Day 33 (Oct. 23)

I rocked my first ever double-digit run on Sunday (10 miles), and I’m calling it my best run ever (well, best double-digit run anyway)!

I managed to not overdo it at the Halloween party the night before (only two beers), and we left at a decent time (my goal was 11:30 p.m., but it ended up being close to midnight, and then 12:15 a.m. by the time we went back for the cooler we forgot ... oops). After washing the green spray out of my hair (I debated leaving it in, but the smell and the thought of green color running into my eyes during my run that day convinced me to wash it out — excellent decision on my part), it was 1 a.m. by the time I got to bed. But, I was ready for our run at 7:30 a.m.

The weather was awesome. Gone (at least for a few days) are the dreadful heat and humidity that plagues Florida so much of the year. Replacing it was a wonderfully cool and breezy day. Temperatures were in the upper 50s to begin the run — chilly!

I ran the first 5 miles by myself, which kind of sucked, but I managed to get through it. I determined I’m not good at pacing myself (probably because I think about it way too much). But, if I have someone to run with, which I did the last 5 miles, I don’t think about it because I am talking or listening or just keeping up with the other person. Looking back at my Garmin, my first mile was painfully slow, but the second and third were fast (for me), and the fourth and fifth were back to slow and then fast again. But, my remaining 5 miles were a consistent, steady pace, and I felt the best during that time.

Due to my disastrous 9-mile run a week ago, I made some changes to my diet, specifically my diet the day before a long run. I made sure to eat a decent meal for dinner, and oh my goodness! The difference it made! I had energy, which is really kind of important when running. I also brought along some GU Chomps (the watermelon flavor — yum, yum, yum!), and ate a few of those along the way to sustain my energy. I tried energy gels during my previous runs, and I hated that texture in my mouth while running. It just sat in my throat and made me feel like I couldn’t breathe (uncool while running … or anytime, really).

I felt super strong throughout the run. I think I even felt stronger toward the end. If needed, I think I could have picked up the pace or sprinted the last bit, which is so different from my wanting-to-throw-a-temper-tantrum last mile of my 9-mile run a week prior. I didn’t think of stopping to walk — even when I got to that pesky, hilly bridge.

The only disappointment of the run: no Derek Jeter spotting. Come on, DJ! Don’t you want to be ogled by some random running girl early on a Sunday morning?!? I know he does, so I have faith he’ll make an appearance at some point. All he needs to do is take a few steps out of his house.

A scary prospect

I love costumes, so Halloween is my kind of holiday. I'll dress up even if it's not Halloween, so it's nice to have a time when people don't look at me so strange. Oh, wait ... they still do. But, not because I'm wearing a costume at an inappropriate time.

This year, I have two costume parties. The first is tonight, and it's just a general costume party. I didn't know about it until late (a boyfriend's coworker's friend's party ... or something like that), so I haven't really been planning a  new costume. But, I do have plenty of options to choose from.

My next party is next Saturday, and the theme is "senior prom with a bloody twist." I have some ideas, but really haven't started on a costume for that. I'm excited about the possibilities, though.

What I'm not excited about is that both of these parties are on a Saturday night. I have long runs on Sunday mornings at 7:30 a.m., and we're getting to our longest runs of our training (10 miles each for the next two Sundays). These are important runs, but these are also important parties. So, I've got to enjoy myself at the party (with limited or no adult beverages) and call it an early night. I'm not good at that normally, but especially when costumes are involved.

Day 30 (Oct. 16)

Sunday was definitely not my best running day, but I managed to run 9 miles.

When I say “not my best,” I mean it was really pretty terrible toward the end. As in, I debated about sitting on the ground, crying and throwing an all-out temper tantrum about finishing. As in, if there was a serial killer driving by in a kidnap van who asked if I wanted a ride, I'd say "yes" without hesitation. But, I finished, and I feel a total sense of accomplishment. And, it seems ridiculous that I wanted to throw a temper tantrum or was willing to take a ride with a serial killer.

The run started out fabulous. The weather was beautiful and the big, scary sun was hidden behind the clouds. There was even a nice breeze.

And, the views along the run were awesome. I saw a dolphin in the bay. Unfortunately, I did not see Derek Jeter (he lives in the area where we run), but I’m still holding out hope.

Things were going really well. Then, around mile 6, I started to feel all my energy disappearing. After another half of an energy gel (thanks to my running buddy, Caroline), I powered through for awhile longer. But, my energy was fading fast. My legs felt heavy. And, when the pesky bridge appeared, I had to walk up it and down it before starting again.

I ran for awhile longer, but then had to take another walk break. After encouragement from Caroline (and some electrolyte drink from her, too — it’s time for me to invest in a water belt; my baby bottle just isn’t cutting it anymore), we ran the rest of the way (1+ miles). It was during this last mile that I was considering my temper tantrum or ride with a serial killer. I just didn’t feel like I had the energy to complete the run. I wasn’t in pain; I just didn’t feel like I could lift my legs, which is rather detrimental when trying to run. It was the best feeling to hear that Garmin watch beep at the 9-mile mark and arrive back at our starting point.

