Horns.

I took the bull by the horns tonight. Alison said we needed to run faster, I initially balked at the idea, but of course she is right about it. Not about our 10-11 mile runs, those are freaks of nature and should be handled any way possible, but we needed to just go out and RUN.

Tonight we did 3.7 miles in 30 minutes. Thats an 8:06 pace. I just took off, got into a great rythym and didn't stop. The last few minutes were hard, but thats honestly b/c I knew they were the last few minutes.

My next run is Sunday, 5 mile loop that I run is my target, and I really want to run it in 8:30 pace, which is very doable, around 42 minutes. Thats how it should be.

Booyah.

Commitment.

I am committing to this race - or I should say re-committing. I was very good about workouts in the beginning, and predictably I hit a rough patch where the running was coming pretty easy and I felt like I didn't need to be as focused on workouts, etc...

The 11 miler was a rude reminder that I did need to refocus on making sure my body was ready to make leaps, and I am sick of fighting my body through the last few long runs, I want to work with it, rather than against it.

Monday night I swam, as I am supposed to with my training. Alison and I went for 20 minutes, my hips hurt so badly I could barely walk all day, but it was good to get in the pool and it was like a magic medicine, they almost immediately stopped hurting, which was an awesome feeling.

We swam for 20 minutes, pretty much without stopping, I think I did 10-12 laps, i really didn't count, and it felt great to just get out.

Tuesday was my first day back at the YMCA with my new commitment to not hating (or at least vocaling my hatred for) treadmill running. Our plan was to run 35 minutes, and my plan was to do that at 6.5 mph pace...thats 9:13 pace for 3.5 miles, something I think I can easily do. I did 30 minutes at that pace, and 5 minutes at 7 mph. All told I ran 35 minutes and got 3.86 miles, which I am very happy with.

Wednesday night I am going to the Celtics game and barring any unforseen circumstances I plan on running 25 minutes at 6.5 mph pace and 10 minutes at 7 mph pace, getting me closer to 4 miles in 35 minutes.

I am refocused, this 1/2 marathon doesn't stand a chance.

Eleven.

I don't know how this run felt. It was epic. It lasted forever, it felt. It just kept going and going and going and going...When did it end? I don't remember the beginning, the end, or the middle, it felt like I was just running all day.

We ran 11 miles in just over 2 hours, we aren't sure of the exact time b/c something got screwy, we aren't really sure what. Alison and I traded off various times of discomfort, and we were both VERY stupid by not having abundant water with us. 11 miles is WAY too long to run to not have water, we were both really thirsty and feeling it by mile 7 or so...

We took a quick break at 6.5 to stretch, but it wasn't really a break - and we were back on our way. Alison hit a pretty big wall at around 8.5 or 9, I would say my wall was more gradual, I just felt really awkward the whole last 3 miles, and now my hips absolutely are killing me. I am not in love with this feeling, let me tell you.

We both want to do some lifting on our legs, nothing too crazy, to build up some strength - I gotta find a way to get my hips ready for this race...

I can do thirteen, but its scary, thats for sure.

Workout: 11 miles, 2+ hours

Fast.

I ran 5.15 miles in 46 minutes on Sunday. Thats faster than my pace coming back from the 10 mile run, which isn't saying much. However, it is important to note that I started strong, and finished REAL strong...i felt great throughout the run, the only thing that was annoying me was how bored I was. SO bored.

I am looking forward to getting this 1/2 marathon over with!!! not really, but sorta. I am just anticipating it so much. I have a long run this Sunday (i think 11 or 12 miles)...which is insanity, but whatever, I'll just do it.

Gonna swim tonight, gonna get surgery on my face tomorrow - so I don't know how that'll interrupt things. "Surgery" is an ambitious word for the procedure thats going to take place...but its something, so I'll have stitches.

Running has been fun. I can't wait for the spring when I want to start running again (not that I wont at all in Feb./March...but the friggen weather, and the treadmill, not so exciting)...but the thought of being in shape for the Bees is exciting to me, I want to be so much better than I was last summer, and its going to happen, primarily b/c I am in immensely better shape...not even comparable.

It's gonna be a good 2007...

Workout: 5.15 miles, 46 minutes.

Seinfeld.

Last night I ran 3.25 miles in 1/2 hour on the treadmill. I ran the first 10 minutes at 6.8 mph pace, then the next 15 at 6.2 mph pace, then the last 5 at 7.0 mph pace. I shouldn't have done that. I should have started at 6.2 for 10, gone up to 6.8 for 10 or 15, and either finish at 7.0 or continue at 6.8. I don't know why I did that. I think I thought I could keep up the 6.8 mph pace the entire time. I couldn't.

