I have not run in a week.
Okay, that is a lie. I had a miserable 2 miles on Monday and equally if not more so miserable 3 miles on Wednesday.
I can't remember the last time I went 2 days without running, I have been in my version of hell this week.
I know I love running, but take it away and I realize JUST HOW MUCH it is a part of my life.
I knew that I was getting sick last Friday. I struggled through 13 miles on Saturday and was literally down for the count for the next 2 days. I took off of work on Monday (didn't have OFF OFF hello broadcast 24/7 TV) and attempted to sweat it out.
BIG FAIL. Tuesday I made it through a miserable half day of work before calling it quits and stubbornly tried to sweat it out yet again; since that worked so well the first time (what is the definition of stupidity...?). Yeah I could barely get my pace under 10 min/miles and threw in the towel and did some cross training.
Wednesday again did some cross training in the morning and temporarily felt better but within a couple hours at work knew it was a done deal and went home.
Thursday morning contacted the doctor finally...and well yes this moron has the flu. And down for the count the rest of the week.
You know, the fever, night sweats, inability to eat, difficulty breathing and such should have been a bit of a clue. But I am always more of a deal with it and tough it out kind of person...bad decision.
Perhaps if I had taken it easy at the beginning of the week I would have started to mend sooner but hind sight is 20/20, right?
So now we have it, I missed basically a full week of runs. Including today's 20 miler.
Not freaking out (total, blatant, bold-faced lie).
I haven't had a decent long run in a couple weeks now...and have two weeks of long runs left before I begin to taper.
I felt remarkably better today when I awoke and had a minor marathon in the gym but tomorrow will be the first time I lace up feeling better (fingers crossed I am only improving from here!) and see how the running goes.
I am definitely not stupid enough to have any illusions of a LONG LONG run but am hoping I can get some moderate easy distance on my legs. It will be a true test of just how recovered I will be and if I can dive back in full force with the training. The last thing that I want is to do too much too soon and wind up back where I have been all week long.
But I can't help but think that this training interruption is a bad bad thing for my 4 hour marathon goals. I have told myself it is a wait and see I would be lying if I said it didn't have me nervous.
I think if I had been having spectacular long runs all along I wouldn't be quite as concerned. But I have been hitting my week day workouts, intervals, repeats etc very well and the long runs have been sucking.
Only time will tell.
Apologies if a lot of this is just my rambling, but my mind is racing - and my legs itching to just run!
Anyone else been in this situation? Sidelined for a significant amount of time close to your race?
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Fall Race Schedule
So by now if you have been following me, it is quite obvious that I am in training for the ING Hartford Marathon. Since you know, that is all I have actually posted about for a while now.
Sorry about that and the blog boredom.
But, I thought that I would enlighten about what I have planned thus far for the rest of the fall!
I had planned on integrating some races into the last few weeks of my lead up to Hartford but, unfortunately my marathon is on a Saturday and those races are all on Sundays. I have been doing some long runs on Sundays lately but as of the last one am trying to do them on race day so that I am "practicing" for the actual race scenario.
I am taking off of work the day before the race to head up to Hartford and pick up my packet and such and oh you know to REST, but am training my body for the long run on Saturday.
So, it is looking like my first race of fall will be the marathon! Here we have most of the "major" stuff on the schedule:
10/12 - ING Hartford Marathon
10/26 - Miami Halloween Half Marathon
11/3 - NYC Marathon (!!!!)
12/8 - Palm Beaches Marathon
Yup.
That has all happened.
I knew that in the back of my head I would want to run NYCM because, well, like EVERYONE is.
Did I mention the reason I ran a full in the first place in January after months of swearing against it was due to NYCM training jealousy? Ha. What is wrong with me. Now this year I have managed 2 fulls and an Ultra and have put 3 marathons on my schedule for fall.
I am also doing NYC for Team for Kids. Last year I did 12 + 1 for NYRR but my membership wasn't valid until March 2013 and they WOULD NOT BUDGE on letting me in. #beyondirritated especially since qualifying for 2014 with 9 + 1 - you don't have to be a member until December 2013. But, whatever. I think it is about time to do what I love for a good cause anyway. Right?
