Counting Down

Tick tock. Did 12 miles on Saturday and felt really tired, a little sick to my stomach but overall OK at the end. Very happy to be starting my taper. My long run this coming Saturday is only 8 miles. Never imagined 8 miles would be a relief for me.

I signed up for two more half marathons this year, the Disney Princess and NYC Half for which I am going to lead a TNT team. I am so excited to run the streets of my beloved city.

I have been relatively pain free lately other than normal soreness.

I am doing a Juice Till Dinner cleanse today and tomorrow. Yum and ahhh.... really makes me feel good!

Weekend Re-cap

Ran 10.74 and loved the run on Saturday. Steph (whose most recent long run was around 5 miles) ran it with us like she had been training all along. It made me think a lot about those who are destined to be runners and those like myself who are non-runners fighting to convince their bodies that this is a good thing. I am getting close. Much of my pain has subsided or been managed out.

I read this blog posting and needed to share - it creatively sums up the wrongly named 13.1 miles that I am doing on 10/2 with a passion.

I am running 231 football fields, so there!

Hills

Last night was tough. It was hot and we did hill repeats. I probably should have eaten more yesterday and I felt it. Doing a morning run tomorrow with Steph, getting into a bit of a habit with her which is nice, something to look forward to! I really enjoy being the reason someone laces on their shoes and gets out there, since it has been so hard for me to get here myself.

I am organizing a team to do the @nychalfmarathon in March for Team in Training. Wanna join? Email me.

Weekend Re-cap: The Accidental 10 miler and Eat What You Want Night

So Team in Training ran Summer Streets on Saturday for what was reportedly a 9 miler. Garmin says otherwise and it felt like Garmin reports: 10.3.

I am one proud monkey.

With the advice of my new massage therapist/PT lady, I aimed to keep my right foot pointing in and the pain in my quad all but went away. Yesterday I felt great, today feeling a little sore but nothing terrible and I am going to see her again tomorrow so if it is still bad she will go to work on it.

Tom and Max went for a big boy/daddy bonding overnight to DC this weekend which left me to my own devices on Saturday night for dinner. So I decided that I would eat exactly what I wanted for dinner. I have lost 25 lbs and have not really done this since my journey started on April  4th.

This is what I ate:

Grafton Cloth-aged Cheddar on Rosemary Crostini
2 big glasses of Chardonnay
A pickled mix of peppadew peppers, cornichons and garlic olives
3 small slices of rosemary grilled steak
chocolate pudding

all from Whole Foods.

It was amazing.

Week ahead: Core Fusion tonight, TNT practice tomorrow, Wednesday rest, Thursday Central Park run EARLY with Steph, Friday Pilates, Saturday 10 miles with TNT, Sunday recovery run.

I think they call it Bonking ...

...except that it would have had to have been mid-long-run according to Wikipedia.

Factors:

• I set out a little too fast,
• I drank several glasses of wine last night, 
• My quad pain was acting up, and
• I had a deep cramp in my right side. 

So I walked some, ran some and cut it short and went home. I almost want a do over. But instead will go to acupuncture and do a pilates session tomorrow followed by a deep tissue massage and prep for my Saturday 9 mile run.

Some days are just like this... even in Australia.

Longest Run

My beachside run was wonderful. Only a little pain towards the end as my knees were achy in the 8th mile.

Today's Runners World QOTD felt very close to home:

"Running gives me a sense of controlling my life. I like the finiteness of runs, the fact that I have a clear beginning and end. I set a goal and I achieve it. A good run makes you feel sort of holy." - Nancy Gerstein, runner

And indeed while soaking in the hot tub at the hotel after my run, I did indeed feel holy. 

Weekend Re-cap

No one ever drowned in sweat. - Author Unknown

This may be true but I came pretty close on Saturday. I did my 7 miles in one fractured outer loop of the park, one reservoir and one bridle path, back onto the outer loop, across 102 and down around to Cherry Hill. I ate the sport beans after one hour and alternated water and nuun kona kola to drink. I sweat so much that I think I shorted out my ipod shuffle. But I did it and I felt great. Almost pain free!

