Week 7 Wrap-up

It's been awhile since I last updated this and I apologize. I was camping for four days and I couldn't not get a Wi-fi signal in the woods, but we did try. As I mentioned in a prior post, I was scheduled to run a 2 1/2 hour run on Sunday. I ended up breaking that up into 2 days because of the vacation. I ran 1 1/2 hours on Saturday before I left and then 1:10 on Sunday. My run on Saturday was nothing special. I pasted the time listening to a few podcasts and that was about it. My run on Sunday; however, was glorious! I think my dad would agree with that statement as he ran with me. We started out at about 7 AM. It was chilly and I was thankful my dad loaned me a long sleeve shirt. The mist was hanging in the air and the fog was just starting to set in.

Our original plan was to turn left out of our campsite, run up a long steep hill out of the campground, and then down Highway 1. Thankfully my dad changed his mind and decided we should turn right instead and see what was further in the campground. At the end of the campground (we stayed at Russian Gulch State Park, about 8 miles from Fort Bragg) we found Fern Canyon Trail. As you can see below it was just an old road covered with leaves so we choose to explore it.

It was so beautiful. No one was out there but us. I'm really glad my dad was with me otherwise I would not have gotten to run on it. Call me crazy, but I don't like to run on trails by myself in the early morning in a place I've never been. This trail was about 1.6 miles through the ferns and redwoods. There was a small river to the right of us that provided lovely running music.

We eventually came upon the Falls Loop Trail that would take us to a waterfall. This is where the road turned into a true trail. I have not run on many trails in the past, but I did enjoy it very much. The route was described as moderately strenuous. I think that was an accurate description. The hills were steep, but short and I was happy to see that my hill repeats were paying off. The trail also seemed to get more beautiful too. Every turn I made I was in awe. Not only was it a sight to behold, I was also feeling really strong despite the terrain. I was easily able to keep up with my dad. At one point I asked my dad if he ever thought he would be on a camping trip running on a trail to a waterfall with me at 7 AM. He said no. After .7 miles we made it to the waterfall and it was amazing to see!

What a fantastic treat! These are the moments that make me grateful that I am able to run. I know it sounds weird but I never take my ability to run for granted and I enjoy every moment in some way. Even when I think I'll die if I take another step. Of course there are moments I enjoy more than others and this was definitely one of them. I was also grateful I was able to experience this run with my dad. Being with him at that waterfall is something I'll never forget. I will always look back on it with fond memories.

On the way back, the sun was starting to peek through the trees and all the foliage lit up.

We stopped at one point to get just a few more pictures to document the journey.

Everything was going so well, up to the point where my foot hit a root and I did a full on spread eagle face plant onto the ground. It was pretty funny. Thankfully I wasn't hurt and I just bruised up my knees a bit. The picture below was taken shortly after my fall. If you look closely you can see the dirt on my pants. I'm a trooper though and I kept on running.

Here is a picture of my battle wound. As you can see it's not that bad and it only hurts if I bend down on it.

All in all it was awesome, fall and all. Thanks dad for coming with me. I couldn't have done it without you! Nor would I have wanted to.

Weigh In - 7/23/09

This week I was pleased to see a change in more than one area. I am hoping this trend continues.

Weight: 165lb (-2.5 lb)
Body Fat: 32% (-1%)
Waist: 31" (-.5")
Hips: 37" (-.5")
Thigh: 24.5" (-.5")
Bust: 37" (no change)
Arm: 12" (no change)

Today I did my hill repeats on a new hill. It kicked my booty! While this hill is not as long as my other, it's about a million times steeper. I was able to do 5 repeats which was about 2 1/2 miles total. That last one put me over the top. My legs were all rubbery and I found myself having to walk a majority of the way home because I was feeling dizzy. I was proud of the accomplishment though. It was a challenge indeed and I look forward to seeing how I improve over time.

One thing I am concerned with is that I am beginning to feel and see signs of over training. This is such a fine line and I'm not sure how to go about this. I really cannot afford to cut any mileage out of my daily runs. Hopefully these feelings will pass as time goes on. I am eating well and getting plenty of sleep most of the time. The biggest problem I have is the fact that I stand for eight hours a day. My manager is going to assign me to a desk so I will be able to sit more. I hope this will help a little bit with the leg fatigue. I also have been nursing any aches or pains as soon as I feel them. So far I have been able to keep everything under control and I have no real ailments to speak of. I will continue to monitor myself take each day as it comes.

Wrap Up: Week 6

My long run on Sunday was just that, a long run! I got out at 6 am, which was later than I wanted, but still early enough so I wasn't running in 90 degree weather for too long. Overall I would say it was a decent run. I walked a little and I picked a route with some challenging hills. I wasn't as fatigued at the end like I was the week before. It felt like I had run faster then last week, but it turns out I was slower. This time I listened to two podcasts and it made the time pass fairly quickly. The heat and major chafing began to affect me around mile 8 (I did 12 total). Somehow I muddled my way through it, like I seem to do every week.

