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Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf
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Okay...that's three weeks of post IM recovery in the books. Whoop whoop! Here's a quick recap of a very tame week, picking up where I left off above.....
Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 - Sneaky lunchtime recovery run - 4.2 field miles in sun and wind. Had to coax the legs with a little encouragement on the first few miles, but some joy started flowing through the limbs by the time I was nearly done. Dabbled in some yoga, core and foam rolling in the evening hours.
Thursday, October 9th, 2014 - This was one of the most enjoyable swims I've done all season - in a word, it was heaven.
A drop dead gorgeous evening mixed with a combination of 70 degree air temperature and 82 degree water temperature equalled stellar conditions to decompress and defy gravity. 2,000 easy yards suspended in my very own, um, aqua culture. 
Friday, October 10th, 2014 - Yet another sneaky lunchtime recovery run, but this one was done in LONG SLEEVES! :eek: First run of the season in long sleeves...yikes! But I have to admit, the cooler weather does feel good to run in, however I cringe at the thought of the heating bill this month with the pool heater percolating in top form. This little 4.2 mile field trot felt pretty dang good - had to hold the legs back a bit, which was very welcome considering it's been nearly 3 weeks coming. Yoga, stretching, core work and foam rolling rounded out the day with my resident yogis, Norris and Butler, present and accounted for on the yoga mat.
Saturday, October 11th, 2014 - Who has time to train when Kona-fever is in the house? Whoop whoop! <fist bump> Plus, I still had 2 days left of recovery, so instead of racking up any SBR mileage, I honed my ambidextrous talents and multitasking skills by perching my lap top to my right with the Kona live feed rolling continuously, my iPad to my left with a manually operated (by me!) rotation of 3 athletes being tracked, and my smart phone an arm's length away to keep an eye on Boards' comments and related texts. Whew! The pressure!!! My endurance related hydration and nutrition plan got a little tricky late in the evening, but a Strawber-Rita-Maragarita on ice served simultaneously with a smartly paired bowl of ice cream fueled me well into the witching hour.
Sunday, October 12th, 2014 - My last recovery session of this 3 week recovery period (farewell recovery period, don't let the door hit you in the arse on your way out!)....hallelujah....and I felt pretty close to a million bucks. Granted this was only a slow 4.2 mile field trot in the cool, damp middle of the day....but it felt good. Really good. Strangely, however, I have noticed since yesterday that my injured ribs are sore again. ?? I don't know if the core/yoga work I've been doing has aggravated the related muscles, but my breathing is totally fine - ribs just feel sore and bruised. Strange though...
Tomorrow is a new week....and so a new, and very short chapter featuring the big apple begins. 0 -
Monday, October 13th, 2014
Day 1 of a short three week cycle and it was an "off" day....so I took advantage of one of the last evenings to swim in my pool before it is tucked in for a long winter's nap.
<sniff, sniff> 2,000 easy yards under a starry, starry night. 0 -
Monday, October 13th, 2014
Day 1 of a short three week cycle and it was an "off" day....so I took advantage of one of the last evenings to swim in my pool before it is tucked in for a long winter's nap.<sniff, sniff> 2,000 easy yards under a starry, starry night.
Awww... I was going to propose "Swimtober", where you lower the pool temperature 1˚each passing day for a month.0 -
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Wednesday, October 15th, 2014
Run plan: 9 miles progression - easy to MP
Holy cow, it was pouring down rain like mad over the noon hour. In fact, it had been pouring down rain with howling wind since late last night, thus disrupting my much needed beauty sleep. So, because of the crazy rain, I decided to push this run to after work with the hope that the weather would clear for me....and as luck would have it, the evening was perfect for running!!
This was my first quality session in almost a month, so I'll admit I was a little "nervous" just thinking about it as I was leaving work. 9 miles....progression....finishing at a 7:40 pace. Did I have that in me? I honestly didn't know. It's funny how you can convince yourself that all fitness is gone when you aren't putting in the miles/time nor training like you once were. But out to the field I trudged, willing to find out where I am and what shape I'm in.
In my mind, I had broken this run down into three sets containing three miles each....and I was hoping my pace range would be 9:15 - 7:40. I also decided that I'd try and run by feel (translation: I only looked at my watch every third of a mile just to check where I was), easing gently into the faster paces...but when the first mile was faster than I intended, I worried it would bite me later. However, I kept myself busy with lots of mind exercises
:o and I managed very well....but I won't lie, the last 4 miles were work, and I'd hate to think I'd have to go 26.2 miles at anything under 8 min/mile. :eek: This was an honest run - no stops, and I did not "cheat" by running in the flat, straight section of the field, rather I kept it in the uneven and rolling edges. All in all, a very good run.
