Pinay Runner

End of Year Wrap-Up

2008-12-31T14:03:00.002-07:00

Wow, has it really been four months since I last wrote? Well, I'm posting now so that I don't end 2008 -- a watershed year indeed for many of us -- without at least one final post for the year.

I've actually been running, believe it or not. I had every intention of running during my working holiday in Singapore back in September, and had even brought my shoes, socks, and at least two sets of clothing -- one to wear, one to wash -- so that I wouldn't have any excuse. I had the motivation, the will and the training behind me.

What I didn't have, however, was the realization of what 95% humidity and such close proximity to the equator would do to even the most devoted runner's good intentions.

Ohhhhh....daaaaaaaaaaaamn. Singapore was more than hot. It was more than sweltering. I'm sure the Chinese and Malays possess a word that adequately describes the Lion City's climate, but it doesn't exist in English. In any case, I did no running at all those three weeks, although I did plenty of walking. I think we walked at least a half-dozen miles each day. The heat was so oppressive that we actually ate less than we normally do, mostly because we were overheating too much to really do much more than sigh heavily and wipe the sweat of our brow. Elegant, huh?

Anyway, I went back to running within two weeks after we returned and remained strong and consistent until about mid-December, when my ulcerative colitis got the best of me and I had to move my running indoors. I've been on the treadmill at the gym ever since, and while it's not always easy to run 45, 50 minutes on a treadmill facing an office park and small, forlorn children's playground, the Sansa mp3 player I got as an early Xmas present to myself helps tremendously.

So here you go. I've done pretty well in my running this year, better than I have the past three or four, and am proud of myself for sticking through weather (except in Singapore), travel and illness. I wish I'd been able to run a half-marathon as I had planned, but I'm looking towards 2009 now. I've some plans for the new year that might involve at least one half and a couple of 10k's, but I'm waiting until late February to finalize them. (I was too late to sign up for the Canyonlands Half in Moab in March, a real bummer as my editor and his wife are running it and it would've been nice to join them.)

In the meantime, the only resolutions I really have for the new year are to do less and finish my novel. By "do less," I mean that I want to suppress the tendency that I have to overschedule myself with projects that ultimately have very little personal meaning for me. I want to finally finish this book and get it out of my plate, out into the world where it will hopefully find a publishing home. And of course, I want to continue my running progress and perhaps run a half-marathon by the end of the year. Small goals, to be sure, but doable, I hope.

4.86 miles

2008-08-30T10:39:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 1 hour, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 12:21
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 4.86 miles
Miles this week: 20.63 miles
Weather: Sunny, low humidity (~22%), cool at ~68 F.
X-Training: 50 pushups, 80 crunches.
Weight: 117.5 lbs.

That's right. I lost 1.5 pounds. Yay, me!!! Finally, the scale is starting to weigh in my favor. Huh. I guess cutting back on the excessive cheese consumption does help. Go figure.

Good run this morning. Started out rather slow, mostly because I didn't do a long walking warm-up, but picked up slowly and kept a steady pace throughout. My knees are a little sore now, but I'm feeling great otherwise. Always good to have a solid long run behind you.

Pre-run snack: 1 Pop-Tart.
Breakfast: 1 Pop-Tart, 1 glass chocolate milk.

Friday:
Breakfast: 1 mixed berry scone, 1 small skim cafe au lait.
Snack: 1 package Club Crackers w/ cheese.
Lunch: Tomatoes and mozzarella on whole wheat bread.
Snack: handful of M&M's.
Dinner: 2 cups rice, 4 small slices tonkatsu. (Nothing like deep-fried and battered pork to skew the scale numbers, huh?

4.01 miles

2008-08-28T10:38:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45 min, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 11:12
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 4.02 miles
Miles this week: 15.77 miles
Weather: Sunny, low humidity (~24%), cool at ~65 F.
X-Training: None.
Weight: 119 lbs.

That's better! I kept up a good, steady pace until about 4:00, then picked it up the last quarter mile. I can keep this up for another couple of weeks, then hopefully I can start inching back up to 11:00. I don't mind not breaking 11:00 steadily yet, as long as I'm healthy and injury-free. (That should be my mantra, otherwise I can really overdo it.)

Pre-run snack: 1 Pop-Tart.
Breakfast: 1 Pop-Tart, glass of chocolate milk.
Snack: 1 small, skim cafe au lait.

