Training for Grandma's Week 8

This was probably one of my best training weeks! Still not perfect, but pretty good overall. I also started the Amazing Arms 'n Abs April challenge, which helped motivate me to actually do some weight and core work. Yay!

On the schedule...

Mon, 4/2 - Rest from running. I skipped the core work (no surprise there) and missed the first actual day of the arms 'n abs challenge. It was my first day back to school after Spring Break, and I think I was just exhausted and adjusting back to lesson planning after two weeks off.

Tues, 4/3 - Treadmill Hills. I chose an average level of 7, and I could have possibly done a slightly higher level. I played around a little with different speeds, too. It was a great workout, but I really need to find a good local hill to do repeats. Treadmill hills are good for working on the incline, but not so much the decline. I also did some arm work - bicep curls, triceps extensions, hammer curls, triceps kickbacks.

Wed, 4/4 - I was able to get some core work done - planks! Unfortunately, I skipped out on the cross training. :-(

Thu, 4/5 - I did nigh on to 5 miles. I think it's probably closer than DM says because I ran on the ped path, and they aren't actually on the map. I went a bit later than I'd have liked, and it was getting to be dusk. There weren't too many people out on the paths, so I let Sallie have a little more leeway on her lease. She was having such a great time. :)

Fri, 4/6 - I had a friend join me for today's 4-miler. As part of the run, I completed the 5K for the Jelly Bean Virtual Race. We really kicked this run in the you-know-what! Our time for the 5K was 27:38 and overall we did the 4 miles in 36. AWESOME! I really had to push it to keep up with my friend, but it was totally worth it. After our run, I came home and did some banana rolls. They were tough! And awkward.

Sat, 4/7 - I almost missed out on the 21K bike ride for the Jelly Bean, but I finally made it out the door around 6:30pm. I rode to Lake Nokomis, around the lake, and back home. It ended up being about 14.5 miles because of a wrong turn. At one point, I ended up on a pedestrian path. How embarrassing! Thank goodness the swarms of people on the path weren't nasty at all to me for being on the wrong path. Before and after the bike ride, I worked on some push-ups. Every hour, I would drop and do 10. I did manage to do them all on my hands and feet (as opposed to knees), but I wasn't really able to lower myself very far. Still, I figure the effort was there and eventually the strength will be there as well!

Sun, 4/8 - The final event for the Jelly Bean was a half marathon. Since I had 14miles on the schedule, I knew I'd be able to do this no problem. Since it was Easter, I wore some cute bunny ears. It was such a fun run! I did the half in 2:14:15 and finished the 14 miles in 2:22:43. My phone lost GPS signal around 5 miles, so it thinks it took me 2+ hours to go 5 miles for a pace of 29min/mi. LOL.

It was a beautiful day for a run. The sun was shining! It was a bit windy at times, though. Also, there were a couple of really killer hills. One of which I only ran up about halfway before I realized I would probably be going faster if I were walking. So walk I did. :)

Total Mileage
Running: 28 miles
Cycling: 14 miles

And now as a reward for making it through all that: Monday Listicles.

Things I learned from running in bunny ears:

1) After the 1st mile, I didn't even notice them. If I wasn't able to see my shadow, I had to randomly touch my head to make sure they hadn't blown off.

2) Bunny ears make people smile. I got a lot of comments such as: Love the ears! Nice bunny ears! Happy Easter! Great outfit! More than the comments, I got a lot of thumbs up and even more smiles.

3) Bunny ears make ME smile. Getting so much attention really made me smile. And they kind of made me push myself a little more. When crossing the Mendota Bridge, I even forced myself to smile, so all the people driving by would see the bunny ears worn by a smiling runner. Yay!

4) Of all the comments and reactions I got, almost none were from other runners. Were they just too focused on their own running? Did they see me as not as hardcore of a runner because I was wearing bunny ears?

5) I love attention! When I'm out running, I love it when other people acknowledge me with a hello, smile, wave, or nod. I try not to take it personally when people don't do something in acknowledgement. Wearing bunny ears seemed to facilitate this even more.

