3.......discouraged

Tonight I ran three miles. I had plans to possibly run four, but I felt like I should only do three. I am having a hard time trying to figure out how many miles I need to run each day because while I am trying to catch back up with my training schedule, I don't want to over-do it, because that is how I got into the situation I am in right now...trying to catch up. I think I increased my mileage a little too quickly. My quote at the top of my blog makes sense for the most part, but I think at some point you can't ignore your body, which I did two Saturdays ago.
My dad gave me a shot Friday night. Boy did it hurt. The next day, my knee was in A LOT of pain. ALL day. Sunday morning, I woke up and it didn't hurt at all. Same as today. I also bought a little band to go above my knee that is supposed to take some of the stress off of my IT band. During my run today it didn't hurt. Only near the end of my run did my knee start to hurt...but this time it is a different part of my knee. great. I ran hard and I still couldn't get under 28 minutes. It is making me crazy. It is really dicouraging. Still had dehydration problems, even though it wasn't as hot...I am still not getting enough water. Looks like I may have to give in to those stupid water bottle waist ugly things. NOOOO!!!!
Anyways my time:
first half=13.41.51
second half=14.27.95
total=28.09.46
avg= 9:23 minute miles. a second slower per mile than Friday! :(

I am starting to wonder if I have reached my highest potential as a runner. I was keeping up with the training schedule, I have gained a TON of muscle, I ran a good 10k and the I DIED running 7 miles. and now every time I run...I feel like I am starting over. I am not running the 15k on Saturday. I really wanted to, but I feel like I need to adjust my training schedule and I think 9 is just a little more than I can do right now, but I will be there to cheer for Trav :) I will probably try to run 7 miles this weekend sometime. We will see how it goes. Wish me luck

Why do I have to be so prideful?

i ran 3 today. bad news.
the first half was pretty good. normal running. i was pretty excited that I didn't feel like dying. i tried to speed up for the second half...nothing happened, but pain.
the second half really started hurting my knee. this slowed me down A LOT. I am pretty sure my third mile was about 10 minutes. I had about a 1/4 mile left and I decided that i should walk or else something bad might happen to my knee...but i didn't stop running. of course. i am MUCH too prideful for that.
First Half= 13:52.71
Second Half= 14:12.99
Total 3= 28:05.70
avg=9:22 min miles
Afterwards i was in dyer need of water and for someone to cut my leg off.
I am pretty sure that I need to be drinking water about every two miles.I think I am getting dehydrated more quickly as the temperature gets hotter, so I have to do something about the water....how I am going to pull that off, I don't know. I don't want to run with those stupid little water bottles attached to my hip. I certainly don't want a camelback slowing me down. again, pride.
I am going to get an IT band brace and my dad is gonna give me some sort of shot in my knee tonight...so scary :( Hopefully it is the miracle drug of the century and I will be a speed racer by Monday. (he says that is when it should start working.)
As for my Saturday run, I was supposed to do 8. I will have to talk to my medical advisor, aka dad, to see what I am allowed to do or not do. I thought about doing 4 in the morning and then 4 at night, but judging by how much my knee hurts at the moment from running 3 miles....i'm not so sure that I will be running at all...depending on how prideful i am when I wake up.

2 miles :(

first mile= 8:28.52
second mile=8:38.61
total= 17:07.13
AVG= 8:34 min miles

I ran 2 today. I am having a hard time knowing what to do as I deal with my knee going crazy. The minute I started running, something started pinching in the back of my leg...it is behind the knee part of my leg (the part that bends)...anyways, something was pinching, I don't know if it was a ligament or tendon or whatever the rubbery cord type things on the back of your leg are. Anyways, I kept running for a few seconds and I decided to stop. I stretched my legs and marched in place to try and loosen it up a little bit. I wanted to go home, but I told myself that I already gave in by choosing to ONLY run 2 today, so i wasn't going to give in again. I walked back to the beginning and started again. No pinching problems until about half a mile. At this point I decided that when I reach one mile that I would stop running and walk home. As I approached the mile mark, I thought about how much harder my run on Saturday might be if I didn't keep going. I also reminded myself that if I can't learn some endurance...running the half marathon in August is really going to suck. So i decided to keep running. It was extremely hard to breathe the entire time because my allergies are progressively getting worse each morning. Finally I made it back and I told myself that I should give up running indefinitely. I know I can't...but I want to. Maybe after the half. Travis would be pretty annoyed that we paid the money and I didn't even run, so I at least have to make it that far.

Running Again

Today was the first time I ran since Saturday. My knee just felt a tiny bit sore afterward. I felt a little bit out of shape, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I ran three miles in 26:55.09. So I averaged 8:58 min miles. I was expecting to go slower, so I was pretty happy with how I did today. I made sure to stretch my IT band very well before and after. Still feeling a little sore, I hope I am able to run 8 miles come Saturday.