8:51, 8:38, 8:29, 8:18, 8:09, 8:01, 7:51, 7:46, 7:30
Total run: 9.01 miles in 1:13:35 for an average pace of 8:10 min/mile0 -
Thursday, October 16th, 2014
Run plan: 7 miles easy
I just didn't have a big enough window over lunch to get this done, so I did it in the evening hour under the setting sun. And in my sincere quest to keep the easy runs easy (there should be no gray area), this was done....easy. Legs definitely had last night's run in them, so I listened to the body and kept the effort at an even level...however, by keeping the effort level, I found my pace slowed as the run went on. I guess that's normal ?? but I didn't fret as I kept reminding myself that I have to reap the benefits of the easy runs while being properly primed for my next quality session so I can nail it.
Lovely evening out there...and the deer were plentiful. In fact, two stately looking deer standing watch on the hill behind the house didn't seem to even be bothered by me trotting by them. Not sure if they were admiring my gait, or if they were horrified by it...but whichever it was, they seemed unable to look away.
Actual run: 7.05 miles in 1:07:34 for an average pace of 9:35 min/mile
I followed this run up with some stretching (good god I had no flexibility tonight!) and foam rolling (ouch!).0 -
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Hey DD, apologies for the delay in congratulating you (only catching up on logs) great race and report you nailed it
Did you go for the IM tat ?
Hiya BM! So sweet of you to stop by! Thanks for your kind words.
A tattoo?? Funny you should ask.....the gal who did the IM with me and I actually had appointments to get IM tattoos done yesterday (we each came up with our own design), but on Tuesday I decided my heart wasn't into it (at this point in my life, and all that....), and funny enough she had had a dream the night before that her tattoo came out awful and that she regretted it. Long story short, we canceled. Who knows, after my next IM....maybe. 0 -
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Friday, October 17th, 2014
Run plan: 3 miles recovery
Like a dutiful and disciplined Dory, this was done as an exemplary ample-example of how a recovery run should be done. Think: a smooth sunset cruise on a catamaran with the easy beat of reggae music in the background, kicked back, breeze blowing through the hair, and sipping on a delicious mai tai as all of the day's problems dissolve into thin air. In other words, this was good....and left me wanting more.
Actual run: 3.5 recovery miles done Jamaican style
Saturday, October 18th, 2014
Run plan: 6 miles easy, 6 x 100m strides
Didn't get around to this until the early evening hours, but I strapped on the Garmin and never gave it a glance once I hit the start button. I'm serious about giving this "easy" stuff a chance (hi Raycun!) - I'm letting the body dictate what is an honest easy pace. I suppose I could wear my HR strap, but I truly hate that thing! The legs felt so much better on this easy run than they did on Thursday's easy run (I suppose due to the fact that Wednesday's hard run was in them), and that fact is evident in the paces.
8:44, 9:11, 9:16, 9:08, 9:10, 9:14
It was getting a bit dark by the time I started on the strides, but I did these in the flat, straight section of the field, so I was more or less fine (read: safe from tripping over a rogue bunny rabbit and knocking my noggin!). I did not record the individual strides, but rather the accumulated distance and cumulative average pace - .49 miles at an average cumulative pace of 6:13 min/mile.
Actual run: 6.17 easy miles in 56:21 for an average pace of 9:08 min/mile...plus, .49 miles of strides
Followed this session up with some stretching and foam rolling.
Sunday, October 19th, 2014
Run plan: 14 miles steady :eek:
The thought of having to string 14 consecutive miles at an 8:00-8:10 min/mile pace had me doubting things...so I told myself if I had to start out at 8:30 and work my way up, then so be it. I haven't done a session of this caliber in god knows when (pre-Boston??), so I even reasoned if my average pace was anywhere near 8:15 min/mile, then I would call the session a success.
Cue the psych-me-up running apparel, hair pulled back and looped, and a quick listen to some rockin' music on the way out the door to get my head in the game...and I was off and, um...running. First mile was bang on target, but the next two were horribly undisciplined, so I eased it back...and I made a conscious effort to keep things eased back in hopes that I would stay in the correct pace zone. :rolleyes: I was also getting mind-numbingly bored running counterclockwise over and over again around the field, so I made the executive decision to do some modified figure eights to make things a little more interesting for me. However, by mile 7 I was getting rather annoyed at the wind, so I changed my path once again, this time keeping to the upper end of the field as the slope of the field and placement of the trees there seemed to offer me a bit more relief than on the lower end. But trust me, at times I was still cursing the wind.
How did this go? Well, I was totally loving life on the first 6 miles...working a little harder on miles 7 and 8, wondering if I had overshot things....took a gel on mile 9....felt better on miles 10 and 11, employing some good positive thinking...ready to quit on mile 12, but told myself that I only had 20-some minutes to go, and that I could do ANYTHING for 20 minutes....mile 13, and I was still counting down, less than 16 minutes to go....and I rewarded myself on mile 14 by "cheating" in the middle of the field. Overall, this was tough. And I am still convinced that my Garmin makes me look faster than I am, so please add 10 to 20 seconds per mile below, as I think that will be a more realistic picture of the pace I was running.
