Sunday, June 29, 2008

5:20am and the JPMC Corporate Challenge

This was my last "free" week of running before officially starting to train for the Hartford Marathon. As I said in my last post, I mentally and physically needed a break after VT. This week I proved to myself that I am at least mentally ready to start training. The past few weeks I've had to force myself to get out for a run....Bryan has even had to motivate me which usually never happens!

Monday I had wanted to get a longer run in, but severe thunderstorms prevented that. Bryan and I thought the storms were over and set out late for a 4 mile run. Just as we took our first steps, the heavens opened....we were soaked within 10 seconds! Rather than turning around we decided to have fun with it. Bryan was wearing a white t-shirt and was asked by another runner which way the wet t-shirt contest was :) Things like this remind me not to take running (and life) too seriously!

Tuesday we had storms again....these bringing hail and 60 MPH wind gusts. No run for me.

Wednesday I knew I couldn't run at lunch due to a meeting and I couldn't run after work because I had a massage scheduled. Not wanting to take another day off, my only option was in the morning before work. My alarm went off at 5:00am and I was out the door at 5:20. For those of you who know me, I am NOT an early morning runner so this was big for me. It was a slow run, but I covered 6 miles. Forcing myself up and out proved to me that I have mentally recovered from the VT marathon. I was willing to make sacrifices (sleep!) to get my run in....I'm back baby!!

On Thursday I ran in the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge with my team from work. There were a total of 12,000 runners in this event so the streets of Boston were packed! The course was supposed to be 3.5 miles, but due to unsafe construction sites along the route, it was shortened to 3.07 miles (just shy of a 5k). It was a hot and muggy day and I felt like I was swetting before I started running! Given my training (or lack there of) over the past month, I was pretty pleased with my performance. I finished in 23:44 which is a 7:44 min/mile......far from a PR but not a bad run.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Remember me??

Yes, I know its been almost a month since I last wrote.....I am so sorry! I wish I could say that I was too busy doing other things to write, but that's not true.....I've just been lazy! I took two weeks off running after Vermont City. I rode my bike a couple times (including one mountain biking session with Bryan!), practiced yoga, and enjoyed the mental and physical break from training.

Of course the weather warmed up just as I was getting ready to run again. During our first heat wave of the year (4 days of 95 degree humid days...yuck!), Bryan and I waited until 8pm to run and it was still unbearable! I was questioning how I could run 26 miles two weeks earlier when I couldn't even get through 4 miles that day!?!?

Its cooled off some (let's just say its going to be a rough summer!) and I've still been running mostly easy miles. My calves have been really tight, but not in the same way I have felt them before. My massage therapist says that its built up connective tissue and scar tissue that needs to be broken up. I guess this makes sense because it doesn't really feel like muscle tightness. I've been stretching, foam rolling, and icing after my runs to help it.

Bryan and I ran in the Reggae Ramble 4.2 mile race on Thursday night. We've done this summer race series for the past couple years and its a fun, non-stressful race. I definitely wasn't going for any PRs but it felt good to run a bit faster than I have the past couple weeks.

So I have one more week of easy running before I start training for the Hartford Marathon on October 11th. I am still figuring out the details of my training plan, but I am looking at adapting the Pfitzinger 18 week up to 60 miles per week plan I followed last time to a 15 week up to 60-65 MPW.

So I promise to write more often as my training starts back up......just as I needed the break from running, I think I also needed a break from blogging! Its good to be back now :)