moving out...

follow me here

http://christinesrunning.blogspot.com/

ummm... is this thing on?

nope, havent posted since june...

why??

well, i'm now 7 months pregnant!!!! :)

05June08 - LONG distance day

DAMN it was long and i was so freaking slow. SOOOO freaking slow. yes, the long distance is supposed to be about 20% slower than your average, but at times, it felt like i was crawling. about mile 4-5 my feet were really getting sore... and i was just thinking oh damn, i will need to do this at least FOUR MORE TIMES in Chicago...

can i do it? damn, i really dont know. i REALLY REALLY dont know. and i know i have about 18 more weeks of training, but grrr... i cannot imagine going even more than 10 miles. seriously.
blah...

03June08 training

holy crap! awesomly amazingly wonderfully great run today...

i pushed myself - HARD... i have to admit i havent been running much. more of a fast walk. well today i decided to just suck it up and do it. so i walked ... and walked a little more (averaging about 4-ish MPH) then i ran a block... (averaging about 6-ish MPH)... then walked for a little more then ran. but this time instead of running 1 block, i ran 2 blocks ... i did this a few times and it felt great.

i then did my normal sprint from the corner of my street to my house and i freaking BOOKED it... i ran faster than i've ever gone before ... and Garmin registered TEN !!!!! MPH... holy freaking shit!

so, yeah.... it was an amazing run.

things i did differently:
wore new socks... they are really nice and i cannot remember the name of them for the life of me ... soft .. sof something ... they are extremely snug and fit like a second skin.

tied my shoes tighter... MUCH tighter. i went to Luke's (running store) Sunday and they said that may be the reason i lost my toenail. the shoe needs to be tight enough to where you cannot kick them off at the end of the run (i'm SOOO guilty of that)

wore a running skirt... yes, a skirt. it was weird at first, but after 5-10 minutes it felt good... i do however, need to get some body glide. chub rub of the thighs... **eye roll**

i did set a new pace goal for the next 30 days. last goal was 5 runs with a pace of 14:58 / minute or faster. this new goal is 5 runs with a pace of 14:49 / minute. this will be very very tough for me as i am not fast at all. but i will push myself to do it.

01June08 - training day 6

mixed feelings about this one. Garmin was pretty inconsistent. i'd be going the same pace and it would range from 15:12 min mile all the way up to 24:xx min mile!!! very frustrating. but, i cant blame it all on Garmin. i was really tired physically and my glutes were really sore. the first 2.5 miles just seemed to crawl. thankfully the last half went quicker...

31May08 - training day 5

ok, so it was SUPPOSED to be a cross train day, but i wanted to 'seal the deal' in the challenge with my DH ... i wanted to win DAMMIT!!!!

sooo, i did a short run on the treadmill - ha ... 2 years ago, walking a mile would have had me heaving ... today, i ran a mile ... ;)

also kicked ass in the cross training -
3 sets each
ball fly 15 reps
ball s press 15 reps
ball curl 12 reps
ball crunch 15 reps
plank 20-26 secs 3 reps
3rd set only 2 reps - i was beat
leg extension 12 reps 52 lbs
3rd time 15 reps 61 lbs
leg curl 15 reps 52 lbs
3rd time 61 lbs
hip abductor 15 reps 75 lbs
3rd time 15 reps 85 lbs
leg press 61 lbs 15 reps both legs
52 lbs 12 reps ea leg
2nd time 69 lbs both 61 lbs each (same reps)
3rd time 20 reps both 12 each (same weight as 2nd time)

so yeah, i kicked some major ass!!

training day 4 - 30May08

MUCH better today... so from now on i just need to suck it up and get up in the mornings. it was actually pleasant outside today. nice breeze.

training day 3 - 29May08

40 minutes of run/walking planned for today.

i should have gotten my tail out of bed, but just couldnt bring myself to do it. EARLY TO BED TONIGHT!!!!

so now i get to go when its 95 degrees out. yay!

suck suck sucky training....

training day 2 - 28May08

OK, so i sucked and forgot to update ... here is what i did:
did circuit twice, except 1st exercise i did three times. intention was to do all three times, but i didnt want to push it too much and be too sore to run Thursday.

machines:
leg extension 12 reps level 3 (not sure of exact weight)
leg curl 15 reps level 3
hip abductor 15 reps 70 lbs
seated leg press - 1 leg 10 reps each leg 35 lbs
seated leg press - 2 leg 15 reps 55 lbs

stretch.....

24 minutes total on the elliptical (4 min warm up, 20 mins after weights)

training day 1 - 27May08

running notes:
it was really early (up at 4:45am) and out by 5:00. there are some cars out there who do NOT look where they are going!!! GAHHHHH! i need to find another route maybe.

i was slow today - barely shuffled really... i did however quick walk that last portion to my house (i live at the end of the block).

tomorrow is strength/cross training. i need to build my legs up.

runners toe

ewww....

