Training Recap: Week Six: (July 20-July 26)

This week was a little crazy. There are some changes going on in my home so I haven't been sleeping really well. I am still trying to adjust but it has definitely taken a toll on my energy level. I have actually been taking naps on the weekend to get back some of those lost hours of sleep. I guess that would explain why I woke up late on Saturday and missed my 5K!

Here is a recap of Week Six:

Monday: Strength Training: I made the mistake of coming home, eating dinner and then telling myself that I was going to lay in my bed and rest for an hour before heading to the gym. The gym never happened so I did my own thing at home. My stomach was sore the next day from those leg lifts!

Tuesday: 6.33 Mile Speedwork:  I was a little nervous going into this one because it was the hardest one yet. I nailed all of my intervals but boy was I glad when it was all over.

Wednesday: Strength Training: I worked out with a friend who goes to a much fancier fitness center than I do. They have Woodway treadmills at her gym so I ran on a Woodway for the first time. It felt much harder than the treadmills that I am used to running on so it was a new experience for me. I am not sure how @runemz does it! I guess she is just a ROCKSTAR!

Thursday: 3.63 Miles Easy. I broke in a new pair of Brooks Glycerin 13's and I love them. They have so much cushion that I feel like I am running on a cloud. I have been running in the 12's for the past few months and I love them but the 13's have a lot more cushion than the 12's. Transitioning from an old model to a new one is always scary and I have had some bad experiences in the past so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Friday: REST DAY: I decided to rest my legs before my 5K the following day.

Saturday: Well the 5K did not happen. I did not set my alarm because I never need it. I automatically wake up at 4-5am everyday but was awakened by a 4.3 earthquake at almost 6am instead. I did not have enough time to get ready and head to the race because it was not local.

I felt really guilty about missing the 5K so I got up and ran my 11 mile long run instead which I was planning to do on Sunday. I was already a mess about missing the 5K and the earthquake so it did not go very well at all. It was hot and I was dragging but I finally got into my run the last 6 miles. These kind of runs can be real confidence killers but you have to move on and take the good with the bad.

I wasn't sure how I was going to explain to my coach that I missed the 5k because I overslept but then I got this text message from him. 

Sunday: Strength Training

TOTAL MILES: 21 

My mileage is going to increase a bit this coming week and I am excited about it because it will be a challenge for me. The weekly mileage will be very close to past training cycles but will now include the strength training. I have a 16 miler coming up so I am looking for some new scenery to run in since my running club will only be doing 6 miles this weekend. The weather is not looking very promising so I have to start planning it all out.

 

 Do you look at the weather forecast and plan your weekly runs or do you just go with the flow?

Training Recap: Week Five: (July 13-July 19)

This was a tough week. My energy level seemed to be really low and I really had to push myself to stick to the schedule. I haven't been sleeping well so training becomes even more challenging when you are lacking the energy you need. The highlight of my weekend was the long overdue rain that we finally received.  We really need it so it was a true blessing!

Here is a recap of Week Five:

Monday: Strength Training: Monday's are always tough but a new week means a new start and I always want to start my week out right.

Tuesday: 5.06 Mile Speedwork: My legs were super sore from all of the squats that I did the day before so this took some serious mental toughness. It was also 90 degrees when I started so I almost thought about not doing it but the guilt set in and then off I went.

Wednesday: Strength Training: I decided not to go to the gym and do a workout at home. I think I did a 20 minute upper body workout and called it a day because I was feeling so tired and my legs were so sore from my Monday workout combined with speed work on Tuesday.

Thursday: 6 Miles at Marathon Goal Pace. This run was not good at all. It was hot and humid and I just had no energy. I took so many breaks and I felt pretty defeated but it happens and we have to move on and hope for better days.

Friday: REST DAY: I headed back to the dentist to finish up this whole root canal process. This whole process has been stressful and expensive. I am so done with it. I have one final visit and hopefully I never have to go through this ever again!

Saturday: 14 Miles: I was able to run with my running club again. They had 11 miles on their schedule so I ran a few more miles by myself in the end to get to 14. I had a good run. The route is mainly rolling hills but I enjoy the change since I don't have a lot of hills to run near me. We got caught in a downpour around Mile 9 but it did not last long. It was really refreshing and we really need the rain because the drought situation is pretty bad here in Southern California.

