I ran 6.2 miles after having 5 days off. So of course I was sore this morning and every time I got up from sitting down for quite a bit. But I wanted to run tonight. I headed on over to the YMCA after work and hopped on the treadmill. I ran 3.5 miles effortlessly. Sure, I got tired around the 2 mile mark as expected but things went well, even up to 3.5 miles. I was wanting to keep on going but I forced myself to stop just so I won't be sore or push my muscles to the max.
When I went to sign in at the front desk, Alex the Spinning Teacher, told me that they are going to start again on Thursday nights. My first session got cancelled because of low turnout and she said that they're hoping it's going to be bigger this session because of the colder weather. So Yay! Luckily, I'll get home right before The Office begins.
Tonight's run: YMCA, sore muscles but still ran great
So after more than a week of an illness, I finally went to the doctor's on Thursday. I was diagnosed with sinusitis. Fun times. Gave me antibiotics and my cough is nearly nonexistent! My doctor said rest and I asked her, so like after the Pumpkin Fest race? She asked if I planned on winning the race, told her no and she said that I can run it. But what I ended up doing was not running all week after Monday's run.
Today was a 10k race today. I was afraid that with my lack of running I wasn't going to do well in it but I'll spoil the surprise; I ran a PR! 55:14 was my time and 55:41 was my clock time. The difference between there are about 1300 people in the race and it took me about 30 seconds to cross the start line.
I compared my numbers last year and I ran 40 seconds better than last year's clock time and ran in an average 8:59 min/mi compared to 9:05 but here are my stats: Overall finish: 2006 - 553; 2007 - 693 Sex Group finish: 2006 - 128; 2007 - 202 Age Group finish: 2006 - 14; 2007 - 32
Those stats mean that the crowd got a lot bigger. Running is now cool! They say that there are more and more Americans training for a marathon now. That is the ultimate everyday every man challenge.
It was cold this morning; frost on the ground. I might have overdressed again though. I wore my UnderArmor ColdWear long-sleeved shirt. I should have worn the HeatWear instead. The leggings I had were fine. I saw people wearing shorts and I thought they were crazy. It's what I wore last year though.
I saw my editor on the sidelines. I yelled at him a few times before he finally heard me and waved. Then I saw my friend Stacey. She was cheering for me loudly when she saw me. That was pretty cool.
Sunday I'm going up to Rockford and I'm buying UA CW leggings and gloves. Well, maybe gloves, if they have any. I gotta get into my running for the half marathon now!
Today's run: 45-47*, overdressed a bit (UA CW shirt, UA HW leggings)
Best news of all today; I had someone special to see me finish! :-)
I don't think I know how to dress for the running. But considering that the weather here has been up and down, everyone is confused!
The last two times, I under dressed and then over dressed. For today's run, I packed my UA leggings, warm up pants, a tank and then a jacket. That was all. I didn't think I would need a long-sleeved UA shirt. Before I got dressed at lunchtime, I took a quick peek outside and it was cold. Very cold. I immediately regretted not brining the long-sleeved shirt. I almost didn't run then I was told that
But I got dressed with everything and put on the jacket. Once I started running, my arms were warming up. My legs were dandy but my hands were cold. Forgot the gloves (though I found one in my warm up pans) and also forgot to wear my ear headband so my ears got cold.
So I kinda under dressed again today. I have to go by UA or outdoor winter running clothing with my next paycheck!
That was not the case with me on Saturday morning. I did go to bed at around 11p but my cough was keeping me up (more on that later). Then I had a friend come over to stay the night as we were leaving at 8am from DeKalb. So he came in around 2am and that woke me up. I did get up OK at 5:30a but I now know that's too early, even for a meeting at Bob-Jo Cycle. I got to Bob-Jo Cycle at 6:15a and just sat there waiting until 6:30a and no one was there. I was supposed to run with couple other people.
