I guess I've kind of been ignoring my blog. Hell, I've been ignoring my training program and I've gotten SO out of shape! Haha, I reckon I've sort of taken an "extended vacation" since the marathon, but I really need to get back in gear! The marathon honeymoon is long since over!!!
I guess my first real eye-opener was about 2 weeks ago when I realized I was simply not in good enough shape to be able to compete in the Charlottesville International Triathlon as I had planned. Taking a long break after the marathon was definitely much needed, but I guess I've just been frustrated that I can't jump right back into it where I left off. I'm not starting from scratch, but I shouldn't expect to pump out 15mi like it's nothing. I know I've been pushing myself a bit too much (especially on the bike - I really haven't done much biking since last fall!), so I'm trying to work back into a routine.
I must say, it is tough with a full time job!! I only work 3x a week, but they are 12hr shifts, so my whole day is pretty much shot. I wish I could train more than 4x a week on my days off, so I'm hoping once I get used to the night shift schedule, I'll be able to train before I go to work at 7pm, and then also in the evenings on my days off after I've gotten my snooze in. So far night shift is kickin' my tail though!!!
I had planned on running my second marathon at Richmond this November. I have zero motivation to run in the hot humid weather, so I have a feeling I'm not going to make the marathon distance by then. Perhaps I'll still go for the half...that distance is quite do-able. I've got a few tri's coming up, including my FAVORITE in about a month, the C-ville XTERRA!!! Sooooo excited!! I may do one or two more this fall, and perhaps set my sights towards a half Ironman distance next spring??? Who knows!! Lots of exciting stuff on the horizon! :)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Way behind, but Marathon SUCCESS!!
So my last post was totally a month and a half ago. I reckon a lot has happened!! Due to school, work, projects, training...aka LIFE...I haven't gotten around to my blog in a while.
Brief update as to where I am at the moment. I've got one final exam at Longwood tomorrow and I'm DONE with undergraduate!! I start orientation for my new job at UVA hospital on May 5th and graduate on May 10th! I'll be living in Farmville until July, then it's back to the raging town of Scottsville! This fall I'm starting the 2-year paramedic program at PVCC, then after 2 years, who knows! :)
The purpose of this blog was to track my marathon progress, and I'm happy to report I successfully completed the Charlottesville Marathon on April 19, 2008 with a time of 4:49:39. I'm copying and pasting exactly what I posted on facebook and myspace, so if you're reading this, you're likely someone who has seen it already, but here it is:
Well, it is official! As many have already seen, I have successfully completed my very first full marathon. That’s 26.2 miles! Thank you sooooo much to everyone who has offered support, well-wishes, and congratulations over the past several months as I’ve pursued this goal. Many of you think I’m crazy…and as well you should! 26.2 miles is pretty crazy if I do say so myself! But I’d like to take a few minutes to go back to the beginning to shed some light on the decision, the process, and the ultimate experience which was the Charlottesville Marathon…
November 17, 2007 my best friend Eleanor was taken from this world. There are few things harder than loosing someone you love so much. That first week I think I was just in shock and didn’t want to believe it had actually happened. But then it really hit home at her memorial service in Scottsville the following weekend. I cried…and cried…and cried…and just felt like a huge part of myself was missing, as I’m sure so many other people who knew Eleanor were experiencing as well.
Eleanor’s mother, Christine (who has got to be one of the strongest women I know!), spoke so beautifully at the service about Eleanor’s life. Christine encouraged everyone to really celebrate the short, but incredibly full life Eleanor had lived in her 21 years. Buttons and ribbons in green and gold (Eleanor’s riding colors) were passed out at the service. The inspiration behind these items was that each person could take a small part of Eleanor with them as they pursued their own goals. It was shortly after the service that I decided to pursue a huge goal of mine that I had not quite made the year before – completing a marathon.
The passion and drive with which Eleanor had pursued her goals became my inspiration. I knew how dedicated Eleanor was to her sport of choice, eventing. All through high school I watched her train and compete, and yet still stay dedicated to her schoolwork. She was determined to make it to the top in her sport, even though she did not have the same luxuries and expensive horses as some people in the sport enjoyed. I watched Eleanor and her horse Bailey climb steadily and surely through the levels and up to advanced. Eleanor had put in the hard work and was definitely living her dream. She MORE than earned the level she had reached.
I remember fall semester senior year begging her to come off to college with me, but deep down inside I knew that Eleanor had found her life’s calling in the equestrian world. A month before we graduated high school, Eleanor packed up her belongings and horse when she got the opportunity to follow her dreams to England. It was hard to say goodbye to my best friend, but I was happy for her to get the chance to fully pursue what she loved.
If you think running 26.2 miles is an impressive feat, you haven’t heard anything! Try competing at Badminton, arguably the most challenging and rigorous equestrian competition in the world! And try doing that at 18 years old, as the youngest competitor, on a horse you trained by yourself! Eleanor and Bailey did just that in 2005. And what I think is more impressive – at Eleanor’s first international competition in Lexington, VA in 2002, we learned that had the Brennans not purchased Bailey, he was to be shipped off to Montana to become a pack horse because no one could train him! Well, Eleanor was able to take him all the way to competing at Badminton! She certainly had a gift and an absolutely amazing partnership with Bailey.
While Eleanor continued training and competing in England, I pursued my own goals in college. I had found my way to the world of fire/rescue and had also developed a passion for a variety of athletic endeavors, including running. I’d decided in 2006 that I wanted to run a marathon, but did not quite make it for 2007 due to school in the spring and knee injuries in the fall. I’d lost a great deal of my drive as I battled injury and took almost all fall off from running. After Eleanor’s accident however, the passion was rekindled and I became determined to achieve this goal I had set for myself.