I wasn't tired, physically. And I could breath fine, but I just was so frustrated with running on the treadmill, and I am going to get over that and change my attitude about that, and that is good....but last night it was a tough go. If Seinfeld wasn't on the TV I would have gone crazy. I really need to find headphones, I don't know why I am not doing that.

The thought of listening to one disc of Mellon Collie during a run really excites me.

Workout: 3.2 miles, 1/2 hour run.
Wednesday off - Thursday 35-40 minutes on treadmill.

Swim.

Last night was one of my better nights swimming, ever. My endurance in the pool is greatly increased. I swam 3 laps to start off, which was fun. I took a break, and wanted to do 5 more. I did 6 more (i think) and then stopped. Then I just felt real good so I did 6 more, short break, then 3 more, then 3 more...I just kept going.

I swam 21 laps total in just about a 1/2 hour. 36 laps is a mile, so I swam over 1/2 mile (.58 miles) in right around a 1/2 hour, which is my best ever.

I am going to do 4 miles tonight on the treadmill, which is going to be absolute HELL...i can't stand it in there, its so boring it makes me want to puke, but I have to do it.

Funny story of the night, I went to the doctor real quick for a checkup and they took my pulse and she looked at me and said, "are you a runner?" and I didn't know how to answer it. I guess I am, so I said, "yah?" and she said, you have a low pulse...most runners have a low pulse...

I was astounded. NEVER, EVER would I have thought a nurse would call me, or even ask if i was, a runner.

Awesome how things change so significantly in someone's life...

Workout: .58 miles, 1/2 hour
Tonight: 4 miles on treadmill, 9+ pace

Ten.

Sorry it has been so long - there is a good reason for that.
I took last week off...

I really didn't do anything to speak of at all. I had plans to do SOMETHING a few days in the week, but nothing happened and I didn't run or nothing all week.

That is until yesterday. We had a 10 mile run on our schedule and it was scary. The weather cooperated and it was an awesome morning. Muggy, but I cannot complain at all given it is the 2nd (almost 3rd) week in November and I ran in a t-shirt and shorts and sweat...a lot.

We were in New York at Alison's place in Scarsdale for this run - 5 miles out and 5 miles back from Scarsdale to the Kensico Dam, which is a pretty big structure. Alison and Andy seemed to think that if this 150 foot tall dam were to break, they could outrun, outwit or outlast the water as it rushed over us...I told them I wouldn't run, I 'd just close my eyes. For some reason, having my eyes closed would make me feel more comfortable.

But back to the run...the first 5 miles out was fun, to be honest. It felt easy, just about as easy as four miles out on our 9 mile run...and the first 2 miles back, so miles 6 and 7 were awesome. But then it started to get a bit harder.

Mile 8 was okay, honestly it was fine and normal, some leg fatigue started to settle in. Mile 8.5 was when it really started to get tough. It wasn't impossible, and it wasn't incredibly painful, it was tolerable, but it seemed that slight elevation changes irked me, and made it difficult to adjust. I wasn't out of breath, ever, that wasn't an issue, but it was difficult, and that was sorta not fun.

But the last mile was just flat out difficult, not impossible, just difficult. I am real happy I banged out 10 miles, it was a great accomplishment, never thought I'd EVER do that kind of thing, so I am pretty pumped.

To break down our times:
5 miles out - 48 minutes
5 miles back - 46 minutes
10 miles - 94 minutes

Faster on the way back, which is really awesome.
Swim tonight, should be fun and a good exercise.

Workout: 10 miles - 94 minutes

Ooops!

Sorry all - for everyone still reading.

This last week was admittedly a light training week, but I want to be more on top of this this upcoming week.

On Thursday, 11/2 I went to the gym for a run, 1/2 hour on the treadmill. I don't remember the distance but it was on par with the rest. I need new earphones, someone suggest something good for running with an iPod - i can't stand those buds slipping out of my ears every 2 seconds.

On Sunday, 11/5 Alison and I went on our scheduled 5 mile run, whcih was excellent. I felt GREAT from start to finish, ran it in around 46 minutes (not including a 2 minute stretch session at 2.5 miles. It was a great run, feel very strong.

I am amazed that we aren't even 1/2 way into training, I feel like I could, if forced, pull off a 1/2 marathon at this point, but I have a LOT of running ahead of me, with no injury or real pain. My hip still gets sore at mile 5 or so, but its okay, its not bad and I think its still growing pains.

This week I want to run 40 minutes both Tuesday and Thursday, then the big 10 miler on Sunday. WISH ME LUCK!