intervals

Well this morning I woke before the sun was up and put on my running clothes. I never know how to dress here. I am so use to it being cold in the mornings that I usually wear many layers. These layers have turned out to be way to many here. Today I didn't put on as many layers and wouldn't you know it I was FREEZING!! Oh well. I met up with two running buddies and we headed over to the local track for some 800's @ 3:23 pace. I have really been liking the track the past few weeks because it gives me a boost of confindence, but not so much today. Okay, so I ran faster than 3:23 for all of my 800's but my running partners ran even faster. My legs felt very heavy today and I am not sure why. Last week running the mile repeats felt better than the 800's did today. UGGG! Maybe this just isn't me week or something. Isn't it funny how from day to day the way you feel during a work out can vary so much. Does this happen to anyone else I wonder? I wonder if it has anything to do with my baby not sleeping real well the past few nights, or it could do something with my diet. I am not sure but that is why I am keeping a journal maybe I can see a pattern over time and find out what works and what doesn't. I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I did run faster than the time that I had planned but I hate being last I am way to competitive to come in last it totally kills me. Come on self you can do this and meet your goal!! Today I have set eating goals and I did my exercise goals so hopefully this will help. Have a great one!

I need a big kick in the butt!!

Okay I am really just using this blog as a journal but I almost wish there was someone reading it and that they would give me a swift kick in the butt. I woke up this morning to work out but so did my five month old baby. So, I had to postpone my workout to nap time. Which is fine I still got 40 minutes on my bike and some core workout in. However, I keep reading these other people's blogs and they talk about all the exercise they are doing and I wonder how are they doing this. Like one girl ran 16 miles today. I would love to have time to do that and also love to have the determination to do that. Then I read another blog about a lady and she posted her workouts for the week and they put my work outs to shame. How do they do it what gives them this motivation to work so hard? I want to be like them. Infact I dream about working out harding than I am but then when it comes down to it I never do. WHy do I do this to myself? Am I afraid of something? What is weird is that deep down I know that I could work hard and be better. In fact I have always had a dream in my head about the type of body I want and the type of exercise I want to do but I continue to defeat myself. What truly is stopping me from becoming who I really want to be? Then when it comes to my eating habits I am just horrible. How do people have the self control not to eat food that you shouldn't? As soon as I set limits for myself with this aspect of food then that is all I can think about.
These are some pretty personal thoughts that I have about myself that I really don't share with anyone. So, if there is some crazy person reading this I hope you will be nice when you give me my butt kicking.
The crazy thing is, is that I constantly give my self kicks in the butt. I think that the problem here is that sometimes we are harder on ourselves than we would be anybody else. I need to cut myself some slack and realize that other people have things that they deal with. I need to learn to be nicer to myself and not give up. I need to resolve to just try again the next day until I get it right. I need to just work harder at becoming who I really want to be and realize that there are going to be ups and downs along that path but that if I just keep trying I can get there. So, tomorrow is new day and I resolve to better tomorrow than I did today. Right now I am going to go make a plan for my tomorrow and see if I can stick with it. I will let you know how it goes.

Cookies Cookies Cookies

Holy cow my new name should be miss cookie monster. I love cookies. As long as the cookie doesn't have nuts I will eat it and love it. My favorite are straight from the oven chocolate chips, or snickerdoodles, but wait lets not forget gingerbread, peanut butter, and soft sugar cookies!!! So, why am I talking about cookies on my running blog. Well, first because if I didn't run then I would really be in trouble because of all the cookies that I eat. ( I am being serious here. Cookies are like popcorn to me. I just keep eating them) So, this weekend as I was eating yet another cookie I started to really think about my goal for this marathon. I started contemplating whether all the cookies I eat will really help me get that Boston Qualifing(BQ) time or not. HMMM! This one was a tough one for me, but I decided that cookies will be my treat at the end of the week after completing all of my workouts including the long run!! It is only Monday but I am already asking myself if I can really do this. I might have some withdraw symptoms hit me tonight after dinner when I really will be jonesing for a cookie. Now, I know some people might just think this is silly. Cookies do nothing for them and they don't understand my obsession for them. (ya, right like anyone is really reading anyway) Well, this will be a good thing for me weight wise, training wise, and mentally. I CAN DO THIS!!
After this morning I can now mark off one workout complete and that much closer to my next cookie. I woke up early before the sun was up (which was sad because today was a gorgeous day to run in the sun) and I went for a 7 mile tempo run. My partner and I laughed and felt very confident about this run. After last week we felt 7 miles felt easy and the pace felt normal and not to hard at this point to us. It was a great run and I am excitied about tomorrows workout on the bike and with the weights. Run on and enjoy a cookie for me!!