I progressed my mileage slowly to avoid injury, and created a training program which incorporated the minimum amount of stress on my knees, but would still allow me to go the full distance. (As a side note - I was able to complete the entire program injury free and have since learned that it was actually the biking, not the running, which was troubling my knees in the first place.)
Many of my long runs – the most important aspect of the marathoner’s training program – took place on the dirt paths of Glendower Rd and Coles Rolling Rd in Scottsville. On these training runs I would pass both Grayson Farm and Plain Dealing Farm where Eleanor and I had spent many hours together enjoying a sport we both loved. Both of these places hold so many amazing memories, and it was during these workouts that I felt Eleanor was close with me. Throughout the 5 months of training, I felt like giving up quite a few times, but it was Eleanor’s dedication and determination which really kept me going.
A busy school schedule forced me into a taper earlier than I had planned. Thus, my last few long runs were missed, but I had made it far enough in the program to still be capable of finishing the 26.2 miles. My nerves the week leading up to the event stemmed from missing those last few workouts, and I prayed that the mileage base I had built over the past several months would be enough to carry me through.
April 19th the alarm clock rang at 4:15am. I was so nervous I could hardly eat my staple bagel breakfast. I arrived in Charlottesville at about 5:30am – the race started at 6:30am, so I had plenty of time to stretch, warm-up, and mentally prepare myself for what was to come. I really don’t know why I was so nervous. My only goal was to finish, so all I had to do was just keep moving…keep moving for 26.2 miles…
The gun was shot off and I crossed the start line of the Charlottesville Marathon, my very first marathon attempt. It was a surreal feeling knowing that the next few hours ahead of me were exactly what I had been training and preparing for over the past few months. All the hours and all the miles had led to this. I know I had my best friend there with me in spirit, just as she had been with me over the entire training process.
The first few miles were effortless. In fact, the first 2/3 of the race was pretty effortless!! One foot in front of the other, that’s all it took. I clipped right along at a 10:00min pace for most of the race. The majority of the pack, which was running the half marathon, turned around at mile 6.5 and left us marathoners to continue along on our own. It was quite peaceful and absolutely beautiful as we ran down Garth Rd, passing Foxfield, the Mechum River, and amazing Albemarle County estates. A right turn onto Ridge Road offered a winding dirt path through the woods and past more gorgeous countryside. Another right on Free Union Road looped us back to Garth Road after taking a quick out and back down another dirt path.
Once back out on Garth Road and headed back into Charlottesville, I knew I was in the home stretch. My feet were really aching and I started doubting if I could actually finish, since I was still several miles out, but I know I had someone right there with me, continuing to urge me along towards my goal. My pace had slowed considerably, but I was still moving along towards the finish. A right turn onto Old Garth Rd meant we were only 5 miles from home. My goal was within reach.
I specifically remember checking my watch at mile 22 – 4.2 miles from home and I was at 3:40:00. It was at that point that I KNEW I would finish. It was during mile 23 that I probably walked more than I ran, but I didn’t care, I was still getting closer to home. At the start of mile 24 I started running again, albeit very slowly. It was probably more of a shuffling walk!
Seeing the mile 25 marker brought with it a last surge of energy and adrenaline. The last mile was all downhill on Grady Ave (the BEST part of the Charlottesville Ten-Miler route!!). My legs were starting to really cramp up at this point, but I knew I was so close. I could see the finish line as I passed through the intersection at Preston and Ridge! My mom and her friend Megan were sitting on the corner as I turned on Old Preston, cheering as loud as they could. Just about 50 yards and I had it! Even though the winners had crossed the finish line more than 2 hours before, there was still a crowd cheering me home. I started crying as I crossed the finish line – I had done it. The final official time was 4:49:39.
My Mom, Dad, and Megan all met me with their congratulations, but there were too many emotions following though me to really answer or respond. I wouldn’t have thought I’d have such an emotional response to the whole ordeal, but it took several minutes of just sitting and being able to gather myself before I could really speak intelligently with anyone. I had just completed a HUGE goal I had made for myself, and it was an absolutely amazing feeling. Doing this was also my personal way to honor and celebrate the life and spirit of one of the greatest people I think I will ever have the experience of knowing and being close to.
Had you asked me that afternoon if I would do another marathon, my response probably would have been something along the lines of, “awwww HELL no!!” My left ankle seriously felt like it was broken and I had to practically crawl along the railing to get up or down a flight of stairs. But I was well enough to go out celebrating that night and really was not as sore the next morning as I was expecting. In fact, here it is Tuesday evening, 3 days following the marathon and my body is not even feeling like it ran the race! I had NO idea I would recover this fast, but I’m still gonna take it easy for the next few days.
So, what are the plans for the future? Triathlons in store for this summer, and I’m already plotting marathon #2 for sometime this fall - either the Marine Corps Marathon in October or the Suntrust Richmond Marathon in November. Knowing I can complete a marathon also makes me more excited to one day consider an Ironman triathlon! But one step at a time – maybe shoot for a half Ironman sometime next year and take it from there!
Once again, thank you to everyone who has offered me support and given congratulations as I post my race results online. You all have also helped me keep going and keep working towards these crazy goals of mine. Keep a look out for me in races this summer – I’ll be the one proudly showing off the green and gold!!
Much love!
