Ran 8K Instead of 9K BUT Still Good on Me! :)

1:02

Pace 7:48 min/km

I feel like I should explain my pace. I actually had a half decent pace (for me) in the 7:20-7:30 zone. I checked my splits and I was good right until the last K which was done in 9:25 because I walked two hills and for the last 10m before turning the Garmin off! LOL!

Today it was POURING when I woke up and it kept raining and raining and raining all morning. I was thinking, bummer! After yesterday's run, I was actually looking forward to my 9K today see if I was moving past the mental block I wrote about earlier. At noon, the electricity went out on our street so NOTHING would work in the house - lights, oven, TV, computer, etc. There was nothing else to do BUT put on my running shoes and head out the door!

No dogs again - I am uptight about a course assignment that was due today that I was working on when the electricity went out (grrrrrrrr) so I knew I would be sensitive and grumpy with any misbehaviour so it was better to leave them at home. My run felt so sluggish and I made the mistake of wearing my running jacket because of the rain when I should have left it at home because I was soaked with my own sweat inside the jacket by the end of my run - yuck! I knew by the 5K mark that there was no runner's high or burst of energy that was going to kick in so I started chanting a little mantra to myself - get as close to 9K as you can, get as close to 9K as you can ... I also had remembered to take my Starbucks money card with me so that I could treat myself for the first time by getting coffee there on my walk home (my 9K path ends just behind the closest *$'s to my house and I never remember to bring money with me for coffee!). It made me smile to think that my motivation was coffee!

So that was my run - proud to get out in the middle of the day to run after all the rain when first thing in the morning is my best time. Proud that I persevered after feeling sluggish for the whole run. Proud that I made it to 8K when I wanted to stop at 4K ... and 5K ... and 6K ... and 7K ... !! Probably would not have gone running at all if I didn't have that great run yesterday.

And I have a music update! Picked up a new 5th generation iPod Shuffle from Best Buy yesterday - a silver with black one. Loving it so far, but the voice over voice is very odd!

Great 10K Today!

1:14:11

Pace 7:25 min/km

I am one happy camper about my run today! :)

It was a gorgeous sunny morning, but cool - 6 degrees C. I still wore shorts and a tech T, knowing that a 10K would warm me up (and it helps to have a baseball cap on, too!). I decided to go solo - I am not sure why, but I just felt like being by myself so all the mutts stayed home ... much to their displeasure because they rush to the door when they see my running clothes on, just hoping that they will be chosen to go along - pick me! pick me! :)

I sometimes wonder about my Garmin's accuracy because there are times when I look at the speed and know without a doubt that the speed it says I am going is inaccurate. I wonder what the time difference is between relaying the information to the satellite and back again because this might account for the "inaccuracy" I am seeing ...

Anyway (I use this word too often in my blog posts!), the run was steady and consistent - I felt strong throughout most of it, and I was stricter with myself for picking up the pace when I saw that I had slowed down. Today's time matches my 10K Embro race time so I am very pleased. I did not feel as strong in that race as I did today - maybe a combination of cooler weather and slightly improved running ability? :) Other runners and walkers seemed happier, too - they were quicker to say hello today and I even had one fellow say, "see you tomorrow morning!" as I ran by him a second time. My music was just right - upbeat when I needed a little more boost - and the "breeze-less" temperature was just right. You can tell by my upbeat post that I have a runner's high at the moment!

When I was running, I was thinking about why I seem to have hit this mental wall on weekly run mileage. A goal of mine since March has been to improve my running to the point that I am running for ~1 hour on average (9-10K). However, now that I am in that zone and my training schedule calls for 8K - 11K runs during the week, I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the mileage. I am wondering it this is because I haven't wrapped my head around the fact that the 10K is no longer my "long run". Or maybe because it doesn't feel as "easy" as a 6K or 7K. I am hoping that today's run, and a few more like it, will help me get past this mental block.

A note on my music ... I bought a new iPod Shuffle over a year ago - it was one of the last 3rd generation shuffles available for sale. I got it wet at the dog park over the winter and it stopped working. I put it aside with the hope that it would dry out and work again eventually. When I couldn't get a new one like it anymore, I found a used one online and bought it (my sister got a 4th generation Shuffle and I disliked it - the volume and voice over feature on the headphones really did not appeal to me). This Shuffle worked well until a week ago when I got it wet while running! :( I pulled out my original Shuffle and it works ... as long as I do not turn it off! I have been making due with it but lucky for me, the new 5th generation Shuffles are coming out this week, and Apple has returned them to the 3rd generation design (woo hoo!) with some improvements so I will snag one as soon as they hit the shelves. I only use the iPod Shuffle for listening to music while walking the dogs and when running so the more minimalist the iPod, the better. :)

