Icing my foot right now and enjoying the free internet at Motel 6 downtown Portland. Not a bad hotel, actually --- fancier than the average Motel 6, and pretty cheap for downtown.
Drove here from Boise and then drove around the Portland marathon course since I will be back here Oct 4th for that race. It's a fairly flat course, with 1 medium hill (long and not too steep) at the start and then one big hill about mile 16. A lot of the course is pretty ugly industrial area, but there are some really nice parts of the course, too. Part of the Portland Marathon course dovetails with my first leg of Portland to Coast tomorrow, so that's kind of fun.
Met three of my five teammates tonight at the Old Spaghetti Factory downtown (the restaurant was hard to find... even with a map AND directions. Portland is confusing!). We enjoyed a mediocre meal but good company (the meal was at least predictable which is perfect for the night before a race). Then we decorated our 15-passenger van windows with slogans "Toenails are for Sissies", "Does this van make our butts look fast?", "Put on your big girl panties", etc. :).
The other 2 teammates will meet us in the morning a few hours before the race. I know Dee, Mary, and Katie from other races but had not met Holly before, and will meet Lisa tomorrow morning. Mary is very talented - holds the Master's world record for age 50-54 I think in the 10k track RW; she has beaten me at 5K in 2007 but last summer I edged her out by a little in 5K and 10K. Dee is also very speedy having beaten me in a 5K race in 2007 with a time of I think 28:45 or so. Katie beat me last summer in Spokane at 5K (by 1 second) and 10K (by 7 seconds). We are a fast team :).
Hopefully my foot will hold up...Ollie gave me a good suggestion to tape it. Unfortunately I don't have any tape here and my physical therapist is in Utah :( and can't do it for me (no time before I left - the injury came on too fast). I am just going to ice lots and take my anti-inflammatories and keep my fingers crossed.
I will be unable to get online until next Wednesday, most likely, because we will be camping on the coast w/the kids after the race (unless I cave and hit an internet cafe...). So, if you want to see how we did, check the race results at http://www.hoodtocoast.com/index_ptc.php?i=ptc
Watch out, PTC, here come the Six Pistols! :)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Foot
My foot still hurts. Not good. I think I can racewalk on it but at what cost? Well, my team is counting on me. Ice and my anti-inflammatory are my friends. We will see...
In Boise now and running out of battery power so this is fast. Will be in Portland tonight and will scope out the marathon course for 10/4 as well as having dinner with my PTC teammates. I'm excited... and very afraid about my foot.
In Boise now and running out of battery power so this is fast. Will be in Portland tonight and will scope out the marathon course for 10/4 as well as having dinner with my PTC teammates. I'm excited... and very afraid about my foot.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
busy busy busy
Things are crazy now. So if I usually read your blog/Facebook/whatever and haven't lately, well, please forgive me! I will catch up on them soon I hope. I will be leaving on my trip tomorrow and will have internet Wed & Thurs but not for a few days after that. So I'll try to catch up then, but we'll see.
Meanwhile, workout stuff:
Sunday - easy 3.65 around Sugar House Park. Felt great.
Monday - fast 8 miles with Sue on the Porter Rockwell trail. We did the first 7 at a 10:28 pace and the last mile was fast enough that our ave pace for all 8 was 10:20. Yeah, that was a fast mile. Fun, though! Bad news... my left foot started hurting on the bottom, proximal to the big toe. It just felt crampy and achy when I got home and rested.
Tuesday - track workout; warm up and cool down 1 mile easy plus 4x400 fast. Didn't want to do a lot because I want to be fresh on Friday for the race. Did the 400s in 2:13, 2:11, 2:11 and 2:08. Awesome. At the end, my foot ached again. It got worse all day as I walked to and from my car 2x at work (1.8 miles total) because I had to take my mom to the airport in the middle of the day. I put ice on it and am taking my anti-inflammatory. Loren thinks it might be some tendonitis :( which is not good news.
I'm not going to RW at all until Friday. Let's hope rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories keep this thing in check.
If I don't update before Friday, it's because I'm enjoying my vacation :). Our team for Portland-to-Coast is "Six Pistols" if you want to check our results online.
Meanwhile, workout stuff:
Sunday - easy 3.65 around Sugar House Park. Felt great.
Monday - fast 8 miles with Sue on the Porter Rockwell trail. We did the first 7 at a 10:28 pace and the last mile was fast enough that our ave pace for all 8 was 10:20. Yeah, that was a fast mile. Fun, though! Bad news... my left foot started hurting on the bottom, proximal to the big toe. It just felt crampy and achy when I got home and rested.
Tuesday - track workout; warm up and cool down 1 mile easy plus 4x400 fast. Didn't want to do a lot because I want to be fresh on Friday for the race. Did the 400s in 2:13, 2:11, 2:11 and 2:08. Awesome. At the end, my foot ached again. It got worse all day as I walked to and from my car 2x at work (1.8 miles total) because I had to take my mom to the airport in the middle of the day. I put ice on it and am taking my anti-inflammatory. Loren thinks it might be some tendonitis :( which is not good news.
I'm not going to RW at all until Friday. Let's hope rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories keep this thing in check.
If I don't update before Friday, it's because I'm enjoying my vacation :). Our team for Portland-to-Coast is "Six Pistols" if you want to check our results online.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
TNT workout
This morning was a light turnout for TNT. Some were doing the Wasatch Woman 10k (at least 4 and maybe 5 of them?), some were out of town, had to work, or whatever. So we had 3 plus me & Sue. After recommitment, our team still has 22 people on it, which is awesome :).