Training for Grandma's Week 7

This week's training wasn't perfect, but it was at least better. Plus, it ended on a high note. All's well that ends well, right?

This week's schedule:

Mon, 3/26 - Rest Day + Core. I successfully accomplished my rest. :-) Core? Not so much. Why oh why can't I bring myself to making this a priority??

Tues, 3/27 - 4 mile speed workout. It was a little gloomy outside, so I decided to do this speedwork on the treadmill instead. I basically alternated between 6.0mph @ .5% incline and 6.5 mph, 6.7mph, and 7.0mph @ 0% incline. It was a good workout. I really had to push myself to get through it, but I DID IT!

Wed, 3/28 - It was a real struggle to get my bum out the door to do anything on Wed! Finally I headed to the gym. When I asked Jeff if I should do the elliptical, stairmaster, or stationary bike, he said, with no hesitation "Stairmaster. It's better for the butt." LOL. Per his request, I did 30min on the stairmaster. I chose the random setting, level 10. I possibly could have handled a higher level, but it was still a great workout. I finished the workout off with a 1.68 mile walk to Whole Foods. It was a nice cool-down. Still no core. Ugh!

Thu, 3/29 - I apparently couldn't win the mental battle today. :-(

Fri, 3/30 - I don't know where this day went. Oh, wait! We went downtown to watch The Hunger Games. Not sure why, but I was exhausted when we got home, so I took a nap. I wanted to meet Jeff after his shift to walk home with him, and I left for a run later than I would've liked, so I only got in a 3mile run. Sallie came with me on this one, and it was fun! Plus, I always enjoy walking home from campus with Jeff. Still no core. Booo!

Sat, 3/31 - Cross training day. I went for an 18+ mile bike ride. It was a little gloomy outside, but I still enjoyed riding a somewhat unfamiliar route. You can read more about this ride here. When I got back from the bike ride, I actually did a few core exercises. Go me!

Sun, 4/1 - If you read yesterday's post, you know that I'm starting two challenges for April. One is 30 Days of Fun. I'm definitely including today's 12mile run for my first fun thing in April. It was a little chilly for probably the first 5 miles, but then I was nicely warmed up plus the sun came out around mile 7! I was just enjoying being outside. The first 6.2 miles was dedicated to the Jelly Bean Virtual Race. This race is all week long and there are 4 different events you can do. I'm planning on doing all 4 - 5K, 10K done!, Half Marathon, 21K bike ride. Wish me luck!

Today's route

The route I took included stairs! What was I thinking? Actually they weren't as bad as I'd feared.

After running down the stairs to get to the bridge

About to run up the stairs after crossing the bridge

After finishing the 10K, I took a short break to tweet my status. Dork, I know!

After a few minutes rest, I took off again. I'd finished the 10K, so the pressure was off. I wanted to spend the rest of the run just enjoying the course. hehehe.

Between miles 8 & 9, I stopped off at Minnehaha Falls. I'm a sucker for waterfalls! So, I really couldn't help but stop.

View from the top of the falls. Aren't they pretty?

While taking a short break, I ate some Sport Beans.

Because, you know, they're kind of like Jelly Beans.

After a short respite, I took off again to finish the last 3 or so miles. By now, I could really feel the sun on my face. I was tempted to take off my LS shirt and just run in my tank, but I thought I'd probably get a bit too cold. 'Cuz I'm weird like that.

All-in-all, it was a great way to end a week of training!

Total Mileage
Running: 18.91
Cycling: 18.17
Walking: 1.68

Training for Grandma's Week 6

Um. Yeah.

I totally dropped the ball on training this week.

Here is what it was supposed to look like:

And here is what it actually looked like:

Pathetic. I know.
But it does make the training report pretty easy to write. :-)

Mon - Fri - Absolutely nothing! My toes were still hurting pretty bad on Monday, and then the weather was so dreary and crappy that I simply didn't feel like doing anything the rest of the week.

