Wordless Wednesday

Today I lace up my asics and hit the road. I can't wait!!!

I'm IN!!

The bad news: I've been sidelined for a few days due to a ruptured ovarian cyst. It hurts like a mother, but I get them once every three months so I'm learning to deal.

The good news: Being sidelined has made me bored so I joined twitter just to see what's up. I still can't figure the darn thing out BUT I did manage to Tweet:

"You know you're IN when @Bart Yasso follows you!!!"

Bart then replied with:

"@EnduringRunner Too funny, keep on running and blogging."

Happy Running y'all!

Five Things Friday

1. Allergies and insomnia have been getting the best of me. I thrive when I sleep well and run hard. Right now I'm not getting either done. Yesterday was 78 degrees here in the ATL and the trees are in full bloom. I had to run the AC just to cool the house down. The wind has kicked up and is blowing the pollen everywhere, including my sinuses.
2. Yesterday I was supposed to run 4 miles. I wasn't feeling it (see #1). I felt fatigued and weak, so I decided to walk 5 miles. Granted I didn't fall over from my dizziness, but it probably wasn't the best idea due to my allergies.
3. Coffee makes everything better, 'nuff said!
4. Go check out TMB's awesome post "Live Like the Honey Badger: Principle 5".
5. Have a great weekend and happy running y'all!

Wordless Wednesday

Shake it like a polaroid picture

Thank you OutKast. Today's run was a shake out run after last night's attempt at intervals. I had my Garmin set to 3x800 with a 90 second rest in between. After attempting this last night, I realized that I need to work up to 800's and start with just 400. A little sad, but it's the truth. I'm not a speedy person and I need practice. Doesn't practice make perfect?

Today's run was hard. A friend once told me that intervals will make you even more sore than a regular run and I can confirm that. My legs felt like lead. Thankfully I was able to blast some Led to get me through! I can also confirm the fact that the mapping websites that I have used to map my runs are WAY off. Thank you Garmin! I need to re-adjust my routes to get in the full mileage that I thought I was getting in.

Crazy Carrie

This evening, I might have decided to run intervals in the grassy backyard while my hubby grilled our dinner. While he was prepping in the kitchen, he yelled out the window, “I’m going to post on FB that you’re crazy, I want you to know that!”

Are running intervals in your backyard crazy? How is it any different than basketball players running lines? I asked hubby that and he told me that they HAVE to do it. I guess I don’t HAVE to run intervals in my backyard, I wanted to. I guess that does make me crazy. I don’t call it crazy, I call it GBA!

12.5 and My New Toy!

Thursday I received an early birthday present…

This beautiful work of art arrived on my doorstep and I couldn’t wait to try her out! I was so glad that she arrived before my long run! I spent all evening reading over the instruction manual trying to figure out how she works and hoping I wouldn’t break it! If you know me at all, you know that I am NOT the type to read manuals. Only after I have messed something up will I go back to read the how to steps. My way is always better. But not with this beautiful thing, I have waited months to get this watch and now that I have it, I don’t want to break it!

Excited to hit my 12.5, armed with water, nuun, powerbar gels and my new toy, I headed out. I started my stop watch, chrono and then started my Garmin. I immediately tried to lock the bezel (as instructed by the owners manual) and then I had my first user error. Still running, I couldn’t figure out what screen I was on. I lost two minutes and a quarter of a mile but I finally figured it out and got back on pace.

It was nice to know the exact mileage. I have found that my body performs best when taking gels at miles 3, 6, 9 & 12. I was able to tell exactly when to take my gels. Unfortunately, in the excitement of my new toy, I forgot to charge my iPod so it died after 1.5 miles. I ran the remaining 11 miles listening to the birds cheer me on. (I choose to believe they were cheering me on and not laughing at me!) I could hear the Garmin beep at every mile; I could hear the timer go off when it was time to walk. I was flying. I am still using the Galloway run-walk on my longer runs (longer than 6.2 miles). I have found this program to really work with my exercise-induced asthma. I am finding that when my timer goes off, it is hard to stop running. Maybe the next go around I will try running 2-3 miles, then have a scheduled walk break, then run 2-3 more miles. I eventually want to wean myself off of the Galloway plan, I just don’t know how. If you have some advise I’d greatly appreciate it.

Back to my run: I was solid and strong. The hills didn’t kill me as much as I had thought they would. I got tired around mile 9, but was able to pull through it ok. I waited for the dreaded wall at mile 10 and it never really came. Phew! Those last three miles were hard and I was wishing that I had music, but I felt strong enough knowing that I could have run the .6 miles and finished a half strong. Looking at my time, I was actually one minute and 55 seconds slower than the last time I ran 12.5. I blame that on my two-minute loss to Garmin user error at the beginning. I finished strong, I could have run a half easy and I would have kicked my half marathon PR by 10 minutes!

My next long run is scheduled for my birthday, March 1. The Galloway plan has me running 14 miles that day. Since I have not signed up for a half, I’m just crazy enough to follow the training plan; I think I’ll ring in my new year with a solid 13.1 miles. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate myself on my day than running 13.1 miles!

Lessons learned from this run: charge iPod before heading out, bring more water (aka upgrade to a speed 4 or camelbak, eat a cliff bar 10 minutes before heading out- my tummy was growling at mile 6.

