T-2 Weeks!!

Last night I stuck to my usual routine - make spaghetti, have some wine, read and go to bed....

I started the Friday off as I have been for a few weeks -

Wake up at 4:15 am
leave house at 4:45am
run 5 miles to 1441
workout

I had the worst nights sleep the night before, so I started the day off pretty tired. I figured that would lead to me having a GREAT night sleep last night - wrooong!

I stuffed my face and then tried to go to bed around 10pm - I fell right to sleep, but then woke up and tossed and turn <-- this seems to be the norm lately and it is driving me crazy. I always feel wired and  can't sleep!!! I need this FIXED!

I had the strangest feeling about the run. All day yesterday I kept thinking it was going to be a peice of cake - shorter than usual - maybe I could start later? Then I would think, no run it at the normal times. I also couldn't decide on what route I wanted to take.

Anyways- the alarm went off at 4:15 am. I was tired, like no energy tired. No excictemen for the run, felt extremely fat and bloated and really just plain down for some reason.

I got my coffee got dressed and just really felt lazy. I didn't even start running until 5:30! That means I fiddled around for over an hour - that is how unmotivated I was!!

Well, I started out and it wasn't feeling good. I even had thoughts of stopping at the first mile and trying again on Sunday -- but then I kept going... the paces started coming together - but I didn't really feel 100% - it was very strange.

The plan was 6 easy 4 at 7:30 4 at 7:20

My first stop was at mile 6 for water. Then I took off. Then stopped at mile 10 and that was it...


8:00
8:00
7:51
7:52
7:49
7:43

7:32
7:33
7:33
7:22


7:23
7:16
7:13
6:56


7:36


I honestly can not believe I made the paces. I didn't feel 100% - and it wasn't that it was hard, my body just felt sickly - almost like I had nothing... I don't get it because I was 3 pounds heavier this morning...?

Anyways - 2 weeks left!!!

15 Miles at 7:35 average pace

Daily Eats

Slice of Gluten Free Bread
Almond Butter
Coffee with Almond Milk

Run 8 Miles

7am :Protein Shake
- scoop protein powder
- GNC Womens Active vitamin powder
- Pumpkin
- Almond Milk
- Cinnamon
- Ice/Water

9:30 AM
Apple

11:00
- Nut mix

12:00
Greek Salad w/ Chicken

7:00
2 Glasses wine
Lots of Kale and Beet Greens
2 Eggs

Why?

First of all..  I LOVE every second, thought, person, thing, day and anything else involved in running.... it depresses me to no end when I don't have a day with it - it is me, it is part of me, it will always be and NEEDS to be - I need running to be me and if I don't have it I basically fall apart into a person I don't know nor want to be - I crumble.

There are days I wonder WHY I am this way - what drives me to continue to wake up int the 4:xx time zone on a week day - a 3:xx on a Saturday? What possesses me to put this first in my life above everyhing else? Is it getting me anywhere? Is it helping me in my life succeed at anything but personal growth?

It actually secludes me. I don't like talking about it to many people - yet I love to obsess about it with myself daily.

Why am I the way I am about running? WHY?

Marine Corps 1/2

Where to begin....

Thursday:

The plan today was to do 8 easy miles. Dror said to do 8:30 pace. I woke up really tired and decided I would meet the group and keep it super easy and include all the stops. Well, when I got there it was Todd, Angela, Sarah and AndrAa. We started out and within the first 1/2 mile I was ahead of them and I just kept going.

I didn't stop at the water stops, I just did my own thing. Well, when I hit mile 7 going into my 8th mile I caught up with them... which means they were at 5-6 something. I passed them and finsihed the run...

8 Miles at 7:50 pace - OOPS!

I was really scared I ruined any chance of doing well on my 1/2 on Saturday... but when I told Dror, he said I would be fine.

Friday:

I drove up to my parents and hung out with my Mom all day and did some serious shopping. Great times, but definitly no rest. My day started at 4am!

