Friday Musings

Happy Friday.  I am glad that it is the end of the week.  This has been an off week for me so glad it is over.

Here is what happened with my training this week:

Saturday, October 21: We had 20 miles on our schedule for this day as one of our last long runs before the taper for our marathon on November 19.  My sister and I did 4.5 miles before she called it a day.  I ran home from where we were at and got an additional 2.1 miles.  After getting some lunch I went to the gym and ran 12 more miles to get a total of 18 miles for the day before deciding to call it good.  My knee gave me some pain as I was going to bed but still nothing that I didn’t think ice and a day or two off wouldn’t take care of.

Sunday, October 22: This was supposed to the day of our first marathon.  We were supposed to be in D.C. running the Marine Corps Marathon.  I lived vicariously through the runners and bloggers I follow on social media as they several of them were in D.C. and were running this race.  My knee really flared up on me so I took it extra easy and stayed off it as much as possible and iced it several times.  Icing is one of the best things you can do to try to prevent an injury.  I usually leave ice on the affected area for 20 minutes and then take a 20 minute break.

Monday, October 23: I took this day as a rest day.  My knee was bugging me the day before so I thought the best thing to do with it being race week as well was to stay off it.  Runners who are trying to not be sidelined with an injury typically practice RICE.  RICE is not the grain, but stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.  Sometimes injuries can be prevented just by taking a day or two off and taking care of the injury before it becomes a bigger injury.  I iced my knee and kept it elevated and it seemed to go away on its own.

Tuesday, October 24: I did run this day. I did a track workout which was 2 miles at 15k pace in preparation for the Tulsa Run on Saturday.  I did 3.75 miles at an 11:28 mile pace.

Wednesday, October 25: I had 8 miles on my schedule and did 8.30 at an average 10:50 minute per mile pace.  I needed every single one of those miles as I was really struggling emotionally this day.

Thursday, October 26: My sister and I went to the Tulsa Run expo and picked up our packets and shirts and walked around.  It is one of the smaller expos but still had several different vendors participating.  After the expo one of the local churches was sponsoring a blessing of the shoes and a short training run.  My sister and I participated in that and did 2.50 miles with the group.   This was our first time getting our shoes blessed.  It was an interesting experience but also a cool one to see the spiritual and physical interact in such a neat way.

Friday, October 27: Today is a rest day before the Tulsa Run tomorrow.  At this point I am still going to attempt going for PR’s in both distances.  We will see how the lungs hold up and how badly the cold air affects me.  It is supposed to be 29-32 degrees at the start of the race.

What is on tap for the weekend?  The Tulsa Run tomorrow in which my sister and I are going to be running the 5k and 15k for 12.4 miles.  After the race we are going to get an additional 10 miles to complete our last long run before we officially taper for the Route 66 Marathon. Sunday will be the usual church activities and taking it easy after running 22 miles the day before.

I hope Friday and the weekend treat you well.

Until next time,

Candace

Thursday Tangents: Life and Running

This week has been an off week for me.  I was needing a run horribly yesterday and actually did all the miles I had on my schedule, plus an extra one.  Dealing with change and the things life throws at you can throw you for a loop.  It is weeks like these that I am so happy to have found a great coping mechanism in running and all things fitness.  It is amazing to me how something so simple can have such a profound impact on your mood.

Here are some great reminders for life’s curve balls:

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If those didn’t serve as a great reminder, consider the following and hopefully laugh like I did:

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So get out and enjoy the run and life.

Until next time,

Candace

Wacky Wednesday: How to Tell if You Are a Runner

On today’s edition of Wacky Wednesday, funny images and quotes that only runners will understand.

Source: Pinterest

Source: Pinterest – nothing to do with our topic but still funny nonetheless

Source: Pinterest – Guilty as charged.  Runners call this weather stalking.  You have to know what you should wear for your race.  That sometimes takes a lot of time to figure out.

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Source: Pinterest – I seem to use the words only or just when referencing a 5k or 10k.  Funny how becoming a long distance runner changes your perspective on what is long and what miles and hours actually mean.  

Source: Pinterest – I hate buying real shoes.  Let me drop $150 on a pair of running shoes without thinking about it.  

Source: Pinterest – also guilty as charged.  You mean you take vacations for things other than races?  

Source: Pinterest – these words have actually come out of my mouth before.

Source: Pinterest – sorry non runner friends.  Also using the word marathon to describe anything that isn’t a marathon – like a 5k, 10k, 15k or 25k to name a few.