Erica
Brief update as to where I am at the moment. I've got one final exam at Longwood tomorrow and I'm DONE with undergraduate!! I start orientation for my new job at UVA hospital on May 5th and graduate on May 10th! I'll be living in Farmville until July, then it's back to the raging town of Scottsville! This fall I'm starting the 2-year paramedic program at PVCC, then after 2 years, who knows! :)
The purpose of this blog was to track my marathon progress, and I'm happy to report I successfully completed the Charlottesville Marathon on April 19, 2008 with a time of 4:49:39. I'm copying and pasting exactly what I posted on facebook and myspace, so if you're reading this, you're likely someone who has seen it already, but here it is:
Well, it is official! As many have already seen, I have successfully completed my very first full marathon. That’s 26.2 miles! Thank you sooooo much to everyone who has offered support, well-wishes, and congratulations over the past several months as I’ve pursued this goal. Many of you think I’m crazy…and as well you should! 26.2 miles is pretty crazy if I do say so myself! But I’d like to take a few minutes to go back to the beginning to shed some light on the decision, the process, and the ultimate experience which was the Charlottesville Marathon…
November 17, 2007 my best friend Eleanor was taken from this world. There are few things harder than loosing someone you love so much. That first week I think I was just in shock and didn’t want to believe it had actually happened. But then it really hit home at her memorial service in Scottsville the following weekend. I cried…and cried…and cried…and just felt like a huge part of myself was missing, as I’m sure so many other people who knew Eleanor were experiencing as well.
Eleanor’s mother, Christine (who has got to be one of the strongest women I know!), spoke so beautifully at the service about Eleanor’s life. Christine encouraged everyone to really celebrate the short, but incredibly full life Eleanor had lived in her 21 years. Buttons and ribbons in green and gold (Eleanor’s riding colors) were passed out at the service. The inspiration behind these items was that each person could take a small part of Eleanor with them as they pursued their own goals. It was shortly after the service that I decided to pursue a huge goal of mine that I had not quite made the year before – completing a marathon.
The passion and drive with which Eleanor had pursued her goals became my inspiration. I knew how dedicated Eleanor was to her sport of choice, eventing. All through high school I watched her train and compete, and yet still stay dedicated to her schoolwork. She was determined to make it to the top in her sport, even though she did not have the same luxuries and expensive horses as some people in the sport enjoyed. I watched Eleanor and her horse Bailey climb steadily and surely through the levels and up to advanced. Eleanor had put in the hard work and was definitely living her dream. She MORE than earned the level she had reached.
I remember fall semester senior year begging her to come off to college with me, but deep down inside I knew that Eleanor had found her life’s calling in the equestrian world. A month before we graduated high school, Eleanor packed up her belongings and horse when she got the opportunity to follow her dreams to England. It was hard to say goodbye to my best friend, but I was happy for her to get the chance to fully pursue what she loved.
If you think running 26.2 miles is an impressive feat, you haven’t heard anything! Try competing at Badminton, arguably the most challenging and rigorous equestrian competition in the world! And try doing that at 18 years old, as the youngest competitor, on a horse you trained by yourself! Eleanor and Bailey did just that in 2005. And what I think is more impressive – at Eleanor’s first international competition in Lexington, VA in 2002, we learned that had the Brennans not purchased Bailey, he was to be shipped off to Montana to become a pack horse because no one could train him! Well, Eleanor was able to take him all the way to competing at Badminton! She certainly had a gift and an absolutely amazing partnership with Bailey.
While Eleanor continued training and competing in England, I pursued my own goals in college. I had found my way to the world of fire/rescue and had also developed a passion for a variety of athletic endeavors, including running. I’d decided in 2006 that I wanted to run a marathon, but did not quite make it for 2007 due to school in the spring and knee injuries in the fall. I’d lost a great deal of my drive as I battled injury and took almost all fall off from running. After Eleanor’s accident however, the passion was rekindled and I became determined to achieve this goal I had set for myself.
I progressed my mileage slowly to avoid injury, and created a training program which incorporated the minimum amount of stress on my knees, but would still allow me to go the full distance. (As a side note - I was able to complete the entire program injury free and have since learned that it was actually the biking, not the running, which was troubling my knees in the first place.)
Many of my long runs – the most important aspect of the marathoner’s training program – took place on the dirt paths of Glendower Rd and Coles Rolling Rd in Scottsville. On these training runs I would pass both Grayson Farm and Plain Dealing Farm where Eleanor and I had spent many hours together enjoying a sport we both loved. Both of these places hold so many amazing memories, and it was during these workouts that I felt Eleanor was close with me. Throughout the 5 months of training, I felt like giving up quite a few times, but it was Eleanor’s dedication and determination which really kept me going.
A busy school schedule forced me into a taper earlier than I had planned. Thus, my last few long runs were missed, but I had made it far enough in the program to still be capable of finishing the 26.2 miles. My nerves the week leading up to the event stemmed from missing those last few workouts, and I prayed that the mileage base I had built over the past several months would be enough to carry me through.
April 19th the alarm clock rang at 4:15am. I was so nervous I could hardly eat my staple bagel breakfast. I arrived in Charlottesville at about 5:30am – the race started at 6:30am, so I had plenty of time to stretch, warm-up, and mentally prepare myself for what was to come. I really don’t know why I was so nervous. My only goal was to finish, so all I had to do was just keep moving…keep moving for 26.2 miles…
The gun was shot off and I crossed the start line of the Charlottesville Marathon, my very first marathon attempt. It was a surreal feeling knowing that the next few hours ahead of me were exactly what I had been training and preparing for over the past few months. All the hours and all the miles had led to this. I know I had my best friend there with me in spirit, just as she had been with me over the entire training process.
