Morning Run
5 miles Easy
Road


Went out for an easy 5 to Kenmore and back.  Felt pretty sluggish and I blame it all on the humidity. After all, I'm super well rested after an easy 2 on Sunday and a rest day Monday.  It didn't kill me today but it definitely slowed me down.

70 degrees with 80% humidity!  Cool but damp. Kept having to squeeze out my headband to stop it from dripping down the back of my neck. Eeew.  It was okay, though.  There were a bunch of other sweaty people running around so I didn't feel too bad.  That's one thing you can count on around here.  No matter the weather, you'll always find someone else out doing their thing.

I considered naming this post "The Terrible 2" because this week was pretty difficult.  Breathing...heart rate...core issues...tiredness.  All of the above made this week a hard one.  I managed to get out there five times and get some good mileage considering everything.  Some times I think I push myself harder on days/weeks when I'm not feeling the greatest.  I wonder what that's about...

The 4 I completed on the treadmill Tuesday was probably the most frustrating.  In my mind it was supposed to be an easy run.  What actually happened was 4 miles in 45 min (last week I ran 5 miles in 46 min!).  I was running at a relatively slow pace trying to keep my HR down but kept having to stop to catch my breath.  I literally stopped 10 or more times.  I just felt uncomfortable and it was discouraging.

My long run this week really wasn't any better.  Went out for an 11 on Saturday with my running bud.  We picked a new route running through Newton.  Though beautiful, the whole run, from beginning to end, was haarrrd (for me at least).  To be fair, there were lots of rolling hills and the humidity was pretty high but from mile 8 and on I no longer felt like I was running but shuffling, barely lifting my feet.  Not a good feeling when you think you should be further along with your fitness.  By the time we got back it looked like I had gone swimming instead of running. :(

I still can't get used to how each run can feel so differently.  My midweek runs were okay.  Every time I go out it's like pulling a run out of a  hat.  I kept reminding myself to be thankful my self worth isn't dependent on me running like the wind every time!  This probably sounds silly but a frustrating long run can take it's toll.  God is good and my joy depends on that alone.  I've got a ways to go to be able to take every run as they come without getting psyched out by the difficult ones.

Meet David Bowie, my new Bowflex Active Trainer 9.0 Heart Rate Monitor!  It's sleek, dark, and can be little bit scary when at work. I call it DB for short.

DB was a gift from a family friend back home...he had two!  Thanks, Paul! What an amazingly fun blessing. You rock. It has been pretty eyeopening using this thing. My heart rate is like crazy high almost all the time. 174 easy at a ten minute pace. I praise the Lord it is down from what it used to be but golly!

Chest belt and watch

Name:  David Bowie the Heart Rate Monitor
Color:  Black
Purpose: To help Cha train and make her aware of her effort level on runs (and, maybe even scare her into running slower).

Since using DB:  I've been noticing tons of people running around with these over-sized watches on their wrists.  It's funny what details you miss until you're on the inside.

Day 4
10 miles Long Run
Morning - Road

The city woke up real slowly this morning.  I think it was the overcast skies and the coolness following such a long humid spell.  I took this one slow just enjoying the relative quiet and having the sidewalks basically all to myself (for the first half at least).

Truthfully, I too had to peel myself out of bed to get going today.  My Fridays are usually for sleeping in.  Because I was rushing I didn't have a chance to eat anything before I started out.  Took a few ounces of Gatorade and a Power bar with me and ate a little around mile 3, 5 and 7...worked nicely to keep me going though I know I should've had more.  Stopped into SMG and Fitcorp Gov ctr for water breaks.

Funny thing is it's only week 1 of this marathon training and I've already had to completely rearrange my runs to fit "life" in.  I guess that's how it goes.  Thankfully, I was able to make some room for this long run before work this morning.  Family is in town for the weekend.  Will be fun times but I definitely won't get much running done.

Well, that first post was kind of abrupt!  I launched into my running log without a hint of an explanation.
   
I'm beginning this blog to chronicle my 18 week preparation for my first marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon - November 2012.  I don't intend to write every day nor to mention every run.  This is just a place where I will share my joys and frustrations as I train, record stories from the road, and remember new insights as they arise.  After all, with all the upcoming time on the road I'm sure to be doing some deep thinking.

First and foremost I hope this blog will glorify God and be a joy to you as you read.  I'm excited and scared and just ready to see how I grow and develop on this journey.  26.2! Oh man! 


Day 2
5 miles Tempo
Afternoon - treadmill

Fastest I've run 5 miles to date (46:15).  Praise the Lord!  Right hamstring aching a little.  Had to stop a couple of times to stretch.  Besides that I felt great.  Did the last mile at 8:50 pace!

Congratulations! You are now registered for Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/

MARATHON REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION!

Woo hoo! Now that training has begun this is really real.

Day 1
Run: 3 miles Easy
Afternoon - treadmill

Pretty slow 3 miler on the treadmill.  Boston has been seeing some pretty oppressive weather so I didn't dare run outside.  Not a bad run for the first of marathon training!  Super thankful to be in relatively good shape starting out.