Source: Pinterest – thankfully this hasn’t happened to me (I’m still a relative newbie when it comes to watches and that type of technology) but I can see what makes it so heartbreaking.  

Source: Pinterest – sounds about right.  I have most of this on when I run a race especially.  

Source: Pinterest – this is the truth.  I will never have to purchase safety pins again.  If I do, sign me up for another race.  I need to run races again!

Source: Pinterest – injuries don’t happen to runners.  We run unless we are told if we run we won’t be able to do it anymore.

Source: Pinterest – truth – if someone would like to sponsor my habit, I would be grateful!

Which was your favorite and why?

Until next time,

Candace

Topical Tuesday: Race Week

After a long break from racing, I finally have a race coming up this weekend.  I will be running the 5k and 15k Tulsa Run.  The Tulsa Run is celebrating 40 years this year and is one of 2 big races in the Tulsa area.  (The other one is the Route 66 Marathon which will be my first marathon and is always the Sunday before Thanksgiving in November.)

What do I do differently during race week?  It depends on the distance I am running during the race.  If I am doing a 5k or 10k, my training plan which is pretty constant will not change much.  If I am doing longer races, then usually at least one rest day is in order.  For a half marathon or a marathon, most training plans will call for a couple of rest days during race week and then an easy shake-out run the day before the race.

What am I doing this week?  I am going to take a rest day on Friday but will keep the rest of my runs the same this week.  I will still do a speedwork session and then a couple of easier runs to log some miles.

What are my expectations for the two races on Saturday?  I am hoping to set PR’s  (personal record) in both the distances.  I have run numerous 5ks but only 1 15k.  It is going to be chilly at the start and that sometimes affects my running so we will see.  My goal at this point is to try to do a 35 minute 5k (a 2 minute PR) and a sub 2 hour 15k (a 10 minute PR).

What happens if I don’t meet my expectations?  I’ve learned that a lot of times races don’t go as planned.  I do have backup goals in mind.  Meb Keflezighi, a professional runner who is retiring after doing his final marathon at New York City in a couple weeks, states that he goes into each race with 3 goals in mind.  His first goal is always to win.  He has won several races including silver at the Olympics and the Boston Marathon in 2014.  His second goal is to finish in the top 10.  His last goal is to set a PR or course PR.  I have taken this advice to heart and always have a PR goal in mind since I will not win races ever.  Then I set a back-up goal.  Maybe a 35 minute 5k is out of the question, then it becomes finishing under 40 minutes.  Maybe a sub 2 hour 15k is out.  Then my goal becomes finishing under 2 hours, 10 minutes which would still be a PR.  My last goal is always to have fun and finish.

I am looking forward to racing again.  My sister and I haven’t raced since June and that is when we took our first DNF.  The last race we actually completed was the Green Bay Half Marathon in May.

Why is racing important?  I think it is important as it really tests the mental strength of a runner.  You can enjoy your run but it is always so different when you add crowd support and other runners to the mix.  Plus most runners I know have a goal they are trying to hit in mind.  Even with all the people around it becomes more about seeing what you can do and leaving it all out on the course, knowing you did all that you could do.  It has a way to test your limits and make you believe in yourself and forces you to do things you wouldn’t think you could do.

What is the best way to find races?  If you have a local running store, check with them.  Most stores will do races in the local area.  There are websites like runningintheusa.com which list races in the United States.  If you are in the Oklahoma area, Oklahoma Sports and Fitness has one of the most comprehensive calendars that I have ever seen.

Find a race and go run it.

Until next time,

Candace

Motivational Monday: Loss and Overcoming Obstacles

We all know that if you run, you are pretty much choosing a life of success because of it. ~ Deena Kastor

I run because it’s so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can’t. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you’re capable of so much more than you thought. ~ Arthur Blank

I always loved running…it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs. ~ Jesse Owens

Luck won’t save you. Neither will pasta dinners, triple knotted laces or pre-race huddles. The only thing that will save you in a race is the unbreakable determination to run harder for longer than anyone else. ~ Unknown

Training is doing your homework. It’s not exciting. More often than not it’s tedious. There is certainly no glory in it. But you stick with it, over time, and incrementally through no specific session, your body changes. Your mind becomes calloused to effort. You stop thinking of running as difficult or interesting or magical. It just becomes what you do. It becomes a habit.  ~ Jeff Edmonds

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This past weekend was the Marine Corps Marathon.  My social media feed was filled with runners who were in Washington D.C. for the race.  I mentioned last week, that my sister and I had to defer until next year to do this race for a myriad of reasons.  As I lived vicariously through the runners I follow on social media who were running Marine Corps, I couldn’t help but get a little sad that I wasn’t in D.C. prepping to run my first marathon as well.  But then I had to remind myself that things happen for a reason and that I will get to have that experience next year.

