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Showing posts with label olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label olympics. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Half Marathon Goals

Eeek, it's going to snow on Sunday! That's what I get for running a half marathon in New England in February, I suppose.

A Goal: Sub 1:48:00. McMillan Running Calculator thinks I can pull off 1:45:53. I disagree, so I'm giving myself two extra minutes for my pie in the sky, reach for it goal. I just don't think I have the mileage in training for a sub 1:46:00 right now.
B Goal: 1:48-1:51:59. I will be extremely happy with any time in this range. Preferably, sub 1:50:00 but I'd take sub 1:52:00 right now especially if the conditions are bad.
C Goal: 1:52:00-1:54:00. I'll take it but I won't be thrilled.
D Goal: A new PR (1:56:23 is my old one). I won't be very happy with anything over 1:54:00 though.

My PR was on a very hilly course, my long run going into it was a 10 miler the week before and I stopped twice for at least 3-4 minutes total during the race due to some foot issues.

This training cycle, I've done 2 10 milers, 1 11 miler, 2 12 milers, 1 13 miler, 1 14 miler and 1 15 miler and I've PRed by 3 minutes in the 10K and this course is supposedly much flatter. So if there is not decent improvement, yes I will be disappointed.

I need to start figuring out what to wear, what to pack for the weekend etc ... I'm so anxious for some reason and it doesn't help that I've been staying up to watch all the figure skating in the Olympics every night. The Ladies start tonight, so I definitely won't be going to bed early! I hope I don't sleep past my alarm tomorrow like I did this morning.

Monday, February 15, 2010

15 Mile Run

I have a mileage PR - 15.04 miles :). I did it this morning, luckily I have today off so that I could get out there for my long run.

I ran 3.38 miles on Saturday morning. I was supposed to do 5 miles but Dave's little sister had a swim meet that we were going too, so I didn't have much time. Still, they were good, fast miles so I was okay with it. We spent the rest of the morning at the swim meet sitting on some awful benches. So uncomfortable. Then Saturday night, I headed into the city to see a friend who is moving across the country next week. There were about 8 of us and we just hung out in a friend's hotel room watching the Olympics and catching up. I was debating whether I'd do my 15 miles the next morning or wait until Monday since I had it off. I only had one glass of wine since I wasn't sure. But then I stayed out later than I planned, still not too late, only 12:15ish since I had to rely on public transportation and it stops running at a certain point. So by the time I got home, I figured I'd just go to bed and see how I felt when I woke up.

I didn't feel too great when I woke up, I was just tired and blah. Then my hamstring started randomly cramping, so I decided to wait a day. Dave's hamstrings were bothering him too, so we're blaming it on the awful benches from the swim meet. We just hung out together yesterday, did a little shopping and then I napped before watching the Pairs short program of the Olympics. Went to bed as soon as it was over so that I could get a decent nights sleep.

I got up and headed out around 8:15 this morning. I'm living in a new area so I had mapped out a run to try but I knew it wasn't 7.5 out so I'd have to do some improvising. I headed out and 3.3 miles later, I was at the water! I was sooo excited to run along the water. I ran out about 3 miles and then back stopping once to take some sports beans and to text Dave to turn on the ice maker since I had forgotten! Then I decided to go past where I had turned onto the water but that didn't work out so well since it went to a major road that didn't seem to safe. So I turned around, crossed the street and ran back along the water but on the opposite side which had a nice trail that weaved in and out of some woods and park. I took some more sports beans now. Turned around at 10.6ish miles and finally when I got back to the road I came in on it was time to head back. Finished up the last 3.3 miles, which included a huge hill with about .5 miles left! That was a killer.

I'll have to take my camera with me next time because there are a lot of nice views from the water, especially since I could see a lot of Boston as I ran. I love the route down there, so I think in the future I'll just plan to do that part of the run 2x instead of going elsewhere to add miles. 

Total: 15.04 miles, 2:23:18, average pace 9:31 min/mile (with a nice negative split!), average HR 161bpm

I made sure to stretch a lot and then I took a nice 20 minute ice bath. Eeek, I shivered for awhile after that! But now I feel great. I do have a few blisters but they are recurring ones not new ones. I'm planning on trying out some new shoes after my half in two weeks to find a blister solution.

Now it's time for chilling on my couch and watching the Olympics. I love the Olympics sooo much.