Sunday: Strength Training: This was supposed to be a rest day but my Wednesday workout was so not great that I decided that I needed to make it up today. 

TOTAL MILES: 25.06

I am a little nervous about the upcoming week. My speed workout will be 7 miles and up until now I haven't done more than 5 miles of speedwork. Those workouts are the most challenging for me but I plan to hit it hard and give it my best effort. 

It is doesn't challenge you it doesn't change you, right?

Did anyone hear about the situation/cancellation of the Revel Rockies race in Colorado? What are your thoughts on the situation?

I am registered to run another one of their events in November and the whole situation made me really nervous since all of their race require bus service to get to the start. I am curious to see how they deal with the situation and with all of the unhappy runners.

I Hired a Running Coach

I haven't done a race recap on Mountains 2 Beach Marathon because it was such a bad experience that I am trying to forget about it for now. I know that finishing a marathon is a huge accomplishment but I just feel like I threw away what could have been a good race for all of the wrong reasons.

Those last six miles of my last marathon included a lot of walking and a lot of thinking too. Most of those thoughts were not very positive. I was in a lot of pain and I allowed myself to fall apart mentally on a very high level. I gave up and that should not have happened. I should have been able to hold it together better than I did. After running six marathons, I should have handled it differently. I walked away from that marathon feeling pretty defeated. I don't think I have ever felt that low after a marathon and that changed me. Pain changes you.

I questioned myself on so many levels and decided that I really needed to get myself together and start working towards a goal and running smarter. My biggest goals by far are to qualify for the Boston Marathon and stay injury free so I can eventually get there in one piece. I don't think I have ever trained at a level that was going to get me there. I have been enjoying running and in the back of my mind I always wondered if the thrill of running goes away once you get that BQ. 

I decided that it was time to start preparing myself and working towards my goals. I have worked with a running coach in the past and I have always been my own coach. I write my own training plans by piecing together different parts of cookie cutter plans. They have worked for me and I make them fit into my busy little schedule but I just knew that something was missing. I also told myself that when I made the decision to get serious I would consider hiring a running coach. I wasn't looking for a coach to babysit me because it is my job to keep myself accountable to my goals. I hired a coach because I wanted someone to: help me improve my running performance, evaluate my running history and design a proper training plan that minimizes my risk of injury and for the support, advice and motivation needed to help me achieve my goals.  

I shopped around and asked all of the relevant questions that a runner should ask when hiring a running coach and finally found one that I feel comfortable with. My coach is out of state so our interaction will be via email, phone and Training Peaks where all of my training is uploaded and reported. My coach has given me my training paces, goal race times and my first two weeks of workouts which start today. We will be doing a lot of things differently so I am excited and nervous all at the same time. Coach knows all about the hip issues I have been dealing with and we are going to work on building me up through strength training which I haven't taken too seriously.

With these changes and challenges ahead, I am hoping to get back to blogging and sharing more information and updates on how my training is going.

Do you have a running coach or have you ever worked with one?

What have you found to be the most beneficial part of hiring a coach?

Please share your experiences both negative and positive.

Reward: Lost Mojo

For the last couple of weeks I have not posted my Weekly Updates on my LA Marathon Training Plan. Why? Well, I guess because I have just been running with no real training plan. There have been no set paces or distances and I guess you can say that I have just been running. It is kind of scary since my Race Calendar for 2014 is pretty full!

Maybe it is because of the holiday rush or the fact that I have been really busy with work and my home life. I know that sometimes I feel guilty about the time I dedicate to myself and running and feel like I need to shift my focus to other areas of my life. I am not quite sure what it is but I know that I am also tired of the treadmill and the fact that it gets dark at 4:45 p.m. isn't helping either. My long runs have also been cut short the past two weeks because my head just wasn't in it.

In any case, it is what it is. I am hoping to get back on track really soon. If you happen to find my "running mojo" please return it back to me because I think I have lost it!

Do you ever lose your "running mojo?"

What do you do to get yourself back on track?

Four Weeks and Counting!

