Running - Half-Marathon Training #14-16

Runs #14 and #16 were pretty much the same old story.  Cold, icy, check the box runs.

Run #15 was pretty special because at six miles it was my long run of the week.  It was also special because I got lost and Kenny had to come rescue me. 

The running surface for Run #14 was so miserable that I knew I had to find a different place to go for my long run.  I headed for the woods because I figured that even if the surface was icy the trail would be more uneven than pavement and it would provide better traction.  For the most part, that ended up being true.  My pace was pretty slow because it was still very icy and there were some hills involved.  I just wanted to run three miles out and three miles back.  Mentally, it was comforting to me to break up my run this way.  I can handle a three mile run, no problem.  I just had to do it twice right in a row.   My knee bothered me for about the first mile and then it loosened up or was just so cold I didn't notice it anymore.

In the woods there are all kinds of trails that go off in different directions.  I always tried to stay on the main trail.  If it looked like a major split in both directions then I tried to stay on the most level surface.  I kept track of major landmarks, like when I crossed a road or went by a power station.  I tried to keep track of minor landmarks too, like sled tracks, horse poop, fallen branches, and benches.  Even so, when I came back I got to a major split and I wasn't sure which way to go.  So, I took my best guess, ran quite a ways and started seeing fences and benches that I didn't remember.  I turned around and tried the other trail but it didn't seem at all familiar.  By that time I was coming up on the end of my mileage.  I didn't want to run extra because I know that just leads to injury.  I didn't want to walk because I was all sweaty and would get very cold very quickly in the 20 degree, breezy weather.  So, I ran back to a major road I had crossed, finished up my six miles, read the sign that told me where I was, and called Kenny to come get me.  I was lucky my phone worked.  It was so cold I was having a hard time getting it to respond.  Next time maybe I should put some cash in my pocket so I can go sit inside and have a warm drink while I wait for him to come rescue me.

We rode in the car for an hour and a half later in the day and my knee started bothering me a bit.  It felt sore and unstable when walking.  I was afraid the injury was going to rear its ugly head, but it was fine today and I could do an easy three mile recovery run with no problem.

Goals
Today: Stay in tune with my body to avoid injury on a longer run.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  6 miles
Time:  1:17
Pace:  12:83
Weather:  20s and breezy

Thoughts

• Always take a phone just in case.  Maybe put the phone in an inside pocket so it doesn't freeze.
• The focus and balance I use in yoga come in handy when running on icy surfaces.
• Being open to trying out new routes is helpful when the surfaces are crummy.
• I wonder if running in the cold helps my knee.  It's like I'm icing it during the entire run.  For run #16 my running tights were in the wash and I just wore regular yoga pants.  Brr.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #13

It was a dark and snowy morning.  Again.  There were big snowflakes today and I could feel them on my eyeballs.  I've been listening to the same Genius playlist based on Eye of the Tiger for awhile now because it is wonderful. Eighties rock makes good running music.   I'm not sure whether I should turn shuffle on so I can hear some new songs or leave it on consecutive so I start to learn where I'm at in my run based on the song that's playing.

Goals
Today: Don't slip and fall.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule regardless of the weather.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  3.02 miles
Time:  31:30
Pace:  10:27
Weather:  20s and snowing

Thoughts

• I just wanted to check the box on this run.  I wanted to get it done and get showered before a work conference call.  So, nothing too special to report, but I am pleased that I'm starting to see light in the sky.  Days are getting longer!

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #12

Just a short two miles today after yesterday's long run.  It was supposed to be an easy two miles but the roads weren't icy and I was feeling good, so I thought I would work on speed.  I ran my first mile in about 9'40" but then my knee started hurting so I slowed down.  I guess I should just follow the training plan.  I feel less pain when I do.

