A Newish Car and Fitness Goals That are not Running Related

The way I felt two weeks ago, was bad.... I felt really sorry for myself... So to cheer myself up I bought a new car! (It's slightly used, and we had been saving for a second car anyway)

Fiat 500L. 

So whenever I feel bummed out and want to go for a run.  I will hop in the car and go for a short drive.  And I have started lifting weights again (more on that later)

In my last post, I said that I would take two whole weeks off from running..... Yeah, I made it one whole week, and then last Friday (Dec 9th), when my foot was feeling okay. I went for a short 2.5 mile run, and then I did some lower body work in the gym.  My run felt okay. To be honest, my foot hurt a little during the first mile, but once I warmed up it felt okay. I even did a little tempo pace towards the end. Well, that night my foot hurt so bad I thought I had a stress fracture......  The rest of the weekend went by quickly (bought the car, decorated the Christmas tree, and did my best not to wallow in self-pity) My plan moving forward is to not run for the rest of the month, probably the first week of January will be off limits as well.

I met with a PT (I work in higher ed, and we have several PT faculty on campus, so I got a free exam, but no ultrasound or x-rays were involved.  When she examined my foot on Tuesday (Dec 12th) I was asymptomatic (no symptoms).  Which is great.   There doesn't appear to be a fracture.  I'm going to be on an ibuprofen regimen for the next month, and I guess we will take it from there.

Fitness Goals

I have a new attitude this week,  and although I can't run I can still lift weights.   When I was younger I used to lift weights 4-5 times a week, and I had a very strong upper body. I used to admire fitness Olympia competitors and bodybuilders.

Oxygen magazine used to be my jam.

I do realize that lean look comes with strict dieting. Which is something I could never do.  But, I did enjoy feeling strong.

Over the years running has taken a priority, over lifting and it's no surprise that getting older has its side effects as well.  My weight doesn't swing back and forth too much, but it seems like I will be gaining and losing the same 10lbs for the rest of my life.... Being a little bit heavier I think may have contributed to my arch collapsing/ tendon strain.... The lighter I am the less stress I put on my feet.  I blame this year's diet complacency on being in school and being more stressed.

For the next few weeks, I plan to spend my time in the gym, just working on strength and flexibility.  Last week I managed to work out five times.  I'm hoping to hit as many days this week.  Here's a sample workout of what I do in the gym.

Flat bench dumb bell presses
One armed rows
V-ups
Weighted glute bridges
Dumb bell overhead shoulder presses
Crunches on an exercise ball
Lateral double shoulder raises
Concentration curls
Calf raises (body weight only)
Plank walkouts
Alternating one legged planks
Donkey kicks
Dorsal back machine
Vertical Press
Quad extension machine
Side Planks 

Wheel pose

I'm a competitive person so, I do better when I have a benchmark to achieve or a goal to attain.
So here are a few concrete goals and one or two lofty ones....

Bench Press 95lbs  (Earlier this week I did 85lbs for reps)

Hanging Chin ups.  (I used to be able to do 3-4, but now even one is a struggle)

Increase groin and hip flexibility.

Increase calf strength.

Lose 7-8 lbs.  (Too much eating and drinking over the summer months ) My goal weight is 122lbs
This will make the chin up goal easier to attain.


Clean up my diet.  Instead of trying to lose weight fast, I'm going to shoot for 1/2 a pound to a pound a week. I still have to get through the holiday's and since I'm not running on the weekend mornings, I have had more time to bake.

Bolios with milk chocolate inside

Gingerbread cookies with the kids

Obviously after the holiday's it will be easier to resist temptation...


I'm looking forward to getting back on the roads.  But, I'm starting to appreciate the strength work in the gym.  I worked my butt off after I had my daughter (2013) and I was really able to change the way my body looked just from lifting more., and it led to faster times on the road.  I'm ready to put in the work to become a more well-rounded stronger runner.


Thank you for reading!

RunDollyRun- More like RestDollyRest

The marathon has come and gone, and I suffered a little post race blues.  This happens when I have a big event, and then the event happens and there are no more running races in the near future....

