I ran 11 miles on Saturday!
I know for those of you who read this and have run a full or even half marathon before that probably doesn't seem like a great big deal anymore, but it was my first time and it's a pretty cool thing to be able say. Even my husband was impressed!
It really wasn't that bad either. Really.
I've come to enjoy my Saturday morning long runs immensely. They are actually my favorite of the week for several reasons. I think, partially, that I enjoy doing them because there is no pressure to get back to the girls. Scott is taking care of them and that stress is completely off my shoulders. I also enjoy the drive to where ever it is we are running. I usually eat a Luna bar on the way over and I listen to some music...sometimes I pray. It seems like a less painful start then running right out of my house and starting from my driveway...it's like swimming in a warm water pool instead of jumping into cold water and then needing to get used to it!
Also, and I never thought I'd say this, but I LOVE the commrodery. I've always been a solo runner... other people's paces distracted me, I like my music, I liked to be in charge...that has changed with these long runs. I ran 11 miles without my i-pod! I enjoy meeting other women and chatting while we run. It has been fun to discover all of that!
So, aside from being surprised that I can actually run 11 miles and can run with people and without music here are a few other things that have surprised me along the way:
1. Gear Matters! This morning I went for a 4.5 mile run and it stunk! Want to know why? I had a bad sports bra on, I forgot to grab a baseball cap (which I like to run with) and I grabbed my old sneakers because my new ones were momentarily missing!
Truly, it is evident by my wearing of my old sneakers how much I needed new ones. It felt like I was pounding barefoot on the ground!
I HATE spending oodles of money on good bras...good sports bras are like $40...but after this morning...I may need to lay down the money. Sorry to be crass, but I don't want to be thinking about my boobs bouncing up and down while I'm trying to get a good run in!
I love hats. They block wind and sun. I don't like the sun shining in my face making me feel like I have to squint.
For all of these reasons, and probably others, I had a crappy run this morning. ONe thing is for sure...if you can at least get some of those things out of the way by using the right gear you are starting on surer ground for a better run.
2. Just because you can run 11 miles doesn't mean anything less will always be easy. My long runs, as I said, have been some of my best. Perhaps it is the mental preparation I do before hand. I know I need to stretch, drink a lot of water, not eat too much and prepare myself to be dedicated to the distance. The shorter runs I can tend to not treat as importantly and they end up being harder sometimes- like this morning. It is just like life- you have good days and bad days...
3. You don't lose oodles of weight just because you are running 20+ miles a week. This has been by far my most disappointing discovery! I was hoping my remaining 15 lbs. of remaining baby weight would just melt away! Not so much. I have dropped a few lbs. and am slowly seeing changed in my body shape, but it has not been dramatic. I find myself being frustrated when I try my smaller jeans on and saying, "Lisa, you're running your butt off, why is it still there?"
Oh well.
I think I need to address my diet more specifically. I LOVE to eat and was hoping that all this running would mean I didn't need to watch my portions and late night eating, but that is NOT the case.
So, that's it for today. Those are the things I have found to be most surprising on this new endeavor.
Oh yeah, and that those sports beans I talked about last time are really great! I pop a few before my run, eat a few during and then sometimes a few afterwards. They really seem to help keep my energy up. They sell them at most sporting good stores...they are made by Jelly Belly. We were joking on Saturday that they're probably just normal jelly beans with fancy packaging...but I do think they're a little better than that!
Training for this week will be as follows:
Monday: 4.5 miles
Tuesday: weights + 3 mile run or elliptical
Wednesday: 4 mile run
Thursday: 6 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 9 miles
Sunday: stretch and weights
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Monday, May 17
Tuesday, May 4
1/2 Marathon Monday, Part 8; Re-Shoeing and Re-Fueling
Yes, yes, I am posting my "1/2 Marathon Monday" post on Tuesday. Such is the life of a mommy blogger and runner and housekeeper and wife and...well, you all know what I mean.
So this past week was an interesting week for me as far as training went; I feel like I crossed over into a new realm of training...a realm in which new sneakers, and power gels and diligent hydration have become necessary components.
