Ignorance is Bliss

No Garmin ~ no watch ~ no problem.

Just me and the road for a slow, continous 3 miles tonight [translation: no walking]. I had a few issues with my feet going numb (a blast from my sorted running past), but somehow worked through it.

The realization hit me this weekend that I leave in 4 weeks for Hawaii. You know what that means?

A SWIMSUIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*gasp*

So other than making it through the Valley of the Sun HM alive, I have but ONE goal for the coming weeks ~ lose 8 pounds by my vacation.

That's 4 weeks @ 2 pounds a week. Totally do-able if I behave myself.

That also means running for weight loss....not just training. Which takes me right back to slower pace, continous runs during the week.

Sure makes it sound easy :P

Garmin-Free-Continous Run:

Distance: 3.0

Time: Enough

Average pace: Blissfully unknown

Pokey vs. the Pavement

And the final score.............

Pavement: 4.75

Pokey: ZERO

This morning I had my tail kicked for just shy of 5 miles, on a route that I have run more times than I can count.

The entire time I was commiserating over why this run stunk so bad ~ could it have been that I hadn't run in just over a week? or because of a week of extremely bad eating? or being exhausted? or having cramps? or waking up at 2am with a throbbing headache?

Gee, the possibilities were endless. It was quite possibly the worst run I have ever had.

The plan today was for 13 miles......yes, 13 miles........3 of which were going to be done at a 5K race with Lisa (but sadly, logistics and both of us being a bit out of sync kept that from happening), and then another 10 mile slow run after the race. So I guess it appears that I came up short of the goal, huh?

Oh well - I got out and slogged about my neighborhood for 4.75 miles and called it a day. For a couple of the miles, I am sure I walked more than I ran, but at least I was moving ~ I had wanted to stay in bed and drink coffee :)

The highlight of my run was having "POKEY" yelled out of a passing car in my neighborhood, and getting to stop and chat with Carolyn for a bit (Lisa's pal, GGT)......lucky for her, she was going shopping instead of shuffling around the neighborhood like me :)

I guess I am just happy to have posted some miles finally. My poor WAA team is not going to like me for Week 3......I don't think I charted a single mile.

Lisa and I chatted after her eventful morning this morning (and KUDOS to her for getting some serious mileage done when she wasn't really feeling up to par) and made a change to the schedule up to Valley of the Sun ~

Saturday, 02/23: 11 miles
Saturday, 03/01: 6 miles
Sunday, 03/09: Valley of the Sun Half Marathon!!!

We upped the mileage for next week to help balance th e lower mileage today.....hopefully it will all work out! I am hoping for a much better and more productive week...


13-minus-a-few-miles-training run:

Distance: 4.75 miles
Time: 1:00:59
Average Pace: 12:50

Road ID

Since I lost my last one (think it got tossed out with the shoes), yesterday I ordered a new ROAD ID. I always figured that I'd hate to be passed out along the road somewhere, with vultures circling and no one has any idea who I am ;)

So today I get this *sample email* that I can send to all my friends, with a valuable $1 off coupon. The email made me laugh, and I'm always out to save a buck or two ~ so I figured it was post-worthy.


Hey Everyone,
I just ordered one of the best products ever. It's called a Road ID - perhaps you've heard of it. If you haven't, go to their website and check it out. Road ID is a great product that could save your life someday.

When I ordered, they gave me a coupon that I could pass along to my friends. Here's the coupon number:

Coupon Number: ThanksKaren351475

The coupon is good for $1 off any Road ID order placed by 03/16/2008. To order, simply go to RoadID.com or click the link below:

http://www.RoadID.com/?CID=ThanksKaren351475

If you prefer, you can call them at 800-345-6335.

You can thank me later,
Karen

Oh by the way, their website is awesome, the customer service is outstanding, and the owners are very smart and good looking.

Happy almost-Friday!

Back from the Deep Freeze

That picture pretty much sums up my visit to the Midwest this past weekend ~ a frigid 3 days in Davis, Illinois ~ where this Arizona girl was just a wee bit chilly!

With wind chill, temperatures were -30 for most of the weekend.




But now I am home ~ and thawed ~ and just generally back to being a slacker.

I got a 30-minute treadmill run in last Friday morning before we left town, and there has been no running to speak of since then. I was supposed to get up this morning for the same, but apparently I was just too comfy to get out of bed. So TOMORROW……tomorrow it is.

I have a long run planned for this weekend ~ 13 miles ~ part of which, might be running a 5K with Lisa on Saturday morning. I am still contemplating the race, wondering if it’s a smart idea to go run a 5k race, and then expect to tack on another 10 miles afterwards. Not sure.