As my long runs increase in distance, I am beginning to feel the all around fatigue. My body feels tired and my legs heavy. I basically through my hands up at today's run. I went the scheduled 30 minutes, but I certainly was not speeding along. My legs felt so heavy and I just could not get into the groove. These kind of runs really mess with my confidence. I start thinking how I am going to run 50 miles when I can barely seem to finish 3? It's all in my head, and I am aware of that, but it still does not make it any easier. Tomorrow I have 4 miles of hill repeats on a new, more challenging incline. Hopefully I will be able to do that with greater ease than today's run.

As I review my stats for the week, I can see how the heat has caused my pace to slow down tremendously. My usual 10-10:15 minute miles have been replaced with 11:00-11:30 minute ones. That is to be expected though so I am not really worried about it at this time.

Planned: 30 miles
Actual: 30.44 miles
Calories: 3850
Average pace: 11:33

Training Plan: The Next 9 Weeks

After my run tomorrow I will be done with the "Base Phase" and move into the "Build Phase." For the next nine weeks I will focus on increasing my mileage from 30-35 miles week up to 50 a week. I'm a little nervous as I get into the longer runs. For the most part I have been handling them well. I hope that is a trend that continues. As the heat gets worse I'm finding it necessary to get out earlier than usual. Tomorrow I am aiming for a 5:30 AM start time. I have my I-Pod loaded and I feel ready for my 2 hour and 15 minutes. Next week will be a test. We are going camping up at Russian Gulch and I will have to do a 2 hour and 30 minute run. Hopefully there will a place to do it, otherwise I will be making a lot of loops around the campground! My parents might go with us and I hope they do because I will have my dad to run with for part of it. Anyway, here is my training plan for the next nine weeks:

Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun

Week 1: 2 mile/4 mile/30 min; ST/4 mile/30 min; ST/Rest/2:30
Week 2: 2 mile/4 mile/35 min;ST/4 mile/35 min;ST/Rest/2:45
Week 3: 2 mile/4.5 mile/35 min;ST/4.5 mile/35 min; ST/Rest/3:00
Week 4: 3 mile/4.5 mile/40 min;ST/4.5 mile/40 min;ST/Rest/3:15
Week 5: 4 mile/5 mile/40 min;ST/5 mile/40 min;ST/Rest/3:30
Week 6: 3 mile/5 mile/45 min; ST/5 mile/45 min;ST/Rest/3:45
Week 7: 4 mile/5 mile/45 min;ST/5 mile/45 min;ST/Rest/4:00
Week 8: 4 mile/5 mile/45 min;ST/5 mile/45 min;ST/Rest/4:15
Week 9: 4 mile/5 mile/45 min;ST/5 mile/45 min;ST/Rest/20 mile

I will continue to do strength training (ST) on Wednesday and Friday. I will also continue doing my hill repeats once a week; however, I am going to do them on a more challenging hill. As I sit here looking at this training plan I'm starting to feel a little intimidated. I still have faith I will be able to finish this race, but I have my doubts as to how alive I will be once I do!

Week Five Wrap-up

I can't believe I've already been training for over a month. It's gone fast. I do admit I am slightly tired of running so much, but I think I found a way to persevere. Podcasts! I just discovered how awesome they are for long runs. My sister has talked about podcasts in the past, but it wasn't until Saturday night that I went onto I-Tunes and checked them out. all I can say is that I wish I would have found them sooner! I am a big fan of "Real Time" with Bill Maher. The problem is that I don't have HBO so I can't watch the show. Well that's no longer an issue now that I found the podcast for the show.

I downloaded the most recent show for my run on Sunday. I was scheduled to go out for 2 hours. The show was just over an hour. To supplement the remaining hour of my run I downloaded a few new songs to add to my existing music. The first hour just flew by while I was listening to the show. There were many times I found myself running down the road and laughing out loud. Once I had to listen to my music it felt like time just stopped. The last hour was long and tiring. I walked more and it felt like I had weights attached to my feet.

I think it was mostly mental because the music did not provide a long enough distraction like the podcast did. It was also fairly warm (80 degrees and humid). At one point I went past a park that had its sprinklers on. I immediately sought relief from the weather by making a few passes through the mist. It was like liquid heaven! I'm sure I looked funny but I didn't care, it felt so good. Overall it was a decent run, not as good as last week was, but definitely manageable. After my run I went to the lake with some friends and went tubing and jet skiing for the first time. I had a blast, but between that and my run I was quite sore this morning.

Here are the numbers for this past week. I was a little under my planned miles this week due to the fact I only run 11 miles on Sunday instead of 12. I'm not too concerned because overall I am still over my plan.

Planned: 28.5
Actual: 27.3
Avg Pace: 11:00
Calories: 3448

When I add up all the time I've spent running these past five weeks, it equals 21 hours. That's almost an entire day. That's crazy! I've also burned 15,393 calories so how can I not be thinner? I love figuring out and seeing all of my stats. That too is a motivator for me.