One runner, Mark, (our fastest) was doing 14 miles today; he's training for Top of Utah and has 20 slated for next week. The other two were doing 10, as they are training for Nike and Dublin and have 16 next week. They are also runners and one of them, Stephanie, is our fastest woman (she does 8:30s on the long runs) and the other is a guy, Dave, who likes to do 10:30-11s. Perfect for racewalking :).
I started off running with Mark, who usually starts at 7:45-8:00 miles and then speeds up from there. I did about a mile with him at that pace and then dropped back with Stephanie, who was doing 8:30s. I ran (yeah, I don't racewalk that fast usually unless doing speed work) with her for about 2 miles and then dropped back with Dave & Sue. We had a route w/3 short out and backs plus a couple loops around Liberty Park, so it was perfect for running a few times with Stephanie & Mark without taxing myself too much. I don't want to run more than necessary, since I do not usually run much, and I am a bit afraid of injuring something at this point. I feel well-trained and fit and want to be sure I don't get hurt now!
I racewalked with Dave & Sue for about 4 miles or so, and then saw Stephanie again on an out-and-back and ran with her for a mile. Went back for Dave & Sue again, and racewalked with them for most of the rest of the time. I did run with Mark for a few tenths at the end of his 14 --- saw him on the last out-and-back and decided to run with him. He was pushing the end of the run (good training for a cutback week) and was running 7-7:15 miles. I did keep up with him for a few tenths, and even chatted about how he almost got bitten by a dog (yikes!) while on the run this morning. It was hard to run that fast, but I did it for a little :).
Went back for Dave & Sue again and finished with them. I kept forgetting to start my Garmin after stopping for water, but I think I did about 11.5 miles in approximately 2 hr, for a 10:26. Racewalked about 7.5 and ran about 4 I think. 10:26/mile seems slow... but Dave did take some walking breaks (~15 min pace) and it includes about 3-4 min of slower walking at the end. I guess I really have no idea for sure exactly how far or how fast I went. Doesn't matter, really! I got a good workout in, and we had fun!
One runner, Mark, (our fastest) was doing 14 miles today; he's training for Top of Utah and has 20 slated for next week. The other two were doing 10, as they are training for Nike and Dublin and have 16 next week. They are also runners and one of them, Stephanie, is our fastest woman (she does 8:30s on the long runs) and the other is a guy, Dave, who likes to do 10:30-11s. Perfect for racewalking :).
I started off running with Mark, who usually starts at 7:45-8:00 miles and then speeds up from there. I did about a mile with him at that pace and then dropped back with Stephanie, who was doing 8:30s. I ran (yeah, I don't racewalk that fast usually unless doing speed work) with her for about 2 miles and then dropped back with Dave & Sue. We had a route w/3 short out and backs plus a couple loops around Liberty Park, so it was perfect for running a few times with Stephanie & Mark without taxing myself too much. I don't want to run more than necessary, since I do not usually run much, and I am a bit afraid of injuring something at this point. I feel well-trained and fit and want to be sure I don't get hurt now!
I racewalked with Dave & Sue for about 4 miles or so, and then saw Stephanie again on an out-and-back and ran with her for a mile. Went back for Dave & Sue again, and racewalked with them for most of the rest of the time. I did run with Mark for a few tenths at the end of his 14 --- saw him on the last out-and-back and decided to run with him. He was pushing the end of the run (good training for a cutback week) and was running 7-7:15 miles. I did keep up with him for a few tenths, and even chatted about how he almost got bitten by a dog (yikes!) while on the run this morning. It was hard to run that fast, but I did it for a little :).
Went back for Dave & Sue again and finished with them. I kept forgetting to start my Garmin after stopping for water, but I think I did about 11.5 miles in approximately 2 hr, for a 10:26. Racewalked about 7.5 and ran about 4 I think. 10:26/mile seems slow... but Dave did take some walking breaks (~15 min pace) and it includes about 3-4 min of slower walking at the end. I guess I really have no idea for sure exactly how far or how fast I went. Doesn't matter, really! I got a good workout in, and we had fun!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
slight change of plans
Up late last night and had trouble getting up... was supposed to do 8 at marathon pace w/1 mile w/u and 1 mile c/d for 10 total. So instead, I did 8.1 at 1/2 marathon pace :). It went well --- 81 minutes for the 8.1 for 10 min miles (about 6:13/km for 13 km). HR was about 147-150 most of the time; however, my Garmin was not charged (? I know I charged it? What's the deal?) so I wore an old HR monitor which doesn't calculate averages for the workout. I also had no idea how far I went until I got home... I just intended to be out for 1:20-1:30 or so and picked a flat route that worked for me.
OK, need to get to bed now because I'm still sleep deprived and have to be at weight training at 6:30 am. Will try to catch up a bit more on the blog this weekend. Still have those pics to post...
OK, need to get to bed now because I'm still sleep deprived and have to be at weight training at 6:30 am. Will try to catch up a bit more on the blog this weekend. Still have those pics to post...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
so behind
I'm so behind on everything, so bear with me. I have lots of cute kid pics and other stuff to blog about but no time. I have about 5 min now so will write a couple things.
Kids: They are saying the funniest things! The other day we were explaining about #1 and #2 to Calvin (yes, the bodily functions). After we told him about what #1 and #2 are, he said, "So, diarrhea is #3!". Much laughter :).
Michelle devoured cherries at lunch today and made the biggest mess ever. They were all over. She had to have a bath afterward. I got a photo of her covered in cherry juice but no time to download right now. There was even cherry juice on her back, believe it or not. She also has a nasty skinned nose & forehead from taking a header off the swing at school yesterday. The child has NO fear.
