My First Half Marathon...Sort Of

Just a little after 5:30am this past Saturday, August 24, I stepped out of a fairly brisk warm up walking pace and into a slow running pace at which I would find myself moving for a little while.

In fact, it was 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 11 seconds later when I finally backed off of that running pace and found myself cooling down with an easy walk. Oh, and at the end of that timeframe, I had completed a run of 13.15 miles!

My first half marathon in the books!

Well, sort of...

There were a few race sights and sounds missing from the picture. There was no Star Spangled Banner. No starting gun (or Start Line). No race bib. No timing chip or timing mats. No USATF-sanctioned course. No volunteers. No water stations. No spectators. No Finish Line. And, well, no other runners.

But there were a few things that made this count...me, my sweaty running clothes, my trusty running shoes, my tired legs (started feeling them at about 11 miles), my little aches and pains that came and went (mostly during the run's second half), my determination to keep going...oh, and my Garmin to make this half marathon "official"...well, at least in my heart, mind, and soul.

If you're keeping score...
Distance, Pace, and Time include Warm Up and Cool Down walks

Yes, I know it's not a "real" half marathon and that results will be posted nowhere but right here; but I also know that I ran 13.15 miles and only stopped running for a quick water/nature break (at mile 6.45). And just to keep everything on the up and up, I did NOT stop my Garmin while I took the three minutes to fill my water bottles and... uh...to use the facility at the local sports field.

What I really take from this past weekend's personal "half marathon" is the knowledge that I can do one; and when I put that knowledge to the actual test down at the Disney Wine & Dine in a couple of months, this run is the first of a few coming up that will give me the confidence I need to persevere through that first "official" USATF-sanctioned half marathon!


In addition to the personal half, here's the recap from the entire week, as well as this week's schedule:

Marathon Training - Week Eight (August 19 - August 25)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 5.14 Mile Run (10:50 Pace)
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Thursday - 4.13 Mile Run (10:39 Pace)
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 13.15 Mile Run (11:57 Pace)
Sunday - 2.84 Mile Family Run

 Total Miles on the Pavement - 27.28 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 170.35


Marathon Training - Week Nine (August 26 - September 1)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 5.07 Mile Run (10:07 Pace) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Thursday - 4 Mile Run
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 5 Mile Run
Sunday - Family Run


Next week's training (Week Ten) will be shifting me from four runs per week to five...oh, and I'll also be finishing up the week with my next long run...of fifteen miles!!! But I'm going to go ahead and wait until next week to freak out about that distance...I hope.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

Marathon Training Week 7 Recap: Not Speedy...Speedier!

Following the long run at the end of Week Six, the focus of Week Seven was to just get back on my feet, recover, rebuild, and get prepared for the next long run (later this week).

But a funny thing happened during my first four-mile "recovery" run on Tuesday...I felt terrific! I started out with a nice easy pace of about 10:30-ish for the first half mile; but my lungs and legs were feeling strong, so I decided to reach down for a little extra...and I found it. When all was said and done, I finished the 4.13 mile run with a 9:38 pace, which happened to be my fastest pace for a four-plus mile run.

But that record was actually short-lived. On Saturday, I got back out there for four miles, and after a similar start of 10:30-ish for the first half mile, I found the extra gear again and ended up running 4.16 miles at a 9:35 pace!

So while I wouldn't define myself as a "speedy" runner (the Boston Marathon isn't reserving my qualified-for spot yet), it's nice to see that as I keep plugging along (and as I keep cross training), my ability to pick up the pace has definitely improved. Speedy? No...Speedier? Absolutely.

All that said, as I prepare for this week's long run, I need to pull back on the reins a little bit as I head out for tomorrow morning's four miler. While it's tempting to go out an see what I can achieve, I need to remind myself that this isn't a speed week...it's a long run week...and fresh legs willing to go thirteen miles will certainly be needed this Saturday morning!

Here's the recap from last week, as well as this week's schedule...


Marathon Training - Week Seven (August 12 - August 18)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 8), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 4.13 Mile Run (9:38 Pace)
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 8), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Thursday - 5.11 Mile Run (10:23 Pace)
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 4.16 Mile Run (9:35 Pace)
Sunday - 3.61 Mile Family Run

 Total Miles on the Pavement - 19.01 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 143.07


Marathon Training - Week Eight (August 19 - August 25)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 9), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 5.14 Mile Run (10:50 Pace) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 9), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Thursday - 4 Mile Run
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 13 Mile Run
Sunday - Family Run

I'm trying not to freak out too much about the thirteen miler this weekend - although freaking out is certainly tempting - so I'm just going to brush over it for now with the hopes that I'll be able to tell you all about it next week.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

My Longest Run Recap...and My August Weigh In

In last week's blog post, it might have been apparent that, although excited about the prospect, I was a bit apprehensive about my upcoming (and first) double-digit-mile run. In fact, I was so focused on the long run that I forgot to include my August weigh in result. Actually, it's interesting that I overlooked the weigh in because that action (or lack thereof) is actually indicative of where I am mentally right now.

While I am very close to my target weight, which you're about to find out, my primary focus is no longer on my weight as it was just nineteen months ago. Yes, getting to my goal weight has a bit of a "Complete the Quest" appeal to me, but since I moved into the "Normal" BMI range, my primary focus has shifted away from losing weight and toward the new mountain of completing my first marathon. And even though I am still tracking everything I eat with Weight Watchers, the most important tracking I am doing is the tracking of my progress with my marathon training plan.

