Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Gettin' faster
One of my goals this year was to get faster. I didn't set a particular pace, just to get faster. I've been running around in circles every week (I flet like I was walking with a lean everyday), and putting in time with tempos. But I realized something this week. It's actually working!!!
I went for the first 4 miles of an 18 miler with Susan on Saturday, and we averaged a 9:04 pace, with having 14 to do on the trails. We must have felt good that morning. I had to finish the last 12 on the road (yuck!!!), but still averaged a 9:28. After Saturday's events, I'm suprised I could still do that.
I ran Monday night with my friend Robin, and averaged an 8:40 pace. Me? Really? Me? No way. But that's what GPS said. Wow. It felt really good to go faster. I had to go home that night and take Shelton, my almost 8 year old boy, out for a run. He's starting to get into it, too. I'm excited for him, because I know he will be really good at it. He's 7, and people think he's 9 or 10. He has body fat like Lance Armstrong. He's a machine.
I've always talked about those who do speedwork after speedwork after speedwork, only to get seconds faster. To the elites, that's a lot. To the middle/back of the packer like me, not so much. But realizing that having a 9:45-10:00 pace, it leaves a lot of room for improvement. I'm just tired of my runs taking so long. I want to run, but still have time for other things.
I can really feel the difference when I run. My stride is better, my form is better, I pump my arms better, my legs move faster. I felt like someone could look at me and say, "Wow. She's a good runner." I'm getting there.
I pretty much got rained out of my run this morning, although I tried. But I've run everyday this week, and have a 20 miler on Saturday. My hips were sore this morning when I started my run, so the rain was probably God's way of saying, "Not today." So I went back home, and did some weights and abs. As a result, my right shoulder is really painful again. I had a cortisone shot last Friday, and it seemed to help, but it really hurts today. I did really light weights, too. But this is another story.
I might have to break up my 20 on Saturday, since it's Corrina's very first soccer practice. She's turning 4 in April, and I really don't want to miss her first practice. I haven't figured out my strategy yet. It will all work out somehow. It's going to take some creativity to work in long runs around Shelton's and Corrina's soccer. All the games are on Saturdays, and I really like to watch. I'll break them up if I need to.
My race is in 5 weeks and 2 days. Not much longer. It will be my first race since I tried Holiday Lakes in February 2008. I fell just 1 week before the race, severely injuring my hamstring. I put in all the training and high mileage, only to DNF. I'm excited about this race, the Buncombe Trail 34 miler on May 3rd. It will be my way of getting back into the game.
Happy trails
I went for the first 4 miles of an 18 miler with Susan on Saturday, and we averaged a 9:04 pace, with having 14 to do on the trails. We must have felt good that morning. I had to finish the last 12 on the road (yuck!!!), but still averaged a 9:28. After Saturday's events, I'm suprised I could still do that.
I ran Monday night with my friend Robin, and averaged an 8:40 pace. Me? Really? Me? No way. But that's what GPS said. Wow. It felt really good to go faster. I had to go home that night and take Shelton, my almost 8 year old boy, out for a run. He's starting to get into it, too. I'm excited for him, because I know he will be really good at it. He's 7, and people think he's 9 or 10. He has body fat like Lance Armstrong. He's a machine.
I've always talked about those who do speedwork after speedwork after speedwork, only to get seconds faster. To the elites, that's a lot. To the middle/back of the packer like me, not so much. But realizing that having a 9:45-10:00 pace, it leaves a lot of room for improvement. I'm just tired of my runs taking so long. I want to run, but still have time for other things.
I can really feel the difference when I run. My stride is better, my form is better, I pump my arms better, my legs move faster. I felt like someone could look at me and say, "Wow. She's a good runner." I'm getting there.
I pretty much got rained out of my run this morning, although I tried. But I've run everyday this week, and have a 20 miler on Saturday. My hips were sore this morning when I started my run, so the rain was probably God's way of saying, "Not today." So I went back home, and did some weights and abs. As a result, my right shoulder is really painful again. I had a cortisone shot last Friday, and it seemed to help, but it really hurts today. I did really light weights, too. But this is another story.
I might have to break up my 20 on Saturday, since it's Corrina's very first soccer practice. She's turning 4 in April, and I really don't want to miss her first practice. I haven't figured out my strategy yet. It will all work out somehow. It's going to take some creativity to work in long runs around Shelton's and Corrina's soccer. All the games are on Saturdays, and I really like to watch. I'll break them up if I need to.
My race is in 5 weeks and 2 days. Not much longer. It will be my first race since I tried Holiday Lakes in February 2008. I fell just 1 week before the race, severely injuring my hamstring. I put in all the training and high mileage, only to DNF. I'm excited about this race, the Buncombe Trail 34 miler on May 3rd. It will be my way of getting back into the game.
