Monday, January 30, 2012

Week 4: 50 miles!

Monday: TM + indoor track for 15 miles.  All under 9 minute pace with a couple pickups to 8 minute pace.  Felt pretty good - kinda fun to see who comes and goes from the gym in that amount of time! LOG 15
Tuesday: Light strength + 2 miles TM.  Tired but not sore.  LOG 2
Wednesday: Pisgah with Griffin OAB on Old Chesterfield Road.  Really nice morning.  LOG 7
Thursday:  Lift. LOG 0.
Friday: Tempo workout: 2 miles/1.5 mi/1mi/ .5 mi @ 7.8 mph(7:40pace) with .25 jog in between.  Good workout.  LOG 8.
Saturday: Surry dam OAB with Ramona.  Tried to add on 3 more in wheelock but too icy.  LOG 11.
Sunday: Old Chesterfield Road with Griffin - wore ice stabilizers on my sneakers and they worked great.  LOG 7.

So I am feeling pretty good and excited to have my first 50 mile week.  Sure I have aches and pains, but no more than when I was running 30 miles or less so it's clearly not the running that's causing them! Right?! I am not very good about doing all the little extra things to take care of that kind of thing- I should know better. I have been better with the foam roller and that has helped alot. 

My schedule is not set as the lifting class just isn't going to fit in all the time like it has been.  Will start doing that on my own again.  It was just easier to have someone figure out the lift - I tend to obsess and get overwhelmed with the possibilities. 

The treadmill is good for me and I enjoy it.  I'm not sure if it would be the same if it was in our house and there wasn't the constant coming and going of people around and the view of the campus.  We are still considering getting one for those days you just can't get out...I wonder what Griffin will think about that?  She'll probably disassemble it the first day she's left alone with it...and then blame Zoe.  It would be good to have though.  The ice thingys on my sneakers were pretty fun to use this week.  I thought they would be annoying but I really didn't notice them too much. 

I'm having trouble mapping out my week of running right now.  Now that I've hit 50 I feel stress to do it every week, but I think if I can keep the weekly total to at least 45 I should be good with that.  We may do a race on Sunday before "the big game" so I'm not sure where to put my long run.  We'll see how I feel anyway as my throat is sore.  Lots to consider!  It's a process and I love it!

Monday, January 23, 2012

WEEK 3: 35 miles

Monday: 5 easy
Tuesday: Lift + 3 x 7.8mph mile (7:40 pace), struggled; LOG 5
Wednesday: TM hills woorkout; LOG 7
Thursday: TM 2 x 1.5 mile 7:40 pace, .25 recovery jog. LOG 5
Firday: Core + Easy; LOG 4
Saturday: Log 3
Sunday: LOG 5.

Not the week I intended.  Not racing Saturday started the decline in my weekend plans.  Sunday was even worse when I just couldn't decide where I wanted to run because of the snowy roads.  Once I decided and got out there it was frustrating as cars -even if no other cars were coming in the other direction- wouldn't move over and I kept having to basically stop and move into the snow (Rt 12A).  This happened a few times before I got onto the golfcourse road (East Surry) and that road -while traffic was less- was covered and I just didn't feel like struggling for every step of a planned 15 miler.  So I got back around to my car and called it a day...there may have been some balling in frustration when it seemed as if my car opener thingy wasn't going to work- it did after I threw it a few times across the parking lot and into the ground...you can see I was not having a good day.  But I've already made up for it today as I did 15 miles INSIDE!  10 on my favorite treadmill (yah, I refuse to jump on the bandwagon and call it a dreadmilll), one on the indoor track, 3 more on a very bouncy treadmill, and the last one on the track = 15 miles.  All right around if not under 9 minute pace- perfect for the marathon.  I love the treadmill and don't care who knows it! :)   I don't plan on doing many more long runs on it- that was a bit brutal, but with so much going on around me and people I know stopping to chat while I run, I was just fine.  Glad to know I can I guess.  Long run done and I am even encouraged- and it's early in marathon training! It's a process and I love it!