Goals
Today: See if I could improve my average pace per mile.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule.  Work on improving pace.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  2.02 miles
Time:  20:38
Pace:  10:13
Weather:  High 20s

Thoughts

• I wanted to improve my pace per mile on today's short run so I started out fast.  That was a mistake.  It would have been better to get going for awhile, get in tune with my breath and then speed up.  And, my knee started hurting after the first mile.  Overall my pace was slower than my pace for my five mile run yesterday.  Boo!  I guess slow and steady is better in the end.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #11

Today was the big day.  The day when I ran five miles.  Four miles is my comfort zone, my regular distance before I hurt my knee on the Ibiza run.  I felt good up until about mile three.  


It was a beautiful sunny day with a light dusting of sparkling snow.  I loved running beyond my usual turnaround point.  I started to warm up and  loosened my hood and removed my gloves.  But then mile three came and went.  It was a little breezier in the opposite direction and my head started to ache from the cold.   My neck started feeling stiff.  The cushiony part of my shoe under my big toe started to irritate me.  I was a little burpy because I ran a little later so I had eaten breakfast.  No serious pain, just a lot of little irritants.  Two miles home all of a sudden seemed like a really long way.  


So, my inner yoga teacher started talking.  I drew in my abs, released my shoulders away from my neck, stretched my neck, wiggled my toes in my shoes, and ran faster.  Yes, ran faster so I could get home sooner.  And then I started thinking about my Yoga 360 training class.  Each of us had an opportunity to teach a portion of a one-hour class.  Everyone pulled out their best tricks.  The soldiers in the group really liked moving from a traditional plank pose to plank on forearms pose back to traditional plank.  They liked to do it for a really long time.  My mat was next to a young male soldier's mat.  I could tell from his breathing that he was efforting.  I was not willing to break the pose before he did.  Yes, I know yoga isn't supposed to be competitive but if I'm going to teach yoga to soldiers I need to command a little respect.  And, that hurt more than the little discomforts during my run.

Goals
Today: Don't fall.  It's still slippery outside!  Keep a healthy knee after a longer distance.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  5.01 miles
Time:  50:44
Pace:  10:07
Weather:  22, sunny, light snow on the ground

Thoughts

• Who knew that my yoga practice would help with running endurance.
• I had a conversation this week with a couple of ladies who hate running.  I realized that I used to hate running, but I don't hate it anymore.  I love the structure of training for something and just following the plan.  I even enjoy reading Runner's World.  I don't think I'll ever be a super athlete, but I'm proud that my five mile pace today is faster than my three mile pace two days ago.  My fastest pace today was under eight minutes.
• I feel like I'm hungry a lot.  There was a plan in Runner's World that just gave the number of servings for each food group that you should have when you're training.  I might try that and see if I feel more satisfied.
• Sophia has been begging to run with me.  I hope I can inspire her to be active and healthy.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #10

I'm not a morning person so it's crazy for me to be out running in the dark.  There was something deeply satisfying about being out making the first tracks in the snow.  Yes the snow.  We had a complete thaw but now the snow is back so I'm back to running in the dark on a slippery surface.  It's all good.  My pace will just get better and better as the days get longer and warmer.  When I felt like I had good footing I did try to run a little faster.  My knees have been feeling okay so I'd like to push the cardio a bit more.  My friend Nicole suggested Eye of the Tiger as a good running song.  I based my Genius mix on that song and had great music.  Think I'll keep this playlist for awhile.

Goals
Today: Don't fall.  Try to run a little faster.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  3.01 miles
Time:  31.23
Pace:  10.38
Weather:  Upper 20s, lightly snowing

Thoughts

• I'm feeling comfortable on my runs.  It's time to push a little harder.  It's a five mile long run this week, and my comfort zone is four miles, so this week breaks that mileage barrier.  Looking forward to seeing how it goes.

