This was actually a walk, but there were a few runners. I ran with some friends, and we felt like rock stars because we were so far ahead of the walkers!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Walk for Hope 10K
This was actually a walk, but there were a few runners. I ran with some friends, and we felt like rock stars because we were so far ahead of the walkers!
Shame and pride
It is with a mixture of shame and pride that I update this blog. Shame because it has been more than a month since I last posted, but pride because my running regimen is going very well. It's just that McLife has gotten in the way of my posting, which is a pity because this blog was supposed to help keep me accountable as I trained for the City of Oaks half marathon. (But it turns out that I'm such a Type A that I've managed to keep myself accountable just fine on my own, thank you very much.)
Let me back track a few weeks.
My last post was from week 5 of my schedule, when 5 miles was my long run. Five miles seems almost laughably easy to me now as I complete week 11. Five miles is now a normal distance for my weekly, "lighter" training runs.
The following week I ran six miles on a local trail with Friend A. We ran the first three miles with Hippo Hubby and Friend H, who did 14 miles as part of their full marathon training schedule. Six miles turned out to be surprisingly easy for me and Friend A. I even sprinted out the last few several yards, pumping my fist in the air, doing a little happy dance and yelling something about being a champion. I felt good. I was on top of my game.
I should have known it wouldn't last.
The following weekend I went back home, to New York, to hang out with my wonderful and newly acquired sister-in-laws. I had a 5K race on my schedule for my long ran that week, and I did manage to wake up that Saturday morning and run 3 miles around one of the reservoirs in Central Park with one of my sisters-in-laws. (And props to her for actually wearing glasses during our run that morning.) Let me tell you, there is nothing quite like running three miles and having last night's white wine, margaritas, beer and Hawaiian pizza oozing out of your pores. *Blek!*
But that didn't stop me from repeating similar dietary transgressions that Saturday evening, except that I added some food porn into the mix -- freshly made New York cannoli. *So.* *Damn.* *Good.* (I'm not ashamed. It was worth it.)
I paid for my sins though, big time. It took me at least a week to recover. I felt like crap during my next several weekday training runs, not to mention the fact I'm pretty sure those cannoli took up residence on my rear for awhile - I swear, my booty jiggled for a week.
Luckily I recovered for my 7-mile long run that week and managed to cruise through it with Friend A. Eight miles the next week came and went with the help of Hippo Hubby. My usual running friends were out of town, so he biked alongside me the entire way, even though he ran something like 12 or 14 miles the day before. He was a trooper.
During week 9, I did a 10K race with several friends. We had a good time and finished in about 65 minutes. We probably could have gone faster, if it weren't for all the hills on the course and the fact we gabbed during the entire race. Someone ahead of us actually turned around and told us to keep it down. (Loser. Excuse us for having a good time.) Our Mommas raised us right though, so we apologized. And then we passed her. Bwahahahaha!!!
I made it through 9.5 miles with Friend H. last Sunday, and I have 10 miles ahead of me this Thursday with a few of my running friends. After that, the distances of my runs tapper until the race on Nov. 4.
Overall, I feel good and I feel strong. I can't believe how far I've come since beginning this training program in August. My lungs feel awesome, if anything it is my leg muscles that start to ache a little on the longer runs. That's not to say that I never have crappy runs anymore, I most certainly do. The difference now is that I know I can push through it, and even on my crappiest day, I no longer feel like I'm going to die from overexertion. I used to borderline loathe running, and now I actually enjoy it most days. For me, that's something I'm definitely proud of.
Let me back track a few weeks.
My last post was from week 5 of my schedule, when 5 miles was my long run. Five miles seems almost laughably easy to me now as I complete week 11. Five miles is now a normal distance for my weekly, "lighter" training runs.
The following week I ran six miles on a local trail with Friend A. We ran the first three miles with Hippo Hubby and Friend H, who did 14 miles as part of their full marathon training schedule. Six miles turned out to be surprisingly easy for me and Friend A. I even sprinted out the last few several yards, pumping my fist in the air, doing a little happy dance and yelling something about being a champion. I felt good. I was on top of my game.
I should have known it wouldn't last.
The following weekend I went back home, to New York, to hang out with my wonderful and newly acquired sister-in-laws. I had a 5K race on my schedule for my long ran that week, and I did manage to wake up that Saturday morning and run 3 miles around one of the reservoirs in Central Park with one of my sisters-in-laws. (And props to her for actually wearing glasses during our run that morning.) Let me tell you, there is nothing quite like running three miles and having last night's white wine, margaritas, beer and Hawaiian pizza oozing out of your pores. *Blek!*
But that didn't stop me from repeating similar dietary transgressions that Saturday evening, except that I added some food porn into the mix -- freshly made New York cannoli. *So.* *Damn.* *Good.* (I'm not ashamed. It was worth it.)
I paid for my sins though, big time. It took me at least a week to recover. I felt like crap during my next several weekday training runs, not to mention the fact I'm pretty sure those cannoli took up residence on my rear for awhile - I swear, my booty jiggled for a week.
Luckily I recovered for my 7-mile long run that week and managed to cruise through it with Friend A. Eight miles the next week came and went with the help of Hippo Hubby. My usual running friends were out of town, so he biked alongside me the entire way, even though he ran something like 12 or 14 miles the day before. He was a trooper.
During week 9, I did a 10K race with several friends. We had a good time and finished in about 65 minutes. We probably could have gone faster, if it weren't for all the hills on the course and the fact we gabbed during the entire race. Someone ahead of us actually turned around and told us to keep it down. (Loser. Excuse us for having a good time.) Our Mommas raised us right though, so we apologized. And then we passed her. Bwahahahaha!!!
I made it through 9.5 miles with Friend H. last Sunday, and I have 10 miles ahead of me this Thursday with a few of my running friends. After that, the distances of my runs tapper until the race on Nov. 4.
Overall, I feel good and I feel strong. I can't believe how far I've come since beginning this training program in August. My lungs feel awesome, if anything it is my leg muscles that start to ache a little on the longer runs. That's not to say that I never have crappy runs anymore, I most certainly do. The difference now is that I know I can push through it, and even on my crappiest day, I no longer feel like I'm going to die from overexertion. I used to borderline loathe running, and now I actually enjoy it most days. For me, that's something I'm definitely proud of.
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