Really good run this morning. This was the pre-breakfast 5 mile group run, and it was a lot of fun. I'm starting to get to know some of my teammates (there are still some with whom I haven't had a chance to talk much, mostly because they run much faster than I do), and I couldn't be happier to know them. Everyone - EVERYONE - I've met through this program is incredibly awesome.
So, the run... This was actually the first group run I've done that wasn't an out-and-back route; this time we ran a big loop from Byrd Park through the Fan, up into the Museum District, and then back to Byrd Park. Everyone wore bells (this being our last group run before Christmas), and the folks I ran with and I tried our hand at some Christmas carols while we cruised up Monument Ave. That didn't work out great, though, because none of us could remember any of the words! Still, it was fun.
After the run, a bunch of us had breakfast at The Baker's Crust in Carytown. Belgian waffles, bacon and COFFEE. Yum.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
18 Dec 2008
We have a Team breakfast this Saturday, so our coaches decided to shorten our long run to 5 miles (instead of the scheduled 8). With this in mind, I decided to do my own long run, basically switching my mid-week mid-long run and my weekend long run.
The solo long run was...good. Tougher than when I have conversation to distract and motivate, but the Nickel Bridge is beautiful, one of my favorite places to run, and the neighborhood I wandered (and briefly got lost in) was hilly, which is good. I need hills. I needed them; I got them!
It was both the longest and hilliest run I've done so far, and I am feeling it today, for sure. Sore, tired, but overall, extremely happy. I had fun, and I feel very accomplished for having done it. I'm debating a short run this evening, just to stay loose. I know more advanced runners often follow a long run with a half-distance run the next day, but beginners are more prone to injury following that regimen. We'll see how I feel, and how the time works out. I have a few things to take care of this evening, and I'm not going to stress about it, one way or the other.
I had my first "dog encounter" last night. I was jogging up a narrow street, and a car approached from behind me. Rather than squeeze alongside a parked car, I opted to hop onto the sidewalk while they passed. No sooner did my foot touch sidewalk than I heard a jingle and a bark, and a large (albeit pretty friendly-looking) dog came racing toward me. He stopped at the edge of his yard and sat down. "Just making sure you stay off my lawn, pal," he seemed to be saying.
Another standout from the run came as I was farther along the same street where I saw the dog. It was dark out, and many houses had their lights on, so I could see into many of them. One house, a small little cottage-looking thing, was brightly lit, interior and exterior lights blazing. Inside the wide picture window on the front of the house, I could see hung on the wall a large banner reading "Welcome Home." I don't know who was returning or from where, but it made me smile. I hope whoever it was had a safe trip and a happy homecoming.
The solo long run was...good. Tougher than when I have conversation to distract and motivate, but the Nickel Bridge is beautiful, one of my favorite places to run, and the neighborhood I wandered (and briefly got lost in) was hilly, which is good. I need hills. I needed them; I got them!
It was both the longest and hilliest run I've done so far, and I am feeling it today, for sure. Sore, tired, but overall, extremely happy. I had fun, and I feel very accomplished for having done it. I'm debating a short run this evening, just to stay loose. I know more advanced runners often follow a long run with a half-distance run the next day, but beginners are more prone to injury following that regimen. We'll see how I feel, and how the time works out. I have a few things to take care of this evening, and I'm not going to stress about it, one way or the other.
I had my first "dog encounter" last night. I was jogging up a narrow street, and a car approached from behind me. Rather than squeeze alongside a parked car, I opted to hop onto the sidewalk while they passed. No sooner did my foot touch sidewalk than I heard a jingle and a bark, and a large (albeit pretty friendly-looking) dog came racing toward me. He stopped at the edge of his yard and sat down. "Just making sure you stay off my lawn, pal," he seemed to be saying.
Another standout from the run came as I was farther along the same street where I saw the dog. It was dark out, and many houses had their lights on, so I could see into many of them. One house, a small little cottage-looking thing, was brightly lit, interior and exterior lights blazing. Inside the wide picture window on the front of the house, I could see hung on the wall a large banner reading "Welcome Home." I don't know who was returning or from where, but it made me smile. I hope whoever it was had a safe trip and a happy homecoming.