On another unrelated note ... I "feel" lighter today which may be contributing to my better mood. I also noticed in the mirror while getting dressed how much better my shoulders are looking - significantly less fat and more definition. I know that I need to concentrate more on what is going in my mouth. Although I am eating much healthier, clearly I am lacking a better understanding of portion control! I don't want to lose weight fast; it crept onto me slowly and I want to reduce my weight healthily by doing it slowly. I am just feeling a bit discouraged because it is coming off a little too slowly, and as great as it is to see it come off my face, waist and shoulders, a reduction in the area above my knees and below my waistline would be better appreciated !! :)

7K instead of 9K but that's okay ...!

52:08

Pace 7:28 min/km

I was supposed to run 9K but as most of my posts for the last week will attest, I am tweaking (ignoring?) my training schedule. It was a tough 7K; I felt tired and sluggish so I am surprised to see that my splits are all even paced in the 7:30 zone. I knew once I started running that I was not going to make it to 9K but I mentally patted my back for getting out there nevertheless for a run, especially when I had a short night of sleep, and even after setting my new goal for "6K", continuing to run to the 7K mark (but REALLY feeling it by then!).

Looking forward to my day of rest tomorrow. I have two longer runs this week before another day of rest before my big day - 17K on the schedule for this week and I have already figured out an optional new trail using the other half of the Thames Valley Trail I rarely use. I am simultaneously feeling excited and uptight about it.

I ran with Kim and Wallace again - they are the best running partners! I think I will take two dogs instead of one with me from now on as it seems to be working. Killing two birds with one stone - no need to exercise the dogs after my run when I can do it at the same time!

My sister, the excellent amateur photographer, is coming this weekend, so I am going to ask her to take some pictures for posting on this blog to make it a little less sterile-looking. :)

SPRINGBANK ROAD RACE 5K - London Honda Series

34:15

Pace 6:56 min/km

A very good day!

I did not set a new PR, but after my 9K run yesterday, I was not expecting this. I was secretly hoping to crack 33 minutes, but I did not pressure myself or make the focused effort to accomplish this so it is what it is - just over 34 minutes. My Garmin told me that my time was 34:04 so there's 11 seconds to debate! :)

I took a cab today because my Sweetheart needed the vehicle and I rolled up just in time to cheer the half marathoners on from their starting line. There were just over 300 participants. I can see myself doing this half marathon in the future, but after doing my first half marathon 7 years ago in Vancouver, I really want my new & improved "first" half marathon to be at a big city venue again. I do not think its easy to run this half marathon with a route cluttered by recreational runners, cyclists and elderly people strolling. I felt bad seeing how the slower runners (i.e. the ones who were more scattered from the running bulge) were not receiving the "right of way" respect I feel they deserved. I found it demoralizing and I wasn't even in the half marathon! :) Also, the one group of runners appeared to be "slow" since they were far behind the bulge of fellow half marathon runners, but when I checked their results later in the day, this group actually ran their half marathon race in ~2:20, very respectable! Faster than MY predicted time next month so it goes to show how it "looks" with only 300 running versus 1000+. It cemented my feeling that aiming for a large city event is the best course of action for me.

I ran behind two runners in particular and followed their pace while keeping an eye on my Garmin. It is hard to say if this was a factor in my slower pace than I originally aimed for, or, since I was already tired from the 9K the day before, it was just easier to follow them then to push it. The one runner eventually pulled ahead - she set a good pace at the beginning, very steady, and then seemed to gain steam in the last 2K. Kudos to her. The second runner, however, slowed down and I felt bad passing her after I had used her as a pace bunny for the run so I made sure to thank her for setting a good pace as I ran beside her. I was kind of hoping that she would match my pace and keep up with me to the finish line, but she was clearly tired and sticking to her slower pace. At one point, an older woman passed me, I think at the 3 1/2K mark, but by the 4K mark, I passed her as she, too, seemed to be running out of steam. I felt steady and strong for the duration, even though I did not not push my pace to go faster. And yes, I feel good in the grand scheme of things when I can pass several runners in the last few K, making me feel good about my resolve to stick to a steady pace right from the start when everyone else is running ahead of me (and something that has yet to happen in a 10K race - oy!).