***
Workouts:
Tuesday morning track workout: Six Yasso 800s were on the schedule. I was also meeting a friend at the track to teach her some racewalking technique, so I ended up resting a little more in between the 800s than is best, but that was OK because I really wanted to help her out. And I still did them, and did them pretty darn fast. She showed up after I did the 3rd one, so the extra rest was only between the last 3. Here were my times: 4:34, 4:30, 4:31, 4:28, 4:28, 4:26. Niiiice. I felt fast & good.
Wednesday - cross-training; biked to weight training and did a good hard set which I won't list here because of the time, and also did abs.
***
Injury update:
Monday night I got a massage. Lars is amazing and I felt super when I left. He gave my R piriformis lots of extra attention and it helped quite a bit.
Tuesday I went to physical therapy. My therapist agreed that it is probably the piriformis (though there is a small chance it is a disc problem in my back... but he thinks it more likely that it's a RW overuse thing w/the piriformis) and gave me some exercises & stretches to do at home. He also wants me to get some more of my fave anti-inflammatory, diclofenac, from my doc, and take it more often. Good idea :). He said there isn't much more he can do... but did recommend that I get massages at least 2x/month. I guess I can't object too strenuously to that since they feel great.
***
Race countdown: 9 days until Portland-to-Coast. Only 6.5 weeks until the Portland Marathon.
Kids: They are saying the funniest things! The other day we were explaining about #1 and #2 to Calvin (yes, the bodily functions). After we told him about what #1 and #2 are, he said, "So, diarrhea is #3!". Much laughter :).
Michelle devoured cherries at lunch today and made the biggest mess ever. They were all over. She had to have a bath afterward. I got a photo of her covered in cherry juice but no time to download right now. There was even cherry juice on her back, believe it or not. She also has a nasty skinned nose & forehead from taking a header off the swing at school yesterday. The child has NO fear.
***
Workouts:
Tuesday morning track workout: Six Yasso 800s were on the schedule. I was also meeting a friend at the track to teach her some racewalking technique, so I ended up resting a little more in between the 800s than is best, but that was OK because I really wanted to help her out. And I still did them, and did them pretty darn fast. She showed up after I did the 3rd one, so the extra rest was only between the last 3. Here were my times: 4:34, 4:30, 4:31, 4:28, 4:28, 4:26. Niiiice. I felt fast & good.
Wednesday - cross-training; biked to weight training and did a good hard set which I won't list here because of the time, and also did abs.
***
Injury update:
Monday night I got a massage. Lars is amazing and I felt super when I left. He gave my R piriformis lots of extra attention and it helped quite a bit.
Tuesday I went to physical therapy. My therapist agreed that it is probably the piriformis (though there is a small chance it is a disc problem in my back... but he thinks it more likely that it's a RW overuse thing w/the piriformis) and gave me some exercises & stretches to do at home. He also wants me to get some more of my fave anti-inflammatory, diclofenac, from my doc, and take it more often. Good idea :). He said there isn't much more he can do... but did recommend that I get massages at least 2x/month. I guess I can't object too strenuously to that since they feel great.
***
Race countdown: 9 days until Portland-to-Coast. Only 6.5 weeks until the Portland Marathon.
Monday, August 17, 2009
amazing 20 miles
Liberty Park, as seen on my workout this morning.
The weather was perfect for my 20-miler. If I had ordered it up, I would have requested this: clear, calm, and 56 degrees (13C) at 5:35 am when I started out. It got up to maybe 68 (20C) when I finished, and it was a little warm, but still quite pleasant with the usual low humidity (26% right now at 1 pm; was a little higher this morning but pretty good).
I chose a FLAT route to go easy on my piriformis, and since the Portland Marathon is mostly flat (2 hills), I figured that would be OK (though I will do a hilly 20 next, I think, if my leg is a little better). Well, OK, today's route was almost flat. The first mile was downhill, and the last mile was uphill, but other than that, it was pretty much flat.
The first (downhill) mile was in 10:13, with an easy HR of 133. I had decided I'd go very easy today, keeping my HR around 140 if possible until the last 4 miles, when I would pick it up as I've been doing per Bart Yasso's advice in the Runner's World training plan I'm using (modified, but it's close). The next 15 miles (24.1 km)took me 2:39:56 for 10:43/mile (6:40/km) with an average HR of 140. Oh, and I hit the half marathon point at about 2:19. Fast! I guess I've been doing so many hills that the flat seems easy now :). Yay!!!!! The only caveat is that I did have to stop at more stoplights than I would have liked; to get a nice flat route I had to deal with traffic more unless I wanted to do the Jordan River Parkway again - but I am kinda bored with that route and wanted to change it up. I had to stop probably 8 times in the 15 miles, but it wasn't for long each time; I did stop my stopwatch so did not count that time, but it was extra rest I would not get in a race.
Then I picked up the pace and did an average of 10:18/mile (6:24/km) for the last 4 miles (6.4 km). Ave HR for that part was in the low 150s (but really was probably a little higher since I did have to stop and refill my water bottles in Liberty Park).
My right piriformis was only somewhat irritated by this whole thing today, which is good news. I have a massage scheduled for tonight and physical therapy tomorrow, so hopefully we can get a handle on it. At least it's not like the IT band thing that kept me from training, and it seems to be getting better.
I'm SO thrilled with the way my training is going. If I had done a whole marathon at today's pace, it would have been a 4:37! I'm not saying I can necessarily do one that fast (I know I'll have a bathroom break in there somewhere!), but at least I feel a 4:40-4:45 is definitely within reach :).
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Camping cancelled
We were packing to go camping, and had about 2/3 of it ready when we got a call that everyone was coming home because of the rain (they'd gone up Friday night and it was fine until Saturday morning's storm). So, we put everything away, and cleaned up the garage a bit (it needed it!). I called my piano students (whose lessons I'd moved to Monday) and got them to come at the usual 4 pm time. Loren and I picked pears from our tree after lunch, and then he went for a massage while I got a quick nap.
