Week 6 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday - 10 miles at a 10:30 average pace. Started off 10:07, but the end got rough for me.
Monday - off
Tuesday - 3.75 miles at what was sure to be around 10s, but I didn't take my watch. Felt great. Also did yoga.
Wednesday - Ultimate Frisbee that didn't end well. Lower leg contusion.
Thursday - rest rest rest. Rest Ice Compression Elevation. Please let this be OK.
Friday - more resting and icing and progress on the contusion.
Saturday - 18 mile bike ride.

Planned: 27 miles  Actual:  13.75 miles.  The Ultimate injury clearly threw this week off. But I'm glad I got out for the 18 mile bike ride. I don't feel like I hurt myself any with the rest.

Week 5 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday - 8 miles at a 9:46 pace???? I don't believe it...
Monday - off
Tuesday - 3 miles at 9:55 pace... ?!?!?!?!? It wasn't cake, but it wasn't bad.
Wednesday - 3.2 miles, Ultimate Frisbee
Thursday - Spinning 45 minutes
Friday - 0
Saturday - 0, yard work.

Planned: 22 miles  Actual: 14 miles

And another sub 10 paced run

3 miles Tuesday morning. At 9:55 pace.

Huh.

I'm planning to run a little this afternoon at a local park. I'm not going to plan to do anything under 10 though, because it's a very hilly park. And it's already really hot outside.

I just need to run.

8 at 8 under...10?

Sunday's schedule called for 8 miles. We made it to the trail at 8, just after a thunder storm passed through. The air was cooled a bit and the trail wasn't as crowded.

Saturday I clipped out 10:07s for a three mile run. I was surprised. I also didn't feel I could have kept that pace up much longer. I haven't been able to run faster than 10:30s for any amount of time recently.

I forgot my watch, but Casey had his phone. We clipped along and decided to go to 4 before turning around. Ah the trail is boring. Casey kept picking people in front of us (walkers usually) to work to pass. Of course we would eventually. I think he was trying to make it entertaining.

At 4 miles, we were at a 9:52 pace. Huh. Well, it is relatively flat, and I did have Casey to keep pushing a pace. I was cautiously happy. But I didn't want to think about finishing that fast. I let my imagination get the best of me and tend to get all happy and plan out what I'll write on this blog, trying to anticipate the amazing feelings of a run gone well. But when it doesn't I'm so disappointed. So I tried to not think anything about it. I just wanted to know where we were when.

The last couple of miles weren't easy, but they weren't agonizing either. I was feeling it in my legs, and my breathing was getting rough. But this run had really good breathing in general, especially considering how quickly we were moving compared to how slowly I've been moving! I would struggle from time to time, but we would slow down and I could recover.

The last mile I focused really hard at trying to feel like I felt in the beginning of the run: smooth, quick, light and easy. And I tried to ignore the pain. It wasn't really much pain, but I didn't want it to get me down.

When we finished, that set of 4 miles (Casey had restarted the app) was a 9:40 pace. Huh.

So we averaged around 9:46.

Huh.

That's kind of all I can keep saying. I don't know what has happened. I have lost weight and maybe that is enough to really increase one's pace. 8 miles. When is that last time I've ran 8 miles under 10 pace? Hell, when's the last time I've ran THREE miles under 10 pace???

I'm still very cautiously optimistic.

I had a little cry in the car on the way home, telling myself not to get too excited until it happens again. Then, as I've already imagined and planned out in my head, I will jump for joy and be soooo incredibly happy that I'm finally getting back to the runner I was 2 years ago. I cannot explain how happy that would make me.

Until that happens, the protective bubble is up.

Week 4 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday - 5 miles and a lot of yard work again
Monday - off
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 3 miles, Ultimate Frisbee
Thursday - Spinning
Friday - walking
Saturday - 3 miles, at a 10:07 pace. Strange!! Then a bunch of yard work again.

Planned: 22 miles  Actual: 14

Spinning!

Melanie went to a spinning conference at the end of May and has apparently come back with some awesome cycling workouts. I missed last week, but made it this morning. We did some sort of interval training that had a name I think, but I missed what it was. I want to write this workout down because I think it was great heart rate training and great strength/endurance training.

5 minute warmup with some surges to get the heart going.