So I took off on my run alone. I saw the sun rise. That was pretty cool. On the way back, I saw dozens and dozens of birds hanging out in a tree. I could hear them over my music. As I passed under them, they took off so I had a shower of leaves falling on me. That was pretty cool. I ran around 6.2 miles in a pretty decent time. I think I'll be fine for Pumpkinfest 10k.
Now to the cough. I'm sick. Have been for a few days with a terrible cough and congestion. As the days passed, it just kept getting worse and worse. But on Saturday I think the cool weather finally did me in and my lungs were a mess on Saturday all day. Hopefully, things will get better soon.
Today's run: 45*, dressed OK (UA leggings, warm up pants, long-sleeved UA, warm up jacket)
It was supposed to rain and rain hard today. Said before 1pm. So I get out my gear and go running at work during lunch. Well, it never bloody rained. I asked someone who just came in what the weather was like, she said "nice." I asked "Like Shorts and shirt weather?" She hmm'd and haw'd about it for a while, so I took as a maybe not really. I wore shorts but kept my long sleeved shirt on and wore a sleeve-less tank over it. Well, I got hot and fast. Last week I under dressed, this week over dressed. Geeze. Next week, will be going outside to see for myself!
I also took a different route than last week. Didn't go along Peace; went on the path behind Wal-Mart & MC Sports and over to the town homes by Greenwood Acres. And it wasn't quite 3 miles. So I'll have to figure out how to extend that somehow.
But it was WINDY. I mean incredibly windy. It was coming from the south and that's the way I ran first so I was running against it. Then of course as soon as I turned around and went back north, there was no wind for the longest time. Finally kicked up and it pushed me! I'm not kidding! And as you can tell by the below Nike+ widget, I was all over the place. It was crazy.
So I had a calf strain from my race on Saturday. I took Monday off of running to give it some rest. I did the same on Tuesday. Tonight I ran my scheduled run. Unfortunately, that was a speed workout. It was supposed to be 4 miles @ 8 min/mi with 1/2 mile jogs between miles. Well, I only did 3.5 miles, jogging between. But hey, I managed to hang on, even though I haven't done a speed workout in well over 3 weeks.
What I should have done however, was NOT done a speed workout but instead just a simple easy run. That would be easy on my calf. I came home and took a bath. Well, as well as a 5'10" tall women could take in a very small bathtub.
It's supposed to be thunderstorms here tomorrow so I'm not sure if I'm going to run at lunch time. I'm brining my stuff anyway, just in case.
Today's run: 3.5mi at 8:06 (7.4mph), 1/2mi jogs at 5.5mph, YMCA
It was again, an interesting race. As I mentioned, I ran 6 miles earlier that day. Then I went in to work and I sat and drove for 2 hours once I was done there. Got to the race right at 2:30p and was the last one to get a size medium shirt. *whew*
I didn't see Kevin & Jess when the race began. And actually, the race began in a very awkward way. I was looking around me to see if I could see them anywhere and then I see people start running, I turn around and they were taking off. WTF?! No gun, I couldn't hear anything and I didn't have any music playing in my earbuds. Very bad start of the race.
There was a hill at the beginning of the race. As I said, I knew it was going to be hilly, so I expected it. Like 40 paces into it, up the hill. There wasn't much of a downhill but I just let gravity take me instead of putting on the brakes.
I eyed two girls that looked like they were in shape and ran so I determined to keep pace with them. Well, before the first mile, I ended up passing them. Craps.
At the half way point, 1.5 miles, there was another hill. At the bottom of it, it was written "Small hill." It didn't look like no small hill. I manage to go up it and then go back downhill, again letting gravity do the work for me, passing someone as I went down.
I see the water station and there was one woman pouring the cups and a girl handing them out, ONE AT A TIME. There was a group of 4 or 5 ahead of me and so there was congestion. I was pissed. I almost stopped. They needed more volunteers to hand out water.
