20:40 second run/walk ratio
2:47 hours
10.5 miles?
Well, I got my running app all messed up, so I don't really know how many miles exactly or what my pace was, but assuming I managed to maintain around 16 minute/miles, I did my 10.5 miles today. I know I was slower than usual because of the heat, and I did three complete loops of Meadowbrook Park, plus one more lower loop, which is at least 10 miles, so I'm calling it good.
What happened was that I forgot to switch on the GPS again, and was at least half a mile into my run when I remembered. I didn't want to restart the whole workout, so I just turned on GPS and continued, not knowing whether it would be able to switch on the fly. Turns out it couldn't. I kept on getting my intervals, but it wasn't keeping track of miles or pace at all. I noticed when I got to the top of the upper loop, which should have been around two miles, it said I had 10.21 miles to go! I checked again when I got back to the parking lot, and it was still at 10.21 miles. So it had just stopped counting when I switched GPS on. So I switched GPS back off and carried on. Now it started counting down miles again, but it lost the three miles I did while I had GPS on. Plus, who knows how accurate the "miles to go" are when it's not using the GPS.
Anyway, I figured I knew the approximate length of the loops, so I could just ignore what the app said and do four lower loops plus three upper loops and that would be close enough. Actually, I was going to do part of an extra loop for the extra half mile plus cool down, but I was getting kind of icky at the end and I think that doing the outside run on the lower loop is maybe more than a mile, so I skipped it. Bleah.
Anyway, the run got done, whether it was 10 miles or 10.5 or 12 (which is what my Health app said I did, heh), and it went reasonably well. I got up at 6 AM and was at the park ready to run by 7 AM, so I was able to finish before 10 AM and avoid the worst of the heat. My stomach was a bit wobbly, probably from getting up so early, but didn't really trouble me until the end. I'd brought a Power Bar with me to try, and at a few bites and drank some water right before the last mile, but I don't think my stomach liked it. May have to go back to goo. I think I can get that at Big 5.
I am still trying to figure out how to bring water along with me. I've been looking at hydration belts online, can't find one I like that has water bottles plus a pouch big enough for my phone & keys & hankie & foods. Finally, went to Big 5 yesterday and bought one there, but it's designed more for hiking than running and is very big and sort of clumsy. It has two water bottles and a big pouch, and when I got it home, it felt like the bottles would bump my elbows while I run, and that would be a big annoyance after a while. For today, I ended up just putting a bottle of water in my truck bed and stopping after every loop to grab a drink. It worked okay, but by the end I think I needed water more often. I really need to carry it with me.
I think I will mess around with the one I bought and see if I can do anything with it. Maybe if I cut one of the water bottle holders off, I can use it with just one bottle and pouch tucked behind me enough not to bump my elbows. Or maybe take the extra holder and put a loop on it and hang it on my belt. And just pick something to order online and try it.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Week 8: Four miles
20:40 sec run/walk ratio
1:05 hours
4.38 miles
15.1 minutes/mile
What a day. Slept in late, started out late—didn't get out the door until 10 AM. Couldn't get motivated. Couldn't decide where to run until the last minute, but finally went to Meadowbrook Park as usual. I was going to try to take some water with me using a plastic flask I'd bought, so I was emptying some of the water so I could try to fold it up and fit it in my running belt, and spilled water on my crotch. Decided it would probably dry enough by the time I got to the park, so I didn't go back to change. Started out the run with wet tights. The flask wouldn't fit in my belt anyway, so I stll need to figure out a way to carry water with me. Forgot to turn the GPS on until I was almost half a mile into my run, so I had to restart my workout.
Still, I got my run in, and it went pretty well once I got going. Good thing it was only a four-miler today. (Although, I suspect I'd have been less lackadaisical about it if it had been a longer run.) My tights did dry out fairly quickly once I started running, so that was no problem. I ate part of a Clif Bar before I started my run, so I could see how my stomach did on it, and it was fine. I ate the rest of it after I finished. I think it's a good idea to bring something with me to eat after I finish my run, otherwise I don't get anything until I get home and change clothes, which is over half an hour later. Also need to figure out what to bring with me to eat during the long runs. I took a Clif Bar with me last week, planning to eat some when I had two miles left, but I misjudged how far into the run I was and was nearly done by the time I ate it, so I couldn't really tell. I did find that it was hard to eat it without any water to wash it down, so I definitely need to have some water with me, or just wait to eat until I can take a detour through the parking lot to the bathroom. During the actual marathon, there will be water stations every few miles, so I won't need to bring my own, but in training I'll need water.