18May08 training

i met up with TexasBecky and we walked this morning. it was great! she kept me on a great pace. averaged 15:00 even ... thats the fastest walk i've had post p. we sprinted twice and it was a great sprint ... the 45 mins flew by, i just wish i could have gone a full hour, but my DH wanted to get a run in before it got too hot.

17May08 training

not a bad one at all. not great, but definitely not bad.

towards the end, i tried a new technique - short stepping... basically take short steps instead of long strides. see on the Nike+ where things go UP for a bit, i was short stepping it there ... below is more info on short steps. my pace was significantly faster i was short stepping. next time i will do the entire time out with short steps and see how it goes.

Training tip: Take Baby steps and be sure to count them.
Lisa's tip of the day----COUNT YOUR STEPS!!! I did not believe my coach last year--didn't believe him this year...UNTIL this morning.

Walkers should be at 70 steps per minute (per foot) and runners at 90 steps per minute (per foot). You accomplish this by taking SHORTER steps....not more longer ones. It will feel foolish--I felt like a Looney tune on steroids trying to shuffle along....though I have been affirmed that I looked just fabulous (but of course!). I got to 90....I went from a 13:42 pace 2 weeks ago to a 12:55 pace today and that is with 3:1 intervals. Now some of that is the fact we didn't run the bridge--but with the bridge I was at 4:1, so that is an impressive improvement.

Count your steps--and work on getting close to the 70 or 90 per your activity. If counting for a minute is hard, just count for 30 seconds (35 steps for walkers and 45 steps for runners).

Now here is why this is important:

With every step (at least for running)--you impact with 3x your body weight with each step. The longer the stride (and the less steps you take)--the more in the air you are between steps--and the more weight/stress you are place on your legs (ahem--KNEES!). Shortening the steps does a few things: It increases the turnover rate, gives you less time in the air, and it lessens the impact and reduces the risk of injury and strain to your knees and other parts of your leg.

And here's the best part--at least for me anyway....I was not running fast--but I felt like I was zipping along (though as a zippy turtle) and it did not feel fatiguing to me.

If you are several steps away from 90 (or 70)...make a goal in the workout to shorten the strides to increase the amount of steps you take. It may take one or two workouts--it may take several.....but you will eventually get to 90. As training progresses and as your walking or running regime continues on well past Disney....you will notice as you get stronger, that your strides will naturally get longer...(a clue is that your step counts start going above your goal....time to lengthen the stride a little bit). Your body will then be telling you it is ready to take bigger steps.

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase BABY steps.

If you are a mortal--and want to get FASTER...the key is to step shorter--and not reaching as far as you can with your foot.

Happy Training!!!

12May08 workout

totally suck ass day. SUCK ASS... totally SUCK ASS ...

suck suck suck ass....
my average speed was 3.4 MPH ... ick. less than a quarter mile out, my ankles started to ache. i got distracted for a minute and totally missed the street i needed to turn on and had to change my route which extended it by almost a mile.

my arms and shoulders ache from yesterday, i am going to take tomorrow off from running (ha - walking) and maybe swim if i can ...

11May08 activity

WOOOOOO HOOOOO ... two of my fastest miles ever today.

routine:
1 mile walk/run
10 push ups
15 flys on ball
15 shoulder press on ball
15 'skull crushers' on ball

repeat once
then 5.5 miles on the bike ... not bad for my first real time back to the gym ... this is the first work out where i've included weights.

10May08 training

its really humid here so i went to 24 Hour Fitness. bleck.

first is just plain walk/running
second is hills up to 9.0% incline
i also did a mile on the elliptical

09May08 work out

first post race run/walk.

damn i feel old.

Minnie Marathon - 15K - race report

we started at Animal Kingdom's parking lot. I placed myself at the
front of the 13:01-15:00 min mile pace group. the last official
'racing' group. behind that were the walkers. even though I would
mostly walk, I didnt want to be in the LAST group.. easier to get
swept up for not keeping pace. the requirement was a 15:00 minute mile.

there was 1 wheelchair racer. it was actually quite sad. they
introduced her and said that she basically hopes to just be alive when
the Princess 1/2 marathon comes up in March... :( she started about
5 minutes earlier than the rest of us.

then the guest of honor came out (minnie mouse) and counted down from
10, each number getting a firework... it was pretty cool.

then we were off! :) mile 1 was pretty congested and I didnt even
cross the starting line until about 2-3 minutes past the official start.

mile 1 was at the end of the parking lot, pretty boring... OK - very
boring.. but I had my nervous energy and had a great average pace of
under 14:00/mile.

mile 2 came down the road and I got a snapshot of the mile marker. my
initial intention was to take a pic of every mile marker, but 1st came
up on me & I didnt want to completely stop and break pace. mile 2 was
just along the road to animal kingdom. they closed the road for us
which was pretty cool. there was a slight hill here I think. I
sprinted about 4 times this mile, one being down hill ;) i did take a few more pictures of the mile markers, but most i did not cause i didnt want to stop and break pace.