Then around the 2.34 mile mark was the "Big Hill," as it was written at the bottom, was head. Yea, ya think? This one just kept on going. I turned a bit and I thought it was done but then it turned the other way and kept going up. My feet were hardly leaving the ground, I was shuffling. My pace was like 10:40 by that time.
I got to the top, it was the entrance where the cars came in, so I drove it and knew that it was pretty much all downhill and that the end was coming up. I put on my PowerSong. There was a guy wearing an Iditarod shirt in front of me. I kept urging him in my head to keep going. His partner dropped out a while ago to walk. I was chasing him. I kept going, my feet pounding down the hill. Then I see the end, the time was just over 26 minutes. I look to the left and I see Kevin and Jess with their cameras cheering for me. I smile and I push it. I was really hoping to break 27 minutes. I push it more, Ititarod pushed too. I finally grunted really hard and beat him to the line by like 2 steps. The chute was really narrow! Whoops.
There was a lady taking the information from our tags in the middle of the chute instead of near the end. She yelled at me to stay in place but I was churning my legs so hard that I couldn't stop in time before I ran into her and she had to put her arm out and catch me. Then the guy who she was taking the tag from pushed me back physically. It's like Dude, chill, I'm not taking your place.
I didn't see Iditarod after that. I'm glad. I didn't want him to yell at me for doing that to him at the very end. I am a kicker. That's for sure. But I did it. I beat 27 minutes!
Apparently, last year, I did it at the Autumn on Parade 5k race but I don't remember going that fast and I didn't have my Nike+ so I don't know if the race is really 3.1 miles. That's also the case of a race earlier this year, where I ran in 25 minutes but I know that it's shorter because another runner I know says that he runs that race 2 minutes faster than he normally runs as well.
I forgot to stop my Nike+ so the time kept calculating and it's now reading it as 30:54. Which sucks. So I'm seeing if I can remember how I edit the XML file.
Then there was free beer and food after the race. I had 2 cups and unfortunately, a plate full of junk food. Jess & Kevin partook in the good BBQ.
And then today, Kevin, Jess & I did a 12 mile bike ride. I woke up and my right calf was really tight and sore. I was limping. Then I did the bike ride which wasn't too bad on it. But now after driving for 2 hours, it hurts even now. I'm trying to decided if I should run tomorrow or have a day off. If I run tomorrow, it's only going to be 2 or 3 and during lunch again.
Today is a bit different. I ran 6 miles this morning. That's the part that's not so different. This afternoon, I'm going to run 3 more miles for a race. That's what's different. It's going to be interesting to see how well I do in the race. I feel good after my 6 miles. I want to take a cold bath though but I can't. Here's also something that might hurt me race time. I'm going to be sitting for 2.5 hours in a car driving down to said race! :-/ We'll see how it goes.
I ran at lunch today. It was interesting. I got dressed in the women's restroom. Took me about 10 minutes to do so. Then I had to go out into the room to leave the building and our whole building is one big room and the bathroom is in the middle of the building. I had to go to my desk to get my Gatorade, I heard my editor pause in the middle of his sentence and just say uh over and over. Teehee. I think I caught him off guard with my neon green running outfit! Though I did under-dress for the weather. It was supposed to be 57 by noon but felt a lot cooler than that. I only wore my HeatGear long-sleeved shirt and HeatGear tights, plus shorts and a tank top. Gotta get some ColdGear tights. I only ran for 3.1 miles. Took me about 27 minutes, average. And I walked a bit afterwards, did some stretches. Got back inside to change with 10 minutes to spare and got out of the bathroom right at 1p when I had to go to a meeting. Luckily, I wasn't all that sweaty on my face but I could feel my back dripping sweat during the meeting. So I cannot run more than 3.1 miles on Thursdays. I cut it too close. I'm going to do this again on Mondays. I liked it.
It was windy today. I ran the first half with my wind to my back and everything was fine. I actually didn't even know it was windy until I turned around, then BAM! It hit me in my face, my eyes started to tear up and I had to start pushing hard. You could tell where I was when I turned around, I started to slow down a bit. And waiting to cross Peace Road was not cool, took like forever. I also need to bring my snot/sweat rag.