I'll share with you, briefly, my training for the week and then what I learned from my training (from last Monday-Today):
Monday: 4.5 miles
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 3.5 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: 9 miles (This was the biggie so far-- and the run that pushed me into new running territory!)
Sunday: weights/stretching
Monday: 4.5 miles
Tuesday: REST! REST! REST!
Most of the week was quite good. I was feeling good about running again and about my training. As I mentioned above, it was the Saturday 9 miler that pushed me over the edge...
I met up with my sister and 4 other mommas who are also training for the 1/2 Marathon at a really nice bike path in our area. The path goes out 5 miles and then you have to come back-- the scenery is really pretty though, so while I don't usually like repetitive runs this one was really nice.
The group split into two pairs-- I ran with both for brief periods and then on my own with my music for the rest of the time (I am a solitary runner sometimes-- I like to get into my own groove and pace and just listen to music-- I hope no one takes it personally!).
Boy, at about mile 7, which is as far as I had ever gone before, my energy just started going down, down, down hill. By the time I finished the run I felt as if I literally had nothing left to give and began wondering how I will complete 13.1 miles in just about 4 weeks! This has NEVER happened to me before. I ALWAYS have a little left to give a final slow sprint at the end of a run.
The experience prompted me to do a little research on refueling this week, and how important it is. So here is what I learned about re-shoeing and re-fueling...
1. Re-Shoeing: If you are running regularly the suggested amount of time to run in one pair of sneakers is 300-400 miles. I went to a specialty running store (Fleet Feet in Buffalo) and while I paid a little bit more for the sneakers than I would have at Dick's Sporting Goods, I really wanted the expert advice and one on one attention to fitting a shoe the right way.
Ironically, they put me back in the same shoe I was already wearing, just a newer version, but I was grateful for the affirmation that this was indeed a good shoe for the shape of my foot and arch. It's the Asics Cumulus, if anyone cares. I LOVE Asics, but apparently I have a neutral foot that doesn't need a ton of stability (whatever that means!), so they work for me, but not for everyone.
The mileage guidelines above depend on your weight and where you are running. If you are a smaller, relatively light person running on a treadmill much of the time, you'll get more mileage out of your shoes. However, if you're doing more road training you'll get less mileage.
The important thing is to listen to your body-- if you start to get shin splints, new foot pain, or your legs are feeling increasingly tired/sore after your runs, it could be partially that your shoes are nearing the end of their life.
I still have a little mileage life in my old shoes and will keep them for elliptical workouts and shorter runs, but wanted to get a new, more supportive pair now so that I can break them in for the race.
2. Re-Fueling: Re-feuling is a bit of trial and error. Prior to my long run this weekend I had always tried to eat something relatively light with a bit of protein and carbs before my run (a Luna Bar (chocolate peppermint stick is my favorite), a banana and a little bit of milk have worked well for me, even as close as 45 minutes prior to my run), and then I would do either greek yogurt and granola, a muscle milk shake (1 scoop and a cup of milk) or this past week some Ultra Fuel, which is supposed to be really great for replenishing carbs, after my runs.
This week, however, when I hit that wall where I felt like I could go no further I realized I needed something during my run.
The lovely girl at Fleet Feet recommended Sports Beans-- jelly beans (yes, I said jelly beans), made by none other than Jelly Belly, that replenish your electrolytes and give you a quick hit of energy. I read some great reviews online and while I haven't tried them yet (I"m waiting for my run this weekend) I'm excited about the idea. I was always a little weirded out by those goo packs and I've read that these beans work just as well. Kember, the girl at Fleet Feet said that she eats a couple before, during and after her long runs.
I did also buy a chocolate Clif Shots. It is a gel, but as I said, this is all trial and error and before I can say I don't like it, I need to try it. Another customer said that her good friend did a Clif Shot every 3 miles during his last 1/2 marathon and that it worked really well for him.
