Success!

After a few weeks of pretty terrible runs, I feel like I've finally broken through. Today, I ran 12 miles with an average pace that was 1 minute faster than last year's long run pace. I am especially proud of this run because the high today was 101 degrees. When I finished, it was already 92 at 10:30am. I played it smart and kept a cooler in the car with all of my drinks so that I could stop there to break up the run. I ran 4 miles, picked up a water bottle, ran another 4, picked up another bottle and a vanilla bean Gu (which was delicious, as far as gels go), then ran the last 4. I was even able to push it a bit in the last two miles so that my pace was a minute faster than my pace during the rest of the run. I didn't have any stomach problems, probably because I avoided sports drinks, which sometimes cause issues. I was also pleased to see so many runners out this morning! It was great to see them all braving the heat, and it gave me extra energy. I spent the rest of the day by the pool, and now I'm pooped. I may ride my bike tomorrow instead of doing a recovery run because I feel like I put my body through a lot today, and it deserves a nice break. Hopefully the good running will continue through the week!

Time to Refocus

This summer has not been very conducive to marathon training. I've traveled every weekend but one, and I haven't been able to put myself on an early morning running schedule. The result is that my training has not been very consistent. I've skipped speed workouts in favor of slow, easy runs because I'm usually tired and hungry after work, and I've shortened the length of my long runs because I haven't been disciplined enough to make sure that I'm well rested and hydrated.

For example, on Friday, I tried to do my scheduled 11 mile long run. We were planning on leaving for the beach at 7 am on Saturday morning, so I thought it would be best to get the run over with. I started out at 5:15 pm after work on Friday despite the excessive heat warning. It was above 90 and very humid. I told myself I was tough, so I could gut it out. I ran 3.5 miles, stopped at McDonald's to use the facilities, and then went to Wawa for water and Gatorade. I continued on until mile 6 or so when I had a total breakdown. I was incredibly hungry. I had had stomach pain at the beginning of the run, but toward the middle I all of the sudden ran out of energy and needed food immediately. By mile 8, I could hardly force my legs to move. I eventually made it back to my house after stopping at a lemonade stand (can't thank those kids enough for the two cups of lemonade and bottle of water for $0.75!), and proceeded to lay down on my floor for half an hour next to the dog. I ran 10 miles total, but it was a disaster. I was happy that I didn't have to do the run later in the weekend, but I was also disappointed because I know I can run better than that, I just wasn't being smart.

So, new game plan. I need to focus again. This means proper sleep, nutrition, hydration, and planning. On tap for tomorrow is a tempo run. I'd like to do a track workout, but I still don't have my watch- it was shipped to me with a new battery today, so maybe I'll get it by Wednesday.

I've been setting myself up to fail; hopefully this week I'll get my act together!

The Need for Cheese

I had a really great workout tonight. This was the run (on the track):

2 mi warmup, then 2 x 400, 2 x 800, and 1 x 1200 with a 400 recovery in between. I ended with 1 mi cooldown.

It was so hot and humid- I was really happy that I made it through the whole thing. I desperately wanted to jump in the pool, so I went to the gym and swam 1000m.

Needless to say, all of this working out made me starving, and I was desperately craving cheese. This happens every time I finish a hard workout, and I'm not sure what it is about cheese that makes me want it...oh well, I'm just going to give in to the craving and eat a pizza.

Just a short and sweet post. I need my food!

It Just Wasn't Meant to Be

I left work today a bit cranky, for no apparent reason, and I was really looking forward to getting in the pool for a solid hour to just have that sense of peace that swimming always brings me. I had to wait two hours for the swim team to finish, so I just caught up on a tv show and cleaned my room for a bit.

Enter thunderstorm.

Around 6:15, I started to hear thunder. It was pretty far away, but I started to prepare for a power outage by running around and plugging in my phone and my computer so that they would be charged for a potential days-long outage (which we had about 3 weeks ago).

At 6:40, I grabbed my gear and got in the car to go to the gym. It was raining, but it didn't start to pour until I turned onto the main road. All of the sudden- BAM- the road was flooding and I could hardly see anything in front of me. The gym is only about 5 minutes away, but I was gripping the steering wheel so tightly and going about 2 mph so my (extremely) old car wouldn't skid if I had to stop quickly. I finally reached the parking lot and braced myself for the run to the building. I sprinted my heart out, but it was really pointless since I got soaking wet the very second I opened the car door. Once inside, I put on my flip flops (naturally, I was running barefoot so that I wouldn't slip in the flip flops in the parking lot) and went to the front desk. The following conversation ensued:

Me: Whew!! At least I'm just going for a swim!

Front Desk Guy aka Mr. Thinks I'm Nuts: Huh?

Me: I'm already soaked, so it's a good thing I'm just swimming!

Mr. TIM: Uhhh all the pools are closed indefinitely due to thunder.

Me: What?!?!?

Mr. TIM: Yep. We'll open them 30 min. after we hear the last of the thunder.

