As of today, I've officially made the switchover to WordPress, which has more features and is less annoying than Blogger. All of the posts and comments from this Blogger blog have been imported over the WordPress site, so the whole blog is now there and no more new posts will appear here. Please update your bookmarks, and thanks for reading!
THE NEW ADDRESS: http://seeamandarun.wordpress.com/
Monday, July 26, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
10 miles: it's not about the distance.
I had a GREAT 10-mile run this morning. Some of you might have noticed that I did not blog about my 8-mile run last week. Actually it was such a miserable run that I did not want to relive it by writing about it. I did manage to go all 8 miles, and that's all you need to know.
So, I was understandably a little nervous about today's run, especially since it was going to be in the mid-70s with 95% humidity by 6am. Also, I'd gotten a tetanus shot on Thursday morning and can still barely move my right arm, so I was afraid that would bother me too. But I got up early and was on the road by 6:30. It was raining on and off, and I got pretty wet during miles 2 and 3, but frankly, with 95% humidity, I was going to be drenched within a few miles anyhow. I was actually glad that it was rainy because even on a warm humid day, it makes a huge difference not to be running in the direct sun.
By the end of mile 2, I did not feel like I was in the throes of death, as was the case on last week's 8-miler. This seemed like a good sign. In fact, I seemed to sort of hit my stride around mile 4. Everything felt good and I wasn't having to work as hard as I physically could just to keep going. My poor sore arm didn't bother me. I stopped back at home after mile 6 to refuel and take some salt. Those last 4 miles were, well, not exactly easy, but really not that tough. My knees and feet were getting a little tired, but that was all. I was enjoying myself, and by the end, I felt like I probably could have run a couple more miles without too much difficulty. Now, post-run, I'm feeling completely fine other than slightly tired feet, not nauseous and/or wiped out as I sometimes do after long runs.
It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes, which is a 10-and-a-half minute mile pace -- not bad at all considering how much trouble I've been having. The moral of this run: it's not about the distance. Ten miles can be much easier than eight, even in crappy weather, if (a) you go out early enough to avoid being in the direct sun the whole time, and (b) you're feeling physically okay at the time you go out. I feel confident after today's run, which is a great feeling!
A minor concern: I have a small, persistent blister on the inside of my right heel. It's not causing me any pain so far, and my short midweek runs don't seem to bother it, but it expands its surface area a little bit with each long run. I'm concerned that it could cause trouble if it gets much bigger. Will have to look around for some good blister protection.
So, I was understandably a little nervous about today's run, especially since it was going to be in the mid-70s with 95% humidity by 6am. Also, I'd gotten a tetanus shot on Thursday morning and can still barely move my right arm, so I was afraid that would bother me too. But I got up early and was on the road by 6:30. It was raining on and off, and I got pretty wet during miles 2 and 3, but frankly, with 95% humidity, I was going to be drenched within a few miles anyhow. I was actually glad that it was rainy because even on a warm humid day, it makes a huge difference not to be running in the direct sun.
By the end of mile 2, I did not feel like I was in the throes of death, as was the case on last week's 8-miler. This seemed like a good sign. In fact, I seemed to sort of hit my stride around mile 4. Everything felt good and I wasn't having to work as hard as I physically could just to keep going. My poor sore arm didn't bother me. I stopped back at home after mile 6 to refuel and take some salt. Those last 4 miles were, well, not exactly easy, but really not that tough. My knees and feet were getting a little tired, but that was all. I was enjoying myself, and by the end, I felt like I probably could have run a couple more miles without too much difficulty. Now, post-run, I'm feeling completely fine other than slightly tired feet, not nauseous and/or wiped out as I sometimes do after long runs.
It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes, which is a 10-and-a-half minute mile pace -- not bad at all considering how much trouble I've been having. The moral of this run: it's not about the distance. Ten miles can be much easier than eight, even in crappy weather, if (a) you go out early enough to avoid being in the direct sun the whole time, and (b) you're feeling physically okay at the time you go out. I feel confident after today's run, which is a great feeling!