I ran the Halloween Half in Miami last year with my sister (as Angry Birds FTW) and it was amazeballs. Probably one of the most fun races I have run. Even though I was crippled with severe stomach issues, and we missed the official start so our times were several minutes off. But one of the best races ever. I can't wait.
Then, I thought I would round it out with another Marathon and trip to Florida. How convenient that there was one for the weekend I was looking at!
Forget the fact that after ING Miami I swore I would never run another full in Florida. I say things like that a lot and don't REALLY mean them.
Plus my sister is probably going to run the FULL as well!!!! As her first full. I mean, perfection.
Then there will be random NYRR races like Ted Corbitt and such to round out my 9 + 1 just for the hell of it.
Clearly, that is a hefty race schedule.
I am only planning Hartford as a time goal race. If I hit sub 4 for this one I do...but if I don't I don't really have illusions that I can race full out another marathon that soon.
I am running a half the weekend prior to NYCM less than a month out from the previous full...it will be for fun and the shear experience.
Same for Palm Beaches...more of an excuse to get away than a goal race of any sort.
And there it is. Just in case anyone was confused by my lack of racing this summer...I will more than make up for it from October to December!!!
...and mind you I keep even asking myself how much I really enjoy marathons. I definitely can admit I am a little bit warped in what I set myself up for.
Sorry about that and the blog boredom.
But, I thought that I would enlighten about what I have planned thus far for the rest of the fall!
I had planned on integrating some races into the last few weeks of my lead up to Hartford but, unfortunately my marathon is on a Saturday and those races are all on Sundays. I have been doing some long runs on Sundays lately but as of the last one am trying to do them on race day so that I am "practicing" for the actual race scenario.
I am taking off of work the day before the race to head up to Hartford and pick up my packet and such and oh you know to REST, but am training my body for the long run on Saturday.
So, it is looking like my first race of fall will be the marathon! Here we have most of the "major" stuff on the schedule:
10/12 - ING Hartford Marathon
10/26 - Miami Halloween Half Marathon
11/3 - NYC Marathon (!!!!)
12/8 - Palm Beaches Marathon
Yup.
That has all happened.
I knew that in the back of my head I would want to run NYCM because, well, like EVERYONE is.
Did I mention the reason I ran a full in the first place in January after months of swearing against it was due to NYCM training jealousy? Ha. What is wrong with me. Now this year I have managed 2 fulls and an Ultra and have put 3 marathons on my schedule for fall.
I am also doing NYC for Team for Kids. Last year I did 12 + 1 for NYRR but my membership wasn't valid until March 2013 and they WOULD NOT BUDGE on letting me in. #beyondirritated especially since qualifying for 2014 with 9 + 1 - you don't have to be a member until December 2013. But, whatever. I think it is about time to do what I love for a good cause anyway. Right?
I ran the Halloween Half in Miami last year with my sister (as Angry Birds FTW) and it was amazeballs. Probably one of the most fun races I have run. Even though I was crippled with severe stomach issues, and we missed the official start so our times were several minutes off. But one of the best races ever. I can't wait.
Then, I thought I would round it out with another Marathon and trip to Florida. How convenient that there was one for the weekend I was looking at!
Forget the fact that after ING Miami I swore I would never run another full in Florida. I say things like that a lot and don't REALLY mean them.
Plus my sister is probably going to run the FULL as well!!!! As her first full. I mean, perfection.
Then there will be random NYRR races like Ted Corbitt and such to round out my 9 + 1 just for the hell of it.
Clearly, that is a hefty race schedule.
I am only planning Hartford as a time goal race. If I hit sub 4 for this one I do...but if I don't I don't really have illusions that I can race full out another marathon that soon.
I am running a half the weekend prior to NYCM less than a month out from the previous full...it will be for fun and the shear experience.
Same for Palm Beaches...more of an excuse to get away than a goal race of any sort.
And there it is. Just in case anyone was confused by my lack of racing this summer...I will more than make up for it from October to December!!!
...and mind you I keep even asking myself how much I really enjoy marathons. I definitely can admit I am a little bit warped in what I set myself up for.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Hartford Marathon Training Week 11
Happy Labor Day!!! Hope everyone is having a nice long weekend.