Bart Yasso says, “If you have lost faith in humanity, go out and watch a marathon.”  I am excited to be running my first marathon in a little under a month.  My sister and I will be running our longest training run in the next day or two (was supposed to be this weekend but my legs were done after 18 miles and my knee which I have had issues with was letting me know it wasn’t happy) before we taper down to for the marathon on November 19.

Someone has been quoted as saying, “if it doesn’t challenge you it won’t change you.”  I believe this to be true.  If you want to stay the same keep doing exactly what you have been doing and you will get the same results.  If you want different results, you need to change what you are doing.

This training cycle has been difficult.  Runs have been missed, sickness has crept in and injury prevention has been the rule of the day.  However I am not giving up.  When I think about it, I imagine myself making the final turn of my first marathon and seeing the finish line.  I imagine what I will be feeling.  I hope to leave it all on the course and be pleased when I cross the finish line.  I imagine the emotions that will come with that.  I think about how exclusive the group of marathoners is (less than 1% of the population have run a marathon) and can’t wait to be counted as one of them.  In my final month of training, I am hopeful that I will cross that finish line next month victoriously.

Have a great Monday and consider yourself motivated.

Until next time,

Candace

Friday Musings

Happy Friday.  I decided I would give you an update on my training this week.  This week I have been battling allergies or a cold so I have missed a couple of runs.

Monday, October 16:  I did a track workout which was almost 5 miles.  I have been incorporating track workouts into my training schedule.  They are a great way to safely increase speed.  This week’s workout was a ladder which I love.  My workout called for a reverse ladder but I did it both ways.  It was 1000 meters (.62 mile), 800 meters (.50 mile), 600 meters (.37 mile), 400 meters (.24 mile) and 200 meters (.12 miles).  I then went back the other way – 400 meters, 600 meters, 800 meters and 1000 meters.

Tuesday, October 17: Training plan called for 8 miles this day.  I wound up with 7 miles.  I turned in some of my better miles recently with 11 minute miles.

Wednesday, October 18: Cross training day for me and just a walk with the puppy.  I was feeling really crummy this day so made sure I took it nice and easy.

Thursday, October 19: Another rest day as I was still trying to get over whatever upper respiratory issues I am having.  I did do about a 1.50 mile walk with my puppy and that was it.

Friday, October 20: I am going to try to get a couple of miles in before the end of the day.

What is in store this weekend?  Lots of running.  We are going to be doing 20-22 miles this weekend.

Hope you have a great day and an even greater weekend.

Until next time,

Candace

Missing In Action – An Update on Life, Training and Marathoning

I apologize for being missing in action for so long.  Life has a funny way of getting in the way sometimes and this was one of the things that didn’t happen for several months.

I wanted to give you an update on my training schedule.  I posted last about my first week of training for the Marine Corps Marathon.  Since then my sister and I due to unforseen circumstances have deferred this race until next year.  We will not be headed to Washington D.C. this week to run our first full marathon.  Instead we will be running our local Route 66 Marathon on November 19.

Why the change?  Life has a funny way of making you change your plans.  Due to work issues, training schedule adjustments and lack of training among other things we were not prepared to do the Marine Corps marathon this year.  We will regroup and attempt to do it next year.

What now?  We have adjusted our training schedule for the Route 66 marathon and will be running our last long run before the taper this weekend.  We are looking forward to running this marathon as it is always a great event.  If you are looking for race to do in Oklahoma consider this one (or the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon).  Both have great crowd support, are beautiful courses and show off the heart of the cities.

We are still going to attempt to become Marathon Maniacs by the end of the year (Route 66, Rock and Roll San Antonio and then the Runner’s World Half and Half Marathon in Tulsa) with a 50k race in January as our back up plan.  To become a Maniac, you have to run 3 marathons in 90 days or 2 within 16 days to qualify.  Once we qualify for Marathon Maniacs, we will become double agents.  This is an even more exclusive group of crazy runners who have done the qualifications for both Half Fanatics and Marathon Maniacs.

I will attempt to do a better job updating my blog.

Until next time,

Candace