I have two new items of running gear this week: a couple of long-sleeved dri-fit tee-shirts I got on Amazon for running in cooler weather. They fit great and feel great and they're safety green and VERY BRIGHT, and they were cheap, two for around $17. Good deal. I almost wore one today, since it was windy, but it was starting to warm up a bit by the time I hit the road, so I went back to my usual short-sleeved shirt, which turned out to be a good decision. It wasn't hot, but it was warm enough that my arms didn't get cold. I think the long-sleeves would have been fine, too, but I'd rather err on the cool side.
The other thing I bought was a pair of Yurbuds earbuds, which have special covers to fit snugly in your ears so they don't come loose while you're working out. I'd heard very mixed reviews—some people just loved them, others said they didn't work at all—but I decided to give them a try. I like them a lot! They came with two sizes of covers, and I needed the larger size, but with those, they fit my ears very well and really don't fall out! I tried them on one of my short runs this week, and then again today, and didn't have to adjust them or push them back in my ears at all! I got the more expensive model that has a mic and volume controls on the cord, and that was handy, too. So that was a good investment.
Next thing is to figure out a way to carry water with me! Will have to do some research on that.
1:05 hours
4.38 miles
15.1 minutes/mile
What a day. Slept in late, started out late—didn't get out the door until 10 AM. Couldn't get motivated. Couldn't decide where to run until the last minute, but finally went to Meadowbrook Park as usual. I was going to try to take some water with me using a plastic flask I'd bought, so I was emptying some of the water so I could try to fold it up and fit it in my running belt, and spilled water on my crotch. Decided it would probably dry enough by the time I got to the park, so I didn't go back to change. Started out the run with wet tights. The flask wouldn't fit in my belt anyway, so I stll need to figure out a way to carry water with me. Forgot to turn the GPS on until I was almost half a mile into my run, so I had to restart my workout.
Still, I got my run in, and it went pretty well once I got going. Good thing it was only a four-miler today. (Although, I suspect I'd have been less lackadaisical about it if it had been a longer run.) My tights did dry out fairly quickly once I started running, so that was no problem. I ate part of a Clif Bar before I started my run, so I could see how my stomach did on it, and it was fine. I ate the rest of it after I finished. I think it's a good idea to bring something with me to eat after I finish my run, otherwise I don't get anything until I get home and change clothes, which is over half an hour later. Also need to figure out what to bring with me to eat during the long runs. I took a Clif Bar with me last week, planning to eat some when I had two miles left, but I misjudged how far into the run I was and was nearly done by the time I ate it, so I couldn't really tell. I did find that it was hard to eat it without any water to wash it down, so I definitely need to have some water with me, or just wait to eat until I can take a detour through the parking lot to the bathroom. During the actual marathon, there will be water stations every few miles, so I won't need to bring my own, but in training I'll need water.
I have two new items of running gear this week: a couple of long-sleeved dri-fit tee-shirts I got on Amazon for running in cooler weather. They fit great and feel great and they're safety green and VERY BRIGHT, and they were cheap, two for around $17. Good deal. I almost wore one today, since it was windy, but it was starting to warm up a bit by the time I hit the road, so I went back to my usual short-sleeved shirt, which turned out to be a good decision. It wasn't hot, but it was warm enough that my arms didn't get cold. I think the long-sleeves would have been fine, too, but I'd rather err on the cool side.
The other thing I bought was a pair of Yurbuds earbuds, which have special covers to fit snugly in your ears so they don't come loose while you're working out. I'd heard very mixed reviews—some people just loved them, others said they didn't work at all—but I decided to give them a try. I like them a lot! They came with two sizes of covers, and I needed the larger size, but with those, they fit my ears very well and really don't fall out! I tried them on one of my short runs this week, and then again today, and didn't have to adjust them or push them back in my ears at all! I got the more expensive model that has a mic and volume controls on the cord, and that was handy, too. So that was a good investment.
