Monthly Archives: September 2015

September 28, 2015 · 9:05 pm

2 weeks of training to report and 2 weeks of training to go…oh no! :)

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The last two weeks have been fast and furious. So fast and furious I did not blog about the previous week’s training…oops! Here is what the last two week’s looked like:

Run #1 – Ladder – 2 x 200 rest 90 seconds, 3 x 400 rest 90 seconds, 4 x 1000 rest 90 seconds

200 – :46; :48

400 – 1:32; 1:32; 1:36

1000 – 4:19; 4:18; 4:27; 4:34 – first two great…last two – not so sure. 🙂

Run #2 – 8 x 600s repeats with 300m recovery

2:17; 2:20; 2:28; 2:25 – going counter-clockwise around track

2:52; 2:58; 2:55; 2:56 – switched directions and had a slight incline

I learned a lot with this run. The first half was done one direction and the second the other. I turn to the right easier than I do the left. 🙂 I was really surprised on the difference in my time. I did have my fastest 200 ever! Yay!

Run #3 – 30k Citytrail race – GREAT FUN!

2:51:21 – 16.64 miles through Chattanooga! This was an amazing race through Engel Stadium, McKenzie Arena, Lookout Stadium, around the National Cemetery, Downtown Chatt and through Stringer’s Ridge as well as many other cool areas of Chattanooga. I loved every minute of it except for two…when I hit the ground two times! I was not going to let me the race get me. I was going to get the race. I felt GREAT! I loved it! It was hard but it was done and done well. We all ran it well and we proved we are ready!!! Yes, we are!

Run #4 – 2 5ks with 10 minute rest

These were not the best. My legs were tired from day before and we had a crazy run or two. We chose to run later on a Sunday evening. Darkness caught up with us and we were on a new trail in Soddy. After the first 5k we chose to go to the roads. We had a dog chase us and we chose to move our cars out of the dark parking area after finishing 1 mile and we finished the last 2 miles elsewhere. My times reflected tired legs, trail running and craziness. 🙂 Both were around 28 minutes….fun!

This past WEEK!

Run #1 – another ladder: 3 x 200 rest 90 seconds, 3 x 400 rest 90 seconds, 4 x 1000 rest 90 seconds

This ladder started with 3 x 200 but my watch didn’t update the 2 to 3 so on the 3rd was an all out 400 meters…oh boy, it hurt. 🙂 I did make up the 200 at the end. The cool thing was that all of my 200s were the same time…even with the last one being the REAL last run.

3 x 200s – :47

3 x 400s – 1:38; 1:42; 1:44

4 x 1000s – 4:34; 4:44; 4:50

This week worth of ladders were not so good compared to last week….hmmmm….rest needed. 🙂

Due to my crazy schedule last week I had to wait and do my last three runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday….fun! Rest happened beforehand…

Run #2 – (really 3 runs) – 3 5ks in one day…Friday

1st 2 5ks – identical time – 24:09 – different routes and after school – felt great! Weather was ideal!!!

3rd 5k – 23:19 – Funky Monkey 5k Glow Run – I ran this great YMCA race at 8:00 p.m. with several students and friends. Felt awesome. I was 3rd overall female and 4th overall. GREAT run!

Run #3 – 10k Raccoon Mountain Road Race – Tough race! Rain, wind and hills…did I say hills????

50:12 – VERY pleased with this time due to the fact I had run 3 5ks the day before with one of them being a race. It was also a very challenging race…fun, but challenging! I won my age group! Yay! Two medals in two days!

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Run #4 – 15 miles – 2:14:06 – 8:56 pace – VERY PLEASED!!!!!

I was supposed to run this at 80% of 13.1 pace – DONE and some! After 2 days of racing and 15.5 miles on my legs in 2 days…I am so pumped about this run. I am ready for Chicago. This weekend proved that to me! #ready After the 15 miler I volunteered at Ironman Chattanooga. Wow! If that wasn’t the inspiration I needed to finish Chicago strong I don’t know what is….

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We were there in support of our awesome running coach – Matt. He finished strong and did an amazing job. He finished in 13 hours and 30 minutes. 13 hours and 30 minutes…can you imagine?? NO! Wow is all I can say! WOW! He is an IRONMAN for sure…we knew it beforehand…but now he has the real title.

