Flipping a coin to decide your workout isn't a good strategy.

Workouts:

Wednesday: 6 mile easy run
Thursday: 8 mile tempo (6 at pace)

I wrote earlier about my dilemma concerning whether or not to add my 6 mile easy runs back into my training schedule on Wednesdays.  I woke up Wednesday not sure which one I was going to do...run or bike or run or bike or RUN OR BIKE DAMMIT was all I could think about after I got up.  I finally decided which one I was going to do through a highly scientific process known as "flipping a coin."

It came up "run".  So I did.  And now I regret it.  My left ankle/shin is now so tight I don't even think my foam roller will make a dent, especially after running an 8 mile tempo this morning--a tempo run that I successfully finished, unlike last week, in the cooler temperatures of the morning and at 15 seconds slower per mile than I attempted last week.

Gee, I guess I know what I'll be doing next Wednesday, huh?

The only good thing about all of this is that I did remember to wear my new compression socks for both of these runs.  On Wednesday it was super foggy when I got up, so I decided to wear my neon yellow shoes and my Ragnar compression socks:

I swear to God it felt like those shoes were glowing in the fog, sending off beams of neon light streaming into the grey morning.  Too bad drivers still didn't see me and I had to run in the ditch.  A lot.

This morning was much less foggy, so I decided to try out my royal blue Pro Compression calf sleeves and socks, which are totally awesome because they are BLUE.

Please to note the cute running skirt.  The shirt I was wearing was not so cute, but I wore it because it was a long sleeve shirt and  I thought it would be cold outside for some strange reason.  It wasn't.  This morning, therefore, was one of those mornings where I wished I had a superhot skinny body so I could have just stripped off the shirt during the run and strutted down the street in just my sports bra and running skirt.  But instead I just had to suck it up like the former bigger girl that I am and hope like hell for a breeze.

Thankfully tomorrow is one of those "rest" days where I do stuff like weights and biking.  I'll have to keep it easy, though, because Saturday is my first mud obstacle course race for the summer--the Rugged Maniac.  Last summer I could barely haul myself up any of the ropes, so I'll be interested to see if I have gained any strength from all the weights I've lifted in the past year.

Last year at this Rugged Maniac race (the hardest 5K I have ever run in my LIFE, people) a guy had to push me up by my posterior region through a pipe that had a rope in it because I couldn't physically pull myself up the rope.  So here's to hoping I don't have to have a strange man touch my ass to help me through an obstacle on Saturday.  Oh--and here's to also hoping that I don't injure myself even further jumping over walls or fire.

I wore compression sleeves to work today.

Workouts: 

Monday: Total body workout that was entirely too glutetastic the day before speed work.
Tuesday: Speed work - 3 x [1 x 1200, 1 x 400]

I really did wear compression sleeves to work today.  Under my dress pants.  Check the sexiness out rightcheer:

That's because I did some intense (for me) speed work this morning.  The workout itself wasn't long (3 x [1 x 1200, 1 x 400]), but I accidentally ratcheted up the pace for those repeats.  Instead of running them at 8:15 (for the 1200s) and 8:00 (for the 400s), I stayed down in the 7:50s and 7:10s for the most part.  I write that almost casually, as me running those speeds isn't a big deal.

But it's a HUGE FREAKING DEAL.  Why?  Because a) I ran them too fast and last time I kept running my intervals too fast I got this thing called an "injury" and b) I have never ever run 400s under 7:30 (that I can remember) so even though I am frightened to death of injuries I am also over-freaking-joyed.  That is, if I don't injure myself.  Which is why I am wearing my calf sleeves to work all day to get the goodness that is recovery from compressing your muscles all day.

I am also wearing them because I have been using my new Mizuno Wave Sayonaras which, if you didn't know, are a much more minimalist shoe than my typical Mizuno Wave Riders.  To me, the Sayonaras have just enough cushioning without all the bulk or heaviness.  The toe box is also really wide, which allows your toes to splay outward, supposedly giving you a much more realistic stride.

They are the lightest and most minimal shoes in which I have ever run, and I can tell that I am running differently in them due to the band of soreness that runs medially up both shins.  They don't feel like full-on shin splints--it's a deep muscle pain that hurts the most when I squat.  But, after I squat, the muscles seem to get stretched out and the pain disappears.  And that's exactly what I did during my recoveries this morning-squatted and stretched out those muscles, and I am not feeling any pain whatsoever right now.  I just wanted to wear the calf sleeves as an extra-added insurance policy, as it were, against that pain.

But the pain doesn't make me love my Sayonaras any less than I already do.

In fact, I'm considering these as a potential marathon shoe for my October marathon.  I know I can't train in them all the time (especially with that "pain" thing), but I want to wear them for some type of speed work at least once a week.  That is, if the pain goes away and doesn't get worse.  If not, I guess I'll just have to wear my compression sleeves to work a tad more often, eh?