Me (slightly hysterical): Why do they close the indoor pools?!?! The indoor pools are closed too???? Why do they close the indoor pools?!?!?

Mr. TIM: I don't know. You can call to see if they're open later.

I walked out the door puzzled, and a little bit angry, because I'm not sure why thunder closes the indoor pools. I returned to my house and got on the treadmill. 3 miles and half of an NCIS episode later, I stepped off the treadmill and gave myself a Gibbs head slap for running. Today was supposed to be my day off of running, and due to the lack of pool access, it was my only exercise option. Seeing as I was so cranky, a complete rest day was just not happening.

Oh wait, it's not over yet.

After the run, and after the episode was over, I called the gym to see if the pools were open. I was told that they had just reopened, so I got back into my car and headed over. Along the way, I accidentally made a wrong turn because I was too engrossed in singing a Rihanna song. I eventually made it to the gym, jumped into the pool, and swam 200 meters when.....

Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet (that's the sound of a whistle, not a bird)!!!!! THUNDER!!!!!

I hopped out of the pool, seriously angry at this point because not only did my muscles not get their relaxing swim, but I was also very hungry. I drove home and made dinner, and now that my stomach's full, the whole night just seems hilarious.

Mother Nature: 50 Me: 0

At least now I have the relaxing sound of rain to put me to sleep. I'll try the pool again tomorrow or Wednesday, barring any tornadoes or snowstorms.

Mixed Feelings

I go back and forth on whether I enjoy recovery runs. Today I struggled through about 2.5 miles that felt mostly terrible. I was supposed to do 5, but due to some knee pain that I developed after yesterday's run I decided to cut it short. While I like that these short and easy runs on the day after a long run loosen up my muscles, I hate that they feel so much harder than the long run. I'm still going to do them every week as part of my training because I think they're beneficial. My run today probably just felt particularly awful because I had just driven 3.5 hours up I-95.

And now I'm realizing how negative I sound. A run is a run, and I should just be happy to get out there, right? The temperature was perfect, the cicadas were chirping (buzzing?), and I got to smell the sweet summer air for half an hour. So really, I don't have anything to complain about. My legs will probably thank me tomorrow for stretching them out.

Tomorrow I have an hour swim planned. I started swimming about a month ago, and I absolutely love it. The rest of the week will look something like this:

Monday: 60 min. swim

Tuesday: 5-6 miles (speed), leg workout

Wednesday: 3 miles

Thursday: 5-6 miles hills

Friday: off

Saturday: 11 miles

Sunday: 2-4 miles

I better start getting ready for the week so I can get to bed at a decent hour. Maybe this week I'll get some morning workouts in.

Long Run: Check (Well, Almost)

Yesterday I woke up and was very pleased to see that it was raining. After a week of temps in the high 90s (and low 100s), I was excited to head out for my run in the cooler weather. I left my iPod at home because I thought the trails might be more empty than usual. Unfortunately, this meant that I was a bit bored during the first 3 miles or so. I was also a little stiff, and I didn't fully warm up until around mile 3.5. I picked up my pace at that point, and around mile 6.5 I ended up at the track to finish up the last few miles. I guess I was lulled into a false sense of security by the rain because I didn't bring a water bottle or Gatorade with me, and I only stopped once at a water fountain (at mile 4.5). Needless to say, by the time I reached the track I was dehydrated. My legs felt like bricks, and I couldn't stop visualizing a glass full of ice water. I cut my run short by a half mile because I just couldn't stand it anymore, and I figured that I was being an idiot. So instead of 9 miles, I did 8.5 I'm not really going to beat myself up over it. I just need to remember that even though it may be raining, and even though it may feel cool, I'm still sweating and losing fluids. Rookie mistake. I'm not sure how long the run took me because my watch needs a new battery, and I need to mail it to New York or something to get it fixed.

Today I have a 5 miler on tap, but I have to drive back to Philly, so I'll probably wait until later in the day to get it in. I'm considering shifting my runs on weekdays from the evening to the morning, but that's going to take a massive effort. I think it might be worth it, though, because I never seem to be able to motivate myself to do long track workouts in the evening after work. I might also be able to swim more, and it's much easier to jump into the pool after work than it is to go out for a run in the heat and humidity. I think I need a buddy to motivate me to get up early.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

First Post!

I started this blog in order to keep track of my runs as I train for the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 31. MCM '10 will be my third marathon, and I would love to set a PR. I love running, and I'm working really hard at getting faster. The name "Oats" is a nickname I got when I was little, so that's how the blog title came about.

My background: my first race was the Broad Street Run (10 miler) back in 2007. I've completed every Broad Street Run since then, and I finished my first marathon in 2008 (also Marine Corps). I shaved 15 minutes off my time at last year's MCM, but I know I can do better. I live in Northern Virginia, but I'm currently in the Philly area doing an internship. I just finished my first year of law school, so I'm really savoring the summer.

I don't have too much to write about today, as it is my day off from running, but I have a long run planned for tomorrow- I'm looking forward to getting this blog up and running!