A minor concern: I have a small, persistent blister on the inside of my right heel. It's not causing me any pain so far, and my short midweek runs don't seem to bother it, but it expands its surface area a little bit with each long run. I'm concerned that it could cause trouble if it gets much bigger. Will have to look around for some good blister protection.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Discouraged
Well, I've been remiss both in blogging about running and in running itself. When I attempted 8 miles last week on perhaps the most humid warm day I have ever experienced, it did not go well. Within about 1 mile I was pretty sure there was no way I could even come close to finishing. I ended up truncating the route to 6 miles, of which I walked about half. It was just about the least fun run I've ever had, and the first time I have ever tanked so spectacularly on a long run.
I was discouraged after that and not feeling great physically, so I just didn't run for awhile. Also, the weather stayed warm and humid, and it didn't seem all that appealing to go out for more punishment under the exact same circumstances. So this morning was the first time I've run since last Thursday. I went 2.5 miles and purposely didn't wear my watch so that I wouldn't be tempted to push myself at all -- slow and steady was my goal. It felt OK, although not exactly easy.
Technically tomorrow should be an 8-miler, but I'm instead going to do another short run tomorrow and then 8 on Saturday. I just think that diving straight into a long run after a very sedentary week would be setting myself up for another terrible time. Doing another short run first will help me rebuild my confidence a little, which is much needed right now.
I was discouraged after that and not feeling great physically, so I just didn't run for awhile. Also, the weather stayed warm and humid, and it didn't seem all that appealing to go out for more punishment under the exact same circumstances. So this morning was the first time I've run since last Thursday. I went 2.5 miles and purposely didn't wear my watch so that I wouldn't be tempted to push myself at all -- slow and steady was my goal. It felt OK, although not exactly easy.
Technically tomorrow should be an 8-miler, but I'm instead going to do another short run tomorrow and then 8 on Saturday. I just think that diving straight into a long run after a very sedentary week would be setting myself up for another terrible time. Doing another short run first will help me rebuild my confidence a little, which is much needed right now.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
7 miles
I made it 7 miles! Gratifyingly, this run was much easier than last week's 6-mile run. I don't know if that's because my training is having an effect or simply because my confidence is growing, but it sure was nice.
The run took me 1 hour 18 minutes, and it was a perfect day for a run -- sunny, cool, and breezy. It actually felt fairly easy for the first half or so. On the way back, my legs were starting to get tired, and by the last couple miles I was working hard. But I managed to fall into that rhythm of "tired-but-methodical plodding along" that can take me very far. Sometime during the fifth mile, I saw a billboard with characters from the Disney movie The Jungle Book, and for the rest of the run, I was silently chanting to myself the mantra of the elephants' dawn patrol: "hup two three four, keep-it-up two three four..." This was a surprisingly effective way to keep a steady pace!
Now I am really looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. :-)
The run took me 1 hour 18 minutes, and it was a perfect day for a run -- sunny, cool, and breezy. It actually felt fairly easy for the first half or so. On the way back, my legs were starting to get tired, and by the last couple miles I was working hard. But I managed to fall into that rhythm of "tired-but-methodical plodding along" that can take me very far. Sometime during the fifth mile, I saw a billboard with characters from the Disney movie The Jungle Book, and for the rest of the run, I was silently chanting to myself the mantra of the elephants' dawn patrol: "hup two three four, keep-it-up two three four..." This was a surprisingly effective way to keep a steady pace!
Now I am really looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. :-)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Consistent
Today I did the exact same route as yesterday, and my time -- 26 minutes -- was exactly the same as yesterday too, down to the second. Wow! I may not be very fast, but I sure am consistent.
Tomorrow is my long run of the week: 7 miles. I'm a little nervous about whether I'll be able to make it the whole way, but the runs yesterday and today felt good enough that I'm also a little excited.
Tomorrow is my long run of the week: 7 miles. I'm a little nervous about whether I'll be able to make it the whole way, but the runs yesterday and today felt good enough that I'm also a little excited.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Gorgeous day
I did a 2.5-mile run this morning and it was my best run in ages: cool, sunny, and blessedly non-humid outside. Took me 26 minutes.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Catching up
I've been falling down on the job of writing about my runs, but there have been some positive developments in the last week-and-change.
As planned, I did attempt a 5-mile run in my regular running shoes two Saturdays ago. I managed to run for 4 of the 5 miles, which I felt OK about. It was not the most fun run ever -- my feet felt big and clunky and heavy in the shoes, and weren't particularly comfortable. I wasn't able to retain much of my technique from the minimalist shoes, because the high-stability heels on those shoes make it almost impossible not to come down on the heel with each step. I was very tired and sore after that run.
