When I am not actively training for a marathon, the stress of hitting certain miles each run, going to bed early and eating to fuel my runs melts away during the month following the race. It’s not that I let myself go or anything, I am still pretty disciplined (that being part of the point of this very blog; to stay accountable to daily activity) compared to how I lived prior to becoming a runner. It is just that my running tends to get a little “fuzzy.”
After each of my three marathons, my weekly running mile tended to settle in the mid 20s. This was good enough in between marathons but I still felt like I was starting over whenever I started training for the next marathon. During the last few miles of marathons 2 and 3, I’ve started to fade and I think this has more to do with my running base going in to the training phase rather than the training phase itself. Over the summer, fully settling in to 20 mile weeks, I resolved to make a change – I want my next marathon to be strong, from start to finish and the way to get there is through building a better running base.
During August and September, I made an effort to run more miles and I was comfortable running weekly mileage in the 30s; however, my efforts weren’t really focusing. I was still running fuzzy. This Fall, I have made decided effort to gain some focus without being too rigid.
During the month of October, each week I tried to hit 40 miles by Sunday. I was hitting this mileage consistently for the month and my legs were holding up well against the increased mileage. Throughout this month, I’ve been aiming for a weekly mileage of 45 miles. Due to life outside of running, I haven’t been able to hit it as consistently as I was hitting 40 in October but I have running very strong at this higher mileage all month long.
I really couldn’t be more pleased with my running at the moment and it has even had tremendous impact in other ways I didn’t intend. For one, my weight has dropped (almost 5 pounds below what I was over the summer) and seems to be continuing on this downward trend. I have much better muscle tone in my legs, especially in my quads and glutes.
Best of all, my pace has increased (see Breakthrough) at all my paces and even on my training runs. "Just Run" has me running consistently at a 10 minute mile pace. Awesome!
Another change I’ve made, in addition to the higher mileage, is incorporating pushups during the day. My goal, each day, is to get in 100 pushups from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. My core is strong than it ever has been before and on “good” days I can see a “one-pack” starting to peak out.
Things are going well (I really hope I didn’t just jinx it!)
Run Strong!
Daily Dozen:
Cross-training (recumbent bike) and Strength Training @ lunch hour
3.7 miles after work with Jenn (planned)
Showing posts with label push ups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label push ups. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Fun Runs
I am bouncing back from the cold I was fighting and the break from running it forced me to take. Actually, I am more than simply bouncing back…I have had so much fun the past three days.
Monday, since I had the day off of work I slept in for a little bit, took my time getting ready for my run and didn’t leave the house until after 9:30. I was aiming for 12 miles that morning and decided to add a little twist to the run – push ups!
I set my Garmin to beep every 30 minutes of the run at which point, I would stop running and do 10 push ups followed by 10 reverse crunches and then 10 more push ups. Over the course of the run I would take a mini strength training break 4 times and do 80 push ups. I was excited to be doing something a little different on my long run.
The plan worked great and was so much fun. I looked forward to the push ups and it broke up the long run nicely. I had something to look forward to. I wanted to see how far I could get in those 30 minutes before I had to stop. The last two stops, on the way back, I could only manage 5 push ups in the second set but I felt strong and tough.
Ok, and a little silly doing push ups as people walked, ran and biked past me but it was silly and buff blended together. It really had me pumped and I definitely ended the run with a smile on my face. Since I’m not training for anything at the moment, I’ve decided to break up all my long runs in a similar fashion – keep the running fresh and build some strength in the process.
Tuesday morning before work I ran 8 miles and I loved every minute of it. There is something about running that far, that long before work that makes me happy for the rest of the day. It was a crisp and cool, almost cold, morning and the lower temperatures felt good. It is the first time I’ve been able to see my breath as I walked to the trail. The summer heat was behind me for good; welcome fall and winter
Running in the heat and humidity of summer feels wrong when I compare it to how natural it feels to glide along the bike trails on a fall morning. It just feels right. Tuesday morning, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be on that morning; like all the pieces were in place and as long as I kept going they would remain in place forever and ever.
As I hit the final mile of the run, I cam upon a group of women – four or five of them – running along the path. They were going just about my pace and I probably should have just tucked in behind them and finished my run at the intended effort – easy; and, that is exactly what I did for about a minute and a half. Then, I just couldn’t take it.