The first few miles were effortless. In fact, the first 2/3 of the race was pretty effortless!! One foot in front of the other, that’s all it took. I clipped right along at a 10:00min pace for most of the race. The majority of the pack, which was running the half marathon, turned around at mile 6.5 and left us marathoners to continue along on our own. It was quite peaceful and absolutely beautiful as we ran down Garth Rd, passing Foxfield, the Mechum River, and amazing Albemarle County estates. A right turn onto Ridge Road offered a winding dirt path through the woods and past more gorgeous countryside. Another right on Free Union Road looped us back to Garth Road after taking a quick out and back down another dirt path.
Once back out on Garth Road and headed back into Charlottesville, I knew I was in the home stretch. My feet were really aching and I started doubting if I could actually finish, since I was still several miles out, but I know I had someone right there with me, continuing to urge me along towards my goal. My pace had slowed considerably, but I was still moving along towards the finish. A right turn onto Old Garth Rd meant we were only 5 miles from home. My goal was within reach.
I specifically remember checking my watch at mile 22 – 4.2 miles from home and I was at 3:40:00. It was at that point that I KNEW I would finish. It was during mile 23 that I probably walked more than I ran, but I didn’t care, I was still getting closer to home. At the start of mile 24 I started running again, albeit very slowly. It was probably more of a shuffling walk!
Seeing the mile 25 marker brought with it a last surge of energy and adrenaline. The last mile was all downhill on Grady Ave (the BEST part of the Charlottesville Ten-Miler route!!). My legs were starting to really cramp up at this point, but I knew I was so close. I could see the finish line as I passed through the intersection at Preston and Ridge! My mom and her friend Megan were sitting on the corner as I turned on Old Preston, cheering as loud as they could. Just about 50 yards and I had it! Even though the winners had crossed the finish line more than 2 hours before, there was still a crowd cheering me home. I started crying as I crossed the finish line – I had done it. The final official time was 4:49:39.
My Mom, Dad, and Megan all met me with their congratulations, but there were too many emotions following though me to really answer or respond. I wouldn’t have thought I’d have such an emotional response to the whole ordeal, but it took several minutes of just sitting and being able to gather myself before I could really speak intelligently with anyone. I had just completed a HUGE goal I had made for myself, and it was an absolutely amazing feeling. Doing this was also my personal way to honor and celebrate the life and spirit of one of the greatest people I think I will ever have the experience of knowing and being close to.
Had you asked me that afternoon if I would do another marathon, my response probably would have been something along the lines of, “awwww HELL no!!” My left ankle seriously felt like it was broken and I had to practically crawl along the railing to get up or down a flight of stairs. But I was well enough to go out celebrating that night and really was not as sore the next morning as I was expecting. In fact, here it is Tuesday evening, 3 days following the marathon and my body is not even feeling like it ran the race! I had NO idea I would recover this fast, but I’m still gonna take it easy for the next few days.
So, what are the plans for the future? Triathlons in store for this summer, and I’m already plotting marathon #2 for sometime this fall - either the Marine Corps Marathon in October or the Suntrust Richmond Marathon in November. Knowing I can complete a marathon also makes me more excited to one day consider an Ironman triathlon! But one step at a time – maybe shoot for a half Ironman sometime next year and take it from there!
Once again, thank you to everyone who has offered me support and given congratulations as I post my race results online. You all have also helped me keep going and keep working towards these crazy goals of mine. Keep a look out for me in races this summer – I’ll be the one proudly showing off the green and gold!!
Much love!
Erica
Friday, March 21, 2008
Spring Break in Scottsville!
Spring break back home was quite nice! I didn't get near as much schoolwork accomplished as I'd hoped, but that's OK, it was fun to be home with all my loves!
Long run for the week was 18mi! My feet started really hurting after about 16mi, but I recovered great! Later that day I never would have known I'd run the distance. I'd never recovered as fast before, so I am quite happy!
I missed my weekly mileage by about 7...I got caught running fire calls and was on the engine from about 2:30 until about 10pm. The last of our calls was a structure fire, so I feel like I worked plenty! It was quite an intense call, especially the first several minutes on scene with just one crew!
20mi long run, 42mi total for next week!
Long run for the week was 18mi! My feet started really hurting after about 16mi, but I recovered great! Later that day I never would have known I'd run the distance. I'd never recovered as fast before, so I am quite happy!
I missed my weekly mileage by about 7...I got caught running fire calls and was on the engine from about 2:30 until about 10pm. The last of our calls was a structure fire, so I feel like I worked plenty! It was quite an intense call, especially the first several minutes on scene with just one crew!
20mi long run, 42mi total for next week!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
First race of the season!
This week was a drop in mileage and my first race of the season on Saturday, the Martha Jefferon 8k!
The race went GREAT! It was cold and rainy, but I felt like I ran strong the entire time. My time last year was 38:44, so this year I was hoping to break 37:00. I hit mile one at 7:03, so I went out a bit faster than planned and was struggling a bit by mile five, but I crossed the finish line in 36:34! That time was good enough for the WIN for my age division - women's 20-24. Feels great to finally get my first race win!!
Hitting the 40 mile mark for mileage this week back home in Scottsville. Long run will be 18mi. I may have to double up on workouts for a few days to get everything in this week. Yes, I'm on spring break, but I've got quite a full schedule!!