Sat, 3/24 - I convinced Jeff to bike with me to Aldi for some groceries. If it wouldn't have been for that, I probably would have spent the entire day on my bum once again. Ugh. Well, except for the bike ride to game night at a friend's house.

Sun, 3/25 - My friend and I survived game night enough to go for a run this afternoon! I had 9 miles on the schedule, and while we stopped a bit shy of that, we did experience some pretty bad-ass hills, so I don't feel so bad. It was the perfect day and a pretty great run - especially considering it was the first time I ran since last weekend's half marathon. I finished the run with a 1+ mile easy walk home.

Total mileage
Running: 8.72
Cycling: 8.15
Walking: 1.23

I'm still struggling a LOT with incorporating core workouts.

Here's to a much, MUCH more consistent training week next week. I'm on Spring Break, so hopefully I'll be able to take advantage of that.

How do you avoid getting into a training slump...or how do you pull yourself out of one?

Training for Grandma's Week 5

Great week of training this week!

Here is what was on the schedule:

It wasn't a perfect week in sticking to the schedule, but I do feel really good about it overall. Here is what it actually looked like:

Mileage breakdown: Running - 18; Cycling - 23; Hiking - 3

Mon, 3/12 - Rest day. I was supposed to still work on my core on this rest day. I'm having such a difficult time making the time for it. Ideally, I would do some core work in the mornings before work, but lately I've been having to do last minute lesson prep in the mornings. I've got no lessons to give during the next two weeks, so I hope to take advantage of this lull and be very productive in planning. The idea is that if I'm productive now, I will have less to do in the evenings (and mornings) of the last few weeks of my clinical practice (student teaching).

Tue, 3/13 - I tried to meet up with a friend of mine to go for a run, but my smartphone was being dumb and not delivering my messages very promptly. Argh! It was such a beautiful evening. I simply couldn't let it pass me by without a run. I left later than I would have liked, but it was still a great run. I took Sallie with me, and she was pretty well behaved. I wasn't sure how my knee would be feeling, so I set out to do 3-4 miles. I totally got into a groove and ended up going 4.78 miles.

Wed, 3/14 - With cross training on the schedule, and it being such a gorgeous afternoon, I suggested to Jeff that we go for a bike ride. We rode out to the Scuba Center in Eagan in order to kill two birds with one stone. Jeff had a question to ask about scheduling some dive training he is interested in taking. It was a great ride. We just took it slow and easy and enjoyed spending time together outside. I remember when 23 miles would have totally freaked me out. Now? Eh. No big deal. Totally skipped the core workout, though. I need to get better about finding time/ways/energy for incorporating this very important component of my training.

Thu, 3/15 - I had parent-teacher conferences after school and didn't end up getting home until around 8:30pm. It was a super long day, so I didn't feel like doing anything besides vegging and crashing early.

Fri, 3/16 - I was gone all day at a seminar. I could have made time for the 2 miles and core on my plan, but I didn't. I knew I was running a half marathon the next day, so I wanted to save up my energy for that. Of course, I still totally should have done at least a little core work. Ugh!

Sat, 3/17 - Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I ran the Get Lucky Triple 7K. You can read my full report on this race here, but suffice it to say, it went really well. Better than I'd expected!

Sun, 3/18 - This was scheduled as a rest day, so I could fully recover from the half the previous day. It was another gorgeous day here in Minnesota, though. I simply couldn't stay inside all day! Instead, I took Sallie for a nearly 3-mile hike down by the river. It was super fun and a great way for me to stretch out my sore legs.

Self-portrait of Sallie and me after our hike.

What's your favorite way to recover after a race? Any suggestions for me on how to actually incorporate core work into my training?

Training for Grandma's Week 4

I know, I know. I'm several days into week 5 already, but here's my training report for Week 4. Better late than never, right?

It was nothing very impressive this week anyway.

Here is what it was supposed to look like:

But I spent most of the week resting, so here is what it actually looked like:

Mon, 3/5 - rested

Tue, 3/6 - It was such a beautiful day! I couldn't resist walking home from work.

