5 days off... Bad idea...

With family here and while enjoying the Christmas holiday I took 5 days off from running and eating healthy...

The result - I lost ground! The next day I only completed half my workout, the biggest victory for the treadmill to date!

So I took a day off and today I repeated my work out from right before Christmas. It went really well today. Tomorrow I will have a rematch on the hard hour long run with the treadmill, but tomorrow, I will win!

I am a morning person...

Today I did my run at night. It was only a 40 min jog, but I don't remember feeling so sick to my stomach after a run as I do this evening... When I run in the morning I feel great, when I run at night, not so great. Tomorrow it's back to morning runs!

Quarter Marathon!

I know there is no such thing as a quarter marathon of 6.55 miles, but it still makes a fun marker of progress! Today I ran a 1/4 marathon at a 7:30 mile pace. This gave me a time of 49:06. If this was doubled I would get 1:38:12 for a half (6:48 ahead of my goal time) and double that to get 3:16:24 for a full marathon (13:36 ahead of my goal time). I know I probably won't keep the same pace with the longer distances, but it's fun to think about!

New Record Distance!

Today's workout was 10.5 miles in 1:25:00! I beat my old distance record by three miles! My average mile was 8:30 with the best mile being 6:40! I felt great the entire run, and am getting closer to my first goal of a half marathon in 1:45:00.

This run was 5 min warm up (15:00 mile), 15 min jog (7:30 mile), 10 min run (6:40 mile), 5 min speed walk (12:00 mile), then another 15 jog, 10 run, 5 speed walk, then one more 15 min jog with a 5 min cool down (15:00) mile!

My next run is a straight 60 min jog at a 7:30 mile! Looking forward to that!

100 miles!

After four weeks of running my total running distance past 100 miles! (102.483 miles in 15:03:46 to be exact! An 8:50 mile pace)

First day of long sprints...

Today's run was 10 min jog, 10 min run, 5 min walk, 5 min run, 10 min jog. Ouch! The first run I did half of it at a 6:00 mile... Probably a bit to fast (felt sick and ready to quit), I had no energy left and lots to go, so I finished the runs at a 6:40 mile while keeping my jog pace at 7:30 as always. At the end of the workout I covered 6.07 miles in 50 min (including 5 min warm up and 5 min cool down(. Now I'm beat...

Next time I think I'll keep future runs above the 6:40 mark! Lesson learned -ICE!!!!!!!!!

Back in the game...

After overdoing it just over a week ago my left knee began hurting of bursitis again... So I took a few days off, today I hope to be back to running 6 days a week. I started with a 40 minute run at a 7:30 mile - or a distance of 5.33 miles! (my goal is 105 min at an 8:00 mile - that would be a half marathon). Three weeks of work outs down, 9 left in half work out, then 12 more to the full!

Two workouts in a day...

Due to traveling for thanksgiving I found myself a day behind in my workout schedule. The solution seemed simple enough - do a workout in the morning and a second at night.

Bad idea...

I finished the second workout with an upset stomach, soar knees, and dehydrated (drinking water made stomach worse...)

I am now back on schedule... But I don't know if I'll be up to running again tomorrow morning, so I may end up a day behind. - again.

Cold....

Today I am in Corbett (for thanksgiving), Where the treadmill is stored outside. I went 4 miles in 30 minutes in 30 degree weather... Actually after about five minutes, running in the cold is quite nice :-)

Two weeks in...

Two weeks into my marathon training. Right now I'm running a 7:30 mile, well under my goal of an 8:00 mile for the marathon, but the distances have been short so far, 5 miles has been my longest run. If you combine my first 8 workouts I did run a marathon, 26.2 miles in 4:05:00. But that was over 8 days and includes my 10 minutes a day of warm up and cool down, so its not a real time.

My two week distance total has been 38.43 miles in 5:55:00 (including my warm up and cool down). That is a 9:14 mile. Very soon my distances will be dramatically increasing, so we shall see how that goes!

As for my knees, that have been doing very well. Something I have been very excited about. But yesterday at Big Lots one of the associates got my angle with his metal cart he was using and now my ankle is all swollen and still. Very little pain when I'm running, but after the run is over it starts to throb... So far the plan is to run through it and hope the pain and swelling goes away soon. On to week three, 22 weeks to go!

The 2012 Season...

