I had a fantastic 10 mile run today. The temperature was in the 50's and it felt great to wear a t-shirt and shorts while running. I ran with two friends and we were able to head out 5 miles, hit a bathroom, gather more water and head back to our original starting point. I felt a blister on my foot at mile 7 and luckily one of my friends had a blister bandaid I could stick on. I guess my feet are adjusting to the new shoes because I usually don't have blister issues. After putting that on I didn't have any trouble at all.
My knees are hurting a little bit, but overall I feel good. I need to start taking my Chondroitin to help out with my joints since I am going to be logging so many miles. I tell you that stuff is good! After about 3 weeks you will be able to tell the difference.
Next week, we have to run a 12 miler, which shouldn't be bad at all. I am just a little worried about 16 and above. I have never done that kind of mileage. It will be an adventure!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
In The Groove
I met my friend on Saturday and we did an 8 mile run in 20 degree temperatures. We warmed up after mile 2-thankfully! It felt fantastic and great to catch up on life. I think that is what I enjoy most when running with a friend- the conversation. You chat and the miles just pass you by. I am scheduled to log 23 miles this week, which shouldn't be a problem at all. We will run our 10 mile long run on Friday and hopefully the weather will be warmer. I often wonder how I am going to feel when I have a 20 mile long run to accomplish. We may meet with the local running club at that point just to be with a group and make it a bit more exciting.
Monday, January 12, 2009
What I Hope For
I am not getting in the daily runs that I had hoped to get in because everyday life is getting in the way. Chris is having surgery on his shoulder tomorrow, so we spent the majority of the day at the hospital and shuffling kids around after school. I could have gone in the evening, but leaving my family to go to the Y just didn't seem like much fun. I am not very motivated at the end of the day.
Since I didn't get a run in today I thought I would let you in on what I hope to experience for my first marathon. My running partner is a book fanatic and she stumbled upon the book Marathon Method by Tom Holland. It is a 16 week training program and he promises that if you follow his training plan and advice he will get you to the starting line injury free and strong. I highly recommend this book! I just ordered my own copy from Amazon and I cannot wait to get it.
In this book, he suggests that if you are running your first marathon you should not get wrapped up in finish times and enjoy the experience. In reality, we would like to finish in under 4 hours, but I am trying to put that in the back of my mind and not obsess about it. I really want to run the entire marathon right next to my friend. My husband will also be running it with us and I hope he is patient enough to stick with us because I would absolutely love to cross the finish line with him too. I want to see the city, watch the people and take it all in.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Beginning
I have been reading running blogs for awhile and they have always inspired me. I have been a low mileage girl and never have enjoyed getting out of my box, but reading other runner's experiences and stories lights a fire inside me.
Over the summer, I was invited to run a 13 miler with an old friend and her running partner. I REALLY wanted to do this run, but doubt crept in. My highest mileage so far was 10 miles and what if I couldn't pull off 13? What if I had to pee more than them and that required them to stop more than usual? What if I couldn't get my laces just right and it drove them crazy that I had to tie them a zillion times before I started my run? What if our conversation just didn't flow and I didn't fit in? All of these things swirled around in my head and I probably thought of a few more ridiculous things that I just can't recall at the moment.
My husband Chris, who was in Iraq at the time, was excited that I had this opportunity and encouraged me to go for it. Well, I chickened out! I was so angry at myself for not meeting up with them that morning and decided to make some changes. I was sick of being a 3 mile runner and not setting goals for myself. I felt like I was running in place and not getting anywhere!
I heard about a local half marathon and decided to ask a new friend to run it with me. She was a little hesitant at first, but we decided to start meeting up and putting in some miles. It was fantastic! We really clicked and felt like we were at the same level. We trained hard and had a great half marathon. I ran it in 2 hours 8 minutes and 28 seconds, which was better than I had expected. That run was absolutely wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Over the last four months, I have come a long way! I plan on running the Nashville Music City Marathon on April 25th. Chris has encouraged me to begin lifting weights and swimming laps. We have discussed doing a triathalon in the near future. In the past, when I thought about doing a marathon it always seemed like an impossible thought. Now, I believe that it is something I CAN do and WILL do and that excites me more than anything!
Over the summer, I was invited to run a 13 miler with an old friend and her running partner. I REALLY wanted to do this run, but doubt crept in. My highest mileage so far was 10 miles and what if I couldn't pull off 13? What if I had to pee more than them and that required them to stop more than usual? What if I couldn't get my laces just right and it drove them crazy that I had to tie them a zillion times before I started my run? What if our conversation just didn't flow and I didn't fit in? All of these things swirled around in my head and I probably thought of a few more ridiculous things that I just can't recall at the moment.
My husband Chris, who was in Iraq at the time, was excited that I had this opportunity and encouraged me to go for it. Well, I chickened out! I was so angry at myself for not meeting up with them that morning and decided to make some changes. I was sick of being a 3 mile runner and not setting goals for myself. I felt like I was running in place and not getting anywhere!
I heard about a local half marathon and decided to ask a new friend to run it with me. She was a little hesitant at first, but we decided to start meeting up and putting in some miles. It was fantastic! We really clicked and felt like we were at the same level. We trained hard and had a great half marathon. I ran it in 2 hours 8 minutes and 28 seconds, which was better than I had expected. That run was absolutely wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Over the last four months, I have come a long way! I plan on running the Nashville Music City Marathon on April 25th. Chris has encouraged me to begin lifting weights and swimming laps. We have discussed doing a triathalon in the near future. In the past, when I thought about doing a marathon it always seemed like an impossible thought. Now, I believe that it is something I CAN do and WILL do and that excites me more than anything!
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