Wed, 3/7 - rested

Thu, 3/8 - rested

Fri, 3/9 - I dragged my husband to the pool. I thought swimming would be lower impact on my knee, but I could really feel my knee when I swam. It didn't stop me, so it wasn't debilitating - just uncomfortable.

Sat, 3/10 - rested

Sun, 3/11 - Let's just say restless! I couldn't stand not running any longer, so I decided to test the waters. If my knee was bothering me too much, I'd end my run early. I figured I'd probably get in 2-6 miles. I surprised myself by going over 7!

I discovered this week that if I'm not running, I find myself not doing anything. I know I should have been spending time doing core work or low impact cross training, but it's so hard to motivate myself when running is off the table.

Now, I have a half marathon in 3 days, and I think I'll be okay. :-)

What do you do when you're not running? Unfortunately, I end up being a bum - watching more TV than I should and surfing the Internet. Ugh!

Marathon Training Week #3

I would really like to say that I had another spectacular week of training this week.

But I can't.

I started out strong and on track, but my knee started continued giving me problems. By the end of the week, I decided I really need to give it some quality rest and maybe a little RICE.  You know, listen to my body.

Here is what my week was supposed to look like.

Here is how it actually played out.

Mon, 2/27 - I decided to walk to school in the morning in order to stretch my legs out after my 10-miler the day before. This was a good idea, except I left WAY later than I should have and got to school only 15 minutes before class started. Oops! I also walked home after school because I didn't want to wait 15 minutes for the next bus. I skipped the core workout out of sheer laziness. :-(

Tue, 2/28 - I had 2 miles on the schedule for today, but I also had a virtual run scheduled for Wed. Instead of running two days in a row, I swapped Tue and Wed. I did the same video as last week. I figured it was both cross training and core work in one. Bonus!

Wed, 2/29 - I participated in the Virtual Leap Day 2.9 mile Run hosted by {lifeasa} Running Mom. It was fun! I did the 2.9 miles in 28 minutes flat. I felt good while running and had some fun music to listen to on the treadmill. It had snowed some nice sloppy snow the night before, so treadmill it was. I was totally okay with that. I really don't mind the treadmill at all. Most days, anyway.

Thu, 3/1 - I think I pushed it too hard running the day before. My knee has been giving me some minor problems since the beginning of January. I've tried to strength my core and took it easy on the running for most of January, but it's really flaring up again. I was supposed to get in 6 miles today, but I just wanted to give my knee a break.

Fri, 3/2 - Again, my knee prevented me from running. I did walk home from school It was such a nice afternoon, and I did do my StrongStride video to help with strength and core work. I really need to focus on the core sections more, or at the very least start with them. Today, I started with some of the legwork, and I was so tired by the time I got to the core that it was really difficult to get through those exercises. The good news is that I really could feel it in my abs and lower back (in a good way!) the next day. Yay!

Sat, 3/3 - NOTHING! It was a very lazy day. I slept late. Took a long nap. Neglected my lesson planning. Watched too much TV. Hardly drank any water. Ate like crap. Needless to say, I was definitely not feeling up to par the entire day.

Sun, 3/4 - Even today, I can still feel a little ab burn from Friday whenever I laugh. Yay! I decided to skip my long run today even though I have a half marathon in two weeks and even though I had a willing running partner. I simply decided I needed to give my knee another day or two to rest.

Any suggestions on dealing with knee pain? Sometimes it feels like my kneecap is not where it should be, but mostly it's kind of a throbbing pain right inside my knee.

Marathon Training Week #2

Week 2 of training went much better than week 1! I can honestly say I feel like it's off to a smashing start now. :-)

On the schedule for the week...

Mon, 2/20 - I was exhausted. Story of my life right now. I had a lot to do that evening, but I still managed to squeeze in 20 minutes of core exercises. Nothing too intense, so I wonder if it really did any good, but I'm kind of in the mindset of anything is better than nothing.

Tue, 2/21 - A quick 2 miles to help recover from Sunday's long run. I could definitely feel it in my calves, but overall a nice little run.

Wed, 2/22 - Fail. I didn't manage to get in either a cross training session or any core work. Booo!!