GROUP 1: seated flats with added gear.


1st set: 50 seconds each. 
1.) Flat at 80 - 100 rpm
2.) Add gear, keep cadence 80 - 100 rpm
3.) Add gear, keep cadence 80 -100 rpm
4.) 60 seconds to recover before 2nd set at same rpm.
** each interval should add 10 - 15 beats to the heart rate.

2nd set: 60 seconds each.
1.) Flat at 80 - 100 rpm
2.) Add gear, keep cadence 80 - 100 rpm
3.) Add gear, STAND in 3 AND RUN, keep cadence 80 -100 rpm
4.) 90 seconds to recover before 3rd set.

3rd set: 120 seconds each.
1.) Flat at 80 - 100 rpm
2.) Add gear, keep cadence 80 - 100 rpm
3.) Add gear, STAND in 3 AND RUN, keep cadence 80 -100 rpm
4.) 2 minutes to recover before next group.


GROUP 2: hill climbs with added gear.


1st set: 50 seconds each.
1.) Seated hill at 60 - 80 rpm
2.) Add gear, keep cadence 60 - 80 rpm
3.) Add gear, keep cadence 60 - 80 rpm (I think we stayed seated)

2nd set: 60 seconds each.
1.) Seated hill at 60 - 80 rpm
2.) Add gear, keep cadence 60 - 80 rpm
3.) Add gear, STAND in 3, 60 - 80 rpm

3rd set: 120 seconds each.
1.) Seated hill at 60 - 80 rpm
2.) Add gear, STAND in 3, 60 - 80 rpm
3.) Add gear, STAY STANDING, 60 - 80 rpm


SPRINTS.


Did a total of 3 times the following:
1.) 15 seconds slight road, 100 rpm
2.) Add gear 15 seconds out in 3 run
3.) 15 seconds seated with no changing of the gear
4.) Back down with a little recovery before doing 2 more times.

Spooky Loop

I ran a 1.5 mile loop from the office twice, getting the mileage to my planned 3. It involved two streets with Spooky in their name, so I'm calling it the Spooky Loop.

The route was Montgomery - to Findly - to Spooky Ledge - to Spooky Hollow - which becomes Cooper. The direction I went had a long downhill and a long uphill. I think next time I'll reverse it and see if the other way is worse. I didn't stop ever on the hill, so I'm pretty happy with myself about that.

In the evening, we won our second Ultimate Frisbee game! 19 - 8 I believe. Or they might have had 10. I'm not sure now. It was a pretty fun game. Only three girls, so that made it hard to push much. I think I'm just going to have to get used to that though. Amanda's ankle is not doing great, so I would expect her to not be able to play future games. Bummer.

Today is spinning...it's been a couple of weeks! I'm ready for Melanie to kick my ass!

Threes

I think threes are the theme for this week. Monday I took off. Tuesday I ran 3. Today I'm planning to run 3 (and then there's Ultimate later). Tomorrow is spinning...but I could also run three. Friday I should run 3. Then Saturday I'll take off so Sunday can be a long run. I feel like it's been a a little too long since I've had to use a gel.

All those threes will put the weekly mileage at 17, which would be excellent. I am not sure about Thursday though. Given how my knee has been feeling I should probably just stick with cross-training.

We shall three. I mean see.

Loveland bike trail 5 out of 10

This past weekend Casey had a crazy work schedule. He had to do disaster recovery at his office Saturday night. So he went in to work at 7 p.m. until 11ish. Went home for a nap and was back at the office at 4 a.m...then went home around 8ish. Amazingly, he attempted our scheduled 10 in 80+ degree heat and on a whacked out tired body.

We made it 5 and that was fine :)  It was warm, but not humid. There was a breeze from time to time which really helped.

Overall I didn't feel too great. Our pace wasn't good like it was the other weekend we ran on the trail. I had to stop a few times. I don't really get why I'm struggling so much to bounce back to normal running. One day I feel like I'm definitely getting back to normal and then I'll have a shitty run and feel like I haven't made any progress at all. But there is still a lot of time and Ultimate has started so maybe that will benefit my legs some by adding some power. I think something else I really need to do is add strength.

On the flip side, I did yard work before our run (just about an hour) and then the rest of the afternoon after our run. So, that's a good sign. We only went 5, but still. I'm happy to not have felt the need to nap the afternoon away like I have in the past randomly. 