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #5-9

On my run last Monday I dropped my small camera and is beyond repair.  I'm sad because I liked posting pictures of my runs and new camera models are coming out in March so I don't want to replace it just yet.  There had been a thaw and a refreeze Sunday night so it was really icy outside.  I had to stick to sidewalks that had been salted.  Thank goodness the Germans are obsessive about clear sidewalks, otherwise there would have been no place to run.  I was happy that if something had to break it was my camera and not a body part on such a trecherous day.

It was a busy week.  I went to the Yoga 360 Teacher Certification Course that was offered free by the Army.  It went from 8:30 to 4:30 every day.  I managed to get my runs in but not much else.  No blogging. Runs #5-9 consisted of 2, 2, 3, 4, and 2.5 mile runs.  I missed a 2.5 mile run over the weekend but I skied and climbed a mountain in Garmisch instead.  My knee is a little tender so I don't run quite as fast as I would like, but I'm making it through all of my runs and I can run afterwards.

I did get a new gadget.  It attaches to my new iPod Nano.  It tracks and gives me information about my runs.  I have a Garmin GPS watch but I am often frustrated because it takes an eternity to find the satellites.  I'm still working on getting my Nike + calibrated though.  Today it lost .4 of a mile on a 2.5 mile run.  I hope that by wearing my GPS watch and the Nike + for awhile and calibrating after each run it will get to know my stride and give me an accurate reading.  I like that a voice comes on and tells me my stats at the touch of a button.  She also lets me know when I'm halfway done and she gives me a summary at the end.  The Nike website automatically updates with the stats when I plug in my Nano.  Fun!

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #4

Dark, very dark.  I needed to get out and run before Kenny left for work.  If running on snow and ice is tricky, it's even trickier to do it in the dark.  I felt like I needed all of my senses to just run, so I did this run completely unplugged.  No music, no GPS watch.  There was absolutely nothing to distract me from the bitter, cold wind and almost perfect darkness.  It was supposed to be an easy, end of the week run but my breath told me that I was running a little faster than usual to compensate for the cold.  Toward the end of the first mile my knee started telling me that it was unhappy so I backed off my pace and even walked a little.  


Goals
Today: Just check the block for this run.  
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  2 miles
Time:  ?
Pace:  ?
Weather:  15, windy, snowpack

Thoughts

• It was a cold, miserable run and my knee started to hurt, but this run marked the end of my first week of marathon training.  Hopefully a couple days of rest will make my knee feel better again.  

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #3

I'm not sure what the perfect translation of this billboard is, but I like to think it reads, "Get out of the house."  One of the biggest reasons why I wanted to train for the Prague Half-Marathon is that it would force me to get out of the house during the cold Bavarian winter.  It seemed appropriate that I ran into this sign.


I love that I'm starting to see yoga and running talked about together.  Recently I read about yoga in Runner's World and I read about running in Yoga Journal.  An article in Yoga Journal suggested incorporating Ujjayi Pranayama (breath with sound) into a run to help calm and center when things get tough.  I am familiar and comfortable with this type of breathing in my yoga practice but I found that breathing only through my nose when running left me short of breath.  It was an interesting concept to play with though.  Something else that the article talked about was body awareness.  Runners who practice yoga are able to prevent injuries by being in tune with their bodies and are able to notice subtle changes before they become problems.  They are also able to scan their bodies, notice where they are holding tension and release that tension to create a more efficient run.  Good stuff!


Today was supposed to be a rest day according to my training schedule, but I want to take my rest day later in the week, so I hope I don't get into trouble for not having the proper spacing between my runs and my rests.


Goals
Today: Try to run a little faster, though the ice and snow and slush make it difficult.  Maybe my goal should be to just not fall down!  I think I might actually fly when I have solid footing.
Short term:  Stay on track with my half-marathon training schedule.
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the 3-hour allotted time.

Stats
Distance:  3.01 miles
Time:  35:07:26
Pace:  11:65
Weather:  Low 20s, snowpack

Thoughts

• I'm a little competitive so when I think about completing the half-marathon close to last I start to get a little upset even though it would be a tremendous achievement for me to even finish.  I need to work on creating a happier picture in my head.  I need more of yoga's "be where you are" mentality.  

