Monday, November 28, 2011

WEEK 47: 24 miles and Thanksgiving 5K

Monday: off
Tues: Lift - DB circuit; 4 mile TM; LOG 4
Wed: Supreme Core (Snow/Freezing Rain halted my attempt for spin class)
Thurs: Pie and Glove 5K; 23:15; LOG 4
Friday: Dann's Blvd OAB at Home; LOG 6
Sat: Great Spin class, 60 minutes!
Sun: Surry Dam with Ramona; LOG 10

Lil Rhody was definitely disappointing but I still wasn't sure what would happen at the Thanksgiving 5K.  No racing really takes away any sense of where I am at with things.  Greg and I headed over ot the Pie and Glove 5K Thursday morning.  Kate came over later- she doesn't get the "getting there an hour early" thing.  It was a beautiful day!  All 1500 of us lined up on a tiny road full of pot holes and off we went.  I went out fast again but only to get around the hairpin turn without being trampled.  Then a bunch of people started passing me.  I just tried to settle in and see what would happen.  First mile was 7:10.  I was happy with that and tried to hold on.  Theres a section where the leaders go the opposite direction so I got to cheer on Greg...I thought he'd close the gap I saw.  I missed the second mile so I am unsure where the decline started but it wasn't terrible.  I was off my PR by 30 seconds but at least now feel like I can get back to that and better. 

I had a nice run at home on Friday before the drive back and went to an awesome spin class Saturday.  I finally got to run with someone on Sunday, Ramona, and we did the Surry OAB for a good 10 miles nice and easy.  Sounds like she may be around for some more runs now that biking season is over for her - that's good for me, I get bored on my own all the time!

Pretty fair way to officially start my marathon training - I registered today for Vermont City Marathon and New Bedford HM (March).  Now if this headache would go away I could plan the rest of the week!  It's a process, and I love it!

Monday, November 21, 2011

WEEK 46: 23 miles and Lil Rhody

Monday: Spin + 4 miles TM.  LOG 4
Tuesday: lift
Wed: AM Spin plus 6 miles TM (6x1min @ 8.0), LOG 6
Thursday: Lift
Friday: TM, slow, struggle.  LOG 4
Saturday: Spin, really good class, had to back off so as not to be too tired for Lil Rhody.
Sunday: LIL Rhody, 1:13:30 (9:11pace); LOG 9

Lots of good spin classes this week- they are helping me lean down a little.  Tuesday I had planned a longish run in Pisgah which wouldve brought me over 30 miles for the week but was just too tired from the weekend travel and work.  Good decision because Greg pushed himself and didn't enjoy it so much.  We went to bed at 7pm...not exaggerating.  But really only an hour earlier than usual!  It was glorious!  Back to normal on the sleep scale. 

We traveled to RI for Thanksgiving with Gregs family and LilRhody.  The weather was perfect.  Fueling on a Thanksgiving feast on Saturday worked out just fine!  Greg and I walk on the beach early Sunday before the race with Grif and before we knew it it was time to get over to the park.  I had no idea what to expect, I hadn't raced in forever and really my ankle just started feeling good a couple weeks ago.  I thought I'd be able to eek out what I did last year.  My concern was getting stuck in the bottle neck at the begining like I did last year.  So like a giant ass I went out in probably 6 minute pace.  And pretty much my race was over by the time we hit the campground...mile 1.5?  Yah, that bad.  I spent the rest of the miserable miles beating myself up.  I wasn't wearing a watch - otherwise I might have been crying.  My stomach wasn't quite right either- lay it on.  Anyway, I finished somewhat strong on the road and apparently invisible as no one I knew saw me finish.   Just as well, I was well over my time from last year, 1:13:30 compared to 1:08.  Over 9 minute pace.  yuck.  Oh well I didn't get upset- at least I ran and finished and felt relatively good.  On the ride home Greg and I figured out that last year I had had 5-6 major trail races under my belt (Pisgah, Monroe, Madame Sheri, Groton, etc...) going into Rhody (and I was a little lighter...ok a lot).  But the racing was probabaly the biggest difference. Next fall I'll try to get more races in, but since I may be covering Soccer next year at work my schedule could be worse than it was this fall...I didn't know that ws possible, but it is.  Anyway, also will go out SLOW. 