I felt a little lost after completing a structured training program for 14 weeks straight.   It was nice to have a coach tell me "Run x amount of miles @ this pace for x amount of time".   Here's what my mileage has looked like over the last three weeks.

The first week after the marathon. I rested almost the whole week and did very light stretching and body weight exercises.     The first Sunday morning after the marathon I left the house thinking I would run 5-6 miles.  I came back after three and a half, and my husband was asking "is everything okay?"  My body just felt tired.

The following week was  a rough week.  I had two mid-term papers that I needed to finish before we left for Thanksgiving travel. I wasn't sleeping well, or eating well, and I only ran three times.  We traveled to Oxnard to visit family, and I managed one early morning run on Thanksgiving.

I saw the sunrise on Thanksgiving

The farm fields of Oxnard are so inspiring.  The best strawberries in
the world are grown here. 

The three times that I did run, I kind of ran at tempo effort.  Again, no training program means that I'm more likely to run faster (for me) than I should....

Last week.  I jumped right back into some steep hill climbing without giving it much thought. Last Monday I climbed 550 feet. I took Tuesday off, and Wednesday I headed out for a short trail run.  

My Selfie game is weak- This is my "what are you staring at?" face.

I climbed a little over 300 feet and, I managed to mess my foot up pretty good.  I ran just fine on it, but later on that day my foot really hurt...... I took Thursday off, and I wore my supportive shoes on Friday and ran two more miles... I could run, but my damn stride is way off.

This has been a nagging injury that I dealt with during marathon training.  And I remember promising myself that I would back off on my training once the marathon happened.

All this time I thought it was plantar fasciitis...... 

Well after Dr. Googling my symptoms it appears that I have posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. 

I borrowed this photo from the Runners Connect.

at the most severe, I could possibly have a stress reaction in my medial malleolus (inner ankle bone).

I have always prided myself on the fact that I have never had a long term running injury.  But, I think my luck has finally run (ha ha) out.... I didn't realize how bad this could get.  

Walking has become painful after I run and that shouldn't be happening.   I'm lucky that I was able to train for a marathon, and I was really looking forward to signing up for races in the upcoming months.... But, I need to start healing and rehabbing.

I'm sad (obviously)  I have three more months of my MBA program left, and running is how I deal with stress.

But, this is an accountability post.... I'm writing this out that I will not be running for at least two weeks....  I will be lifting weights and trying to learn some yoga.....

Pity party table for one please.

Rock N Roll Marathon 2016 Race Report-26.2 with a negative split.

I didn't go sub 3:40 last night, but I'm okay with it.   I ran 3:44:40, which technically is a BQ time, but I may not have enough of a cushion to actually gain an entry to the 2018 race. I'm very happy that I executed a true negative split marathon.   Hydration and nutrition were a big factor in this race.

I will do my best to capture last night's events, details, feelings, etc.

Pre-Race (Day of)
Racing in the afternoon has its issues.  I'm a morning person, and the weather would have been much cooler if the race would have started in the morning.  Here's what I ate

Breakfast 6:30am
Everything bagel with a slice of American cheese
Two eggs over medium cooked in cooking spray
(I didn't have any coffee, more on that later)

Snack 9:30am
Banana

Lunch 11:00am
A bowl of macaroni with cheese and Spanish rice mixed together

After lunch, I laid down with my daughter for her midday nap and I slept for about 45 minutes and tossed and turned for another 45 minutes.

Snack 2:30pm
Banana  I ate this in the car on the way to the Monorail station on the Las Vegas strip.  My Father in Law was very nice and gave me a ride to and from the Monorail station.  The traffic is always insane on the strip, and even more so when the marathon happens.


Pre-race Gel and an electrolyte capsule  at 3:30pm
My gel had a little bit of caffeine and it woke me up,  I didn't drink my morning coffee because I wanted to save all of the caffeine buzz for the race.

During the day I drank about two liters of water, a beet juice soda, a glass of Diet Dr. Pepper (after my nap) and a few ounces of fruit punch Gatorade.

Before the race, I met up with my friend Jenn( she was running the half) and it was nice to hang out with her, and her other friend Cari, who had flown in from Minnesota.  Cari was also running the marathon.  We made it to the starting line village with just enough time to drop our gear, use the port- a-potties, and to hop into the corrals.