3. Re-Hydrating: The general rule of thumb is to re-hydrate by your one hour mark and then every 45-minutes afterwards. A lot of runners swear by sports drinks (like Poweraid), but if you are taking something like a Gel Shot or Sports Beans just water should be o.k. I haven't tried one of those crazy water belts, but am pretty confident I would not like it. Katie, my sister, stored some water at the 3 mi. point on our run-- that worked for us.
Hope all of you other runners are having a good week-- would love to hear what works for you!!
Happy Training!
So this past week was an interesting week for me as far as training went; I feel like I crossed over into a new realm of training...a realm in which new sneakers, and power gels and diligent hydration have become necessary components.
I'll share with you, briefly, my training for the week and then what I learned from my training (from last Monday-Today):
Monday: 4.5 miles
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 3.5 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: 9 miles (This was the biggie so far-- and the run that pushed me into new running territory!)
Sunday: weights/stretching
Monday: 4.5 miles
Tuesday: REST! REST! REST!
Most of the week was quite good. I was feeling good about running again and about my training. As I mentioned above, it was the Saturday 9 miler that pushed me over the edge...
I met up with my sister and 4 other mommas who are also training for the 1/2 Marathon at a really nice bike path in our area. The path goes out 5 miles and then you have to come back-- the scenery is really pretty though, so while I don't usually like repetitive runs this one was really nice.
The group split into two pairs-- I ran with both for brief periods and then on my own with my music for the rest of the time (I am a solitary runner sometimes-- I like to get into my own groove and pace and just listen to music-- I hope no one takes it personally!).
Boy, at about mile 7, which is as far as I had ever gone before, my energy just started going down, down, down hill. By the time I finished the run I felt as if I literally had nothing left to give and began wondering how I will complete 13.1 miles in just about 4 weeks! This has NEVER happened to me before. I ALWAYS have a little left to give a final slow sprint at the end of a run.
The experience prompted me to do a little research on refueling this week, and how important it is. So here is what I learned about re-shoeing and re-fueling...
1. Re-Shoeing: If you are running regularly the suggested amount of time to run in one pair of sneakers is 300-400 miles. I went to a specialty running store (Fleet Feet in Buffalo) and while I paid a little bit more for the sneakers than I would have at Dick's Sporting Goods, I really wanted the expert advice and one on one attention to fitting a shoe the right way.
Ironically, they put me back in the same shoe I was already wearing, just a newer version, but I was grateful for the affirmation that this was indeed a good shoe for the shape of my foot and arch. It's the Asics Cumulus, if anyone cares. I LOVE Asics, but apparently I have a neutral foot that doesn't need a ton of stability (whatever that means!), so they work for me, but not for everyone.
The mileage guidelines above depend on your weight and where you are running. If you are a smaller, relatively light person running on a treadmill much of the time, you'll get more mileage out of your shoes. However, if you're doing more road training you'll get less mileage.
The important thing is to listen to your body-- if you start to get shin splints, new foot pain, or your legs are feeling increasingly tired/sore after your runs, it could be partially that your shoes are nearing the end of their life.
I still have a little mileage life in my old shoes and will keep them for elliptical workouts and shorter runs, but wanted to get a new, more supportive pair now so that I can break them in for the race.
2. Re-Fueling: Re-feuling is a bit of trial and error. Prior to my long run this weekend I had always tried to eat something relatively light with a bit of protein and carbs before my run (a Luna Bar (chocolate peppermint stick is my favorite), a banana and a little bit of milk have worked well for me, even as close as 45 minutes prior to my run), and then I would do either greek yogurt and granola, a muscle milk shake (1 scoop and a cup of milk) or this past week some Ultra Fuel, which is supposed to be really great for replenishing carbs, after my runs.
This week, however, when I hit that wall where I felt like I could go no further I realized I needed something during my run.
The lovely girl at Fleet Feet recommended Sports Beans-- jelly beans (yes, I said jelly beans), made by none other than Jelly Belly, that replenish your electrolytes and give you a quick hit of energy. I read some great reviews online and while I haven't tried them yet (I"m waiting for my run this weekend) I'm excited about the idea. I was always a little weirded out by those goo packs and I've read that these beans work just as well. Kember, the girl at Fleet Feet said that she eats a couple before, during and after her long runs.