Next thing is to figure out a way to carry water with me! Will have to do some research on that.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Week 7: Nine miles
20:40 sec run/walk ratio
2:21 hours
9.44 miles
15.0 minutes/mile
Good run today, although for some reason I was dreading it. Enough to dream about missing it, and then wake myself up at 6:15 AM with a dream alarm. I almost went ahead and got up, but I was feeling a little tired still and possibly a little contrary, so I went back to bed for another half hour. Did my chores and got ready and headed out early enough to be at Meadowbrook Park by 8 AM.
It was a cool day, a few clouds and a cold breeze, probably around 50 - 55 F. Good running weather! I had gone into Bakersfield earlier this week and bought some new running gear, so I was wearing a new sports bra, running tights and new shoes. I got Nike Free 5.0 shoes—they are awesomely comfortable and my feet felt great all nine miles! I wouldn't normally have started a brand-new pair of shoes on a long-ish run, but my Internet shoes were starting to feel a bit pinchy at the longer miles and I'm familiar enough with the way Nikes fit me to take the chance on them. It worked out fine. The other clothes were good, too. I had thought about getting a long-sleeved running shirt or hoodie, but didn't see any I liked. My arms get a bit chilly on these windy, cold days, but it's too warm to wear a sweatshirt. I might look online for one. Of course, by the time I get one, it will be summer and the cold days will be over!
I strained my back earlier in the week and worried a bit about whether that would bother me on a long run (I'd already found that the midweek runs were fine), but that was fine, too. I did get a twinge once or twice, but nothing that really bothered me.
One more run done!
2:21 hours
9.44 miles
15.0 minutes/mile
Good run today, although for some reason I was dreading it. Enough to dream about missing it, and then wake myself up at 6:15 AM with a dream alarm. I almost went ahead and got up, but I was feeling a little tired still and possibly a little contrary, so I went back to bed for another half hour. Did my chores and got ready and headed out early enough to be at Meadowbrook Park by 8 AM.
It was a cool day, a few clouds and a cold breeze, probably around 50 - 55 F. Good running weather! I had gone into Bakersfield earlier this week and bought some new running gear, so I was wearing a new sports bra, running tights and new shoes. I got Nike Free 5.0 shoes—they are awesomely comfortable and my feet felt great all nine miles! I wouldn't normally have started a brand-new pair of shoes on a long-ish run, but my Internet shoes were starting to feel a bit pinchy at the longer miles and I'm familiar enough with the way Nikes fit me to take the chance on them. It worked out fine. The other clothes were good, too. I had thought about getting a long-sleeved running shirt or hoodie, but didn't see any I liked. My arms get a bit chilly on these windy, cold days, but it's too warm to wear a sweatshirt. I might look online for one. Of course, by the time I get one, it will be summer and the cold days will be over!
I strained my back earlier in the week and worried a bit about whether that would bother me on a long run (I'd already found that the midweek runs were fine), but that was fine, too. I did get a twinge once or twice, but nothing that really bothered me.
One more run done!
Saturday, May 09, 2015
Week 6: Magic Mile + Two miles
20:40 second run/walk ratio
54:59 min
3.76 miles
14.6 min/mile
Magic Mile 13:19 min
Did my first Magic Mile run today. Started with the usual 3 minute walk, then 5 minutes run/walk to warm up, then the Magic Mile, which you run as fast as you comfortably can. After that, there was another two mile run. My Magic Mile was pretty fast! I was surprised I managed to get under 14 minutes.
According to Jeff Galloway's website, that means my marathon pace should be 1.3 times my Magic Mile, or 17:18 minutes. Hm. I think I can do better than that, really. I don't speed up that much for shorter runs. I pushed myself, but not super hard.
Well, anyway, I'm going to be pleased with my time for today.
I ran at Meadowbrook Park, so I could let the GPS measure my miles. Also, it's been raining the past few days and my driveway is still muddy in places. I got off to a slow start this morning, not getting up until after 8 AM and didn't get to the park until 10 AM. But it's been cool and cloudy today, perfect running weather, so the late start was no problem. I've got a 9-mile run next week, though, so I'd better start getting up earlier!
I made the mistake of using Rage Against the Machine for my music today—I love them, and thought the music would energize me, but I forgot that their recordings are loud and it was hard to hear the prompts over the music sometimes. I ended up holding my phone in my hand while I was doing the Magic Mile, so I could feel it vibrate to mark the run/walk intervals. (Also, I was using my phone's stopwatch app to time the Magic Mile. I'd assumed the app would time the MM automatically, but Jeff said we should time our MM, so I did. But afterwards, I saw that the app did indeed keep the Magic Mile time, so that wasn't necessary.)