Wednesday:
Lunch: 3 chicken Parmesan pieces; sauteed red pepper slices; 1 slice ciabatta bread.
Snack: 1 package granola bar.
Dinner: 1 Stouffer's Pepperoni French Bread pizza.

Must. Eat. More. Veggies.

4.15 miles

2008-08-27T09:20:00.003-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45 min, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 10:51
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 4.15 miles
Miles this week: miles
Weather: Sunny, moderate humidity (~45%), cool at ~65 F.
X-Training: None.
Weight: 119 lbs.

I actually did run Sunday (long run, 1 hour) and Saturday (45 minutes), but never got around to logging either one. Oops! But yes, I did end up missing 2 days of running last week, but s'okay. My body needed it.

Today was definitely my fastest since I started running regularly a couple of months ago, but this wasn't necessarily a great thing. Had to stop a little after mile 4 to walk for 30 seconds, as I was getting a wee bit light-headed. Not the smartest thing to do, run out too fast, but what can I say? It was cool, I actually felt good (funny, considering how little sleep I got last night, about 4 hours), and, well, I was disappointed with my run yesterday (pace about 12:26) and Sunday (~15:00, which might as well have been a walk). Yesterday can be partly attributed to bad allergies -- it was hard to get a full breath at times. Today, I had no problems. I'm on my 2nd day on this new OTC med that my doctor gave me to try and alleviate the allergy symptoms, and whaddya know, it might actually be working.

Got a little too excited today, but I feel good anyway!

Oh, and yesterday I did 50 push-ups! Yay, me!

Pre-race snack: 1 strawberry Pop-Tart.
Breakfast: 1 glass chocolate milk; cinnamon granola bar.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: 1 glass chocolate milk; granola bar.
Lunch: PB&J on whole wheat toast, 1 lowfat Colby cheese stick.
Dinner: 4 pieces Chicken Parmesan; 2 cups pasta with homemade marinara sauce (tomatoes, Anaheim pepper, jalapeno). Yum!

4.1 miles

2008-08-21T12:32:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45 min, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 10:59
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.96 miles
Miles this week: 8.06 miles
Weather: Sunny, low-to-moderate humidity (~27%), cool at ~61 F.
X-Training: 45 pushups, 80 crunches, 1:30 plank pose.
Weight: 119 lbs.

Wow! I finally, finally broke an 11:00 pace! Woo hoo!

Of course, that's nowhere near my usual 9:45-10:00 pace from a few years ago, but what the hell. I've only been running consistently for two months; although I've been running off-and-on for years, this is the first time since 2002 that I've really stuck to a training schedule. It's not especially difficult, but it's definitely not as easy as it was when I was 29.

I have to admit, this was more challenging today, so I don't know if I can do it again tomorrow, but I'll definitely try. My allergies keep me from getting a full breath, so that doesn't help. But not bad at all.

Pre-run snack: 1 large banana.
Breakfast: 3/4 cup homemade granola; 3/4 cup plain yogurt; 1 half-glass chocolate milk.
Lunch: PB&J on whole wheat bread; half a nectarine (it tasted awful, so I didn't finish it).

3.96 miles

2008-08-20T12:22:00.000-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45 min, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 11:22
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.96 miles
Miles this week: 3.96 miles
Weather: Partly cloudy, low-to-moderate humidity (~30%), cool at ~66 F.
X-Training: 45 pushups, 80 crunches, 1:30 plank pose.
Weight: 119 lbs.

Didn't run Monday, as B. was sick and I wanted to spend time with him. Didn't run Tuesday, as I had deadlines, and I wanted to meet B. for coffee before starting work. That meant 3 straight days of not running (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday), so I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this morning's run was quite good. I was really worried, as I had a horrible night's sleep last night and probably slept no more than 3 hours, but I thought perhaps a slow run would wake me up. Whaddya know, I was only a few seconds slower than usual, so I'm happy.

Breakfast: 1 cup homemade granola; 1 cup plain yogurt; 1 half-glass organic chocolate milk.
Snack: 1 oatmeal raisin cookie.
Lunch: (late) Angus Beef Sammie at Quizno's; 1 small bag chips; couple of handfuls of homemade whole grain crackers.
Dinner: 4 oz baked chicken parmesan; 1 cup rice; 1 cup corn with pat of butter and Mrs. Dash.

4.57 miles

2008-08-16T19:21:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 60 min, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 13:08
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 4.57 miles
Miles this week: 20.68 miles
Weather: Mostly cloudy, moderate humidity (~45%), cool at ~60 F.
X-Training: Weight training, upper body, 20 minutes..
Weight: 119 lbs.