The day was fun- 6 Hammett's ran the race.  It was fun seeing Sarah (Jonny's wife) so happy and feeling good when she finished.  That helped me to stay positive too.  Maybe she'll attack the Pisgah 25K next fall?  :)  Greg won - his fifth win at Lil Rhody!  And Jonny, Glenn, and Pard all ran well too.  (I'll get Pard next year again...:)) Boj is apparently back as he finished well too.  Add in Randy and Bently and it really becomes a big event of a lot of friends and family.  Fun times. 

This week will be interesting.  I've already taken today off.  I have a couple good workouts coming up, but not necessarily miles.  Thanksgiving 5K - who knows what the hell will happen there!  A long run planned friday at home.  Also going to take a look at my training plans and may switch to a 10-cycle as I get into marathon training mode.  Might make my weekly miles weird but I think I'll still log them here like that.  We'll see, with work winding down for a little break I can pay attention to myself a little....It's a process, and I love it!

Monday, November 14, 2011

WEEK 45: 30 miles

Monday: KSC to Brettwood GC 10 miles- plantar fascia not good.  LOG 10
Tuesday: Pisgah SW loop; LOG 8
Wednesday: 2 mile TM, why not?
Thursday: Lift
Friday: 0 Travelled home
Saturday: Home on roads, LOG 5
Sunday: Keene Rail Trail; LOG 5

Not sure why the plantar fascia has decided to be a bother again.  Immediately put in the Sole inserts and I feel ok now, just longer runs it appears.  Luckily I don't do many of those any more!  Tuesday in Pisgah I saw my first set of bear tracks....holy crap!  I had no idea they were that big!  Not something I want to think about.  And at the time I was on my own.  By the time I got to teh end of South Woods Griffin came roaring up behind me- she was hauling ass!  Greg says she left them almost at the start of that trail when she got my scent so it's funny to think of her running so fast through the forest on her own like that!  So cute and brave and strong!  She caught me and after a quick greet immeidately went by to teh water stop up ahead and soaked in the pond.  The rest of the week was a blur.  Sunday was a planned long run so I'd be well over 30 miles and maybe even 50.  But after eating a good breakfast I puttered and organized in teh house too long and started bonking....subtle because I tried to go running and couldn't figure out why I didn't feel like running.  Then got home, luckily ate a yogurt so I could figure out how to turn on the shower, but it wasn't enough to get me to the store and make chili.  It was a bad bonk.  Didn't feel better until I had some of Ferenc's garlic hummus and ate over at the Fyffe's.  Whew.  That was brutal, a whole day pretty much wasted.  Oh well. 

The lifting class on Tuesday/Thursday has been paying off.  I feel stronger.  Not sure it's helping my fitness at this point but eventually it will all come together.  Lil Rhody....I have no idea.  It's a process...and I love it!

Monday, November 7, 2011

WEEK 44: 16 miles

Ok I was wrong, this week wasn't way better....

Monday: 8 miles TM + core. LOG 8
Tuesday: Lift at KSC + 2 miles TM later. Log 2
Wed: Spin at KSC
Thursday: Lift at KSC - very sore quads
Friday: 6 miles TM - plantar fascia pain?
Saturday: generally crabby and unmotivated
Sunday: Tabata workout of Supreme Fitness DVDs (P90X ripoff) - fun!  Bear Chili at Fyffe's.

Not the mileage I need to be at, but I don't think I have to stress about that quite yet.  A little worried about the plantar fascia since it bothered me again today during a longer run on the roads, but we'll see.  Maybe Mt Toby trail race this weekend if Greg wants to go and if work allows (who knows).  And then Lil Rhody, Thanksgiving 5K and maybe a couple 5Ks in December and then a 10k on Dec 31 or the 1st. It'll be good to start racing again and see where I'm at.   IT's a process and I love it!!!