Wish the weather could be like this the whole time! I'm still dreading the long runs on hot summer days.
54:59 min
3.76 miles
14.6 min/mile
Magic Mile 13:19 min
Did my first Magic Mile run today. Started with the usual 3 minute walk, then 5 minutes run/walk to warm up, then the Magic Mile, which you run as fast as you comfortably can. After that, there was another two mile run. My Magic Mile was pretty fast! I was surprised I managed to get under 14 minutes.
According to Jeff Galloway's website, that means my marathon pace should be 1.3 times my Magic Mile, or 17:18 minutes. Hm. I think I can do better than that, really. I don't speed up that much for shorter runs. I pushed myself, but not super hard.
Well, anyway, I'm going to be pleased with my time for today.
I ran at Meadowbrook Park, so I could let the GPS measure my miles. Also, it's been raining the past few days and my driveway is still muddy in places. I got off to a slow start this morning, not getting up until after 8 AM and didn't get to the park until 10 AM. But it's been cool and cloudy today, perfect running weather, so the late start was no problem. I've got a 9-mile run next week, though, so I'd better start getting up earlier!
I made the mistake of using Rage Against the Machine for my music today—I love them, and thought the music would energize me, but I forgot that their recordings are loud and it was hard to hear the prompts over the music sometimes. I ended up holding my phone in my hand while I was doing the Magic Mile, so I could feel it vibrate to mark the run/walk intervals. (Also, I was using my phone's stopwatch app to time the Magic Mile. I'd assumed the app would time the MM automatically, but Jeff said we should time our MM, so I did. But afterwards, I saw that the app did indeed keep the Magic Mile time, so that wasn't necessary.)
Wish the weather could be like this the whole time! I'm still dreading the long runs on hot summer days.
Saturday, May 02, 2015
Week 5: Seven and a half miles
20:40 sec run/walk ratio
2:04 hours
7.92 miles
15.7 minutes/mile
I had originally planned to do 3 miles today, but when I turned over the calendar and wrote down the weekly runs for May, I decided I didn't want to go directly from 7.5 miles to 9 miles, so I skipped the 3 mile run and went directly from 6 to 7.5 miles instead. It was a bit rough shifting gears to do a long run today instead of the easy 3 miles I'd been counting on, but it turned out all right.
I set the alarm for 7 AM, ended up getting up at quarter to 7, and thought I might be able to head out for Meadowbrook Park by 7:30, but my stomach was a bit wonky and I just couldn't get myself going. I ended up hitting the road around 8:10 AM, and got to the park to start my run at 8:30 AM. I checked to make sure the bathroom was open—turned out I didn't need it, but I was glad to know it was available if I had.
It was already hot at 8:30, and I worried a bit knowing I'd be out for around two hours, but it didn't seem to get much hotter while I was out there. I did feel that I had less energy than I did last week when it was cool and breezy. The lack of sleep and wonky stomach didn't help, either. Still, I kept up a pretty good pace—under 16 minute miles. All in all, not a great run, but a good one.
2:04 hours
7.92 miles
15.7 minutes/mile
I had originally planned to do 3 miles today, but when I turned over the calendar and wrote down the weekly runs for May, I decided I didn't want to go directly from 7.5 miles to 9 miles, so I skipped the 3 mile run and went directly from 6 to 7.5 miles instead. It was a bit rough shifting gears to do a long run today instead of the easy 3 miles I'd been counting on, but it turned out all right.
I set the alarm for 7 AM, ended up getting up at quarter to 7, and thought I might be able to head out for Meadowbrook Park by 7:30, but my stomach was a bit wonky and I just couldn't get myself going. I ended up hitting the road around 8:10 AM, and got to the park to start my run at 8:30 AM. I checked to make sure the bathroom was open—turned out I didn't need it, but I was glad to know it was available if I had.
It was already hot at 8:30, and I worried a bit knowing I'd be out for around two hours, but it didn't seem to get much hotter while I was out there. I did feel that I had less energy than I did last week when it was cool and breezy. The lack of sleep and wonky stomach didn't help, either. Still, I kept up a pretty good pace—under 16 minute miles. All in all, not a great run, but a good one.
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