Yay, me! I finally lost significant weight. Specifically, I lost 1.5 lbs this past week. Finally. I guess my body really does prefer to eat several small meals throughout the day, rather than three-squares-and-a-snack. I do feel better and more energetic, less lethargic, when I adopt that regimen. Much easier on my digestion, that's for sure.

The run this morning was the slowest I've done in a while, but it was still a good pace. B. joined me for this one, which is always fun, and we had a good time. Started out rather slow, and oddly my knee was a little sore at times. I wonder if running too slow can be more detrimental to my form than a faster pace. But it was good, as we were able to keep up a running conversation. Always key when you're doing a long run. I hope that next week, though, we can at least break 13:00. I think that not getting enough sleep last night was the reason behind our slow, sluggish start. We picked it up halfway through, though.

Oh, and I didn't have anything to eat beforehand. Ran out of Pop-Tarts and bananas, dammit!

Pre-run snack: None.
Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg; 1 small glass OJ; 1 cup rice with sesame seeds.
Snack: 1 small cafe au lait, skim; 1 Reese's Big Cup.
Lunch: half turkey and havarti panini.
Snack: Twister with M&M's and cookie dough!
Dinner: rice and miso soup; 1 Reese's Big Cup. (What can I say? I love Reese's Big Cup.)

Friday:
Lunch: 1 thin-crust slice of Aegean pizza; 1 small slice Big Kahuna pizza.
Dinner: rice; miso soup; sauteed peppers; hard-boiled egg.

4.09 miles

2008-08-15T09:10:00.002-06:00

4.09 miles

2008-08-14T13:16:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 11:01
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 4.09 miles
Miles this week: 12.02 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny, low humidity (~30%), ~68 F.
X-Training: 45 pushups, 70 crunches, 1:30 plank pose.
Weight: 120.5 lbs.

I think I'm coming down with something. I just feel it, you know? I don't have any overt symptoms yet, but there's something about my sinuses and my head that isn't right. Anyway, I'm upping my Vitamin C intake just to make sure and will try to get more sleep tonight. I haven't done too badly on the latter of late, but it's still mostly under 8 hours. Considering how much I've been running lately, that really needs to be more like 9 hours a night, but it's a work in progress. It's hard to go to bed at 8:30, but as I have to wake up at 5:30, I need to in order to get the full 9 hours in.

Still, I almost broke 11:00 today! Woo hoo! It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I honestly think I could've run that pace for another mile or so, maybe longer. No pickups today, but there wasn't any need to, since the pace was faster than I've done in a while. With that kind of pace, I should be able to break 30:00 in a 5K easily.

Food-wise, I think I'm doing better, but I need to increase my veggies/greens intake. That's another challenge I should focus more on. Protein-wise, though, I'm on target, especially since I've been eating more chicken and beans for dinner. I'm finding that I'm not as empty when I wake up in the morning as I was before, and I'm even more in good shape now that I've introduced pre-run snacks an hour before I head out.

Pre-run snack: 1 large banana.
Breakfast: 1 brown-sugar-and-cinnamon Pop-Tart, 1 half-glass chocolate milk.
Snack: 1 medium, skim cafe au lait.
Lunch: 1 cup rice, 3 Parmesan Chicken pieces.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Yogurt, wheat germ, diced small peach, 1 tsp agave nectar; 1 small glass OJ.
Snack: 1 small, skim cafe au lait.
Lunch: 1 cup pasta with marinara sauce, baked with cheddar cheese topping.
Snack: 1 bag Bugles; 1 Nature Valley Oats 'n' Honey granola bar.
Dinner: 1 cup rice, 1/2 sauteed large red pepper w/ olive oil, garlic and vinegar, 4 Parmesan Chicken pieces. 2 small dark chocolate squares.

4.00 miles

2008-08-12T13:47:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 11:15
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 4.00 miles
Miles this week: 7.93 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny, cool, moderate humidity (~40%), ~64 F.
X-Training: None.
Weight: 120.5 lbs.

I'm getting in my pace, ratcheting up to 11:15 today. Still a full minute lower than my easy pace six years ago, but not bad considering that I'm six years older and, up until a month or so ago, haven't been training consistently. Still, I want to make sure I don't overdo things and go out too fast, too soon. I've kept the 45-minute runs during the week and will likely not increase the time anytime in the next year, preferring instead to increase my long runs on Saturdays.