It’s amazing how quickly you recover. After stopping and doing some stretching, I felt great. Happy even. When people asked how the run went, I even replied, “Good.” Completing the long run makes me forget how bad it may have been during. That feeling of accomplishment just overwhelms me, and any troubles are forgotten.

As per usual when I have a bad run, I started evaluating what went wrong. I think I easily pinpointed the problem. I just didn’t eat much on Saturday. I really need to work on fuelling myself properly for these long runs. I don’t eat breakfast the morning of a long run, so what I eat for dinner is extremely important. Remembering that feeling of heavy legs and being on the verge of a temper tantrum hopefully will help me to never forget the importance of having the right fuel.  

Day 27 (Oct. 9)

After last week's Best. Run. Ever., I was excited to tackle 8 miles this week for our long run.

Problem: I didn't go to the group run, which is always so much better than running by myself. I think it could have been rained out; I'm not sure. I woke up and received a weather report from a reliable source (my boyfriend) that it was raining in Tampa. I live in Clearwater, which is about a 12-minute drive to Tampa. I debated, but I finally decided it wasn't worth the drive with such a high possibility of the run being rained out anyway.

But, since I was already awake, and it wasn't raining in Clearwater, I decided to run my 8 miles here. In my neighborhood, we have a 2.8-mile sidewalk loop, which is nice in some ways and daunting in others. I like not being far from home at any point in my run. But, I don't like the idea of needing to run around the same route almost three times to get in my mileage.

My legs still felt fatigued, but I was determined to get my long run in to stay on track with my training schedule.

It was overcast, but not nearly as cool as last week. Boo! And, the run wasn't nearly as smooth as last week. I didn't feel great from the start, but I stuck it out ... for awhile. At almost 3 miles, it started sprinkling. I decided to head back just in case the rain got harder (advantage: loop). Smart decision on my part. By the time I got home, it was pouring.

So, I started thinking about my options. I could: (a). wait for the rain to stop to finish my run, (b). hit the treadmill in the craptastic gym, or (c). give up and call it a day. I opted for (b). Surprised, right? I know that I go on and on about the craptasticness of this gym, but it seemed like the best option. I thought that if the fan was fixed, and I could find an old "Beverly Hills 90210" episode on TV, it might even be fun.

I got all psyched to run while watching the drama unfold between Kelly and Brenda or Donna and David or Brandon and Steve. And there is always the wonderful possibility of catching one of three episodes Dean Cain appeared as Rick. Problem: both of the treadmills were in use. Argh! There's never anyone in the gym (for good reason), but I guess the rain brought everyone there.

So, I'm now down to option (a) or (c). I went for option (c). I feel like I gave the run a valiant effort. But, at this point, I was frustrated. Considering it's still raining three hours later as I'm typing this, (a) wasn't going to work either.

Instead of an 8-mile run, I did a 3-mile run. Not exactly the same. Now, I'm not sure what I do ... do I try to run 8 miles on Monday? I don't even know if I have the time to fit it in on a weekday. Do I want to run 8 miles Monday, and then do a speed workout on Tuesday? Is that too much? Do I need a rest day after a long run? Is it OK to miss that long of a run? Ahh! Pesky rain brought on all kinds of questions.

Day 21 (Sept. 25)

The day: Sunday. The time: 7:30 a.m. My mission: run 7 miles.

Mission complete!

I'm so happy I made it to our group run on Sunday. It's so much better to run with a group and knock out the run early in the morning.

The first 2.5 miles of the run were really smooth, and then I hit a hill. I know I said Florida is completely flat, and it is. The hills are bridges. Since we added more mileage to our runs, we have to run a bridge across the bay (a very small portion of the bay) to get to an area to increase our mileage. Curses! So, I hit the hill, and I walked.

Once I got across the bridge, I wasn't sure of the route, and I lost the faster folks in front of me, and the slower folks were too far behind me. So, I had no idea where to go. I picked a route, which was a very bad choice (lots of street crossings). I ended up getting to an area where I could run along the bay fairly uninterrupted, but it was a frustrating process getting there. While frustrated, I walked. I managed to get my 3.5 miles in, took an energy gel and headed back. 

I missed the bridge entrance on my way back (argh!), but managed to realize it and correct myself in a  reasonable time. I walked the bridge again. Pesky, hilly bridge!

But, back on the flat land (and after a water refill — it was blazing hot by this time), I managed to run the last two miles without a walk break. I was super-impressed at myself, as was my assistant coach (who ran with me). Yay!

And, I'm super-impressed I felt as good as I did. My legs weren't sore. And, they weren't sore later in the day or the next day. I defnitely felt like I did some physical activity, but they weren't overly painful. Sweet!

I learned three things from this run:

1. I need a bigger water bottle. My baby bottle didn't cut it (despite its cuteness). Thank goodness there is a water fountain (with surprisingly cold water) along the route, so I could refill it.
   
2. Plan your route before heading out on your run. Kind of a duh!, I realize, but I never really experienced the misfortune of not doing this. It is extremely frustrating to not know where you're going or stumble on a bad route.
3. Training really works! I never thought I'd be able to say I ran 7 miles (with minimal walk breaks). And, not be in excruitiating pain from it. Mind-blowing!