I did also buy a chocolate Clif Shots. It is a gel, but as I said, this is all trial and error and before I can say I don't like it, I need to try it. Another customer said that her good friend did a Clif Shot every 3 miles during his last 1/2 marathon and that it worked really well for him.
3. Re-Hydrating: The general rule of thumb is to re-hydrate by your one hour mark and then every 45-minutes afterwards. A lot of runners swear by sports drinks (like Poweraid), but if you are taking something like a Gel Shot or Sports Beans just water should be o.k. I haven't tried one of those crazy water belts, but am pretty confident I would not like it. Katie, my sister, stored some water at the 3 mi. point on our run-- that worked for us.
Hope all of you other runners are having a good week-- would love to hear what works for you!!
Happy Training!
Monday, March 1
1/2 Marathon Monday, Part 2
Today is my second 1/2 Marathon Monday post. As I mentioned last Monday, I plan to write one post a week to update you on the training I've started for the Buffalo Marathon (I'm doing a 1/2) being held Memorial Day weekend.
I'm referencing three different training programs, mostly because I didn't love any of them individually (see links at the end of this post). The Hal Higdon program is my primary "go-to" for mileage, etc. I like it because it is a 12-week program (as opposed to 8 or 10) and it incorporates a good mix of cross training in with the running. What I don't like about it is that there is only one day of rest incorporated a week. While I don't necessarily feel like I need a ton of rest days, as a mom of two small children my life does not allow me to workout 6 days a week on most weeks. The other programs allow for 2-3 days of rest during the week.
All that said, training has been going pretty well so far. I'm only running 3-4 miles at this point, but I'm feeling stronger and stronger, which is encouraging. I haven't trained as many days as I would have liked to in the last week and a half. My biggest challenges have been the snow (Buffalo in February, yuck!) which has forced me to do more running indoors, I got sick for two days last week and then just juggling times to run with taking care of the kids, my husband's work schedule, etc.
So here is what my training has looked like in the last week and a half, leading up to today:
Friday: 4 miles on treadmill
Sat: 4.2 miles outside
Sun: 2 miles outside
Mon: off
Tue: 3.5 miles on treadmill
Wed: strength training with a trainer (who happens to be my brother!) at the gym
Thur: rest/very sore from strength training, get sick later in the day
Fri: 3 miles on treadmill
Sat: meant to run, but end up going shopping with my sister!!
Sun: 4 miles on treadmill
Mon: 3.1 miles on treadmill
So, if I look at just my Sun-Sat last week, my mileage was not what I would have liked it to be. I would have liked to have squeezed one more 3 or 4 mile run in there...but looking at the big picture so far, I feel like I'm doing pretty well.
All that said here are three important things I've learned about goal setting/training this week:
1. Set a date
2. Make mini-committments along the way
3. Cut yourself some slack
1. Set a Date
Having this Memorial Day race on the calendar is crazy motivation for me. I have something to work towards and a concrete date on which something needs to be done and I work so much better with those sorts of guidelines in my life! I need to start doing this more for my writing...
2. Make mini commitments
The intention is to do my longer weekend runs with my sister and/or a few other friends who are also training for the race. When you have to be somewhere to do something with someone you're much less likely to make excuses. Even my Wed morning workouts with my brother at the gym have been helpful. If I were not meeting him there I don't know how likely I'd be to get up at 7 a.m. and trudge through the snow and cold to the gym to workout. I'm grateful for the commitments and I feel like they help to add some very much needed structure and discipline to my life.
3. Cut yourself some slack
At the end of the day I am the mom of two small children, my husband has a very busy job, I am tired on many days and I don't have the kind of time for this as I would have, say, eight years ago when I was working 9-5 at a publishing company and had my nights and weekends completely free (oh, to be able to have some of that time back!). I'm may get sick, one of the girls may get sick, Scott will have to go out of town for several days, and I will not be able to stick to my schedule...but, as I'm learning to be ok with, this is one day at a time, failure one day doesn't mean the same the next.
