Friday, April 30, 2010

Did she like it or not?

I wish I knew what she was thinking. Mia came out of semi-retirement and joined me on a 3 mile run. I was dumped by 2 other running partners and needed someone who wouldn’t say no. Off we went! She’s a funny dog for anyone who hasn’t met her. Full of anxiety and would likely benefit from medications. When we run, she’s always at my left side, so close we touch if I fall out of stride. Her leash in my right hand, crossing across my back, it’s almost like she is herding me along. The first few steps out of the house, she is leaping through the air, by the time we hit Charles St, she settles in. Never a peep out of he, we never stop for sniff breaks or bathroom breaks at that. She lets me know if the pace is too hard by coming to a complete stop, so we keep it nice and even. I don’t want to kill the old lady. I noticed coming back up Mineral Spring during the last mile, her poor tail had come undone. Normally it curls right up over her and points at her spine. Today, flat down, almost dragging on the ground. Way to make me feel like a terrible dog owner. Was it exhaustion? Was it a running trance? We soon came to s stop and her tail perked back up as we walked towards the house. She seemed happy so I don’t know what the tail droop was about.

Miles trained today: 3

Days till the Cox Half: 2

Harvard Pilgrim 10k: 65

Beach 2 Beacon: 99

Chicago: 163

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

I've lost it, completely lost it!

Today was a demonstration in my lack of sanity. I got to the track a half hour early, in the rain and wind. For no reason other than I am obsessed with my mileage. Ran alone for a while, then joined the group for a warm up. Yeah, I know that I had already warmed up, but it’s all about the mileage. The wind would gust so hard I would come to a complete stop before being able to gather my footing and move again. An announcement was made, the workout was going to be changed, we could get out of here early. Did I listen? Nope! I dragged my poor husband out on a road run, determined to get my mileage to 8 for the day. At one point we were moving along, I had found my quiet place and wasn’t really aware of the fact we were running. Joe says, “You have the sniffles bad, huh”. I then notice that I’m sucking my nose about every other step, super attractive I know. Oh well, we are out here now, no one is going to come and pick us up. We finished and I got the miles in. I’m chilled but snuggled under the covers hoping to warm up before tomorrow’s 6 miles.

Miles trained today: 8
Days till the Cox Half: 4
Harvard Pilgrim 10k: 67
Beach 2 Beacon: 101
Chicago: 165

Monday, April 26, 2010

Emergency Meeting

Emergency Meeting, April 26, 2010

Attendees: Sarah Macedo

Sarah’s Immune System

Purpose of meeting: Establish a Truce

I’ve had it, this is too much! We don’t have kids nor are we working with large groups of children. I eat healthy and take fairly good care of myself. I don’t know if you have been hired by the calves or bottoms of the feet but this needs to stop. RIGHT NOW! There has been all together too much illness this spring and it’s messing with the training. 2 runs last week, really? I gave in and didn’t push it, nor have I during the previous periods of sabotage, but the gloves are coming off. I’m going running, and more than 12 miles in a week. What do you want? Fluids? I’m pushing them, 2 sigs a day plus water with dinner. Handwashing? I’m halfway through a bottle of anti-germ foam on my desk! Sleep? I’m going to bed by 9 most nights! Please stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution.

Miles trained today: 6

Days till the Cox Half: 6

Harvard Pilgrim 10k: 69

Beach 2 Beacon: 103

Chicago: 167

Thursday, April 22, 2010

I'm going to finish, no matter what

I’ll admit it. I have a problem. No running last 2 days due to illness. I knew I was perking back up when I started to figure out how I could salvage this week. If I stayed on track I could hit 39-40 this week, only 4 miles short, completely acceptable given having to miss 2 days. The God Damned weather tried to ruin me. I’m feeling well, planning on a run after work run. Next things I know the skies open and it’s a monsoon. FRIG IT! Heading home, resigned to a treadmill run…it’s suddenly blue skies with the birds chirping. FRIG IT! I’m going outside!! A few miles in the rain starts, then a lightening bolt, very nearby. Note to self: when discussing the safety risks of continuing a run, STOP THE RUN! We decide to press on and don’t get far till the next bolt of lightening. At this point there are no options, and we cut the run short. But how short? I have an enjoyable dinner and good times teasing Parker about touching potatoes. Head home. Not to shower though, to check how short my run was. 1.2, that’s how short. So what do I do? Yep, I got on the treadmill and ran the fastest 1.2 miles of my life. Mission accomplished. 6 miles and back on the road to a good mileage week. I have a problem.

Miles trained today: 6

Days till Cox Half: 10

Days till Harvard Pilgrim 10k: 73

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 107

Days till Chicago: 171

Monday, April 19, 2010

Morning Success!