What I am sure of is that I need to get my butt in gear. I’m not exactly acting like a person that has another half mary in 3 weeks – a race which I am expecting to be a good one.


You all know I need it ~ and maybe some of you do to. So let’s get moving!

Back to Basics

That is where I am heading ~ back to the old days, circa December 2005 when I took my first attempt at this new thing called running.

The goal back then was to somehow, someday be able to run for 30 consecutive minutes. I started out running 1 minute, and walking 1 minute. Then 2 minutes, 1 minute…..until one day, I knocked out 30 minutes on the treadmill and I was ECSTATIC.

Then I started focusing on mileage….and that is when things changed. In order to go farther, faster ~ I implemented the walk break. Based on information from Jeff Galloway ~ pioneer of the “Galloway Method” ~ it was a perfect fit for a rookie runner. It allowed me to “go the distance” ~ and it worked for me. And like many things, it has served its purpose, but it is now time for a change.

Now it is back to the basics for this Pokey. I have GOT to get myself back on track for continuous running ~ at least for short runs.

There are a couple reasons:

First, I allowed my body to be conditioned to the walk breaks. There was a point when I could run for 45-60 minutes no problem, albeit very slow. Now I have taught my body and my MIND that I need these walk breaks ~ and I don’t. Or I shouldn’t.

Second, I need to lose weight. I have 13 pounds to lose to hit my first weight goal; 23 would be my final, *ideal* goal (although I’m not sure if it’s realistic for me). I need to use running to help me lose the weight – and it isn’t going to happen with the walk breaks. I need 30+ minutes of continuous cardio-running to get the pounds off.

So last night, in my first effort to step back a bit and rethink my running plans, I set out for a TIMED RUN. Very reminiscent of my early days, the only goal was to run for 30 minutes ~ and not a moment more.

And funny enough ~ just like Lisa has also discovered ~ I CAN do it. It isn’t an issue to knock down 30 minutes as long as I have convinced my stubborn mind that it is possible.

So the plan now becomes this:

Timed short runs during the week - at least 2 (preferably 3, but I’m trying to be realistic) – of 30 minutes each. I may even stop taking Garmie and revert back to my old running watch and just set the timer and run. Then after a couple of time runs, I’ll resurrect Garmie and check for any pace improvement. Once I feel like I’ve tackled the 30 minutes at a good pace, I’ll keep adding 5 minutes until……..well, you know.

Long runs on the weekend - keep with the interval running/walking. I am nowhere ready to try and tackle a continuous long run – and the walk breaks serve a purpose in my current race training.

It’s amazing what happens when I run without an iPod ~ I had this all figured out by the time I got home last night! Who knew that so much enlightenment could occur in a mere 30 minutes?


Timed Short Run #1

Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 2.4 miles
Pace: 12:34

Race Bibs + Rain = Happy Pokey

You know you have TRULY become a runner when you have a near nervous breakdown about the silliest of things ~ being out of Gu packets, having your Garmin die on a great run, getting ready to head out for a long run and finding that your favorite shorts are still in a smelly pile on the bathroom floor ~ you know, running stuff.

Today I had a major meltdown over something new: a race bib. I got a great idea from the Spirit of the Marathon movie about keeping all my race bibs on a metal ring, in order of their occurrence. I figured that surely this beats keeping them all tacked to the side of my refrigerator, so today (after finally purchasing the metal binder ring at Target) decided to organize all my race paraphernalia.

Now imagine my distress when I discovered that my bib from Big Sur ~ my very first half marathon ~ was MISSING! I knew in my brain exactly where it was ~ I had made sure to put it in my dresser drawer for safe keeping with all the other Big Sur stuff ~ and it was GONE.

I went in to a tailspin…..tearing apart drawers and their contents, calling hubby asking if he knew the location of my precious piece of paper, and just generally being a lunatic. How much would that suck to lose the bib from your very first half mary?

Thankfully, I am not being committed to the institution just yet ~ the bib had somehow snuck out of the top drawer of my dresser and into the second drawer which houses some of my running wear. It must have wanted to feel at home ;) WHEW! Dodged the insanity bullet for another day.

Here’s what my bib ring looks like:

Obviously, I haven’t run a lot of races, but I think it’s a nice start.

In other news, my plan this week was to work on short runs (I guess I mean, like actually have some weekday short runs ~ I’ve been slacking on this the past few weeks) because I won’t have a long run this weekend since I’ll be out of town. We are heading to Rockford, Illinois area to visit some of Hubby’s extended family and get to meet our cousin’s new baby boy! I am excited – but being gone really requires some additional planning on my part.

Today’s plan called for some slow, consistent running. Translation: No walk breaks.

