Sunday: Stretch and Strength - Rest and relaxation!
Monday: 4 mile run - Ran an average time for this day, not the fastest I've done, but not the slowest either.
Tuesday: Speed work - 40 minute Tempo Run - Treadmill work today. The weather was extremely muggy. Good, sweaty workout.
Wednesday: 3 mile run and strength - I decided to run the hills on Mokulele Drive. It's a three mile out-and-back from my house to a golf course. The route is up and down but the main hill is a good 45 degrees for a quarter mile. Killer. I had to walk most of it. It amazes me that I can run 8 miles one day and then a short run on the hills reduces me to walking. I've committed to run this every Wednesday until race week. I will not be denied!
Thursday: Rest or easy run day - My schedule demanded that I make this a rest day. Only thing is, I didn't really rest. I spend most of the day either on my feet or sitting on the ground. It was a very tiring rest day.
Friday: Rest day - With a 10K race scheduled for Saturday, the plan called for another rest day. Originally I thought I'd do an easy run, but after my long day Thursday, I gladly took the rest.
Saturday: 10K Race - Just like in week 3, I didn't have an actual race to run. So I did the 6 mile out-and-back that will make up the first half of the Windward Half Marathon route. Since this route is mostly flat, I cut 5 minutes off my last 6 mile run just three weeks ago. Felt great! The rest really did me good!
The best thing about this week: Running the first 6 miles of the race route felt really good. Now I know what to expect on that leg of the race.
The biggest challenge of this week: When training for the last half marathon, I ran the Mokulele hills all the time. I can see that hill training builds the strength I need for the longer distances. Making myself do it is not easy. It's like eating your veggies...the ones you don't like. I know it's good for me, so I've got to do it.
I can't believe I'm half way through the training. Six weeks down, and six more to go.
Sunday: Stretch and Strength - Rest and relaxation!
Monday: 4 mile run - Ran a good pace today. Was a bit faster than last week! Yay!
Tuesday: Speed work - 7 x 400 5K pace - Treadmill work today. Short, fast, and to the point.
Wednesday: 3 mile run and strength - Just like Monday, this run was faster than last week. I can see improvement! That's encouraging.
Thursday: Rest day - For the first time in 2 weeks, I actually took the assigned rest day. Felt great.
Friday: 3 mile run - This run seems to be a bit slower for me consistently. Don't know if it's because of the rest day, or just because it's the end of a long week. Plowed through.
Saturday: 8 mile run - Just like the 7 miler from last week, this was a hard run. Felt my legs burning by mile 5. My time wasn't too bad though. These runs are training my mind as well as my body. Mental toughness is key.
The best thing about this week: Now that I've completed 5 weeks, this running routine is really turned into a habit. I feel odd on the rest days, like I really should be running...
The biggest challenge of this week: The long runs on Saturday mornings are starting to make weekend plans more challenging. I can't just schedule an impromptu camping trip or morning surf session with the kids. It will be worth it. Don't think, just move...
I have to keep reminding myself it's only week 5. I still have time to improve my speed. I'm trying to focus on the fact that I'm sticking with this plan and not worry too much about beating my last half marathon time. It's been a few years. I'm learning to be nice to myself.
Sunday: Stretch and Strength - I think I'd better just call this a rest day.
Monday: 3.5 mile run - Had a nice morning run in Kailua. Actually ran 4 miles... oops! :)
Tuesday: Speed work - 35 minute Tempo Run- Just couldn't get going today. Vowed to do this on Thursday instead.
Wednesday: 3 mile run and strength - Did my usual route along Kailua beach. So beautiful out there. Enjoyed the beauty of my home town.
Thursday: Rest day - Made up for missing on Tuesday. Glad I got the Tempo Run done, but learned a lesson on timing of these rest days. Paid for it Saturday....
Friday: 3 mile run - Family scheduling meant that I had to do this run on the treadmill. Now I remember why road running is so much better - uninterrupted time! Distracted but made it through.