I was across the finish line and had passed through the food and beverage line before watching the winner of the half marathon cross the line in a record breaking 1:09. He looked beautiful and very strong as he crossed the finish line. A fellow runner/friend later told me that she saw him run so much further ahead in the first loop, and had wondered if he knew he was in a half?!?! Apparently he was ahead the entire time by a large margin. Isn't he good looking?, she gushed to me. :) :) And yes, he was eye candy! :) :) The second place finisher crossed one minute later, but looked as if he were about to die. Stark difference! And the third place, etc. winners were 5 minutes later than this! Incredible.

However, after all this race stuff, I am even MORE proud of myself for walking/running the 5K+ HOME from the park after the race. My average pace was ~9 min/km which proves I went faster than a walk at times, but that I did walk for periods inbetween running. I have had a haphazard week of training so "making it up" by adding this to my shorter actual training mileage made me feel much better! :) I am going to do my best to be stricter about sticking to my planned schedule from now on. I have a 9K scheduled for tomorrow. This was planned before last week's edits so I do not think it is "doable" but I am going to force myself out there tomorrow and run for as much as I can in order to get back on track.

WEEK SEVEN Half Marathon Training - Sept. 13 to 19

Monday 9K

Tuesday OFF

Wednesday 10K

Thursday 9K

Friday OFF

Saturday LONG RUN 17K

Sunday OFF (will likely be cycling the 17K route as an escort for my sister who is in town and will be running 16.1 K that day)

Today I Ran a Good 9K ...

1:07:12

Pace 7:28 min/km

Well, I wasn't supposed to run today - it was a scheduled day off - but I really really did not feel like running a third day in a row on Friday so I switched the days. And then I told myself to go for a short run because "ideally" you are not supposed to run the day before a race. However, it seems as if my inner child has taken control, as in "tell me what to do and I will do the opposite." :) It was a terrific morning weather-wise for running, and after running in so many bloody humid mornings this summer, it feels like a waste if I do not get a run in on a perfect running-weather day ...

It is also because, as I was running with TWO dogs (Kim and Wallace who made me proud with their good behaviour and perfect running pace), I asked myself what was more important - a great time tomorrow in a 5K race I have done twice before, or the half marathon coming up. You see, I have noticed a distinct change in the last month with my running. I feel resistant when it is a day when the scheduled run is in the 9K+ range. I was supposed to do a 9K, 10K and 11K this past week alone, and although I ran, I didn't go for the scheduled mileage. Even today when I completed my 9K "well" (splits were consistent; I felt good for the majority of it), I asked myself why I have this mental block for going for a 10K or an 11K. I'm not sure why that is.

Also, I wonder if I am feeling a little "lazy" about my half marathon training runs is because I do not have a PR to beat. Well, I guess that's not true in a sense because I DO have one half marathon under my belt. However, I walked for most of my half marathon back in 2003 and with the new run/walk method I have recently employed, I am going to 'break" that PR for sure (barring any on-route problems). Maybe it is because I realized that 2:30 is not realistic for me after all at this point, and as a result, I have stopped "pushing" myself, accepting that a 2:40 - 2:45 time is more realistic.

It may also have to do with the fact that I am losing weight so slowly. My weight loss is proving to be very stubborn, in spite of the km I am logging, and watching what I eat I think I would feel more motivated if I had lost minimally one size this summer, and was running at in the 6:45 min/km pace zone. I am stuck, it seems, in the 7:15-7:45 min/km zone ... from this perspective, all this running work hasn't done much for me ...

Anyway, what at first was going to be a 6K easy turned into an 8K turned into a what-the-heck 9K. I am VERY pleased with my 9K but the "cost" of doing this today may be a slower 5K tomorrow.

We'll see!

6K instead of Scheduled 8K

42:55

Pace 7:09 min/km

Okay, I was supposed to run 8K today, but mentally, I was not feeling it. I think I might have hit a little wall mentally here ... however, what I lost in mileage I made up for in speed - 7:09. That's the fastest pace I have run since my 5K race in Bayfield in June! So! I shall celebrate how I have inched closer to cracking 7 min/km in a training run rather than beating myself up for talking myself out of an 8K.

I took both Kim and Wallace with me - Ben had Angus and I felt guilty about leaving one dog behind at the house! :) It turns out that they both ran very well with me, and I may try doing this again on the weekend. Squirrels are a little bit of a challenge, but the running and stern warnings from me seem to be doing the trick.

I am pleased about this run. I ran a little faster, determined to beat my running time yesterday. I honestly think that, for me, the second run after a rest day is always better.