The race went GREAT! It was cold and rainy, but I felt like I ran strong the entire time. My time last year was 38:44, so this year I was hoping to break 37:00. I hit mile one at 7:03, so I went out a bit faster than planned and was struggling a bit by mile five, but I crossed the finish line in 36:34! That time was good enough for the WIN for my age division - women's 20-24. Feels great to finally get my first race win!!
Hitting the 40 mile mark for mileage this week back home in Scottsville. Long run will be 18mi. I may have to double up on workouts for a few days to get everything in this week. Yes, I'm on spring break, but I've got quite a full schedule!!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Less than 2 months out!!
OK, so this post is several days late, but here's a recap on last week.
Last week's workouts were all GREAT! Haha, I'm glad that so many of my workouts I have positive reports about rather than negative ones! Really fun tempo run, easy mid-distance 10mi and even my 17mi long run was successful!!
As I stated in the last post, last year I stopped after reaching 15mi long runs, so all my long distances from here out are new territory for me. This week I did the 17 in loops (6mi + 6mi + 5mi) with each loop bringing me back to my car for water, gatorade and Gu. It worked out really well and I was able to *fairly* easily complete the 17. Haha, I kept running past the same guy working on a boat in his front yard and by the third time past he was like, "what ARE you doing? You're making ME tired!"
Next week is a drop in mileage and my "shortened-long run" is 12 mi, so that's still a significant workout. The Martha Jefferson Hospital 8k is on Saturday, so I'm really looking forward to racing. Last year I placed 5th in my AG with a 38:44, so I'm hoping to improve a bit on that time. We'll see what happens. I've been focusing much more on distance work rather than speedwork, so I may not be very fast. Still, I'm excited!! :)
Last week's workouts were all GREAT! Haha, I'm glad that so many of my workouts I have positive reports about rather than negative ones! Really fun tempo run, easy mid-distance 10mi and even my 17mi long run was successful!!
As I stated in the last post, last year I stopped after reaching 15mi long runs, so all my long distances from here out are new territory for me. This week I did the 17 in loops (6mi + 6mi + 5mi) with each loop bringing me back to my car for water, gatorade and Gu. It worked out really well and I was able to *fairly* easily complete the 17. Haha, I kept running past the same guy working on a boat in his front yard and by the third time past he was like, "what ARE you doing? You're making ME tired!"
Next week is a drop in mileage and my "shortened-long run" is 12 mi, so that's still a significant workout. The Martha Jefferson Hospital 8k is on Saturday, so I'm really looking forward to racing. Last year I placed 5th in my AG with a 38:44, so I'm hoping to improve a bit on that time. We'll see what happens. I've been focusing much more on distance work rather than speedwork, so I may not be very fast. Still, I'm excited!! :)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Moving Forward
Have I mentioned how much I love Virginia weather??? It's 70 degrees one day and icing two days later, go figure...
Anyway, really great week for training, despite the cold!! I'm getting much better at swimming, and that makes me very happy. Maybe I can actually do halfway decent at my tri's this year in the swim phase! I had to bundle up for a freezing cold and windy 8mi, but it ended up being a fairy good workout.
Long run this week was 15mi. I ran it in C-ville on the 10-miler course. Sid ran the 10 with me, then when we got back to the start, I turned around and did 5 more by myself. We had no water or food with us on the run, so I felt myself start hitting a wall around mile 12. I knew I was starting to feel the effects of dehydration, but luckily I was right by one of the Rec centers at UVA, so I could get some water. That was exactly what I needed and I was able to complete the last 3mi just fine.
This is the point I made it to last year, so from here on out is uncharted territory for me!! I'm 11.2mi away from the goal distance, and I have confidence I can make it there. I know race day is gonna be slow going, but my goal for this first marathon is just to finish.
8 weeks to go!! :)
Anyway, really great week for training, despite the cold!! I'm getting much better at swimming, and that makes me very happy. Maybe I can actually do halfway decent at my tri's this year in the swim phase! I had to bundle up for a freezing cold and windy 8mi, but it ended up being a fairy good workout.
Long run this week was 15mi. I ran it in C-ville on the 10-miler course. Sid ran the 10 with me, then when we got back to the start, I turned around and did 5 more by myself. We had no water or food with us on the run, so I felt myself start hitting a wall around mile 12. I knew I was starting to feel the effects of dehydration, but luckily I was right by one of the Rec centers at UVA, so I could get some water. That was exactly what I needed and I was able to complete the last 3mi just fine.
This is the point I made it to last year, so from here on out is uncharted territory for me!! I'm 11.2mi away from the goal distance, and I have confidence I can make it there. I know race day is gonna be slow going, but my goal for this first marathon is just to finish.
8 weeks to go!! :)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Overtrained??
Well, the week was going great training wise until the weekend rolled around...
Had several low-medium distance workouts throuhout the week, including a GREAT 5mi Farlek run of 2min easy, 30 sec push. Doesn't sound hard, but do that for several miles and it will catch up to you! I was slightly, yet wonderfully sore that night and the next morning. Haha, that must definitely be a runner thing, to enjoy being slightly sore!
I know that this marathon is something I want soooo bad. But a small part of me wants to be a college student, and especially enjoy this last semester before having to face the real world. Let's just say this weekend was a TON of fun, but fairly worthless in terms of getting stuff done, both schoolwork and otherwise.
I woke up early on Sunday morning with every intention of doing my 14mi long run. Had my bagel with peanut butter breakfast, got dressed and everything. But when I headed out in my car to drop water and Gu, I just couldn't motivate myself to start the run. It was cold and rain was coming, and I just really didn't feel like getting rained on for 14mi. So, I turned ass around and climbed back in bed. I guess I needed the sleep anyway cause I didn't wake up til noon! Yup! Pretty much useless!