So here's to week 6 of training and the final week before moving into a new phase. I'm a little nervous about the next phase, but I'm sure I'll be able to manage it.

Weigh-In: 7/9/09

Once again, no real change. There was a slight weight gain, but I'm not too concerned.

Weight: 167.5 lb (+2.5 lb)
Body fat: 33%
Waist: 31.5" (no change)
Hips: 37.5" (-.5")
Thigh: 25" (no change)
Bust: 37" (no change)
Arm: 12" (no change)

Week Four Wrap Up

I had the most glorious long run on Sunday! Jim and I went to San Francisco for the 4th of July weekend. Training can be tricky while on vacation, but Jim was kind enough to book a hotel that was right on the Embarcadero. He figured it would make it easier for me to get my hour and forty-five minute run in on Sunday. After waking up, I stepped out the door and off I went. The temperature was in the high fifties, foggy and misty. There was a head wind, but it wasn't strong enough to hinder my pace. I ran out towards Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, past the Exploratorium and basically to the base of the Golden Gate bridge. I took my camera with me so I could capture the beauty of my run.

I took this picture at about mile 4. I'm sure all the other people thought I looked ridiculous taking pictures while I was running, but I didn't care. Most of the run was flat, at one point I did have to climb a fairly steep hill to get to Fort Mason. The effort was worth it though, because I was rewarded with this view of the Golden Gate:

I ended up running 10.6 miles that day in 1:45. I felt like I could run forever. Of course I felt tired at the end, but I wasn't dying like I was last week. These are the runs that renew your desire to keep up with training. I know the weather, and the easy terrain played big roles in the success of this run, but it was also my attitude that attributed to the ease of it. I was so excited to do my run along the bay so it was something I was looking forward to instead of dreading. I took a picture of my self at the end of my run too. I was happy to be done and very pleased with my accomplishment!

Here is the wrap up for the week:

Planned: 25.5 miles

Actual: 25.92 miles

Average Pace: 10:16

Calories Burned: 3267

I'm pleased that I still exceeded my planned miles despite the fact that I took an extra day off this week. I am still waiting for my blister to fully heal. It's better then it was, but no where near fully healed.

Weigh In; 7/2/09

I got a little behind this past week with my posts. I'm not sure what happened. My guess is that I got busy. Anyway, there has not been much change with weight an measurements. I was hoping to see something at this point. If I worked on my food intake a little more, I probably would see a weight loss. I have made some questionable food choices the past few weeks, but it's hard not to. When you burn 1300 calories on a run it's difficult to say no to that second Margarita. Plus I'm not gonna lie, I'm friggin hungry after an hour and a half run! Training is like being pregnant. When you're running all these miles, you think it's a free ticket to eat whatever you want and you assume you need to eat that gallon of ice cream because your body needs the fuel. I just have to remind myself that I'm not eating for two. With that being said, I am going to work on making better food choices this week.

Weight: 165 lbs (no change)
Body fat: 33% (no change)
Waist: 31.5 " (+.5")
Hips: 38" (no change)
Thigh: 25" (no change)
Bust: 37 " (-.5")
Arm: 12" (no change)

Life as a Runner: Blisters

I have my first ailment I sad to say, and it's a doosey! Sunday's run produced a small blister on the arch of my right foot. At first it didn't seem too bad and I barely felt it. Fast forward 3 days, and 12 miles later. Now it's a different story. Normally I am able to drain my blisters, they dry up and that's the end of it. Obviously that is not going to work this time. I have been draining it the past few days and instead of drying up, it is has become incredibly painful, itchy and infected. Right now I have a cold baking soda paste on it (to help with the itching) and it is wrapped with a gauze pad and ace bandage to give it some padding. I was able to run 5 miles this morning and it didn't really bother me. I'm not sure why all of a sudden it flared up? I'm hoping it will be better in the morning. If it's not, I'm going to be in trouble. I'm having difficulty walking properly now and I can't imagine standing on it all day tomorrow the way it feels now (I had the day off today). Let's all hope for the best!

Besides using today's post as a whining session, I thought I would do a product review. I'm one of those people who will see an advertisement for a new product and I just have to try it. Sometimes the products turn out to be good, other times, bad. Band-Aid brand Blister cushions fall into the bad category. I was very disappointed and I would not recommend them. For one thing, they are a bit pricey for only 4 band-aids. When you first take it out of the wrapper, you think hey, this might actually work. The pad is thick and cushy and the sticky part appears more spongy than a plain band-aid. That is were it ends though. The advertisements claim it stays in place and promotes healing. Well it doesn't stay in place at all. I could see where it was already trying to come off before I even got my sock on. By the end of my run it had slid up to my ankle (it started on the arch of my foot). As for the promoting of healing? I couldn't tell you, but I'm guessing that's not true either if it won't stay in the right place to begin with. So I give this product an A for looks, and an F in performance. A regular band-aid and a cotton ball is way more effective.