The Week That Broke Me

This has been the week that has broken me, or has it? Normally, Thursday is my LONG day. Due to hubby's CRAZY work schedule (thank you Valentine's Day) I couldn't run last weekend. I had to take Monday off to bake cookies for the kindergarten and second grade classes. As well as teach Junior Achievement for the second grade class. Tuesday was spent counting money for the school's Jump Rope for Heart. Followed by lunch and coffee with hubby before he headed down to the restaurant (ON HIS DAY OFF) to get through the dinner rush. I finally ran yesterday. Three glorious miles! I was still high from my run that after kindergarten learning centers, I went for a three mile walk! I slept like a baby last night. Today is cleaning the house. I was supposed to help in the second grade class (do I spend too much time up at that school??), but they are on a field trip. I jumped for joy! "Me" time today is spent cleaning house and listening to hubby's Funk CDs. Tomorrow I will run 12.5 miles. I am excited and hoping the wall won't crush me this week. I am going to tear down that wall brick by brick! Hoping to get a two mile hike in on Saturday with the family to bring up this week's miles to 20, we'll see how I'm feeling. I'll update my 12.5 tomorrow afternoon or Saturday morning.

Wordless Wednesday

Sublimely epic run this morning!!!

My Drug of Choice

To quote Alice In Chains, “What’s my drug of choice?” Running. Running is my drug of choice. I love how I can wake up (like this morning) down in a hole (more Alice in Chains), down on myself ready to cry for no good reason. Then I can go for a butt kicking run and those Honey Badger endorphins are released and I’m ready to kick some butts and take names. ‘Cause Honey Badger Don’t Care!

Now I ask you, what’s your drug of choice?

Happy running y’all!!!

Monday, Monday

Dropped the boys off at school and quickly went for a run before heading back to the school for kindergarten learning centers and 2nd grade Junior Achievement. I started with ZERO expectations. I have learned that Monday runs suck and I'm OK with that. I actually felt really good today. I hit the high at mile one and I felt like I was flying. Then I looked down at my watch and realized that I wasn't moving that fast. Oh well, it sure felt good!

After JA, I swung by the house to pick up hubby (his day off!) and we had a hot date grocery shopping. We were able to find some organic instant polenta at Whole Foods (score!) and some yummy allergen friendly vitamins for the boys (even BIGGER score!). Now we're home and then head back out for kid chess and Valentine's Day party shopping.

Maybe that is why my Monday runs suck so much? I spend the WHOLE day running.

Happy running y'all!

11 Miles and the Dreaded Wall

Yesterday I ran 11 miles. My goal was to run it in two hours or less. Last time I ran 11 miles (training for the ATL half) I ran it in two hours, ten minutes and twenty-nine seconds. I wanted to beat that time. I fueled properly all day Wednesday. I carbo loaded, I drank water like it was going out of style. Last time I met 11 miles, it chewed me up and spit me out. I realized after the run it was due to improper fueling the day before and during. I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I knew what I was getting into and I was going to CRUSH 11 miles.

I missed my time goal by two minutes and nine seconds. CRAP! I was solid the first nine and half miles. It was EPIC. I was strong, I hit the high at nine miles (why does that take so long??!!??). I was grooving. Then I hit 10 miles. I am not sure what it is about double digits, but every time I get there, the wheels come off. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. I had a game plan for this run. I fueled with gels at miles three and six and had half of a honey stinger (I ran out of gels at home) at mile nine. I had two flasks of nuun. Looking back, I realize that I need MORE gels in the house. I like the idea of taking them every three miles, which is what works for my body. I need to pick up a Nathan Speed 4 to replace my Speed 2. I need to bring two flasks of nuun AND two flasks of water. Regardless of my hydration, I will still battle the notorious ten miles.

I asked a good friend of mine on FB about this double-digit issue. He’s an ultra runner, my ultimate running hero; I aspire to run like him some day. I view him as the Yoda of running. His reply was:

…that's why they call it training. 10 is your "wall" now. Think back to when you started running, when did the wheels fall off, much sooner?

Keep up the hard work and you'll learn about what your body needs to run efficiently through any wall, sans wheels. Soon enough you'll be busting out an easy ten for a recovery run. :-)

Endurance and muscle memory are earned through miles and miles. No short cuts.

The WALL. That’s what it’s all about. Facing the wall. Beating the wall. Tearing down the wall. (humming Pink Floyd). He’s right. When I started running, 10k was hard for me. Now that wall has moved to 10 miles. Practice makes perfect. I look forward to 10 miles being my “easy” recovery run, someday. That is what I love about running. Each and every day I face challenges that I can conquer, goals that can be met and crushed and then setting new goals. Running makes me determined, focused, and strong. I love it!

Today is a day of rest. Hubby has the day off and we’ll go for a short 2-3 mile hike with the boys after school. Not an extreme hike like last time, just an easy family hike. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, get out and move!

Happy running y’all!!!

An Open Letter to 11 Miles

10/13/2011

Dear 11 miles:


You really tried hard to bring me down today. Those hills kicked my butt and my legs, but I want you to know I didn't give up. I kept on going (that's what she said!) AND when I meet you again to run 12.5, I want you to know that I OWN YOU!!!!


Love,


-Carrie J

2:10:29

02/02/2012

Dear 11 miles:

I wouldn’t let you bring me down at all today. In fact, I chewed you up and spit you out and then I kicked you to the curb! I may have missed my time goal by two minutes and five seconds, but I still kicked your butt! And next time, I’m going to run you in under two hours. I just wanted you to know that you’re still my b*tch and I still OWN YOU!!!!!

Love,

-Carrie J

2:02:05

I'll post my 11 mile recap tomorrow. Happy Running y'all!!!

Wordless Wednesday

The boys eating their sandwiches on our Extreme hike on Sunday.