Week 8

Last week's long run didn't go as planned. First I set my alarm but forgot to actually turn it on. So I woke up to two little monkeys jumping on my bed telling me it was time to "wakie-wakie!" And missed the first group run I was planning on doing. I was determined to make it happen anyway, so I got on my computer to map a route. City Creek sounded like a good idea. New scenery, gradual elevation. Going up= fun coming down in my book. So I maped my 11 mile run and zoomed in on google maps to find my marker, a water reservoir right at mile 5.5, perfect!  or so I thought. So I ran, no running buddy, Mrs. B. has had a situation come up and unfortunately she is postponing her Marathon training to give priority to other things going on in her life right now.  Someone in my ward told me about a running group she is actually part of and I will start training with her and the group on the weekends, support van and all, YAY!

It was so nice to be able to go on a run by myself. It is true you shouldn't always run alone, but also that you should not always run with company. Being aware of yourself, listening your own thoughts and breathing as your feet pound the road, it's kind of spiritual. A very powerful thing. Add being wrapped by falling snow as you cruise down the Canyon and it can not get any better than that. I needed this run. Now for the bad news. What I thought would be 11 miles, turned out to be 11 km= 9 miles. Duh! I didn't change the little option to read distance in km to ml! I was so surprised with my time, I knew there had to be something off. I had to recheck my map when I got home and sure enough. I'm not as fast as I thought that day. Such a dummy! Anyway, this will not happen again, I hope.

The plan for this weekend will be to turn my alarm on to wake up on time to go on a 14 mile run with the group.

On another note. I was able to read about the Yasso speed training technique and tried it out for the first time today. I am a little challenged when it comes to all the gibberish often used when talking about running and found that this actually made sense. It was simple and easy to remember, so I tried it and loved it. I specially like the part where it says that my projected time for the marathon can be foretold with this simple technique. So I will be making it part of my training once a week until tapering week.  Thanks for the plug Jen!

Week 8 training schedule.

Monday: 4 miles easy recovery run
Tuesday:  Crosstrain. 1 hr Zumba aerobics.
Wednesday: 6 mile pace run
Thursday:  2 mile warm up. 4 x Yasso 800s
Friday:  Stretch, abs and upper body.
Saturday: 14 miles long run.

Hope you are having a great time running too!

Week 7

 The plan for this week

 Monday: 4 mile recovery run
Wednesday: 7 mile pace run
Thursday: 4 miles fartlek (that word makes me giggle)
Saturday: 11 miles long run

Learning new things

It's been a week since I completed my 30 days without sugar challenge, and even though I did not loose all the weight that I wanted, I do feel it benefited me tons. So much that I'm doing it again this month, starting yesterday. It took me a few days to finally kick my butt in gear and get going once again, after 3 or 4 days of bad eating my body was not feeling 100%. Not only would I get a headache after eating but I  felt bloated and gassy (yes I just said that) all the time as if I had been eating non stop, which wasn't the case, but I wasn't eating the best foods, instead I was reaching for sugary stuff and breads, both my weakness. So I have a new motive this time, not only challenging my self and loosing weight, but being healthy and feeling good. It's only being a couple of days, but It has not been hard at all and I'm not having cravings, I feel at ease, even peaceful. I'm adding a little twist to it this time and allowing myself a treat once a week, so it will be more like 1 week without sugar at the time. This will be my experiment to see if I can find the balance that I need to have this be more of a lifestyle than a diet.

On another note, my marathon training is going good. I have mentioned finding a running buddy and training together for what will be both our first marathon. It has been and interesting experience and I'm learning more than I expected, but I guess that is the journey. right? My running buddy and I started at two very different places and condition, and I have been stressed about our pace and time. If you are familiar with my training style you would know that time  is very important for me and I always want to improve that. Time is pretty much what drives me and I become pretty competitive with myself at beating previous PRs. Well, training at someone else's pace has been frustrating, so much that my running buddy has taken notice. I'm not very proud of myself for letting that side of me show. I was bringing in a lot of negativity and unwanted tension that I knew a decision needed to be made where either two people would be left without a running partner and support system or I would just have to humble myself and cool it in order to help both my running buddy and myself reach our marathon goal. So I decided to go with the second one. Mrs B. has not only been patient with me but has push herself beyond her comfort zone. She is always ready with a mapped route and learns every single mile marker, she is full of tips, and stretches and knows every single bone and muscle name in the body. She's my little encyclopedia. I think I'll keep her.
Also anyone agrees that it is a lot safer being with someone out there in the wee hours of the day when it is still as dark as night, and I have to admit having someone whom I know will be waiting for me at 5:30 am makes it easier to leave the comfort and warm of my bed when I'd rather be sleeping and  don't forget those long runs ahead will be easier to bear with some to chat, the things we talk about! Another thing I have been able to notice is that so far recovering after runs has been very minimal and quick. I haven't been tired during or after our runs,  and  have been able to keep my energy up during the day. I also think that my risk for injuries will be lower and there's even a chance that I won't have to deal with that.

So I'm trying to stay focus on the positive side of things and reminding myself of the advice often read and given that as a first time marathoner I should not be concerned about my time, but the experience and being able to cross the finish line and that is what I will do.