I got to also buy gloves and a hat or skullcap with a ponytail hole. Target had some great long-sleeved shirts that had like fold-over hand cuffs. Awesome idea! They also had a jacket that seemed would be perfect for outdoor winter running. I'm thinking I like Champion stuff now more so than UnderArmor. So wish I had all sorts of money!
Today's run: Peace Road bike path, 57* cold and windy!
I got my new running shoes yesterday, as I mentioned. I was so excited, I started running over the to YMCA and felt such a difference already! I felt like I was floating on air! I have to break them in a bit, determine how tight they should be, etc. It felt like there wasn't much padding on the balls of my feet at all but the heels were nicely cushioned, I could tell that. No blisters!
However, I got onto my treadmill, setting up the controls and I hear my name. I turn around and see someone I work with. I say hi, go back to my treadmill but he starts to talk shop. asking me all sorts of questions that I guess I'm supposed to know off the top of my head. When I'm at the Y, I don't want to talk about work, at most I want to talk about exercising. This is not the first time it's happened, the first time I saw him (this being the second time) it happened then too. So I guess I have to tell him to cut out the work talk and save it for 8-5.
My schedule was to run 5 miles a tempo run but I only made it 3.11. I'm thinking it's cause I haven't done that in a while. In all actuality, I haven't done much running at all. I'm outta shape. I also think I need to do some core exercises like crunches on the ball or something to help me out. I read somewhere that this guy does 150 in the morning and 150 at night! That's what I'm talking about!
But my schedule is changing as of tomorrow. They now have me running 4 days a week. Thursdays are now run days for 2 miles (which I'll do three at an easy pace). So I'm doing it at lunchtime at work. I posted a question about that to a community and they suggest fragrance free baby wipes to clean up after a run. I hope I don't stink too bad as I have a meeting with my editor at 1pm!
This one was all over the place tonight. I think I have my Shoe Pouch on backwards so it wasn't reading it right. Gotta go look that up.
Tonight's run: YMCA, treadmill but felt warm **new shoes**
As you may know, I have accepted the challenge and am participating in the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon on December 1, 2007 in Memphis, TN.
As part of the event, I am pledging to raise money to support the life-saving work of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®. People can make donations on my behalf, so that I can reach my fund-raising goal of $550. The donations raised will support St. Jude in its mission of finding cures and saving children with cancer as well as providing first-class medical treatment, lodging, meals and transportation for families. This will help so many people in our own community and throughout the country.
It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause - you can make a donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. Whatever amount you can donate will help! I truly appreciate your support and you can keep updated on my progress by visiting my fundraising page often.
Thank you for supporting me always, but especially in this challenge. You really do make a difference.
http://www.stjudeheroes.org/goto/lindsaycb
*** I got my NEW ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 9 in the mail today and I CAN'T WAIT TO USE THEM TOMORROW!!! YAY!!! Never though I would be excited about a pair of trainers before! Nor looking forward to speedwork! HA!
So I was talking to someone about my race on Sunday and the heat. He had mentioned that he knew someone that ran the marathon and this guy didn't finish. I started explaining that even in my race it was tough but only a 5k, 3 miles. He said "So that's what about 18 minutes?" I scoffed and said "Not for me!" and told him about my finish time compared to last years. His first response: "So you're just getting old now?" or something to that effect. Ouch. Didn't he think that it was because of the heat? That maybe running between 80 and 84 with only one water station on the course might hinder someone's time?
I'm now really doubting that time now. But I doubt that's the case though. There was a 60+ lady who beat my time! And plenty of other woman who beat my time. They're all older. I'm not a speed demon, never was. Thus why I never went to Sectional (though I was 2 spots away from doing so) in cross country in high school. I'm not in it to finish fast but to finish. And I'm pretty impressed with my times! Not once have I gone under 30 minutes for a 5k and an hour for a 10k. DAMNIT, I'm not getting old!