Pre-race photo

My Jenny

Race
The daytime high in Las Vegas was 77 degrees. But, the sun goes down around 4:45pm, and the temperatures dropped into the low 70's. The sun wasn't beating down on us, but I don't ever remember feeling cold or chilly.

We started in corral 4, and I told myself to be patient.    My strategy was to hold back, and run even.
The first mile was congested, then we flipped a u-turn, and started heading up the Las Vegas strip. My calves and feet were a little tight, and honestly, the first hour of the race was  the hardest.  I kept doubting that I would be able to pick up the pace during the later miles. 8:30 pace didn't feel hard, but it didn't feel easy peasy either.  At mile 4 I started eating my energy chews.  Two chews every two miles. I also took three more salt capsules during the race.  The energy chews I used were Honey Stinger Cherry Cola and Pink Lemonade, For the salt tabs I used Gu Roctane Electrolyte capsules.

The wind beneath my wings

I sweat out a lot of salt, and these tablets helped.
I ate one before the race, one at 45 minutes, another
at 1:40, and my last one around 2:45ish

I also made a point to grab a cup of fluid at every single aid station.

During the early miles, my Garmin bounced all over the place. It would appear that I was running 9:30 pace (what?!), and then my Garmin would drop down to 7:25 pace (oh shit, slow down). It messed with my head, but the early miles were fairly even
Mile 1- 9:24 ( This mile was on a slight incline, and it was crowded)
Mile 2- 8:31
Mile 3- 8:31
Mile 4- 8:32
Mile 5- 8:30
Mile 6- 8:35


After the first hour, I decided to start with the caffeinated energy chews. This was the best decision ever!!!  The caffeine woke me up, and I started to feel more confident, as each mile ticked by and they were still pretty even.

Mile 7- 8:28
Mile 8- 8:29
Mile 9- 8:25
Mile 10- 8:25
Mile 11- 8:47
Mile 12- 8:30

Due to construction on one of our major freeways, the RNRLV marathon course was changed,  The competitor group decided to keep the race close to downtown area and close to the strip.  The competitor group got really creative with our marathon course.  There were so many out and backs, and turning loops.  But, I didn't let that bug me, and I did my best to master the 180 degree flip turn while running.

Mile 13-8:21
Mile 14-8:36
Mile 15-8:32

I had created a playlist, that would start out slow, and gradually build, and at mile 15 I was greeted by a song that reminded me of my daughter when she was a baby.  I became very emotional, and it lit a fire under my butt.  And with 11 miles to go, I decided to start picking up the pace.  The course took us through a large parking lot warehouse area.  But, it was done up in black lights, neon lights, and with techno music.  It was pretty neat, but I had to be careful with my footing too.  During this section, I crashed into another runner at a water station.
Mile 16-8:35
Mile 17-8:27
Mile 18-8:08

We begin to start heading back towards the downtown area.  I'm worried that I'm going to crash and burn eventually.
Mile 19-8:06
Mile 20-8:16
Mile 21-8:19
Mile 22-8:25
After a few more out and back sections we are now on the Las Vegas strip, and heading into another parking lot/rave area....

 I start counting down 4 miles 35 minutes to go etc.
Mile 23-8:27
Mile 24-8:33


We head up a slight uphill grade during this mile.... My pace starts to fall, but I'm fighting as hard as I can. Then we end up back on Las Vegas Blvd.  And this is where I start to feel some redemption.  In 2014 I ran/walked the last few miles, with horrible calf cramps.  This year, I was charging down the straightaway to the finish
Mile 25- 8:48
Mile 26- 8:33
.4- 3:29 = 8:10 pace

Garmin/Strava Time  3:44:46 for 26.4 miles

Official Race Stats

FWIW I hit the half way mark at 1:53:01, and I ran the second half in 1:51:39.  I managed to negative split by a little less than 90 seconds.  It was a very satisfying feeling to be running strong towards the end.

Vegas Baby!

