week 5 - success!

this week was a good week. i enjoyed my rest day, one without work this week. i'm also enjoying my short break before summer school starts. i'm able to go to bed early, which helps with getting up for those early morning workouts. it seems that the end of the semester brings one full week of catching up on sleep and doing NOTHING! i love it. 5 more classes - 3 more semesters.

this was a great training week too. due to the warmth on thursday, james shortened my long run from 10 to 6, but changed up my tempo for saturday. the weather was forecasted to change by saturday and be cooler so he upped the workout from 8 miles and 6 of tempo to 11 miles with 2x4 of tempo. it was exciting to think about. after last week's tempo going so well, i had some confidence in the bank. this is new territory for me. i'm having success in my training and it is carrying over into my mental preparedness. as i told james this week, the only thing i have to worry about it going out and going out and executing. he's planning my schedule, the pace, etc, and it takes all the worry and stress off of me.

it was around 60 degrees saturday morning, and i was fortunate to have terri meeting me for the first half of my run. we warmed up slowly, ridding the trace of some large pieces of debris from the storm the night before. our first mile in the first set was a bit off the pace at 8:37, but after that, it was dead on. 8:33, 8:27, and 8:25. i had 1 mile of rest in between, which was supposed to be 10:00, and we quickly discovered we were running a bit faster. the mind knew it had to slow down, but the legs didn't get the memo. but we did and ran it in 9:57. during that mile, i ate a gu, then quickly grabbed some water and said goodbye to terri. i plugged up to the ipod and got back to it. thanks to pearl jam, the foo fighters, muse and coldplay, i had 4 more strong miles. 8:24, 8:26, 8:24, and 8:24. my cool down was 9:42. i was fired up that i nailed the paces, and that i felt great doing it. my legs weren't as fresh as i would have liked, but overall everything was clicking. what my legs lacked, the mind and rest of my body made up. needless to say i was stoked when i was done. a little more confidence in the bank.

vicki had agreed to meet me this morning for my recovery at 6:30. i am so encouraged by how i've felt on these recovery runs the last couple of weeks. i've done them the day after hard runs, and i have felt pretty good. i couldn't go run a 7:50 mile or and 8:30 even, but i can easily manage the 10 minute recovery pace. it was a little cooler this morning, and we had a good run. my garmin died halfway through the run, but up until then, i was dead on the 10 minute pace. recovery runs have a purpose, and mine are doing their job. yesterday, the legs were a bit achey and sore. today they are much better.

while i was relaxing today, i did some stretching and even did a little ab work. i need to start incorporating some core work back into my training as well as some regular stretching. that's a new goal. it's also time to get serious about my diet again since i've, well, slipped. :)

this week i logged 32 miles - 5 at 7:50 and 8 and 8:30. i also had 2 reocovery rides in spin class. i'm now looking forward to a new week of training!

trample the weak, hurdle the dead

the old saying goes 'never say never', and i have learned that it's true. i said once, years ago, i'd never run a marathon. i've now done 11. i said i would never go back to school. i'm currently working on a master's degree. i probably said i'd never get a tattoo. i have one. so now i just don't use this phrase because i have learned that anything is possible.

yesterday, another 'never' came back to get me. i once said i would never run the tupelo marathon. yesterday at 11:30 a.m., i signed up for the 2011 tupelo marathon. my running crew and i had decided a few months ago that we were going to do it, so i knew once it was time to sign up, i would. so what changed my mind? i have no idea! i think it's a new challenge. the race is september 3, the hottest time of the year. it's hilly. and it starts in the dark at 5 a.m. i'm not afraid of the dark. hills don't really scare me that bad. but the 80 degree temps with 90 something % humidity at a race start does! it's ridiculous. this is not my goal race so it will be just a go run well and have fun kind of day. well, more like a run the best that i can kind of day. no way around it, we will have fun somewhere in there - most likely before and after the race, and not during. if you're near me during the run, ignore the words coming out of my mouth and terri, don't take it personally. :)

i have the best motivated running partners and a great coach and mentors so the pieces are there for me to survive this. AND i'll get the cool shirt and coveted medal!

