Enough with the Frickin' Snow!!!

Sigh, yet again I am resigned this week to performing my Wednesday run on the treadmill.  Having commuted 45 minutes home and witnessing slips, slides, overturned cars, and more tow trucks than I've seen all winter, I deemed the roads unsafe for running.

Since I had my long run set for today (9 miles), and seeing as how doing 5 miles on the dreadmill last week was torture, I decided to push my long run to Sunday and instead change my Wednesday run to a semi-long run (4 miles today).  We'll change this up for a bit and see how it goes.  Sunday is usually my total rest day, but I've been feeling antsy on that day, so maybe this will cure the antsy-ness.

The 4 miles on the treadmill, surprisingly enough, felt good.  Last week I was struggling at the 5.7 mph mark, and this week 6.7 felt comfortable, and I spent several intervals at the 7 and 7.5 marks as well.  I think my body is beginning to adapt.

I was thinking this morning on my commute into work that we often compare our bodies to machines -- fuel the machine, run the machine, maintain the machine, etc.  However, that's not entirely true.  Machines do not adapt.  They are essentially built to wear out.  But the human body -- being the miraculous thing it is -- can become stronger, more efficient, faster, and more skilled if we apply the right stimulus.  And this is true at any age.  I've known 20-year-olds who act like they're 50 and 50-year-olds who act like they're 20 (ahem, Mr. Tony Horton, you know who you are). 

So now that my stimulus is done (the 4 mile run), I'm going to go kick back and "adapt" in front of the TV.  Hopefully in time for the 9 miles on Sunday.  GULP!

Week 3 in Review

Well, three weeks are officially over!  This past week was a little tough regarding motivation.  It was hard to get in all my runs, but I did.  Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday all featured some kind of running.  It was a short week mileage-wise, with my long run on Wednesday only lasting 5 miles (I'm using a two-steps-forward, one-step-back training approach).  Due to the snowstorm, I had to do this on the treadmill, which was not fun AT ALL.  But I was grateful to at least have the treadmill to use so that I could train.

I slipped up a little yesterday with my eating and indulged in some snacks I shouldn't have had.  I'm paying the price today -- I feel bloated and not very energetic, which should make today's 3-mile run particularly un-fun.  Why is nutrition the hardest part?  I find it easier to bust my butt during workouts than to abstain from treats every so often.  All I can do this week is push the "reset" button and begin eating clean again.

This week's long run is 9 miles.  I am very apprehensive about that distance, although I can't pinpoint why.  I'll just take it slowly and do my best.  That's all I can ever do!

(Belated) New Year's Resolutions

I know it's a little on the late side -- but then again, I guess it's never too late to make some resolutions for the upcoming year.  You know what those are -- the "I'm going to lose 5 lbs", "I'm going to learn a new language", "I'm going to travel more" type of goals.  Sometimes they're helpful, and sometimes they slip through the cracks.


I bet everyone can guess one of my resolutions. 


RUN A MARATHON!
(That was for the people who couldn't figure it out on their own...)


That's my major one.  And this new year ushers in four and a half months of training to make sure I'm ready for it.


But other than that, what else do I want to do this year?  Here's my list.


AMANDA'S RESOLUTIONS
1.  Complete a marathon race.
2.  Maintain a better work/life balance.  Don't leave all my "life" stuff for the weekend.  Find ways to puff more "life" into the work week.
3.  Take at least a one-week vacation FROM EVERYTHING (except exercise, hee hee).


It'll be interesting to see how many of these become realities.  Maybe now that they're posted for all the world to see, I'll subconsciously be more diligent about fulfilling them.  What about you?  Write down those goals (not a laundry list, just the top 1, 2, or 3) and get them DONE this year!


When writing your goals down, it sometimes help to make them SMART goals (S-M-A-R-T).  They should be:

• S:  SPECIFIC - The smaller and more specific the goal, the easier it is to achieve.  For example, "I want to learn how to have a basic conversation in Italian" rather than "I want to learn Italian."
• M:  MEASURABLE - How will you know you've met your goal?  Set a measurement.  For example, "I want to lose 5 lbs." rather than "I want to lose weight."
• A:  ATTAINABLE - Make sure the goal can be attained within your realm of control.  Things like meeting a celebrity might not be attainable.  Running a sub-2-minute mile might not be attainable.  However, breaking a personal record or playing a song on the piano is attainable.
• R:  REALISTIC - This differs from "attainable" in that your goal is realistic based on the timeframe and your current starting point.  For example, although it might be "attainable" for you to make $100,000 per year SOMEDAY, it might not be "realistic" to set that goal if you're just out of college and your deadline is 3 months.  It might be more realistic to say, "In the next three months, I'm going to earn a 5% pay increase."  You could even break that up into smaller goals that detail how you're going to get that raise.
• T:  TIMELY - Give your goals a deadline.  For New Year's resolutions, this is usually 12/31 of the new year, but it can be sooner if you wish.

Using these guidelines will ensure that your goals can both mentally and physically be achieved.  They make your goals bite-sized, seemingly achievable, and provide you with the motivation to reach them.
With the example of my marathon, I've made it:

Specific:  I set a goal for a particular race, rather than just running more in general.

Measurable:  A marathon is 26.2 miles.  If I traverse that distance on race day, I'll know I've reached my goal.

Attainable:  I know I can run a marathon with proper training, because I know many other people who have done it successfully.

Realistic:  I'm giving myself 20 weeks to train, and I have a solid conditioning plan in place.

Timely:  The race is on a fixed date (see the countdown timer above if you haven't already).


With all that said, welcome to the new year....now let's get going!

Week 2 in Review

Wow, it was a crazy week and I didn't have much time to post.  But here's what my second week looked like.