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Running - Half-Marathon Training #2

During some portions of my run today I felt like I was running through sand.  Of course it wasn't sand.  It was a sand/slush combination but I liked to imagine that I was training for a warm weather event that included sand.  No sand in Prague but a girl can dream.

Speaking of dreaming, I've started to scope out other long-distance running events like the Rock and Roll marathons.  I do not really believe that I will ever be a long-distance runner. I don't think my body will hold up.  But, who knows what can happen with proper training and lots of yoga.  I've really been thinking about proper knee alignment when I run and do other activities.  Maybe the attention and focus will help too.

Gear

No complaints about my gear.  I'm warm and comfortable enough.  That's all I can ask for.

I found what I believe to be a good training plan here.  I got Hal Higdon's How to Train: The Best Programs, Workouts, And Schedules For Runners Of All Ages.  I think it's a great book but it leaves a big mileage gap between the 10k training program and the half-marathon training program.  I wouldn't be able to make up that gap between now and the first part of April.  The plan I'm following starts with a 3 mile long run and adds a mile to the long run day each week.  I'm going to try and maintain a lot of my regular workouts along with this plan so I'll have more cross training and yoga built in.  Hopefully it works!

Goals

Today: Ease back into running.
Short term:  Half-Marathon Training
Medium term: Half-Marathon Training
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the maximum race time of 3 hours.

Stats
Distance:  2.5 miles
Time:  29.54
Pace:  11.82
Weather:  Low 20s, snowpack 

Thoughts

• Well, this is an embarrassingly slow time when you just look at the numbers, but I was running through slush and I had to take care of my knee so it is what it is.  I just multiplied it out and found that even if this were my pace for the race, I would still make it in under the 3 hour max time.
• I'm starting to think about what songs I want in my three hour playlist.  Suggestions?

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Running - Half- Marathon Training #1

I took over a month off from running to try and give my knee a chance to heal but I have not forgotten that the Prague Half-Marathon is coming up in April.  I've been doing a lot of walking, cross-training, and yoga.  Now I'm hoping to ease back into running.  I had hoped to build up a good mileage base during the last couple of months so I would be in a good position to begin training for the marathon but instead I got too eager on that Ibiza run and ruined it all.  So, I don't have a good mileage base right now, but I learned an important lesson about overdoing it.

My parents are visiting right now and we have been site-seeing in very cold weather. Thirty degrees now seems warm.  The good news is that I am now better acclimated to the cold temperatures and it wasn't a big deal to gear up this morning and run in 20 degree weather.  I ran a slow two miles.  I wanted to just take it easy and feel out my knee.  I didn't want to be all crippled up after the run.  It felt maybe a little unstable like it wanted to pop, but it wasn't painful.  I iced it after the run just for good measure and it has been fine all day even with a lot of walking and stair climbing during our trip to Munich.

Gear

I was excited to find an iPod Nano under the Christmas tree. It is only a tiny bit bigger than my old Shuffle which wasn't behaving predictably anymore and it has a lot more functionality.  I look forward to having it as a running partner.  I still need to check out the Nike+ options which could make this an even better running partner.

Goals

Today: Ease back into running.
Short term:  Half-Marathon Training
Medium term: Half-Marathon Training
Long term:  Complete the Prague Half-Marathon within the maximum race time of 3 hours.

Stats
Distance:  2 miles
Time:  ?
Pace:  ?
Weather:  High 20s, snowpack 

Thoughts

• It felt good to go our running again after a long break.  The solitude and the fresh air is nice.
• There was snow everywhere but I felt pretty stable and warm in my trail-running shoes. 
• I'm a little concerned that after such a long break I'm not going to be able to get my mileage up to where it needs to be, but I have a plan and I'm going to take it one day at a time.

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