I am one needy runner.

Workout: 15 mile bike ride for long run recovery in this gorgeous weather we've been having here in almost Wisconsin.

On Friday night, the hubbs noticed that the weird running things I do no longer phase him.  Ice baths, toilet paper in plastic bags lying on the kitchen counter, endlessly reminding me to put away my pepper spray...it's all become a part of the rhythm of our marriage.  Whether or not this warrants counseling remains to be seen.  However, it got me thinking about all my running "essentials," as it were, so I thought I would be kind enough to list them out for you out of the goodness of my heart and as a direct result of the fact that I have a slight fetish for bulleted lists.

Here are my running essentials:

• Good running clothes.  This is an area on which I splurge, because you can never pay too much for something that doesn't make you chafe like a you-know-whatofanitch.  I am drawn to Nike running gear as far as capris and running shorts go.  For tops, I like Under Armour or whatever race shirt I can find that's a tech tee.  When running long runs in the winter or fall, I favor Nike jackets or my orange and black Boston Marathon jacket I found at TJ Maxx of all places (I know I didn't run it--but it inspires me).  When I am in the mood for a skirt, Sparkle Skirts is my go-to place for cuteness, along with Runningskirts.com.
• A good hat or visor.  Again, I usually go with Nike for this, but I do have an Adidas hat of which I am very fond.  For visors, I have a few Nike ones, but my favorite is a Headsweats visor that I got at Rogue Running in Cedar Park, Texas.
• Great running tunes.  I have an iPod Shuffle that my husband bought for me 3 Christmases ago that refuses to die.  I love the thing--it's small and can be clipped anywhere.
• Good running headphones.  I prefer the over-the-ear kind, because then I know they won't get ripped out of my ears.  I am currently using the over-the-ear type made by Yurbuds; they have good sound quality and don't move once you put them in your ears.
• Pepper spray.  You never know when some crazy dog wants to chase you down for an afternoon snack.  Or when some weirdo tries to shove you into the trunk of his car.  I know it can be used against you as well, but I would rather have it than not have it, you know?
• My phone.  When I do short repeats near my house I don't carry it, but if I am doing any sort of longer out and back, then it goes with me in a Marika pouch that I found at TJ Maxx (love that store) for 8 bucks.  I love it because it doesn't ride up and try to transform into a strapless bra after a while.
• Compression sleeves or socks.  I know some people don't think they work, but for the shin-splint prone such as myself, I feel they are beneficial.  I love the socks from Pro Compression the best-lots of funky colors, and they even make low-rise socks as well.
• A good pair of running shoes.  This one is kind of "duh," but it has to be said.  When I first started running I trained in cross-trainers which, if you don't know, is a huge no-no.  I have tried out a lot of shoes, and these days I am happy with the Brooks Glycerin 11s and the Sayonara.  But I also like the Nike LunarGlides and the Mizuno Wave Rider 16s.
• My Camelbak for long runs.  I have the Camelbak Marathoner Vest, and I will not go on any long run without it.  It holds 2 liters of water and has two huge seemingly bottomless pockets in the front for things like gels, phone, pepper spray, toilet paper in plastic bags, small children, etc.  This allows me to run without having to carry anything in my hands, which is HUGE for me.
• My Road ID.  If I get hit by a car and die in a ditch, I need someone to be able to identify my body and call my husband.
• Toilet paper in a sandwich bag.  For those moments you find yourself sprinting into a cornfield during a long run, it's nice to have at least one of the comforts of home with you.  Why in a sandwich bag?  So your sweat doesn't cause it to disintegrate before you need it.
• My Garmin 910XT.  How can I go on a run without my little running boss-on-a-wrist?  It tells me when to eat, when to rest, when to speed up, and when to slow down.  I love the damn thing.  Plus, it records all my workouts and I can compare them via Garmin Connect when I need to see if I am progressing or not.
• Sunscreen.  Yes, even in the winter.  I will burn no matter what time of year it is.

Looking back over this list, it seems I have a lot of essentials.  I guess I'm a needy little runner.  And, since I need all this crap, no wonder it takes me forever to get ready for a run.

Oh joyous happy 18 miles of running goodness.

Workout: 18 mile long run - negative split that sucker to be at pace by the end.

My last post was pretty depressing.  I was pissed off about a work situation, and that affected my run.  Oh, and that dead kitten didn't help, either.

But now I am convinced that the shortened run I did on Thursday was for a reason--so I could kick ass on today's long run.  I think as far as running goes I'm a little bipolar.  But we'll all just have to find a coping strategy that doesn't involve a prescription to deal with that, won't we?

Anyhoo, I got up today and checked the weather forecast, and my eyes almost bugged out.  Sixty degrees for a high?  At the end of July?  In Chicagoland?  Did the North American continent move rapidly and suddenly away from the equator while I had slept?