it's getting hot in herr

i agree with james, summertime has returned, and no i'm not happy about it. for most of us, even though we live in warmer climates most of the time, running in the heat is difficult. for the rest of us, it's even more than difficult. i would take 20 degrees any day over a 80 degree morning or a 95 degree afternoon. i abolustely despise running in the heat.

we were lucky last week with some 40 degree mornings. even on saturday it was a lovely 50-something degrees for my tempo run. and it made for a great run. well, that and the fact that i felt great. i had to be at work at 7:30, so terri was the glutton for punishment that met me to do the workout. my tempo was a 1 mile warm-up, 6 at 8:30 tempo pace, and a mile cool-down. my legs felt really good as soon as we started. i got on pace quickly and stayed there. it was ideal. for 6 miles, it was pretty much dead on. me and the garmin are becoming very well connected. it was a great run.

sunday, i expected my recovery to be really tough because as soon as i got done with my tempo on saturday, i showered, dressed and went to work immediately, no breaks. i was on my feet from 7:30 to about 2, and i was beyond exhausted when i got home, and this was after working about 12 hours on friday too. however, on sunday, for as stiff and as stove up as i was, i felt really good during the 6 miles. again, dead on with pace and i wasn't even trying on that one. again, me and garmin, bff's.

monday is rest from running, and i teach my spin class. we had a small group, just 3, so we just rode and chatted. it was just what the doctor ordered. my lower back was bothering me yesterday, so i doped up and by the evening, it was much better. i was beyond sleepy so i got to bed early and was ready for the speed session this morning. gone were the cool temps and back were the hot, humid temps. after my warm-up, i was already drenched! they were tough today. as i told james, there was no way around this being hard. i did what i knew i had to do, which was just suck it up and do it. and i did. terri and chris did the first 3 with me, and then i was on my own. that fourth one was the toughest, and it wasn't because i was alone. it was because it was 73 degrees and i was depleting. my legs felt great, but my breathing was very difficult and my body felt like it was draggng a concrete block. we are not adjusted to the temps and higher humidity so during this process of adjustment, james had told me that i had to decide if i needed to ease up 15 or 20 seconds on my paces, and that thought crossed my mind many times during the workout. i didn't, and the whole time, i was wondering if that was a mistake. i'll find out thursday when i do my long run. i took longer recoveries in between, probably of about 7 minutes instead of the usual 5 or 5 1/2. that seemed to help. on that last one, i just said, ok, go. and then it was over. the cool down was very tough, and i walked at the beginning for a minute and even at the half for about 30 seconds. i couldn't have sweated more today. it was ridiculous. but i made it...7:50, 7:49, 7:48, 7:54, and 7:51.

the summer will be tough, no matter how you look at it. it's just how it is here, however, i plan on doing all i can to kick its butt.

abc's of me

ginny over at happy feet 26.2 posted this earlier. like her, i have seen this circulate through the blogsphere, and i was inspired by her to post mine today. maybe you'll learn a little something about me.

here goes!

Age - 38
Baseball - favorite place is The Pete this time of the year
Chacos - my favorite shoes
Dogs - you all have heard about my best friend molly, the big black lab
Easy runs - i appreciate them more now
Friends - love my friends!
Golden Eagles - SMTTT!
Height - 5'5
Iphone - yep, i'm one of those
Job - manager of programs (event planner) at the southern miss alumni association
Kids - no kids, no plans for any - molly and my 3 newphews and niece are enough
Last of the Mohicans - one of my favorite movies
Master's Degree - what i'm working on
NCAA sports - LOVE it
Older brother and sister - one of each
Peanut butter - nuff said
Quiet - that's how i like things
Running - should i say more?
Saturday - favorite day of the week
Thanksgiving - favorite holiday
U2 - a favorite band - after coldplay of course
Visiting my mom and dad's pool - favorite summer activity
Wrist tattoo - 26.2
Xray - had a few - back, foot, teeth
Yellow - favorite coldplay song
Zoo animal - the cats!

rainy days and tuesdays get me down

imagine success. that was my mental plan for today. i was coming into this workout with fresh legs after a week of recovery miles, 36 of them, but still recovery miles. coach james had emailed me some mental tips to help me get through the workout, and i was confident i'd have a good day.