Monday, January 16, 2012

WEEK 2: 45 miles

Monday: Pisgah with Grif- our usual loop. 66min/LOG 7
Tuesday: lift + TM 3x 1 mile at 7.8mph (Tempo pace according to JD= 7:40 pace):.25 mi recovery. LOG 5
Wednesday: Pisgah with Griffin again + 5 x 15s hill sprints. LOG 8
Thursday: Lift plus Tempo workout like Tuesday. LOG 5
Friday: 3 miles before spin class. LOG 3
Saturday: 6 x 1/2 mile at 8.0mph with 1 min recovery.  A little fast or needed more recovery. LOG 5
Sunday:  OAB from KSC to Surry Dam; BRRRRRRRRRR. LOG 12.

Another solid week - is it really just week 2?  Turning up the speed on the treadmill is helping on the roads I think.  And of course I love the hill sprints!  Sunday was COLD, but I was glad to get out on the roads.  Not much else to say- just chugging along!  It's a process and I love it!

Monday, January 9, 2012

WEEK 1: 46 miles and a good start

Monday: Railtrail 7 miles + 5 more with Tat - wheelock/maple loop.  LOG 12
Tuesday: Core + 3 TM. LOG 3
Wed: From KSC to pickup Tat, Wheelock/Maple Loop. LOG 9
Thursday: Lift + 3 TM; LOG 3
Friday: Spin- good class.
Saturday: Winter Chiller #1 with Greg in Peterboro.  24:44/3.3 miles/7:30 pace; LOG 9
Sunday: Surry Dam OAB with Ramona; tired legs- sore hip; LOG 10

Good start to the new year!  Helps that the winter has been kind, but I wouldn't mind seeing some snow- as long as its easily packed to run on!  Didn't do much "speed" work other than the race.  That was a good 9 miles for me.  The race was on a tough course and then I did it in reverse trying not to go too slow.  My warmup was way too fast.  This Winter Chiller series will be good for my training.  Greg won  Ben and Jerry's and promptly gave it away!  Argh!  Got in a nice run in Pisgah this morning and my legs felt good.  So I'll keep adding the miles and try to stay around 45.  It's a process and I love it!

Monday, January 2, 2012

WEEK 52: 23 miles

Well this was supposed to be a "low" mileage week...not quite that low.  I got up for the race New Years Eve and it was icy so I didn't make the trip...unfortunately I didn't make up for it either.  I did half of a cardio video then went outside to run a couple miles and finally did after turning around twice to just bag it.  Oh well one of those days and the next day wasn't much better.  I wouldn't say I was hung over but I wasn't 100% when I went to the Milleneum mile with Greg so didn't do much there either.  Looked fun though- maybe next year.  Anyway, here's the week:

Monday: off
Tuesday: Pisgah iwth Grif. Log 7
Wednesday: TM 8x1:45 @ 8.1.  LOG 6
Thursday: Treadmill 1 minute increases from 6-7.5; 4 minutes at 7.5 and then back down with some hill play.  LOG 5
Friday: Core + 2 mile TM. LOG 2
Saturday: 1/2 Cardio Challenge + outside run.  LOG 2.
Sunday: 1 mile running back tot the car with Greg after he ran Milleneum Mile.

2011 Summary. 
I ended up ok with numbers- probably because I had a good last month.  I keep forgetting that I did injure my ankle pretty severly in July and it took a bigger toll on my running than I realized at the time.  It still has it's moments.  Anyway, I ended up with 1283 miles for the year which works out ot average 3.5 miles/day, 107 miles /month, and 24.6 mile per week. 
My 2011 goals were:
1. Half Marathon sub 1:45
2. Pisgah 23K sub 2:20
3. 5K sub 22:00 (7:05 pace)
4. Average 30mi/wk (25mi/wk in 2010)
5. Get to 1000 miles sooner...(2010 wk 38)
6. More races...24 in 2010
7. Keep a better paper log
8. Get tougher!
I pretty much failed to reach any of my 2011 goals.  But I did get married and he still loves me! :) I do keep a better log!  Don't feel like I'm much tougher, but I guess I still have time to work on that. 

So this year I will repeat many of the above goals:
2012 Goals
1. PR at every distance: Sub 1:45 Half Marathon, Pisgah, 5K
2. 1500 year total miles
3. Finish Vermont City Marathon (sub 4 hours)
4. Continue lifting 2x week
5.  Do more fall trail races -like in 2010

The marathon will help me reach the  mileage goals and probably the PR's along the way.  I have a good log and plan going already.  We'll see what happens- gotta stay healthy- gotta get lean.  It's a process and I love it!  Happy New Year!