The desire to pass them; to show them just how smooth and effortless and easy it was for me to pick up the pace, pass them and then keep going, even when they were well out of sight, it was too much for me and I gave in. I picked up my pace, swung around them – Ah, running fast felt great – and kept going until I got home.
Today was a planned short recovery run – only 3 miles. I did manage to hold down the pace, taking it nice and slow but I couldn’t help myself and extended the run just a little. I didn’t want it to end so quickly.
As I took my time this morning, I thought about the past couple days of running and how lucky I am to have found something I enjoy this much. I thought about my future running plans – the base building months ahead of me and how I’m hoping it will put me in a good place to start training for a marathon in April, the possibilities for a race next fall (maybe finally doing Richmond or *eek* an ultra?), my hope to make 2011 the Year of Maryland marathons – Frederick and Baltimore in one year, and maybe just maybe one day running a sub-4 marathon…and then a faster marathon to qualify for Boston, could I do it in 3:40.
But those things are long range goals, plans, hopes, dreams. I kept running and reminded myself of my new mantra – Just Run. Well, if the future is too far away and too complicated, what about tomorrow? What can I do tomorrow to ensure running remains fun?
Answer: Hills!
Daily Dozen:
3.9 miles @ recovery pace
Core work @ lunch break
Monday, since I had the day off of work I slept in for a little bit, took my time getting ready for my run and didn’t leave the house until after 9:30. I was aiming for 12 miles that morning and decided to add a little twist to the run – push ups!
I set my Garmin to beep every 30 minutes of the run at which point, I would stop running and do 10 push ups followed by 10 reverse crunches and then 10 more push ups. Over the course of the run I would take a mini strength training break 4 times and do 80 push ups. I was excited to be doing something a little different on my long run.
The plan worked great and was so much fun. I looked forward to the push ups and it broke up the long run nicely. I had something to look forward to. I wanted to see how far I could get in those 30 minutes before I had to stop. The last two stops, on the way back, I could only manage 5 push ups in the second set but I felt strong and tough.
Ok, and a little silly doing push ups as people walked, ran and biked past me but it was silly and buff blended together. It really had me pumped and I definitely ended the run with a smile on my face. Since I’m not training for anything at the moment, I’ve decided to break up all my long runs in a similar fashion – keep the running fresh and build some strength in the process.
Tuesday morning before work I ran 8 miles and I loved every minute of it. There is something about running that far, that long before work that makes me happy for the rest of the day. It was a crisp and cool, almost cold, morning and the lower temperatures felt good. It is the first time I’ve been able to see my breath as I walked to the trail. The summer heat was behind me for good; welcome fall and winter
Running in the heat and humidity of summer feels wrong when I compare it to how natural it feels to glide along the bike trails on a fall morning. It just feels right. Tuesday morning, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be on that morning; like all the pieces were in place and as long as I kept going they would remain in place forever and ever.
As I hit the final mile of the run, I cam upon a group of women – four or five of them – running along the path. They were going just about my pace and I probably should have just tucked in behind them and finished my run at the intended effort – easy; and, that is exactly what I did for about a minute and a half. Then, I just couldn’t take it.
The desire to pass them; to show them just how smooth and effortless and easy it was for me to pick up the pace, pass them and then keep going, even when they were well out of sight, it was too much for me and I gave in. I picked up my pace, swung around them – Ah, running fast felt great – and kept going until I got home.
Today was a planned short recovery run – only 3 miles. I did manage to hold down the pace, taking it nice and slow but I couldn’t help myself and extended the run just a little. I didn’t want it to end so quickly.
As I took my time this morning, I thought about the past couple days of running and how lucky I am to have found something I enjoy this much. I thought about my future running plans – the base building months ahead of me and how I’m hoping it will put me in a good place to start training for a marathon in April, the possibilities for a race next fall (maybe finally doing Richmond or *eek* an ultra?), my hope to make 2011 the Year of Maryland marathons – Frederick and Baltimore in one year, and maybe just maybe one day running a sub-4 marathon…and then a faster marathon to qualify for Boston, could I do it in 3:40.
But those things are long range goals, plans, hopes, dreams. I kept running and reminded myself of my new mantra – Just Run. Well, if the future is too far away and too complicated, what about tomorrow? What can I do tomorrow to ensure running remains fun?
Answer: Hills!
Daily Dozen:
3.9 miles @ recovery pace
Core work @ lunch break
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