Week 3 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday - 5 miles and a lot of yard work
Monday - off
Tuesday - yoga
Wednesday - Ultimate Frisbee
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 0
Saturday - 0

Planned: 18 miles  Actual: 8 plus Ultimate. Not too good...

Ultimate Frisbee has started

Wednesday nights will be a sort of cross-training or variety of running I suppose. Ultimate Frisbee is underway!

We won our first game, 19-10? I forget the score now. It was a pretty good game. But I was worn out quickly. And after one long point session, my breathing got out of control. I forgot my inhaler, so I will be sure to remember it next time.

My left knee suffered a bit and in general I was more tired. I'm hoping the game helps in the speed department.

Monday off, Tuesday yoga.

Well, the week's not shaping up to be very consistant, but maybe it will end with more running since it hasn't started that way.

After all the rock moving Sunday, I was sore. Even my legs were sore from lifting. I think my back was less sore, so maybe I was lifting the correct way! Bring on the semis...I'm ready for Strongest Woman Contest.

I walked a little Monday but that was it. Oh and worked a lot. If only that counted towards training. Tuesday...that's today...working is all I've been doing. I got away for yoga. It wasn't a very good class for me, but the new mat I bought is awesome sauce! Then we ate wings and now I'm going to work more. Booooo.

Tomorrow is going to be another crazy crazy day. I hope to get up and run and then get my illustration stuff off to Jamie. But the running thing might have to happen later... Ug. I need more energy.

5 out of 6 ending with issues

Beautiful morning for a run! The run was...eh...not as beautiful as the day :)

Just one of those days...I never felt good. Even at 2 miles, I knew it was going to be rough to go 6.

After turning around at 3, I took a big break (not the first). Back up a hill and then another quick break, sighing, and wondering why I felt so crappy.

Another break at 4.5 and I decided to walk. Speed walking would be more fun at this point, rather than slugging up slight inclines.

I walked off and on, totaling a little over 5 miles of actual running on the 6 mile route. I picked it up during a downhill at the end, only to have a wee bit of an asthma attack. I couldn't breathe in quick enough. My arms went up to my chest and I shook a hand in frustration. Not sure why, except it was just a reaction of my body since it wasn't getting what it needed. It didn't last long, but was restriction. It sucked.

Then while sitting on the deck cooling down, I noticed a spot in my vision, just off center. I couldn't "look" at it, kind of like a floater. If I tried to look at it, it was always just out of the middle. It was flashing, blurry, like a watermark. It was constantly moving around its edge. First I thought there was something on my contact. I closed one eye then the other, and finally both only to always see it there. I went in a took my contacts out anyway, and flushed my face. By then I was walking funny, and appeared dizzy to Greg. I was getting pretty scared since it wasn't my contacts. I had been nauseous on the run, and worried that something else might be wrong. So I got my laptop out and started searching. Meanwhile, my crazy vision got crazier. The flashing was really bright and the space it covered was larger. I couldn't see very well while looking on the computer - there were areas of my vision that were completely not there. It was hard to type and search... Then I finally happened upon a vision site that talked about ocular migraines. The descriptions were exactly what was happening to me. By that point, it had subsided and I was beginning to see normally again.

So apparently, they're harmless and only effect the retina communication, lasting from 15 - 30 minutes. I wonder if the asthma stuff brought it on, or what. It was certainly scary, but now that I know what it is and that they're harmless, it's no big deal. I certainly hope they don't happen a lot because that could be disruptive. I can't imagine trying to drive while one happened.

The rest of the day I did yard work...finishing another area of landscaping and planting. Woohoo!

Here's to a good week. Ultimate Frisbee starts this week, and I'm looking forward to that.

Week 2 - Columbus marathon training (Steph)

Sunday:  8 miles at 10:20 pace on the trail
Monday: Cross-train 2.75 mile walk
Tuesday: 2 mile run | yoga
Wednesday: 3 mile run
Thursday: 45 minute spinning
Friday: 0
Saturday: 0

Planned: 23 miles. Actual: 13 miles. Doh.
I did at least have walking and spinning in there as cross-training. So, even though not great, it was better than last week. So next week...even...better?