I think I know why I have a hard time getting a full breath of late. It's not the humidity, which I had originally pinpointed as the culprit, but rather the allergies trying to force their way into a full blown attack. I've always known that running -- or any vigorous exercise -- tends to suppress the immune system temporarily, and hence any allergic reactions, but I guess it can't do it completely. I always feel as if one of my nostrils (usually the left one) is slightly backed up, so I end up sniffing my way through a run and trying to create a completely open air passage. Am not having much luck, though, so I'm grateful that it doesn't handicap me. I also occasionally cough, but I've always done that while I'm running. I suspect it's partly the allergies, too, but fortunately it's not serious. I wonder, sometimes, though, if pedestrians I pass on the street are thinking, Stop running if it makes you cough, you idiot!

As if it were that easy.

Pre-run snack: 1 large banana.
Breakfast: 2 toasted brown sugar and cinnamon Pop-Tarts; 1 glass chocolate milk.

Monday:
Mid-morning snack: Luna Bar.
Lunch: PB&J on whole wheat toast.
Snack: 1 cup yoghurt with 1 tsp agave nectar, 1/2 T wheat germ, and sliced nectarine.
Dinner: 1 cup black beans and rice mix, 1 boiled ear of corn.

3.93 miles

2008-08-11T09:02:00.003-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 8 min warm-up, 10 min cool-down, then 15 min stretching
Pace: 11:28
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.93 miles
Miles this week: 3.93 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny, cool, moderate humidity (~51%), ~64 F.
X-Training: 45 pushups, 70 crunches, 1:30 plank pose.
Weight: 120.5 lbs.

Good run, especially considering that -- ahem -- I didn't exactly eat all that well yesterday, (Chocolate chess pie has antioxidants, right?) I slept about 5 hours last night, and oh, I'm getting my period. I kept it up, although at times it was a little challenging. Did a pick-up at Cortland and another one for about 1:15 at the end. Woot woot. ;-)

Oh, and a banana works as a great pre-run snack too! Cheaper than a granola bar, and without all the processed sugar.

Pre-run snack: banana.
Breakfast: Homemade smoothie w/ 1 cup OJ, small peach, 1 scoop protein powder, and 1/2 cup frozen blueberries.

Sunday:
Breakfast: 1 sliced banana, 1 Luna Bar (S'mores), 1 small skim cafe au lait.
Lunch: Totino's pizza (combination).
Snack: 1 slice chocolate chess pie.
Dinner: 1 cup pasta with homemade spicy marinara; 4-oz baked chicken.

4.41 miles

2008-08-09T08:40:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 55:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 12:29
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 4.41 miles
Miles this week: 20.06 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny, cool, very high humidity (~87%), ~64 F.
X-Training: None.
Weight: 120.5 lbs.

Ngyek. Seriously, this whole running-but-still-gaining-weight madness is getting old. Must review nutrition again. I've written before about needing to eat smaller meals throughout the day, as that seems to be what my body prefers, so I need to be more careful with my daily meal planning.

The pre-run Nature Valley granola bar works pretty well, though, especially in this humidity. Sometimes it can be hard to breathe with so much moisture in the air, but my pace isn't too bad, considering that this is the longest I've run in years. Once I work up to an hour, I'll stick with that time through September, and then kick it up another 5 minutes every week until I reach 1:30.

Pre-run snack: Nature Valley oats 'n' honey granola bar.
Breakfast: 1/2 scrambled egg; 1 homemade whole grain blueberry scone; 1 half-glass chocolate milk.

Lunch: 1 cup rice, 1 cup lentil/tomato chili, 1 Colby Cheese stick.
Snack: 1 small cafe au lait, 1 almond biscotti.
Dinner: 4 oz. Parmesan chicken breast, 1 serving potato-cheese casserole, 1 corn on the cob, 1 small portion chocolate chess pie.

3.93 miles

2008-08-08T09:26:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:28
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.93
Miles this week: 15.65 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny, cool, very high humidity (~81%), ~64 F.
X-Training: None.
Weight: 120 lbs.

Good morning! Better than yesterday, even though the humidity level was a killer. Seriously, I thought I moved to the freakin' desert. What's up with the 80% humidity?

Still, it was nice and cool when I started out, which made for some weird running at times because I would feel a nice breeze but also had a thin film of moisture all over my skin. As much as I like the cool weather, I think I'd rather have 70+ F temps and less than 20% humidity. I felt like I was having a hard time taking in enough clean oxygen at times.