Saturday: 7 mile run - Wow. I haven't gone 7 miles in a long time. It was hard. I think switching my rest day really worked against me. Had to walk a lot, but finished with a pretty good time. I need to work on pacing these long runs.
Can't believe that 4 weeks have gone by already. It's fun to be running the longer distances now.
The best thing about this week: Even as hard as the 7 miler was, I felt great to have it done and my time wasn't as bad as I had feared during the run.
The biggest challenge of this week: I learned that running 4 days in a row with my longest run on the 4th day was not a good idea. My body felt about a hundred years old on Saturday evening....
Found a much better playlist to accompany my run - David Crowder Band. Here's a song that really kept me going. It's not the pace of the song, but the message that moved me down the road.
Sunday: Stretch and Strength - Well, I haven't improved in this area. By Sunday, I just want to lay around...
Monday: 3.5 mile run - Because I missed my long run on Saturday, I made up for it today. It was a beautiful 4th of July morning. Ran past the folks setting up their umbrellas and chairs to watch our local parade. Ran 6 miles. Felt great.
Tuesday: Speed work - 6 x 400 at 5K pace - Here's where I had to rearrange my training plan. Since I ran 6 miles on Monday, I used this day to rest. Normally, this week's training calls for two days of rest before a 5K race. I'm not signed up for a race this week, so I used one of the rest days here.
Wednesday: 3 mile run and strength - Kept to the schedule on this day. Nice Kailua morning run. Made good time. Not walking as much.
Thursday: Rest day - Didn't rest but ran Tuesday's speed work on the treadmill. It seems so easy. Six laps is just 1.5 miles. But ol' Hal really knows what he's talking about. I can already see improvement in my endurance and speed.
Friday: Rest - I did stick to the schedule and rest on this day.
Saturday: 5K Race - Like I mentioned, I didn't have a 5K race to enter, so my husband and I went on a 4.5 mile trail run on the beautiful Aiea Loop Trail. You can read about my adventure here.
This week took a bit of juggling the schedule, but I think I kept true to the training direction. I kept up with the speed work, got a good long run in, and learned a bit about how to improvise when I need to.
The best thing about this week: Definitely the trail run. So much fun to engage your mind on the trail. It was fun to run with my husband. Usually I can't keep up with him, but he slowed down a bit and I pushed myself a bit and we had fun together.
The biggest challenge of this week: I seem to have Monday's run solved, but still need a better plan for Sunday.
Just knowing that I have to be accountable to write up my training log is great motivation for me. I don't ever want to have to tell you that I blew off a run. You're helping me more than you know!
Thanks! And don't let me have all the fun, get out there and Enjoy the Run!
Last Saturday morning, I woke up to a beautiful summer day. Got out of bed, ate my banana, and picked up my keys to head out the door for my long run. As I picked up my phone, I saw that I had missed a call from my step mom. She's not a morning person, so I immediately returned the call. Although not an emergency, it was very clear that I was needed at her house and my long run for the week was suddenly derailed.
The unexpected. For a planner like me, it always throws me a bit. So, how do I recover? I found that the best way to bounce back is to stop, take a step back and keep the event in perspective. Yes, my long run was interrupted, but that didn't mean that I couldn't run at all. Later in the day, I was able to get in a few miles on the treadmill and rescheduled the long run for Monday. Not a big deal.
But the unexpected doesn't have to be something negative. According to my training schedule, I was to run a 5K race today. Well, I didn't have a 5K race to enter, so my husband suggested that we run the Aiea Loop Trail. Great. But as we drove up to the park, it started to rain. I don't mean sprinkle, I mean RAIN. I was not up for this unexpected turn of events. But my husband is not one to be deterred. And really, I did want to run this trail. So after we let it slow down a bit, we headed out. And do you know what the most unexpected thing was about this run? I loved it. We slogged through mud up to our laces. The rain was cool and felt great. I ended up running not much slower than the pace I would have on the road. The beauty of the trail, the sound of the birds, the challenge of dodging roots and puddles and the fun of running with my best friend was exhilarating. And I almost missed it because of the unexpected rain.