Barring any super-speedy continental drifting, it was the best weather I could have asked for to run 18 miles today. So you would think that I would have jumped right out the door and got on that 18 mile run, eh?

Nope.  I sat around all morning bawling my eyes out watching puppy rescue stories on YouTube like this one:

After that, I checked all of my social media three times, farted around on Yahoo, checked my Feedly, ate lunch, and THEN went running.  I headed up to the Long Prairie Trail again because I did not feel like being chased by dogs or being given weird looks by cows.  The last time I was there was in the winter, when brown was the dominant landscape theme.  Not today, though-there was a distinct greenness to it all today that made it much more inviting:

No snow!

The restroom was much cleaner as well.  There was real toilet paper inside and everything!

After I took care of my nitrogenous waste business, I was off.  And boy, was I.  I started this 18 miler faster than I ever had--with an 11 minute mile as a little warm up.  I'll let you take a gander at what happened after that:

Look at that weather!  GORGEOUS.  At 1 PM in July, peeps!

I have never ever run 18 miles with that average pace before.  Ever.  For comparison purposes, here is the run I did today compared to my first ever 18 mile run (done in January, by the way):

Click to embiggen

Again, it's about growth, people.  You have to know where you've been to see how far you've come.

But it's also about balance.  I really really want to hit my goal time in my next marathon.  But I also really really don't want to get injured.  But you don't make gains by continuing to do what you normally do, so I have been ratcheting up the difficulty of the long runs just a tad. I'm pushing myself, but trying not to push too hard that I go down for weeks trying to heal and injury I inflicted stupidly on myself.  

I'm not going to lie--the last three miles were mentally grueling.  I had to pull out every trick in the book to get myself not to slow down.  But there were two thoughts that kept me going:

1) You are stronger than you think you are.  You can do this.

2) 4:10, baby.  4:10.

That last thought is my ideal goal time.  It's just a number, I know, but it really gives me the mental oomph I need to keep on keepin' on.  I may not even hit that time.  But as long as that's the carrot at the end of the stick that makes me put one foot in front of the other, it's fine by me.

Overall, it was a very successful run.  The weather was fab, no dogs chased me, bicyclists on the path gave me about an inch of space when they passed me from behind, and Poplar Grove was the only town that smelled like garbage this time.  Next week I have 20 miles to do, and this trail may entice me back with all of its little charms.

Stop with the dead kittens, Universe. Please.

Workouts:

Wednesday: 20 mile bike ride
Thursday: Tempo Run.  Sort of.
Friday: 45 minutes of upper body weights and 10 minutes of core work.

Take a look at that bike ride.  That's the longest bike ride I have ever taken.  Let me tell you, 20 miles on the bike is absolutely nothing like 20 miles on the run.  Twenty miles on the bike feels like this:

After a 20 mile run I feel like this:

But I am currently experiencing a dilemma with this "biking on Wednesdays" thing.  You see, my training schedule says that I should be running 6 easy miles on that day.  However, sometimes my shins and ankles are so shot from the speed work I do on Tuesdays that the bike turns into a much-needed low-impact recovery run substitute.  I just worry that I won't be running the right weekly mileage to prepare me to run the 26.2.  I know it's about quality over quantity, but...I'm torn.  I think I may leave the biking to the weekend and put that 6 miler back in.  I am open to any thoughts or advice you may have on the whole "bike or easy run" dilemma.

Now let's shift gears for a second (BAD CYCLING PUN TOTALLY INTENDED).  Let's talk about running angry.

I woke up yesterday to find a particularly irritating email in my inbox.  It was the kind of irritation that grows inside you the more you think about it until it consumes all of your thoughts and blossoms into a full-on anger that you just can't shake off for a few days.  Or years.  Anyway, an hour after reading that email I was firmly and completely pissed off.  I was planning on doing my scheduled tempo run in the evening, but decided to go for a short 2 mile run just to shake the angries out before I went to work and glared at people all day.  So I pulled on a cute running skirt and my favorite running visor and scooted out the door and down the driveway.

What do I find at the end of the drive way?  A dead kitten.  Dead.  Kitten.  A little grey and white cute little furry ball of death was lying on my property, flies buzzing busily about its little dead pink nose.

Yeah.  I took that as a sign things weren't going to go well that day. The universe needs some lessons in tactfully breaking it to you that you are going to have a shitter of a day, methinks.  A simple post-it note on my car would have sufficed.  "Dear Terie: Today your day will suck total arse.  Prepare to be dominated and owned regularly and consistently.  FYI-The Universe."

So, after a day of slow-boiling rage wherein I managed to cover said anger with a thin veneer of professionalism and one-word phrases, I came home and got dressed to do my tempo run.  Now, if you are one of the very very few people who read this blog, you know how much I despise my traditional 8 mile tempos.  While I was looking forward to running, I wasn't looking forward to this particular run.