Day 12 (Sept. 4)

I’m still in Kansas, and I need to run 5 miles — my long run for the week. I hit the Shunga Trail, which really rocked (aside from those portions where they were replacing sections of the trail and had blockades and no trail).

It was a cool day (a breezy 70 degrees). Yes, 70 is cool for me. If you’re used to dealing with 90 degrees with 100% humidity, you’d find this almost chilly. And, this made running a breeze. I guess all those people that kept telling me that once it cooled off running would seem easy were right!

I went 2.5 miles in one direction and turned back for the remaining 2.5 miles. I walked a few portions (those mentioned portions with no trail and blockades). I also walked a few sections that had an extreme uphill portion to come up from under a road — extreme uphill could be an exaggeration, but when you’re used to flat land, any hill is extreme (or so says Jina). I tried running them, but I swore I was just making the running motion and staying in the same spot.

This trail took me through neighborhoods, soccer and baseball fields and wooded areas. It really was an enjoyable way to see the city.

Sunday is a treat

After my long runs on Sunday, I feel like a deserve a treat. I mean, I woke up early. I ran _ (anywhere from 4-11) miles. I think I earned this treat. So, I treat myself. This treat is nothing major, usually just watching some guilty pleasure on TV with a glass of wine, which suits me just fine.

A few weeks ago, “Jersey Shore” aired on a special night: Sunday. Fist pump! Yes, I am a regular viewer of this show. I tried to hide/deny/not talk about this for quite some time, but I’m out in the open now. I like this show, and I’m not afraid to admit it (anymore). GTL, baby!

This week, my treat: Cowboys vs. Jets game. I love the Dallas Cowboys, and I love Sunday night football. A fabulous combination (especially with a glass of wine) … or so I thought until I watched the game. Ugh.

This is a picure from last year. I was not smiling last night.

After the game, Tony Romo, quarterback of the Cowboys, said, “I’ve got to get better. That’s the bottom line.” Yes, Tony, you do. Please. DO. IT. A fumble on the one yard line, an interception and a bobbled snap all in the fourth quarter is totally unacceptable (you dumping Jessica Simpson on her birthday is also totally unacceptable, but that’s a different rant).

Maybe next week's treat will be less frustrating.

Day 6

I'm not going to say that I love running at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday ... yet (or maybe ever), but I did enjoy this week's run (maybe because I was more awake and actually remembered it).

The plan: run 4 miles. I ran 3.1 miles, and then I did walk-run intervals for the remaining 0.9 miles, ending with a run. I felt really good throughout. And, I feel like I could have run the full 4 miles. I had it in my head that I was going to run at least a 5K distance because I knew I could do it. When I got to that distance, I stopped. I think mainly because I had it in my head that I was going that far. After stopping, I realized I was sizzling. Yep, it was hot again.

I feel like I'm getting stronger, and I finally feel like I'm seeing some improvement. Yahoo for running!

Day 3

Well, running at 7:30 on a Sunday morning really is as bad as it sounds.

I arrived in a daze to meet the training group. The plan: run four miles; two miles in one direction, and then turn around and end back at the starting point. I started off feeling pretty good (aside from being half-asleep — I kept asking people to repeat themselves because I was so out of it). I ran 2.5 miles pretty easily, and then I felt like crap. I was hot (it’s amazing how hot it is already at 8 a.m.) and nauseous. Yuck. So, I didn’t run the full four miles. After the initial 2.5 miles, I started doing walk-run intervals. Although I’m not sure how much more I ran vs. walked. I had my Garmin watch and started it at the correct time, which is an improvement. I just forgot to turn it off for the drive home … oops. I looked at my watch after a much-needed shower and noticed that I ran 23.8 miles and burned 11,107 calories. Impressive.

Running is such a guessing game. I’m always evaluating how I ran and what caused me to either run successfully or poorly. This time, my guess is that I wasn’t fuelled correctly for the run. I eat at bizarre times on Saturdays. There’s no routine, which is fabulous, because it means it’s the weekend. I also seem to eat less (most of the time) on the weekend. This particular Saturday, I ate a breakfast-lunch combo (two eggs, vegetables, mango) at about 1 p.m. Then, I ate dinner (a rockin’ pork burrito from Taco Bus) about 6 p.m. Aside from some watermelon, I didn’t eat anything after dinner. Those burritos are filling (and delicious).

The morning of the run, I ate a protein meal bar and an energy gel (which wasn’t as nasty as I feared, but it still wasn’t great). When I started feeling nauseous during the run, I also had a very empty, acidic feeling in my stomach, so I’m assuming I didn’t eat enough (and that not-great energy gel wasn’t sitting pretty).

I hope that everything comes together soon, and I can run the full distance of these training runs. I’m feeling pretty pathetic at this point. There are many others in the same situation as me, but I’m frustrated because I know I can run these distances … or I have before. If I can’t run these so-called easy distances, how in the heck am I going to be able to run 13.1 miles?