Then the next day I woke up to this text:

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No pressure! 😉 Just kidding…just so very thankful for GREAT coaching and encouragement from one who is willing to put the work in it as well and coach by example! We are so ready!

One more week of true training and then on to the taper. We have this! God’s timing is awesome…He has led me on this journey with ups and downs for a reason. He has placed every run on the day it was supposed to be and He has allowed me to use my training to prepare me for more than Chicago – but for life. Love it!

Today when I got home this was in the mail:

IT IS REAL!!! Bib # 16402 – I can do this! I will do this! I am READY to do this! 🙂 We are ready!

Habakkuk 2:3

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Isaiah 40:31

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

28 days and counting…we are oh, so close!

This week was another UP week. Yay! I truly am learning the value of rest. We get so caught up in the fact that we have to move to improve and forget our bodies need time to repair and recuperate. It has made a huge difference in my mental state. Last night this article was posted on Facebook:

http://running.competitor.com/2014/03/training/don%E2%80%99t-separate-mental-training-from-physical-training_27280

It is about the mental aspect of training. I know the last two weeks have helped me get back in the grove mentally. Mike asked me the other night if I was confident again and I said yes. Our minds are powerful. For the next 28 days my goal is to mentally prepare and be ready come October 11. I will be!

Run #1 – 4 5ks – 2 in the morning with 10 minute rest/2 in the evening @ 90% of morning pace with 10 minute rest in between – The first run of the week should have been my last but I was already scheduled to run the FCA 5k so I adjusted my runs. This run was 4 5ks in one day. The first two 5ks were to be run all out and the last two at 90% the morning pace. I knew all out wouldn’t be a problem on 5k number one because it was a race. 🙂 The FCA 5k holds a special place in my heart. It is the first local run I actually placed in years ago. This is when I got the competitive bug. 🙂 Here are my stats for all 4 5ks – I ran the first two in the morning with a 10 minute rest between them. I ran the 2nd 2 in the evening with a 10 minute rest. I had a watch malfunction on the second one so thankfully I had mapmyrun on. 🙂 This run was a HUGE mental YAHOOOOOO for me! I was dreading it but felt GREAT once they were over. This Labor Day was a great day full of running, full of family and full of fun. RUN #1 = DONE!!

FCA 5k 5k #2 5k #3 5k #4

Here are the photos from the last 2 5ks – can you tell they were fun? I felt really good and confident once I finished these. I didn’t PR in my race but was one second shy of it. 🙂 I also took first place in my age group…so happy! Then I was able to follow it up with the next 3 runs at a decent paces – I was thrilled. AWESOME mental run for me!

Run #2 – 8 x 400m with 300m recovery – I was going to do this one Tuesday after the 4 5ks on Monday but my legs said NO! 🙂 Imagine that! So, I waited until Wednesday morning. Yoli had the same run and met me out there. It was nice to have company.

1 – 1:35

2 – 1:31

3 – 1:34

4 – 1:36

5 – 1:33

6 – 1:34

7 – 1:37

8 – 1:33

On Tuesday I did do a CrossFit workout that had 400m repeats, wall balls and box jumps. I asked Matt if I could count that as my 400s and he said only if they were under 1:30…I said “‘yeah, right’…after wall balls and box jumps-not happening.” 😉

Run #3 – 10 x 50m repeats with 45 second rest – Fast, hard and done!

1 – .11 seconds

2 – .10 seconds

3 – .10 seconds

4 – .10 seconds

5 – .11 seconds

6 – .10 seconds

7 – .11 seconds

8 – .11 seconds

9 – .10 seconds

10 – .9 seconds

Pretty pleased. 🙂 Last one was fastest and stayed consistent. Overall good short run! 🙂

Run #4 – 10k at 80% 10k pace – I approached this 80% run by just running at a pace I feel is less than my all out because my watch beeping at me all the time while I am in or out of pace drives me CRAZY. Matt met me to watch my form and make sure I wasn’t letting any bad habits sneak in. 🙂 It was a great run. He said my form is good. He didn’t see any heel striking….YAY! This was such a problem before. It is amazing what skill training and good form will do for you! Efficiency is good. Here were my splits – another watch malfunction so it is with mapmyrun again.