Friday, January 16, 2009
15, 17 Dec 2008
15 Dec 2008 - No news to report today.
17 Dec 2008 - Yeah, I missed a day, sorry. The weather was foul, and I got caught up taking care of some other important business. It happens, I'm told, so I'm trying not to beat myself up over it.
Anyway, yesterday I had what I am trying to get in the habit of calling a "good running lesson" rather than a "bad run." It wasn't a bad run, really; just......educational. Yes.
So, what did I learn last night? I learned I can't judge my own pace. Not yet, at least. I remember in that movie about Prefontaine where he ran each lap on the track exactly one second faster than the lap before. As much as I would like to be that perfectly aware of my body and my performance, I have a long way to go yet.
I ran my usual 5k route around the neighborhood last night, and I timed myself. I'm not really sure why I started doing that; I'm really not so concerned with my time, although I do like to see that I have remained fairly consistent these last few weeks. Anyway, I tried to pick the pace up last night. I ran faster than I am used to, and while my legs felt all right at the end, my lungs were burning and I felt I must have demolished my PR for a 5k (29:02, if you're curious). Lo and behold, to my complete and utter shock and disappointment, I finished in 30:53!
I'm not sure if this is more a testament to my own inability to judge my speed or to the collective motivation that comes with running a race, surrounded by other runners. Either way, I'm making a conscious decision not to try to make or beat any certain time when I go on my training runs. I'm not shooting for a specific time in the marathon (although "under 5 hours" seems like a pretty reasonable and accomplishable goal - if I can maintain my usual 10-minute mile pace, I can actually finish in 4 1/2 hours), so why should I worry about time when I'm training? Right? Right?
Right.
17 Dec 2008 - Yeah, I missed a day, sorry. The weather was foul, and I got caught up taking care of some other important business. It happens, I'm told, so I'm trying not to beat myself up over it.
Anyway, yesterday I had what I am trying to get in the habit of calling a "good running lesson" rather than a "bad run." It wasn't a bad run, really; just...
So, what did I learn last night? I learned I can't judge my own pace. Not yet, at least. I remember in that movie about Prefontaine where he ran each lap on the track exactly one second faster than the lap before. As much as I would like to be that perfectly aware of my body and my performance, I have a long way to go yet.
I ran my usual 5k route around the neighborhood last night, and I timed myself. I'm not really sure why I started doing that; I'm really not so concerned with my time, although I do like to see that I have remained fairly consistent these last few weeks. Anyway, I tried to pick the pace up last night. I ran faster than I am used to, and while my legs felt all right at the end, my lungs were burning and I felt I must have demolished my PR for a 5k (29:02, if you're curious). Lo and behold, to my complete and utter shock and disappointment, I finished in 30:53!
I'm not sure if this is more a testament to my own inability to judge my speed or to the collective motivation that comes with running a race, surrounded by other runners. Either way, I'm making a conscious decision not to try to make or beat any certain time when I go on my training runs. I'm not shooting for a specific time in the marathon (although "under 5 hours" seems like a pretty reasonable and accomplishable goal - if I can maintain my usual 10-minute mile pace, I can actually finish in 4 1/2 hours), so why should I worry about time when I'm training? Right? Right?
Right.
13 Dec 2008
13 Dec 2008 - 7 mile run this morning: awesome. Heather came out and ran with me, which was fun. She had to leave early (about halfway through the run), so the return trek was done solo. It was a little strange: I fell behind the three girls in the front of the group, so I couldn't see them, and no one was close enough behind me to see, either, so it was like I was completely alone. I say it was strange, but it was quite peaceful and pleasant. It was early, and it was cold, so no one was out, really, except a few cars on the Powhite Parkway, next to which our course ran for a bit, so it was (mostly) very quiet. I could hear birds, and a dog, and at times it was almost as if I could hear the cold itself (although it was a good 6 degrees warmer than last Saturday), a hushed, crackling sound just underneath the sound of my breathing and my feet striking the road surface, kind of like the sound of ice before it breaks.
