week 3, day 4

So I ran 3 miles yesterday and it went very well - finally!  Needless to say, I caught up on this past week's mileage.  Today I set out to run 6 miles.  I actually felt like a runner today.  My legs were light, my breathing was even, my form felt good and I finished in 53:30!  I think I can officially say I'm back. I'm getting really sick of the treadmill though. It's just too dark and cold in the morning to run outside.  On Tuesday and Thursday nights I am taking grad classes so mornings are my only option for running.  My goal was to only run on the treadmill during the week (at least through February) and do my long weekend runs outside.  However, with all this snow on the ground still, it was just too treacherous to run outside today. 

calming down

Today was officially a week since the last time I was able to run. Once I received the phone call that today would be another snow day, I vowed to be productive.  The gym was closed so I started the day off with shoveling (for two hours).  I started to think it was a bad idea if I had any hopes of running today.  I came in for a little rest and called the gym, still closed.  Since it was closed all day yesterday I just assumed it wasn't going to open today.  Therefore, I headed out to do some more shoveling (another hour).  I ran some errands and took a nap.  Then I got a phone call from a friend.  Low and behold the gym had opened at noon.  I was pretty nervous about running since I had busted my butt shoveling for 3 hours (my back and shoulders were so sore - still are!).  However, I was determined to avoid missing another day of training.  I got to the gym without a set distance in mind.  I set my ipod to one of my fav playlists entitled Philly Half and began to run.  After three miles I was in desperate need of a bathroom break.  Usually I try to hold it, but I was feeling so good on my run I didn't want that to be the reason I would have to cut it short.  So I took the break.  On my break I decided that I would attempt to run 5 more miles for a total of 8 miles.  This would mean that I have made up for missing my Tuesday and Wednesday runs.  I couldn't believe it, but 73 minutes later I completed 8 miles.  I felt so good that I got a bright idea to run 3 miles tomorrow to make up for the other 3 miles I should have run this week.  If I can complete this then that means I did not miss 17 miles of training, I only missed 9.  I know 9 miles should never be stated "only 9", but it's way better than losing 17 miles.  Now let's hope I stay healthy and am able to run my long run on Saturday - only 6 miles, at this point that can be stated "only 6"!

38/460 miles complete

freaking out

I did not get to blog about week 2, day 4 because I didn't get to complete my run.  I didn't even have the energy to get on my computer.  On Friday I suddenly got a fever (low grade) so I took 3 aspirin, sucked it up and finished teaching (we had a 2 hour delay).  I stayed on the couch and rested the remainder of Friday and slept 13 hours into Saturday.  My fever broke around 12:30 (not in time to make it to Dara's shower :( sorry, Dara!).  I kept feeling better and better as the day went on (I still stayed on the couch to rest).  However, I did not feel better enough to run the 9 miles that I had planned for Saturday.  I did decide it would be okay to head out to dinner for Leaha's birthday though (I just couldn't let her down again!).  Low and behold, at dinner, I began to sweat and feel yucky all over again, not fun!  I went to bed that night and woke up shivering and ridiculously congested on Sunday morning.  I took some motrin and tried to sleep the rest of the day.  I have never been in so much pain.  I was aching all over.  My fever reached 102.6 at one point.  On Saturday I was worried about missing my run, but then I thought "okay I can be flexible, I'll just run on Sunday".  Obviously I was not running on Sunday either.  I was very concerned about this, but still had hopes for Monday and just planned on missing my Tuesday run (3 miles).  I ended up calling out of work on Monday because I was just not getting better.  My fever finally broke around noon on Monday.  I still did not have the energy to run.  I continued to rest.  I took a half day on Tuesday just to be safe.  I knew I would have a long day since I was starting a night class that day.  I woke up Tuesday fever free.  However, a terrible cough and congestion replaced it.  UGH!  I just can't win.  Therefore, I skipped Tuesday's run.  Now it's Wednesday and I slept many many hours (thank God for a snow day).  Even though I still have a cough and some congestion I decided I would try to run at the gym on the tread mill - nope, closed!  So let's just hope that I feel totally better and ready to run tomorrow.  Otherwise I think I might have a nervous breakdown!  I can't believe I have missed 17 miles of training.  I'm trying really hard not to be psyched out.  Plenty of runners have reassured me that it is early enough in my training that I should be okay.  Dear God, please don't let me get sick anymore the rest of this evil winter.

week 2, day 3

Well today's run was better than the last two.  I ran 3 miles, but it took me 2 miles just to start to feel "good".  I wonder if I had run longer I would have continued to have a good run.  Tomorrow is a rest day --- woohoo!  Then Saturday requires a 9 mile run.  I am a little overwhelmed with it's completion.  The weather forecast is bitterly cold - a whopping 23 degrees for the high and I have my sister in law's baby shower at 11am (I am going at 9:30 to help set up).  I know, I know a 9 mile run should only take me an hour and a half at the most.  I have the rest of the day to run it so get over it, enjoy the shower, eat some yummy carbs and run my butt off!  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?  Let's see how many times I will have to tell myself that throughout training!

30/460 miles complete

Can't Believe I'm Really Doing This

So after I ran my third half marathon I decided it was a good idea to think about running a full marathon.  I set a goal to run it before I turned 30.  I turned 28 this past summer and decided to tackle my first marathon this spring (thinking if I failed I would still have one more year to try again).  In November I ran my fourth half marathon and achieved a PR of 1:46:22.  This gave me the confidence I needed to try to run a marathon.

Since I had never trained for a full marathon before, I searched beginner marathon training programs and discovered Hal Higdon's Marathon Training for Novice Runners (I chose Novice 2).  I began training last week.  After posting my random thoughts and a countdown on Facebook I decided it would be a better idea to begin a blog.  This way I wouldn't torture my non-running friends with constant status updates about running.  I figured with a blog only the people who wanted to read it would.  Therefore, this is my first experience with blogging.  So forgive me if you don't enjoy it --- actually no, if you don't like it, then don't read it! :)

Since this is my second week training I will give you a quick run-down of my first week.  Running went well last week.  I had to run 3 miles on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday and 8 on Saturday.  As anxious as I was for Saturday's run, it went really well.  I averaged a 9:16 minute pace and was comfortable the entire run (thanks to my Under Armour Compression Gear - I swear by that stuff).  Monday and Friday are strictly rest days.  This is so hard for me to get used to, but I know I will shortly appreciate these days.  Sundays are meant for 1 hour of cross training.  This is going to be a challenge, but I'm determined to try my best to fit these in.  My first cross training day did not go as planned.  I spent most of the day walking around the Lancaster Outlets.  I decided this could count as some cross training.  So when I got home I only did a 25 minute Pilate's video on demand.  Oh well, better than nothing right?

Now I'm half way into week two of training.  Yesterday morning's run was pretty tough for me.  This makes no sense especially since it was only 3 miles.  For crying out loud I just ran 8 miles on Saturday and felt great.  I thought for sure today would be better.  I had to run 5 miles this morning and it was the worst run I have ever experienced in my running career.  I have no idea what happened.  My legs and heart were so tired.  I was so thirsty and I kept having cramping in my sides.  Now, I have had cramping before, but it usually subsides...not these.  I don't know what was up.  I was so frustrated I almost cried on my way home from the gym.  I kept wondering what was I thinking?  If I feel like this on a 5 mile run, there's no way I can run a marathon!  I refuse to give up, but if I keep feeling like this I really don't know how I will continue training...

27/460 miles complete