75 degrees and humid. that's what it was at the start of the run. the mile warmup was slow and easy, and i just let my legs open up on their own. i started the first repeat and got on pace immediately and stayed on pace. i was excited because i typically start out way too fast or too slow and have to speed up too much to get on pace. 7:49, nailed it. sipped some water, felt some sprinkles, did the recovery, and started again. this time, i did not find the pace. i felt so good that i wasn't understanding it was easier because i was going slower. i was blaming it on my Garmin. it was cloudy and my Garmin has not responded in clouds of this kind before so i thought it was not catching up to my speed as quickly. wrong! between the half and 3/4 mark, i realized i was slower and i was not going to be able to catch up. i didn't think that sprinting that last little bit was a good idea to get the pace i needed. so that one was 7:59. i was annoyed. recovery, a few more sprinkles, and back on track. third was was spot on again at 7:49.

during the second mile repeat, about halfway through it, the wind shifted quickly and immediately it was cooler. i've been outdoors when cool fronts passed through and they were gradual over an hour or hours. this one was almost instantaneous, and during our workout the temp dropped over 10 degrees. crazy! great scenario right? wrong again. remember those sprinkles? at the end of the third mile repeat, the bottom fell out. i thought it was one of those bursts of rain that stopped as quickly as it started. wrong again for the 3rd time this morning. i grabbed a quick sip of water and attempted the cool down, but the rain got harder and was blowing in sheets - there was a strong crosswind coming in from the north. i was drenched and it got cold quickly. after my recovery, i took shelter under the gateway restrooms. a cyclist was doing the same, and had his phone. the radar showed a small cell, and we both thought it would move quickly. i was thinking i could finish the workout. it did not move quickly and 10 minutes passed. i also got cold. when the rain didn't stop, i decided to call it a day. my body had cooled down for too long, and i would need to add a longer warm up before i did the last 2 repeats. plus, the time was getting away from me, and i would risk being late for work. i ended the workout with 5.5 miles and 3 repeats, 2 on pace.

i am ticked that i messed up my second repeat because i know it was there. and i am ticked that the weather ended my workout early. i was feeling better than i have in almost 2 weeks, and i was ready to put some intensity into these legs. i'm disappointed things didn't go as planned, but finding the silver lining, i'm very happy with how i felt. it's encouraging for the rest of the week.

another month & week down

another month is done as well as another week. i'm wrapping up my recovery week of training, and i'm starting to feel back to normal. tuesday was an 8 mile recovery, thursday a 10 mile recovery and tomorrow will be 12 and sunday 6. i'll log 36 miles this week. starting tuesday, it's back on with the intensity with speed work. i'm ready!

last sunday, i wrote about my plans for the week. some things i accomplished, some i didn't. first on my list of seeing southern miss defeat alabama. well, that didn't happen. second was to run with scott jurek and chris mcdougall. that didn't happen either. unlike the baseball game, i can explain that one. you see, i had a semester long project due the next day as well as the in-class presentation for that project. the project was a public relations campaign that i built throughout the semester. the presentation was only to be 10 minutes, but i don't do well going off the cuff when speaking in class. so i opted out of the naked run tour that evening to do my final prep for my campaign. said campaign is pictured to the left and was a 1 1/2 to 2 inch thick piece of work, and it better get me an A in this class! the presentation went well, and the campaign is turned in and finished. next up for this class, a take home final due in 2 weeks, and a 10 page paper for another class due in one week. after that, my semester is over. 2 semesters of grad school will be one, with only 5 classes left. 2 in the summer, 2 in the fall, 1 in the spring with comps.