If you remember from last week, I pretty much burnt myself out and decided to do only 3 main running workouts this week on top of P90X.  I did these as scheduled -- Monday was 3 miles with speed intervals sandwiched in the middle, Wednesday was a 7-mile long run, and on Saturday I met with my running group at the Y.

My long run on Wednesday went very well.  I realized this after the fact, however, because during the run, I ended up missing a mile marker and was VERY depressed that it was taking me almost 20 minutes to do Mile 4 (which actually ended up being Miles 4 AND 5).  After that "whoopsie", I realized I was doing pretty well and ended the run in a little over an hour.  I felt good afterward too, not burned out but I still felt like I worked hard.

On Saturday, due to the remnants of the monster snowstorm we had, we did a fun run with the running group, where we did sprint relays.  We worked hard, but I found myself on Sunday wondering if I'd done enough for the week.  So I strapped on my shoes and did about 2.5 miles easy down the street and back, and finished that off with my X Stretch DVD -- which left me feeling satisfied with my work this week.

So how do I feel?  So far, so good...AND my pants are fitting MUCH better, thank goodness.  I think the most important thing I have to do is listen to my body and supplement my running as needed, focusing at the very minimum of getting 3 solid runs in a week.  Combine this with P90X, and I'm confident I'm going to be fighting fit for the marathon in May.

For the upcoming week, I'm going to stick with my 3 miles on Monday.  My long run on Wednesday is a step back this week -- only 5 miles in order to allow time for muscle recovery (I jump up to 9 next week -- yikes!).  However, I'm subbing for the running group on Saturday, so I really can't count on that as a hard workout, so I'm planning to run about 2 miles on Friday and then gauge how I feel on Sunday and either run or rest as needed.

2 weeks down, 18 more to go...

Week 1 in Review

So, I've officially completed 1/20th of my marathon training.  Week 1 had some ups and downs.  It was rough to get started at the beginning of the week, but now that it's over, I feel energized and ready for week 2.

On top of doing my P90X workouts each morning, I worked 4 training runs into my program.  After this past week however, I'm wondering if 4 is pushing it.  I did 3 miles on Monday, 6 on Wednesday, and then a 5K each on Friday and Saturday.  When I woke up this morning, I barely wanted to get out of bed.  I had an easy 2-3 mile run slated for today, but instead I hung low, did a stretching workout, and went on a 3 mile walk in Saratoga Spa State Park with my mom.  I came home feeling refreshed and with renewed motivation.


That said, I am going to shoot for 3 runs this week -- a speed run on Monday, a long run (7 miles) on Wednesday, and then whatever my running coach on Saturday prescribes for our group.  I reminded myself that when I was at my racing peak this year (around October/November), I was only running twice per week on top of my normal training.  So maybe my body responds to less.  We'll see this week.

Out with the Old 5K, In with the New 5K

As I said to some friends recently, what better way to celebrate a new year than by ending the current one with a 5K and beginning the new year with one as well?  That's exactly what I'll be doing this year, as I gear up for the First Night 5K in Saratoga today, and then my good friend Laurie's neighborhood 5K tomorrow.

Running two 5Ks in a row might be ridiculous to some people, and maybe they're right if you're trying to run them all out, but NOT if you're running them just for the thrill of the run and to spend some time with great people.  I would also point those same critics towards Dean Karnazes' book: "50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days."  A great read!  And it certainly puts running 2 5Ks in a row in perspective.

This year I am thankful for discovering a great community of people called runners.  Warm, helpful, and always offering encouragement and support.  I've never encountered a sport where your biggest rival could be your biggest fan.  In many races, I've been neck-and-neck with a runner and, no matter who came out ahead, we pat each other on the back and feel a strange, awesome bond of kinship at the finish line.  Here's to 365 more days of learning and growing with this special sport.

P90X Days 1, 2, and 3....and the first long run!

Soooo, I "brought it" on Monday, yesterday, and today for my first three days of P90X.  I had flashbacks to when I first started the program back in 2007....after finishing the first round of disc 1, I distinctly remember thinking: "OMG, we have to do all those exercises AGAIN????"  Monday's workout was Chest and Back, and it really succeeds in setting the tone for the entire 90 days.  Previous to this, my home workout experience had been Billy Blanks and Jane Fonda.  Chest and Back was truly a wake-up call.  And just when I thought it couldn't get any more challenging...on comes day 2:  PLYO.  As Tony says, get your little buckets nearby. 

  

In doing such an extreme program, I've had to carefully consider how my marathon training will fit into the mix.  I've spent the past few weeks developing my running base (with less success than I wanted due to excessive indulgence in holiday treats...but the past is the past and it's time to move on).  P90X will provide me with solid all-around strength.  While I'm doing the program, I'm going to focus on building up my mileage each week.  Then, once the 90 days are up in March, it'll be the perfect time to focus on peaking for the marathon in May.

  

Each week, I've settled on some key workouts that I need to do:

• One weekly batch of sprint intervals to build speed
• One weekly long run to build endurance (adding 1 mile per week)
• Two weekend runs - mostly just to keep my running legs active, build more endurance, and hone my skills.  I'm participating in a running group at the Y to help in this area.

I've got my first long run of the program coming up today.  6 miles!  I'm definitely a little apprehensive because the 3 miles I did on Monday was no easy task.  My legs felt like Jell-O and I really pushed hard to finish the run.  However, I'm going to take a hard/easy interval approach to today's run and then go from there.  15 minutes running, 5 minutes walking...repeat.  After 3 sets of that, it should bring me to about 6 miles (@ a 10 min/mile average pace).  I'm going to play it by ear, set no expectations other than finishing 6 miles, and go from there.