A Measly 6K

45:12

Pace 7:32 min/km

I am not feeling very proud of myself. After running a great 16K on Saturday, I gave myself THREE days off instead of running a scheduled 9K Monday, which is messing up my schedule and training mileage for the week before it has barely begun! :( Maybe the 16K left me a little too confident that I am not pushing myself? It also has to do with the fact that I had a work deadline and I was feeling very stressed about it - I was up all night working Monday so no run was going to happen Tuesday - but isn't that supposed to be the point about running? That it is a good stress reliever?!?!

I was still uptight when I went for this run, I didn't bring any dogs with me. I went on my own. And to add to my frustration, my Ipod Shuffle would not work - I am not sure if it is hooped because it got a little wet on the weekend when I was using it, or if it didn't charge properly. Suffice it to say that I am proud of running without it (a first) and doing as well as I did without it, but boy! do I miss the beats and favourite songs that come on and give me an energetic boost when I need it!! MUST look into getting a new Ipod Shuffle ... the 5th generation ones are being advertised so maybe the Mac Outlet has them for sale now?

Got to get over this increased mileage problem ...

WEEK SIX Half Marathon Training - Sept. 6 to 12

Monday 9K

Tuesday OFF

Wednesday 10K

Thursday 8K

Friday 11K

Saturday OFF

Sunday 5K RACE

Total Week = 43K

Figuring Out My Half Marathon Time ...

21.1 Km

Q: Can I do this in 2:30?

A: No. Most likely 1/2 marathon time will be between 2:40 & 2:45.

2:30 = 7:00 min pace

2:35 = 7:15 min pace

2:40 = 7:30 min pace

2:45 = 7:43 min pace

5 X 1/2 hour increments

4.2K per 1/2 hour

16K !!!! I DID IT !!!!

2:06:47

Pace 7:56 min/km

I am ECSTATIC! After a tough and lousy week of running, it ended with a bang. :) I completed my first ever 16K run and it went swimmingly well! I used my music again to denote when it was 10 minutes of running and when it was 1 minute of walking - this worked VERY well. I am lucky to have figured this out for myself. Having the Garmin "free" to watch my pace and time makes me a better runner.

By the 4K mark, I was having to hold myself back - I felt like running at top speed and it took discipline to slow myself right down, knowing that as good as it felt at that moment, I would regret it later. Looking at my splits, I can see where I started to slowing down, feeling a little tired (over 8 min pace), and when I was feeling a surge of energy. I did find the last 2K more challenging but I was not "whipped" by this point. If anything, I felt like I could have pushed myself more.

I am definitely a fan of the 10:1 method now. This the second successful long distance I have been able to run and feel confident at the end that I can complete a half marathon. It makes all the difference to me to concentrate on ~2 songs and then to have my minute-long slow song act as a reminder to walk. Even though the minute walks feel like mere seconds, they seem to do the trick for giving me enough rest for the next 10 minute interval. And, darn it, I feel good for the rest of the afternoon instead of ravaged!

It does help that today the temperature had dropped significantly and that there was no humidity. In fact, I contemplated wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants because I felt chilled when standing outside in my shorts and new favourite running shirt (thank you, Harvest Run!). I am glad that I didn't, and I think wearing my baseball cap for the first time in awhile kept enough body warmth that I needed.

I HAVE to remember a run like this during the runs I have similar to earlier this week. Perseverance!

5.5K

42:30

Pace 7:43 min/km

It took self-will to get out this a.m. I usually do not run on Fridays, but I have been tweaking my schedule based on my "sad" 5K run instead of 11K the other day. I was hoping to do 6K, really felt crappy at 4K, and then felt some renewal at the 5K mark so I kept going for another 1/2.

Kim went with me today and he sure loves running with Mommy! :)

Kudos

- at least I got out there even though I was not in the mood.

- at least I kept going and even after committing to 5K, added on another .5K

- at least Kim got a workout today

Mentally preparing for 16K tomorrow. I usually rest the day before but given the circumstances of this week, I am going to try doing it after an easy run this morning.

I learned two weeks NOT to eat a whole bagel an hour before a long run, but only half instead. I am also having pasta this evening in an effort to healthily "carbo" load.

11K Bomb - Ran 5K instead

45:14

Pace 9:02 min/km

I am feeling really lousy after this run. It was a crappy feeling run the whole time, and for the first time in a long time, I had to stop to walk. The weather was very humid and did not help, but I felt lousy. I am not sick - I was just not in running form. I do not know if this is residual from my race on Sunday, or if it just is what it is - a bad run.

I was supposed to run 11K today (had a new route mapped out, too!), and 6K tomorrow. I am going to take tomorrow off instead, and try to run 6K on Friday. Saturday looks like an ideal morning for running (no humidity, under 20 degrees C) so I have to stick to my planned 16K on that day or I will regret it.