Week 3

Good grief...didn't I just finish week 2? Is it just me or are these weeks flying by? Wow.

16.5 miles total this week. Before I left for my run on Wednesday, Ray asked how far I was going. I told him 4 miles. He looked at me and asked, "And you're training for a marathon?" I know...just doesn't seem like I've accomplished much at this point, but I know it's a gradual build-up. Next week, the weekly mileage total jumps to 19, then 21 and on from there. My long run this week was supposed to be 5, but I ran with the running group and did 6.5.

I ran with my neighbor Jeff - great guy to run with - and he told me I would need to go ahead and buy another pair of shoes. My new ones wouldn't take me through the marathon. He said I would put over 400 miles on them during training. I didn't believe him. But it's true - from beginning to end (through the race), the total is 462.8 miles. Gasp. I hope someone puts my shoes on sale!

Week 2

Nothing too exciting to post about week 2. I did the short runs this week all on the treadmill. Ugh. It was a busy week. The girls had VBS at night, so I did my runs early so Ray and I could hang out while they were gone. I tried to vary the runs - switched up inclines and speeds. Still...treadmill running.

My 7 mile long run I did on Saturday with the running group. Actually, everyone split up and I ran with a nice woman, who was doing 6. So hard to describe how horrible the humidity was...felt like I had a wet, hot rag over my face, and I was loaded down with heavy blankets. Awful. I made it through though, averaging a 9:21 pace.

Another training week marked off!

First Week

One week of marathon training done! Feels good to mark it off the schedule. Did my 6 mile long run with two others from the running group today. The woman I ran with is training for the Chicago Marathon in October, and the man is training for his first - the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis in December. I tried slowing it down to a 10:00 mile pace to keep with the others, and did so for about two miles, but I found that slowing down that much really threw off my running form. I hope that doesn't make me sound like a snot...we just kind of all separated, and I did the rest of the run around 9:30. I really am trying to make a conscious effort to slow down for my long runs as everyone is telling me that's what I need to do in training. Shorter runs fast - long runs slow. I also began to question whether or not I should be doing a different training program? Maybe HH Novice 2? I guess I felt like I should be doing more this week, but I need to remember it's a LONG road ahead.

Oh, and I love my new shoes.

And So It Begins...

Marathon Training Schedule: Novice 1

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	6	Cross
2	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	7	Cross
3	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	3 m run	Rest	5	Cross
4	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	3 m run	Rest	9	Cross
5	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	10	Cross
6	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	7	Cross
7	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	12	Cross
8	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Marathon
9	Rest	3 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	10	Cross
10	Rest	3 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	15	Cross
11	Rest	4 m run	8 m run	4 m run	Rest	16	Cross
12	Rest	4 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	12	Cross
13	Rest	4 m run	9 m run	5 m run	Rest	18	Cross
14	Rest	5 m run	9 m run	5 m run	Rest	14	Cross
15	Rest	5 m run	10 m run	5 m run	Rest	20	Cross
16	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	4 m run	Rest	12	Cross
17	Rest	4 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	8	Cross
18	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Marathon

Do I really know what I'm getting myself into? I sure hope so...guess we'll see.

Had my first run with the new running group on Saturday. I showed up and spotted a neighbor there, which was a relief. I guess I felt like I had to prove myself, so I said, "Yeah, sure, I'll jump in and do 10 at a 9-9:30 pace." Really? I hadn't done a  long run like that since training for my last half. I only had half a Clif bar and a couple sips of water to fuel me, the humidity and heat were already getting up there (even at 5:30 a.m.)...what was I thinking. But, I hung in there. Almost told them I decided to just do 8, and turn around after 4 miles (run same route back) as I had a couple moments of feeling nauseous, but I suppose my pride wouldn't let me. I think I'm really going to enjoy this group though. Many runners have done marathons, and I can learn so much from them. And as much as I love to run by myself, I really did enjoy the company. It did make the run go by faster, although I would much rather listen to people have a conversation while running, than talk myself...

