13 mile training run...

According to our training schedule, this weekend was a 13-14 mile long run, at our long run pace.  Seeing that I want to do Milwaukee in a 2:30, I was to run between a 11:47 - 12:53. I thought that would be sooo doable and that I could even do better, keeping between a 11:30-11:45.  Little did  I know that the stress on me from the Release weekend and warranty week would have such an impact on my run.

Since my work week was soo bad, I had decided to take Friday off to relax and get some stuff done, like chop my hair. Yeah I needed a new do so that I could be ready for race season. It was too long to deal with and my only condition I told my stylist was that it should still fit in a pony tail... So it's chopped but look cute and I can even french braid it :)  Even with the day off, that didn't help me out for the run. The damage was already done. Lack of sleep, poor nutrition and dehydrated were just the topper of all my problems ahead of me.

So here we are, race day!  Stephanie I, Wendy, Lena, Stephanie B and myself. We're all set for this training run.  Well it was a training run for all of us but Lena, this would be her first 1/2 marathon, and Stephanie B would be pacing her, while Wendy and Stephanie I would pace together.  Me being the slower one, I was alone for the run. No to worry, I'm use to it, but at least I had my tunes to keep me going.

As always i took off too quickly, keeping up with Wendy and Stephanie I for the first mile.  I realized I would fizzle out quickly if I kept this up so I started to pull back and added a little walk.  After that I kept it at the a good pace and kept that going until about mile 8. At that point, or maybe just before, I started to feel a pull in my left calf. I slowed down and walked and it went away. I started to run again, and then again it came back and this time it hurt. I again pulled back and walked it off. Once again.. Not good, this time it was both legs and I almost fell.  I was getting cramping in both legs and it hurt. I knew it, I was already dehydrated, even thou I was drinking water but it seemed to be the side effects from my work week.  At mile 9-10 it was it... I just couldn't keep it up. Anytime I picked up my pace I would stumble and the pain was bad. I was crying and I wanted to give up. I kept talking myself into pushing thru the pain and it was grueling. I never cried during a run and this time I was crying like a baby. I was hurting bad and worrying that I would fall because my calf would tighten and my foot would drag. I didn't know what to do. I was still 3 miles from the finish. I pushed thru it and finally saw the 13 mile marker.  Only had to finish crossing the overpass and a small run thru the grass and I would be done.  I saw the girls cheering me on and I was hurting that for the first time I started to ball after I crossed the finish line.  I just lost it and the pain was still there.

Even thou I finished and I did PR (2:46), I was so disappointed with myself because I let my job affect my training.  I just hope that I can get over this and move forward with my training and meet my meet all my goals for this race season.

Just when you want to give up...

 

This weekend is our deployment weekend, also today is the 4 month anniversary of my baby Delilah's passing. I've been missing her so much lately it's been affecting my every day activities including my running and training overall.  The last couple of runs have been all over the place. I either do great or I have to talk myself out of giving up. With deployment activities my stress level has been really high and that also doesn't help me in my training. I've been averaging 2-3 hrs of sleep at night, not eating as well as I should and definitely not well hydrated.  The double wammy of missing Delilah and deployment is really killer.

During the Monday night run, i did great! I kept my pace for my 20 minute tempo and it was awesome, even thou I puked on the 4th loop.  But then on Tuesday I just felt like blah and couldn't get up at for spin class (also didn't hurt that Wendy was on vacation so didn't have her there to push me to go, push in a good way that is).  Then Wednesday I was really out of if, my emotions were at the worst and I still went to the last night of Winter Runners, and it showed it in my run.  I couldn't keep a good pace at all. I just wanted to give up but I did my 16 minutes out and back but no negative split here. I walked more than I wanted to the run back. I stayed a little for the bit after and had a slice of pizza and took a couple pictures then it was back home. It was then another night of no sleep, well I think I dozed on and off on the coach but nothing worth saying that I got some rest. Luckily I got to work from home on Thursday, but in hopes to be a little relaxed before go live I skipped my swim that night.

