You know, I actually got up this morning and thought to myself "Thank God, I only have a six mile run."
Coming from someone as unathletic as I, this is a huge thing for me.
I changed my intervals today. My walk interval is now 5:30, and my run interval is now 1:30. This morning I had a few times where I ignored the beep when it came time to run, and yet I still finished just under my 15:00 pace. It was already 76 degrees at 7:30 a.m. this morning, but only 81 degrees when I finished at 9:00 a.m. Not nearly as warm as last week, but strangely enough I was much better, or my body was more prepared. My calf didn't even bother me after the run. It's been bugging me for what, three weeks now, after each long run, and nothing today. This has got to be getting easier. I'm hoping that working it this hard in the heat, I'm something close to awesome when the weather starts turning cooler in the fall.
Mackenzie is still sick, better but still fighting the throat. She was grumpy and made herself throw up once, but she was trying her best to get to that birthday party today. We did wind up taking her, and she had a good time, but we could tell that she wasn't at 100% Hoping she has a solid night's sleep tonight.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Saturday, July 22, 2006
The Half Marathon
Saturday, July 22, 2006. Notable for being THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR!
Oh my God, it was supposed to be 110 degrees today. It only wound up being 107 degrees, but yes, the hottest day of the year so far. I knew it was coming, the entire week had temperatures of over 100 degrees, lots of warning about water, shade, dehydration, etc., and I was supposed to run 13.1 miles.
Now you've got to understand that it wasn't 107 when I started at 7:00 a.m. It was about 73 degrees. By 9:00 a.m. it was just over 80 degrees. By comparison, when I've been running in the wee hours, it's around 50-60 degrees and I've had a couple of mornings that have been chillier. I don't do well in the heat anyways, it opens me up to things like migraines.
And it wasn't just me. David was signed up for the 5K. He would be starting after I was gone, and he had a different route, and the Mom in me was a bit nervous; add to that the heat and I was concerned. I made him start drinking water religiously early in the week, told him he had to eat lightly but sufficiently, and got him a pack to carry water or Gatorade for the run. Following my own advice, I did the same.
We were all up early this morning. Keith was coming to support us and "catch" David at the end of his run. I decided to carry my cell phone because I wanted at least a ring to let me know that David was OK. Along with the phone I carried a frozen bottle of water, which melted rather quickly, two Access Bars, one for the beginning and one for the middle of the race, some hard candies for instant sugar and some Fig Newtons (I have discovered work quite well for me for energy on the route).
At 15 minute miles, I was figuring approximately 3:30 to complete the race, give or take. All I wanted was to finish on my own two feet and injury free. I was nervous, never having run 13.1 miles. Would the ten I had done two weeks ago be enough?
A rousing speech, a crowd ready to go, some music and a big send off and the race was on. From the beginning I broke a rule. I got caught up in the excitement and instead of starting out walking at my pace, I ran with the crowd for the first mile and a half. Then I started my run/walk intervals. I was tired, the heat hadn't done anything great for me, and I wound up slowly falling behind my pace. By the time I got to the pseudo-halfway point (more on that in a minute), I was done, and not just slow, done. Of course, this was about five and a half miles from the finish, so I needed to get back on my own.
I called Keith, because I knew he was going to be looking for me and I wasn't going to be anywhere near my expected finish time. I didn't want him to worry.
It got hotter. I went slower. UGH!
Finally, I got close to the finish, where Keith and the kids were waiting for me. They walked me in, where I crossed the line at 4:07:34. I finished, on my own two feet and injury free.
Helping me along the way were coaches form Boise RunWalk. On bicycles, along the route, they were looking for anybody in distress and BRW runners to offer encouragement. Coach Steve and Coach Raul were the recipients of evil thoughts courtesy of moi, but they kept me going when it was getting ugly.
And then, come to find out the course was actually 13.6 miles long! I had figured out the miles had been mismarked back around mile five or so, but didn't know how much. Keith said they announced the true course at the award ceremony and where they had miscounted.
And then, to add insult to injury, young David came home sporting a first place trophy in his age division. The story is this: there were only three kids in his age division. David was firmly in second place, the kid ahead of him was ahead by five minutes. However, when this kid got close to the finish, he didn't cross the line. He actually jumped some small bushes about 30 feet from the line to get to his parents who were waiting for him on the grass. Well, leaving the course is an automatic DQ -- he couldn't jump back over, run the 30 feet, and be OK. So, David, five minutes later, ran across the line, got his chip turned in, and won.
Maybe it will inspire him to start walking with me. Maybe it will motivate me to not get run over by my unathletic son!
Oh my God, it was supposed to be 110 degrees today. It only wound up being 107 degrees, but yes, the hottest day of the year so far. I knew it was coming, the entire week had temperatures of over 100 degrees, lots of warning about water, shade, dehydration, etc., and I was supposed to run 13.1 miles.
Now you've got to understand that it wasn't 107 when I started at 7:00 a.m. It was about 73 degrees. By 9:00 a.m. it was just over 80 degrees. By comparison, when I've been running in the wee hours, it's around 50-60 degrees and I've had a couple of mornings that have been chillier. I don't do well in the heat anyways, it opens me up to things like migraines.
And it wasn't just me. David was signed up for the 5K. He would be starting after I was gone, and he had a different route, and the Mom in me was a bit nervous; add to that the heat and I was concerned. I made him start drinking water religiously early in the week, told him he had to eat lightly but sufficiently, and got him a pack to carry water or Gatorade for the run. Following my own advice, I did the same.