Thu, 2/23 - I walked home from school. :-) On the schedule was a 5 mile pace run. I had a little technical difficulty at the beginning and then tried to just remember my turn around point. I ended up turning around much earlier than I'd mapped out before leaving, so my run only ended up being 4.39 miles. It was still a pretty impressive pace at 9:30.

Fri, 2/24 - I hit up the treadmill for today's 3 miles. Sometimes, it's just easier to treadmill it than to decide on a route that will be the exact distance I want. After the treadmill, I did some core exercises at home. I didn't feel up to doing an entire Strong Stride workout cuz it always kicks my butt, so I just did 3 segments - Core, Plank, and Back.

Sat, 2/25 - It took me forever to get going on Saturday. Truth be told, I was actually relatively productive during the morning with school prep and household chores, so I'm not beating myself up about it. Plus, my intention was to hit the pool with Jeff. That didn't happen, but before it got too late, I finally headed to the gym around 7:45pm. I did my first ever Tabata Interval routine review on that later. It was a 30 minute workout, and I only did the first 20 minutes before I really felt like I was about to die. Round one was jumping jacks. Round two was jumping rope. Round 3, high knee running. Round 4, squat jumps. I really pooped out on the squat jumps, but I tried to push myself and still give it my all. I wanted to do an elliptical workout after my tabata, but turns out the cardio room closed at 8:30pm on Saturdays. Helps to check the schedule before heading to the gym! Oh well. Instead, I popped in a video when I got home.

I hadn't done this one in a very long time, and I really enjoyed the pilates / dance flow. I think I'll do this more often for some cross training.

Sun, 2/26 - Time for a long run! My friend from the previous weekend had to work, so I knew I'd be on my own for this one. I was nervous that I would get really bored and that the time / distance would really drag on. Much to my surprise, IT DIDN'T! In fact, before I knew it, I had my sights set on my finish. It was a great run with a sub-10:00 pace.

All in all, here is what my week looked like.

It was a great week - despite skipping one day of cross / core.

What are your favorite ways to cross training? If you're going to skip a workout, what are you most likely to skip?

Don't forget I'm always looking for sponsors to help me with my training. Let me know if you're interested. :)

Marathon Training Week #1

Last week was week 1 of marathon training.

Unfortunately, it did not get off to the stellar start I was hoping for.

Mon, 2/13 - I felt sick to my stomach all day long. It was difficult enough to get through the school day, so I thought it best if I put off starting training a few days.

Tue, 2/14 - I was feeling better in some ways but still not good enough to work out. Instead we ordered a pizza and played pool to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Wed, 2/15 - I missed my bus to school in the morning, so I walked the 1.2 miles. After work, I did not feel like working out, but I forced myself to head to the gym. I did 20 minutes on the StairMaster and then a few core exercises in the weight room and a few more at home.

Thu, 2/16 - I was so tired and weak feeling that I skipped another day of training. Well, I did walk home from school. That 1.2 miles must have really wiped me out!

Fri, 2/17 - It was such a nice afternoon that I walked home from school again. I pretty much headed straight to the gym after getting home and ran 3 miles on the treadmill. I finished my workout by doing my Strong Stride video to work on some core. The video was 46 minutes and TOUGH!

Sat, 2/18 - Jeff and I went to the pool. We were probably only in the water for about 20 minutes. I probably did more floating than any attempt at actual laps, but at least it was something. :-)

Sun, 2/19 - What a beautiful day for a run! Saturday evening, a friend texted me to say she would like to join me for my 8 miles on Sunday. Way to hold me accountable! :-) I'm so glad that she texted me. 1) It really motivated me to actually go for a run outside. 2) It made the run go so much faster with a friend. 3) It made me feel really special knowing that someone was checking my training schedule.

Total miles: 11
Total cross: 60 min
Total core: 61 min

Overall, it was a bit of a rocky start to the start of training, but not too bad overall. I do know it will take a lot of tenacity for me to stick to this training plan.

Remember, if you're interested in sponsoring my training, read this post for some fun sponsoring ideas.