now comes mile 3... after going up and down some overpasses (2 of them - two too
many IMO) it was the boring, lonely stretch of the race. mile 3-4 is
basically a very long U... go down one side then up the other.. so
you see the people ahead of you basically coming back at you.. really
difficult
to explain, sorry... this was probably the toughest part of the race
for me, it just seemed never-ending... *ugh*

this is where I met my pace buddy.. we had been passing each other
the entire time so far.. she came up behind me and said she knew if
she could keep up with me she'd be fine... that felt pretty good... ;)

miles 4-5 was up a slight hill ('on ramp') leading to Hollywood
Studios.. we basically started in the 'backstage' area and went
through 'costuming' (Garmin lost signal there - it was really dark in
there so I didnt wanna run anyway)... after the Costuming tunnel, it
was mile 6... yay!

mile 6, inside Hollywood Studios park.. I've never been there so I
dunno what its like, but we were in New York.. I saw delis and a
subway stop, pretty cool, but I wasn't paying too much attention, I
just wanted to keep going and finish. we exited HS and went to the
resort lake.

mile 6 seemed to be a LONG stretch. at least it was pretty. :)
there were people at the resorts just waking up and on their decks
cheering us on, it was really cool... I had about 1.5 handfulls of
jelly beans for a sugar boost here.. really the only thing i consumed
all race.. I had a little water here and there, but didnt want to
have to stop to pee. mostly just grabbed a water, rinsed out my mouth
and spit the water out..

we finally hit mile 7. this part was really tough on my feet. a
portion of it was 'the Boardwalk' resort and it had a wooden deck...
VERY hard on the toes and ankles, but I knew that mile 8 was Epcot and that would
only be about a mile after that...

we entered Epcot through a private cast member entrance and were
backstage for awhile - probably 1/4 to 1/2 mile then through the gates
and good god I was in England ... 8 mile market came up ... up a
stupid bridge, down the wonderful ;) bridge, up a slight hill and I
see the Eiffel Tower.. I took about 5-6 pics cause I wasn't sure I
was getting it and didnt want to stop & check... my pace had actually
slowed quite a bit towards the end and I didnt want it getting
slower. I saw the 'ball' across the lake and started to believe I can
actually do it. holy crap I'm gunna finish this (yup, I had doubts)..

pass other countries - Japan, Germany, USA, etc... took a few
pics... holy crap, Mexico, last country... zipped (HA!!) to a
backstage area and saw where they board dogs (NO idea why this stuck in my mind)
.... everyone kept
telling me almost there... last person said almost there I told her
I've been hearing that for the past 3 miles, she grinned and said just
around the corner.. REALLY???! ...really..

holy shit - I see the finish line.. to be honest, when I hit Epcot
and realized I can so do it, I did get a tad teary - eyed.... now
seeing the finish line... whoa! walking very briskly... finally
break into a sprint and cross the finish line.. see DH & DD...
YAY!!!!!

bawling now - a happy bawling... :) I get the medal and have my pic
taken.. grab a banana which my DD eats 1/2 of, and walk to the car -
great - more walking....

get ready to go to hotel, DH makes a wrong turn (darn) and we end up
near a Starbucks... venti iced Chai latte skim milk no ice
please... YUMMMMMMMM

we go to hotel after, rest a bit. I shower and change then back to
Epcot for food & shopping.

what a great day..

thoughts:
- the support was AMAZING. there were cast members all thru the race
encouraging us.. that was awsome...

- I was expecting more characters ... seriously. I saw 3 not
including minnie at the start.

- I didnt even see minnie at the end .. a tad bummed about that, but
oh well... I'm going to magic kingdom tomorrow with my medal... ;)

- the 'Princess' half marathon... WHY! is it scheduled in March - only
2 months after the other Disney marathons???! grrrrr.

- fabulous time... it truly was amazing. very challenging, but I did
it... I f'ing did it!

sent from my iPhone ;)

04May08 - Minnie Marathon - 15K

OK, the blue is my Garmin (GPS) data, red/green is Nike Plus.

Yellow highlighted data on Garmin is when i went thru the tunnel and lost signal for GPS. i was slow, but not THAT slow as indicated.

the Nike+, i forgot to turn off at the end of the race and the end is marked with the pink line. the drop is when i had my race picture taken and was getting food (banana).

it was a great race and i cant wait to start training for Chicago.

01May08 training

short walk before we leave tomorrow. my toenail is messed up, separating from the toe, but its not black. not sure what is going on. of course, my Doc is not in today. **sigh**

30April08 training

didnt feel like my fastest ever, but according to Nike+ it was.
walked/ran from home down E, down S, to LC then home again

my toe (L pointer) was bleeding and is a little swollen/sore, not sure what i will do Thursday. short distance, maybe some speed drills?

30 April 08

first post.

im currently training for the Minnie Marathon (15K = 9.something miles) at Disney. the race is this Sunday.

right now, i just want to be able to finish it and not be swept up for not keeping pace (15 min mile).

im walking most of it with a few short running bursts.

next race - Toronto Bread and Honey Race 5K

next major race - Chicago Marathon

this is going to get interesting