All in all what I like about this training is that it is a challenge I've never taken on before, I feel like it's helping me gain back some of the physical stamina I once had during my high-school track days (boy, do those feel far away!), and it is difficult but manageable- most of the runs are shorter distances until the very end of the training.
So, there you have it! My 1/2 marathon life so far. Looking forward to sharing more next week!
FYI- Here are the 3 Training Programs I'm referencing:
1. Hal Higdon--have heard great things about this one
2. Marathon Rookie- this one focuses more on running, but offers an extra day of rest
3. Fitness Magazine training schedule- a friend used this last year
I'm referencing three different training programs, mostly because I didn't love any of them individually (see links at the end of this post). The Hal Higdon program is my primary "go-to" for mileage, etc. I like it because it is a 12-week program (as opposed to 8 or 10) and it incorporates a good mix of cross training in with the running. What I don't like about it is that there is only one day of rest incorporated a week. While I don't necessarily feel like I need a ton of rest days, as a mom of two small children my life does not allow me to workout 6 days a week on most weeks. The other programs allow for 2-3 days of rest during the week.
All that said, training has been going pretty well so far. I'm only running 3-4 miles at this point, but I'm feeling stronger and stronger, which is encouraging. I haven't trained as many days as I would have liked to in the last week and a half. My biggest challenges have been the snow (Buffalo in February, yuck!) which has forced me to do more running indoors, I got sick for two days last week and then just juggling times to run with taking care of the kids, my husband's work schedule, etc.
So here is what my training has looked like in the last week and a half, leading up to today:
Friday: 4 miles on treadmill
Sat: 4.2 miles outside
Sun: 2 miles outside
Mon: off
Tue: 3.5 miles on treadmill
Wed: strength training with a trainer (who happens to be my brother!) at the gym
Thur: rest/very sore from strength training, get sick later in the day
Fri: 3 miles on treadmill
Sat: meant to run, but end up going shopping with my sister!!
Sun: 4 miles on treadmill
Mon: 3.1 miles on treadmill
So, if I look at just my Sun-Sat last week, my mileage was not what I would have liked it to be. I would have liked to have squeezed one more 3 or 4 mile run in there...but looking at the big picture so far, I feel like I'm doing pretty well.
All that said here are three important things I've learned about goal setting/training this week:
1. Set a date
2. Make mini-committments along the way
3. Cut yourself some slack
1. Set a Date
Having this Memorial Day race on the calendar is crazy motivation for me. I have something to work towards and a concrete date on which something needs to be done and I work so much better with those sorts of guidelines in my life! I need to start doing this more for my writing...
2. Make mini commitments
The intention is to do my longer weekend runs with my sister and/or a few other friends who are also training for the race. When you have to be somewhere to do something with someone you're much less likely to make excuses. Even my Wed morning workouts with my brother at the gym have been helpful. If I were not meeting him there I don't know how likely I'd be to get up at 7 a.m. and trudge through the snow and cold to the gym to workout. I'm grateful for the commitments and I feel like they help to add some very much needed structure and discipline to my life.
3. Cut yourself some slack
At the end of the day I am the mom of two small children, my husband has a very busy job, I am tired on many days and I don't have the kind of time for this as I would have, say, eight years ago when I was working 9-5 at a publishing company and had my nights and weekends completely free (oh, to be able to have some of that time back!). I'm may get sick, one of the girls may get sick, Scott will have to go out of town for several days, and I will not be able to stick to my schedule...but, as I'm learning to be ok with, this is one day at a time, failure one day doesn't mean the same the next.
All in all what I like about this training is that it is a challenge I've never taken on before, I feel like it's helping me gain back some of the physical stamina I once had during my high-school track days (boy, do those feel far away!), and it is difficult but manageable- most of the runs are shorter distances until the very end of the training.
So, there you have it! My 1/2 marathon life so far. Looking forward to sharing more next week!
FYI- Here are the 3 Training Programs I'm referencing:
1. Hal Higdon--have heard great things about this one
2. Marathon Rookie- this one focuses more on running, but offers an extra day of rest
3. Fitness Magazine training schedule- a friend used this last year
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