Since release means I have to start work at 2-3 pm on Friday until Saturday morning sometime, I knew I wouldn't be making it out to run with the group Saturday morning.  So I had no other choice but to do my long run Friday morning.  Even thou I tried to sleep in Payton had other ideas... Play while mommy sleeps and take a nap when mommy wakes up.  So at 930ish I was up and getting dressed and heading out the door for my 8 mile run. I kept going back and forth on what my plan was for today. Go east 1 then back 1 for warm-up then 2 out west and then back at race pace, then back east 1 and back for cool down... Then I kept thinking that will all the back and forth I would easily give up and just head home, so instead I made a simple out and back heading west.  The path was still in crappy conditions. There were so many holes and ice and muck that it just sucked and I feared rolling my ankles. I couldn't keep a good pace and again I started to talk myself out of it. Then I started to justify my crap run with the fact that I'm not sleeping, not eating and not being well hydrated.  I also realized I didn't have the auto lap feature on so I had to fix that just after mile 1... I just wasn't with it and my time was showing it.  After my warm-up I just moved to the street and gulped down my Gu.  Then I was off... I was really moving well, thankful for stable ground. Surprisingly my pace rocked it.  At 4 miles set to be at my race pace (11:27) I thought that would be doable, and trying not to walk would be the greatest challenge, but  I thought I could do it. Imagine my amazement that I was at a 10:38 - 11:04, with my overall pace at a 11:27.  WOW I guess I got my mojo once I left the path and it was awesome. I finished my run feeling great and realizing that I can totally do this. My music was my company and it kept me going. Thinking of my Delilah pushed me to be strong and get thru my miles. My baby girl will always be with me and I know that I can count of her to give me the strength and courage to complete all that lies ahead of me.

With this feeling of accomplishment, I finally buckled down and registered for Racine 70.3... No turning back now!!!

Prairie Path - Weekend Long Run by sandrade70 at Garmin Connect - Details

I'm done with this cold weather...

I'm really getting fed up with this cold weather. I think last year's 80's in March spoiled us, but really, 30's with 17+ mph winds are really not fun.

Saturday's long run was suppose to be 11-12 miles. So we all trekked to the Prairie Path and set out at 7 am for a 30 min out and back, so we can grab the 8 am group. It wasn't too bad, I tried to keep my pace between 11:30 and 11:45, and I did pretty well. I walked a little more than I thought but my calf was tight and my feet hurt. I really think I'm due for some new shoes.  When we got back to the gazebo, we fueled up and had something to drink and took off west, hoping for less much on the trail.  I didn't think when I went out on that leg, as we needed to do 3 miles out and then back, that I didn't bring my fuel belt with me and boy did I BONK out!  Mile 5-7 were right on pace, actually mile 7 was about a 11:08 pace so I was happy. Then on mile 8 I started to feel it, I was starting to drag. I made it to the turn about and headed back to the gazebo. Stephanie I was with me for this leg and we were both feeling it.  We walked more than we should've but we couldn't really help it.  I know I had to do 11-12 but I only got in 10.91... that's close enough, especially since I kept a good pace... at least that is what I keep telling myself.

Saturday Morning Long Run - Prairie Path by sandrade70 at Garmin Connect - Details

Today's team run was a tempo run for 20 minutes around our 1/2 mile loop.  It was starting to get cold as we started the run and the winds were starting to pick up.  I had given Coach Dave my expectations for my 1/2 in May, he told me that I should look to be around a 10:20ish pace, in actuallity it was more of a 10:30-10:50 pace.  My tempo run was right on it.  I thought the whole time i was suppose to be a 10:20 so I pushed it in the last loop, dropping from 10:44 pace to a 10:38 pace. I pushed it so hard that I did puke, but I didn't let that stop me and i finished my tempo and headed back to the store.  I thought I ran slower on the return but when I look at my stats on my Garmin, I actually went faster.

Winter Runners by sandrade70 at Garmin Connect - Details

I will be sooo happy when the weather finally calms down and we don't have to worry about wearing so many layers or if it's going to start to snow in mid run, like it did on Saturday.

