Was that a run or a swim??

Tonight's run was quite the adventure.  It was a downpour when we started out and it kept coming down harder and harder.  As we were about a mile and a half in, we were running down hill up to our ankles because the side of the road had become a small creek bed and there was no sidewalk.  Onya was stopping to shake every block or two and I wished I could do the same.  The rain finally started slacking off after another couple of miles and I found my groove.  

Around the time that I was feeling really good, Ty turned to me and said that he wasn't going to be able to do the second lap around the lake.  His toes hurt and his nipples were chaffing from wearing the old, mesh reflector vest.  No problem, I thought, I'm in feeling great mentally and I'm ready to get this done - I'll just finish solo.  When we got back to the house, we'd done 8.4 so I didn't have much left to do.  I decided to do what I call a chicken run, which is when I never get more than a mile or two from home.  

By this time, the rain had let up and I started to regret not changing into something dry when I had the chance.  That didn't last long, though, because the rain inevitably did start up again.  I was getting cold, my feet were getting stiff and everything felt like it was uphill.  Around that time, I started thinking about why I get so determined to follow my plan and finish what I start.  I was thinking about how my Grandpa was the stubbornest man in the world and how I definitely inherited that gene from him - for good or bad.  Because it was a dangerous night to be out, I had a reflector, a flashing light and a flashlight but no music.  So I kept hearing Tim McGraw's The Cowboy In Me (http://www.cmt.com/videos/tim-mcgraw/26532/the-cowboy-in-me.jhtml) as I was running along. If you knew my Grandpa, you'd know how appropriate of a song that was to hear when thinking of him... 

Around this time, I reached my turn around point...  just over three miles until home!!  I picked up my pace a bit and finished it strong.  My lips were still blue when I got out of the shower but I'm fed and warm again now.  I've realized that the things that make runs miserable for other people are the things that invigorate me and make me push harder.  I really don't mind the rain.  I don't love being cold but it isn't the worst thing.  There's something comforting about running past houses with their lights on and their families  tucked in for the night.  Even though it was dicey at times with the dark and the traffic, it was still a great run. 

Here's what my feet looked like when I got done:

Santa Fe

We are headed to Santa Fe tomorrow for a weekend get-away!  That's the good news.  The less good news is figuring out how/when to fit in our long run of 15 miles.  We have three choices - run tonight after work in the dark and rain, run early early tomorrow morning in the dark and rain or run Saturday morning in the freezery and at 7,000 feet.  As of right now, running tonight is winning.  Then, Saturday, we'll do tonight's 7 miler instead.  The elevation of the high desert can be really challenging for some people and I'd rather not find out if I'm one of those people on a 15 miler! 

Wish us luck... 

week seven recap copycat

I'm going to start copying Jess and posting a weekly recap here for all to see. Seems like it will help me keep track of mileage and feel like I'm being held accountable for getting the runs in!

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - 3 miles fast
Thursday - 4 miles easy with Texas Running Company's group run
Friday - 2 miles really easy (with Eli!)
Saturday- 5 miles easy
Sunday - 14 miles easy with TRC

I was a bit nervous about the first 14 mile run of this training season, and was pleasantly suprised by how easy it was. Well, not easy, but I felt good at the end and felt like I recovered quickly from the high mileage. Possibly due to the massage I had on Monday night. Y'all - massages are the golden ticket, you deserve one, go get one!

Week 7

Monday - 4 @ 10:44
Tuesday - 7 @ 10:38
Wednesday - 4 @ 10:34
Thursday - 7 @ 9:21
Friday - rest
Saturday - 14 @ 10:20
Sunday - rest

Another good week but the exhaustion factor is definitely playing a bigger and bigger factor as the mileage builds.  I do still feel like my recovery times are shorter than the last two times I went through marathon training - but that really comes into play once the long runs get to be above 16 miles. 

Random Stuff

Today's run was on the tough side.  It was only a four miler but I just felt heavy, slow and leaden in my legs.  I ended up on pace so it wasn't that I was actually any slower than normal.  And, I did warm up about halfway in and the run did get easier.  I didn't get enough sleep over the weekend and I didn't fuel myself all that well yesterday.  The mileage is finally getting big enough that I need to pay attention.  I think my body was making sure I know that today!

This week, my running schedule will get kind of screwy because we are heading to Santa Fe for a get-away weekend.  So, I'll be taking a rest day on Thursday so that I can get on the road around 6 am on Friday to run my 15 miler.  Then, I'll do 7 in Santa Fe on Saturday.  The elevation there is 7,000 feet which can bother some people so I didn't want to be stuck doing a 15 miler in potentially bad conditions.  Also, it is much colder there than here so that can make a long run fairly miserable.  The exciting news is that our hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub - I plan on making good news of both!  

Lastly, the annual Icebreaker sale has been rumored to be next week!  If you aren't familiar with Icebreaker, you are really missing out.  They make these amazing merino wool pieces that are ideal for running.  You can really wear it year-round because it does regulate your temperature even in the heat.  That said, you will truly appreciate the greatness of wool when it gets cold out - it even will help you to stay warmer when running in a Pacific Northwest deluge.  Last year, I spent around $250 on merchandise that would have retailer for well over $1,000.  I've been looking forward to this year's sale since I walked out of last year's!  

14 miles of heavenly joy

How did everybody's 14-miler go last weekend?!

Please Advise

Ohhhh man. I am falling (what feels like) so far behind in our training plan. I've got the consistency of the long Sunday runs, but the mileage that my training group is doing is still lower than Hal's plan. And I'm stressing over getting the mid-week runs in. I really really want to run this marathon to the ground, and following Hal's intermediate schedule seems like a great way to take it to the next level. But. I haven't been able to follow the schedule for the last few weeks... my work schedule has been insane, and really tiring, and there were holidays, and visitors. Last week, instead of 3,6,3,6, and 9, I did 5,5,2, and 12. (It has also been so confusing trying to combine Hals' plan with what the Texas Running Company's group is doing). It just isn't feasible for me to complete 4,7,4,7 and 14 miles this week!

Is it time to adjust my goals and expectations for this training season and marathon - maybe by following the Beginner 2 plan again? Or is it time to amp up the hardcore factor and get 'er done?

What do y'all think? Bonus question - how do you plan to keep up with the training plan during the holidays?

And Faith, are you feeling this way too, having had a break for your foot? We can pick it up still, right?!!!