I will say that I'm a little bummed for not going sub 3:40. But, I'm not super upset.  This year I am juggling school, work, and family responsibilities in addition to marathon training.   Plus the weather was a factor.   When I got home I was wide awake from all of the caffeine.  In addition to the energy chews, I also had another caffeinated gel at mile 20.  I ended up going to sleep a little after midnight, and today I am exhausted.

Overall I am really happy with how the race went.

Thank you for reading.

Race Week is Here- A Summary of this training cycle, and racing goals

When I first signed up for this marathon, I never imagined that I would have to worry about the heat... I thought I would be worried about the wind, and not being used to the cold.  However, this is going to be the daytime high on Sunday.

The sun goes down at 4:30pm, so the temperatures will drop some.  But, for the most part

it will still be nice and warm, during the evening. but, at least the sun won't be beating down upon us, and it won't be windy. 

I'm trying not to spaz too much about the heat... I've trained in much hotter weather over the summer. I plan on drinking  a crap ton of water all week long, and I'm also going to bring salt capsules with me in addition to my energy gels and chews.

 Summary of this training cycle

This year I hired a local coach to help me train smartly.  Last year, I fell just shy of going under 3:40.  And I felt a little beat up toward the end of that training cycle... My dream of running dreams is to run a sub 3:30 marathon, but I have been running marathons for a long time, and I'm getting older... I may have to let this dream go... I have to realize that I need to run smart.   This 14 week training cycle went by so fast.  Going back to school has made me worry less about blogging, and running in general.   I looked forward to my workouts as a form of stress relief.   I will say that I ran most of mileage at recovery or easy pace.  I'm worried that I'm not as fast as I used to be. But, I'm going into this race pretty healthy.  I do have a minor Plantar Facitis issue in my right foot, but I don't feel it when I run. (weird, I know).  

I also stopped doing my two a day runs in the Summer.  This was hard for me to let go. Last year, I would split my mileage up on some days, by running a few miles in the morning and then running a few more miles at lunchtime. I did my best to follow my training program to a tee.   It was great to have a coach just tell me how far, how fast, and when to run.

My highest mileage weeks topped out at 45.2 Miles, however, I did have one 7 day stretch (the weeks overlapped) where I ran 57 miles.  There were no 20 milers, this cycle.  My longest run topped out at 19 miles.  My coach was very specific about paces and quality running over quantity running.  There were strides, strides, and then  more strides.  At least once or twice a week I did strides.  That was foreign to me. I used to only do strides before races, and before intense speedwork.  Now I look forward to them.  I belive they have kept my creaky right hip from acting up this season.

Milage by the numbers.

I wanted to compare my milage from last year's training cycle.

In 2015- I followed Hal Higdon's Intermediate II plan and I created my own speed workouts

July- 124 -Approx 31.5 miles per week

August 137 -Approx 32 miles per week

September- 190- Approx 44 miles per week

October- 179. Approx 40 miles per week.

November 111- Approx 37 miles per week (these miles were prior to the marathon)

2016

July- 121 -Approx 29 miles per week

August 159 -Approx 36 miles per week

September- 162- Approx 38 miles per week

October- 170. Approx 39 miles per week.

November 35- About 25 miles per week (I'm tapering now)

I didn't run as much in September & October compared to 2015, but I started doing my long runs in August, and each week had a long run of at least 14 miles.   Last year I had three 20 mile runs, but I would alternate between high mileage 45-50 mile weeks, followed by a lower mileage 30-35 mile week.  So while I didn't do a 20 miler, I still had to run long at least once a week.  My speedwork focused on goal paced running, and some workouts were faster than goal pace.  My favorite workouts were 10-mile runs with 2 x 3 miles at goal pace.

Race Goals

 During my initial time trial, my coach estimated that I would be able to possibly to run 3:38 marathon.    That will be my A goal.  My other goal is also run a negative split marathon. Strava (my favorite running app is offering a back half challenge for its premium subscribers.  If you negative split a fall marathon and post it on Strava, you will win a free pair of New Balance Shoes!  Talk about incentive.