Happy trails
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Runnin' with the wildlife
Saturday morning started out great. My friend Susan and I met early to get the first 4 miles of an 18 miler out of the way, before we head to the trails. We were moving right along, sometimes faster than a 9 minute pace. We reminded ourselves several times to slow down; we have along way to go. But we still average 9:04 when we hit 4 miles. So we were feeling pretty good about ourselves. Then we head to the trails.
We met my other friend Heather for the 14 miles we have left. So we started out on the trails, and hit the dreaded steep, rooty, rocky area. We knew it was coming, we've only been running that section for 2 years now. So we get through it, and hit a really nice, long down hill. We were all just talking away, when I just stopped dead in my tracks. I did the whole motherly thing, and put both arms straight out to my side. Right there, in the middle of the trail, is a coyote.
At first, I thought it might be a fox. But soon realize that, oh, it's no fox. So I just watched it a minute. It ran down the enbankment, but only about 15 feet. Then it decides to come back up. So what do I do? I get my handy dandy cell phone, and no, not call for help, but I take a flippin' picture of it. The noise from the picture sparked his interest, because he decided to walk up to us. So I'm not quite freaking out yet, but I was pretty close. He must have smelled something on me, maybe my dogs. But he just sniffed my legs, and went on by. I could hear the tension in my friends' voices, but I just said to let him sniff, and go on by. Do not run.
So he sniffs Heather, and just goes on by. He got to Susan, sniffed her legs, and put his teeth on her. She screamed and kicked at him, and then he bit her leg. 2 puncture wounds in her calf. Oh crap!!! So he gets off her, and starts to walk away. We move about 10 feet down the trail, and he starts walking back to us. Susan and Heather yelled at him, and I threw a rock. He finally scampers off the trail, and we didn't see him again.
But, now Susan has 2 bites on her leg, and we're on the middle of a trail. So, I pulled out my handy dandy cell phone and called my husband. I told him to call the park rangers, and told him where we were on the trail. Luckily they aren't miles long. They call me back, and we finally get off the mountain. They clean her leg up, and we filled out some info, then we headed home.
So what's the moral of the story? Always have a cell phone, yell at the wildlife before taking their picture, and always run with a friend.
I'm not quite sure why we didn't just yell at him in the beginning. I guess we weren't sure what he would do, or if he was rabid. I've never really met a coyote before.
I finished up my run with Heather on the roads in the afternoon. So I at least got my 18 in for the day.
Happy trails.
We met my other friend Heather for the 14 miles we have left. So we started out on the trails, and hit the dreaded steep, rooty, rocky area. We knew it was coming, we've only been running that section for 2 years now. So we get through it, and hit a really nice, long down hill. We were all just talking away, when I just stopped dead in my tracks. I did the whole motherly thing, and put both arms straight out to my side. Right there, in the middle of the trail, is a coyote.
At first, I thought it might be a fox. But soon realize that, oh, it's no fox. So I just watched it a minute. It ran down the enbankment, but only about 15 feet. Then it decides to come back up. So what do I do? I get my handy dandy cell phone, and no, not call for help, but I take a flippin' picture of it. The noise from the picture sparked his interest, because he decided to walk up to us. So I'm not quite freaking out yet, but I was pretty close. He must have smelled something on me, maybe my dogs. But he just sniffed my legs, and went on by. I could hear the tension in my friends' voices, but I just said to let him sniff, and go on by. Do not run.
So he sniffs Heather, and just goes on by. He got to Susan, sniffed her legs, and put his teeth on her. She screamed and kicked at him, and then he bit her leg. 2 puncture wounds in her calf. Oh crap!!! So he gets off her, and starts to walk away. We move about 10 feet down the trail, and he starts walking back to us. Susan and Heather yelled at him, and I threw a rock. He finally scampers off the trail, and we didn't see him again.
But, now Susan has 2 bites on her leg, and we're on the middle of a trail. So, I pulled out my handy dandy cell phone and called my husband. I told him to call the park rangers, and told him where we were on the trail. Luckily they aren't miles long. They call me back, and we finally get off the mountain. They clean her leg up, and we filled out some info, then we headed home.
So what's the moral of the story? Always have a cell phone, yell at the wildlife before taking their picture, and always run with a friend.
I'm not quite sure why we didn't just yell at him in the beginning. I guess we weren't sure what he would do, or if he was rabid. I've never really met a coyote before.
I finished up my run with Heather on the roads in the afternoon. So I at least got my 18 in for the day.
Happy trails.
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