The Journey

One Down 4 Plus (to 70.3) to Go


Yesterday's workout was punctuated by the following statement from my coach.

"If you did the training accordingly this week,
you should be pretty tired and beat up by today.
EASY brick today,
go easy-that's the point. You've went hard all week."

easy

Turns out it's a good thing it was supposed to be easy. I felt pretty good during the workout and had to tell myself to go easy. But once I got home and relaxed, I was exhausted. 

not-so-easy-button

Beat up, tired...Oh yup, that's me! Although, it was cool to hear him say "you went hard all week" 
Not that I didn't know that..but I was afraid he didn't know that.

The thing is, it was a good exhausted. I'm one month in with my new coach.
I averaged 9 plus hours of training each week this month.
Previously my longest average wasn't even close to this.

Today's a rest day and I find myself RESTLESS.
Can't wait to get started on next week

Who'd a thought????

Anything is possible!


Feb 27, 2012 4:34 PM

The Day of the Tortoise


This was the elevation map for today's run. Red Rock Canyon Loop, first 4 miles.

Red Rock

It was an out and back, so I had 4 miles of downhill to look forward to on the way back. 

This was the sign that greeted me as I started out on my run today.  

 I started my run with great anticipation. I was running in a new place with beautiful scenery. Little did I know that after only a mile I would begin to think that sign was about me.

In just about 2 weeks I'm planning to run my first half marathon in this exact place. I'm starting to think that may have been a mistake. After the first mile I was breathing way too hard and moving way too slow.
Midway through the second mile I wasn't sure if the liquid in my eyes was sweat or tears. I began to question everything. 

Why am I doing this? Who am I kidding? If I can't even do the first 4 miles of THIS run!..how will I ever complete a 70.3?

Even after making the turn for the downhill return my mind was not my friend.
How can running DOWNHILL be SO HARD?
My knees hurt.
My hip hurts.
This Stinks!

I sat home last night feeling sorry for myself. The run was brutal and demoralizing. 

Somewhere along the way,
I remembered what my friend Kirsten at AOY says...

"What's Right With This"

What's right with this....
Good thing I found out what this course was like before I ran the half. Now I know what to expect and can plan.

What's right with this....
I actually had some nice split times and overall, considering the times I've been running, and the difficulty of this course, my overall time wasn't that dissapointing.

What's right with this...
Tears or Sweat ?
I finished my planned workout even though I wanted to quit.

What's right with this...
When I got in the Jeep to go home..the song
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" was playing.

Anything is possible!


Feb 24, 2012 4:34 PM

Tired is the Word of the Day


ME..before my run.. .  

dogs 012

ME..during my run...

Jordan Jamboree 2006 043

ME..after my run... 

dogs 002


Thankfully tomorrow's another day!

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Anything is possible!


Feb 16, 2012 4:34 PM

Perspective

Slow... 

adjective...  

Moving or proceeding with little or less than usual speed or velocity: a slow train.

I've noticed lately that many of the women I'm friends with or follow, comment on how slow they are (including myself). It seems we all have used the quote about being faster than the person that didn't get off the couch. But really...
is what we do, at whatever speed we do it,  just better than getting off the couch? 
I think not!

Note Feb 11, 2012-1

 My definition of Fast......

finishing a 70.3 in less than 6:30.
I believe the Chrissie Wellington's of the world might not even call that a good training run. Heck, she can complete an entire Ironman in just another 90 minutes.
(That's Chrissie on the top there. Me, I'm the turtle.)

I challenge us all to STOP thinking about how slow or fast we are, to stop making excuses for how slow or fast we are, to stop downplaying the adventure we are on..

One person's slow is another person's fast.” 
― Wendy J.

One person's craziness is another person's reality.” 
― Tim Burton

Anything is possible!


Feb 11, 2012 2:34 PM

Super Sunday

new hampshire 245



Two years ago, Super Bowl Sunday. I spent the day with my family, watching hours and hours of pre-game and the "Big Game" itself.
We had plenty of chips, dip and beer to last the entire event. I was seriously overweight and the best exercise I got most days was walking up a flight of stairs to my office.




Today...I'm still "under tall'. There's still beer and and chips available, thou I won't partake in as much of either. I still started the morning watching a little Mike and Mike pre-game.

The bigger difference? 
 I grabbed my bike and running shoes and headed to the lake.3 hours of Biking and 20 minutes of Running later, I jumped into the icy waters of Lake Mead for a quick cooling dip.

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How did this happen?

I'm not quite sure, but I do know everyone has to find their own reasons, their own passions..but when you begin to believe....

Anything is possible


Feb 5, 2012 4:43 PM

Slow is the New Fast

Yesterday was a "quick" 2 mile run, followed by a TRX/Core workout.
I really want to add a little Yoga in the future.

slideshow-jan11

Today...put the heart rate monitor away and run a "comfortable" pace for an hour and then kick it up just a notch for the last 30 minutes. All a great plan. I was happy to just run without thinking about my heart rate...until I started focusing on the fact the last 30 minutes would be slightly uphill into the 20 mph wind. 

I took several very short walking breaks to get my mental game back on track. It worked....but I'm sure they need to be fewer and farther in between.

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When all was said and done..I wasn't thrilled with my pace, but it was faster than my recent times by 2 or 3 minutes/mile.
That gives me 5 months to drop another 2 minutes off my pace.

Heck, if I can drop 2 minutes, in one day...
Imagine what I can do in 5 Months.


Feb 2, 2012 5:43 PM
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