If I’m supposed to start updating this blog on Sundays after my long run, I’m either doing very well or very poorly – seeing as how it’s Monday! But since it had been months since I updated, I figure being a day late isn’t too bad. Even now, though, I’m whipping this post off before heading to a doctor’s appointment, picking up Andrew from school, getting groceries, picking up Chris from daycare… and I do still have tons of work!
After yesterday’s 10K group run, I’ve figured out one very important thing. I am becoming obsessed with time, and not in a good way. I know that, when running, you’re really only running to beat yourself. But I’m starting to really panic about my 10K time (much like I did with the 5K), and I’m worried it’s taking the enjoyment out of running for me.
I originally planned to train hard enough to take my 10K time down to 55 minutes. But the more I run, the more unlikely it seems that I will meet that goal. That’s a whole four minutes I have to shave off my time (four minutes and 20 seconds, to be precise), and I think I might be putting too much pressure on myself.
Part of the problem is the running clinic I’m in. Before, we had very few people in our clinic, and I was one of the fastest runners. Now, we have 37 people – and while I’m not the slowest, I’m also nowhere near the fastest! But who cares, right? I do, only not for the reasons you’d think.
See, the problem is that I’d made some running buddies in the “fast” crowd – and now my buddies are outpacing me. I want to keep up with them because we’ve had some great conversations on our runs, and they make the runs a lot more fun for me. But I can’t. I simply can’t run that fast. Some will end up breaking 50 minutes on the 10K, and it’s never going to happen for me.
I guess the point would be to make new running buddies. But I really LIKE the people I run with now. So I either get faster – or let it kill me.
To try and get a little faster, I’ve been upping my speed workouts. Will it pay off on race day? I think it’s unlikely. I think I’m running about as fast as I can go. So what should I do?
I don’t have the answer, but I do know I plan to take a bit of the pressure off myself. Next Sunday, when I run with the group, if I can’t keep up, well, I guess I’ll talk to my buddies after. And if I run the 10K race in an hour, then I do. It’s not the Olympics, after all. Running is supposed to be FUN. If I keep worrying about my time, I’ll drive myself crazy. So fun it is.
Less than two weeks until race day… we’ll see what happens then.
Happy trails…
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Ouch!
My new Mizuno running shoes are great. I started using them on Friday, and have not had one problem with shin splints. (Considering I was in agony on Wednesday night after running in my Nikes, that’s a big deal.) There’s just one little problem… ouch!
See, the new Mizunos aren’t broken in, and they’ve given me two rather massive blisters on my heels. We’re talking big-time blisters, and are they painful! I ran an easy 5K on Friday, which is when the blisters first started. On Saturday, I did some speed work on the treadmill (four minute, intense speed intervals – yuck!) and didn’t even bother doing weights because my feet hurt so much. Somehow I got through today’s easy 10K run, but I have to admit, my feet are in pretty bad shape now. I’m going to soak them in Epsom salts tonight, but I’m afraid of what tomorrow will bring. I have to be at a trade show all day, and I think the blisters might kill me!
Ultimately, I think I’ll be very happy with the shoe choices. The aches and pains/shin splints are already gone, proving to me that it was indeed my shoes that caused the problem. These shoes have great support, and if I can get the blisters under control, it will be great.
Until then, though, I think I’m in for some painful times ahead!
Today also marked another milestone for me with my running. Today I started my experiment with different types of energy drinks and gels. I know they’re not to important for me right now, considering I’m only running distances of up to 13K right now, but as I move to half marathon training in the fall, it will become much more important. Any time you’re out running for longer than 90 minutes, you need to put both carbohydrates and electrolytes back in your body. And while you could try munching on an apple while running, energy drinks and gels are really the best way to get those nutrients back into your body. (We had a sports nutritionist come in and talk to our clinic… can you tell?)
So today I tried a gel before my run. Disgusting! I didn’t notice it gave me more energy (although the run was easier – I think that’s because we slowed down our pace a bit), but it certainly didn’t upset my stomach either. Next week, I’m going to try an energy drink instead of water on my run. We’ll see if that makes any difference.
Happy trails…
See, the new Mizunos aren’t broken in, and they’ve given me two rather massive blisters on my heels. We’re talking big-time blisters, and are they painful! I ran an easy 5K on Friday, which is when the blisters first started. On Saturday, I did some speed work on the treadmill (four minute, intense speed intervals – yuck!) and didn’t even bother doing weights because my feet hurt so much. Somehow I got through today’s easy 10K run, but I have to admit, my feet are in pretty bad shape now. I’m going to soak them in Epsom salts tonight, but I’m afraid of what tomorrow will bring. I have to be at a trade show all day, and I think the blisters might kill me!
Ultimately, I think I’ll be very happy with the shoe choices. The aches and pains/shin splints are already gone, proving to me that it was indeed my shoes that caused the problem. These shoes have great support, and if I can get the blisters under control, it will be great.
Until then, though, I think I’m in for some painful times ahead!