All that said, though, here are the results from my August weigh in...

Weight - 178.7 Pounds

Total Loss in July - 3.3 Pounds

Total Loss since January 2012 - 96.9 Pounds!

So I'm bearing down on my goal weight of 175 pounds, and I imagine that I'll find myself there within the next month or so...but, again, my weight has become less of the focus as I climb marathon mountain. Yes, I am tracking and will continue to track my food intake even after I hit my goal, but I've already told myself that I'm not going to freak out about my weight unless I find myself drifting above 175 (after I get there).


Now to the real focus...Week Six and that first double-digit long run.

In short, I did it!!!

Time, Pace, and Distance include Warm Up and Cool Down Walks

To make a shorter story a little longer, I got out of bed around 4:45-ish on Saturday morning, brushed my teeth, got suited and laced up, gobbled down a CLIF bar, drank about sixteen ounces of water, and headed to the driveway for some stretching a little before 5:30.

On my five-minute Warm Up walk, I thought about my run strategy...start slow, drink about four ounces of water every mile (beginning at Mile 2), eat a Power Bar Energy Blast every two miles (beginning at Mile 3), drink four ounces of Gatorade at Miles 5 and 10, and refill my water bottles at the Little League fields on the way back home. Whew...that's a lot of planning for just eleven miles! I guess it makes sense when the proverbial "they" tell us that long runs don't just prepare you to run a marathon; they also teach you how to keep your body full of the fuel that will be necessary to get you through that marathon.

With a long way to go, I started out at a very slow pace (about 12:30 for the first half mile) in that "looking for a rhythm" portion of the run. The body check told me that nothing was hurting, everything was loosening up, and that we were off to the races (so to speak). At the end of the first mile, I had sped up a little bit and found myself at a 12:20 pace. Knowing that I had set my goal training pace at 12:00, I asked my legs to move a little bit faster...and they did. As such, as the run progressed, every time I looked at my watch, my average paces kept dropping (except for when I stopped to refill my water bottles, at which time my average pace jumped from 11:48 to 11:51...I remember that distinctly). That said, though, I must have really picked it up from there because I finished with an average pace of 11:41, and completed the running portion of the run (11.05 miles) in two hours, nine minutes, and three seconds.

At the end of it all, I'm very happy with the run. To put it into context, back in March, I ran the Gate River Run (9.3 miles) at a pace of 11:51...and did not have much sugar left in the tank when I was done. Heck, it was tough walking to my car to go home! But last Saturday, after running 11.05 miles at an even faster pace of 11:41 (which was actually an intentionally slower training pace), I actually went home, stretched out (admittedly I needed to stretch a little more than usual), rested for about a half an hour, and then proceeded to mow my lawn.

What a difference five months make!

Here's the total weekly recap from last week, as well as this week's plan...

Marathon Training - Week Six (August 5 - August 11)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 8), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Tuesday - 5.17 Mile Run (10:59 Pace)
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 8), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Thursday - 4.15 Mile Run (10:17 Pace)
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 11.05 Mile Run (11:41 Pace)
Sunday - 2.38 Mile Family Run

 Total Miles on the Pavement - 24.73 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 124.06


Marathon Training - Week Seven (August 12 - August 18)

Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 8), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 4.13 Mile Run (9:38 Pace) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 8), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Thursday - 5 Mile Run
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 4 Mile Run
Sunday - Family Run


As you can see from the Week Seven plan, this week is definitely a recovery week...but you'll find out soon enough that Week Eight will certainly make up for that.

Until next time, enjoy your journey...

Marathon Training Week Six: First Double-Digit Run

Ready...Set...Go!

This Saturday, I'll be stepping out for my first double-digit run...ever! Yes, I ran 9.2 miles just a couple weeks ago, as well as a 15K (9.3 miles) back in March, but this Saturday will be the first time I'll be crossing the ten-mile mark. Well, I'll actually be running eleven miles, and I plan to do so at an easy training pace of 12 minutes per mile. So I guess that means I'll be out there for about two hours and ten minutes...hey, that's about the length of a good movie!

And like a good movie, I'm actually looking forward to the run. Yes, I know the conditions will be far from optimal (it's been 80 degrees with humidity over 90% at 5:30am all week), my body and clothes will be soaked with sweat, and I might have a few moments along the way where I might doubt myself. On the other side of the coin, though, it's exciting to think that I can overcome the elements, that my legs (and some water and nutrients) can take me for an eleven-mile run, and that this run will be moving me one step closer to the ultimate prize of crossing that marathon finish line in January!

Tune in next week to see how it went (or whether I made it). In the interim, here's the recap of Week Five, as well as this week's full schedule...

Marathon Training - Week Five (July 29 - August 4) Monday - 4.17 Mile Run (10:18 Pace)
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Wednesday - 5.08 Mile Run (10:33 Pace)
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 4.11 Mile Run (10:27 Pace)
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Easy 2/2 Run/Walk Intervals (2.99 Miles)

Total Miles on the Pavement - 18.24 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 99.33


Marathon Training - Week Six (August 5 - August 11)
Monday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 8), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - 5.17 Mile Run (10:59 Pace) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit - COMPLETE
Thursday - 4 Mile Run
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 11 Mile Run (I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...)
Sunday - Family Run
Let's just hope that "I think I can" turns into "I knew I could" by the time the sun comes up this Saturday!

Until next time, enjoy your journey...