I did finally experiment with eating something before a run, a practice I never really indulged in before, even during my long runs back in 2001. I had one Nature Valley granola bar and drank 2 cups of water rather than my usual 1, ~45 minutes before I headed out. I really had to haul ass this morning just to get out of bed to give myself enough time to digest the food before the run. And guess what? Although conditions were similar to yesterday (i.e., humid, although at least it was mostly sunny today), I felt so much better physically. Didn't feel as if I was literally running on empty. So I guess I know what to do in the future. Time to start stocking up on those Nature Valley bars.

Pre-run snack: 1 Nature Valley granola bar
Breakfast: Homemade whole wheat blueberry scone; 1 half-glass organic chocolate milk

Thursday:
Lunch: PB&J on whole wheat toasted bread; miso soup.
Snack: Small cafe au lait w/ skim milk.
Dinner: 4 oz Parmesan Chicken breast; 2 cups rice; 1 cup sauteed green beans; small 1" slice chocolate chess pie.

3.93 miles

2008-08-07T08:41:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:28
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.93
Miles this week: 11.72 miles
Weather: Overcast, very high humidity (~80%), ~67 F.
X-Training: 45 pushups, 70 crunches, 1:30 plank pose.
Weight: 120 lbs.

Eek! I knew it was humid from the film of moisture that formed on my skin within minutes after I left the house, but 80%? No wonder I was struggling. I didn't think I was running that fast, but this was definitely a bit of a workout. Still, I was able to pick up the pace for about 30-40 seconds on the Cortland stretch, as well as the final 1:30. Not bad, especially considering how poorly I've been eating the last coupla days. I can't figure out if I was just stressed out yesterday, or if it was because my period was coming up, or what, but I just couldn't stop eating. I just wish I craved healthier foods!

Only slept about 5.5 hours last night. Ugh. It's a wonder I was able to get out this morning.

Breakfast: Homemade whole grain blueberry scone; half glass OJ; Monterey Jack cheese stick.

3.93 miles

2008-08-05T09:09:00.004-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:28
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.93
Miles this week: 7.79 miles
Weather: Partly cloudy, medium humidity (~38%), ~73 F.
X-Training: 45 pushups, 60 crunches, 1:30 plank pose.
Weight: 120 lbs.

Today was kind of a long tempo run, which made it into a long, hard run. Not bad, but I really was feeling it the last 20 minutes. I think my upper right chest kinda hurt towards the last 10 minutes, too, but I kept up what I think was pretty much the same pace throughout the entire time. I slowed down somewhat on hill crests and on the steep downhills but would then pick up back to my "normal" pace once I'd caught my breath, usually after 20-30 seconds.

I think I would have been stronger had I actually eaten something this morning, but I, uh, forgot. Good thing tomorrow's an off day, but on Thursday I'll experiment with eating one Nature Valley granola bar 45min-1hr before I head out. Next week I'll try a shorter tempo run of about 25-30 minutes, probably on Tuesday.

Otherwise, I felt good afterwards, not spent. That's a good sign.

Breakfast: 1 homemade whole grain blueberry scone; 1 half glass orange juice; 1 scrambled egg with red pepper flakes and salt.
Lunch: PB&J on toasted whole wheat bread; bowl of homemade miso soup; 4 cappuccino thin cookies.
Snack: small cafe au lait w/ skim milk; small hot white tea; Nature Valley granola bars.
Dinner: 4 3" potato pancakes; 3 oven-fried potato slices; salmon bake; 1 oz cheddar cheese.

3.86 miles

2008-08-04T21:07:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:40
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.86
Miles this week: 3.86 miles
Weather: Sunny, low humidity (~20-23%), ~72-75 F.
X-Training: 45 pushups, 60 crunches, 1:30 plank pose.
Weight: 120 lbs.

Great day. Started out as a tempo run, but B. found the pace too difficult, so we slowed slightly to an easier pace. Still managed a nice pickup near the end at about 1:30 and finished strong. Yay, us!

Breakfast: homemade whole-grain blueberry scone; half-glass of organic chocolate milk; 1 scrambled egg with red pepper flakes. 1 small cafe au lait w/ skim milk.
Lunch: small slice spinach quiche; 3/4 cup white rice; 1 medium corn with 1 T butter and salt. Chopped nectarine, sliced medium banana with 2 T dark chocolate shavings.
Dinner: 2 small homemade lentil enchiladas with cheddar cheese+green salsa.