But I sucked it up and went outside and got it started.  And all I could think about was the work situation that made me angry in the first place.  My focus was destroyed, the run felt way harder than usual, my legs felt wooden, and, to add insult to injury, my large intestine had decided NOT to cooperate with me.

I quit after 3 miles.  I was angry and full of intestinal gas that was slowly ripening into a situation beyond my control.  I walked home so I could use a bathroom inside for a change.

I think I was the most upset about the fact that I let my mental state destroy a perfectly good workout.  The more I run, the more I realize your brain needs to be trained much, much more than your body.


photo credit: EYECCD via photopin cc
photo credit: jczart via photopin cc

Have loincloth, will travel. Or run.

Workout: Track Ladder (0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1 mile, and back down that ladder).  Mostly at 10K pace.

"Honey, you look like you're going off to play tennis somewhere."

That's what the hubbs said to me before I went off on my run this morning.  I was wearing my new Nike running skirt and a Nike Pro Combat tank top.

The skirt seemed a little short. The spandex shorts underneath seemed even shorter.  The skirt had flaps on either side, making it more like a loincloth rather than a running skirt.  It really revealed my awesome running tan lines, too:

Those shorts were about the length of that skirt.  Only those shorts won't fly up while I'm running.

I felt rather uncomfortable being in the shortness and flimsiness that was this running skirt.  I began to doubt its "running skirt" function, thinking maybe it had been misplaced in the "running" section of the store from which I had purchased it.  Maybe it was a tennis skirt that had lascivious desires to be a running skirt and was just hanging out in the running stuff on the day that I found it, sitting there all on sale and my favorite color blue and stuff.

And then I had no more time for doubts, because I had to get my butt outside and go for a run.

My ladder workout was tough-tougher than I thought it would be.  The mile at the top of the ladder almost got me, but I pushed on and finished the workout.  My inner mantra, in fact, became "YOU WILL FINISH THIS WORKOUT."  Sometimes I listen to myself, and I did this morning.  I finished the workout.

But whenever I was running into the wind, I am afraid I gave the neighbors a little bit of a free show that they can never, ever unsee, no matter how hard they scrub those eyeballs.  The skirt kept riding up right along with the spandex underneath, and it felt like I was running naked from the waist down.  That wasn't exactly unpleasant, I must confess, but what was unpleasant was realizing that it looked like I was running around in tight blue underwear because the skirt had flown up and blended in with my shirt.  

The whole loincloth-esque feeling of this skirt is a deal breaker for me, along with the spandex shorts riding up to regions of my body none of us (including me) want to think about.  It also doesn't help that there is only one tiny pocket at the waist for your stuff.  I need more pockets, dammit.  Nike, weren't you listening when I wrote this post?!?  They need to design a cargo running skirt with all sorts of pockets just for me.

I think the biggest deal breaker for the neighbors is my awesome tan lines.  Along with the impression of me running in that skirt this morning that is seared into their retinas forever.

Just a boring little post today.

Workout:

45 minutes of weight work (total body) - Cathe's Total Body Trisets total body express workout
35 minutes of cycling (9 miles)

I have discovered that if I actually get to working out at 5 A.M. and stop farting around until 5:30, I can actually do two workouts in the morning rather than hurry through one lest I be late to work.  Time management is a wonderful thing.

My weight work today was deceptively easy.  I have done this workout a bazillion times before (approximately), and it never fails to turn my glutes into lumps of skeletal muscle soreness by the end of the day.  I usually don't notice the lumps of soreness that have developed on my ass until I try to get out of a chair some time in the afternoon.  Today I didn't notice the lumps until the car ride home, so maybe I'm getting better at this workout.

Being away from home this weekend, I found that I missed my bike.  Yesterday's elliptical session at the hotel just didn't give me my "I must be outside and see the sun rise and avoid critters attacking me" fix that the bike gives me.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to cycle very far today, but it was just what I needed to lift my spirits.  In fact, even some lady giving me the finger after almost backing into me couldn't dampen my joy at being outside on the bike.  Not even the huge mutant raccoon that sprinted out in the middle of the road on my way back to the house this morning that did not move an inch from its spot in the middle of the road as I sped by could dampen my mood.

And you know what made me even happier at the end of the day?  The fact that I get to do speed work tomorrow.  Sick, I know.

It's a ladder workout, and, after I put it into Garmin Connect, it looks a little something like this:

Click to embiggen the pink and purpley goodness!

My Garmin gets to boss me around tomorrow.  Super cool.  But ever superer cooler is the fact that I get to run them in my new bright yellow pair of Saucony Shadow Genesis(es?).

I'll be all aglow running my little ladder workout, prancing away in the darkness of 5 A.M.  That is, if I don't fart around until 5:30.