10K: Week One

This first week will be a little experimental trying to figure out how to best tailor the training plan to fit my week. This is what I've come up with so far. I may make a few tweaks like possibly switching my fri and sat runs so I'm still doing my long run on sat as the last run of the week.

Mon 2.5mi+core- Just did an easy 2.5mi around the whitewater channel loop and hawfield road. I'd never measured the Hawfield road bit before. It's nice to know it's longer than I thought. I may use it more.

Tue 30min split+strength- Happy St Patrick's Day! Ran for 15min around the park and then stationary biked in the gym for 15min also. Since I didn't do core yesterday I'm gunna ease myself into doing more weights and core with this 10k schedule by doing the RW hip and core workouts.
This wast the first day of the year I've run at the peak of 80 degree sunny weather- I need to hydrate more. After the run the bike resistance I've been using felt a little easy so I bumped it up and down a few times while still concentrating on using the right muscles. I noticed that wearing different shoes affect height of seat because they have different stack heights or sole thicknesses.

Wed 2mi- A fast two miles around Mt Holly. I pushed the pace in hopes of holding better form. I could feel my quads and especially gluts working more during this run. I do have a small amount of achillies pain after the run today that I'll need to keep tabs on. I had the same at the beginning of the 5k plan but it seems strange to occur now with less running mileage and more cross training.

Fri 40min split+core- Happy First Day of Spring! YAY! ran around the park for 20min Then used the stationary bike in the gym for 20min. I bumped up the resistance again at the beginning but then kept it at a more standard pace for the rest.

Sat 3mi- Oops. I got a week ahead of myself in the plan again and did 3.5mi. My right ankle and left knee are quite sore after. Perhaps it's because by body isn't used to running the day sfter my long run? I'll try to do core tomorrow.

I'm not quite pleased  with my asics running shoes. I feel like the thick heel is causing a little runners knee. My feet are wanting to contact the ground under and slightly behind my body. Hopefully doing more weights and core will help strengthen weak muscles and improve this. They'll probuby be good for long runs but not so much shorter training runs. If this struggle continues I may try to go ahead and acquire my next pair of running shoes that will satisfy more of the requirements that I was trying to work toward with my current running shoes. I hope a lower heel drop and more flexible shoe may help when mixed into my running routine.

Not quite sure how I feel with just a lower mileage taper week between these two training plans. I guess that will be part of this experiment too. I will likely add at least 3 days if not a full rest weekbefore starting the half marathon plan.

5k: Week Seven

Just two more weeks till the Color Me Green 5k race and I'm starting to get excited! Having run mostly distances 5k or less in high school and college, I'm having to over come mental barriers when thinking about racing and training for longer distances. The focus is no longer speed so much as quality mileage and recovery. But I'm not even past the 5k yet, right? So no need to worry. Remember, just take it one day at a time.

Mon 3mi- The number 3 was more of a mental milestone than I thought it would be. It made me kind of nervous before I set out on the run. This is the first day I ran race distance. I just reminded myself that I ran 2.75mi twice last week and that's only a quarter mile less than three. Besides what am I thinking getting nervous? I ran like six miles on Saturday last week. I am not quite recovered from my extended long run last week. I ran an extra 5min more than I was scheduled to and, though 5min doesn't seem like much, I am feeling it. My calves are rather tight and my achillies started to ache just a tiny bit. I'll try to allow for recovery on the bike and strength training tomorrow.

Tue 22min bike+strength- What a day! woke up to a half inch of SNOW on the ground! We did our annual Simulation-X ( X for extreme!) at work. It was quite fun running around the Whitewater Center with snow on the ground and not a guest in sight (closed to guests on winter Tuesdays). Part of our challenge was to have the group collectively run or walk 26.2miles. Everyone on the team had to do at least one mile....I'm pretty sure I did about 10 (ran 5-6 walked 4-5).  I realized during SimX that I wasn't going to get my planned workout done because I had a CPR/First Aid class to attend after work so I got to exercising while I could. Think I won't run tomorrow but will go to the weight room.

Wed 2mi- Well as a recovery decision I'm not running today but went to the gym to lift weights. My gluts are super-duper tight and my achilles tendons are complaining a bit because of the running I did in my high top hiking boots yesterday.Considering a light jog tomorrow to work ot the kinks.