I have a race on Saturday. It'll be cooler. Unfortunately, it has hills so I read. That'll be interesting. It's been a while since I've done those. We'll see what my time is for that race. However, I'll have nothing to compare it too.
I didn't run tonight because of sore calves. Both of them. I think it might be from the dehydration and the extra push I had to give yesterday. I have to run a couple times this week though to keep in shape for the race. Though I just got an email from Runner's World that says: The first cool days of fall, or your first 5-K, can produce a run faster than you did all summer--and sore legs the next day. A mild ache in your thighs or calves is a normal result of pushing muscles past what they're used to. Your instinct might be to take the day off, but research shows that getting blood moving through the muscles helps speed up healing. And that's exactly what I should have gotten this morning!!
I don't even know where to begin with today. I'm just disappointed in so many different ways.
First: my race. It's hot. That I won't deny. They took extra precautions at the Chicago Marathon this year. I ran my heart out there though. Still only had one water station. That was stupid on their part and if I get a survey, I'm letting them know that. I ran a 27:04. Which is better by 2 seconds on my time of my On The Waterfront 5k but not better than last year's time of the same race. Last year, I ran a 25:36 so it said on their website. How on Earth did I get a minute and a half slower than last year?! Was it in fact the heat? I medaled is last year's race because I ran in 25 minutes, this race nothing.
I did start out slow on this race. I mentally did that so that I could save it for the end. And I did too. I managed to kick it at the end big time. Passed 4 people! 2 kids, an older woman and a guy younger than me. Though when hearing the awards, the lone woman who was in the 60+ category ran a faster race than me. :-( I also tried to help this other young lady out about my age to keep on going, she was walking and I grabbed her arm and said c'mon c'mon. I told her that the marathoners are running in this heat. She just looked at me like she didn't know what I was talking about. She ran with me a little bit but then she had to stop again. I passed by her several times after the race but she never thanked me for trying to get her going.
Second: Last month, I called Josh's mother and asked her if she wanted to come out and see my race this weekend. She said that Josh was coming out for the weekend with Kate. So I said well then never mind, you'll probably be busy and all that. So I just let it go thinking that he was still coming out. I sent him a happy birthday email yesterday saying that I know he's in town but he doesn't have to come out or anything if he gets this email beforehand. He writes me back this afternoon saying that he didn't come out after all. So his mother could have seen me run. Which would have been nice since I would have had someone else telling me that it's the heat that made me run slow. My own excuses do nothing for me on my conscious. But she didn't call me which leads me to believe that she in actuality does not want to come out and see me run after all so I won't bother her again with my races. Since she was the only one who has in northern Illinois it won't be that big of a deal.
Third: a friend never asked how I did in my race. I asked how he did in his first race yesterday. He even knew that I was in a race today. But never asked. Even after I did a gentle reminder, still never asked. So I don't know. Maybe I am destined to do running and racing alone. Or be alone forever.
I *must* now find a "partner in life" that enjoys running (and races) as much as me. It's the only way that I can do my races with enjoyment. I would really like to find someone that will run a marathon with me and we can cross the finish line together but that's pretty slim. I wish I could join like the Rockford Road Runners but it's so far away and their meeting's are on Wednesday's and their group runs are of course in Rockford. Then there is the CARA but that's in Chicago and not DeKalb. My running email list are all training for marathons and running a lot faster than me so I can't do that group. Blah.
I did buy some new running clothes at Target today though. All on clearance! Go me! :-) I need to find a detergent called Sport-Wash to help make my other running clothes smell better cause even the white vinegar is not taking that stinky smell of me sweat out!
I want this freaking heat to go away! I feel cranky.
Ignore the time on the below Nike+, I forgot to hit stop after the race.
