different times. I think I could have skipped the last walk, but her hip was starting to feel a little something and I'd rather stick with her.
We ended up running an average of 12:51 for each of the four miles. That's a pretty normal 'long run' pace for me, though I hope to get down around 12:00 when the cooler weather hits! Although we were trying to stay pretty consistant and not start too fast, we did get slower with each mile...12:09, 12:40, 13:09, 13:27. There were also several hills - especially during the 2nd & 3rd miles, so that accounts for part of it. And, the 2nd & 3rd mile had a lot more sun than the 1st & 4th.
I'm enjoying being part of a group. Today, I think I would have walked a lot more if others hadn't been around me! Oh, and I won a 'door prize!' Our local shoe store was there for a weekly talk (different speakers each week - neat!) and I won a water bottle filled with goodies - a pair of socks, 2 gels, 2 nutrition bars, and a lipbalm. Cool!
Today, though, was my 2nd run with my new running group. (It's part of USA Fit...I think they might have branches around the country.) Anyway, I ran with the HM group last week, since I'm only preparing to run a HM (well, actually 3 HMs!). But, today I tried out the marathon group. It put my long run at 4 miles in stead of 2. But, with a start time of 7:15 am, it was already in the low 80's...and in the mid 80's when we finished!
I started off on my own, but hooked up with another lady after about .5 miles. We stayed together the rest of the time. It was great to have a running buddy, and we really helped each other out!
She has been with the group for 6 years! She has trained for a marathon for the past 5 or 6 years, and yet always ended up injured so never actually ran one! She's trying again, and I hope she makes it. This year, she said she's adding strength training (ST)- something she hasn't done in the past. I hope it helps her to train without injuries! I DO think ST is very important to endurance running.
We made it through about 1.7 miles wihout walking. I was going to try to make it to mile 2, but she suggested a 1 minute walk. We walked. We ended up walking for 1 minute four different times. I think I could have skipped the last walk, but her hip was starting to feel a little something and I'd rather stick with her.
We ended up running an average of 12:51 for each of the four miles. That's a pretty normal 'long run' pace for me, though I hope to get down around 12:00 when the cooler weather hits! Although we were trying to stay pretty consistant and not start too fast, we did get slower with each mile...12:09, 12:40, 13:09, 13:27. There were also several hills - especially during the 2nd & 3rd miles, so that accounts for part of it. And, the 2nd & 3rd mile had a lot more sun than the 1st & 4th.
I'm enjoying being part of a group. Today, I think I would have walked a lot more if others hadn't been around me! Oh, and I won a 'door prize!' Our local shoe store was there for a weekly talk (different speakers each week - neat!) and I won a water bottle filled with goodies - a pair of socks, 2 gels, 2 nutrition bars, and a lipbalm. Cool!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
New Running Coach & Pilates Reformer
So, I went for an initial consult with a running coach today. She is the same coach who talked me back into the water after I panicked during an open water swim clinic before my sprint triathlon. She trains both runners & triathletes.
The consult went very well! She showed me some plans she'd created for other runners. She is very detailed and lays out each days workout including distance and speed. I liked it! My main goal, right now, is to increase SPEED! So, I signed up for a 7 week program which will take me to a local 5K...the same 5K that was my first 5K last year after I finished C25K (Couch to 5K). Last year, I did it in 46:30. This year, I HOPE to break 35 minutes! My current PR is 36:40.
After discussing the training, she gave me a free 30 minute pilates reformer sessions. WOW! I've never done pilates before, and I REALLY enjoyed it! I felt I had a wonderful stretch AND strengthening time! I will be doing some pilates with her...starting next week! I might do this instead of my 'regular' personal trainer, which I haven't had since early May.
I'm excitedly waiting for my new schedule. I think it'll start on Monday. In the meantime, I go to my 2nd group run on Saturday...IF we don't head to the lake! I decided to run with the marathon group - at least to give it a try - as the half marathon group is only doing 2 miles. The marathon group is running 4 miles on Saturday.
Besides doing the pilates reformer next week, I'm doing a TREADMILL TEST with my trainer on Monday! I'm excited to see what that 'shows' us. Another part of the plan, which I'll use in the next week or two, is a track session with her. I'm interested in what she can teach me!
I had a great workout today! I did Wii Active 2 'cardio burning - hard', which I've never done before. It took about 52 minutes and I burned almost 275 calories. And, it was HARD!!! And, then later in the afternoon, I did the pilates I mentioned earlier.
Tomorrow morning I'll run! I'm going to do some kind of speed work. I might work on either 20 second runs or 400 meters...I'm not sure yet. It'll be nice when it is all laid out for me and I don't have to think so much about it... just DO IT!
The consult went very well! She showed me some plans she'd created for other runners. She is very detailed and lays out each days workout including distance and speed. I liked it! My main goal, right now, is to increase SPEED! So, I signed up for a 7 week program which will take me to a local 5K...the same 5K that was my first 5K last year after I finished C25K (Couch to 5K). Last year, I did it in 46:30. This year, I HOPE to break 35 minutes! My current PR is 36:40.
After discussing the training, she gave me a free 30 minute pilates reformer sessions. WOW! I've never done pilates before, and I REALLY enjoyed it! I felt I had a wonderful stretch AND strengthening time! I will be doing some pilates with her...starting next week! I might do this instead of my 'regular' personal trainer, which I haven't had since early May.
I'm excitedly waiting for my new schedule. I think it'll start on Monday. In the meantime, I go to my 2nd group run on Saturday...IF we don't head to the lake! I decided to run with the marathon group - at least to give it a try - as the half marathon group is only doing 2 miles. The marathon group is running 4 miles on Saturday.
Besides doing the pilates reformer next week, I'm doing a TREADMILL TEST with my trainer on Monday! I'm excited to see what that 'shows' us. Another part of the plan, which I'll use in the next week or two, is a track session with her. I'm interested in what she can teach me!
I had a great workout today! I did Wii Active 2 'cardio burning - hard', which I've never done before. It took about 52 minutes and I burned almost 275 calories. And, it was HARD!!! And, then later in the afternoon, I did the pilates I mentioned earlier.
Tomorrow morning I'll run! I'm going to do some kind of speed work. I might work on either 20 second runs or 400 meters...I'm not sure yet. It'll be nice when it is all laid out for me and I don't have to think so much about it... just DO IT!
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