Marathon Training: Long Run: 13 Miles

So, This post may be a little late and I am going to keep it very short..

Last week I had a 13 miler.  It's Taper Time guys!!

It was down at Ballast point, so I did my friday night routine, got up Saturday ready to Rock N Roll.

It was very nice and was very relaxed after having Friday off :)

So.. It was time to start going and it was dark (6am) and FREEZING for us Floridians!! It was about 55 degrees when we started.  I had no idea what I should be wearing.  Pants, Capris, shorts, Tshirt, Tank, long sleeves?  I was a deer caught in headlights so I brought a change of clothes if I needed.  I wound up wearing a Tshirt, shorts and a long sleeve over..I didn't start to warm up till mile 9 when I was headed back in the direct sun.

It was a very nice run minus the wind..Boy was it windy along Bayshore.

I wasn't really watching my pace, I didn't really care.. and when I did look about halfway though I was shocked.  Mostly because I looked at my pace the night before from my first 4 miler.  I was right under 13 minute miles, which most people walk faster than me.

So I was determined to keep up a good pace.  And when I say good, it is all relative to the person.  I was never a runner and just got back into running in June, so it has been 5 months I have been running fairly consistently.

At mile 9ish I was rocking an 11:18 pace

It got a little slower after that as it began to warm up, I had to go against the wind, and I did not realize that the wind can really affect you.

SOOOO... I finished up my 13 nice and strong.

Team In Training has a nice potluck waiting for my fat butt.  I ate some pretzels and drank some water then went back out to bring in Nicole.  We finished the last half mile together.  We started out first day of training doing 2 miles and we finished with a lot more.

We took our picture, talked a bit and when on with our day.

Nicole and I :)

Well, I am not going to go into my crazy weekend of weird events.  But I am wishing you all a happy weekend and happy halloween

Now here is my question for you.. 

How long did it take you to get reach your ideal pace? or

 Start to see a difference in your time?

Thankful Thursday

1.  This video gives me hope.
It has made me cry, laugh and smile.
Today, I share it with you.
May you find everlasting love
(Oh..and this is a dream proposal..for all of you out there who want to marry me..wink wink)

guess what I am doing right now!

So.. This is on scheduled post..that means, As this is posting.. I am getting observed!!!

Woohoo

Will let you know that that goes Thursday or Friday!

Happy Teacher

Do you know what makes this teacher happy?

This may sound cheesy but, It's seeing parents and kids playing outside together!  I don't care that it is in the parking lot of my apartment complex.  All that matters are these kids have their parents love and attention..

Now if all my students had parents like that.

Marathon Training: Long Run: 20 Miles

Yes, you heard that right.. 20 miles! I did it and I can still walk.  Well, sort of :)


As per my Friday routine, I carbed up and hydrated throughout the day.  It was a very crazy friday at school as I had to call the Assistant Principal to my room, my kids were off the wall and the stress of observations and the end of the marking period is certainly getting to me.  (I have an observation Thursday and was just told I had another one the following week.. as in I just got an e-mail a few minutes ago).  With that, I need to prepare lessons for the three days I will not be at school while I am running my little heart out in Savannah.


So, Friday when I got home I made some delicious brown rice pasts, watched T.V, packed my bag for the morning ( I forgot all forms of ID, Money, Credit Card, etc. this time) made my peanut butter sandwich, charged my ipod and Garmin, made sure I had clean clothes, set my alarm and it was off to bed for me.  With all that was going on I had a little bit of trouble trying to sleep, but I made it to bed by 10 and was up at 4:30 for a 5:30 start time.


As oppose to my last long run when I was supposed to do 18 miles, this time I was mentally there!! I was ready to get these miles done! I knew I could do it, I also knew it was all downhill from here:) 


As always, I ate my sandwich in the car, hydrated, got all ready and met with Lyle before the rest of the TEAM got thee since I was doing slightly more miles.  Lyle and I ran and chatted for about 3.5 miles outside the park then I did 1.5 outside before heading inside for bathroom stop #1.  It was just a few minutes before 7 and I got to the potty right before a line started to form.. BINGO:)


6 miles were down without a problem, I was keeping a decent pace and I was not dwelling on it, I didn't care how long it took me.  I figured it may take me about 5 hours.  


At mile 7 my pinky toe started to hurt and get irritated so at the mile 8 water stop I took my shoe off and found nothing.  It felt as there was a rock in it or something.  I was very concerned at this point but kept on trucking..Then onto the mile 10 water stop! I was feeling fine, I couldn't believe how far I came.  At mile 10 I felt as i could go on forever and decided to take a power gel thingy.  I knew there was a bathroom about 2.5 miles away incase it upset my stomach.. Yup.. I am pretty sure these things go right through me, but luckily, I had to potty, but did not get sick like after the GU.  


