Turkey Trot

MW: ?
Days to Race: 87
Distance/Time: 6.2 mi/1:20:53

Happy Thanksgiving! I completed my 10K and did it in under my goal time. According to MapMyRun, my pace was at 13:03/mile which I am very pleased with. It was very cold and I was so nervous being surrounded by all those people. Luckily, that didn't last too long. I had a nice group around me as I did my thing running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute, but when it came time for the 5Kers to split off, I suddenly found myself running alone.

I always like to joke that I am the mouth-breather bringing up the rear and this time that was literally what happened. The good news is it didn't bother me too much aside from a minor swear when the front pacer lapped me after about a half-hour in. That dude could run!

Towards the end, though I managed to pass two people, one of whom asked me if there was anyone behind me. She wasn't too happy when I told her that I didn't think so. So I told her we were miles ahead of the people who didn't start. She didn't appreciate that either. Some people just take this stuff too seriously. Or they don't read the right motivational memes.

So I was last and got a police escort to the finish line. The point is I ran, I did it under goal and had a good time doing it (no injuries!). Now my legs are sore and all I want is turkey and beer. If you'll please excuse me :-) I have some pants that I should be busting out of soon.

Inappropriate clothing

MW: 136.4
Days to Race: 89
Distance/Time: 2.23 mi/30.09 min

I should probably just give up now. I will never be able to dress appropriately for the weather. Either I am too warm and have to strip during my runs, or I'm so cold I can barely move. Today was one of the former. The weather apps all said it was freezing with a bit of sleet and snow on the way. Once I got outside, however, it was much more temperate. All in all, though, a good run and a nice precursor to Thursday's Turkey Trot.

Flagging

MW: 134.4
Days to Race: 92
Distance/Time: 3.08 mi/ 40.34 min

For a run that didn't feel like it was very good, I seemed to have good results. My pace is down to 13.09/mi. I think two things keep my from really feeling strong. The first is the fact that (again) I did not eat before running. I had to do my run early and it was only 3 miles so I figured I could just do without. Bad idea. The second is the Turkey Trot this Thursday. I'm doing a 10K to send in to Disney so that I can move ahead in the corrals. This is my first race where the results matter, not just whether or not I finish it and so I'm just stressing myself out. I'm shooting for an hour and a half finish time. That's a 15 min/mile pace which shouldn't be a problem and yet still I worry...

Just keep going

MW: 134
Days to Race: 94
Distance/Time: 2.34 mi/ 30 min

Another good, but cold, run. My warmup route is really just a small loop around my apartment complex. This means that I have to pass the door to go inside and get warm at least once. Everytime, I think about just going inside, getting in bed and pulling the covers up over my head. It's an urge that sometimes I can barely ignore. Only when I've started my stopwatch and picked up the trot that I like to call a run can I refocus.

A little farther, a little faster

MW: 135.4
Days to Race: 96
Distance/Time: 2.32 mi/ 30 min

A wicked wind was my main opponent this morning. Well, that and the ever increasing aches and pains in my hip and toe. Wrapping the toe seemed to help, but my hip after a mile and a half began to feel like a tightly wound spring. Aside from a brief walk when that happened, though, I managed to run the entire course and not only that, but went a little faster and so a little farther. .1 miles might not seem like a great deal of improvement, but my pace dropped to below 13 minutes/mile, so today showed marked improvement!

Buddy-Wrapped

MW: ?
Days to Race: 98
Distance/Time: 5.5 mi/1.23.20

Whups, I forgot to post an update yesterday. It was my long run and I was visiting family which meant I had to find a place to run. On Friday, I tripped on a curb while walking to work and sprained my toe. Really, who does that? It's not even an exciting story. My left second biggest toe swelled up and I couldn't even walk on it that day. I had to take the day from work and buddy-wrapped it. Luckily, it was doing much better by Sunday and I was able to run (but carefully of course).

I wear the black hat

MW: 135
Days to Race: 101
Distance/Time: 2.23 mi/ 30.17

It was very hard pulling myself out of bed this morning. Weather app says it was 30 degrees outside and my apartment was quite chilly since I hadn't turned the heat on yet. That meant my bed was especially warm and inviting and just so comfortable! Couldn't I just sleep in a little more? What about running this afternoon? I had time for that, right? Not really. The next three days are booked pretty solid and the only time I can run is early so it was either right then or never.