I'm kind of glad we didn't go, because maybe I can get some stuff done around here now. Or rest up for my 20 miles on Monday. Or both! Besides, we're going to camp in a few weeks when we go to Oregon for Portland-to-Coast.
So, instead of s'mores tonight we had ginger molasses cookies. I was in a baking mood, and had points from the week as well as from the morning's 8.3 miles, so I enjoyed them thoroughly. Loren LOVES ginger - one of his favorite foods, and it was my privilege to spoil him with some cookies :).
Now I need to get back to my book club summer read - The Stand, by Stephen King. Yeah, it's a horror novel, but a provocative one, and it will be a good one to discuss.
I'm kind of glad we didn't go, because maybe I can get some stuff done around here now. Or rest up for my 20 miles on Monday. Or both! Besides, we're going to camp in a few weeks when we go to Oregon for Portland-to-Coast.
So, instead of s'mores tonight we had ginger molasses cookies. I was in a baking mood, and had points from the week as well as from the morning's 8.3 miles, so I enjoyed them thoroughly. Loren LOVES ginger - one of his favorite foods, and it was my privilege to spoil him with some cookies :).
Now I need to get back to my book club summer read - The Stand, by Stephen King. Yeah, it's a horror novel, but a provocative one, and it will be a good one to discuss.
wet & windy Saturday
Wendy & I after our workout & soaking WET.The weather today: not so good. When I left my house at 5:40 am it was clear (from what I could see, seeing as how it was dark!) and 59 degrees. Not bad! When I arrived at the State Capitol at around 6 am, it was starting to rain - hard. And it was thundering & lightning. Only 5 people had showed up for the workout, and due to the thunder, I told them we'd wait 10 minutes to see if it cleared a bit. Safety has to come first. After 10 minutes, it was still raining, but the thunder and lightning had moved off to the east, so we were good to go. But, 4/5 people decided they'd rather run another day. I don't entirely blame them! 14 miles would have been long in this weather.
My remaining runner is a 1/2 marathoner, and they were scheduled for 8 miles. Off we went! I had borrowed a jacket from one of the runners who left (yeah, dumb coach to leave my jacket, but remember, I thought it was clear not raining!) and that was very helpful. It was nice for 3 miles or so, and then it started to rain harder. By 4 miles, it was pouring. The jacket I borrowed was not waterproof so it didn't keep me dry, but it did help hold in a little heat. Pretty soon I was soaked to the skin. I could feel the water even in my shorts liner :(, and of course my feet were so wet they were squelching. It was windy, too, so I got really cold. My hands were particularly cold. But the company was good, at least :)! If I'd been out by myself, I would have turned around early for sure.
About mile 4.7, right before we turned around at mile 5.2 (we had a detour up City Creek Canyon that made the miles shorter on the return), there was a VERY bright lightning flash and a LOUD thunderclap (it had been quiet until then). Ugh! The thunderstorm was back! Fortunately, there were only 2-3 and then it was quiet again. We were discussing where to take shelter when we realized it had stopped.
Total: 8.33 mi (13.4 km) in 1:29:53 for 10:47/mile (6:42/km). Ave HR 145. Kinda high for that speed, but it was a pretty hilly route.
When I got back my hands were so cold that my thumbs weren't working right. Wendy had to turn the car keys to open my trunk and door so I could get in!
I was never so happy for a hot shower :). Ahhhhhh. When I got home the thermometer said 52 (~11C); not that cold, but with the rain and the wind it was very cold.
Now we're going camping overnight. I hope the weather clears a little; we'll be in the mountains and it is going to be VERY cold. We do have 3-season sleeping bags, so we should be all right. We're going to dress very warmly though!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
another long day
Today was another long day. It was a good day, though.
First, my workout: Started at 5:40 am so I could get to work. I did a 1 mile warm-up, 7 miles at marathon pace, then 1 mile cool-down. I did the 7 miles at a 10:29/mile pace (6:31/km). Realistically, my MP might be more like 10:40, but I might as well shoot for the 10:30. It was a good hard workout; total time about 1 hr 36 min and change. Ave HR for the 7 MP miles was upper 140s-low 150s.
Good thing I did a long workout, because today we had Thai food at lunch to thank our summer students for their good work. We have a 2nd year med student and an undergraduate student helping us out in the lab, and they have been doing a great job. The weird thing to me is that I am 20 years older than our undergrad student. She was born in 1990, when I was in college, and the first year I worked in a lab. I have to say this makes me feel old. That, and the fact that I am starting to have to hold small print items farther away to read them. Reading glasses are not far off :(.
I ended up working until 6:35 pm tonight, about 1 hr longer than usual, because it took me longer than I thought to finish up embedding some zebrafish embryos in paraffin for sectioning. Probably should have done them next week, but once I started, I had to finish.
So, by the time I got home, it was quite late, and we ended up going out to dinner. Yeah, good thing I got in the long workout, huh? Still stayed within a reasonable number of points, though :).
I'm unwinding now & it feels good.
First, my workout: Started at 5:40 am so I could get to work. I did a 1 mile warm-up, 7 miles at marathon pace, then 1 mile cool-down. I did the 7 miles at a 10:29/mile pace (6:31/km). Realistically, my MP might be more like 10:40, but I might as well shoot for the 10:30. It was a good hard workout; total time about 1 hr 36 min and change. Ave HR for the 7 MP miles was upper 140s-low 150s.
Good thing I did a long workout, because today we had Thai food at lunch to thank our summer students for their good work. We have a 2nd year med student and an undergraduate student helping us out in the lab, and they have been doing a great job. The weird thing to me is that I am 20 years older than our undergrad student. She was born in 1990, when I was in college, and the first year I worked in a lab. I have to say this makes me feel old. That, and the fact that I am starting to have to hold small print items farther away to read them. Reading glasses are not far off :(.
