Week Five -- Training for the Shamrock Half Marathon

This is week five of my training for the half marathon.  My monday run was a 3 mile run around my neighborhood.  I do love this run, as there's a stretch of it through a street of beautiful big homes and there are only a few cars that pass by.  It was 39 degrees when I ran and I've gotten used to running in that temperature. I marked in my journal that it was a "great run."  I work from home on Mondays, so I'm able to start my run right at 5pm and run while it's still daylight.  The rest of the week I work in my office and arrive home a dusk, so I end up running on the treadmill.  I'm looking forward to daylight savings time switch on March 13th so that I can run outside more.  I know...I know...why don't I run in the morning?  That snooze button is just too tempting.


On Wednesday I ran 4 miles on the treadmill, but almost stopped at 35 minutes.  At that point, I walked for about a minute and convinced myself to keep going.  I made it to 4 miles.  My next run would have been a 3 miler, but on Thursday evening, I was in a I'm just too tired or too sore sort of mood and Friday was a I'm running my long run tomorrow anyway mood.


Which takes us to today, Saturday.  I didn't sleep as well as I would like to, but I don't seem to sleep well before my group runs or for any of the events I've run in.  I've done some googling on that and I'm not the only one and I read not to worry about it, so I don't.  Since I stopped worrying about not sleeping before a race, I do tend to sleep better.  Regardless of the lack of sleep, today's run was a really good run.  Again, it was about 39 degrees and I needed to shed my windbreaker halfway through. We did six miles and I was running the same pace as two other runners so I wasn't running alone this time.  There was some black ice sections of the trail, but I was able to not slip and fall.  The last 2 miles seemed faster, as one of the other runners and I chatted.  Teaming will be especially beneficial for all of us as the miles increase.   Around mile 4, though, I felt my back rib area tweak out a little.  I kept running though and I'm hoping that it readjusts itself.  I hurts a little bit when I breath in, but it's not at all like what happened on one of my morning runs last summer. That morning, about a mile into a 3 mile run, my upper back, left side, started to spasm.  I couldn't breath in without it hurting badly.  I walked home that morning in a great deal of pain.  Chiropractic and rest fixed it within a week, but it really made me weary of running in the morning.  I started to think that my body really ready to run so soon after I get up.  Well...this being week 5 of my group runs at 7:30am, I'm reconsidering this thought.  I'll keep you posted on that idea.


Why do I run?  I run to keep myself young.  I don't feel my age...my age will not define who I am...who I am will define me...I used to say age is just a number, but now I say my age is how I feel.  There are days I feel older and there are days that I feel younger.  I will not dress or act my age...ever....

Week Four -- Training for the Shamrock Half Marathon

I remember back around 2002 when my supervisor and his wife were training for their first Marathon.  While we worked together, they did a couple and may still be.  I remember thinking that I would never consider running in a Marathon.  I'd run on and off since my twenties, but running never stuck, so the thought of a Marathon was beyond my comprehension.  The only thought in my head was, "WHY??"

Fast forward to me turning 50 in 2007.  I was a new bride and my husband was deployed.  I took up running to fill in time and to get fitter.  I was really into it for a few months, but then I just stopped.  I occasionally did a run/walk...trying to will myself to get my motivation back, but to no great end. Then a few co-workers were putting together a team for the Susan G Komen charity event.  They offer a 5K that you can either run for fun or timed. I signed up and raised a pretty good amount of money too.  Because I registered for an event, my motivation kicked in.  I searched the internet for something to help me accomplish my 5K goal.  It seems like so long ago when my goal was to run 3 miles.  I found Podrunner Interval training series. I started with First Day to 5K. This podcasts really helped me and it was so easy to improve.  I would recommend these to anyone starting to run.  I ran the timed 5K and was in the middle of the standings for women my age. It was a great time and I was so fun to be in a race!  I caught the bug and I signed up for the Shamrock 8K and trained for that with Podrunner's Gateway to 8K.  In August, I ran 2 10Ks (Run like a Girl and The Wicked) and used Freeway to 10K to train for those.  In September, I ran my first 1/2 Marathon (Rock n Roll Half Marathon).  I now use the Podrunner beats to run with, but also run to other music.  The training that I'm doing now is for both a half marathon (Shamrock Half)  and a 14K (Virginia is for Lovers) before that.

So, why am I sharing my running history?  Because, registering for running events is my motivation to run. I need to train to run longer distances and this is what keeps me running.  That and the fact that I want to improve my time.  I don't compete with the other runners...I compete with my own times.  Ok...ok...I do love how running has improved my outward appearance too. I've never had a weight issue, but menopause causes a change in the metabolism and I started to notice some...um...changes. I've read articles on this and how women in menopause have a difficult time keeping their weight in check. Running speeds up the metabolism and it really does help.  

With all that being shared...

This week's training was sparse. I only ran once during the week (35 minutes on the treadmill).  It was too icy outside to run and I so prefer outside running to the treadmill, so my motivation was low.  Don't get me wrong, I love having the treadmill, it's just harder to motivate myself to run on it. I can put it off to later also, where when running outside, I need to get out before it's dark.  Sometimes putting off a treadmill run leads to not running.

Today's J & A Racing Shamrock Training group run was 7 miles.  We ran the two miles to the park visiter's center then a mile and a half on the trails in the park then turned around and ran back. The trails were spotted with muddy patches where the snow melted.  There were pine needles and leaves that made for a nice layer over most of the mud. The faster runners came back with mud spattered legs. I was mud free, but did run it all (ok...I did walk once for about 30 seconds, but I'd just run uphill without noticing). All in all, the 7 miles felt great!  :-)  Next week is another 7 miles.  I'm to run two 3 mile runs and a 4 miler during the week.  I'm hoping for nice days to run in, but there is always the treadmill....