8:11, 7:35, 7:30, 7:51, 7:49, 7:59, 7:54
7:41, 7:46, 7:51, 7:41, 7:49, 7:36, 7:25
Actual run: 14 miles in 1:48:47 for an average pace of 7:46 min/mile
Dabbled in some stretching and foam rolling with yogi number 1 sharing the mat with me. 0 -
Monday, October 20th, 2014
Rest day!!!!!
Tuesday, October 21st, 2014
Run plan: 7 miles easy
Lunchtime run on a mild day under a cloudy sky. I didn't bother with the Garmin, but based on the time I exited the house and the time I returned, my pace must've been ~9:30/9:45 min/mile. In other words, this was slow. The legs still had Sunday's run in them....but I have to say, I enjoyed this run. Lots of time to think out there...to solve the world's problems...you know, slow run and all that.
Actual run: 7 easy lunchtime field miles0 -
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014
Run plan: 7 mile easy
Another sneaky lunchtime run....but this time I had to toss on the long sleeves - it was downright nippy out there!!! :eek: Old man winter, he is a-comin'! Boo hiss. But I dug out a really nice and comfy long sleeve I bought in Boston last year at the expo - first time I've worn it, and it's fab!
Legs felt way better than they did yesterday, but this was still pretty slow. No watch - love being bold - and like yesterday's easy run, this was enjoyable. I'm also really lovin' the single focus of running at the moment. It's amazing how much training for an IM can take out of you - the toll - the time commitment - the many working parts - all pretty massive, if I'm honest. We all need breaks, and I'm embracing mine at the moment. Next year is shaping up to be a pretty long year, so the trick is going to be staying fresh and focused....and I think that will mean a creative structure and/or a few short breaks along the way. (Of course I actually have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to IM training!)
Actual run: 7 easy peasy field miles in a comfy cozy long sleeve number
Since I'm all about the run at the moment...and getting ready to do a marathon...oh, and because I made such a mockery of my nutrition leading up to the IM....here's an interesting article on pre-marathon food - http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-runners/fill-er?page=single0 -
Thursday, October 23rd, 2014
Run plan: 17 miles - first 14 easy, last 3 @ MP
Snuck out mid-morning to get this done - I guess at times there are some benefits to owning your own business thank god. Overcast, chilly and breezy out there, so it was shorts and long sleeves again....and it was the dutiful and disciplined Dory for the most part that showed up for this run. However, I will tell you I did have this inner struggle today while on the easy miles - felt like I enjoyed the easy miles too much (translation: I'm going soft
) because I knew this was a quality session, and you just don't go easy in quality sessions (right? )...but I also knew that if I let the horses go too soon that I'd never hit the MP target of 7:40 min/mile.
I'm not going to bore you with "on mile 1 I was all dreamy eyed...on mile 2 I was warm and fuzzy...on mile 3 I was yada yada..."....instead, suffice it to say, my modified figure eights were pretty good. I tend to break down these long runs into manageable segments in my head, and I only concern myself (for the *most* part) with the segment I am in at the moment. When I do look ahead, it's in chunks, if that makes sense. I know my "easy" pace range, but until I got going, I had no idea what today's easy pace would be. Obviously, my legs were feeling fine on this run. And I'm really, really most sincerely learning that if I stay very disciplined from the beginning, I can usually end on a high note - what a concept! And in the spirit of full disclosure, gels were taken on miles 8, 11 and 14.
So that was the easy....now a brief chat about the MP. :eek: My goal was to hit 7:40 min/mile because that is my year old PB marathon pace, not because I think I can hold that pace at this time (even though I would like to). The first MP mile was pretty much spot on, but I was working it. I employed some really positive thinking on the second MP mile, and about halfway through this mile I added a little quirky strategy to that positive thinking. And let me preface this by saying, I have absolutely NO idea where this idea came from, but it just descended upon me on this 16th mile. This sounds a little nutty, but I started pretending/visualizing that each of my hands was grabbing a rope in front of me (so, two ropes - one on my right and one on my left), and with each arm pump, I was pulling myself forward. Freakin' crazy, right? But look at my final mile's pace! :eek: I decided not to look at the watch for that last mile, but rather just run. :eek::eek::cool::) Certainly not sustainable....but good god, who was that out there??!!
The easy -
8:52, 8:52, 8:36, 8:25, 8:33, 8:31, 8:27
8:25, 8:31, 8:27, 8:12, 8:30, 8:30, 8:08
The MP -
7:35, 7:20, 6:43
Actual run: 17 miles in 2:20:47 for an average pace of 8:17 min/mile0 -
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I have to ask, as I am sure most of us are curious. What's the target pace for the marathon? That last mile would indicate you're going really well :cool:
Target pace?
