What happened to spring?

After running all week in shorts and short sleeves it was back to tights, long sleeves, headband and gloves today.
I ran 5.5 miles on the roads around where I live today.  I had a slow start but things got better, Mile 4 & 5 were much faster than any of the others. 
If I am going to run a marathon in 10 weeks at anywhere near a 9 minute mile I am going to have to really get to work.

Feeling Better the Day After

I feel normal again!!  I must have been worn out, I slept 9 solid hours without waking up, not even to use bathroom!! That is very unusual. 
Thinking back, I probably did not eat enough yesterday during the day, especially protein.  I also think I should have drank more often and sooner than I did.  I never drank until 6 miles.  I ate 1/2 of the package of sport beans and water at 7 -7.5 miles.  I remember where I drank and am guessing at the mileage.  I drank some water around 10 miles and gatorade around 12 miles. I intended to mix up 4-6 oz of accelerade which has protein & carbs to drink before running but I lost track of my time and ended up rushing to get going on time so that never happened. 
I have the Nathan 2 bottle belt.  Each bottle holds 10 oz.  This is one thing about running that I don't like.  I like to just go out and run, nothing around my waist, nothing to think about like how much how often to drink,etc.  I guess I should have never become involved in distance running!! 
I'm not sore today, I thought I would not even be able to get out of bed this morning judging by how everything hurt last night.  Last night just before going to bed I came back downstairs and it felt like after running a marathon when you need to go down stairs backwards; I'm glad that wasn't the case this morning! 

Well, I have some errands to run so I better get going.  I'm just happy to report that I feel much better today!!!

Runner Nerd

WHERE was my runner's high tonight??

I ran 14 tough miles tonight.  I was done at mile 9 but I stuck it out.  It was tough.  I don't know what happened to my runner's high tonight.  If it was ever there it left at mile 9. Two of us Thursday night runners started 45 minutes early and ran 14.  The others had all run, returned and left by the time we got back.
It was a beautiful day for a run, low 60s, sunny, shorts and short sleeve weather.  I wore my water bottle belt with one bottle filled with water and the other with Gatorade Endurance.  When I dug the bottle belt out I found a package of Sport Beans and an expired GU in it!!!  I threw the Gu out, it expired 8/09.  I know it was probably just fine.  I took the sport beans.  I ate some of the around mile 7.  I don't know if they did any good.  Everything hurt tonight.  My calves, quads, hamstrings, feet, stomach on and off.  I guess it just wasn't my night.
Isn't running the most fun thing in the world!!!!!!!!!!  I can't wait to go do it again!!!!!!!!
I had to concentrate on the drive home to stay awake.  I do not feel like eating at all.  I ate a baked potato and a chocolate Clif bar.  That's quite a combination!!  I'm sooooooo tired so I'm just gonna go to bed now.  I'm not even going to upload my run to Garmin Connect until tomorrow.

Runner Nerd

Midterm over with. Yippie!

I aced my midterm exam!!!  I know that I got 100% on 2 parts of the test.  I won't know my final grade till a few days from now.  There were 3 parts, one was where we had to write words and definitions and the teacher has to correct that.  That part alone was 120 questions.  The 2nd part was where we had to read a list of medical terms to the teacher one on one and they have to be pronounced perfectly and I got all of those right.  The 3rd part was 100 questions of multiple choice that were answered on a scan sheet and she ran them through right after class and I waited to see what I got and on that part I also got all of them right!!  I'm glad it is over.  Last week was spring break so I have been studying for this thing for two weeks. 

After class I stopped at Blockbuster and rented a DVD and I'm going to watch that now, I just want to relax.  I am even going to pop some popcorn!!! 

Runner Nerd
all nerd today!!

SHORTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was the first time I've run in shorts and sleeveless shirt outdoors in 2010!!!!!!  It was in the mid 50s!  I had to work for a few hours then I went to Gallup Park to run.  I was thinking I'd run 4 miles since I needed to get home and study for my midterm exam but I got going and ended up running 7.5 miles!!  It was just soooooo nice to see the ground that I was running on, even in the woods!!!  The parks in springtime are really pretty.  They are also very entertaining!!  I think it's mating season for the ducks and geese!!  They were noisy and chasing each other around, or I assume the males were chasing the females!!!  I know I won't get to run tomorrow since I'm in school all day. 
My brain hurts from studying.  I just want my midterm to be over already.  After running I came home, showered and headed to the college library to study. 
I'm too tired to write any more right now.  

Runner Nerd

I am Embarrassed

Yep, I'm embarrassed with my 5K efforts today.  I ran the slowest 5k I've ever run.  Even my very first 5K was 30 seconds faster than today.  I didn't feel like doing it.  I haven't done any speed work since last fall, the hamstring pulls limited speed work all last summer.  It was never quite the same after the muscle pulls.  I really didn't even try today.  I wasn't even hurting and out of breath when I finished.  I remember my first 5K; I had 28:55 and I thought I was going to die and didn't think I could ever do that again.
   Today I started way back toward the back.  The walkers were supposed to line up on a side street and come onto the street the race started on after all the runners passed by the side street but I think most of them missed that detail.  I can't believe how many times I almost came to a stop because of walkers.  Big groups of runners would get backed up.  Most of the first mile was very slow.  No, I didn't belong right up at the starting line but I should have been closer than I was.  It was chilly today.  It was in the low 40s and had rained most of the night and early morning.  One of my Thursday night running buddy's car dealership is a major sponsor for the race and he had some vehicles on display and those of us from the running group were able to stash our jackets and pants that we wore over our running clothes just minutes before lining up.   I wore my knee-length tights with a long sleeve running shirt from an old race with a short sleeve shirt under it. I wished that I had worn my headband; my ears were freezing.  Gloves would have been nice too.  I didn't think I'd need gloves with the temp in the 40s.  Everyone got a beer glass with the name of the race on it for finishing and Blue Care Network was passing out re-usable grocery bags.  When I looked at it later I realized it's a really good bag, it's a bit bigger than the other ones I have.  I really like it and will use it so that's good. 
    After the race I went to a park and ran 2.5 more miles.  (I wore my headband and gloves)  I was going to run 4 but needed to get back home before my daughter left to go back to college.
    I ended up with 28.5 miles for the week.  I am happy with the 12 mile run Thursday night. 

Runner Nerd
embarrassed

Rainy, muddy run

I am not one of those people who just love running in the rain.  Nope.  I despise it.  I had to pick up a race packet today so I went to a park and ran before going to get the packet.  It rained lightly but steady the whole entire time.  One good thing is that the snow is going away!!!  It was nice to be able to run along the paved trails without any snow and the wooded trails were clear but muddy.  Mud=spring so I don't mind.  I like getting my running shoes muddy too!  There were places in the trail through Argo woods where I sunk in.  Lots of branches have fallen from the trees and are laying all over.  I had to climb over a fallen tree that was laying across the path, I saw another tree that had fallen but was propped up against another tree.  When I got back to the car I noticed that my lower legs were muddy!  I wore my knee-length tights today.  I was soaked and once I stopped running was freezing.  It was 52 degrees when I started but the rain drops felt ice cold.  It took longer than usual to warm up, I was wishing I had dressed warmer but once I got going I was ok.  After running I changed my top half in the car and put on a tshirt and a really heavy sweatshirt which felt sooooo good (and dry!).  I went to pick up my packet with my wet hair, muddy shoes and legs!  Somebody commented that I wasn't taking the day off the day before the race!!  I had to laugh!  Taking today off from running wouldn't change a thing tomorrow.  I just can't run fast anymore and that's that.  I don't even feel like going and doing this 5K tomorrow.  Had it not been for the running store registering me for free because we did the race packets I wouldn't be doing it.  I'm just going to run however fast I feel like running then go to a park and run some more miles.  That will do me more good than trying to run fast for 3.1 miles. 
11 weeks from today is my marathon.