Yep, I know. You were thinking it, you just never
wrote it. I got really busy BUT I still ran and
completed ALL my training, and I’m still alive (though
barely). I don’t want to spend the next 3 hours
catching up on the posts, so I’ll just give you a quick update
per week. Week Six-13.1miles Started crappy, ended well.
Basically I got up on Monday and decided I just couldn’t bring
myself to running, after the 6 miler on Sunday. So I
decided I would do it Tuesday, and on Wednesday, I would catch
up by doing a 2.5 mile easy run plus strength training. And I
did it, surprisingly. My shining accomplishment was spending
a total of 270 seconds in a plank. On the Saturday, instead
of having a long run, my training called for a 5k, but there was
not one race scheduled for that weekend. And there was a
“fire-weather” warning outside, so I decided to do my 5k on the
tread. This was pretty difficult to determine if I was going
as fast as I could, but either way, I completed it in 27:40.
According to my training
guidelines, this means I should be able to run the half
in less than 2:08 hours. Now, I’m not trying to be a Negative
Ne-Ne Nancy
Nelly but that would only happen if I switched my body
with that of “Speed Racers.” Also, I enjoy the
little things in life like walking and would like to be able to do
so after this race. S00000, I’m still keeping my goal at what
I think is reasonable. But I’ll keep that to myself to ensure
I won’t publicly fail. Week Seven-19 miles Now last week, I thought
that I had something going with this moving my Monday training to
Tuesday and coupling my Tuesday training with my strength
work. However, this week that plan sucked. By Saturday,
my legs were crazy on fire, and I was NOT prepared for Saturday’s
run of 7 miles, which is the “longest I’ve ever run.” Ps, you
might want to get used to that phrase because every long run I have
from here until the race, will be the “longest I’ve ever
run.” Anyway, I decided on Friday night in all my agony, that
unless I made some grandiose plan to run, it wasn’t going to
happen. So, at 1:30am I searched and searched until I found a
group of fellow runners with whom I could be accountable to with my
miles. So I headed out 7 hours later to meetup with 35
runners to head from George Washington Parkway to the National Mall
and back. After getting lost as I ALWAYS do in Virginia (I
hate driving in VA), I finally arrived with 1 minute to
spare. Immediately, two ladies walked up to me that looked
just as lost as I did and said “Are you new too?” and we
became running partners for the day. I found out quickly that
we had a moderately hilly route (just what my knees
needed…NOT!) and that their saying they ran about 10-11 min
miles, was a lie. Several thoughts went through my head
during that run. I’ll sum them up by saying I left it feeling
very unsure about whether I will be able to do a half marathon
EVER. Today my legs are in so much pain, my right knee
is in agony, and I want to throw a 3-year-old style
tantrum every time I think about having to run again
tomorrow. I don’t know if it was the change in schedule-run
Tue, Wed, Thurs, plus strength training, with only one rest day in
between. Or whether it was running the 7 and then
being convinced to do an additional mile back to the car by my new
buddy that really wanted to get 8.5 in that day. Or whether I
am just getting old. But I’m seriously doubting myself, and
it SUCKS SOOOOO BAD. 
I really need you
all to tell me everyone went through this their first time.
Or that when I wake up tomorrow, my knee will feel no pain
whatsoever. Or that there is a miracle cure that I can take
to make it all better. Ps, in my depress-ness, I ate a huge
chunk of Red Velvet cake, two cupcakes, two donuts, and an entire
Dairy Milk Cadbury bar this weekend. Which means that if I
don’t run tomorrow, I will have yet another dimple added to my ass
by Tuesday and my life will officially suck.
HELLLLLLLLP! An anonymous black girl who doesn’t like sucking
(I chuckled a little bit at that last line…it made me smile…but
now I am sad again…help!)
Tags: Beginning runner, running journal, story about running
i’ll start with assuring you that we have all been there! i
wish i had blogs i could link you back to of my first half marathon
training but most of those are on another site i no longer share
but here are two you can read. the first a week before my first
half. the second just after. it’s not easy. you are taking on a
huge goal that many never dare tackle but you can do this! and i’m
betting that once you do will come to realize that you already are
a runner. http://becelisa.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/im-not-ready/
http://becelisa.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/euphoria-of-agony/ now
onto a more technical set of questions. do you know that you are
wearing the right shoes? have you had your gait analyzed? do you
know if you pronate or suppenate? the worst thing you can do for
your body as a runner is to wear the wrong shoes. you also do a lot
of other physical activity so do you reward your body with probably
very needed massage? and i’m not talking sissy little feel good
massage. i mean down and dirty hard painful sports massage? your
muscles need it! also, do you have a running nutrition plan. do you
use gels or something else in long runs. your body needs to be
refueled in any run over an hour. when you get into distance
running there is a whole new set of rules. don’t be afraid to ask
advice no matter how silly some questions may seem. you can and
will do this. i have no doubt.
Good questions, Becelisa! I’ve had my feet assessed and
bought shoes in feb of last year. I thought that since I don’t run
as much, they’d last longer but I winder if it might be possible
that I need a new pair already? I’ve only had sissy massages and
only when my students feel bad for me and buy me them as presents.
Don’t know that the life of a dance teacher can afford such
luxuries. I can tell you that I could be eating better. I realized
when you asked that because my tummy was feeling weird the morning
of my long run, I left out of the house without eating, water, or
any type of nutrition. So I’m sure that didn’t help. But just
didn’t want to forever be labeled as the new girl that crapped on
her first run. I know there are things that can make it better but
I’m sad because the pain is making me dread running. And the whole
point of this, was to learn to love it ={ I’m gonna read through
your blogs because I def want to see what you were feeling. I know
I’ll get through it because I don’t like to quit. But I just want
to remember how to enjoy it.
R.I.C.E.!!! And yes, we all go through some terrible runs, especially the first cycle when you’re body is hitting new distances and wondering what the hell you’re doing to it. If it makes you feel better, it’s been a year since my last Marathon thanks to Leg Gremlins and now that I’m back up into high mileage weeks and long runs my body seems to have forgotten I used to do this. So I am pimp-limping around half the time. It’s great. Notsomuch. But it passes soon enough so long as I stay on top of the R.I.C.E. Fear not my friend, you WILL run your first Half.
Today, in honor of you Morgan, I came home and did the I and E part of R.I.C.E. Then I took a nice hot bath. Right now, my body feels amazing. Hopefully, when I get up in the morning, I’ll be able to walk again =p
You don’t suck! Bad runs happen to the best of us. You will get through this. You might want to get yourself a foam roller as well as following Morgan’s advice. You got this girl! Just keep it moving.
I’m trying, Ber. 7.5 miles insofar this week. Legs dying, but I’m hoping after tomorrows strengthening workout, I’ll be good.
What is a fire warning and why can’t you run in it? I don’t think I am familiar with that weather here in SC…
Training for your first long race is exciting. Relish each of the “first time I’ve ever run that long’s”. Eventually you’ll have to contemplate running 27 miles in order to have that new distance PR….
Exactly, Lindsay. I swear weather channel made that up.
Anyway, from what I can gather it’s a combination of really high
winds and dry weather that are breeding grounds for brush fires.
That day, 95 north was close down not to far from my house because
I fire was burning across the highway. I wasn’t willing to try my
luck, so I treaded it!
PS: I think I ran near where you ran on Sat! Apparently I ran Rock creek park (?) to the monuments?