A few months ago, I mentioned that wearing my Phillies baseball cap when I run was like my disguise, that I felt like Clark Kent without his glasses. Well, I decided I needed a winter hat for this run. I don't know how I ended up with a New York Mets hat but it was the only one I could find. Wearing it this morning felt like I'd put on a black mustache that I could twirl maniacally from the shadows.

Anyways, I'm still doing a walk/run combination and 2 minutes running and 1 minute walking seems to be working out pretty well. I'm at about a 13.36 minute pace doing this.

Yesterday

MW: 135
Days to Race: 103 at time of run
Distance/Time: 2.23 mi/ 30 min

Whups, I forgot to log yesterdays run. This is probably because it was pretty uneventful. Thankfully there was no sleet even though the weather folks said that it was falling.

4 miles... and new shoes!

MW: 133.4
Days to Race: 105
Distance/Time: 4 miles/ 58.03 min

This run did not freak me out as much as the one before it. Maybe it was because I felt more ready? I had a plan and best of all I had new shoes! I'd known for a while that I had to get new ones. You're supposed to replace them about every 400-500 miles and the fact that I had mine for at least a year and a half means that it was more than past due. Not only the age, but also the fact that when I ran, I felt absolutely no support in my feet. Considering that I have high arches, support is pretty important and I'm hoping that some of the persistent discomfort I've been experiencing can be written off as a sign that I need new shoes.

So, I took myself down to the local running store. Actually I drove into the big city and a very nice lady helped me find the right pair of shoes. There is more to the process than just picking out the prettiest pair at the right price that feels right. She looked at how my foot handled my weight both standing and sitting as well as walking. I apparently slightly pronate which means that my feet roll in a little which most people's do. So, I just needed a neutral style of shoe. After a little trial and error *insert fashion montage here* I found a pair that I'm pleased with. They're not the flashiest, but they get the job done. Sort of like me I guess.

I can't say that the shoes made a huge difference, but they definitely helped and some of my problem areas barely made a squeak.

Next on the list is to work on strengthening those problem areas so they cause less trouble.

Coffee Please

MW: Forgot
Days to Race: 108
Distance/Time: 2.2 mi/30 min

I had an early day this morning, which means an earlier run. Funny thing was, I had no problem waking up at 5:15, but now that I'm done and on the couch, I really want to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head, find that super comfey spot that I'd left and return to dreamland. Alas, it is not an option.

Today's run went well. I managed to cut my time on the trail by about 20 seconds, though my right hip started to hurt after a while. I have to keep an eye on that and maybe scale things back a little. I definitely need new running shoes, too so that might be happening on Saturday. My current pair is probably about 2 years old, though it's only lately that I've been putting miles on it. Though they look okay, I can tell that there is nothing left of the insides. So... that means I get to go shopping! Last week it was resistance bands, this week it's shoes (and maybe a foam roller).

One thing that I've had to combat recently is the runner's munchies. Basically, because you're running, you just get hungry all the time. The sad thing is that you're really not expending that many calories in a day so always being hungry can get dangerous. Online advice recommends focusing on eating more healthy foods in these instances.

Brrrr....

MW: 133.4
Days to Race: 110
Distance/Time: 2.2 mi/ 30.30 min

It's cold out there guys! I could even see my breath and for a moment I was worried that even my new "cold weather" running gear wouldn't be enough. A few minutes into the run, though, and I was hot. Tuesdays and Thursdays are all maintenance runs. It's not how far I have to go on those days, but how far I can go in 30 minutes. Right now it's about 2 miles. Hopefully further down the road that distance will grow. It has to or I won't be fast enough in February.

MW: 133.4
Days to Race: 112
Distance/Time: 3.02 mi/45 min

My first long run is done! Strangely enough, I was nervous about this one. I've done 3 milers before and I had a walk/run plan but still the idea of it had a certain weight to it. According to Jeff Galloway (who created the running plan I am following), I was supposed to slow down by at least 3 minutes with the focus being on finishing with strength, not on speed. I was shooting to complete the course in 48 minutes, but ended up 3 minutes ahead of time. Still feeling good!