Does anyone else remember that October 12 of last year it snowed?? Much different than now. This weather just needs to go away. Could be a record temperature tomorrow of 89. Average is supposed to be 67. I feel bad for the runners in the Chicago Marathon, all 45,000 of them! Ouch. Luckily, my race begins at 8am and I'm only doing a 5k so I'll be done by 8:30am. :-D
In other quick running news, I got up at 5:45a to run at 6:30a. Yea, I'm crazy. My blisters didn't bother me though. I think that was cause I was wearing new bandaids. I also did finally buy my running shoes today. Now I just have to wait 5-10 business days. I also bought something called Quench Gum. I heard about it from another runner so I'm going to try it out. I also bought some Jelly Belly sport beans to see if it'll help me out tomorrow in my run.
So no one is taking me up on my offer to train for a marathon with me. Not yet. I'm hoping someone will. Otherwise running 15 and 20 miles by myself is just going to get boring and I'm going to _have_ to learn how to push myself.
Well, I did it. I woke up at 5:45a to get a run in at 6:30a. I'm crazy. But I did it so that I could run with a bunch of people that call themselves the Dark Thirty Runners. It's an email list that my old publisher informed me about. Most of them train for the marathon so they are too fast and run too long and train way too early for me to join them. But here I am, typing this out at 8am. Today was just an easy jog day at 2 miles for their training. The majority of them are running the Chicago Marathon tomorrow morning while I have a measly 3.1 mile race to do in Oregon. One guy said that he'll be mentally cheering me on at the 3 mile mark of his race. HAHA. One guy even flew in from Denver to run in the marathon tomorrow. I did inform a lot of them about the Rockford Marathon. One is doing it and I got another one to think about it. It was nice talking to people about running. I never had that before. So I got to hear about the crowds and the support system in the race. I never ran in a race that had a marathon associated with it. Memphis is going to be much different than Chicago; 11,000 compared to 45,000 but I hope it'll still be the same. We'll see. Either way, I'm pumped for it! And come 2008 I'll in the same boat as them; getting up before the crack of dawn doing a run to get all my 15 miles in.
Good luck to all the marathoners out there doing the Chicago one tomorrow!
I'm off to buy new running shoes. Good time to do so; break them in in time for the HM in less than 2 months time!
So the blister popped today at work but didn't split open. And I put a bandaid on it before my run. But even before my first mile was completed, I could tell that the bandaid had moved away from my toe. I finished and took my shoe off it hurt that bad. Got home, took off my sock and the bandaid was over on my big toe and my blister had split open. Great.
Here's are the blisters before they popped.
So I definitely need new shoes then. I'm forgoing my rent until Friday just so I can get these new shoes.
Tonight's run though was nice though. Fast pace. I was really surprised. Maybe because it was at night and I feel a lot more free to run at night. No one is watching my jelly bounce up and down. I ran what would be a 5k (3.1 miles) in sub 27 minutes. That has never happened before. The closest I came was On The Waterfront race beginning of September and that was 27:06.
I did wear my headlamp too and it didn't work. I think my head is too small. It kept falling down. Especially once I got going and started to sweat. It kept creeping down to the bridge of my nose and just stayed there, pinching. I ended up holding it, which was a bother. So I don't know what I'm going to do for my running now. Even if I go in the morning it's still going to be dark then too.
Also, mental note: I need clear glasses to wear at night. I had a bug in my eye again around the first mile mark. Hurt me something bad but I kept on going! Came home, checked the mirror, couldn't find it until I rolled my eye around and luckily it moved to the inside corner and I got it out with tissue but man it did hurt and it still feels like it's in there! *shudder* Gross.
I watched this last night. I think I'm going to do the Rockford Marathon now. They say it only takes 4 months to train for a marathon. I'll already be halfway there on December 1st and 5.5 months later is the Rockford Marathon. So I think I can do that. Plus, it's WAY Smaller than the Chicago Marathon which has like 30,000 people. They are only expecting 2-3,000 participants which is more like it for me!
