Sunday, July 24, 2011

Random pic of the week - if the shoe fits...

If the Shoe Fits - Buy it in Every Color:


I take the phrase to heart with my running shoes. Nike Pegasus




New pair on my foot (holding off until mid-August to start wearing them ;o) )


Current pair the middle


everyday wear pair on the top




I should have scrounged around the house - I have three more pairs of the same shoe not in the pic (my last pair (from spring), my black gortex winter pair, and my trail pair)


Monday, July 18, 2011

I'm Not Quitting - Just Extending My Timeline

To anyone who may think that my decision to not run the CDR was based on one bad run or me wimping out when the going got tough:

So not true.

The decision was based on pain, struggling with endurance, and reality checks.

I didn't really have a bad run on Sunday. Sunday's 7 miles was not even supposed to be a training run. It was just a Sunday afternoon out in the sunshine with Marc. I went out with no focus on pace or distance or anything related to training whatsoever; running when I felt like it, walking when I felt like it. But even the easy, relaxed pace was a struggle, and it shouldn't have been. My body needs more rest than I've been giving it. More time to adjust to increased mileage. More time to develop the endurance and strength it needs.

I enjoy the challenge of pushing through the hard, long runs. I just need more time and more long runs than I can feasibly accomplish in just 7 weeks. The challenge of pushing myself through the hard, long runs needed to be prepared for the race in that short amount of time just isn't going to be possible. It's not worth it to injure myself to get ready for one race. As I said the other day, I'd much rather not run the race because I wasn't ready than not run the race because I was stupid and ran myself to an injury training for it.

I'm not one to give up just because things get hard. Once I've put my mind to something, I pretty much accomplish it. I'm pretty tenacious and stubborn like that. I may take some detours and go about it in some weird way, but I get there and I get it done.

So make no mistake: I'm not quitting; I'm just extending my timeline.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Reality Sucks But There's Always Next Year

I came to the realization today, as I struggled on a 7 mile run, that my goal of running the Charleston Distance Run is more than likely not going to be met this year. At the rate I'm going, I won't be ready in time. It's a hard decision to make, because it feels like failure.

But, to be ready, I'd have to push myself harder than my body is ready for. No race, even one that I set a goal to run, one that I really want to run, is worth making myself sick or injured over.

So instead, I'm going to focus on shorter, stronger runs for the rest of the summer (Look out 5k PR - you're going down!) and then work on the CDR for next year

Not so Random Random Pics of the Week

Last year's trip to the Falls at Hills Creek and Cranberry Glades. It's a yearly tradition. Hoping to go on this year's sometime in the next few weeks.




Middle Falls, Falls at Hills Creek, 2010


Bree's 11th Annual Trip to The Falls of Creek, 2010



Cranberry Glades, sign at the start of boardwalk, 2010




Happy puppy enjoying the Glades boardwalk, 2010






Bree and Marc on the Glades boardwalk, 2010

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Race report - Great Teays 5k

Quite a few years ago, my dad ran this race and got a t-shirt. It was too small for him, so he gave it to me. Being a t-shirt loving girl, I wore it a lot. Sometimes when I did, somebody would ask if I'd run the race. And I'd have to say no. Not anymore.

I can now legitimately wear my own Great Teays 5K shirt. And I can wear it with pride.

I was told this was a kind of tough course, with some hills and offroad mulchy sections, and it would be tough to make my goal finishing time. On top of that I've been taking it easy this week because I've been trying to head off a potential injury. So I was a little nervous about running the race at all. So glad I did.

Even though I took off a bit fast at the start (like always... trying to work on that), I had little to no trouble with the hills. Only walked a couple of times throughout the course and for a very, very short distance/time each time. Kept the person that I had picked to keep in sight in sight the whole time (thank you, whoever you are! you were a great pacer!) The mulch that I was told was so hard to run on was actually hard packed dirt/gravel and wasn't an issue at all.

My goal time was 31 minutes. I came around the last turn and saw the clock. It was under 31 (around 30:40 or so i think), but could I make it? I thought probably not, but I was sure going to try! And try I did. Picked up the pace and sprinted to the end. My garmin was at 31:07. official race results say 31:08.

Another 5k PR. Ok so I've only run 4 of them, but I'm very happy that I've been able to get progressively better. Shows that all my hard work is paying off and I love the feeling of accomplishment.

Race 1: Black Walnut Festival Nut Run, 10/11/09 - 38:09
Race 2: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, 5/7/11 - 31:39
Race 3: Run with a Cop, 6/11/11 - 31:31
Race 4: Great Teays 5K, 7/16/11 - 31:08

Splits & other technical info for GT5K:
Mile 1 - 9:41
Mile 2 - 10:04
Mile 3 - 10:27
Mile 4(0.1) - 8:39
Total time - 31:07
Avg. pace - 10:01

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Thoughts on Running Smart vs. Running Long

Nike+ miles for this week: 6.05
Garmin miles for this week: 6.06


Daily Mile miles for this week: 6

What do these 3 pictures tell you? (other than the fact that I have an addiction to tracking my miles...) They tell you that I'm not running much this week. Only 6 miles logged, and I'm half embarassed to admit that only 2.89 of those are actually miles run. The others are walks for the dog.

On Tuesday, I was supposed to run 6 miles. I ran 1.01. Tonight (Thursday), I was supposed to run 10. I ran 1.88.

Why?

Because my body is telling me to take it easy.

My mind is not liking it much. I have 7 weeks to get ready for the Charleston Distance Run. And my mind says I need every one of those weeks. I need to be running long to prepare for the 15 mile distance.

However, I've made up my mind that if I don't feel ready for the CDR by August 15, I'm not going to run it. Hard decision to make since I've been looking forward to it all year. But if I'm not ready, I'm not ready.

I'd much rather not run the race because I wasn't ready than not run the race because I was stupid and ran myself to an injury training for it.

So I'm doing the hard thing and listening to my body instead of my brain, and taking it easy this week.