I should be at work right now, since live TV doesn't care about holidays, but le sigh, I am home sick.
Life is getting a little closer to normal. Still some long hours but last week I was finally able to not work 12 hours every day! Progress people, progress.
But what happens...by Friday, I found myself sick. Really body? We made it through months of craziness without a hiccup and then I start getting to relax and you go to shit. Great timing as I am in the most important training weeks right now.
Sigh. Nothing is ever too easy, right?
So week 11! It was a doozy as will the next few until we hit the taper.
Monday: 9 miles with fartleks: 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 in the middle: alright so I began this run (Sunday had run 18 - which I swapped out from Saturday) and legs were like oh okay lets warm up and get to it...haha that lasted not too long. By the end of this run my legs were more tired than they were at the end of the 18. That is what I get for doing my runs totally out of order and not asking my coach if I should switch it up (at 8am she sent me a text that she was switching...but I had already finished :)
Tuesday: am xt: 40 mins arc / 20 mins stepper, pm: 25 mins arc / 20 mins lifting
Wednesday: 3 mile w/u, 5 x 1 mile repeats (3 min active rest) 3 mile c/d Splits: 8:20, 8:20, 8:18, 8:16, 8:13 - this, was a good one...I even kind of wanted to do another repeat at the end. Yes I am warped.
Thursday: 5 easy shake out: avg 9:50
Friday: 8.5 miles with every other @ MRP or under: 9:50, 9:05, 9:40, 8:57, 9:40, 8:52, 9:35, 8:48, 9:26 - more and more runs at MRP - should be making me confident but I am seriously still scared shitless.
Saturday: 13 miles (step back) avg pace 10:09 - I felt like absolute shit. I had to walk some because of that. Being sick and running aren't the most fun.
Sunday: REST. Finally. Yay.
Total mileage: 46.5 woop.
Overall a week of well executed workouts! But honestly I just don't feel prepared for sub 4. I don't know what it will take for me to feel prepared because I am hitting my workouts distance wise and pace but there is a big mental barrier about the thought of actually doing it on race day.
I find myself with a lot of trepidation over the race but am trying to step back and just take it one workout at a time. And for a type A over analyzer like myself that whole relax thing is often lost on me.
Weeks, please slow down. Thanks.
I should be at work right now, since live TV doesn't care about holidays, but le sigh, I am home sick.
Life is getting a little closer to normal. Still some long hours but last week I was finally able to not work 12 hours every day! Progress people, progress.
But what happens...by Friday, I found myself sick. Really body? We made it through months of craziness without a hiccup and then I start getting to relax and you go to shit. Great timing as I am in the most important training weeks right now.
Sigh. Nothing is ever too easy, right?
So week 11! It was a doozy as will the next few until we hit the taper.
Monday: 9 miles with fartleks: 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 in the middle: alright so I began this run (Sunday had run 18 - which I swapped out from Saturday) and legs were like oh okay lets warm up and get to it...haha that lasted not too long. By the end of this run my legs were more tired than they were at the end of the 18. That is what I get for doing my runs totally out of order and not asking my coach if I should switch it up (at 8am she sent me a text that she was switching...but I had already finished :)
Tuesday: am xt: 40 mins arc / 20 mins stepper, pm: 25 mins arc / 20 mins lifting
Wednesday: 3 mile w/u, 5 x 1 mile repeats (3 min active rest) 3 mile c/d Splits: 8:20, 8:20, 8:18, 8:16, 8:13 - this, was a good one...I even kind of wanted to do another repeat at the end. Yes I am warped.
Thursday: 5 easy shake out: avg 9:50
Friday: 8.5 miles with every other @ MRP or under: 9:50, 9:05, 9:40, 8:57, 9:40, 8:52, 9:35, 8:48, 9:26 - more and more runs at MRP - should be making me confident but I am seriously still scared shitless.
Saturday: 13 miles (step back) avg pace 10:09 - I felt like absolute shit. I had to walk some because of that. Being sick and running aren't the most fun.
Sunday: REST. Finally. Yay.
Total mileage: 46.5 woop.