We were all up early this morning. Keith was coming to support us and "catch" David at the end of his run. I decided to carry my cell phone because I wanted at least a ring to let me know that David was OK. Along with the phone I carried a frozen bottle of water, which melted rather quickly, two Access Bars, one for the beginning and one for the middle of the race, some hard candies for instant sugar and some Fig Newtons (I have discovered work quite well for me for energy on the route).
At 15 minute miles, I was figuring approximately 3:30 to complete the race, give or take. All I wanted was to finish on my own two feet and injury free. I was nervous, never having run 13.1 miles. Would the ten I had done two weeks ago be enough?
A rousing speech, a crowd ready to go, some music and a big send off and the race was on. From the beginning I broke a rule. I got caught up in the excitement and instead of starting out walking at my pace, I ran with the crowd for the first mile and a half. Then I started my run/walk intervals. I was tired, the heat hadn't done anything great for me, and I wound up slowly falling behind my pace. By the time I got to the pseudo-halfway point (more on that in a minute), I was done, and not just slow, done. Of course, this was about five and a half miles from the finish, so I needed to get back on my own.
I called Keith, because I knew he was going to be looking for me and I wasn't going to be anywhere near my expected finish time. I didn't want him to worry.
It got hotter. I went slower. UGH!
Finally, I got close to the finish, where Keith and the kids were waiting for me. They walked me in, where I crossed the line at 4:07:34. I finished, on my own two feet and injury free.
Helping me along the way were coaches form Boise RunWalk. On bicycles, along the route, they were looking for anybody in distress and BRW runners to offer encouragement. Coach Steve and Coach Raul were the recipients of evil thoughts courtesy of moi, but they kept me going when it was getting ugly.
And then, come to find out the course was actually 13.6 miles long! I had figured out the miles had been mismarked back around mile five or so, but didn't know how much. Keith said they announced the true course at the award ceremony and where they had miscounted.
And then, to add insult to injury, young David came home sporting a first place trophy in his age division. The story is this: there were only three kids in his age division. David was firmly in second place, the kid ahead of him was ahead by five minutes. However, when this kid got close to the finish, he didn't cross the line. He actually jumped some small bushes about 30 feet from the line to get to his parents who were waiting for him on the grass. Well, leaving the course is an automatic DQ -- he couldn't jump back over, run the 30 feet, and be OK. So, David, five minutes later, ran across the line, got his chip turned in, and won.
Maybe it will inspire him to start walking with me. Maybe it will motivate me to not get run over by my unathletic son!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Same old, same old
My calf is better. There is no pain of any kind. Thank goodness!
David is hanging out with me today. We have started to take inventory of what we need for school. Due to Mom's stockpiling ability of things on sale, it isn't much.
The drywallers are downstairs, we hear them, but David and I are upstairs and haven't had a reason to go downstairs (like they need me looking over their shoulders). I need to go and pickup Mackenzie from preschool in just a bit anyways, I'll peek in then.
Other than that, it's a quiet day of cleaning and organizing. Well, as much as possible, considering we are undergoing major renovations.
David is hanging out with me today. We have started to take inventory of what we need for school. Due to Mom's stockpiling ability of things on sale, it isn't much.
The drywallers are downstairs, we hear them, but David and I are upstairs and haven't had a reason to go downstairs (like they need me looking over their shoulders). I need to go and pickup Mackenzie from preschool in just a bit anyways, I'll peek in then.
Other than that, it's a quiet day of cleaning and organizing. Well, as much as possible, considering we are undergoing major renovations.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Saturday Morning, Day 9
I can not believe I finished ten miles this morning. In decent shape even. I seem to have pulled a muscle in my left leg, however, specifically my calf. The after run stretches the group does didn't seem to get rid of it, so I'll have to watch it for a couple of days.
I often think about how normal people would be in bed at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Here I am, in shorts and a T-Shirt, running, OK, run-walking, for ten miles at 6:00 a.m. There are many things I thought I'd never do, and that's one of them.
My brother is considering doing the L.A. Marathon with me. I have a bad knee and heel spurs; he has bad ankles. I told him he should join a group in OC like Boise RunWalk. His problem is that he works on Saturday mornings when most running groups get together. I found him two groups that meet Sunday mornings, one in Long Beach and one in Huntington Beach, both about 25 minutes from the house. He groaned, "But Sunday is the only day I get to sleep in! I need my eight hours!"
(Excuse me while I get sick...)
This is the same person who, when he has to be at work at 9:00 a.m., can stay up until 2:00 a.m. playing on the computer.
Well, I'm trying to get there. I feel good about my ten miles. But it's a big jump from ten to thirteen point one.
I often think about how normal people would be in bed at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Here I am, in shorts and a T-Shirt, running, OK, run-walking, for ten miles at 6:00 a.m. There are many things I thought I'd never do, and that's one of them.
My brother is considering doing the L.A. Marathon with me. I have a bad knee and heel spurs; he has bad ankles. I told him he should join a group in OC like Boise RunWalk. His problem is that he works on Saturday mornings when most running groups get together. I found him two groups that meet Sunday mornings, one in Long Beach and one in Huntington Beach, both about 25 minutes from the house. He groaned, "But Sunday is the only day I get to sleep in! I need my eight hours!"
(Excuse me while I get sick...)
This is the same person who, when he has to be at work at 9:00 a.m., can stay up until 2:00 a.m. playing on the computer.
Well, I'm trying to get there. I feel good about my ten miles. But it's a big jump from ten to thirteen point one.
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