30:45 sec run/walk ratio
2:05:40 hours
8.43 miles
14.9 minutes/mile
It was COLD today -- the high was around 39 F. I waited until afternoon to run, hoping it would warm up a little, but it didn't really. So I bundled up as best I could and did it anyway. I wore long underwear under my leggings and tee-shirt and jacket, which helped quite a bit. I was still cold when I started out, but mostly it was the cold wind on my neck and hands that was making me shiver. I could have worn gloves and a scarf to start out with as well, but once I got warmed up after a couple of miles I was okay. I even got to the point of unzipping my jacket for a while in the middle of the run -- but never to wanting to take it off. I zipped it up again near the end, when the sun was getting low and it was cooling down again. At least it was sunny, which helped, especially when the wind wasn't blowing, but the wind was freezing when it did blow.
I almost was going to run at home today, because I wasn't sure if I'd be warm enough or too warm with what I'd decided to wear, and wanted to be able to come in and change. But I was also feeling very blah and reluctant to get started, and I was afraid if I ran at home it would be too easy to give up and bag it in the middle. I knew if I drove all the way to the park to run, I'd stick it out and finish the run. So I did. There weren't many people at the park today. My truck was the only one in the parking lot when I arrived at 2 pm, but a few people came and went while I did my run.
I felt good and kept up a good pace -- partly to try to keep warm! I didn't get tired, but my right foot started to hurt a few miles from the end. It felt like something had gotten strained or pulled on the top right over my ankle bone. It wasn't interfering with my stride, so I just kept going. Now it's a bit sore but still okay. I think I might be getting aches and hitches because I haven't been keeping up with my midweek runs. I ran on Monday this week, but skipped my 2nd 30-minute run because I was so busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. I should have worked it in anyway, I think, but I just was thinking about so many other things, I forgot about it. Now that that's over with, though, I will try harder. Weather is supposed to be good this week, sunny and a bit warmer, until Friday when it is supposed to rain. Saturday should be clear, though. So I should make it through another week!
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Week 6: One Mile + MM + One Mile
30:45 sec run/walk ratio
49:23 min
3.39 miles
14.6 min/mile
14:33 min Magic Mile
Since it was only a three-mile run today, I was planning to run at home, despite the still somewhat muddy conditions of my driveway, but when I fired up my app and saw that it was a Magic Mile day, I went ahead and drove out to the Park. It was a good day for running, sunny and breezy with temps in the mid-to-high 50s. I wore long leggings and a short-sleeved tee shirt with my jacket, which I took off around halfway through the run.
Good time today! I was pushing it a bit, not only on my Magic Mile, which was uphill and barely any faster than my overall time, and possibly increasing the run/walk ratio to 30:45 seconds helped a bit, too. I didn't take any water or food with me, since it was such a short run, and didn't need any. Finished feeling good, with plenty of energy to do all the other things I have to do today.
Because of the snow this week, my driveway was too muddy and slushy to run on, and I didn't want to drive somewhere for a mere 30-minute run, so I fired up my Wii and did some running in place and around the house, and some other exercises with Wii Fit. Not as good as actually getting out and running, but better than nothing for those winter days when running outside is a problem.
49:23 min
3.39 miles
14.6 min/mile
14:33 min Magic Mile
Since it was only a three-mile run today, I was planning to run at home, despite the still somewhat muddy conditions of my driveway, but when I fired up my app and saw that it was a Magic Mile day, I went ahead and drove out to the Park. It was a good day for running, sunny and breezy with temps in the mid-to-high 50s. I wore long leggings and a short-sleeved tee shirt with my jacket, which I took off around halfway through the run.
Good time today! I was pushing it a bit, not only on my Magic Mile, which was uphill and barely any faster than my overall time, and possibly increasing the run/walk ratio to 30:45 seconds helped a bit, too. I didn't take any water or food with me, since it was such a short run, and didn't need any. Finished feeling good, with plenty of energy to do all the other things I have to do today.
