I Tri and Craft

thoughts from a mother of boys, a marathoner, a triathlete, a crafter, a wife, and a scientist

Tag Archives: Training


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Running Log ~ March 17th

Hi my name’s Dawn and I am an addict.

I am addicted to races.

I am not just addicted to running, but I am addicted to the actual race event.

I love preparing for the event.  I love training with a goal in sight.  A tangible goal that I can point to on a calendar.

And I am not gonna lie, it feels great to finish.

Even though I was one of 35,000 people participating in the event, I still finished.

With my own personal best time and distance. (4.97 miles in 1:00:56, place 5909 out of 6939)

Yeah, OK, so I have never done a race before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but still…

click pic for source

Let’s talk about the run.

I ran the first 3 miles, and then did walk/run intervals after that.  I made sure that I was running as I crossed the line.

I found it really difficult to maintain a slow pace at the start.  Everyone around you is running, some are passing you, you are passing others.  It is really easy to get motivated to run.  The excitement is palpable.  You feel great, and you know you can run faster.  But I also knew if I ran too fast at first I wouldn’t be able to keep it up and would end up walking more than I wanted to.  So I had to keep telling myself to slow down.

Here is the course map:

8k Course Map

8k course

The hardest part of the course, for me, was the straight away.  You are just running in a straight line and you see all the other people who have already turned around and are heading back.  It was kinda boring and a little frustrating, mostly because I had set a goal that I wouldn’t let myself walk until after the 3 mile mark.  And I knew that wasn’t until after the turn around!

I realize now that I never should have walked.  It was much harder to keep running after walking than it was to just keep running.  I never walked for long, but I kept talking myself down.  I kept thinking, I can’t run the whole time, I need to do walking intervals, it will be easier if I walk for a minute.  But I was wrong.

I probably could have kept running, if only my mind would have kept its voice quiet.

 

I really want to be able to run a race a month.  Races are expensive, but the money goes to charity, so that’s a good thing.
someecards.com - Must. Run. All. The. Races.

I have already signed up for my next race in April.  I will be running the Bridge to Brews.  You run across some bridges and after you get beer.  What could be better?

 

Just. Keep. Running.

C25K interval information can be found here

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Running Log ~ March 12

I have this race in a few days.

I wasn’t going to post a running log till after my run on Thursday.  I plan on taking today off and then running tomorrow, but not again until race day on Sunday.

But last night was hard.

So this next sentence will be TMI.  Sorry. But you got to hear it to understand how I was feeling.

Yesterday I was having some bad cramps, and was bloated and not really feeling like moving, let alone running.

But I didn’t go Monday because I wanted to go last night.  And I kinda have this race this weekend.  So I went for a run.

Let’s back track to Sunday’s run.

20140311-231416.jpg

Sunday’s Run

Isn’t that lovely? I am less than half a mile from the five-mile mark.  And yes that distance includes my warm-up and cool-down.  But, hey, I traveled them so let’s count them.  Plus that distance means I ran more than 4 miles.

I was really jazzed after that run.  I had so much energy. I felt confident that my next run I would reach five miles.

All I had to do was keep running.

Tuesday's Run

Tuesday’s Run

Now back to last night.  As you can see I did not make the five miles.   I didn’t even make it as far as Sunday.

I was exhausted.  The first mile was hard, the second mile was a little easier, but I almost didn’t make it.  I had to take a break.  So I walked for two minutes, dropped my phone (which had my movie on it) so I had to pause and pick it up.

So now back to running.  This time I only made it one mile before I had to walk for two minutes.  But when I started running again I picked up my pace.  I had less than 11 minutes until 52 minutes and I wanted to get my last mile done by 52 minutes (gotta set a goal).

I did just that.  I thought I would then run as long as I could after, but turns out I stopped at 52 minutes for my cool down.

So I am slightly disappointed in myself for not hitting that 5 mile mark.  But I have one more day to run before the race.

Running Quote

via Pinterest

Just. Keep. Running.

C25K interval information can be found here

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Running Log ~ March 9th

7 days.

This time next week I will have completed my first race.

I am excited and nervous.  I am nervous because well all you reader out there in blog land who are keeping up with me (all twelve of you) know about the fact that I am doing this.  You will hold be accountable.  I will have to be truthful with you on how I did.

via Pinterst (orig source unknown)

I will finish.  Doesn’t matter what my time will be.  I will finish.

But how I have been doing?

Tues Run

Tues Run

Thurs Run

Thurs Run

I think Thursday was the farthest I had run since I started running again.  I did two walking segments in there, one to two minutes each.

Sometimes my brain has a hard time remembering 8k is not 8 miles, only about 5.  Because I look at my distance and then think “how am I ever going to get to 8…”  But I like to say I am running a 8k race, because that sounds way more impressive than a 5 mile race.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. (KJV)

via Pinterest (source unknown, link broke)

 

Just. Keep. Running.

C25K interval information can be found here

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Running Log ~ Week 11

OH MY GOD!!!!

Have you seen my countdown number yet?  My race is approaching so fast!  Due to a few set backs I am not yet able to run a 10K.  I thought I would by March, but that didn’t happen.

But that’s ok.  I really only need to be able to run an 8k, which is about 5 miles.

Right now I can do four.  So I am confident that in two weeks I will be able to run 5.

Right?

click pic for source

So here is how it has gone since my last log.  I have regressed.

I was fighting running the three fifteen minute intervals, so instead I ran three ten minute intervals and one 15 minute at the end.

I ditched the app.  I know what I need to do now.  I just need to run.

My new goal is to stop focusing on time and focus on distance.  In less than two weeks I will be participating in my first race event.  I need to know that I can go the distance.  I don’t care how long it is going to take, well I do, but not as much as I care if I can finish.

click pic for source

But how did I do the last couple of runs?

Last Tuesday's Run

Last Tuesday’s Run

Sunday's Run

Sunday’s Run

Can you see? Between Tuesday and Sunday I had increased my distance but decreased my time!

 

But here is the most exciting picture this week:

20140304-111731.jpg

I got my race number!!!!!

Just. Keep On. Running.

C25K interval information can be found here

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