So I headed out about 4:30 pm (a totally new running time of day for me) since hubby was home and holding down the fort ~ and I planned to cover up Garmie and just trudge along at the slowest pace possible – and run for 3 miles continuously. I have run 5 mile Pokey-runs with no breaks before, but it is time to start making them a habit.

It was very cold and windy outside ~ mid 40 degree temps and cloudy following a ton of rain earlier in the day. But being in AZ, I headed out wearing my running shorts and a couple of layers on top. I figured it would suit me well.

So I trudged down the road, reminiscent of my very first days as a runner ~ pulling down close to a 13 minute pace (or so I thought - I didn’t look at Garmie until I got home). Yes, folks….it IS possible to run that slow ~ trust me, I know all about it.

Mile 1 was slooooooooow and good. Everything felt good – legs, mind, breathing. I knew after that point that there would be no reason for me to walk today.
Mile 1: 13:08

Mile 2 became a bit eventful. I was still scooting along and feeling great. My only problem was about Mile 1.5 when it started to rain. UH-OH. It was a good thing it was time to turn around and head back. The rain wasn’t bad, and funny enough I found it a bit motivating. I had no real idea of how motivating it would be until a bit later.
Mile 2: 13:04

Just after the completion of Mile 2, the sky totally opened up. The wind was blowing, the rain was pounding and I was FREEZING. I pulled my top layer shirt over my iPod and cell phone that was strapped to my arm, pulled my visor down and GOT MOVING.

The next mile was a total hoot. I got honked at, stared at, and offered 2 rides along the way. I was drenched from head to toe. My shoes were soaked and I could barely see thru my sunglasses because of all the water. I knew I was moving fast ~ and even chuckled to myself along the way. What else was there to do but laugh???

The last .4 mile was the worst, turning north right into the wind and rain. My visor was nearly over my eyes at this point and I kept my eyes on my feet. Then it happened: HAIL. There were small, half-a-dime sized hail pelting my legs and my neck – and sticking to my shirt. I was covered in white dots!!!! It hurt like mad hitting my neck (my shirt was a v-neck), and my only consolation was being less than half a mile from home. It was a HAIL of a run!
Mile 3: 11:15

Did you all see that?

It wasn’t a typo.

Today I ran my fastest mile ever ~ in the cold, rain and hail. Who knew that is what it would take to get this Pokey moving? That being said, I also had a great, slow warm up period, which I’m sure was also a big help. But it is definitely amazing the motivation that the elements can provide.

The best news of the day? 3 miles, baby ~ all the way ~ no walking.

Now if I wake up tomorrow and don’t have pneumonia, then this will definitely get chalked up as a FANTASTIC day :P


Short-Wet-Pelted-by-Hail-Run:

Distance: 3.0 miles
Time: 37:27
Average pace: 12:29

9 on the 9th + 2 for good measure

I just finished reading Lisa's blog, and for some reason my dear running partner wants all our readership to believe that we set out this morning~ at 6:30 in 36 degree temps, in the DARK ~ to simply complete our 9 miles for next week's race.

TRUE, TRUE ~ I did notify the race director of our schedule conflicts and our intent to run the virtual race this weekend instead (any particular shade of red, Nancy?)......however, in order not to mislead our readership.....Lisa and I didn't exactly run 9 miles and then feel so overwhelmed with energy and spunk that we just decided to add on another 2 miles!! HA!

Nooooooooooooo. The REAL story is that my Mileage Maven dictated the 11 miles on today's schedule ~ the 9 miles for the 9 on the 9th was just an added bonus.

The real truth is also that we were a couple of TIRED chickies long before we ever even began.

That being said, I have no complaints about today's run (that's because I used up all my complaining from mile 8-11 :P

Here's the scoop:

We ran a relatively long portion of the run along the Hunt Highway, a 2-lane road that runs right along the edge of the desert (where Lisa and Tewonda have sometimes been known to travel). How can you not love a long run when you get to see this?
The vultures were circling over us for a bit, but I guess in the end they figured out we were just slow ~ not dead. I told them to come back in a few miles and they might have a chance ;)

For the rest of the Event Photos, you'll have to visit Lisa's blog. I realized today that she is also the TRC Staff Photographer. Next long run I might actually have to put on some makeup and do my hair :)

The last few miles of the run were tough ~ my calf muscles held up great again (knock on wood) but we were both just exhausted. We did practice some good self-talk along the way ~ "I am stronger. I am stronger. I am going to die, but I am getting stronger" ~ you know, that kind of stuff. Somehow we managed to hit the target once again.

Final Data:

9 on the 9th Report:

9 miles ~ 1:48:06

Long Run

Distance: 11.0 miles

Time: 2:22:45

Average Pace: 12:58