4.1 miles

2008-08-02T10:08:00.003-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 50:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 12:12
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 4.1 miles
Miles this week: 19.43 miles
Weather: Partly sunny, low humidity (~20-22%), ~70 F.
X-Training: 40 pushups, 60 crunches, 1:20 plank pose.
Weight: 120 lbs.

I don't get it. How could I possibly have run over 60 miles last month, and I only lost one freakin' pound? Meh. I can't run any more than I already do without hurting myself, so I guess I just have to keep plugging away at the bloody nutrition. Tweak tweak tweak.

That's the problem with running and other endurance activities that people helpfully neglect to tell you. The more you work, the hungrier you are. You need more food to fuel your workout, but there's a balance you have to maintain so that you don't end up gaining weight. I guess I still haven't quite figured out that balance. Sucks, too, because I don't remember it being this hard six years ago, but I guess I was starting from a good foundation back then. I didn't have to lose weight then, whereas now I do need to get back to 110-112. At this point I'd be happy at 115, but even that's becoming elusive. Blech.

Good long run today, though. Weather cooperated, and we actually got out on the road much earlier than usual: 6:30 instead of 7:00 or 8:00, which seems to be standard for us on weekends of late. Way better to do it this way so that you can crank out the miles and be back in time for breakfast while the sun's still up. Plus we missed most of the radiant heat of the sun that I get at 7:45. Weird what a difference a half hour makes in the morning.

Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg w/ red pepper flakes (~100 calories), Nature Valley granola bar (180 calories), 1 glass chocolate milk (200 calories). Total: 480 calories.

Friday:
Lunch: pasta w/ leftover canned tuna sauce.
Snack: half slice of whole wheat bread w/ peanut butter and preserves; cup of rice w/ melted cheese and tabasco sauce. 2 1/2"-sized samples of pretzel at Borders and 1 1"-size sample of apple pie. Unsweetened iced tea. 1 small peach.
Dinner: Small slice spinach quiche, 1 cup rice.

3.86 miles

2008-08-01T08:59:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:40
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.86
Miles this week: 15.33 miles
Weather: Sunny, clear, low humidity (~26%), ~67 F.
X-Training: None.
Weight: 119.5

Great, great run. Surprised myself by getting out by 7 am this morning. Not as early as I would've liked, but not bad considering that B. didn't have to go to work today and only needed to do his flying lesson at 8 am. Was out the door by 7:00, as usual.

Lots of people on the road today, most of whom I'd seen before but only sporadically. They all seemed to have decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. I guess nothing's going on at the local cafes and senior centers on Friday mornings.

I think I'm going to have to start eating something before I head out. Yeah, I know, I've said that before, but while I can find the energy to do pickups the last 5-7 minutes, I can tell that my tank is starting to run low. I finish fairly strong, but not as much as I'd like. Tomorrow I do 50:00 as I try to increase my Saturday long runs, which means for the first time in years, I'm gonna have to tote my Fuel Belt.

Breakfast: bowl of Almond Flakes cereal, 1 cup 2% milk; half-glass organic chocolate milk.

Thursday:
Lunch: Bowl of rice with melted cheese and tabasco sauce. (Trust me, it was goooood. Got busy and couldn't spend too much time preparing lunch. Plus, I was getting tired of PB&J.)
Snack: Luna Bar (Lemon Zest - yum!), small cafe au lait, small bowl of cereal+milk.
Dinner: Pasta with canned tuna sauce. Super good. Recipe from The New Joy of Cooking.

I read my food notes and realize that I seriously need to incorporate more veggies and fruits in my diet, starting today.

3.84 miles

2008-07-31T08:51:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:44
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.84
Miles this week: 11.47 miles
Weather: Sunny, clear, low humidity (~24%), ~70 F.
X-Training: 40 pushups, 60 crunches, 1:20 plank pose.
Weight: 119.5

Good sleep, not enough of it! Sheesh. This is getting so old.

Still, not bad a run today. I wasn't sure I wanted to get up this morning, much less run, but the beauty of running consistently is that your body eventually gets used to the idea that you're going to make it go through the paces, so to speak, so it might as well cooperate. It's like when I was running and racing quite seriously several years ago, and after a year of heading out for long runs and track sessions nearly every day, eventually it got to the point where I'd wake up at 4:30, put on my clothes and shoes, drive over to the gym, and voila! I'd wake up on the treadmill. Literally. I'd be warming up, and then something in my mind would click, I'd look around and think, "Oh, I'm here."