Fri 3mi- Oy, what a stressful emotional rollercoaster of a day! I dream of a rustic little two story cob house in the woods. We tried to put a bid in on a house up for auction but the price shot about $25000 over our maximum price. Sigh...I guess we'll eventually find the perfect place... eventually. This house is all we've been thinking about for the past few days and I'm finding it hard to motivate myself to run today. I wanna eat my feelings, or go do some retail therapy, or just curl up and sulk. But, I'll be happier if I just run. It's beautiful and sunny outside. Three miles again presented a small mental hurdle to get out the door and have faith I can do it well enough.

Sat 61min- Because I took two recovery days in a row off of running this week my brain struggled a bit to maintain it's mental confidence for my long run. I got ahead in my training schedule last week and did 60min long run so I had to remind myself I could do it again this week too. I ran the same rout I ran last week as further proof by comparison. I was excited to find that I closed about a 30 second gap with another lady running on the Whitewater Parkway within somewhere between a half to full mile's distance. Point being, it felt nice to have a chance to race someone a little- in my head for my mental confidence. My form continues to improve. Imbalances in my legs are lessening and my foot strike is becoming less supinated. felt my hip flexors and stabilizer muscles in my feet knees and hips working today. It's really nice to feel improvement. The gradual differences build confidence too. I feel less tired after doing more running when my form is more efficient and improved. Left achillies tendon tight after.



Not excited about Pink-ness

Finally picked up a pair of new shoes! Buying buying them was a little frustrating. I'm wanting to switch to a more natural or neutral shoe from the over correcting I've done for years. I ended up buying a pair of Asics, similar to what I've been running in since high school. I'm afraid of them, that they'll continue my bad habits and foster bad form even though they are a cushioned neutral shoe instead of a stability shoe. I ended up choosing what I did because I feel it will last longer than a softer foam shoe would but I'm afraid the rubber is still too ridged and will be controlling. I'd also hoped to get a shoe with less heel drop. But I'll make more changes and progress slowly with my next pair of shoes I guess.

5k: Week One

First week of my Marathon Journey done! It feels good knowing that I've already accomplished something small. Through the training this week I've learned a lot about my current fitness level.

The 1.5 mile training runs through the week did not tire out my legs- in fact they made me want to run more! I woke up each day this week with that old familiar itch to run. It's nice to find that I haven't lost so much endurance that a mere mile and a half three days a week is too much. It was very easy actually.

Cross training day this week turned into a road bike trip to work in low 40 degree weather. I actually stayed rather warm thanks to some awesome insulated gloves I got for Christmas. But my toes did go numb with only one pair of thin socks inside my ventilated running shoes. Because I didn't go to the gym this week on my cross training day I didn't do any strength conditioning or core exercises. I definitely want to get better about adding this into my running routine.

I did a 30 minute long run yesterday and completed it more successfully than I thought I would. Again, like with my weekday runs, It was nice to find that a 30 minute run didn't feel to hard. The pace was a little slower at times than I would have wanted but that was mainly because my form is weak. But I know that with a little work this will get better. Besides, I discovered a new trail in the woods of the USNWC that was, of course, Beautiful! I tend to be a runner that sticks to what she knows for the sake of "training effort". But it was really nice to take the path less traveled and find something new that will benefit my future runs. On a timed long run that's not gauged by exact distance, why not make it and adventure and enjoy the scenery and interest of discovering new things?

The theme this week has been to just take my runs easy. I made more effort to look around at my surroundings and view the beauty of nature. Looking at the trees and clouds appeases my artistic side- especially since I've started dabbling in acrylic painting. I see the forms and colors I would pick to mix my paints and I appreciate the amazing feats of beauty and nature that create our daily natural surroundings. Sorry, I know that's a little off track and unrelated...but  it's crazy to really see the world differently

Keeping a positive mental attitude will be my goal through out this Journey. I have a tendency to push to hard, or compare my fitness level to my peak times in high school or college. When I start ragging on my self I need to take a deep breath and tell my self "Take it one step at a time- one training day at a time." I need to ask myself "What is the goal of Today's run? Am I pushing too hard? What am I frustrated by and how can I change it over the next week?"

I started this Marathon Journey last year around the same time but, then I trained to hard. Focusing on getting fast in a 5k or 10k is not going to keep me injury free or build the mileage base I need to run a marathon. So in this respect I have learned and have changed my training. The ultimate goal is the Marathon, and the 5k and 10k are just for fun to build up my fitness level before I try my hand again at a half marathon and then the Full.