Haven't. A. Clue.
!!!!!
Seriously - no idea as I've not done any marathon specific training to speak of this year. And I don't think I'd read too much into that last mile other than perhaps I followed directions for the first 14 miles....which then set me up to do a decent job on the last 3 miles. Oh, and I suspect my Garmin recorded me faster than I actually was.:) But no lofty expectations for NY - as I told someone just yesterday (and I'm paraphrasing a little), a sub 4 hours will be a 2014 pb. :( 0 -
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Saturday, October 25th (2 months to Christmas!), 2014
Run plan: 6 miles easy, 6 x 100m strides
Combine: Approximately 5 heaping spoonfuls of mayonnaise, 1 slightly beaten raw egg, and a small glug of vegetable oil. Mix well. Slop on head and work into hair thoroughly. Wrap in plastic wrap. Toss on a headband to keep it all in place. Then go be that brilliant multi-tasking gal and do that run while you are luxuriously conditioning your hair under the full sun on a glorious October day.
Yep. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself at my ingenuity and time management skills.....until....on mile 3 when the goo had heated up sufficiently to the point of perfect liquidation and started running down my face, in my ears, and down the back of my neck.:( Good god, it stunk and was marginally disgusting. Not to mention the fact that I now had warmed raw egg dripping down from my hair. All I need is salmonella for my NY City marathon next weekend to trump the impressive intestinal issues I had at the IM due to the fried food orgy I had the day before the race. And I'm actually not a stupid person. !!!
Run was slow and creaky to begin with....and slow and not so creaky to end with. Listened to the body....but Thursday's adventure was still lingering a wee bit so I just took this handy. (I think that's the correct use of that word.)
9:58, 9:45, 9:40, 9:24, 9:30, 9:30
Did the strides in the middle of the field. These were pretty good to be honest. Let the Garmin record the accumulated distance and average total pace - .48 miles at an average pace of 5:54 min/mile - which probably means nothing, but any excuse to post a 5:xx min/mile pace works for me!
Actual run: 6.05 miles in 58:19 for an average pace of 9:38 min/mile....plus, .48 miles at an average pace of 5:54 min/mile0 -
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Sunday, October 26th, 2014
Run plan: 2 miles easy, 3 miles MP, 2 min rec, 2 miles HMP, 2 min rec, 1 mile 10k, 2 miles easy
Some sessions are all about physical ability, and some sessions are all about mental ability. This session was all mental.
In the spirit of full disclosure...
The hair flavor du jour was smashed avocado and banana...I wore a very ugly running top that I wouldn't be caught dead in public in...knew this would be a tough session during the first 2 miles easy based on the way the body felt...did most of this session in the middle of the field due to the crazy wind :eek:...basically walked in place during the 2 minute recoveries, and took a gel during the first recovery...the effort seemed more like HMP, 10k, 5k...and there was no rope visualization today, only stubbornness and telling myself that I loved how this felt. Oh, and other than how insanely blustery it was out there, this was another absolutely stellar day with gobs and gobs of happy sunshine!!!
The easy...9:26, 9:01
The MP...7:30, 7:27, 7:24
The HMP...7:12, 7:08
The 10k...6:50
The easy...10:22, 9:59
Actual run: 10.2 miles in 1:26:26 for an average pace of 8:28 min/mile0 -
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Lead ????
Yes, by golly...according to Cha Cha, cast lead is indeed heavier than Portland cement. (???) And the only thing heavier than lead is bismuth. (???) Not sure what bismuth is, but it's technically radioactive and really heavy. So I'm going with my legs felt like lead. I'm putting the bismuth in my back pocket for now. 0 -
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Wednesday, October 29th, 2014
Run plan: 1 mile easy, 3 miles MP, 1 mile easy
Ehhh...not a stellar little run, again. Cloudy, rainy, took an age for satellites to lock, first mile definitely measured long, and my MP miles felt like they were faster than the pace recorded. Or conversely, the effort was higher than it should have been for the pace recorded. So with that, folks, the official plan for the weekend is to go out there and have me some New York fun and let the paces fall where they may. Carpe diem. A dear, enthusiastic older couple who know I'm running in the marathon this weekend stopped by the clinic today with the sole purpose of sharing their Dory marathon excitement and giving me a button with the two words, carpe diem, stamped on it, and they requested I wear this button while I run on Sunday. How apt. Seize the day. With age comes wisdom. I will most definitely wear their button, and I will most definitely seize the day.
The easy...9:03
The MP...7:45, 7:28, 7:39
The easy...9:29
Actual run: 5.21 miles in 43:18 for an average pace of 8:19 min/mile0 -
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