Overall a week of well executed workouts! But honestly I just don't feel prepared for sub 4. I don't know what it will take for me to feel prepared because I am hitting my workouts distance wise and pace but there is a big mental barrier about the thought of actually doing it on race day.
I find myself with a lot of trepidation over the race but am trying to step back and just take it one workout at a time. And for a type A over analyzer like myself that whole relax thing is often lost on me.
Weeks, please slow down. Thanks.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Hartford Marathon Training Week 10
Last week – was a tough week. As I mentioned in my previous
recap (yawn anyone still reading? I swear a “real” post will be coming your way
any day now!) last Tuesday our network finally “launched” LIVE NEWS now!
Survived it all!
But – that also meant I shuffled a lot around last week and
honestly, was just brutally beat.
By Thursday I felt like crap and was never
more ready for a weekend that wasn’t going to be consumed by work.
Work is still busy now, but it appears a lot more normalcy
can return.
Main goals this week are to get back to my normal eating
patterns (assisted by a major Fresh Direct haul on Saturday morning!), complete
workouts on prescribed days instead of scrambling them (since you know, they
are laid out that way for a reason) and trying to get more sleep (haha…wish me
luck!).
But here is Week 10:
Monday: 20 mins xtrain / 4 miles / 20 mins strength
Tuesday: 7 mile progression run
Wednesday: Rest day – was “beat” aka slightly hungover after
Launch Festivities. Oops.
Thursday: 1.5 mile repeats for 11.5 total miles. These hurt.
Friday: 6 mile tempo – my legs took forever to warm up –
instead of .5 w/u 5 tempo .5 c/d I tempo’d 3 miles.
Saturday: 90 mins xtrain + strength
Sunday: 18 miles. I don’t even want to talk about these
miles. My head was out of it the second I stepped outside. I thought of every
excuse to pause, shoe laces, stretch you name it I used it. But when running
was running ~10:00 or under.
So there we have it.
My biggest focus is getting that long run in on Saturday
since my goal race is on a Saturday.
So I need to prepare for that.
It is scary though when I look at how few weeks between now
and taper. My stomach is in knots.
And I am kind of having a love/hate affair with marathoning,
but that is a different story.
And it’s Labor Day already this weekend? Holy moly.
On another front..I can’t wait to share how the fall is
shaping up for me.
How is everyone elses training going? Anyone else have a love/hate relationship with marathon training? It feels eternal yet also I feel like I need so much more time.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Hartford Marathon Training Week 9
So this is going to be a quick one but I wanted to get it in before it was the next week!!
If you follow me at all on social media, you probably know that my life has been pure chaos.
But proud to say that this week - labor of the past several months has come to fruition.
Al Jazeera America is officially LIVE! It is crazy to think that it is finally a live news station. This has consumed my life for the past 6 months (in the most awesome way) but in reality now that we are live and official the real work is just beginning.
Oh and I am famous. Kind of ;-)
They did a promo spot for the first hour - a documentary - and I had a lovely interview. First time on air FTW! Next up News Anchor?
So any ways - here is how last week shook out...among 12+ hour days, no days off (I am seriously BEAT I have worked I think 20 days straight at this point or something?) and a minor catastrophe that struck on Friday in the office 4 days before launch. I am shocked I actually get training in some days (not to toot my own horn but some days I do not know how I got out of bed at 4 dark thirty in the morning).
This has definitely been a challenge of keeping goals in focus.
Monday: Cross train 60 mins in the morning + lifting / 3 mile shake out at night
Tuesday: 7 miles with miles 4/5 at MRP + 10 mins core
Wednesday: Morning 5 mile progression / Evening 6 @ 8:55 avg pace
Thursday: REST baby!
Friday: 5 mile tempo - .5 warmup 8:57, 8:53, 8:45, 8:38, .5 cool down
Saturday: unexpected rest - worked until 8pm and stupidly had gone to work thinking I would be there for 2 hours - FAIL
Sunday: 14 miles - no Garmin I just ran a route (needed to decompress + oh yeah Garmin was dead. oops).
Total mileage = 40
Last week was a step back week - and still getting in 40 miles = pretty awesome.