Today was the first day of a renewed morning effort! 4:55 alarm goes off. 4:56 I start to think of reasons not to run! Good thing we made plans to meet someone who I don’t text with. We have found that the first couple times we meet someone for a morning run we are more likely to actually get out there, and it especially helps if this person doesn’t text message. It’s hard to call someone at 5 and debate the pros and cons of staying in bed, but debating it via text message is NO PROBLEM! So needless to say, off we went, eyes open not more than slits. Besides the fact that it turned into a Jen and Joe race with me trailing along behind it was a great run! A little faster than was comfortable, but I didn’t want to be left out of the conversation and God forbid Joe not be allowed to be first!! Poor Jen, next time I’ll warn her that Joe is a lead hog. He could take a lesson from Ryan Hall, it doesn’t always pay to push the pace early on. The best part is right now, 5pm. I’m in the backyard with the pups, run long behind me, clean and showered. Nothing left to do but RELAX!

Miles trained today: 6

Days till Cox Half: 13

Days till Harvard Pilgrim 10k: 76

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 110

Days till Chicago: 174

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Can we talk?

Hi. It’s been a while, I know. Last time we got together you weren’t that nice to me, or the bottom’s of my feet I should say. We’ll be together for the next 6 weeks until I move on to the 50’s. Can we talk? I’d like to lay out some ground rules. I’m a little wiser than last time, a bit better with the running. Last time I didn’t respect you, running 40+ miles a week is a lot. I won’t take you for granted. Please don’t irritate my shins. Shin splints aren’t pleasant. If I miss a run, I miss it. No cramming miles in, so leave my tendons alone, please. I’ll stay hydrated and stretch. Can you stay away from my ankle joints? I know that we can build a relationship and maybe even enjoy it a little. You are going to start to take over my life, even this first week, I felt a little like all I was doing was running. Let's just try to get along this time, I know I can be difficult but I'm really going to try this time around.

Miles trained today: 13
Days till Chicago: 176
Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 112
Days till Cox Half: 15
Days till Harvard Pilgrim 10k: 78

Friday, April 16, 2010

Seriously? I'm still out here?

Today was one of those days I thought the run would never end. It was the first Friday morning run in a while and the 5th day in a row of running. Things started out ok, kind of fun to be downtown at 5:30am, although there was NOTHING happening. I started to get grumpy when we hit the Point St. Bridge. I knew we were no where near done and the hills were just beginning. It was a new route and I was overtired so we did get a little turned around, but I was determined to finish. It must have taken an hour to get from Wickenden St to Rochambeau, running up Hope St. I tried all my tricks, focused on running from point to point, looked down at my feet, counted my steps. Nothing worked. At one point the light started to change and I panicked, “I'm going to have to go right to work in my running gear”. My quads were burning, I thought about just curling up in a ball on the bench by the library. FINALLY we turned onto Rochambeau, the only problem we are still over a mile, maybe closer to two miles from the friggin car. Now it starts to rain. Great! Why am I out here again? I really like this? North Main St to Randall Square. Almost done, and yet again it takes an hour to get to the car. I’m confused; we choose the flattest route to the car…why does this still suck?? I’m telling you, this was the longest run of my life and yet it was only 6 miles and took just over an hour. I thought I was going to die out there, by the time some one found me I would be a little shriveled up old lady confused about where I left the car!

Miles trained today: 6

Days till Chicago: 177

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 113

Days till Cox Half: 16

Days till Harvard Pilgrim 10k: 79

Thursday, April 15, 2010

It's gone, all gone

I was running along tonight with my Garmin beeping every mile or so. I would glance down to get my split and kept just missing a warning that would flash across the screen. After I while I figured it out, my Garmin was full! I never plug it in, the last run I loaded into my computer was 4.7 miles at a 9:34 pace on September 26, 2009. Today was 6 miles at a 9:47 pace. I had been excited to load the last year’s worth of history into my computer tonight, until I did it wrong and lost it all. It didn’t have all my runs, but I was excited to see what the history looked like. Miles of running, hours of my life, gone with the wrong click of my mouse. So it’s gone, my Garmin is back on empty. I will move on and continue to run with the empty Garmin, it’s not enough to stop me. I did have a moment of silence (after few moments of loud shouting at my computer) for the lost electronic log of my history. We’ll have to wait till next year to see what it has to report. Hopefully I’ll figure out how to load it correctly at that point.

Miles trained today: 6

Days till Chicago: 178

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 114

Days till Cox Half: 17

Harvard Pilgrim 10K: 80

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A mature runner?

Mature runner? Not really, well yeah I guess. I’ve learned from many mistakes and months lost due to injury. Patience is not strength of mine and to train well, I have had to train with patience. I know my body; my shins don’t like to increase mileage quickly. So I’m going slowly, very slowly. Stretching the 12-week marathon training into 11 months. I know that I suck at runs over 16 miles, haven’t learned from this and continue to register for marathons, call me stupid! But I’m building more of these longer runs in, more often. Before I don’t think I valued patience, I wanted to run faster and further immediately and would sacrifice anything to get there. Hold back a little on the track and I’m able to not only complete the workout without puking but able to get in all the rest of my miles for the week. So yes I have matured in my running, but lets not call it that (sounds too old). Let’s call it more focused and patient running.

Miles trained today: 7
Days till Chicago: 179
Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 115
Days till Cox Half: 18
Harvard Pilgrim 10K: 81

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

AM or PM??