I have been using the foam roller and doing my best to be kind to my body. Yesterday's recovery run was fine and I think if the weather would just give a little, I could break through that wall that is keeping me from LOVING this. I am firmly settled on the determination side of running, I just want to really be able to physically enjoy it.

Just got my TNT practice info for tomorrow: Hill Training Starts: "Half-marathoners/Beginners: From Cherry Hill, you'll warm up heading east on the transverse. Make a left at the end of the transverse, continuing to the bottom of Cat Hill, at the traffic light next to The Boathouse (a coach will be there). That's the starting point for our hill repeats. We'll be running up to the top of Cat Hill, to the traffic light at the top. Then we'll turn around, go back to the starting point at the bottom of the hill and repeat. You'll do 3-4 roundtrips."

Yikes.

E4

E4 is when you cannot talk except to swear f@*K at the TNT coaches as you run by them for four Central Park lampposts.

Last night we did interval training, 4 posts E4, 2 posts E1/recovery. Man, I am sore but proud.

My shoulder is almost all better but my quads are smarting from practice. I booked a pilates machine session today to strength build and free up my muscles a bit.

Saturday is my first race since I have been training, a 4 miler and appropriately today's QOTD:

"Jitters are actually good for a short race. Adrenaline will rev up your engine. Think of it as fuel."
Lucinda Seares-Monica, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist

Max is running the kids race at 10 am, my start is 9 am. Huge motivation to run a quick race, so that I can be at the start for Max!

Two lower loops tomorrow with a friend from Mandell whose son is also running with Max and she is running with me. Friday rest and Saturday is race day!

Pain

My shoulder aches. And like that old schoolhouse rock song, the "Shin bone connected to the knee bone" and when I run my back tightens up which up the chain seems to cause my shoulder to spasm. I had a great acupuncture session yesterday and it feels like it helped but I am still uncomfortable.

And when I am in pain, I am no fun. No patience, little sense of humor and generally cranky.

Upside: Looks like we might have GTS in the rain tonight ... I actually like that!

Hey, while I have you;

My friends at MyMixedNuts.com are supporting my Team In Training effort by offering 10% off your order (I love to custom mix!) and $1 of every order goes to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Use the code RUNJENNYRUN and give them a try!

GTS Long Run

I ran with a TNT pace buddy yesterday who was having a rough run so we walked and stopped here and there so my time and effort were inconsistent. I am not sure though if I were on my own if I would have done much better. Still trying to figure out the nutrition piece of running. How much to eat before a run in order to feel fueled but not sick. I drank a chocolate 1% milk before this run and felt ok but rather tired on the back of the out and back run. I might have to experiment with some sort of carb gel/energy food.

Today my back hurts terribly from residual core fusion sport and the run combined. I have taken a naproxin and it is less sharp but I am dreading my active recovery run today although I am sure it will help. I am going to do the 30 minute run after the kids go to sleep before I have dinner.

Jury duty tomorrow should make training interesting this week!

Update:  I skipped my run on Sunday and just rested.

Bad-ass moment

Today I ran the longest distance to date AND I ran in the pouring rain/thunderstorm/crazy person weather. I felt seriously hard core. Back home now, post hot shower and fed (quinoa, low fat goat cheese and cashews and vitamin water zero) I am seriously read for bed and very proud.

Today you guys got me to my $1,000  mini-goal. $2,000 to go!
I am deeply grateful for your support and am ready to go to sleep.

(and I'm a bad-ass, tee-hee)

STATS: 3.4 miles

TNT Group Training Tonight

Tonight's theme is "low arm swings."

I have never had someone look at my run for form and efficiency. I keep thinking about what a great chance this is to get better at the mechanics of running and wonder if perhaps I might like running more if I was doing it better.

I'll report back after our 7 pm practice.
Had to ask our nanny to stay late to cover while I train, let the goodwill commence.