And my legs were feeling good all week long which makes me happy. Anywhere from 35-50 is happy mileage for me it seems.
So this week has been crazy but maybe, just maybe next week I will get some days off and sleep.
One can wish :)
If you follow me at all on social media, you probably know that my life has been pure chaos.
But proud to say that this week - labor of the past several months has come to fruition.
Al Jazeera America is officially LIVE! It is crazy to think that it is finally a live news station. This has consumed my life for the past 6 months (in the most awesome way) but in reality now that we are live and official the real work is just beginning.
Oh and I am famous. Kind of ;-)
They did a promo spot for the first hour - a documentary - and I had a lovely interview. First time on air FTW! Next up News Anchor?
So any ways - here is how last week shook out...among 12+ hour days, no days off (I am seriously BEAT I have worked I think 20 days straight at this point or something?) and a minor catastrophe that struck on Friday in the office 4 days before launch. I am shocked I actually get training in some days (not to toot my own horn but some days I do not know how I got out of bed at 4 dark thirty in the morning).
This has definitely been a challenge of keeping goals in focus.
Monday: Cross train 60 mins in the morning + lifting / 3 mile shake out at night
Tuesday: 7 miles with miles 4/5 at MRP + 10 mins core
Wednesday: Morning 5 mile progression / Evening 6 @ 8:55 avg pace
Thursday: REST baby!
Friday: 5 mile tempo - .5 warmup 8:57, 8:53, 8:45, 8:38, .5 cool down
Saturday: unexpected rest - worked until 8pm and stupidly had gone to work thinking I would be there for 2 hours - FAIL
Sunday: 14 miles - no Garmin I just ran a route (needed to decompress + oh yeah Garmin was dead. oops).
Total mileage = 40
Last week was a step back week - and still getting in 40 miles = pretty awesome.
And my legs were feeling good all week long which makes me happy. Anywhere from 35-50 is happy mileage for me it seems.
So this week has been crazy but maybe, just maybe next week I will get some days off and sleep.
One can wish :)
Monday, August 12, 2013
Hartford Marathon Training Week 8
Week 8?!?! Hey now.
Another week down.
Would life please slow down? Where has summer gone?
So here is how it all shook out.
Monday: 5 miles with 6 x 1 min striders + core - legs were heavy on this run - I did it about 12 hours after my 15
Tuesday: 75 mins xtrain + 20 mins weights
Wednesday: SPEED DAY!
True story I love to hate Wednesdays. Always a tough workout but boy do I finish feeling so accomplished.
Thursday: 6 miles: 1 easy/1 @ MGP + core
Friday: REST DAY. And damn deserved.
Saturday: again switched out my long run day I was doing work all damn day
40 mins xtrain + 3 miles @ 9:15
Sunday: 17 miles: 2:48:36
Splits: 9:44, 8:50, 10:07, 10:17, 10:22, 9:54, 10:02, 9:53, 9:57, 9:49, 9:47, 10:04, 10:09, 10:01, 9:49, 9:45, 9:51
This run. Man. I try to ignore pace and figure out what is super easy based on feel. If we look at mile 2 we see what can accidentally happen. Trying to differentiate between normal "easy" and marathon easy.
Also a fueling fail. I ran down through Jersey City and to Liberty State Park and not a SINGLE water fountain was on!
Thankful for these views to take my mind off rampant thirst:
I have issues with fueling in general upsetting my stomach but without water oyyyy I found a magical vending machine at miles 12/13 and was SO DAMN HAPPY
Hi new friend! But then I was so thirsty I chugged the bottle in about 2 seconds so was left with water sloshing around for the remainder. And by this time was too late and was feeling nauseous.
Also in the name of recovery (I started this run at about 4:30pm) I took my first ice bath in a really long time.
Overall pretty satisfied with how this week went. Especially since I am in the office 10-12 hours a day...and emails never end. It does feel like it is coming together but I still have my moments of holy crap it is so close am I really going to do it?!
HALF WAY!!!!!
How's everyone else's training going? Any big races/goals for this fall?
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Hartford Marathon Training Week 7
Wow.