Dear brothers and sisters,when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested,
your endurance has a chance to grow.
James 1:2-3 (NLT)
There's no way to avoid it. The unexpected is going to happen. So when it does, I wont panic, I wont quit. I'll just look for the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised.
Woke up this morning ready to hit the pavement for my long run. Normally I would have scheduled it for Saturday, but things got complicated so I had to make it up today. No problem.
I run with my ipod. It takes my mind off the physical and helps the miles go by. I have several podcasts that I listen to, so running is a great time to catch up on them. But today, the podcast I listened to finished before my run, so I had to find something else for the last 20 minutes or so.
I decided to play Carol King's Tapestry album. I love this album because it reminds me of being a kid and listening to my sisters play it over and over. I know every word. But I guess the blood had left my brain because as the tracks played, I realized it is not very conducive for running. Here's what I mean:
Track 1 - I Feel the Earth Move - Love this song for running. Great choice.
Track 2 - So Far Away - Oh boy, this is not too motivating. The car is....so far away... I tried to distract myself by re-writing the words for all the mothers out there with kids off at school or whatever. That helped pass the distance, but it also made me miss my kids....
Track 3 - It's Too Late - Now the motivation is going way down hill. "...something inside has died and I can't hide and I just can't fake it..." I decided to sing this to my bed. That helped.
Track 4 - Home Again - The first phrase of this song is, "Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again, it's so far and out of sight..." Help Me! This was almost more than I could take. Thankfully it's not a very long track. Focus, focus, focus...
Track 5 - Beautiful - Okay, this is a bit better. "You've got to get up every morning with a smile of your face and show the world all the love in your heart." But after running for more than an hour, "...you're as beautiful as you feel" is not very encouraging. I spent the rest of this song re-writing the lyrics for my fellow runners...
Track 6 - Way Over Yonder - Here we go again... Yes, my car is way over yonder! I just have to get there. "..that's where I'm bound."
Finally, I see my car in the distance...and the next track starts. No kidding. It was like a movie soundtrack.
Track 7 - You've Got A Friend - Yes, my Jeep is my friend! "...I'll come running, to see you again!"
I can't make this stuff up. It really happened. Thanks, Carol, for the sweet music, but I think I'll save it for the beach!
Sunday: Stretch and Strength - I haven't really done anything structured on this day. My stretching consists of what I do when I get up from my nap - kind of like your typical house cat. I need to plan more specific exercises for this week!
Monday: 3 mile run - Like last week, this run was more a miss than a hit. I took our dog Blue to the beach and attempted to run with him. Unfortunately, I found that running on the beach was way harder than I wanted to work. It ended up being 45 minute walk. Better than nothing!
Tuesday: Speed work - 30 minute Tempo Run - I had to look this one up online. There are many opinions on how to best describe this speed workout, but most of them included this phrase: comfortably hard. You run at a moderate pace, then speed up to a "comfortably hard" pace for a certain distance, then return to a moderate pace. You repeat the process for the length of your run. I found that this is how I usually run. Running has always been comfortably hard. So I slow down to catch my breath, then pick it up again. The difference I made today was not allowing myself to walk at all, but only slowed the pace to "rest". I used my treadmill on this day.
Wednesday: 3 mile run and strength - Had an appointment in Kailua at 9:00 AM, so I ran after that. I'm not used to running in the late morning. It was hot. I was proud that I didn't blow off the run. Note to self: get an early start!
Thursday: Rest day - The rest couldn't have come at a better time. Busy day with two kids leaving for the mainland. It's only the second week, but already I feel like I'm playing hooky if I don't run!
Friday: 3 mile run - The rest day prepares me to do a quick run on Friday. Tried to run at race pace.
Saturday: 6 mile run - Unexpected family concerns kept me from running my full six. I was only able to do 3 on the treadmill. I plan to make it up on Monday. This day inspired a new post on dealing with the unexpected - look for it this week!
