the wall

I've hit the wall of marathon training.

I'm disinterested, I'm feeling under the weather, I'm over it. I'm starting to feel flabby from missed runs and I'm struggling to discern if I'm missing them for good reasons (aka sick and best to stay healthy) or crap ones (not in the mood).

I know this is in my head. No I havent had the best season, but I certainly haven't had the worst either. I've run 18-miles multiple times and will conquer that distance again this weekend. Ok, so I've skipped some workouts, but it wasnt to sit on my butt, it was to move and unpack and never sit still. It's OK to rest sometimes, right?

I always have been intimidated with other people's mileage. I never run more than 3-4x a week. I do, howerver, XT like a fiend. My body needs more recovery time so I don't have a choice really.

Anyway, phew, even feel better post vent. I will be running 2-3 lower loops today so we shall see how I feel afterwards. I am still on Mucinex and still coughing but nothing too nasty.

I love the new hood

I feel at home and happy and grounded. I'm so satiated by this move. i cant even explain.



i had a doc appt yesterday so i snuck out of work early. i then took to laying on the couch and lounging. i still think I'm fighting some germs.


Today i went to the gym for 40 min. 30 min on the treadmill and 10 really of back and legs.  I should've/would've stayed longer and done other things but slowwwwww grasshopper, slowly.

Tonight i have an event. tomorrow i want to wake up and run and then do yoga in the pm. Thursday i will run in the pm. Friday is xt in the am and then Saturday is a long run. Sunday will be yoga and BAAAAAM! We're back on track.

MOving and other non running things

So I moved. Well really we moved. I love the new place. I feel like I've lived here for years but in a fresh way, if that makes any sense at all. I feel grounded and at home which I haven't felt in years. I love it.

Everything is unpacked and organized. Yes, everything. And yes, we moved Friday afternoon (well am, but by the time the movers and us drove through the torrential rain, it was pm. I slept 5 hours Thursday, 6 Friday, 4 interrupted Sat and finally, 7 last night. I feel OK today but it was so dusty my allergies were insanely acting up and I slept wrong? Saturday night and had a stiff/hurt neck yesterday. Needless to say. I didn't do a long run.

I know its bad. I do! I actually wanted to run,. I'm so close to Riverside Park AND CP now, it's like a treat, but yet I didn't run. I wanted to run today but had a call at 6:30 (ironically hasn't started yet and its 7:40) and it's icky rainy out. I don't want to run in the dark either so we'll have to see. I'm a scaredy cat yet.

So yea, its a problem in terms of long runs. I'm trying to not focus on it. It is what it is. This upcoming weekend I still intend to run 18 on Saturday and I'm sure I'll be fine. 3 weeks ago (on Sat) I ran 18m I am sure now, well rested, I will be able to reproduce that outcome. I'm going to concentrate on efficient workouts and making it happen and I know I'll be fine. I'm not going to have the best marathon, I know that. But I'm not going to have my worst either (let's hope!!!)

This week's schedule is largely dependent on the doctors appt I have today. I have an invasive, non surgical thing where you're not supposed to work out, but like, they can't really explain to me WHY I can't so I just don't buy into it. I am used to working out, like honestly, my body doesn't understand NOT working out more than it would freak out AT a workout.

I am disappointed, but honestly, I'm so happy with the apt and living with the man I love, that I don't frankly care about missing my run. Happens.

Hill repeats- NYCM finish line

You may remember that back in mid August we did a hill repeat workout at TNT which was the west side of the park from about Columbus circle to the finish line of the NYCM at Tavern on the Green. I wrote about it here.

My splits then (for the 0.31m 'hill') were: 2:31, 2:35, 2:36, 2:36, 2:40

Last night I ran 4 repeats instead of 5, mainly bc I was worried about blisters.  My splits were as follows:
2:15, 2:16, 1:58, 1:48

The 1:48 may be slightly inflated but boy were my arms pumping. I have arm pumping issues my friends. I don't pump. I run like a wimp. But, I am learning. I am pumping. I honestly think working out my arms and abs and upper back has helped me with this. I am a complicated bird though, given that my back is fused from my thoracic vertabrae 3 to 11. ISSUES!

Anyway. I was really pleased with that. The largest differential was still about 42 seconds. Which is crazy. My average pace round I was 8:15. My average pace round II (excl the 1:48 which I think is a bit shy of what it should be) was 7:00. AMAZING improvement.

i think it was tapering the last days resting my foot. Maybe it was all the hill training. Maybe its all my strength training. Maybe my watch was wrong? Why does the doubt creep in?

I have another blister. Honestly this is insane. It's all on one foot. I've never had substantial blisters before. It's laughable. Today I'm goign to take off from running, inspired from yesterdays run. I am goign to paint my apt so avoid the charge when I move Friday (I painted a wall gray). So yea, there's that. I am running Grete's Gallop Saturday. I don't expect to PR given that I'll have moved Friday.

Beat my number and week plan

I am #43535.

Here are past years results:

2009- f50: 4:53
f43, 5:!6:29
m42, 4:53:42
f28, 4:46:49
f32, 5:31:51
m49, 5:53:24

I am only interested in beating the 4's I hope I can pull off at least the 4:53 (and how weird theyre so close!!!) but I would love to beat the 4:46. That's still my ultimate goal. Most of them went out too fast, but isnt that most marathoners??

Yesterday I did weights and 20 min elliptical (to test the heel). I have my running socks agian (unpacked a few boxes to find them, I move Friday) but its a bitch and a half. Stupid feet. Today I have TNT and will run about 5m. Tomorrow I'm goign on a medium run- 8m in the park, any takers? Thursday will be 6 rounds of yassos on the treadmill- about 5.5 miles and then Friday is the move, Saturday will be grete's gallop and Sunday we'll see. Yoga? Recovery run?

I feel like I havent done enough. I've only done two 18-milers, a 16miler and then multiple 12-14s. That is not enough. This weekend I will run another 16. Wkd after a 20, wkd after a 16. Really, is that enough?!@?!?@

NYC race number

I am #43535! I like it.

disaster

my blister caused another blister. i guess i was walking weird all week esp friday when i went to ikea. long story short, my entire heel is/was a blister. a painful, sub skin nasty blister. awesome. how does this even happen?

i decided to postpone the long run to sunday on friday so i could enjoy sat w M and drink wine Friday night.

Needless to say because I couldnt put pressure on my heel Saturday all day, the Sunday run didnt happen. My foot is MUCH better. MUCH. I did yoga yesterday (90 min vinyasa) and did weights and elliptical today. Tomorrow I should be OK to run as long as I wrap it well.

DO NOT WEAR COTTON SOCKS. EVER!!!!!! THE DAMAGE LASTS FOR WEEKS.