I did mention earlier that I'm getting old,  Next year's Boston Marathon has already been filled, so my time for this race (if I qualify) will earn an entry to the 2018 race.  I turn 40 years old in April of 2018.  So, by timing and or luck, I move up into a different age qualifying standard.  Instead of having to run a 3:40 I will need to run sub 3:45 with a few minutes of cushion. I just realized this earlier today, and I feel somewhat relieved that I have five additional minutes to qualify....   So here's my goals

A-Goal 3:38

B- Goal  3:39:59

C-Goal sub 3:45- I ran the RNRLV marathon in 2014, and I had a shitty race.  I overdressed and I ended up crashing and burning during the second half. I finished in 3:49:xx... I think I have a much better endurance base than I did back then.I really want to run a solid race, and avenge that course.

I plan on hitting 8:45 for the first mile because the start is nuts!  Then for miles 2-15 I will try to hit 8:20-8:25 pace, for miles 16-26.2 I plan to run 8:15-8:20 pace.  If I feel really good I'm going to try to hit 8:00 for the last mile or two.... 

I can't wait to race.

Thank you for reading.

See you on the other side.

13 days to go! Training updates. New Lucky Shoes

Well, this training cycle has gone by fast,  I'm 13 days out, and I'm so worried I will get sick, or stub a toe before the race.  I also finished another block of classes.  I only have four more courses to take, and hopefully, I will graduate with an MBA degree.

I will jump right in with the training updates.  I have a little over two weeks to write up.

Friday 10/14- 10 miles with 3 miles warm up, 2 x 3 miles 15-20 seconds faster than goal pace, 1 mile cool down. In between the 2 x 3's I ran three minutes of active recovery.

I had been worrying about this workout.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to hit 7:45's.  Lately, when I have a long tempo workout, I have just been going to a park to run.  I hate having to worry about crossing busy streets.  The park that I chose has  a dirt track and several other walking paths.  The only downside is that there are two hills around the one-mile track.  I ran my three miles warm-up, did a few strides, and then got the workout started.  I did the first 3-mile interval, and 7:45 pace was manageable.  The  three-minute recovery went by really fast.  The second interval wasn't so bad either.  Here are the splits.

Saturday 10/15- Rest

Sunday 10/16-  5 miles recovery

Miles for the week 38.1

Monday 10/17-  Long Run 19 Miles.... With speed work, I am so focused on hitting my paces, that running in the park for 10 miles doesn't seem so bad.  However, when it comes to long runs, the thought of doing 19 miles in the park seems impossible.  On my long runs, I like to wander.... However, I am at the mercy of red lights, and distracted drivers....  I didn't have an exact route, but I wanted to run through an old neighborhood that I used to live in, and I anticipated some climbing in the later miles.  Here's a picture of the elevation profile.

This was also supposed to be a cut-down run with the final miles finishing up around goal pace...   I ended up stopping my watch twice.  Once after the first hour to use the bathroom and buy water,  Then I stopped again at mile 16 to buy another bottle of water and to collect myself.  The hill at mile 12 sucked the life out of me, and I bonked at mile 16.   I was only supposed to run 18 miles, but I miscalculated the distance and had to run an additional mile to get back to my car...  It serves me right for not planning my route better before hand.   For fuel, I had one package of Honey Stinger chews, and one Powerbar gel.  I probably should have had an extra gel.  Here's the data, and the split times.  

I was really hoping that the closing miles would have been closer to 8:00 minute pace, but I think I may have been asking too much from my legs after the previous Friday's workout.  I was supposed to do this run on Tuesday, but my parents were coming into town, and I didn't want to have to run long before meeting up with them... Lesson learned.

Tuesday 10/18- 4 mile shake out run.  My parents come out to visit about 2-3 times a year, and they enjoy hitting up the casinos and gambling.  We went to Cesar's Palace for lunch, and to gamble.  My mom prefers the slots, and I enjoy keno.  I taught my mom how to play keno, and she ended up winning $800 very quickly.  I had joked that if I won, I was going to go to the Nike store inside the Forum shops.   My mom treated me to a new pair of Nike's.....

These are the Nike Lunarglide 8.  I was wearing the Nike Lunarglide 7 and I really liked that shoe.  This shoe feels like a stability shoe/racing flat.   It has a lot of support and cushion, but it is also super lightweight. I think these will probably be the shoes I race in.