ARGH! I need an intervention! 2 weeks now and NO morning runs!! It happened slowly, one afternoon run here and one there. I need to go back, I run well in the mornings, but I’m not sure how to get there. Afternoon runs are nice, the sun is out, and we have more friends willing to join us. It’s a nice transition from work to home and a way to relieve all the stress. Why do I want to go back to the mornings? It’s easier; roll out of bed and on the roads. 2-3 miles go by before I realize what is happening. Joe and I run all the morning runs together, in the afternoon Joe gets lost in the shuffle and is missing out on valuable mileage. It’s really for his best interest! So what’s the plan? I’m not sure, track is on the schedule for tomorrow night, and then again a run planned for Thursday night. Do we switch to Monday morning track? Decisions, decisions….

Miles trained today: 2.5, shitty shitty run

Days till Chicago: 180

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 116

Days till Cox Half: 19

Harvard Pilgrim 10K: 82

Monday, April 12, 2010

Fresh legs and sunshine!

Things were feeling good today, the lungs cooperated and the legs were fresh. To top it off the sun was out! Great afternoon for a run, it’s run like these that keep me heading out there. Things felt like they should. I kept with a pace that was just allowed me to talk during the run, but still forced a sweat. I would love for this run to translate right into Chicago. Imagine if the marathon felt this good? I’m not sure that is even a possibility, but it’s a nice dream. At this point I would like to still feel this good after getting all my miles in this week!

Miles trained today: 6
Days till Chicago: 180
Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 116
Days till Cox Half: 19

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Getting out of my own way

Track again, in the heat. Ugh! Repeat 800’s, double ugh! Today was a matter of showing myself that this winter counted. I have been doing the speed work on my own, but a treadmill is so different than the track on some level I figured it didn’t really count. Over the winter I had been able to do the 800’s at a 8:34 pace with a 3 min rest. Today started with the same goal, shorter rest, 2.5 mins. I’ve been running a lot lately so the legs weren’t fresh. I had my doubts. The first one felt to fast and was finishing at 4 minutes. The second I held back and stayed with 4:15 but that didn’t feel right. I was getting frustrated, it was hot, the track was busy. I remembered how nice last week felt, effortless, and tried to recreate it. I stopped thinking and just ran and it worked. I was around 4:05/4:07 for the rest. If I had planned to run at this pace I would have talked myself out of it. It just goes to show I laid a foundation over the winter, I have to put down another layer this spring and come summer it will be all about Chicago. The goal for all of this is to stop with the self doubts, that and avoid injury and neither one of those I am too good at.

Miles trained today: 5.5

Days till Chicago: 185

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 121

Days till Cox Half: 24

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Better late than never

Sometimes it’s just a matter of hitting the road without much thought. It was later than I had planned and darker than I wanted it to be. I started to think about how late it was going to be when we finally finished and got home. Decided to push all of this crap away and just run. Luckily I have forgiving training partners who didn’t mind that I was an hour late. AN HOUR, I’m sorry!! It was such a nice night out. Only a few steps in before my jacket was around my waist. It felt like we were running hard, but it was fun. On the way back down the Blvd. Joe and I took a right and added to our run. We talked pretty consistently for the next few miles, just enjoying being outside and having some time without dogs or phones or the Red Sox to interrupt the conversation. Sure if we had cut it short I’d be clean, fed and wrapped up on the sofa by now, but I’m almost in the shower, dinner is on it’s way and I ran 6 miles tonight with my husband.

Miles trained today: 6

Days till Chicago: 186

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 122

Days till Cox Half: 25

Sunday, April 4, 2010

A late March Recap

31 days in March

103 miles logged over 21 days of running

Average run of 4.9 miles

Cramping left calf

Lazy Month

I almost forgot to recap the month of March. I knew I had been lazy but not this bad. For a while I lost my focus, not sure why, there are no real injuries that can be blamed. I think the cramp in my calf is related to the recent change in temps. This week was by far the best week I’ve had all month. Registering for the Providence Half helped, Chicago is too far away to motivate me although that is slowly changing. Maybe I needed this. Dec, Jan and Feb were all focused months; each had more runs than the last, more mileage than the one before it. So now what? I get out of my head and back on the roads. Let’s get into the 40’s for real and make a real attempt at a 15-miler.

Miles trained today: 5

Days till Chicago: 189

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 125

Days till Cox Half: 28

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Thanks Parker!

The alarm went off, I cringed just walking to the snooze button. Damn track workouts! Plan A – Scratched. Plan B in effect; run after work with some one faster than me. I can’t run fast, I’m sore from track. Solution, make her push a 1.5 year old in a jogging stroller. Outcome, perfectly paced 5 mile recovery run!

It was a run like I typically don’t have. We talked quite a bit, the entire time, about nothing in particular. No worries about pace, she struggled with the stroller and I let my legs heal. I did offer to take it for the last 1.5 miles but she refused. At the end she mentioned that I was flexible for dealing with her kid and the stroller, little does she know that without that stroller we wouldn’t have been out there at all!!

Miles trained today: 5

Days till Chicago: 191

Days till Beach 2 Beacon: 130

Days till Cox Half: 30