7 miles and a hurt knee

On Saturday, I ran seven miles. My goal was to do it in an hour and 5 minutes. I missed my goal by one minute. My knee was sort of bothering me for pretty much the whole time. It felt like I was going so slow....which I kind of was.

Mile 1= 8.51.27
Mile 2= 9.45.33
Mile 3= 9.10.29
Mile 4= 9.47.67
Mile 5= 9.44.28
Mile 6= 9.42.53
Mile 7= 9.26.71

avg mile= 9.29.72

The first two miles could be off because I am not quite sure where the one mile mark is.
I knew I should have walked when my knee started going crazy, but I just couldn't do it. I wanted to be able to run the whole thing with no breaks. Trav was waiting for me at the cross walk, so I probably ran the end a little too fast for what my knee could handle. My knee hurt pretty bad. My dad, who is in orthopedics, checked it out and said that it is most likely my IT band. Saturday night it was so painful that I couldn't help but cry. Yesterday, I tried to stay off of it as much as possible and I have been icing it, so today hasn't been bad. The other knee is starting to have a little bit of pain. I am going to take it easy for today and try to run 3 miles tomorrow.

3 today

Yesterday was pretty busy and I didn't make enough time to go running. So I was a little nervous about today's run because last time that I took two days off in a row, it was REALLY hard the next time I ran.
Today wasn't too bad though. I felt pretty in shape. It wasn't as easy as some runs I have had, but it really wasn't bad either.

First Half= 13.13.56
Second Half= 13.19.56
Total= 26.33.12
So I averaged 8:51 minute miles.

This makes me happy because it is only three seconds longer than my course best time and I didn't even have to put very much effort into it.
It's amazing. I can feel myself actually getting into shape. A few months ago, I had trouble running a mile without stopping. Now I know I can AT LEAST run 6.2 without stopping. I used to run so slow and my speed has increased very quickly. It proves to me that my body was definitely meant to be more active than I had been in the past. It feels good. I am happier, I can get a lot more done, I have a lot more motivation to do more, and it just feels good overall, even if I am a little sore sometimes.
I am pretty nervous about tomorrow- 7 miles. But, if it goes the same as my running as been going, I think I will feel alright about it when its over.

Surprising 5

Five miles today. It was hard. I felt like I was running in slow motion and I wanted to give up. My knees hurt. So I was definitely surprised when I saw that I beat my last 5 mile time!

Mile 1= 8:48.88
Mile 2= 8:50.97
Mile 3= 9:13.16
Mile 4= 9.31.47
Mile 5= 9.09.34
Total= 45:33.82

Average 9:07 miles.

Such a hard run, but at least now I know that just because a run is hard, it doesn't mean I am going slow!!!

Easy 3

Yesterday, I woke up and my legs were pretty sore from Saturday. I decided to run after work. I went running around 9:30pm and I decided to just take it easy as I ran the 3 miles. I ran without any pain and I didn't feel very tired.

First half= 13:56.69
Second half= 13:36.94
Total= 27:33.63
Pace per mile= 9:11

This is not my fastest three miles, but it felt good and I didn't have to put much effort into it at all. It just felt like a light jog and I felt in shape. Tomorrow is five miles.

My first 10k-bear lake

it was freezing and i had pretty much no sleep. overall I would say it went pretty good. it helped to have so many people cheering me on.
first .2 miles= 1.37.93
mile 1= 8.31.88
mile 2= 9.02.38
mile 3= 9.02.83
mile 4= 9.08.80
mile 5= 9.06.07
mile 6 = 8.41.42
total time 6.2 miles = 55.11.31
that averages to be 8:54 min miles.
my knees hurt because I sprinted so fast at the finish line. I don't think i saw anyone else running that fast at the finish. i have never sprinted so fast. I finished 5th in my age division. This makes me happy. I think i have improved very quickly and it feels good to do that.
this race was hard because it was so cold. i think this was hard on my joints. I didn't stop running though even though I wanted to.
My goals were to finish under an hour and to not stop running. I accomplished my goals and that makes me happy.

Not feeling prepared....

Today I ran three miles. I ran it in 26.29.86. That is a little under 8:50 minute miles. This is my fastest pace yet, but I felt sooooo tired. I wanted to walk the whole time. None of it felt good. I didn't let myself walk because I don't want to ruin the streak I have had. I don't even remember the last time I have walked.
After running this and wanting to give up the whole time, it makes me feel a bit unprepared for the 10k on Saturday. I really want to do it in under an hour. I am fairly confident that I can, but I am really scared that I will want to walk as bad as I wanted to today.