I really was worried about how unmotivated I was. I've had several pretty tough weeks here in a row, and it may be catching up with me. In addition, I've started swimming 3x per week and since it's started getting warm again, I'm back out on the bike. Perhaps it was just too much of an increase in everything too quickly (well, and maybe the fun weekend had something to do with it too). Pehaps I needed the break.
The marathon is 9 weeks out. I'm still doing OK training wise, but I really cannot be missing these long runs!! 15 long/30 total for this week - I may run the C-ville 10 miler route when home this weekend, so that should be fun!
Had several low-medium distance workouts throuhout the week, including a GREAT 5mi Farlek run of 2min easy, 30 sec push. Doesn't sound hard, but do that for several miles and it will catch up to you! I was slightly, yet wonderfully sore that night and the next morning. Haha, that must definitely be a runner thing, to enjoy being slightly sore!
I know that this marathon is something I want soooo bad. But a small part of me wants to be a college student, and especially enjoy this last semester before having to face the real world. Let's just say this weekend was a TON of fun, but fairly worthless in terms of getting stuff done, both schoolwork and otherwise.
I woke up early on Sunday morning with every intention of doing my 14mi long run. Had my bagel with peanut butter breakfast, got dressed and everything. But when I headed out in my car to drop water and Gu, I just couldn't motivate myself to start the run. It was cold and rain was coming, and I just really didn't feel like getting rained on for 14mi. So, I turned ass around and climbed back in bed. I guess I needed the sleep anyway cause I didn't wake up til noon! Yup! Pretty much useless!
I really was worried about how unmotivated I was. I've had several pretty tough weeks here in a row, and it may be catching up with me. In addition, I've started swimming 3x per week and since it's started getting warm again, I'm back out on the bike. Perhaps it was just too much of an increase in everything too quickly (well, and maybe the fun weekend had something to do with it too). Pehaps I needed the break.
The marathon is 9 weeks out. I'm still doing OK training wise, but I really cannot be missing these long runs!! 15 long/30 total for this week - I may run the C-ville 10 miler route when home this weekend, so that should be fun!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Whew, what a weekend!
I'm starting to remember how it became so that I had to stop the marathon training this time last year. Spring semester is quite busy, and I'm only doing about half as much as last spring! But I'm determined to finish the marathon this time, even if it does mean always staying busy and perhaps having to tweek my schedule here and there.
This past week was very well thought out in terms of when I knew I would have time and how I should plan my workouts accordingly. Still, I missed the weekly mileage goal by 4, but I'd say I had a pretty good excuse!
I happened to not be working on Thursday, so I did my 13mi long run that morning. Not the best long run I've had, but I wouldn't say it was horrible. My legs were definitely feeling it towards the end, but they weren't sore all day which is probably a good sign. I've heard the C-ville Marathon offers gummi bears at the fuel stops, so I did an experiment with gummi bears on this long run - it was probably good thing to find out NOW that the gummies don't sit too well with me, haha! No gummies on race day! :)
I had a great tempo run in Scottsville on Saturday after my EMT-Enhanced state test (which I PASSED by the way!!!). I would have made it a little longer, but daylight cut me short, so I knew I had to do 4mi the next day to complete out my week - no problem.
Well, the next day, Sunday, I went hiking up in the Shenandoah National Park. I figured we'd get back to Scottsville mid-afternoon and I'd have plenty of time for my easy 4. Yes, we got back early afternoon with plenty of daylight, but anyone in VA can tell you Sunday was absolutely surreal! High winds caused powerlines all over the place to go down and the downed lines caused huge brush fires which were fueled and expanded by the winds. As soon as I got back to Scottsville, I was out with the fire dept fighting various brush fires and didn't get back to Farmville until almost midnight. So much for my easy 4! Well, in addition to hiking that morning I'd just trampsed all over the southern-Albemarle countryside helping contain brush fires, so I definitely got lots of miles in...just a little bit slower than planned ;)
14 long/28 total on the schedule for next week. I know I'm going to be pretty busy again, so I may have to do some wigglin!
This past week was very well thought out in terms of when I knew I would have time and how I should plan my workouts accordingly. Still, I missed the weekly mileage goal by 4, but I'd say I had a pretty good excuse!
I happened to not be working on Thursday, so I did my 13mi long run that morning. Not the best long run I've had, but I wouldn't say it was horrible. My legs were definitely feeling it towards the end, but they weren't sore all day which is probably a good sign. I've heard the C-ville Marathon offers gummi bears at the fuel stops, so I did an experiment with gummi bears on this long run - it was probably good thing to find out NOW that the gummies don't sit too well with me, haha! No gummies on race day! :)
I had a great tempo run in Scottsville on Saturday after my EMT-Enhanced state test (which I PASSED by the way!!!). I would have made it a little longer, but daylight cut me short, so I knew I had to do 4mi the next day to complete out my week - no problem.
Well, the next day, Sunday, I went hiking up in the Shenandoah National Park. I figured we'd get back to Scottsville mid-afternoon and I'd have plenty of time for my easy 4. Yes, we got back early afternoon with plenty of daylight, but anyone in VA can tell you Sunday was absolutely surreal! High winds caused powerlines all over the place to go down and the downed lines caused huge brush fires which were fueled and expanded by the winds. As soon as I got back to Scottsville, I was out with the fire dept fighting various brush fires and didn't get back to Farmville until almost midnight. So much for my easy 4! Well, in addition to hiking that morning I'd just trampsed all over the southern-Albemarle countryside helping contain brush fires, so I definitely got lots of miles in...just a little bit slower than planned ;)
14 long/28 total on the schedule for next week. I know I'm going to be pretty busy again, so I may have to do some wigglin!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Up and up!