So, I'm already thinking of altering the training just a tad. I think I'm going to run on Mondays, rest Tuesday, run W-TH, rest Friday, run Saturday, rest Sunday. Well, I won't "rest" on Sunday, but I doubt I'll find an activity to do that really qualifies as "cross-training". I'm always doing something active...can we call mowing the big yard "cross-training"? Playing with the girls in the pool? I'll continue to do my long runs on Saturdays, but when the girls go to school and start sports, I'll move them to Wednesday mornings so I don't miss much time with the family on weekends.

That's the plan. That's the schedule. At this point, I'm nervous, but focused. I hope I can stay that way the next 18 weeks.

Let's Go Shopping!

Tuesday night, I went running around 7:45pm. These days, it has to be a late run or run at the ass-crack of dawn in order to beat this wicked heat. Ray said it was still in the 90's when I left the house - I'm not sure it's the heat that is so draining, as it is the humidity. Blech. Enough about the weather...

I did 4 miles that night, and around 3 miles, for the first time ever during a run, I felt pain in my plantar fascia. Crap. Right then and there, I decided I would never run in those shoes again. I needed to go shoe shopping. Those Asics have been with me since early Feb. I have put around 400 miles on them (400!). I don't know if they are the reason for my pain, the added mileage, or maybe both. Whatever, I had been ignoring any hints, and now my foot was making it loud and clear - NEW SHOES PLEASE!

I knew I needed new shoes. Don't know why I was putting off a shopping trip. I think it was knowing I was going to drop a wad of money on some good ones, and I'm not good at spending money. My Asics were a cheaper model - good, but cheaper. And I went through many pairs of shoes in less than two years of running. I'm not knocking Asics - I loved my shoes and was open to another pair. Actually, I figured I would stick with Asics, just get something that was known as a great model for running long distances.

I took the girls with me, and we went to the local Fleet Feet store. I wasn't thinking I needed to get the whole treatment, but the salesman looked at my feet, watched me walk, made me stand up, sit down, walk again...He said I didn't need such a hardcore stability shoe like my Asics model - I didn't over-pronate as much as I thought I did. As he turned around to go into the backroom to get some shoes, I stopped him and told him I had a budget - please keep it around $100. Gulp. For someone that buys shoes at Target (on sale...), that's a sickening amount of money to spend on shoes. But I love to run. I know how important it is to have a good shoe.  I'm not kidding...I saw his face drop. I'm sure he was aiming to bring out several of the $150 shoes I saw on the shelves. Sorry, buddy. 

The salesman brought out  Brooks and Mizuno shoes. I have tried on Brooks before, and to me, they are very similar to Asics. I put them on, and ahhhhh....nice! The did feel like my Asics, only not as bulky inside (if that makes any sense), and much lighter. He had me go outside and run in them in front of the store. The girls thought that was a riot! Little side note...When I came back inside, Paige was telling the guy about how she placed second at the Carmel Family Fun Run. He was sweet and was making such a big deal about it. She told me in the car that she should have worn her medal inside...love her!

I told the salesman the Brooks shoes felt great, but he had me try on a Mizuno shoe on one foot, with a Brooks shoe on the other and told me to go run again and see which felt better. Definitely the Brooks. So after almost two years of running in Asics 1160, I am now a Brooks runner!

Brooks Ravenna 3. Pretty snazzy looking, eh? When we got home, I put my Super Feet insoles in them, and wore them the rest of the day around the house. I was dying to run in them last night, but we had some storms blow through. Not much rain, but HUGE lightening bolts. So, I did 4 miles on the treadmill. I don't know...I don't really count that as a real test in the shoes, but they did feel just fine. I joined the local running group (say what?!), and may do a long run with them tomorrow morning. That'll be the real test. New shoes, joining a running group...I'm just getting all kinds of crazy these days!