Miles are going up!

I'm very proud to say that I ran 21 miles this week! That's the first time I've had mileage greater than 20. I was so exhausted after yesterday's 9.4 miles (and hungry!), I have trouble wrapping my head around the 13.1 half marathon distance, let alone the full marathon. How the hell is that going to happen? This summer, my marathon training takes me up to 40+ weekly miles!!! For a newbie runner, those type of miles are beyond comprehention. Someone tell me I can handle this. Please!

Paying for my mistake in pain.

Volleyball was my first athletic love. I really adore the game and have played it since I was 11 years old. All those years left me with some sort of rotator cuff injury on the arm that I serve and hit with. I heven't played for at least 7 months. When I got the text to play on a night between two "rest" days, I jumped on it.

Huge mistake.

I can barely lift my right arm, and doing so makes me literally whine out loud. My back, butt and quads are killing me. It's interestling actually. Because I'm much more cardiovascualarly fit, I never even broke a sweat while playing... but damn! The short, quick spurts of speed and jumping used muscles that are not used to being moved in that manner anymore.

This resulted in a very tight uncomfortable 5 miles this morning. That's a mistake I won't repeat. Volleyball is not appropriate cross-training for distance running.

Sweethearts 4 Miler Race Report

This race was COLD. Stoopid cold. Cold enough that I don't think I'll run a race in February again. Like, ever.

The race was held at a park about 45 minutes from where we live, so myself and two girlfriends left at about 7:30. In 20 degree weather. Humph. The problem with short runs in the cold is how to dress. You don't want to be freezing your butt off waiting for gun time, but you don't want to be peeling clothes off and dumping them on the side of the road either. I settled on 2 layers of long sleeves, running tights, hat and gloves.

We found the park no problems, and sat in the heated car psyching ourselves up to get out. The bathroom situation was dreary. Only two toilets, so the line was long. We timed it just right though. Out of the heated bathroom (not a port o potty, yay!) and only a couple of minutes until the gun went off. The course was fun, it looped around the park for a couple of minutes, then went onto a narrow path in the woods. Looking back at my splits, this is where I lost a lot of time. The path was only two poeple wide and was really bottlenecked. The rest of the course was an out and back of rolling hills through a neighborhood. I stayed side by side with a lady who seemed to be comfortable at my exact pace. She pulled a couple of steps ahead of me on the trail, but when we rounded the corner to the finish, I kicked it up a notch and smoked her in the end.

My goal time was 42:00, official chip time 40:26.

Goal Setting.

Finally, a race! It's been too long & I've been getting a bit bored.

Sunday's race is a new length, a 4 miler. Obviously I've had longer runs & races, I've just never raced this particular length. My last 4 mile training run was a 42:54, a 10:43 pace. I don't feel that this race is worth pushing myself too hard for, so let's keep it easy. A 10:30 pace.

My goal for this race is 42:00.

Things you should know as a running beginner, written by a beginner runner.

1. Good shoes are essential. This is not an option! Do not wear your old kicks that you've been gardening in. Do not order cute runners off the Internet because you like the color and style. Go to your local running store, and let them watch you run. Try different shoes and find some that work for you. You are not dating your shoes, you are marrying them. Make sure you're willing to commit.

2. This shit is going to hurt. You are going to experience pain. Believe that, prepare for it. Arm yourself with ice, heat, foam rollers, compression socks and a supportive partner. Get tough in your mind.

3. Find a plan and stick with it. There are tons of plans out there which will reasonably and safely help train a new runner. I personally liked Couch to 5K. Find one that works for you. There's tons of online support too. Check out Facebook pages and blogs. Subscribe to running magazines. Join forces with like-minded people.

4. Register for a 5K. Lay out the cash and have a date with destiny! In my experience, just having the goal of weight loss isn't enough to keep running long term. Enlist one of your friends or your spouse to run the race with you. Believe me, you will NOT finish last. (And if you did, so what?) Races make the exercise an experience. It's a fun reward for all your hard work.

5. For the love of all that is holy, get off that treadmill and go outside to run! Put the sun on your face and some miles behind you. You'll be so glad you did.

6. Believe in yourself. You can do this!

Hello world!

I've started running again. Thank goodness. I believe I may have been a little tough to live with. Who knew the endorphin rush and satisfaction of a run could be so addicting?

Yesterday's run, which was my first back, was supposed to be a five miler according to my schedule. I didn't think that was a good idea, as I didn't know if my coughing or the hip would be a problem. Neither was, and I completed 3 miles, non-stop at my normal training pace.

Today's weather was incredible. Especially for February!! I decided to attempt the 5 miler, and happily completed it without much problem. I think the week off didn't have much effect on my overall fitness, thank goodness. I tell myself and tell myself that I have to be flexible with my training schedule, but it's hard for me. The fact that I had to stop for a week and survived is a positive lesson!