Today was 4

I ran four miles today.
I was pretty upset when I could not find the first mile mark. I looked at my watch around the time I usually see it and it was around 8 minutes and 50 seconds. So I decided not to let this get me discouraged because I knew I was going a pretty good pace. I got to mile 2 at 18.40.37, so I am only estimating the pace of the first two miles, since I couldn't see the mark and push the lap button.

Mile 1 = roughly 9 minutes
Mile 2 = roughly 9.40.
Mile 3 = 9.09.08
Mile 4 = 8.48.58!
Total time = 36.38.03

So I averaged about 9:09 miles!

I was very please with the overall time. This is a 4 mile record for me. I cut almost two minutes off of my last 4 mile time.
When I got home, I stretched and then I went to cross off my miles on my calendar. Then I realized, today I was not even supposed to run! I was supposed to run 4 tomorrow!

Fast Three

Today's run went alright. I ran three miles. The second half was NOT enjoyable. But I was really pushing myself. I know my first mile was around 8:50. The first mile and a half took me 13.54.47 min. After the half way point I wanted to walk sooo bad. I reach a street near the end of my run at 10 minutes (of second 1/2). It usually takes me three minutes to run down this street. I ran it in less than 3 minutes and reached the end of my route at 13.00.03 min. I did three miles is 26.54.50 minutes. This is record time for me. Just under 8:58 minute miles. I was pleased but I did NOT enjoy this run. oh, and my allergies are going CRAZYYYY!

Saturday's FIVE.

Saturday was my long run. I ran five miles.
Much of the route was on my favorite route so I enjoyed most of the run.
I am very please with my time and I didn't have to push myself very hard. My knee didn't bother me until the end of the run but I don't think it hurt my time.
Mile 1 = 9.17.14 min
Mile 2 = 9.48.07 min
Mile 3 = 9.36.78 min
Mile 4 = 9.35.08 min
Mile 5 = 9.23.54 min
Total time = 47.40.61 min
So I averaged 9.32.12 min miles.
I hate running, but it sure makes me feel good.

Happy.

Today's run (3 miles) was about like yesterdays run in the timing area, but man was I tired. I woke up and laid in bed for a few minutes. Took my time stretching. Did some laundry in between. The minute I step outside, it starts raining....of course.
I know where the first mile area is of my run. I don't know the EXACT mark, but I am pretty sure my first mile was under 8:30. This made me excited and kept me motivated. I got the the half way point about 13 seconds faster today. By this time I was soaked. I stepped in a puddle and water gushed up into my shoe. I wanted to beat yesterdays time REALLY badly. But no matter how hard I would run, I just felt like I was moving in slow motion. I felt so worn out. When I got to the corner where I usually push myself and run a little faster, I just couldn't. I was about 6 seconds slower than yesterday. At first I let it get me down, but then i decided that I should probably feel this tired after running all week. I decided that I had a good week, no major injuries, and a mile under 9 minutes. So I am happy.

Heres my time:
1st half= 13.27.88
2nd half= 13.50.08
Total time= 27.17.96

I am gonna have Trav paint some mile markers. It is more motivating than just clicking my watch at the half way point.

Getting Faster!

Today was three miles.
Pushed my lap button at the half way point.
First 1/2= 13.40.76 minutes
Second 1/2= 13.30.39 minutes
Total 3= 27.11.15 minutes
Yes!!! That is like a 9:04 mile!!!
While I was running, I thought of my running over the weekend and that kept me running!

Awesome :) Saturday and Monday runs

This memorial weekend was awesome in terms of running!
We were down in Plain City and we had measured out our miles on Friday and spray painted each mile. It helped a ton.
On Saturday I ran four miles. The moment I reached the one mile mark and pushed my watch I saw that it was below ten minutes and it got me excited. It felt awesome passing each mile mark and it kept me motivated.
These were my miles:
Mile 1 ~ 9.43.56 min
Mile 2 ~ 10.16.56 min
Mile 3 ~ 9.55.69 min
Mile 4 ~ 9.19.98 min
Total= 4 miles@ 39.15.79 minutes
Average= a little under 9.49 minutes.

I was so happy with this run. I only had one mile over ten minutes! It is nice when Travis comes out and I can see him jumping up and down and cheering for me as I finish my run! He is great! He is probably my number one motivator. It felt so good that I decided to do four miles on Monday instead of three.

Monday was not as easy. I had a much harder time breathing but it still felt great, especially because I ran even faster!
Mile 1 ~ 9.22.04 min
Mile 2 ~ 9.33.12 min
Mile 3 ~ 9.49.53 min
Mile 4 ~ 9.26.55 min
Total= 38.11.24 min
avg= 9.32.81

Yay! i am getting faster! probably because there are NO hills in plain city. I love it!