I know, not exactly the safest thing in the world to drive half-asleep, but fortunately the gym was literally a quarter mile from the apartment I shared with my mom at the time. I could've walked it in 15 minutes, but hey, it was Dallas, it was 4:30 in the morning, and I'm a woman of 5'3" with a small frame.

Anyhoo, today was a good day. I thought I was going slower than I had been, but as you can see from the numbers, the pace was pretty much on track for this week. I did pick it up the last 7 minutes or so, as I didn't want to run short today. Wouldn't surprise me, considering that I was pretty sloppy with my diet and hydration yesterday. (Note to self: take "day off" more seriously.) And yes, the pick-up was a bit challenging, but not overly so. The last thing I want to do is injure myself by going out too fast, too far.

Breakfast: homemade whole-grain blueberry muffin, half-glass organic chocolate milk.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: 3 donut holes, small hot chocolate.
Lunch: PB&J on whole wheat toast. Small bowl of cereal (1 cup mix of almond flakes and granola) + 2% milk.
Snack: 1 bag of butter-flavored microwave popcorn, 1/2 chocolate donut.
Dinner: 2 cups rice, turkey pot pie.

3.84 miles

2008-07-29T08:32:00.002-06:00

3.79 miles

2008-07-28T09:46:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:53
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.79
Miles this week: 3.79 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny, clear, very humid (~64%), ~68 F.
X-Training: 40 pushups, 60 crunches, 1:20 plank pose.
Weight: 119.5

What the hell is it with this weather? I thought this was the bloody desert, and yet it's been incredibly humid the last few weeks. Today wasn't the worst at ~64%, although that's little consolation when you're slogging through the streets on a morning run after a particularly bad night's sleep. (I think I slept no more than 5-6 hours in total of fitful sleep, although I slept for about 10 hours on Saturday night, so it's okay.)

Still, today was a pretty good, steady run at a great pace, almost a full minute faster than Saturday's run. Not sure why, although I'm sure B. could've handled it. Anyway, I'll be staying at this time for awhile, so we'll see how I progress.

Breakfast: half-glass organic chocolate milk, homemade whole-grain blueberry muffin.

Sunday:
Breakfast: small cafe au lait, English danish.
Lunch: rice, melted cheddar cheese, miso soup.
Dinner: Fried rice with lentils, broccoli, green peppers.
Snack: small homemade, whole-grain blueberry muffin, 1/2 cup mango sorbet.

3.47 miles

2008-07-26T10:35:00.004-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 45:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 12:59
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.47
Miles this week: 17.14 miles
Weather: Mostly cloudy, hazy, humid (~40%), ~74 F.
X-Training: 35 pushups, 60 crunches, 1:10 plank pose.
Weight: 119.5

Good, slow, long run. I think I'll stay at this time for a few weeks, and just up my Saturday runs until it reaches either 60:00 or 90:00, whichever is most comfortable. I'm still aiming for a half-marathon in the fall or early winter, but it will likely be treated as a nice long run instead of a race.

I'm starting to fall head over heels in love with running again. There are days when it takes so much more energy to get out of bed than it does to actually run, and I try and talk myself out of doing it. But then I find my body reaching for the shirt, the sports bra, the socks, then tying the shoes, and by the time I'm at the first mile mark, I'm thinking, "Oh, I'm running. Cool."

Bad sleep last night, which may explain why today was more sluggish than it should have been. Not sure why; the temps were good, and I was super-tired in the late afternoon. You'd think I would've collapsed into a coma immediately. But it took me an hour or two to finally drift off (lights out at 10:00), and even then the sleep was fitful.

Nutrition-wise, I'm still experimenting, but I think I have the post-run fuel down. Chocolate milk with some carb and protein like scrambled egg and bread works perfectly as recovery food. I do need to load up on more protein and veggies, though, especially brightly colored/green veggies like greens and summer squashes. Fruits are no problem, although it does take more effort to grab a piece of fruit than it is to crack open another sleeve of crackers. I'm switching to my old habit of eating smaller, more frequent meals. I think that's what my body prefers, especially when it's on a regular training regimen.

Breakfast: half-glass organic chocolate milk; PB&J on whole wheat toast

Friday:
Lunch: PB&J, small peach
Snack: Grande orange/mango/banana blend/smoothie with matcha powder @ B&N cafe; handful of cherries.
Dinner: Lentil and rice pilaf; steamed broccoli with 1 oz melted cheese.