So, in a last-ditch effort to find some comfortable way of running while I still have time to train for the marathon, I went to Running Fit in downtown Ann Arbor and got yet another pair of shoes. My goal was to get running shoes that are light, not bulky in the heels, yet provide enough cushioning to allow me to run without hurting my feet -- essentially, to try to get the best features of each of my current pairs of shoes in a single pair. I ended up with a pair of Asics trainers that are super lightweight and comfortable and allow me a lot of flexibility in adjusting my stride (meaning, hopefully, that they would allow me to run in a way that doesn't exacerbate my ankle injury). As I left the store, I remarked to Andrew that I sure hoped they would turn out to be worth the hundred bucks.
That was last Sunday, and then I tried a 2-miler on Tuesday before attempting my weekly "long" 6-mile run on Thursday. (I've decided to switch my long run day from Saturdays to Thursdays, since I don't work on Thursdays and that way it doesn't interrupt my weekend sleeping-in schedule.) Things felt pretty good on Tuesday, although still somewhat sore from the Saturday run. The important thing was that my ankle wasn't hurting. So, on Thursday, I embarked on the long one. Wow, it was hard! I am really out of shape. I was huffing and puffing and my legs were exhausted after just a couple of miles. But, I was determined to make it the whole way, and I did. Afterward I felt a little discouraged because it had been so hard; 6 miles used to be nothing for me. But I kept reminding myself that I was unable to run for three months, I'm carrying around about an extra 10 pounds due to all that sedentary time, and I'm trying to build up mileage relatively quickly, so it should be hard!
I did another 2-mile run yesterday and was amazed to find that I was in no pain at all when I started running. I realized that I've actually conditioned myself to flinch when I take my first few steps because I'm expecting pain! Yesterday there was no pain though, and I actually felt sort of like a runner again. That was pretty cool.
So it's looking good. Now if this terrible humidity would just settle down, I could start really enjoying this. :-)
As planned, I did attempt a 5-mile run in my regular running shoes two Saturdays ago. I managed to run for 4 of the 5 miles, which I felt OK about. It was not the most fun run ever -- my feet felt big and clunky and heavy in the shoes, and weren't particularly comfortable. I wasn't able to retain much of my technique from the minimalist shoes, because the high-stability heels on those shoes make it almost impossible not to come down on the heel with each step. I was very tired and sore after that run.
So, in a last-ditch effort to find some comfortable way of running while I still have time to train for the marathon, I went to Running Fit in downtown Ann Arbor and got yet another pair of shoes. My goal was to get running shoes that are light, not bulky in the heels, yet provide enough cushioning to allow me to run without hurting my feet -- essentially, to try to get the best features of each of my current pairs of shoes in a single pair. I ended up with a pair of Asics trainers that are super lightweight and comfortable and allow me a lot of flexibility in adjusting my stride (meaning, hopefully, that they would allow me to run in a way that doesn't exacerbate my ankle injury). As I left the store, I remarked to Andrew that I sure hoped they would turn out to be worth the hundred bucks.
That was last Sunday, and then I tried a 2-miler on Tuesday before attempting my weekly "long" 6-mile run on Thursday. (I've decided to switch my long run day from Saturdays to Thursdays, since I don't work on Thursdays and that way it doesn't interrupt my weekend sleeping-in schedule.) Things felt pretty good on Tuesday, although still somewhat sore from the Saturday run. The important thing was that my ankle wasn't hurting. So, on Thursday, I embarked on the long one. Wow, it was hard! I am really out of shape. I was huffing and puffing and my legs were exhausted after just a couple of miles. But, I was determined to make it the whole way, and I did. Afterward I felt a little discouraged because it had been so hard; 6 miles used to be nothing for me. But I kept reminding myself that I was unable to run for three months, I'm carrying around about an extra 10 pounds due to all that sedentary time, and I'm trying to build up mileage relatively quickly, so it should be hard!
I did another 2-mile run yesterday and was amazed to find that I was in no pain at all when I started running. I realized that I've actually conditioned myself to flinch when I take my first few steps because I'm expecting pain! Yesterday there was no pain though, and I actually felt sort of like a runner again. That was pretty cool.
So it's looking good. Now if this terrible humidity would just settle down, I could start really enjoying this. :-)
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