I tell you, this running thing just keeps getting better and better. I keep thinking of all these experiences I've had, and people I've met, which I would have missed out on, otherwise. Pretty incredible.
I tell you, this running thing just keeps getting better and better. I keep thinking of all these experiences I've had, and people I've met, which I would have missed out on, otherwise. Pretty incredible.
Monday, January 5, 2009
10 Dec 2008
So today, for the first time, I actually tried to run a fast 3 miles. I started out jogging, and then thought, 'Hey, 3 miles is not THAT tough anymore; why not see how fast you can run it?' I'm not really sure what I expected, but whatever that was, it isn't what happened. I wasn't looking for a drastic improvement, but then again, I didn't know what difference I would see, having never run for time before. Anyway, I ended up coming in at slightly under a 10-minute mile, which is my average; but I was still slower than my PR (29:02 5K). I'm not disappointed (I was at the time, just because of how tired I was, I thought I deserved to do better), nothing of the sort (anymore). I have never really been concerned with time, except when running "official" races (5Ks), which my only goal was to improve. I don't have a goal time for the marathon; I just want to finish.
Anyway, I don't really have much point to this ramble. I ran as fast as I could maintain for 3 miles, it wasn't as fast as I've ever run, but it was faster than I usually run. That can't be a bad thing.
Anyway, I don't really have much point to this ramble. I ran as fast as I could maintain for 3 miles, it wasn't as fast as I've ever run, but it was faster than I usually run. That can't be a bad thing.
9 Dec 2008
First off, because I know everyone who read yesterday's post is practically foaming at the mouth to know... The socks. I wore my new running socks (with fancy embroidered squished bugs on the bottoms!) for my 4m yesterday. I was expecting a noticeable difference, and...there was. It was not the transcendent experience I had been told to expect, but they are more comfortable than what I was wearing (regular cotton socks). The biggest difference I noticed was actually after I stopped running. My feet felt fresher than I have become used to feeling at the end of a run, which is a very good thing. So, socks: Two big toes up.
Monday, December 22, 2008
6 Dec 2008
If I had to describe Saturday's group long run in one word, that word would be "fun." However, if you allowed me three words, the other two would be "frosty" and "hill."
It was cold, somewhere in the low 20's. Of course, I felt warmer once I started moving, but by the end I had frost in my beard and on the backs of my gloves, where I'd sweated through them. But I'm not complaining. There was a beautiful view off the Huguenot Bridge, which I would not have seen otherwise. I'm glad for the run, and for the cold.
The hill came at the very end of the run. I'm not complaining about the hill, either. From what I've been told (warned) by my coaches and those I know who have run the Country Music Marathon before, the entire course is rolling hills, so I need to work on these. I am happy for the hill. Really, I am. I conquered it, so why wouldn't I be happy?
And there I leave you for today. I had a great run, some great conversation, and the shoe clinic following the run was very informative.
Oh, and I got some running socks. I can't wait to try them out! Yes, I really am excited about socks.
It was cold, somewhere in the low 20's. Of course, I felt warmer once I started moving, but by the end I had frost in my beard and on the backs of my gloves, where I'd sweated through them. But I'm not complaining. There was a beautiful view off the Huguenot Bridge, which I would not have seen otherwise. I'm glad for the run, and for the cold.
The hill came at the very end of the run. I'm not complaining about the hill, either. From what I've been told (warned) by my coaches and those I know who have run the Country Music Marathon before, the entire course is rolling hills, so I need to work on these. I am happy for the hill. Really, I am. I conquered it, so why wouldn't I be happy?
And there I leave you for today. I had a great run, some great conversation, and the shoe clinic following the run was very informative.
Oh, and I got some running socks. I can't wait to try them out! Yes, I really am excited about socks.
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