So, potty break #2 done!! and 13 miles down after the walk back from the bathroom.  I ran a little more around Flatwoods and I was like damn, now I have to pee.  But didn't think it would require another bathroom stop.  I only had 7 more miles to go.. The work ONLY.. Yes, that is a whole other blog post I keep meaning to write.  So I am running along, and running along and then I realize how bad I have to go to the bathroom, I kept looking for placed to run into the woods and go, but it is so swampy I would never make it over.  I got to mile marker 16 and it was so hard to drink water because I knew how bad I had to go.  It hurt to walk, it hurt to run.  I was pretty sure I was going to have pee come down my leg soon.  I tried to go into the woods and the first time I went about two feet and had prickly things in my shoes and socks and could not venture in anymore.  So back to running I went, practically holding myself.  Then I saw another muddy spot so I went it, made it in and went, but wow, the mosquito's were attacking.  I did my business and made it out with about 20 bites, but I was able to continue on.  


After potty break number 3 I was only about 1.5 miles away from mile marker 18 and I was still going strong.  My pace would slow and speed up, which it quite normal for me.  I saw KC a few times, waved and finally figured out who she was out there:) ( You should check out her blog because she is extremely inspirational and I learned about her through John and Jen)


Mile 18 water stop I saw a few runner and bikers, was chatting with some people and then it was ready to start again.  My body could hardly move at this point but I knew I still had it in me.  This was the longest I had run to date.  I walked the first .30 for mile 19 and then saw Lyle, I walked to him, we chatted then we began running.  Ugh, then we came upon the dam bridge and still managed to get over that.  We ran the rest of the way and made it to the end.  I hate you mile 20 and I hated mile 7 because I always find the first and last mile in the park is the longest, just the way the road doesn't curve and looks as if it goes on forever!! 


I did it, it took me 4:29:27 without counting my numerous bathroom breaks.


Now it's Taper Time!!!


My legs are sore today.  I knew when I finished yesterday I was going to finish 26.2


The little pinky toe I though had a rock in it actually was a blister which actually hindered my walking yesterday!

Right over the bridge.. About to begin mile 7 :)

20 days till RNR Savannah!!

Wordless Wednesday

It's time to be rescued.  Someone please throw me a life vest!

Sunday Rain

This weekend was a Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur.  For this holiday, it includes a 25 hour fast.  That means NO water or food or anything!!!  That being said, I had to skip my Saturday run.  My coach, Teresa, was nice enough to get me out of bed for a Sunday run.  I had no clue how much I was going to run.  I planned on at least 11 and see from there how I felt.

Saturday came and went and boy was I hungry.  I was getting a little nervous for Sunday because I was unable to hydrate and get any nutrition in until dinner at Yummy Grillsmith.  I went there with my Amazing Roomie, Brittany, who has been AMAZING the last two weeks with all that has been going on in my crazy, hectic, not very fun life.  I may have also received a text from Teresa saying that we may have rain, we will run in the rain but not lightening.  I was sort of hoping for lightening.  Yes, pathetic, I know!

Well, 6 a.m on Sunday came, I texted Teresa, and we were on for our run.  It was 7 a.m at Flatwoods and we were off!! it was only drizzling and we were feeling good with out steady pace.  Then mile 4 came.  Yup, the sky decided this was the time for the rain to really come down.  The rain did not stop until..well, it's still raining!  We were drenched.  I hope my ipod still works as it stopped working come mile 7.

It was great to run in the rain.  My body started to not want to keep going at mile 9.  We kept pushing.  I am taking some of it up to not being fueled from the night before.  We finished strong as we did not stop till out watch said 11 miles, we were NOT stopping at 10.95..NO WAY!!! we ran to the stop signs a few times ;)

Thanks Teresa for getting me up because if you did not, I would have slept and just got in a few miles on Monday!! Thanks for being a great coach and once of these days I will be as fast as you!

I then had to run errands, or that was my intention, but doing that in the rain, then carrying groceries in the rain did not sound great.

Post run.  Not very cute, but we were done and drenched!

Ask me how many miles I ran this weekend?

Well, as you are aware, Saturday mornings I do my long runs.   I prep and mentally prepare all week, and this weekend I was ready to conquer 20 miles!!

My bags were packed, I was hydrated, all carbed up and in bed by 8:30..Things were looking good for me.  I was mentally in the game this week!

..I was still up at 10:30 and my mind was racing, I went from being all excited about running my long run to panicking about everything else.  It was a sleepless night, I know I had to watch Eric run his first half marathon at Disney the following night, I was overwhelmed and felt sick to my stomach at that point.  I had been having chest pains that week, which I take it up to anxiety, but that is my self diagnosis.

I knew if I would have gone to my run, I would not have mentally been there, it would have turned out no good.

Therefore, can you guess how many miles I ran?

ZERO

And I am incredibly disappointed in myself.  I needed a mental health day, I needed a day to get things done, and that of course did not happen, running around getting things ready for Disney.

After two crazy weeks, I was physically, mentally and emotionally drained.  Today I am doing better.  I got out Monday and Tuesday evening for some runs:)  I am back on track.  I promised myself I have to get it into gear since I cannot run on Saturday due to the holiday..

Now if my back would only stop hurting to get in my scheduled 7 miler this evening.. there is always tomorrow morning:)