Today also marked another milestone for me with my running. Today I started my experiment with different types of energy drinks and gels. I know they’re not to important for me right now, considering I’m only running distances of up to 13K right now, but as I move to half marathon training in the fall, it will become much more important. Any time you’re out running for longer than 90 minutes, you need to put both carbohydrates and electrolytes back in your body. And while you could try munching on an apple while running, energy drinks and gels are really the best way to get those nutrients back into your body. (We had a sports nutritionist come in and talk to our clinic… can you tell?)
So today I tried a gel before my run. Disgusting! I didn’t notice it gave me more energy (although the run was easier – I think that’s because we slowed down our pace a bit), but it certainly didn’t upset my stomach either. Next week, I’m going to try an energy drink instead of water on my run. We’ll see if that makes any difference.
Happy trails…
Friday, April 18, 2008
Run versus write
I was at a birthday party last weekend, when someone asked me about updating my running blog. Was I not running anymore? Why hadn’t I updated it in a while?
I asked myself, has it really been that long? And the answer is yes! Three months is way too long to go without updating my running blog!
It’s no secret that I bit off a bit more than I can chew in terms of work this year, and lately I don’t seem to have much time for any “leisurely” writing pursuits. The good news is, I HAVE found time to run.
I completed my second 10K clinic and, once again, there was no official 10K race happening in the area to match the end of the clinic. But the Running Room put on another race for us from the store, where I clocked in at 59:20. I had a bit of a rough run, running out of steam toward the end. I hadn’t been feeling great leading up to the race, which may explain my lack of energy.
I then signed up for a third 10K clinic. I am determined to run one “real” 10K race before moving on to the half marathon distance. I’ve signed up with the Mississauga 10K in May, and the past few weeks I have been working toward training for that race.
My training has been a bit off, though. I’ve only done one 10K run since March, and that was on a treadmill. I’ve been having some shin splints and foot pain, but I just bought a new pair of shoes which should help. I was beginning to wonder if the Nikes I was using weren’t the best shoes for me. This time around, I’ve chosen a pair of Mizunos, and I took them out for a spin this morning. They seem to be a lot more comfortable (minus the fresh blisters on my heels, mind you!)
The other big change I’ve made is skipping the Tuesday run. Instead, Mike and I have been going to “Boot Camp” at the YMCA. We get a babysitter and head to the gym every Tuesday night for a combined strength/cardio workout. It’s fun – and it’s been especially nice to share my newfound love of fitness with Mike. (Unfortunately, we have to wrap it up in May, because Mike starts ball hockey again on Tuesday nights. And I KNOW I won’t drag myself out of the house Tuesday nights when I can go for a run Tuesday mornings.)
So that, in a nutshell, is the past three months of training. I’ve decided I want to make it a point to blog a bit more. Every Sunday, after my long run, I’m going to try to write about the week’s training. I know that’s an ambitious goal, but so is running a marathon, right? There’s a lot of ground to cover, so to speak, and I’m going to try to cover it all.
Happy trails…
I asked myself, has it really been that long? And the answer is yes! Three months is way too long to go without updating my running blog!
It’s no secret that I bit off a bit more than I can chew in terms of work this year, and lately I don’t seem to have much time for any “leisurely” writing pursuits. The good news is, I HAVE found time to run.
I completed my second 10K clinic and, once again, there was no official 10K race happening in the area to match the end of the clinic. But the Running Room put on another race for us from the store, where I clocked in at 59:20. I had a bit of a rough run, running out of steam toward the end. I hadn’t been feeling great leading up to the race, which may explain my lack of energy.
I then signed up for a third 10K clinic. I am determined to run one “real” 10K race before moving on to the half marathon distance. I’ve signed up with the Mississauga 10K in May, and the past few weeks I have been working toward training for that race.
My training has been a bit off, though. I’ve only done one 10K run since March, and that was on a treadmill. I’ve been having some shin splints and foot pain, but I just bought a new pair of shoes which should help. I was beginning to wonder if the Nikes I was using weren’t the best shoes for me. This time around, I’ve chosen a pair of Mizunos, and I took them out for a spin this morning. They seem to be a lot more comfortable (minus the fresh blisters on my heels, mind you!)
The other big change I’ve made is skipping the Tuesday run. Instead, Mike and I have been going to “Boot Camp” at the YMCA. We get a babysitter and head to the gym every Tuesday night for a combined strength/cardio workout. It’s fun – and it’s been especially nice to share my newfound love of fitness with Mike. (Unfortunately, we have to wrap it up in May, because Mike starts ball hockey again on Tuesday nights. And I KNOW I won’t drag myself out of the house Tuesday nights when I can go for a run Tuesday mornings.)
So that, in a nutshell, is the past three months of training. I’ve decided I want to make it a point to blog a bit more. Every Sunday, after my long run, I’m going to try to write about the week’s training. I know that’s an ambitious goal, but so is running a marathon, right? There’s a lot of ground to cover, so to speak, and I’m going to try to cover it all.
Happy trails…
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