Around 5 I went to John and Stephanies and we started planning dinner. I was really worried about this part, but I was trying to be nonchalant about it. Well, lucky for me they asked what I wanted and I told them what I usually eat before long runs. CLEAN! Clean tomatoe sauce (usually just plain tomatoes), Garlic and ground beef with gluten free noodles topped with parmigiana... they were 100% down with that so Stephanie and I headed to Whole Foods and got the ingredients. I also picked up some Organic Red Wine... my one indulgence ;)



Saturday:

I woke up at 4:40 and had my coffee and started my morning routine.... bathroom and get dressed.

I had a weird feeling about me. It was excitement and cluelessness about what was in store. I had NO idea what was about to happen. I was really nervous about the weather. Stephanie and I had been watching and it was going to be hot and humid. I kept reminding myself that this was technically just a training run and not to think about it. I decided my ultimate goal was to break 1:37 but was going to be ok with breaking 1:38. I didn't think I could maintain 7:30's for the entire thing, but was going to try.

We got to the Starting area around 6:00am. We got out and headed to the porta pottie then went back to the car so I could eat my peanut butter sandwhich and get ready to do my 2 mile warm up.

I did the warm up and then had to pee again. Well, all of a sudden the porta pottie line was SO long. I talked Stephanie into going with me to pop a squat... well I did, behind a barricade, near tons of people walking by... but I didn't care!!!

We started to line up and went all the way to the front. The cannon went off and we were running! I felt relaxed and easy. Well, I hit the first mile around 7:00 flat... I got a little nervous but just decided to go with it. This was just a training run - if I crashed it was fine, and I also knew there were bridges coming that I would be slowing down for...

Bridges came and they hurt and sucked, but I got through them.

7:22
7:19

Once over the bridges I tried to settle into a pace and get comfortoable. I started passing girls and next thing I knew I was just around guys. I was nervous and excited - but I wasn't dying. Everything felt so peaceful and normal - like it was nothing for me.

7:13
7:17
7:16
7:14

Once we headed out of this neiborhood area I spotted one of my moms friends and she was cheering me on. Then I kept going, I was after mile 7 and I wanted to pick it up. I had to contain myself because I didn't want to have to recover from this race since I was still in training for my marathon.

7:04
6:54
7:05

During these fast 3 miles I was actually talking to these guys!! I had energy and I was talking and I was at 7:00 pace?!

Then the obstacles came. We were running around the river. The sidewalk had lots of curves and slight inclines and then we came up to this part that led up to a bridge it would incline than platuea it did this about 10 times and then you spriral down about 7 times. The Garmin stopped tracking the distance and the time kept going.

7:26

That mile is not accurate.

Mile 12 was difficult. It was HOT. There was NO shade and no crowd. It was basically awful.

7:24

Then Mile 13 I went after it

6:37

I finished and couldn't believe what I had just done. 1:33:16

The feeling of confidence and happiness were so overwhelming. I know I could have gone faster, I could have actually PR'd. I am extremely happy with the results - it is game on for the 1/2 after NYC!!!!

Daily Eats

Before Run:
1 Cup Coffee + Almond Milk
1/2 Arnold Round + PB

After Run (7am)
Smoothie
1 scoop protein
2 scoops powder vitamins
Almond Milk
1/2 Banana

10AM
Oatmeal + Protein Powder

11:30
Some Chocolate Chex

1:00
Turkey, Quinoa, Spinach
Salsa + Greek Yogurt

2:00 
Remaining Chocolate Chex

3:00
Pistachio's -- waaay too many

7:00
3 Corn Tortillas
3 Eggs  + 1 Egg White
Sprinkle of Cheddar
Salsa + Greek Yogurt

Kara's thoughts

Kara Gouchers thoughts on NYC...

KG: NYC is a very difficult course. It’s an awesome course that lets you experience the city like you never would in any other way, but it is a tough course. Take [your run] a little conservative in the first half so that when you come back and enter the park you’ll have a little bit of running left in your legs. It’s such an awesome race and the crowds are amazing in NYC. It’s a tremendous experience.