I ended up working until 6:35 pm tonight, about 1 hr longer than usual, because it took me longer than I thought to finish up embedding some zebrafish embryos in paraffin for sectioning. Probably should have done them next week, but once I started, I had to finish.
So, by the time I got home, it was quite late, and we ended up going out to dinner. Yeah, good thing I got in the long workout, huh? Still stayed within a reasonable number of points, though :).
I'm unwinding now & it feels good.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
miscellany
It's been busy this week, with my 18-miler and then work and the usual house stuff (y'know, laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.). I like the hard training, but it's difficult to fit in with everything else. I have been trying (and succeeding somewhat) to get a bit more sleep, which has helped. Thankfully I'm home today and can try & catch up on some things and play with the kids too :).
***
Pet peeve: SUVs which are MADE for going off-road over rocks, bumpy terrain, etc., going VERY VERY SLOWLY (i.e. 2 mph) over speed bumps in parking lots. Um, hello?!? I don't get it.
***
Workout yesterday: did an easy 1.7 miles to the track, then 3x1 mile repeats in 9:22, 9:27, and 9:22. Then an easy 1.7 back home. I ate ice cream on Monday night; not a lot, but just a little, and I knew that was not gonna be good for my track workout. Yeah, I had some GI pain and had to go VERY slowly the last 0.2 home because everything just kind of hurt. Anyway, did 6.4 miles in 1:06:xx. Right piriformis was sore for the first mile, then was all right after stretching it out a bit. I have a PT appt for next Tuesday, but meanwhile I might take Nyle's advice and get a massage if Lars is available.
Today: Biked to my weight training class and did walking lunges, bench press, assisted chin-ups (yeah, I can't do them w/o the assist machine - lame!), hamstring curls, hip abductors & flexors on hip machine, biceps, triceps, glutes w/cable, and "8-minute abs" that were very hard --- our instructor led us in a series of 16 30-second exercises. Ouch! I thought my abs were in pretty good shape, but that was a toughie.
Tonight: Going to do a brick workout w/the triathlon team (TNT) just for fun. Swim 200 w/u, 1500 timed, 200 c/d, then 3 mile run (racewalk for me :)!). Loren agreed to watch the kids because I didn't go out on Monday night :).
***
Weight: Have had a very good 3 weeks and still going strong. Has not been easy, but I think I am down a little more. Hard to tell, with fluctuation due to water retention etc. I was officially down 0.6 lb at WW on Monday and that seems about right. Losses are slow at this point, but that is fine. Just want to get down about another 2-3 lb before 10/4 if possible; that might not happen, but at least I'm lower than I was at the end of last summer now :) and at a pretty good racing weight. Still---every lb is possibly a minute off of my time in the marathon, so it matters.
***
Pet peeve: SUVs which are MADE for going off-road over rocks, bumpy terrain, etc., going VERY VERY SLOWLY (i.e. 2 mph) over speed bumps in parking lots. Um, hello?!? I don't get it.
***
Workout yesterday: did an easy 1.7 miles to the track, then 3x1 mile repeats in 9:22, 9:27, and 9:22. Then an easy 1.7 back home. I ate ice cream on Monday night; not a lot, but just a little, and I knew that was not gonna be good for my track workout. Yeah, I had some GI pain and had to go VERY slowly the last 0.2 home because everything just kind of hurt. Anyway, did 6.4 miles in 1:06:xx. Right piriformis was sore for the first mile, then was all right after stretching it out a bit. I have a PT appt for next Tuesday, but meanwhile I might take Nyle's advice and get a massage if Lars is available.
Today: Biked to my weight training class and did walking lunges, bench press, assisted chin-ups (yeah, I can't do them w/o the assist machine - lame!), hamstring curls, hip abductors & flexors on hip machine, biceps, triceps, glutes w/cable, and "8-minute abs" that were very hard --- our instructor led us in a series of 16 30-second exercises. Ouch! I thought my abs were in pretty good shape, but that was a toughie.
Tonight: Going to do a brick workout w/the triathlon team (TNT) just for fun. Swim 200 w/u, 1500 timed, 200 c/d, then 3 mile run (racewalk for me :)!). Loren agreed to watch the kids because I didn't go out on Monday night :).
***
Weight: Have had a very good 3 weeks and still going strong. Has not been easy, but I think I am down a little more. Hard to tell, with fluctuation due to water retention etc. I was officially down 0.6 lb at WW on Monday and that seems about right. Losses are slow at this point, but that is fine. Just want to get down about another 2-3 lb before 10/4 if possible; that might not happen, but at least I'm lower than I was at the end of last summer now :) and at a pretty good racing weight. Still---every lb is possibly a minute off of my time in the marathon, so it matters.
Monday, August 10, 2009
18 miles
Nice weather this morning for my 18-miler (29km)! It was a refreshingly cool 57 degrees F (13.8C) when I started, with the usual low humidity. I actually got a bit chilly at points - along the Jordan River Parkway, where I walked, it has colder spots because of the proximity of the water. My hands were quite chilled for several miles near 3900 South.
I started at 5:05 am, and did the first 3.83 alone (was going to do 4, but running late!). At 5:45 am, I met Sue at Walden Park (5400 South) for 10 miles with her. SO wonderful to have someone to talk with; it makes the miles fly by much faster. I was feeling pretty good until mile 9, when I started having some intestinal cramping. It was minor as those things go, but it did slow us down a bit (it never got too bad, and resolved by mile 13ish). We averaged about 10:51 per mile through mile 14. Then Sue had to go, and I did the last 4 alone. My training plan suggests picking up the pace with 3-4 miles (5-6.5 km) to go on long days, and so I did. My heart rate was in the upper 130s (about 72-73% max) for most of the first 14 miles, and I decided to ratchet it up to 150-155 (78-81% max) for the last 4. I thought it would feel miserable, but it really wasn't so bad... and I was faster than I thought, too! I did the last 4 in pretty much exactly 41 min, for 10:15/mile.