Wednesday 10/19-Rest

Thursday 10/20- 50 Minute run-30 minutes general aerobic, and 20 minutes tempo.  Legs felt a little tired, but I was able to hit the tempo pace.

Friday  10/21- Another 50-minute maintenance run.

Saturday 10/22 3 miles general aerobic, 3 miles tempo, 1 mile cool down.  I don't really remember this workout. lol.... But, I managed to hit my paces.  Here's the data.

Sunday 10/23- Rest

Total Mileage for the week 40.5

Monday 10/24- 70 minutes general aerobic.-8 miles  Hello Humidity.  I had another Monday-Tuesday work holiday week planned.  As I was driving my daughter to daycare,one side of the city was cloudy and dry, the other side was lightning and pouring rain.  I just managed to miss the rain, and I ran 70 minutes around Sunset Park.  

Tuesday 10/25 25k Dress rehearsal run.   10k steady state 10k goal pace, 5k steady state.  Again the humidity was crazy. 100% humidity and no rain.  It was 63 degrees and it actually felt chilly for once. I started out running in the park, and during the first mile, my Garmin started acting weird.  I was worried that my whole run would be off, but after the first mile, the Garmin wasn't an issue anymore.  

I'm so glad that I started drinking water early on and I tried some electrolyte capsules (1 at 2 miles, and another around mile 13). For fuel, I had one package of Honey Stinger chews, and one vanilla GU, it had a little bit of caffeine and it helped.

I stopped quickly by my car at the end of the marathon pace goal running to drink some Gatorade. I also had to stop briefly when my wireless headphone fell out my ears and onto the ground, other than that this run went well, and I was able to hit my paces.  Here's the data.

Wednsday 10/26- 30 minute shake out run

Thursday 10/27- Rest

Friday 10/28-  35 minute shake out run

Saturday 10/29 55 minutes general aerobic/recovery effort

Total Mileage for the week 35.4 miles

Sunday 10/30-This was a rest day, but the kids wanted to go for a run.

We ran to the park, and then I let them play, and then we ran home.

Well, I guess that's all I have for now.... I'm sorry for not being  more descriptive about some of my training, and I know last year I was blogging a bit more about shoes, food, and other running related items.  I think once I am not juggling so much, my content will improve some.

Thank you for reading.

The RNRLV Marathon is 1 Month Away

Well, things are only going to get more exciting over the next month.

The marathon is one month away. I believe that I'm only going to have a two-week taper.  So that means I only have two hard weeks of training left...


This training cycle has gone by fast,  I think being in school has helped me not be so obsessive about every single workout.  I still analyze the heck out of my data from the long runs, and the speed work.  But, for the rest of the runs (General Aerobic, and recovery days) I'm just logging the miles and enjoying them.  It has been nice to have a coach to take the guess work out of how fast to run, and for how long.... Depending on how this marathon goes, I may be using this coach again for another marathon or half marathon PR attempt.


In my last post, I mentioned that I didn't feel as fast ast I used to... While I feel that this statment is still somewhat true, I don't feel as beat up as I did earlier this year, and during last years training.

Last year I had a sore left hip, and I just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.  I thought that my left hip was weaker than my right side.  I think it turns out that the opposite is true.  My right side had been the weaker side, and when I was running tempo/speedwork my left side was over compensating for my right leg.  I've been trying to stay up on my donkey kicks and planks... And I'm crossing my fingers that everything stays healthy for the next month.

I was having a little bit of plantar fascia issues on my right foot.  But, for the most part, that is feeling better as well....So let's get to the training updates.

Tuesday10/4- Rest

Wednesday 10/5- 4 Mile run. This was a recovery run of 40 minutes plus a few strides.

Thursday 10/6- Recovery miles at Whitney Mesa.  I dusted off the trail shoes, and I ran a few miles in the dirt.

I ran up and around the mesa, but I stayed away from some of the more rugged trails.

Friday 10/7-  8 Miles 2 Miles Warm up 5 miles goal pace, and one mile cool down.  I had been feeling nervous about this workout. I decided to get out of the house early in the morning... I prefer to run at lunchtime so that my daughter doesn't have an extra long day at daycare.  But, I didn't want to have to worry about the heat....

