Showing posts with label crosstraining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crosstraining. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Looking down the barrel of 11 miles

First, a quick recap of the last few runs:

Saturday, according to the training program, we attempted a 4 mile run. We ended up running a little over 3, as a complication of joint inflammation, lung issues, and the addition of my new CamelBak (which we had to repeatedly refit). Pace was about 12:10, much much lower than either Matt or I would have predicted.

Monday, we tucked in a 30 minute run where we covered about 2.6 miles at a pace of 11:32 (the fastest we've run in about two weeks). My lungs had gotten so bad by Monday evening that I had to use my bronchitis inhaler before we left; I'm really really glad I did. My breathing was still extremely ragged and halting even AFTER using the inhaler. The biggest issue I had was with tightness in my hips; it wasn't so much pain as fatigue and diminished range of motion, but it was still very upsetting. I also had some issues with my right shin at the very beginning, although they subsided after about 10 minutes. I'm still concerned about the shin issues, namely that I might develop a stress fracture if I'm not careful. All those concerns aside, I was glad just to finish this one.

For Wednesday's run, we're hoping to take advantage of this week's cooler weather and run around a bit on the UT Tyler trails. Saturday's run will be a goal distance of 11 miles, so it would be great to get a break from the roads for a bit.

Just a reminder to myself and my cutie husband: we've got to sign up for the race!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Wednesday run and confronting the mental block

I've decided to make a regular habit of running on the cross-country nature trails at UT Tyler during the week and sticking to my neighborhood on weekends. I work at UT Tyler in the archives, so this makes it easy to get in a quick run before I get home (and get all nappy).

I love trail running because it lets me feel like a wild woman, bounding over sticks and stones as I dodge overhead branches. The atmosphere is beautiful (also, cooler temperatures) and I feel much more mentally engaged. Trail running is not *easier* than road running by any means; it requires significantly more effort to cover the same mileage, and my body has to constantly readjust to the demands of the trail.

I'm hoping that the elevated effort will pay off on Saturday when my husband and I return to the road. We'll be ramping up from 10/3/10 to straight 22min run.

Wednesday's run was very successful (you can see my log on Daily Mile).  I'm pretty nervous about jumping up to 22 continuous minutes. The biggest obstacle I expect to face on Saturday will be mental - convincing myself that I CAN do it, even if I haven't run that long continuously in months (since the last time I injured my groin). I know training my brain will be critical for success in the Tyler Half Marathon.

In order to reward my brain, I am going to set up some "prizes" for myself over the course of the training. These prizes will be set up on a monthly basis, contingent upon successful completion of my training schedule. So, watch for a wishlist later this week.


(PS)
I have to confess to my sometimes readers that I fell behind this week on cross-training. I skipped my Tuesday karate class. Very lame. It was beginning to storm around the time I was supposed to leave, and I got really panicky at the idea of driving in the rain. So, I stayed home, had a mild panic attack, and took a nap. Did I go work out later? No. Even more lame. Anyway, I have a chance to make up for that tonight. Just thought I should share, to stay accountable.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Plan for May 13-19, 2012

In the wake of the Komen Tyler 5k, I am segueing back into the Cool Running Couch to 5k plan, at week 6.
The half marathon training (using a plan from Jeff Galloway's website) will commence the first week of June. The Couch to 5k program will help condition me and build up some base mileage.

I am using this opportunity to slow down a bit and allow my joints to recover from the brick streets and exertion of the race.  For me, that's an excuse to run on trails! :D We've got some great cross-country trails on campus at UT Tyler (where I work and go to school). I love trail running, because it reminds me of playing in the woods as a kid. As a bonus, it works different muscles and gives me a break from the hard impact of road running.

This week's plan:

Monday, trails - Jog 10 min, walk 3 min, jog 10 min  
Wednesday, trails - Jog 10 min, walk 3 min, jog 10 min


Saturday, neighborhood/park - Jog 22 minutes (no walk breaks)

Tuesdays and Thursdays I have a martial arts class right after work, which doesn't leave much time for targeted cross training... so we'll count those as "rest" days. That means I have the option on Friday and Sunday for this month to work in some strength training.  I'll have to do some research to see what kind of classes are available.