T Minus 5 Days and Counting

I didn't run at Burke Lake on Saturday, but I did go yesterday. I did fairly well overall, but I definitely went out too fast at the beginning and tired myself out. So I ended up walking a lot more than I had planned. Also, I spent the first mile trying to find the main trail—it gets weird around the parking lots and I decided to go the iffy way first so that I wasn't super tired and trying to find the trail. Anyway, the total was 5.47 miles, and the overall pace was 14:58. I checked my pace several times along the way, and my running started at under 10:00 pace and slowly made its way to 11:30. But even when I was super tired, the running/jogging never dipped below a 11:50 pace, which isn't fabulous but also isn't terrible, at least for my standards.

I'm getting a little nervous about the half marathon again, just because I feel like it's going to take forever and I'm going to be super tired. I really don't want to come in last! But running at Burke Lake helped me realize the following things:

1. I can ignore other people passing me. This was the first time I had run in a situation where a lot of people were also running, and I passed some and some passed me. Good to know.
2. Even if I'm not staying on my "plan" for the run/walk segments, I can still pick up and run for at least a little ways when I'm super tired. The running came in shorter spurts as I got more tired, but at least I could still make myself run.
3. It was good practice to run at a place where I couldn't just take a shortcut back home or hop off the treadmill. Since it's a giant loop with a lake in the middle, I had no choice but to press on, no matter how tired I was.
   
4. Even when I'm super tired, I can still walk at a decent pace and keep going. I never stopped, except to stretch.
   

I'm nervous about it, but I'm sure it will be fine. I'm also not looking forward to getting up so early, but there's nothing I can do about that! I can't tell what the weather is doing, so I might be on the treadmill today... hopefully outside...

Spin-Rest-Run-Repeat

I tried a spinning class for the first time yesterday, and I loved it! It was definitely hard, but in a good way. The instructor was VERY peppy, something that usually annoys me, but I was so focused on keeping up that I didn't have time to care. My favorite thing about the class is that it is based on a perceived exertion scale—the bikes have a knob that you can turn for more or less resistance, but there are no numbers or other qualifying marks on the knob. So when the instructor says "take it up to a level 7" then you're going to what you perceive to be a 7 on your exertion scale (from 1-10). This, combined with the dark room lit only by blacklights, makes for a comfortable setting in which you're just concentrating on your workout instead of how you're doing compared to anyone else. I'm planning on going every Thursday from now on (except next week, since I'm already busy).

Today is a day of rest, and then tomorrow I have a 5 mile run planned for outside. It's been raining for a week straight, so hopefully with the sun out today, the trail around Burke Lake will dry out enough for me to run there tomorrow. (The map below says 4.3 miles, but it's a very rough outline—I didn't take the time to follow the satellite image perfectly around every curve of the trail. We'll see what my iPod says is the actual distance traveled...) It's usually crowded, but that's fine—I'd rather run through the woods with a ton of people than no one (as previously discussed)! Here is the route via MapMyRun:

Splints-B-Gone!

Great workout today! My legs feel great, I did lots of stretching during the workout (3.5 miles, didn't want to overdo it and have the splints come back!) and a good long stretch afterwards. I'm hoping that I can keep the legs in this condition until the race!

You're supposed to taper before a race, but since I had to take a long break so recently I'm just going to hold steady around 5 miles (give or take!) until then. You're also supposed to rest the days before a race, so next Tuesday will be my last workout. After that, it's lots of water, pasta Saturday, and early to bed!

I also want to work out a pace guide for myself. I saw in the running store the coolest thing: they make fake tattoos with a pace guide for different levels! I'm making my own, and just gonna write it on my arm with a Sharpie, just like back in swim team. :) The only other thing I really want to do before the race is to drive the course. I'll definitely map it out on MapMyRun, but I hope to have time to drive it before the race. Maybe this weekend...

Blah

Last night's workout was fine, I did lots of walking and lots of stretching. I was excited to run today but I have a terrible headache and I need to go lie down before I vomit. Yay migraines!

Positive What?

I really could use some pretty fields and deer right now. I've had kind of a crappy day--the Monday back from vacation is always hard, but I just found out that I owe SC $1400 for taxes in 2004. It's a big misunderstanding, but it's going to take lots of phone calls and effort to get it off my credit report and off the books. UGHHHHHHH.

I'm actually looking forward to running, because I know it will make me feel better. Plus, my legs feel better, so *fingers crossed* it should be a good run. (It's also easier because it's raining and I get to run on the treadmill. Yay!) Under 2 weeks to go on the half marathon. It's gonna be scary... but I'll get through it. I think I will deserve a day off afterwards... :-D

Positive Outlook

Last night's run was hard. Really hard. I physically couldn't drag myself any further. I was wearing my Camelbak, so I don't know if that weighed me down, or if I wasn't used to the heat (it wasn't that hot...), or if my legs are just in need of a big break. But it was rough.

I decided to take an old gravel prison road that is closed to the public, behind the high school and passing through fields and trees and overgrown blackberry bushes. The sun was beginning to set, and I was seriously considering dropping out of the half-marathon when I saw an entire family of deer in a narrow space between blackberry hedges, carpeted in lush green grass. It was so beautiful, and for a while they didn't see me; they just continued to eat grass and was their white tails. For some reason it just made me feel so much better.

As I kept walking, I passed a small pond surrounded by tall marshy grasses. On the far side were two deer, wading in the water near the shore, just hanging out. To their right, within a human's arm length, was the most elegant bird; I'm not 100% sure but I think it was a great blue heron. (We've seen the same bird at the pond in Laurel Hill, the other end of the prison land... same guy maybe?) I stood for a while and wished for my camera, but I also started thinking about how little the half-marathon really matters in the scheme of things.

I'm so proud, it's ridiculous. Who cares if I come in last? At least I would finish! But instead of focusing on the accomplishment that will be finishing the half-marathon, on race day I will probably be embarrassed that I'm not going faster, or that I'm at the back of the pack, or that I'm gross. I also will be annoyed and embarrassed that people will be on the sidelines cheering. I don't even know these people, but I'm already dreading them because they'll be cheering for everyone and I won't feel like I am doing well enough to be cheered.

In the beauty of the moment, I thought about how it doesn't matter, and I just need to appreciate what I am able to do and be more positive in life in general. It's going to be hard for me, since being positive goes against my very nature, but I'm working on it.

the Hotness

So... yesterday and today it's been in the 90's. Someone's bright idea yesterday was to go for a bike ride at NOON. Really, it was more planned around our friend's schedule, but still. It was realllly hot out there, and it made the 9.5 miles that I rode feel a lot longer.

It's amazing how much difference the heat makes to my body; the same trails that I was killing last weekend I could barely handle yesterday. And I have a lovely physical reaction to the heat--it makes me throw up. (It's usually just water, but still.) Yes, I know, I throw up a lot anyway. This is just one more instance where I get to heave.

So this makes me wonder how training is going to go for running. Obviously, the marathon is in October and it may be warm but won't be 90. I'm just wondering about practicing all summer, since I pretty much HAVE to practice outside (it's so different, the treadmill just won't cut it) and it's definitely going to be hot. I guess I just wait as late in the day as possible, but even at 8 last night (when the sun was setting) it was 85 out. I know, I know, I should get up early and go before work. It might come to that (gasp!) but even so, when I left for work at 8:15 this morning it was already 78. It's going to be interesting.

At least I might get acclimated to the heat this year so I'm not puking every single time I ride, like last year. So lovely.