Marathon Training 2012

I finally got around to creating my training schedule for my upcoming marathon. If you click on the image below, you can see it a little larger.

I modified the training program I signed up for to include cross training as well as core, speed and hill work. 

Wish me luck!!

P.S. I also published this same post as a Page up at the top of my blog, if you're interested in keeping track of my training. I also plan on doing a weekly progress report - hopefully on Mondays.

Sponsor Me!

It's time again for ...



with Stasha from The Good Life.

This week's topic was chosen by Bruna over at Bees With Honey.

Her challenge to us was: "If they were to make a movie of your life what would the soundtrack be like? Share 10 songs that best tell the story of your life. Be sure to include the period or event that each song represents."

I thought it sounded like a great challenge/topic, but you know what? I really couldn't think of 10 good songs to describe my life. I'm going to be a ruler breaker this week and do my own topic.

As you probably know, my marathon training begins two weeks from TODAY.

It will be my third marathon. I ran my first in 2002 and my second in 2003. Twin Cities Marathon both years.

And then I said ... NEVER AGAIN.

Yet, here I am endeavoring on this adventure once more.

Whenever I tell someone I've run a marathon, and they are impressed, I always downplay the accomplishment. My time wasn't fast enough. I walked a lot. I didn't properly train. Blah. Blah. Blah.

This time I want to make the most out of my training. Hopefully this will improve my time. Hopefully this will give me a little more pride in my accomplishment.

BUT I think I will need some help in staying focused. In staying motivated.

So, without further ado Sorry for the lengthy back story here is my list of 10 ways you can sponsor my training for Grandma's Marathon 2012.

1. Motivate Me. With quotations. Or videos. Or images. Or maybe just a funny story. Or an inspiring one. You can share these with me on my Facebook page, Twitter, or mention me in a Pinterest pin.


2. Share your own training story. Any tips you have for devoting the time to the training. Or for cross-training, hills, speed work, etc. Story of your own personal accomplishment. Of running a marathon or something else that was a difficult goal, but you persevered and felt a sense of pride following it.
   


3. Sing me a song. Or just send me your favorite songs to listen to when you are out running. What songs/artists inspire you to push yourself? To keep going when you just don't want to.


4. Run with me. In person. Obviously in person it would need to be in St Paul or somewhere I can get to easily via public transit.


5. Run with me. Virtually. I'm talking on the phone. Since I’d likely have headphones in, we could chat instead of listen to music. Sure I would likely be out of breath a bit, but at least I would have someone to talk to who was also exerting the effort of breathing, talking, and running.


6. Fuel me. Send me your favorite fuels. Or your favorite fuel recipe. Pre-run. During run. Post-run. Whatever. Or even simply suggestions of what has worked for you.


7. Race registration fees. Not for the marathon. That's already paid for. I would like to do a few races in the meantime, though.


8. Cheer for me. At the marathon in June. Or at the Get Lucky Triple 7K I’m doing in March. Or even during a long weekend run. Obviously in person would be fun, but you could also cheer for me via email or gTalk. I generally run with my phone to record time/distance and for safety.


9. Product testing. If you are a company or have a running product you'd like to promote, I'd be happy to test it out in exchange for a review. Or let me know your favorite, must-have or obscure product, and I can contact the company directly.


10. Carpool. If you happen to also be running Grandma's, I'd love a ride. And maybe split a hotel room. :-) I have yet to figure out logistics. The marathon is only 20 weeks away, and most of the nearby hotel rooms are already booked or way too expensive for me.

You could sponsor me for a day. Or a week. Or the entire training period. I hope to get my marathon training schedule posted later today or sometime this week. It will have it's own tab under my header. You know, in case you want to really hold me accountable choose when in my training you'd like to sponsor me.

If you want to do any of these to help me out, please let me know. You can email me at enjoyingthecourse@gmail.com. Or contact me on FB, Twitter, or DailyMile (links in top left sidebar). Or I guess you could just surprise me.

Happy Monday! Make it a great week, everyone. :-)