I chose a route that was a little hilly, but I wouldn't have to worry about traffic on the bike path.  Here's the data:

This workout was a big confidence booster.

Saturday 10/8- 40 Minutes recovery effort

Sunday 10/9-  6.3 Miles This was supposed to be 40 minutes General Aerobic, and 25 minutes tempo. My kids get up super early, and my daughter saw me in my running clothes, and she asked to go running with me.  We ran about a .6 miles to and from the park, and then I headed out to finish my run.  I ran 25 minutes GA, and 25 minutes tempo effort.  Here's the data.

Total Mileage for the week 45.2 Miles

Monday 10/11- Rest

Tuesday 10/12- 17.5 Miles Long Run Day!! This run called for 170 minutes of relaxed running.   I'm so torn sometimes on where to go running.  I feel that there is a safety trade off one way or the other.  Jogging paths are great to avoid traffic, but they can be isolated. 

**Tangent**

A local runner was brutally attacked in one of the safest neighborhoods (Green Valley) on Friday October 7th.  The attack happened in broad daylight at 4pm.  It was a senseless act of random violence.....Here is a link to the incident that happened.

http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/33359456/man-accused-of-vicious-attack-on-henderson-jogger

I am so sad and angry that this happened.  I love all of the connecting bike paths and jogging trails that run through Henderson, and Las Vegas, but I would rather take my chances running on busy streets, in case something happens to me.   

********End of tangent******

I chose a route that ended up being a steep uphill climb for the first 5-6 miles.  I ran out towards the Lake Mead recreation area.

 and then I let gravity do its thing for the next 5-6 miles.  I ended up stopping briefly twice, once at mile 10 to buy a bottle of water, and at mile 13 I stopped by my hose to drop off my run vest, and to use the bathroom.  Since this run was done at a relaxed pace, the time actually went by quickly.  Here's the data.

Wednsday 10/12- 30-minute walk.... I had the day off from work, so I took my daughter to Sunset Park, so we could go running and play on the many playgrounds the park has to offer.  We ended up run walking a little over a mile

Thursday 10/13- 3.5 Shake out recovery run, with some strides. 

I have another tempo workout tomorrow that I am feeling nervous about.  But, I will try to do my best to nail the workout.  See you on the other side.

And as always thank you for reading.

A few long runs under my belt and some push ups for a good cause.

Hey, everyone.  It's been 2-3 weeks since I've since last posted. Last week I hit the midpoint for two more courses towards my MBA.  It was a hectic week, and I'm glad it's over.  For the month of October, I will be spending a little more time at home.  I have some holiday and vacation time off.  So I'm going to doing a lot of my long runs during the week instead of on the weekends.

Training has been going okay.  I'm a little nervous because my mileage seems a little low.  The past four weeks have been at or around 37 miles.   Last year I had a few 50-mile weeks, with lower volume weeks sandwiched  in between.  This week I am supposed to hit 45 miles, so I think this is where my mileage is going to increase for a few weeks, and then its' taper time.

It has finally started to cool off.  For some of my long runs, I have been able to leave my water bottles behind.  I don't realize how much carrying a water bottle can impact my stride, and it very nice to not have to worry about the heat.

Training updates

Friday 9/16- 17.1 Miles- 2 hours and 40 minutes of relaxed running.  I did this run in and around Sunset Park. I spent a lot of time here last year, and I enjoy running through the park, and not having to worry about traffic.

The pace felt relaxed for the most part. The heat started to bug me about half way through. I ran through the splash pads at the park to cool off and it helped. I feel like I could have added an additional mile or two. I also stopped by my car a few times to swap out water bottles and grab fuel. I stopped my watch when I went through the splash pads and to use the bathroom.  Here's the data

Saturday 9/17- Rest

Sunday 9/18- 5-mile recovery run

Total Miles for the week 38.3

Monday 9/19- 7.2 Miles General Aerobic- This was a hot day, and I ran this at lunchtime.  I found another park with splash pads, and I soaked myself.  I also purchased some new shoes.

Saucony Guide 9 and I found them on sale!