I'm quite pleased with this - if I could crank out 4 miles like that at the end of a marathon, well, that would be great. Yeah, I know, a marathon is much more than 18 miles, but still, I'm encouraged. Last week I was able to do the same thing at the end, but only for 2 miles, and it seemed much harder. Progress... or maybe just more time since I donated blood? Whichever it is, I don't mind. I feel strong and good. Oh, except for that nagging R piriformis, which is still literally a pain in the butt. I have a PT appt for 8/18, so hopefully that will help.
I started at 5:05 am, and did the first 3.83 alone (was going to do 4, but running late!). At 5:45 am, I met Sue at Walden Park (5400 South) for 10 miles with her. SO wonderful to have someone to talk with; it makes the miles fly by much faster. I was feeling pretty good until mile 9, when I started having some intestinal cramping. It was minor as those things go, but it did slow us down a bit (it never got too bad, and resolved by mile 13ish). We averaged about 10:51 per mile through mile 14. Then Sue had to go, and I did the last 4 alone. My training plan suggests picking up the pace with 3-4 miles (5-6.5 km) to go on long days, and so I did. My heart rate was in the upper 130s (about 72-73% max) for most of the first 14 miles, and I decided to ratchet it up to 150-155 (78-81% max) for the last 4. I thought it would feel miserable, but it really wasn't so bad... and I was faster than I thought, too! I did the last 4 in pretty much exactly 41 min, for 10:15/mile.
I'm quite pleased with this - if I could crank out 4 miles like that at the end of a marathon, well, that would be great. Yeah, I know, a marathon is much more than 18 miles, but still, I'm encouraged. Last week I was able to do the same thing at the end, but only for 2 miles, and it seemed much harder. Progress... or maybe just more time since I donated blood? Whichever it is, I don't mind. I feel strong and good. Oh, except for that nagging R piriformis, which is still literally a pain in the butt. I have a PT appt for 8/18, so hopefully that will help.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
TNT workout - Bountiful Blvd
Bountiful Blvd is a bad weather omen or something ;). Last time the team was there, in June (when I was rafting), it rained on them. Last time I was there (in February?) with the Spring team, it rained and snowed on us and was cold & nasty. You would think the middle of the summer would be safe. Not so. We had a cold storm blow in, and guess what? It was 54F (12C), and within a few miles it was raining. Then it was pouring. It rained hard for about 2-3 miles, and then let up, thankfully. Ugh! I wore shorts and a T-shirt as I normally do when it's above 50, but brought my rain jacket in case. I wish I'd worn gloves and capris, too. My legs got cold from the rain and my hands were very cold. But the company was enjoyable, so no biggie - I survived.
I went out with the faster runners who are doing the Top of Utah marathon, and that was good, but even they were slowish on the hills in Bountiful today (they did 10 miles total). I had no trouble racewalking with them at all, and was thinking faster might be nice ;). After 4 miles I went with some of our runners and run/walkers, who were doing 8 today. After some back and forth with the runners, run/walkers, and walkers, I ended up with 9.65 miles at a pretty slow 12:42/mile average. However, my HR was only 121. Probably good for me to have some really good slow miles once in a while! And I'm glad today's workout wasn't too long, since I am going to do 18 on Monday morning.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
9-miler
Yup, getting into the longer miles, because the marathon is just over 8 weeks away! Today I was to do 1 mile as a warm-up, 1 as a cool-down, and 7 (11.2 km) at marathon pace (9 miles, 14.5 km total).
I picked a route with rolling hills - nothing too hard, but just a little hillier than the Portland Marathon will be (not so much in steepness - except for the first hill-, but rather in number of hills). I figure practicing with hills a little harder than the race is a good idea.
Here were my splits: 1) warm-up (fairly steep uphill) in 11:54. 2) marathon pace miles (goal 10:30-10:40 on average): 9:52 (downhill, but still... seems fast), 10:41, 10:29, 10:23, 10:56 (uphill), 10:16, 10:53; 3) cool-down 11:31. Total - just over 1:37, and pretty much right on 10:30 per mile for the marathon pace miles. I'll take it!
I felt pretty much fine during and afterward. Even the R piriformis felt decent, with only a few twinges.
Having trouble keeping my eyes open, so I think I'm done blogging for tonight.
I picked a route with rolling hills - nothing too hard, but just a little hillier than the Portland Marathon will be (not so much in steepness - except for the first hill-, but rather in number of hills). I figure practicing with hills a little harder than the race is a good idea.
Here were my splits: 1) warm-up (fairly steep uphill) in 11:54. 2) marathon pace miles (goal 10:30-10:40 on average): 9:52 (downhill, but still... seems fast), 10:41, 10:29, 10:23, 10:56 (uphill), 10:16, 10:53; 3) cool-down 11:31. Total - just over 1:37, and pretty much right on 10:30 per mile for the marathon pace miles. I'll take it!
I felt pretty much fine during and afterward. Even the R piriformis felt decent, with only a few twinges.
Having trouble keeping my eyes open, so I think I'm done blogging for tonight.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
quick post
It's been busy around here. I had to go to the dentist Tuesday, and got behind on the housework last week, so am trying to catch up. Plus I baked whole wheat bread from scratch on Monday (Yum!) and this morning I staked our tomatoes (have cages, but they are overflowing them!) and planted some more basil, since something ate the first plants I bought. Also taught 2 piano lessons this morning, and took the kids to a friend's house to go swimming this afternoon. Oh, and wrote the TNT team route for Saturday.