What a difference a week can make. Weeks 5 & 6 were really brutal and killed my confidence immensely. I started to doubt any ability, my goals and why I run in the first place.
Motivation was lacking and I got to the point where I was dreading workouts. Pretty much every run felt HARD. It wasn't that enjoyable.
My coach was great, I let her know just how down I was and she gave me a bunch of questions and helped me analyze it. So anyway. I tried to start off this week with a different mental attitude. It was going to be a higher mileage week and I knew I had to be focused.
Without further ado:
Monday: Cross train: 60 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minute full body strength circuit
Tuesday: 8 miles - Splits: 9:40, 8:57, 8:49, 9:20, 9:05, 8:57, 8:49, 8:57
Wednesday: Speedwork! 11 miles total: w/u 2.5 miles @ 9:45 6 x 1 Mile: 8:34, 8:34, 8:30, 8:27, 8:23, 8:23 c/d 2.5 miles @ 10:00
Thursday: DAY OF REST. Woo to the Hoo.
Friday: 6 Miles - 1 mile easy, 1 mile at MGP Splits: 9:50, 9:05, 9:40, 9:05, 9:40, 8:57
Saturday: I was mentally exhausted and knew my long run would be torture so I swapped out my Saturday and Sunday workouts: Cross train 90 minutes + 20 minutes of lifting.
Sunday: Long run - 15 Miles + Core work - Splits: 9:56, 9:49, 10:04, 10:02, 10:03, 9:56, 10:00, 9:46, 9:43, 9:41, 9:28, 9:38, 9:19, 9:20, 9:12
Even though I only ran 4 days this week - I still hit 40 miles.
Basically, every workout this week was executed perfectly. Running once again didn't feel impossible. And the workouts that were supposed to be hard, yes were HARD, but in a good way. Hard as in get out of your comfort zone. I am going to make a cognizant effort to stop running what feels comfortable and push myself a little bit more.
After that first run that went well this week, it was all I needed for a confidence boost and to readjust my attitude.
So another week down, and here we are coming up on the half way point.
Please slow down time, PLEASE!
What a difference a week can make. Weeks 5 & 6 were really brutal and killed my confidence immensely. I started to doubt any ability, my goals and why I run in the first place.
Motivation was lacking and I got to the point where I was dreading workouts. Pretty much every run felt HARD. It wasn't that enjoyable.
My coach was great, I let her know just how down I was and she gave me a bunch of questions and helped me analyze it. So anyway. I tried to start off this week with a different mental attitude. It was going to be a higher mileage week and I knew I had to be focused.
 |
| What I think about when it comes to marathon training. |
Monday: Cross train: 60 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minute full body strength circuit
Tuesday: 8 miles - Splits: 9:40, 8:57, 8:49, 9:20, 9:05, 8:57, 8:49, 8:57
Wednesday: Speedwork! 11 miles total: w/u 2.5 miles @ 9:45 6 x 1 Mile: 8:34, 8:34, 8:30, 8:27, 8:23, 8:23 c/d 2.5 miles @ 10:00
Thursday: DAY OF REST. Woo to the Hoo.
Friday: 6 Miles - 1 mile easy, 1 mile at MGP Splits: 9:50, 9:05, 9:40, 9:05, 9:40, 8:57
Saturday: I was mentally exhausted and knew my long run would be torture so I swapped out my Saturday and Sunday workouts: Cross train 90 minutes + 20 minutes of lifting.
Sunday: Long run - 15 Miles + Core work - Splits: 9:56, 9:49, 10:04, 10:02, 10:03, 9:56, 10:00, 9:46, 9:43, 9:41, 9:28, 9:38, 9:19, 9:20, 9:12
 |
| Here's looking at you NYC. |
 |
| This. Run. Amazing. |
Basically, every workout this week was executed perfectly. Running once again didn't feel impossible. And the workouts that were supposed to be hard, yes were HARD, but in a good way. Hard as in get out of your comfort zone. I am going to make a cognizant effort to stop running what feels comfortable and push myself a little bit more.
After that first run that went well this week, it was all I needed for a confidence boost and to readjust my attitude.
So another week down, and here we are coming up on the half way point.
Please slow down time, PLEASE!
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