I wasn't sure how last week was going to play out, since I was SUPER busy and didn't really know when I was going to fit my workouts in. All of them (except the long run) ended up being in the evenings inside, either on Longwood's indoor track or on a treadmill.
I really wasn't looking forward to doing the weekend long run of 12mi in the freezing cold, but it turned out that the weather was gorgeous and i was actually able to run in shorts and a tee-shirt!! The run was amazing, and I think, just like last year, I'm going to become VERY familiar with Back Hampden Sydney Rd - fairly flat, not much traffic and nice long distances. At the end of the 12, I felt like I could have kept going!
The total mileage was supposed to be 24 for the week, but since that was a 4 mile increase from my last full mileage week, I dropped the total down to 22. I ran 4 easy miles the day after the long run and never would have known I'd just run TWELVE the day before.
I really just can't get over how effortless this week's long run was, and so I'm VERY encouraged for the next 11 weeks that follow! I'm really getting into the thick of the training schedule now. I remember in the past making it up to 10 miles was a big milestone for me, and now I'm able to breeze past that. I'm thinking the next hard-ish milestone for me to hit is going to be about 18, and from there it's up and onto 26.2!!
I have a 12/26 on the schedule for this week, but I think I'm going to change that to 13/25 to give myself a extra mile for the long :)
I really wasn't looking forward to doing the weekend long run of 12mi in the freezing cold, but it turned out that the weather was gorgeous and i was actually able to run in shorts and a tee-shirt!! The run was amazing, and I think, just like last year, I'm going to become VERY familiar with Back Hampden Sydney Rd - fairly flat, not much traffic and nice long distances. At the end of the 12, I felt like I could have kept going!
The total mileage was supposed to be 24 for the week, but since that was a 4 mile increase from my last full mileage week, I dropped the total down to 22. I ran 4 easy miles the day after the long run and never would have known I'd just run TWELVE the day before.
I really just can't get over how effortless this week's long run was, and so I'm VERY encouraged for the next 11 weeks that follow! I'm really getting into the thick of the training schedule now. I remember in the past making it up to 10 miles was a big milestone for me, and now I'm able to breeze past that. I'm thinking the next hard-ish milestone for me to hit is going to be about 18, and from there it's up and onto 26.2!!
I have a 12/26 on the schedule for this week, but I think I'm going to change that to 13/25 to give myself a extra mile for the long :)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Evil Illness
Sooo, that 10mi long run last week was GREAT! Really didn't feel cold once I got out there. The last mile uphill back to Sunchase was kinda killer though!
This week was going well until about Thursday. I'd gotten some great workouts in and actually even some speedwork that I was happy with! I'm super slow and usually my speed workouts are just discouraging, but this week was good.
Thursday night I felt like I was starting to come down with something, so I took Friday off. Woke up Saturday mid-day (after playing with drunks all night on the rescue squad), and I was SICK. Realized I had to take Saturday off and was still hoping I could make my 12mi long run on Sunday. Feeling better on Sunday, but still not great, so I knew I shouldn't be running 12mi outside in the cold. So, looking over my schedule, I was supposed to have dropped mileage this next week. Rather than missing an important long run, I ran 8mi indoors (combination of treadmill and indoor track) on Sunday, and I'm swapping what would have been this week's 12/24 with next week's drop.
So I'm still pretty well on schedule!! I'll probably take Monday and even Tuesday off from running in attempt to get myself better, and do as many workouts as possible inside this week to avoid being out in the cold. I catch something the beginning of every school semester, and actually this time seems to be much milder than in the past, so hopefully it will pass quick!
12 mi long and 24mi total for this week!
This week was going well until about Thursday. I'd gotten some great workouts in and actually even some speedwork that I was happy with! I'm super slow and usually my speed workouts are just discouraging, but this week was good.
Thursday night I felt like I was starting to come down with something, so I took Friday off. Woke up Saturday mid-day (after playing with drunks all night on the rescue squad), and I was SICK. Realized I had to take Saturday off and was still hoping I could make my 12mi long run on Sunday. Feeling better on Sunday, but still not great, so I knew I shouldn't be running 12mi outside in the cold. So, looking over my schedule, I was supposed to have dropped mileage this next week. Rather than missing an important long run, I ran 8mi indoors (combination of treadmill and indoor track) on Sunday, and I'm swapping what would have been this week's 12/24 with next week's drop.
So I'm still pretty well on schedule!! I'll probably take Monday and even Tuesday off from running in attempt to get myself better, and do as many workouts as possible inside this week to avoid being out in the cold. I catch something the beginning of every school semester, and actually this time seems to be much milder than in the past, so hopefully it will pass quick!
12 mi long and 24mi total for this week!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Back in Farmvegas!
2nd semester senior year is upon me!! I think it's gonna be a good semester. I only have 3 real classes, plus another that only meets 1x a week, and then an internship at the squad, but I do that anyway, so that won't be any extra work. Sooooo, a fairly lax schedule means I might actually get to run some fire calls this semester AND.....be able to ENJOY myself at school!! I've seriously been busting my tail these past two years, and I'm ready to be able to sit back and have a little bit of fun. Won't be as wide open as sophomore year was, but I think a throw down or two is definitely in order! ;)
OK, this blog is serving as a bit of procrastination. It's 31 degrees in Farmville, but 20 with the wind chill and it feels SOOOO COLD outside!! I have a 10 mile run scheduled for today, and I'm putting off having to go outside. I toyed with the idea of running at Longwood's indoor track, but I just can't bring myself to run around a circle 80 times! Actually, I think I may head out to Wally-world right quick and go get some toe warmers - that will help. The biggest thing I'm worried about getting cold is my little toesies!! That is actually an excellent idea...but I'd better go now or I'll run out of daylight.