***
In workout news, I did a hard 6.5 mile workout on Tuesday. Was going to switch it to Friday to get more sleep, but then woke at 4 am w/nasty nightmare and couldn't sleep, so decided to just go do it. I warmed up for 2 miles easy, then tackled a very steep hill (~175 feet total in 0.3 miles). I did 9 repeats, though only one was all the way to the very top; 5 were halfway up or so, and the other 3 were about 3/4 of the way up. Then I cooled down easy on the way home. It was a pretty tough workout and my right piriformis was quite sore. I finally made a physical therapy appt, but my PT is out of town until the 18th. Drat. Still, at least I can get in. Of course, it's been feeling better today, since I made the appt. If it is better in 2 weeks I can cancel, but I doubt it will be since it's been bugging me for months.
This morning, I biked to my weight training class and back and did a good hard set of lifting. Hip machine, then hamstrings, chest machine, overhead press, push-ups on the ball, bicep curls, glutes w/pulley machine, and a difficult set of abs. It was good.
Tomorrow: 9 miles planned, 7 at marathon pace.
***
Now: clean up because our small group is meeting here tonight. Better go and get ready. Still wearing my swimsuit (w/a shirt over it) from this afternoon.
***
In workout news, I did a hard 6.5 mile workout on Tuesday. Was going to switch it to Friday to get more sleep, but then woke at 4 am w/nasty nightmare and couldn't sleep, so decided to just go do it. I warmed up for 2 miles easy, then tackled a very steep hill (~175 feet total in 0.3 miles). I did 9 repeats, though only one was all the way to the very top; 5 were halfway up or so, and the other 3 were about 3/4 of the way up. Then I cooled down easy on the way home. It was a pretty tough workout and my right piriformis was quite sore. I finally made a physical therapy appt, but my PT is out of town until the 18th. Drat. Still, at least I can get in. Of course, it's been feeling better today, since I made the appt. If it is better in 2 weeks I can cancel, but I doubt it will be since it's been bugging me for months.
This morning, I biked to my weight training class and back and did a good hard set of lifting. Hip machine, then hamstrings, chest machine, overhead press, push-ups on the ball, bicep curls, glutes w/pulley machine, and a difficult set of abs. It was good.
Tomorrow: 9 miles planned, 7 at marathon pace.
***
Now: clean up because our small group is meeting here tonight. Better go and get ready. Still wearing my swimsuit (w/a shirt over it) from this afternoon.
Monday, August 03, 2009
14 good miles
Today was a good day. I had 14 miles (22.5 km) on the schedule, and was supposed to push the last few. Sue was going to meet me, but she only wanted to do 8, and had to be done by 7:15. So that meant I had to get up really early, because I wanted to do at least 4 before I met her (I really didn't want to still have 6 to do when she left), and besides, I had to get home to watch the kids before Loren went to work.
I arrived at the Jordan River Trail at 5:02 am sharp. It was 76 degrees (24.4C) and about 25-30% humidity. It was pitch black, but I had devised a nifty light for my fuel belt. Basically, I took one of those LED "dot" lights that comes w/velcro for sticking to walls, etc., and then I sewed some velcro straps for my fuel belt. It stuck right on around belly button level, and provided plenty of light.
I did the first 4 miles as an out-and-back to the south, at what felt like a very comfortable pace. I wasn't paying too close attention to that, but it turned out that I was a little fast (10:36/mile; 6:35/km) for an easy day. I was very happy to see Sue waiting for me when I got back to the parking lot (I was right on time to meet her around 5:45). We then took off to the north for 4 miles; I really enjoy having her with me for the conversation, etc. It makes the time pass SO much faster. Sure wish I could have someone to talk to for the whole marathon. Perhaps if I join the 4:45 pace group that will help. There's always the iPod, which helps too, but talking is much nicer.
We headed back and I was still feeling good, so when I said goodbye to her at the parking lot, I headed south for the last 2 miles (1 mile out-and-back) and decided to speed it up as my schedule indicates. I'm using a pretty nice schedule Bart Yasso of Runner's World wrote for readers training for fall marathons. I've modified it a little due to my TNT workouts, but it's mostly his schedule for runners wanting a PR. He indicates that on LSD (long, slow distance) days that you should speed up the last few miles. So I did. I did the last 2 in 20:35 for about 10:17/mile (6:23/km). My ave HR for the first 12 was 143 (about 75%; OK, a little high for my LSD, oops), but for the last 2 it was 156.
I felt great, though, and am still feeling good except for my darn R piriformis, which is still irritating me. It's not exactly painful, just achy, and gets annoyed when I sit for too long. I seem to be pretty much entirely over my IT band problems on the L leg, and in comparison w/that, this is nothing.
At the end, it was 80 degrees (26.6C). Pretty warm for here for 7:45am. It's supposed to get to 99 today, though, so not surprising. At least it's dry. I did sweat a lot, though, and noticed when I was done that I had a fine coating of salt on my body. If I do a long race in these conditions, I'm going to have to make sure I get enough salt.
I arrived at the Jordan River Trail at 5:02 am sharp. It was 76 degrees (24.4C) and about 25-30% humidity. It was pitch black, but I had devised a nifty light for my fuel belt. Basically, I took one of those LED "dot" lights that comes w/velcro for sticking to walls, etc., and then I sewed some velcro straps for my fuel belt. It stuck right on around belly button level, and provided plenty of light.
