First Race of the Year...Coming Soon

I have officially signed up to run the 1 mile at an indoor track event this Sunday. By looking at the previous times, it will likely be my first DLF - but I am surprisingly ok with that. It is a rather small event (there were only maybe 10 people in each of the previous 1 mile races (2-3 heats). There are other distances too: 200m, 400m, 800m, 3000m, and a race-walking event. Depending on how the races are scheduled (order) I may decide to try out the 400m or 800m event too, we will see.

Today's run was a little harder than expected (though I am really not that surprised). It was just a 4 mile easy run, but it didn't feel all that easy. I am sure it is because of the hard workout I got yesterday with the 6.5 miles of speedwork. Therefore, I think tomorrow will be cross training day. That gives me Friday for another easy run day and then a rest day on Saturday before the race.

Life in the Frozen Tundra

It is SOO flippin cold this week! I woke up to -14 degrees this morning. A few hours later it had dropped down to -20 (that was the temperature!) with the windchill it was -35!! So…I went to the gym again this morning. I can’t believe people actually run outside in this!

I missed a few days (ok, a week) of blogging, so here is the running update:

Tuesday – 3 mi w/speed intervals (4 x 0.1 @ 7.9 mph), Way too hot. I learned not to wear pants to the gym…the dirty shorts would have been better.
Wednesday – rest
Thursday – 3.6 mi w/hills
Friday – 2.1 easy miles
Saturday – rest
Sunday – unplanned rest

Monday – overslept (more unplanned rest)
Tuesday (today) – 5.5 mi w/speed intervals plus ‘fast mile’

I felt like such a slacker for going 3 days in a row without a run, that I really pushed today. It was suppose to be an easy run, but I got bored and started doing intervals. I did 4 or 5 (I lost count) 0.1 mi intervals at 7.5 (that’s 8:00 mpm!) with random rest periods between. I was more concerned about getting some distance in today though, so I made sure I have plenty of rest in between the intervals. The next thing I knew, I was about to hit 1 hour (the TM cuts off at 60 min) so I finished the first 5.5 mi in just under an hour. I got off the TM to refill my water bottle and decided to do one more mile…as fast as I could…I can’t believe I actually did it in under 9 minutes!! (8:49 to be exact) And that was after an hour of running! I believe that is officially my fastest unofficial mile time ever! Hopefully I can do that again this Sunday at my first ever indoor race.

Monday's Resolutions...

Apparently, resolutions start on Monday. It hadn't picked up at the gym yet, which I found a little odd...until I got there this morning! Oh well, it will only last a month or two. Really, I am not complaining though - I honestly hope everyone would stick to it. Anyway - 3.5 easy miles this morning.

I got a good workout in yesterday. It was pretty slow at the gym, so I did kind-of a circuit workout with push-ups, pull-ups, abs, and treadmill. My first time on the treadmill I just did an easy mile (warm-up). The second I did some hills. I haven't done hills on the treadmill before, but I was trying something new. I typically run at 0.5 elevation, so I increased to 3.0 and slowly decreased back down to 0.5 over a quarter mile. I did that twice during the mile distance. The third (and last) time on the treadmill I did an easy 2 miles to finish at 4 miles for the day. It was nice to break it up a bit, and I will surely be adding the hills workout to my runs now.

Gotta get off the treadmill

I really need a good long run. The longest I have run lately has been in the 5 mile range. I did 5.5 this morning, and while I was glad to have actually gone that far, doing it on the treadmill really isn't that satisfying. The thing that bothers me the most isn't the boredom...I have plenty of TVs to stare at, one of them with videos - and the sound that goes along with that one so I have music too. The thing that bothers me the most is the constant speed. Yes, when I run outside I run an average of X.X mph...but the entire run isn't at that speed! I try to adjust the speed up and down every half mile or so to give my muscles a little variation, but it just isn't the same.

There is an indoor track at the gym too - which I am planning on trying for the first time soon for speedwork - but I can't see going around the track 50+ times just for a midlength run (it is 12 laps per mile). I foresee shin pain from all the turning!

I actually made it outside for a couple runs over the Christmas holiday...then it got super icy around here! I have a fear of running on actual ice...it's not worth hurting myself. I think the ice seems to be getting better - so maybe I can give it a try again. But still, the cold prevents me from being outside for more than the hour I would need for a long run. (hmmm, maybe I just need to get faster?)

Maybe I can make to the Metrodome to give Dome Running a try? I just wonder if I can bring the kiddos...I don't know how tight the running area is, or how crowded it gets. I don't think it will happen if I can't bring the stroller along. **UPDATE - I contacted the MDRA and strollers are not allowed at Dome running...I guess that option is out**

Anyway...decent 5.5 mile run this morning on the treadmill...

Legs so sore...

My legs feel like I just ran a marathon! Well, like I imagine I would feel if I had run a marathon. I overdid it on Monday on the squats. I hadn't done any in a couple months and decided to do a whole bunch of them in one morning.

I was sore yesterday morning, but I didn't think too much of it...so I went ahead and did some speedwork (mind you, I haven't done any actual speedwork in a couple months either). I knew after my run yesterday that today was going to be an (unscheduled) rest day, but I didn't realize I would still be this stiff!! I am hoping that a nice easy run tomorrow will help loosen them back up again...if I can manage to get a run in tomorrow that is.