Tuesday 9/20- 3 Miles General Aerobic, 3 Miles @ GP, and 1 Mile cool down.   It was a beautiful afternoon.  It was only in the low 80's and there was  cloud coverage for once!
This workout called for 3 miles at 9:20, and 3 Miles at 8:20 pace, During the Warmup 9:20 just felt too hard I guess. But, when it was tempo time, I tried not to look at my Garmin and I just ran by feel. After the first mile I tried to ease off a little bit. It was much cooler today, so I guess that made a difference *shrugs shoulders*  Here's the data.

Wednesday 9/21 3.6 Mile Recovery run. I felt really tired.... It was also my anniversary on this day.  My husband and I have been married for 20 years!!

Thursday 9/22-Rest

Friday- 9/23 15 Miles- 3 Miles warm up, 10 miles @ steady state, and 2 miles cool down.  I didn't feel like going back to Sunset Park, So I just a route that was sort of hilly...I got fairly lucky and I didn't get held up by too many red lights.  My only complaint was that this run was super windy during miles 9-12.   Here's the data

Saturday 9/24- Another rest day!!

Sunday 9/25- 45 Minute recovery run.

Total Miles for the week 37

Monday 9/26- 6.1 Miles hot and hilly general aerobic run, I headed outside and I almost didn't' bring any water with me. After three minutes I decided that was a terrible idea and I ran back inside to fetch a bottle.... Whew! It's not as crazy hot as it used to be but, I never, ever, want to underestimate heat exhaustion.

Tuesday 9/27- 8 miles 3 Miles Warm up, 4 Miles Tempo, and 1 mile cool down.  I got my ass handed to me by the sun today.  It was hot, and I took a small handheld bottle of water with me. I chose the Pittman Wash to avoid traffic, and because I knew there would be just a little bit of shade coverage. 88 degrees. This hurt. Here's the data:

Wendsday 9/28- 5 Miles recovery

Thursday 9/29-5.6 Miles, this was another botched tempo run.  Guess what? It was hot again today...  I should have gotten up earlier ,  I was up early, but I was working on a midterm paper.  So running in the morning took a back seat, and I paid dearly for it at lunchtime.  I was supposed to do 30 minutes at 9:20 pace 10 minutes at 8:30, and 15 minutes at 7:45 pace..... Yeah, that didn't happen.

Friday- Rest

Saturday- 1 hour General Aerobic Run

Sunday- 40 Minutes recovery pace.

There was no long run this week, because I'm going into a holiday period at my work, where I will have more time off during the week to run.  I pushed my long run out an extra day.

Total Miles for the week 35.2

Monday 10/3- 30k (18.6 Miles) Cut down run... I did not know where to do this run at.... I really love the Wetlands Recreation Area.  But, it is no man's land. 

I also love Red Rock Recreation but, its' super hilly.   I parked my car at Sunset Park, and I ran about a mile or two to let the morning commute traffic die down a little bit, and then I ran through one of my old neighborhoods.  I didn't realize that my route would end up being so hilly.  This run called for 10k at 9:45 pace, 10k @ 8:45 pace, and 10k @ 8:30 pace.  The middle section was awful, and I was wondering if I would be able to pick it up during the last 10k, but the last 10k was manageable.  For fuel, I ate one pack of Honey Stinger chews, and I ate one gel.  I didn't bring any water with me, and I didn't stop for water until mile 16ish...  My Garmin bounced around all over the place during this run.  Here's the data.

RNRLV is really flat. So I hope all of this
hill work pays off!

This run went well, but I still have my doubts,  when I was younger I was naturally faster, but I didn't know how to race or train smart.  Now that I know how to train smarter, I wonder if I still have what it takes to BQ....  I'm not sure if I'm even as fast as I was last year....I was also a few pounds lighter last year....I hate to sound whiny but, I want to be somewhat transparent with how I feel my training is going.

Push ups for a good cause

Currently, I'm participating in the 22 push ups a day challenge on Facebook.  Every day you do 22 push ups and you nominate someone else to keep the challenge going.  This challenge is to bring awareness to the 22 suicides of veteran's that take place every day.   At the end of this challenge, I plan on donating a little bit of money to a local veteran's association.  Here's one of the videos that I posted to Facebook.

Well, that's all I've got for now.  Thank you for reading.