I had a free moment so I researched some events in 2012 that I'm looking forward to running in... I don't know if all the events are a go (and not 100% sure on the dates for all), and I'm sure I will find more events as the year progresses, but here is a preliminary look at the season for me (which I probably won't do all of... but one can dream):

5K: Big Bend Dollar Dash - Moses Lake (10/6)

10K: Canal Caper - Ephreta (3/17), Cougar Fun Run - Echo (3/24), Spring Fest Fun Run - Moses Lake (5/26), Run For Your Life - Moses Lake (6/9)

Duathon: Spring Fest - Moses Lake (5/28), Let'er Duo - Pendleton (10/29)

15K: East Oregonian River Run (6/16)

Half Marathon: Tricities Half -Richland (2/26), Over the Dam Run - Grand Coulee (5/12), Catherine Creek Classic - Union (8/4), Highway to Well - Pendleton (8/25)

Marathon: Moses Lake Marathon - Moses Lake (4/14), Wenatchee Marathon - Wenatchee (4/21), Columbia River Marathon - Umatilla (10/20)

Relay: Epic Oregon Relay* - Portland to Eugene (6/15-16), Hood To Coast - Portland to Coast (8/24-25), Hells Canyons Relay - LaGrande to Baker City

*I'm already doubtful I can make the Epic Relay (graduation day at the college), but I put it on the schedule anyway as my team will be competing without me. Go Speedy Turtles!

That makes one 5K, four 10Ks, two duathons, one 15K, four half marathons, three marathons, and three (probably best case two) relays. As about two thirds of the races are longer distances I plan to keep on my marathon training right through April, then decide what to do come April when I finish it.

Want to run with me? Let me know and I can get you the contact information on any of the races (or you can just google the name and it should come up!)

The History...

I've been wanting to organize my running experiences is some form, so a blog seemed appropriate. I don't know if anyone will read this - maybe its more just for me. But I have just decided to start training for my first marathon (12 weeks to half marathon and then 12 more weeks to full!). This blog will (at least for the time being) focus on my run to the marathon. My first goal is the Tri-cities half marathon on Sunday, February 26, 2012. My goal is to complete it under an 8:00 mile or under 1:44:48. After that I plan to find a marathon to run in late April/early May. Let the training begin!

For the sake of a bit of history, below is the highlights of my short running career which began March 8, 2011. It includes my 5K training, 10K training, several races and of course, the Cascade Lakes Relay where I injured my knee and had to take about 3 months off running - ok, I still ran a bit, probably why it took 3 months to heal!

11/11/11 Decide its finally time to start Half Marathon Training with a 2 mile run - first run with no knee pain since injury

10/8/11 First race since injury: a 5K fun run (BBCC Dollar Dash) at 21:24 (a 7:00 mile). Some knee pain, but second overall and first in my category

9/26/11 Physical Therapist gives me the clear to start running (jogging really) again!

9/15/11 Finally agree to see the physical therapist - Bruce is a miracle worker!

9/9/11 Finally agree to see the doctor, just gives me meds and says "I suggest you try a physical therapist too"

8/27/11 First run of 5K since injury - in 24:57 - lots of knee pain!

8/15/11 First run of 1 mile since injury - 11:51 - lots and lots of knee pain!

8/6-7/11 Compete in Cascade Lake Relay - My legs were 7.5 miles, 6.6 miles, and 7.5 miles. Hurt my knee on the second leg (Bursitis??), the third leg killed the knee (couldn't walk or do stairs without lots of pain). This began a 3 month period of almost no running as I healed - But I finished!

7/28/11 I changed legs on the CLR relay, so I run the new legs in a practice run: 21.4 miles in three legs in 2:43:54 or a 7:39 mile.

7/23/11 Last time through my original legs of the CLR relay: 19.03 miles in 2:20:30 or a 7:22 mile!

7/16/11 First time through my original legs of the CLR relay: 18.98 miles in 2:21:24 or a 7:27 mile!

7/14/11 Set a new 10K record (not a race so its not official): 40:06 or a 6:27 mile!

6/25/11 Finally hit my 5K goal of under 20 min (lots of downhill and not a race so its not official): 19:20 or a 6:20 mile!

6/20/11 First 10K not on the treadmill: 45:34 or a 7:21 mile

6/18/11 Ran in East Oregonian River Run 5K: 20:06 or a 6:28 mile. Good for 4th overall and 3rd in my category (in the rain!).

6/23/11 First 10K ever: 53:04 or a 8:33 mile

6/11/11 Second 5K Race - Moses Lake Run for Your Life: 20:42 or a 6:39 mile. Good for third overall but first in my age category!

5/28/11 First race ever - a 5K at the Moses Lake Spring Fest: 20:23 or a 6:33 mile. Good for 10th overall and 2nd in my category. I've caught the bug... I may never get enough of this running thing and begin searching for more races to compete in!

5/8/11 Begin a 10K training program

3/29/11 First 5K ever in 32:58, a 10:36 mile.

3/8/11 I decide to start running on the treadmill to get in shape. I download a 5K training app for my Ipod touch so I have a goal - The first workout is 60 seconds of jogging followed by 90 seconds of walking (10 times!), I thought I was going to die. I had no idea how much I would end up enjoying running or where it would lead!