On another plus note for tonight... swim was cancelled due to the pool having issues, so I got to go home early and relax.  Don't get me wrong, I love swimming but Monday's are tough, weight training at lunch, then running and swimming in the evening... Skipping one won't kill my training :)

Lisle Spring Sprint 10K... let's try this again

Today was the start of my 2013 race season.  I wish it started out on a better foot, but it didn't and nothing I can really do to change that.  Last night was our yearly Wolves Game Outing, which ended after a loss in the shoot out, so that meant going to bed early to get some rest was out of the question.  Once we finally did get home and I go into bed, I had to deal with fighting puppies and wanting to play instead of going to bed. Finally when they did fall asleep, one on each side of me I woke up to the rain and hearing the subpump going off.  My knees were starting to kill me, and figured it was probably because of them sleeping so close to me. But anything I did any position I laid in I ached... My joints have been so bad this winter season I just don't know what is going on here. During the last snow storm and this rain storm, I just want to die from the pain. :(

Anyways, alarm finally goes off and I'm ready to get this going. It's pouring out so I'm already dreading it. I think with the pain in my knees and the rain, I already checked out when it came down to the race. I decided that getting a PR was going to be out of the question.

We had a good turnout at the race, Wendy, Joan, Dan, Lou, Nancy, Helen, Carla, Trish and Erica, plus Dave and Stephanie B were there to pace with us and Judy had the cowbells and camera.  It felt so great to be ready for a race. The nerves I feel are awesome. I wanted to get this thing going. But during the warm-up I almost doubled over in pain in my knees. I never felt this bad or wanted to cry so much like I did in a 10 minute warm-up.  But I sucked it up and then waited for the start.

Off we go! I started in the back of the pack and it wasn't too bad. I was with Joan keeping her company since I knew I wasn't going to be pushing it that hard. Once we turned from the streets to the path we found that this was race was going to be more and more of a challenge. All the rains started to melt the snow and with no were to go it flooded the path. We had to detour on to the sides of the path thru mud and muck and hanging to trees to make the passing. That still didn't stop us from getting soaked, I was so glad I brought my old shoes to get trashed, but regardless it was not fun at all.

After the first loop and contemplating ditching the second loop, I managed to talk Joan into just finishing this and we'll have her first 10k under her belt.  A good idea, but turned out not to be not a good one in the end. Just before the 4 mile marker, as we trekked behind the baseball diamonds, Joan slipped on an icy spot and that was it. She hear a crack and there was no way I was going to leave her there.  Luckily, about what seemed like forever, I finally spotted a course marshal on his golf cart, waved him down and he called in medical. I stayed with her because there was no way I could finish knowing she was hurt. Stephanie called me back and figured out where we were and her and Dan came out to us.  In the end, Joan and I DNF (did not finish), Joan had a sprain, luckily no break and was home resting up.  I'm glad I was there for her, even if it costed my race, but with my lack of heart due to pain I didn't care... at that time.

Now that I sit back and think about it, I know what I did was what I had to do, but I'm a little bummed I didn't finish the race. I know it wouldn't have been the best time for me, but I think the fact that I got a DNF kind of scares me that I will be easy to give up on other races.

There will be other races, many more races this year, so I need to try to forget about this, be happy that I was there for Joan and that I will over come this and finish all my other races.

Off-Season is officially over

Off-Season is officially over... First long run at the Arboretum at my best pace there so far, next weekend is my first race and in 10 weeks will be my spring 1/2 marathon. I'm really excited for what this year has in store for me. And so happy to have a great coach, to push me to beyond my limits, a great team to train with (too many to mention but you all know who you are), and a supportive fiance, Rich, who will push me to keep going, especially when we start getting out there on our bikes. This race season is gonna be a blast, but it will only get me ready for next years big feats...

 My race schedule is almost finalized and I've added a few more races since the initial post...

 So here goes:

2013 Schedule

March 10, 2013     Lisle Spring Sprint 10k
March 30, 2013     Egg Shell Shuffle

May  4, 2013     Wisconsin 1/2 Marathon
May 19, 2013     Tower Tri
May 25, 2013     Soldier Field 10 Miler
May 26, 2013     Bike the Drive

June 16, 2013     Color Run 5K
June 23, 2013     Pleasant Prairie Olympic Tri
June 30, 2013     LATE Ride (Tentative Date)

July 21, 2013     Racine Ironman

Aug 18, 2013     Ganther Race the Lake (90 miles)
Aug 24, 2013     DeKalb Corn Classic 10k

Sept  8, 2013     Madison Ironman - Volunteer
Sept 29, 2013     Apple Cider Century

Fall Marathon Options 

Oct 12, 2013     Baltimore Marathon
Oct 27, 2013     Marine Corp Marathon (sells out in 2.5 hrs)
Nov 24, 2013     Philadelphia Marathon

WOOHOO!! Bring it!!!