I can't believe that my third marathon is just four weeks away. I am so nervous yet excited! It has been over a year since I ran my last marathon so it's like I am running my first one all over again. I think I have forgotten what it feels like which is why I am nervous. I really want to run a sub-four marathon but at this point I am not so sure that I have put in the training to make it a reality. I am running this marathon in honor of my Dad who is still battling cancer so I guess it doesn't really matter what time I finish. I just need to finish and get through those last 6.2 miles where I always seem to throw my race away!

I have only ran one 20 miler and I would like to run at least one more before the big day. As I have said before, I am not in love with the marathon but I so badly want to qualify for Boston. If it wasn't for Boston, I think I would stick to half marathons. 

I also have a half marathon coming up next Sunday which will be my first race of 2013. It is a flat and fast course and in spite of this good news I don't have any goal for this race except maybe a sub-two finish. As a matter of fact, I think I am going to play it safe and use it as part of my marathon training to get an idea of where my endurance is at.

Anybody else running these sames races? When is or was your first race of 2013?

17 Days and Counting....

It has been 17 days since my last run. Yes, I am counting the days because running is part of my life and I can't live without it. The plan is to continue spinning this week and then go for a trial run over the weekend to see how it goes. I am so tempted to hop on the treadmill at the gym so I have to leave my running shoes at home to stop myself. I wear my flip flops to the gym and then change into my cycling shoes so that's all I can do. I am actually starting to enjoy spinning and I think it is a great way for me to continue my cross training once I get back to running again. Last night I was pretty tired and had to drag myself to the 6:45pm class and once it was over I was glad I went. I never regret a great workout. I think I am taking this injury thing much better this time around but I am not sure how long this somewhat positive attitude lasts.

My original plan was to start my marathon training the week of October 14th, which would give me 16 weeks to train but that may not happen. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can at least get a small run in this weekend and remain pain free. I will not run through pain because I don't enjoy it and then I turn into a bag of nerves wondering what I am going to feel like the next day. If I cannot get back into training soon enough I will downgrade to the half marathon in February and reschedule my sub-four quest for my Dad. I really want to hit my goal so I won't run a marathon that I am not properly trained for. If I don't make the February marathon then I might put it off until the end of the year. I would really love to run CIM in December so maybe that will be my race.

I haven't talked about my puppies in a while but I still have two of them. My girls are 18 weeks old now and have grown so much.  I am not sure what I am going to do with them or better yet without them. I have been way to picky in placing them in new homes so I guess it is my own fault. The puppies are very attached to us so going to a new home will be difficult for them but I know they will adjust if they find a loving home. I have to stop the whole picking up the stray animals thing but I can't help myself.

So tell me...How many weeks do you train for a marathon?  
I have always stuck to a 16 week training program.

Do you have a soft spot for stray animals? 
You know I do! I have picked up two in the past year and all of my dogs have been strays with the exception of one. I can't bring myself to spend money on a pet when so many are homeless or in shelters about to be put down :(

Weekly Recap and Last Chance to Enter My Giveaway

I haven't been doing much running lately. I ran 5 miles on Tuesday and then did the Color Me Rad 5K with my family on Saturday which was mostly speed walking with minimal jogging. My shins are all better but there is a small area on my right shin that is kind of tender to the touch. It didn't help that last night my Pom was screaming under the bed and I jumped out of bed to see what was wrong and hit the hell out of my shin on the side panel of the bed! I think I really did some damage when I hit it! NOT GOOD because now it kinda hurts when I walk on it!  I hope it's not another injury but it is bruised this morning from the hit. I guess I will wait and see how it feels in a couple of days. I am not sure what happened to my dog but thank God she appears to be alright.

Thank you to everyone for the advice on Marathon Training plans. I think I might try the Run Less Run Faster plan which was recommended by many of you since it includes three quality runs per week and cross training which fits my schedule. I will have to commit to the cross training but I know that it is just as important to prevent injury so this seems to be a plan worth trying for me. I am also going to try some fast finishes during my long runs that Terzah, who blogs over at BQby40, recommended. I think this will be helpful when I attempt to tackle those last 6.2 miles of the marathon next February. I may have to make some minor changes to the plan to make sure I can stick with it but I am excited to try something new this time around.

If you haven't had a chance, this is your last chance to enter my GIVEAWAY! It ends tonight at midnight (local time) and I will announce the lucky winner tomorrow. If you haven't entered, go do it now so you can win some of my favorite running things! 

You can find it here.