the long run

Okay the end of my first week of training is done. This morning I went for a 13 mile run. I averages 8:30's over all but had a few miles in there that were a little bit faster. I have decided that instead of being lazy like I was yesterday that I should instead do a really easy day on Friday to kind of stretch my legs out. I really need to find a yoga video that I like and do in on Fridays. I keep reading about how great yoga is and I find myself having a hard time trying to like it. Well, I enjoyed my run today. So far each of my runs keeps giving me more confidence that maybe my goal is really attainable.I have been running with a partner and it has been a long time since I have had a running partner. I have to say I have mixed feelings about it. I really like her and I love having someone to run with because you know the saying the best motivation is accountabilty. It is just that over the years I have become so use to going for a run all by myself and running just for myself. So, now to run with someone is totally great but I forget that on long runs you tend to talk and I have gotten use to running by myself and just thinking and getting into a zone. So, don't get me wrong it is nice to have a partner but different from what I have been doing for the past few years.
I keep reading about ice baths and I kind of wonder if I should be doing these but I am such a cry baby. I don't like being cold, but it would probably help my aching calf muscles right about now.
Well here is the workouts for this week:
Monday: 6 mile tempo 2miles warm up (8:30) 2 miles (7:30) 2 miles (8:00)
Tuesday: bike 40 min 9 miles (both kids decided to wake up during my workout)
Wednesday: Bike 60 min @ 90+ cadence 13 miles
Thursday: Intervals on track: 15 min warm up run: 3X1600 at 7:00 Ran these a few seconds
faster.
Friday: rest day ( need to do something from now on)
Saturday: long run 13 miles @ 1:49:05 Averaged 8:23/mile A little faster than planned but
made it.

So, first week done and now on to week two. Goals for next week. Add in one to two days of lifting, 3-5 days core work and easy work on Friday. Hope I can get it all in.

16 weeks and counting!

So really I think the only person in the world that will read this blog will be me. To be honest that will be fine. I just want to use this blog as a journal for my running and my running has always been just for me. Running for me keeps me sane. I am a stay at home mom and I realized that running is my thing. It is the thing that keeps me going. It makes me feel good, and it is something that I am finding that I am good at. Now when I say good I don't mean winning gold medals good but good enough for me. I am finding as I run that I am learning just what I am capable of. When I push myself running it shows me just how much I can push myself in life. Running makes me feel more confident about myself and I love the way I feel after a good run.
So, the purpose of this blog is for me to track my running and help me prepare for up coming races.
Right now I am training for a marathon the first week in June. This week starts out my sixteen week count down. I have a big goal for myself. I really want to run a 3:40 and qualify for Boston. I really think that this time is within me to get if I just do the work. I have chosen an unorthodox training plan. It is called the less is more plan. Essentially you run three days a week with cross training on the other days. This plan came out a few years ago and they have been testing it. You can find the plan on www.runnersworld.com. For me with the time that I have this plan fits great plus it allows me to ride my bike or swim which are things that I also like to do. The one thing that I haven't liked about previous marathon training plans is that you only have time to run. So, I bought the book and I am following the plan for a 3:40 time. So, far I have been able to run the paces they have asked and I feel really good doing it.
So on Monday I ran a tempo run of 6 miles. The first two miles were warm up which I ran at a 8:30's and then the next two I ran at 7:30's and finished with 2 miles at 8:00's. Felt great. The next two days I rode my bike on a trainer in the garage. Not as much fun as going outside but right now I don't have that option so the trainer works great. Today, I did a track workout. I warmed up for 15 mins and then did 3x1600m with 1min rest @ 7:02. Really I think I ran a Little bit quicker closer to 6:55's but I set my watch wrong and the times didn't get recorded right and then I finished with a cool down run home. All together it was just over 7miles. I felt really great on the track and decided that the track is really giving me a boost of confidence. (I have been doing track workouts for the last three weeks in preparation for the start of this 16 week program) so we will see how this goes over the next 16 weeks. Now just need to rest today and get ready for my long run on Saturday. Maybe tomorrow I will do an easy three to stretch out my legs we will see. Run on!