I ran this one faster than my last 10k race. That race was hilly though and today was flat. It is hard to not go all out when you know someone is watching. My first mile was fast and the 5th one. Why the 5th? Because Matt ran that one with me…:) I ran the last 1.2 on my own. I did better that 80% of my 10k pace but that is okay…again, I needed it.

My legs are not what hurt today – it was my shoulders. I subbed for our CrossFit League last night and my shoulders took a beating. 🙂 My arms hurt the entire 6.2 miles. I also did a number on my back with kettlebell swings last night…my form was bad and I can feel it today. 😦

The League was fun but now for the next four weeks – nothing extra. It is GO time! Running is the priority! I will CF 2x a week and run 4. I will approach the marathon start line with confidence – Godconfidence….knowing He will finish what he started.

Philippians 1.6

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you.”

1 Corinthians 9.24-27

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Running Blessed – 28 days out! 🙂

35 : 20 : 37 : 17 remaining….Chicago, we are coming!

We finished week 8 of our training today! Whew- I can not believe we have 8 weeks under our belts. Crazy! That means one thing – we are almost there! OH MY!:) We are 35 days away…35 days! That is it!

Well, how is it going now? As you know this training has been UP and DOWN. This week was an UP week…YAY! I need some consistent runs and I feel like I am getting them. My food intake is getting better…I am listening to my body and resting when I feel like I can’t go any more. This week I ran 4x and only did CrossFit 2xs. I know CrossFit is making me a better runner so I won’t remove it…but some days I am just plain tired and need to sleep. This week I listened to my body and did just that – rested. It paid off! Here are my runs for the week:

1st Run – 5 miles @ 85% 10k pace

This run was done without my watch beeping at me. My watch died overnight while trying to update. I noticed it as soon as I woke up and was able to charge it for 15 minutes. I was hoping and praying it would record the whole run once I started. I decided not to use the interval feature and just run. I did and I am so glad because I had a great run!

Mile 1 – 820

Mile 2 – 821

Mile 3 – 813

Mile 4 – 827

Mile 5 – 822

It was so nice to feel good again. 🙂 It was a dark run with the moon lighting the way. It was a glorious morning!

2nd Run – 5 x 1000 meter repeats with 500 meter recovery – the one on the left is this week…right, last week! Consistency is what we are looking for and this week was much better. Yay! Great feeling once again!!!

Done in the dark once again…lit up like a Christmas tree just in case. Can you see me?

Run 3 – Tabata runs…Yay! There is a love/hate relationship with Tabata runs…20 seconds on and 10 seconds off for 4 minutes. NO big deal! No, really no big deal. Yeah right…they are hard. This time I had a convertible stop while I was finishing up the 4th of 8 and ask me to race. Really? I am dying here and you waste my 10 second rest making me talk. Go Figure! People. 🙂 Just kidding…but really, I don’t want to talk when I only have 10 seconds to catch my breath!

I covered .05 miles in all but one of the 8 tabatas….on the odd one I covered .06. 🙂 Fun quick run and done! I did it in the heat of the day…so I should say fun in the sun! 😉

Run 4 – 13.1 time trial – I was really anxious about this one. Mentally I have a hard time replicating race day on my own. Time trials are hard. So I made a plan to run with Yoli and Deirde and try to keep up or keep them in my view. They had to run around the pace of my best half marathon. I was successful for the first 4-5 miles. I was far enough back I was alone yet together…but I needed music. I stopped to turn on my music(I am not coordinated enough to do it while I was running.) And off they went…:) I caught up with them as they were refueling. They had 20 miles to my 13. It was good to chase them on the first half. Then, I turned around and headed back. I felt pretty good. I decided to take the last half one mile at a time. I am thrilled with my run. My half PR is 1:48:34 and today’s time was 1:52:22. This was only 3 minutes 46 slower than my PR – so for not being a race day – I am thrilled. 🙂

Refueling and Re-energizing – I came home and was ready to eat…pet my precious donkey and watch some college football. Go Hogs Go!

God has blessed this week immensely. I chose to back off on the CrossFit and rest more. It worked. I made sure I had enough fuel the day before and the day of…all of this is helping. We only have 35 days left! We can and will finish what He has put before us!! Thank you for joining me on this journey! Running Blessed!!!

Deuteronomy 31. 8

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Monthly Archives: September 2015