Because of the snow this week, my driveway was too muddy and slushy to run on, and I didn't want to drive somewhere for a mere 30-minute run, so I fired up my Wii and did some running in place and around the house, and some other exercises with Wii Fit. Not as good as actually getting out and running, but better than nothing for those winter days when running outside is a problem.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Week 5: Six and a half miles
20:40 sec run/walk ratio
1:47:19 hours
6.94 miles
15.5 minutes/mile
I didn't run last weekend, or do my midweek runs this week, because I'd hurt my back on Friday and was feeling really stressed and besides, I really needed to get some firewood in before the rain and snow that was forecast for Monday, so I spent my time cutting firewood instead. This week, again, I need more wood and it's supposed to rain (or snow, the weather report can't make up its mind) on Sunday, so I was worrying about having time to get some wood in and do a long run today, and finally, I decided that I don't really need to train up for a full marathon, especially not when I've got other stuff I need to do on weekends, so I redid my schedule for the half marathon and ended up with a 6.5 mile run for this weekend—something I could finish before noon and still have time/energy for some woodcutting this afternoon.
The run went well. I got to the park around 9:45 AM and finished around 11:30 AM. It was cold, but not terribly so, around 60 F and sunny but with a cold breeze. I wore my full-length leggings, long-sleeved running shirt, and jacket for the first two miles, but took off the jacket for the rest of the run, and it was just about right. I wore my visor instead of my cap because I thought I'd still want some air for the top of my head, and that was about right, too. So I was comfortable for the whole run, not too hot and not too cold.
I had a protein drink before my run, which kept me going throughout the run. I brought a GU with me, but didn't use it.
I wasn't pushing but still kept up a good pace. I thought, after I'd started, that as long as I'm going to be just doing a half marathon schedule, I should try bumping up my run/walk interval to 30:45 seconds and see how that goes. Too late for this run but I'll set my app for next run.
It's hard to make myself get out there when it's cold. Once I get going, I'm fine, and it's better running in cool weather than hot, but it's a psychological thing I'm going to have to overcome if I'm going to keep training all winter.
I decided to try doing a tonglen meditation for the victims of the recent terrorist attacks while I was running. I usually try to visualize the suffering of others that I breathe in as sort of like smog: dark, dirty, full of scratchy, wiry shards of junk. Then the compassion I breathe out is warm, soft, golden light, like sunlight. But it was taking too long to conjure up and set my visualizations while I was running, so I ended up just chanting "hate" on the in-breath and "love" on the out-breath, which worked pretty well. Possibly not a proper tonglen—I'm not Tibetan Buddhist, anyway, so it's not usually part of my practice, but I like to use it on occasions like these.
1:47:19 hours
6.94 miles
15.5 minutes/mile
I didn't run last weekend, or do my midweek runs this week, because I'd hurt my back on Friday and was feeling really stressed and besides, I really needed to get some firewood in before the rain and snow that was forecast for Monday, so I spent my time cutting firewood instead. This week, again, I need more wood and it's supposed to rain (or snow, the weather report can't make up its mind) on Sunday, so I was worrying about having time to get some wood in and do a long run today, and finally, I decided that I don't really need to train up for a full marathon, especially not when I've got other stuff I need to do on weekends, so I redid my schedule for the half marathon and ended up with a 6.5 mile run for this weekend—something I could finish before noon and still have time/energy for some woodcutting this afternoon.
The run went well. I got to the park around 9:45 AM and finished around 11:30 AM. It was cold, but not terribly so, around 60 F and sunny but with a cold breeze. I wore my full-length leggings, long-sleeved running shirt, and jacket for the first two miles, but took off the jacket for the rest of the run, and it was just about right. I wore my visor instead of my cap because I thought I'd still want some air for the top of my head, and that was about right, too. So I was comfortable for the whole run, not too hot and not too cold.
I had a protein drink before my run, which kept me going throughout the run. I brought a GU with me, but didn't use it.
I wasn't pushing but still kept up a good pace. I thought, after I'd started, that as long as I'm going to be just doing a half marathon schedule, I should try bumping up my run/walk interval to 30:45 seconds and see how that goes. Too late for this run but I'll set my app for next run.
It's hard to make myself get out there when it's cold. Once I get going, I'm fine, and it's better running in cool weather than hot, but it's a psychological thing I'm going to have to overcome if I'm going to keep training all winter.
I decided to try doing a tonglen meditation for the victims of the recent terrorist attacks while I was running. I usually try to visualize the suffering of others that I breathe in as sort of like smog: dark, dirty, full of scratchy, wiry shards of junk. Then the compassion I breathe out is warm, soft, golden light, like sunlight. But it was taking too long to conjure up and set my visualizations while I was running, so I ended up just chanting "hate" on the in-breath and "love" on the out-breath, which worked pretty well. Possibly not a proper tonglen—I'm not Tibetan Buddhist, anyway, so it's not usually part of my practice, but I like to use it on occasions like these.
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