Overall, I was very pleased with my workouts this week. Although I didn't get all the miles in according to my plan, at least I completed something 5 out of the 5 days. That's how life is. I don't expect to follow the training plan to the letter. It just keeps me moving toward the goal.
The best thing about this week: I kept my running commitment on Wednesday, even when my schedule was busy.
The biggest challenge of this week: Monday's workout needs to be a higher priority.
With ten weeks left until race day, it's still not too late for you to join me. Set some goals, and find a plan that works. We can do this and it's always more fun with a friend!
You might be thinking, "It's only week 2 of your 12 week plan, Karelin. Why talk about motivation now?" Let's just say that from experience, I know... You never know when your motivation will leave you. It could be week 2 or 6 or 11... Preventive measures are the best.
Looking over the many pages of running sites on the net, you will find a vast array of things to get you going. There are the common sense things like making goals, using a training log, or entering a race. Well, I've done that, and still I can find myself wrestling with not wanting to head out the door.
But I realize that there are things in my life that I do that are non-negotiable commitments. Things like getting to a doctor's appointment or taking my daughters to dance class. Those things I do whether I want to or not. And I do them on time. Why is it that my running schedule seems to be optional? So many days I wake up early to run and before I get out of bed I'm already bargaining with myself, "Oh, I could just run in the afternoon..." or "Looks like it's going to rain." Bad idea. The longer I lay there trying to re-schedule, the easier it is to cave in.
So I have developed a mantra that I begin to say whenever I feel myself start to deal...
Don't think, just move!
Don't think, just move!
Don't think, just move!
I start saying it over and over as my body gets out of bed. I force myself to slide into auto pilot and shut off the brain. It works.
Not very high-tech. Maybe good ideas don't have to be.
The great thing about this mantra is that it can be used for all kinds of stuff I don't really want to do. It could be doing the dishes or taking time to help someone in need. From the mundane to the critical, it gets me moving without leaving room for making excuses. I'm a natural procrastinator. The mantra helps me overcome.
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Galatians 6:8-10 (NLT)
It's human nature to get tired of doing what is good. Running disciplines my body and my mind to do what I know is good for me. That skill can then be transferred to other areas of my life. Opportunities to bless others won't be so daunting if I have the "Don't think, just move" attitude. It's a choice to live by the Spirit.
If you like tech, I've found a great supply of motivating videos. This one features a heart-wrenching marathon finish at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.*
*The runner who staggers over the finish line in this video is Gabriela Anderson-Schiess. Here is her bio from Wikipedia:
Gabriela ("Gaby") Andersen-Schiess (born May 20, 1945) is a former Swisslong-distance runner who participated in the first women's Olympicmarathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Though living in Idaho and working as a ski instructor at the time, Andersen-Schiess represented Switzerland in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Fourteen minutes into the 1984 Olympic marathon, Joan Benoit began to pull away from the rest of the pack. She went on to win in a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 52 seconds. Twenty minutes after Benoit finished, then 39-year-old Andersen-Schiess entered the stadium.
The crowd gasped in horror as she staggered onto the track, her torso twisted, her left arm limp, her right leg mostly seized. She waved away medical personnel who rushed to help her, knowing that, if they touched her, she would be disqualified. The L.A. Coliseum crowd applauded and cheered as she limped around the track in the race’s final 400 meters, occasionally stopping and holding her head.
While the effects of her heat exhaustion were plainly evident, trackside medics saw that she was perspiring, which meant that her body still had some disposable fluids, and let her continue her march to the finish line. At the completion of this final lap—which took Andersen-Schiess five minutes and 44 seconds—she fell across the finish line. She finished 37th, ahead of seven other runners. Medical personnel tended to her immediately and, miraculously, she was released two hours later. Her time of 2:48:45 would have won the gold medal in the first five Olympic marathons.[1]
Andersen-Schiess won the inaugural California International Marathon in 1983.[2] She has also held Swiss national records in the 10,000 metres and the marathon.[3]