So long!!
OK, this blog is serving as a bit of procrastination. It's 31 degrees in Farmville, but 20 with the wind chill and it feels SOOOO COLD outside!! I have a 10 mile run scheduled for today, and I'm putting off having to go outside. I toyed with the idea of running at Longwood's indoor track, but I just can't bring myself to run around a circle 80 times! Actually, I think I may head out to Wally-world right quick and go get some toe warmers - that will help. The biggest thing I'm worried about getting cold is my little toesies!! That is actually an excellent idea...but I'd better go now or I'll run out of daylight.
So long!!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Last week of break
My final week of freedom before heading back to Longwood for ONE more semester!! 17 weeks stand between me and the real world. Haha, that's actually a little scary...
Fairly good week training wise. My right knee was really bothering me following last Saturday's long run, so I took 3 running days off. The weather was really nice, so at least I was able to hop on the road bike for that little rest period. I think the break was good for me though, as there was no more knee issues when I picked up the running again on Wednesday.
The 9mi long run this week was lots of fun! I wouldn't say it was effortless, but I felt like I could have kept going, so that's a good sign.
Back at Longwood I'll have access to the gym, pool, spin classes, yoga classes, etc, so there will be more variety back in the workouts. I'm especially excited about getting back in the pool to train for those upcoming tri's!
Fairly good week training wise. My right knee was really bothering me following last Saturday's long run, so I took 3 running days off. The weather was really nice, so at least I was able to hop on the road bike for that little rest period. I think the break was good for me though, as there was no more knee issues when I picked up the running again on Wednesday.
The 9mi long run this week was lots of fun! I wouldn't say it was effortless, but I felt like I could have kept going, so that's a good sign.
Back at Longwood I'll have access to the gym, pool, spin classes, yoga classes, etc, so there will be more variety back in the workouts. I'm especially excited about getting back in the pool to train for those upcoming tri's!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Hello 2008
The year I gadggy-ate! Wow.....
Sooooo, I guess the week in Asheville didn't exactly go as planned. I was supposed to stay through Sunday (today), but instead drove 6 hours home, crying the whole way, much of which was in the snow, on Wednesday night. You draw your own conclusions. But I did have a nice time while I was there. Got my runs in, had a great mountain bike ride at Bent Creek, went hiking on the Mountains to Sea trail in what felt like the Artic up on that ridge, and most importantly, got to spend some time with Ben. Really don't know when I'm going to see him again though.
Being back home has allowed me to relax and calm down, which has been nice. I got a great tempo run in on Thomas Jefferson Parkway. I hadn't run the parkway in months and I'd forgotten how much fun it is!! Definitely going to get more workouts in there before I head back to school.
My long run for this week was 8mi which I did mostly on the dirt roads of Glendower and Coles Rolling. I sat by Eleanor's grave for a while before starting my run from Glendower Church. She is my biggest inspiration for completing this goal, so it was nice to sit and sort of "recharge" before the workout. The route took me past Grayson Farm and Plain Dealing Farm which both hold so many memories for the time we spent together. The 8mi run was not as easy for me as some of my long runs have been, but it was still a nice workout nonetheless.
9 long/18 total for next week - the training program is getting tougher.
Sooooo, I guess the week in Asheville didn't exactly go as planned. I was supposed to stay through Sunday (today), but instead drove 6 hours home, crying the whole way, much of which was in the snow, on Wednesday night. You draw your own conclusions. But I did have a nice time while I was there. Got my runs in, had a great mountain bike ride at Bent Creek, went hiking on the Mountains to Sea trail in what felt like the Artic up on that ridge, and most importantly, got to spend some time with Ben. Really don't know when I'm going to see him again though.
Being back home has allowed me to relax and calm down, which has been nice. I got a great tempo run in on Thomas Jefferson Parkway. I hadn't run the parkway in months and I'd forgotten how much fun it is!! Definitely going to get more workouts in there before I head back to school.
My long run for this week was 8mi which I did mostly on the dirt roads of Glendower and Coles Rolling. I sat by Eleanor's grave for a while before starting my run from Glendower Church. She is my biggest inspiration for completing this goal, so it was nice to sit and sort of "recharge" before the workout. The route took me past Grayson Farm and Plain Dealing Farm which both hold so many memories for the time we spent together. The 8mi run was not as easy for me as some of my long runs have been, but it was still a nice workout nonetheless.
9 long/18 total for next week - the training program is getting tougher.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Goodbye 2007
Currently writing from beautiful Asheville, NC where I can look out the window and see nothing but MOUNTAINS!!
The week of Christmas leading up to New Years was dropped mileage. With so much going on - activities, family, etc - it's a good thing the workouts were much shorter. I felt so restless though! Really want to run much more...guess that's a good thing. Ah well, I know the little break was important.
8 long/16 total for this week in Asheville.
The week of Christmas leading up to New Years was dropped mileage. With so much going on - activities, family, etc - it's a good thing the workouts were much shorter. I felt so restless though! Really want to run much more...guess that's a good thing. Ah well, I know the little break was important.
8 long/16 total for this week in Asheville.
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