I did the first 4 miles as an out-and-back to the south, at what felt like a very comfortable pace. I wasn't paying too close attention to that, but it turned out that I was a little fast (10:36/mile; 6:35/km) for an easy day. I was very happy to see Sue waiting for me when I got back to the parking lot (I was right on time to meet her around 5:45). We then took off to the north for 4 miles; I really enjoy having her with me for the conversation, etc. It makes the time pass SO much faster. Sure wish I could have someone to talk to for the whole marathon. Perhaps if I join the 4:45 pace group that will help. There's always the iPod, which helps too, but talking is much nicer.
We headed back and I was still feeling good, so when I said goodbye to her at the parking lot, I headed south for the last 2 miles (1 mile out-and-back) and decided to speed it up as my schedule indicates. I'm using a pretty nice schedule Bart Yasso of Runner's World wrote for readers training for fall marathons. I've modified it a little due to my TNT workouts, but it's mostly his schedule for runners wanting a PR. He indicates that on LSD (long, slow distance) days that you should speed up the last few miles. So I did. I did the last 2 in 20:35 for about 10:17/mile (6:23/km). My ave HR for the first 12 was 143 (about 75%; OK, a little high for my LSD, oops), but for the last 2 it was 156.
I felt great, though, and am still feeling good except for my darn R piriformis, which is still irritating me. It's not exactly painful, just achy, and gets annoyed when I sit for too long. I seem to be pretty much entirely over my IT band problems on the L leg, and in comparison w/that, this is nothing.
At the end, it was 80 degrees (26.6C). Pretty warm for here for 7:45am. It's supposed to get to 99 today, though, so not surprising. At least it's dry. I did sweat a lot, though, and noticed when I was done that I had a fine coating of salt on my body. If I do a long race in these conditions, I'm going to have to make sure I get enough salt.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Rusty & Rosy
Calvin and Rusty.Thursday night Calvin and I went to a meeting for people using the software (state-funded!) to teach preschoolers reading and math. It's really great software, and Calvin and Michelle both love to use it. The meeting was informative (though I only had a few questions, really), but I'm mostly glad I went because Calvin loved it so much. They gave him a little book, some stickers, and then the best part was the tour of their building, where he got to meet Rusty and Rosy, the characters from the software program. He was high-fiving them, running around them, hugging them, and playing with their tails. It was SO cute!!!
TNT workout
This morning the Nike team had 12 miles, and Top of Utah had 16; however, only one TOU person came, and he had to leave early to get to work.
I got to go pretty fast this week! I started off running the first ~3 miles (5k) or so, and then switched to RW. It was a long uphill for the first part of the route, as we started at Highland High (next to Sugar House Park) and went up to the zoo, around the back of it to Wasatch Dr., down to 1300S, and back to the start. It's quite a hilly route, but at least it's mostly downhill on the way back when you're tired.
For the first 11.15 miles (18km; I did 14 miles (22.5km) total) I was with runners for the most part, and averaged 11:16/mile, which was a nice pace for me (though I started off fast with an 8-8:30 running pace with one of the guys, and then it was slower toward the end with the run/walkers). Then I walked the walkers in to the finish, which took 45 min or so. They were doing 16-17 min miles, which is the usual for this group. Good thing that the Nike Women's Marathon has a nice long time limit to accommodate walkers.
I could tell from my heart rate that the blood donation is still affecting me. That's OK, though. I expect that to take a few more weeks to get better. If I hadn't have been looking at my pace, I would have thought I was just fine. My right piriformis is still bugging me a little, but other than that I felt great.
Tomorrow I'm going to take it really easy, and then do 14 on Monday morning (at MY pace!) with Sue.
***
Oh, and yesterday I took it very easy. I drove to my weight training class, warmed up on the bike for 10 min, and did the hip machine (abductors and hip flexors), cable pulls for glutes, bench press (I have worked up to 95 lb for 3 sets of 8 now!), and a couple other exercises which are escaping my brain at the moment. Then I did an amazingly hard set for abs, which my instructor and I devised recently. My abs are in good shape, and this made me quite sore! I love that feeling, though. I stretched and left class a little early to get to work; I had put in 40 minutes total.
I got to go pretty fast this week! I started off running the first ~3 miles (5k) or so, and then switched to RW. It was a long uphill for the first part of the route, as we started at Highland High (next to Sugar House Park) and went up to the zoo, around the back of it to Wasatch Dr., down to 1300S, and back to the start. It's quite a hilly route, but at least it's mostly downhill on the way back when you're tired.
For the first 11.15 miles (18km; I did 14 miles (22.5km) total) I was with runners for the most part, and averaged 11:16/mile, which was a nice pace for me (though I started off fast with an 8-8:30 running pace with one of the guys, and then it was slower toward the end with the run/walkers). Then I walked the walkers in to the finish, which took 45 min or so. They were doing 16-17 min miles, which is the usual for this group. Good thing that the Nike Women's Marathon has a nice long time limit to accommodate walkers.
I could tell from my heart rate that the blood donation is still affecting me. That's OK, though. I expect that to take a few more weeks to get better. If I hadn't have been looking at my pace, I would have thought I was just fine. My right piriformis is still bugging me a little, but other than that I felt great.
Tomorrow I'm going to take it really easy, and then do 14 on Monday morning (at MY pace!) with Sue.
***
Oh, and yesterday I took it very easy. I drove to my weight training class, warmed up on the bike for 10 min, and did the hip machine (abductors and hip flexors), cable pulls for glutes, bench press (I have worked up to 95 lb for 3 sets of 8 now!), and a couple other exercises which are escaping my brain at the moment. Then I did an amazingly hard set for abs, which my instructor and I devised recently. My abs are in good shape, and this made me quite sore! I love that feeling, though. I stretched and left class a little early to get to work; I had put in 40 minutes total.
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