3.26 miles

2008-07-25T11:04:00.003-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 40:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 12:17
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.26
Miles this week: 13.67 miles
Weather: Mostly sunny, slightly hazy, breezy, humid (~30%), ~80 F.
X-Training: 35 pushups, 60 crunches, 1:10 plank pose.

Started out super-late this morning, partly because we woke up late after only 5 hours of sleep, and partly because we had to deal with an early-morning family emergency. So we didn't get out on the road until about 8:20, which is practically midday for me! Still, it didn't turn out so bad, although the sun was higher in the sky and the temps were a full 10 degrees warmer than I'm used to. B. had a great run, which is unusual. We were able to sustain a pretty good convo the whole time. I was a bit hungry when we started, and considering how late we got out there I could've had something to eat before, but it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday was.

Pace was slightly slower than yesterday, but since B. only runs a couple of times a week I didn't want to make it too hard for either of us. Overall, a good run.

Breakfast: 1.5" slice of toasted Italian bread and olive oil; glass of chocolate milk; 1 scrambled egg with 1 oz cheese and red pepper flakes.

Thursday:
Lunch: 1 chicken pot pie (~370 calories), 2 cups rice, sliced nectarine tossed with small handful chocolate chips.
Snack: Luna Bar Chocolate Peppermint
Dinner: 2 scrambled eggs, 1 sliced Italian bread with olive oil, 2 ears of fresh corn from farmer's market. Dessert: 1/4 cup Haagen Dazs mango sorbet.

3.5 miles

2008-07-24T08:47:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 40:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:26
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.50
Miles this week: 10.41 miles
Weather: Mostly cloudy, windy, a little cool, very humid (~79%), ~67 F.
X-Training: None.

Oy!!! Okay, today was definitely not my easiest day, even with the cooler temps and partly cloudy skies. I don't know if the arresting humidity was the culprit, or my lack of sleep, or shortage of protein in my diet, or a combo of all three (probably the latter), but although I started out strong (fueled my some indignation at a work-related problem), I started feeling weak about halfway through the run.

I didn't break my pace, but I did slow down to a walk around 28 minutes into the run. I walked for about 35-40 seconds then picked up the pace again. I still managed to come in faster than yesterday by a few seconds, but it was definitely mostly through sheer willpower.

I need to really get serious about getting enough sleep and watching my diet. I didn't have much really quality protein yesterday, and I felt it. You know what runners say about running out of fuel or running on an empty tank? That was exactly how I felt.

Breakfast: 1-1/4 cup organic chocolate milk; 1 scrambled egg with 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkling of red pepper flakes; 1 packet Nature Valley Oats 'n' Honey granola bar (2 bars).

Wednesday:
Lunch: PB&J on toasted whole wheat bread; 3-4 unsalted crackers w/ PB&J.
Snack: 1 packet Nature Valley Oats 'n' Honey granola bar (2 bars).
Dinner: 2 cups white rice; 1 cup sauteed kale w/ onions and garlic; 1 Banquet turkey pot pie.

3.48 miles

2008-07-23T10:24:00.002-06:00

Shoes: Saucony ProGrid Omni Ultimate
Resting HR: n/a
Time: 40:00 min, plus 5 min warm-up, 8 min cool-down, then 10 min stretching
Pace: 11:29
Training HR: n/a
Miles: 3.48
Miles this week: 6.91 miles
Weather: Mostly cloudy, hazy, warm and humid (~32-36%), ~76 F.
X-Training: 35 pushups, 60 crunches, 1:10 plank pose.

Baaaad sleep last night. Got a phone call in the middle of the night, then it was pretty warm and humid. It was soooo hard to get up this morning!

Still, pretty good workout, based on the time. Most of my thoughts focused on my form and keeping a good pace so that I didn't end up with positive splits. Surprised myself by maintaining both pace and form, even on the hills. I tried keeping a steady pace or even increasing it while doing hills, then recovering at the usual pace at the crest and downhills. Not bad.

Breakfast: 1/2 granola, 1/2 Almond Flakes, 1 cup plain kefir, 1 cup orange juice.

Tuesday:
Breakfast: medium cafe au lait w/ skim milk, whole grain bagel with cream cheese.
Lunch: PB&J on toasted wheat bread; 5-6 unsalted crackers w/ PB&J; bowl of 1 small sliced banana, 1 small diced nectarines and handful of semisweet chocolate chips.
Dinner: 3/4 of a Totino's Canadian Style Bacon pizza with sauteed garlic, onions and green peppers; more unsalted saltine crackers than I should have eaten. :-)