the third item on my list was to attend the school of mass communication and journalism spring awards banquet where i was receiving an award. a few weeks ago, my professor emailed me to submit some work for the student showcase. i thought it was cool, and told her i'd do it. then i realized submissions were due by 5 that day! so i pulled some work i did for a class last semester and sent it in. i was at my parent's house on good friday enjoying the pool and got an email saying i had won an award and would need to attend the banquet. most of the awards given were for graduating seniors, selected by faculty, for their undergraduate success, but there was also the student showcase for particular pieces that were submitted. i won for best public relations research. i submitted a paper i did last semester on social media that focuses on facebook and dove into the social phenomenon it has become. i don't know how many submitted work (probably not many), but i was still honored to be recognized. the theme of the banquet was geared around the oscars hence the reason my trophy is an oscar.

the fourth item on my list was to run lots of great miles, and for the most part i did. at the start of the week, i wasn't as fresh as i would have liked to have been, but the recovery week is working and i'm feeling better. coach james has tweaked my schedule some, so i'm looking forward to starting back with challenging but attainable workouts and seeing how this new schedule works out. i have high hopes.

runner therapy - why i run

people run for so many different reasons. i would say a good many start running to lose weight. i know i did, and it worked. but then i caught the running bug or rather i got a taste of the running drug. sure i lost weight and got fitter, but i gained so much more. in my last few posts, i've acknowledged that i'm working with a coach. in my initial meetings, i filled out some paperwork and one of the questions was 'why do you run?' that was not a hard question for me to answer.

i started running with a friend probably 8 or 9 years ago. she wasn't athletic nor into exercise, but she wanted to 'tone up' for a beach trip. so, we started running. about 2 weeks later, she quit. i kept going. i finally was able to run a mile without stopping. then 2. then 3. then 6. and the next year, i ran a marathon. granted it wasn't a great marathon, and to this day stands as my worst time, but it was the start of a lifestyle of running. since then running has come to mean so many different things to me.

as i mentioned above, i started running to lose weight initially, but that's not why i kept running. there are very few things i have done that can compare to finishing a marathon. the physical and mental challenge is so great and the level of difficulty is so high, and once you finish, this wave of exhilaration washes over you and you realize you just ran 26 miles and 385 yards. it's an unbelievable feeling of pride in yourself that you overcame lots of tough moments to cross that finish line. i have yet to find a feeling that compares. the best part is it stays with you for a while. and it's not just with marathons. i can go out and have a kick butt tempo run, long run or speed session and have just about the same feelings. the feeling of accomplishment is like no other. you earn bragging rights!

running has changed me. not just my body, but also my mind. running brings out the good stuff. it brings out the tenacity you need to tackle an obstacle at work or at home or whatever. it brings out a healthy competitive spirit. it brings out a new level of confidence. it gets the endorphins moving. it creates a stronger mind. it helps alleviate stress. this is all stuff you need to handle life, and life is HARD! running does that for me. it makes me feel good. and it makes me feel good about myself.

the best part is running has given me great friends. i started out as a lone runner for the most part. i met a few runners in the early days, but i still didn't dive into the local running club. it wasn't until the running club president began working in my office that i became social in the running community. i started getting involved in the club, and there i met some of the most amazing people who are now my best friends. we always would joke about how different we all were, but we had one strong common bond. if you distance run, you spend lots of time with running partners, you get to know them very well and get very comfortable with them. i might not look forward to an 18 or 20 mile run, but i look forward to the camaraderie that will be shared on those runs. most of my best memories are with my running friends and have revolved around a run. i have lifelong friends, and they are some of my biggest fans and supports. runners love all runners and are a very accepting group.

so that's how i answered the question on the questionnaire. as long as i'm able, i will run. below is a picture of me in college, when i was close to my heaviest weight. i've come a long way!