Track Attack!

Track was pretty shocking this morning!

It was raining when I woke up – again, put I prayed that it would let up. I DO NOT want to miss a single workout, rain or shine I was going to show up. But, it stopped J

The workout was: 400-1200-1200-1200-400-400

He put me in group 4b with Sarah. I secretly have been wanting to get into a faster group than her for a very long time. I don’t know why, but I KNOW I am faster than her and it kills me that I am still with her.

When we lined up for the first 400 she got in front (which also secretly drives me NUTS). We came in at 1:32 (Goal was 1:36)

She immediately said something like “Did you hear him??!” It was said in a way that she thought it was too fast, my thought was – we could have gone faster. I didn’t respond to her.

When we lined up for the 1200 I made sure I was in front, because I KNEW I could go faster than the goal (I think the goal was 4:48)

Well, we came in at 4:41! I was happy and ready to rock the next one, which needed to be faster than the first.

Sarah came to me and said, ok why don’t we just try to maintain that – I thought, um, no I am going to crush that time… so I had to ignore her again, because I didn’t know what to say in a nice way.

Well, LUCKILY for me Dror told us to go to group 4!!! I was SO excited!!! I had no idea what they ran their first 1200 in, but I was ready for the challenge. I got myself right behind Dennis and made sure I kept up…

Kept up I did!!! 4:30!!!

Then the next one was supposed to match the first, but since we moved up a group… 4:35! I even felt like I could go faster, but I stayed behind Dennis.


When we went for the next 400, I made the mistake of getting behind the guys again – they weren’t going as fast as I wanted and we came in at 1:23

Once Dror called us up for the last 400 I raced up and TOOK OFF! Dennis was right behind me the whole time, and my goal was to NOT let him pass me. He came right next to me on the final 100 and we crossed together in 78!! Talk about some SPEED!

Then I went for the Optional Mile, without hesitation. I didn’t care if it was bad, it was about pushing my body when it was tired. Oddly it didn’t suck as bad as I thought it was going to… but it was challenging!!

6:24!!

I can honestly say, that today I pushed myself and it felt GREAT!

Times:

400..1:32

1200…4:41

1200…4:30

1200…4:35

400…1:23

400…1:18

Optional Mile… 6:24

Then I went to 1441 for some strength and conditioning.

Weather + Fatigue

After the complete exhaustion I went through yesterday, I immediately went home after work and CRASHED. I was in bed by 8:15 – tried to read, but got through 2 pages and turned out the light.

I haven’t not been sleeping very well lately due to the excitement in my life with the way my running has been going (it doesn’t take much to interrupt my sleep!). I recently read that Tart Cherry Concentrate helps with sleeping, so I ran out and bought some. I think it is working, because each night I have had some I sleep soundly!

I didn’t really have a “plan” for this mornings run, I wanted to do 8-10 miles and wanted to feel good and push myself.

As I was getting ready I started hearing RAIN! I kind of panicked/got sad that I wasn’t going to do my run… but then it stopped and I was better.

Right away on the run I realized my body was tired and a little sore. Starting out my paces were about 7:5X … so I planned to keep it that way and try to pick it up after mile 2. Well with the rain earlier, the weather was still nasty. The humidity was bad and the wind was starting to pick up. The water from the bay was even splashing on to Bayshore! So I settled with maintaining my pace and going 9 miles.

With the rain pushing against me, the humidity at 90%, temps in the 80’s and my body feeling tired I was kind of happy with my 9 miles at 7:56 pace – last mile at 7:45 – only one stop!

Rest?

I was told this morning that I need to rest. That many people get to this point in marathon training, feel extremely high from running and then ruin it.

This really made me think and start to get worried... Am I doing too much??

I am sitting at work about to pass out on my desk... Hmmm... Maybe I do need rest.