Week 9 of 16 week program

Hmmm so for the week. After an easy (rest) week I'm now back to hitting the mileage for the next few weeks...oh lord help me now is all I can say!!! Because I'm going to need it!! And I also realized today that I'm a month and a half away from Big Sur...! Anxiety...just kidding, no not really :)

Last Wednesday was able to get outside that night for the first time since June and get my short run in. It was my easy run only 2 miles. Have to admit that I've gotten a little spoiled with the flat, hill-less track at the gym...compared to the very much hilly streets on the side of a mountain in my neighborhood. Also hmmm while cooler then back in June I realized quickly that I also got spoiled by the A/C as well!! :) Especially the big ol' fan as I come around one of the turns :) I agree with my original comments many months ago when I was just working toward doing 2 miles at a maximum in that the hills I think really helped speed up some of my training....make it a bit easier...tiny bit...once I was on only flat land like the track. But I think what was great most of all was to feel the progress from past June!!! The hills which I dreaded are now just minor annoyances and the down hill section that I loved before...felt like I was flying down it!! So while 2 miles (again 2 miles whether you are just doing 2 or 7 the first are still the hardest) it felt so much better than it did..oh you know back in the day...so long ago...oh wait 3 months ago...CRAZY!!!! And now I'm doing 7...WOW!

Didn't seem to get in my speedwork this week....had planned on Friday evening but opted for a night out with the girls so we hit a cool downtown lounge...much needed. Still planned to be good and get it in the next morning but ended up not feeling so great for pretty much the weekend....needless to say it didn't happen. No no nothing to do with partaking in too many adult beverages Friday night. Actually a lot of congestion issues which I was worried would impact my long Monday run.

So speaking of 7...that's what I did tonight. Once again....dreading oh dreading it all day...anxiety...stop the mind!! I have no idea why...I'd already done it but of course I knew it meant I was going to be running for a little over a hour and half....so all day I'd ask or tell myself stupid things like...what did I do hour and half ago...oh yeah I was still at work...yep I'd still be running....or the time it'd take me to DRIVE to Tucson and have an Eegee I'd still be running....or watch a movie...yep running the whole time...that's a long time to run around and around. I know I know....the numbers again!! Once I started running I really tried to zone out and not think about it....but then by mile 2 I managed to work through a mile and half just concerning myself with my garmin watch/foot pod and wanting to chuck it over the balcony ledge....good news is that it distracted me but bad news I ended up shutting it off and went back to counting laps the rest of the run...so I really have no clue where my pace came in!! Also it was the first time I actually stopped and walked a lap at mile 5 and mile 6...almost quit at mile 6 and was like....WHAT??!! How stupid is that....the longest part is already done....suck it up girl and do it...JUST DO IT!! So I did and was very happy for that...because we all know this posting would be a bit different....I'd be beating myself up. Afterward...creeped and crawled my way down the steps looking like a salt lick.....seriously!!! Face, chest, and arms....could see the salt build up from the sweat...that's ok..once again badge of honor! So now I smell of menthol from Icy / Hot on every part of my body, even places I didn't intend :)

So this past weekend I'd planned to do a 5k here in Phx but Shelley mentioned to me going down to Tucson for one on Oct 10th....so I decided on that instead...I have to admit the decision was motivated 50/50 between really wanting to do it with Shelley and this means I get to get a Pina Colada Eegee ( both when I get there and oh yeah baby before I leave town) :) No honestly really looking forward to that Eegee....just kidding, kind of! No it's been since Shelley ran the 2 miles with me at the end of the first 8 week program (at the end of June) and I'm really looking forward to running with her as well as spending time with her and Brian (whom have both been running their rears off preparing for a marathon...now talk about time to make me go mentally insane)!!

Til next week :)

Weeks 7-8 of 16 Week Program

Alright 2 things....2 more months until Big Sur!! It's quickly approaching...and I have to continue to control my mind from freak out mode! :) 2nd...I think I'm officially a glutton for punishment or just have a big S on my forehead for sucka, stupid... While committed to doing the half marathon in November, I've now committed myself to doing the PF Chang's Half in Phx in Jan and drumroll....thank you Shelley a 202 mile 12 person relay...which I'm constantly researching what will be the easiest leg! Each person does 3 legs and depending on avg pace this thing can last between 24-30 hours...wow!!! Ok so the route is Prescott to Mesa (suburb of Phx)....and do have to admit that a part of me is frightened to death....another is super fascinated about the idea of running in the middle of the night...in the middle of the desert with no lights but the clear black sky and stars...and shadows of the mountains around...and in Feb no less the most wonderful time of the year!!! So because of these latter points....I'm very intrigued and for the most part very excited about it! I just don't know if what I'm trying to do or committing to is too much to fast....I guess we'll find out... THE HARD WAY :)

So outside that here's how my week of running went...for the most part all is going great!! Ok I just lied....the ONLY thing I struggle with is getting those speedwork / tempo days in and doing them according to the schedule....my pace is way off and oh get this ...this is how the run is suppose to go....a nice warm up of a mile and then run my ass off as fast as I can for 4 miles at the decided time per mile etc...and then oh again a cool down of a mile. So let's be honest even though my mileage has increased...a nice warm up of a mile....is not all that easy and chill as they try to make it sound...neither is the cool down and everything in between is either miserable or close to the warm up and cool down speed :)

But other than that....all the runs have been great...and was very happy to hit my 7 mile run last Monday!!! It's strange because I had anxiety about it all day...it's just that the miles continue to increase and it's just getting longer and longer...not just distance wise but because my pace is still between 13-14 min...it's not just longer both physically on my body...but mentally...it's more time inside my brain to psyche myself out. So sure enough during the run...in the first 2-3 miles....I just kept questioning myself saying I'm not even half way there yet...there's still a long way to go yet...and I'm such a numbers person that I'm doing every fraction of time / length etc left to go..how many minutes of music...it's sick I know...but seriously it's what my brain does and I have to at certain points tell myself to shut it down and try and quiet it...strangely I find I do best when I go head down staring at the track in front of me and focus on the music or think about trivial things going on that won't raise anxiety...sure enough by end of mile 4 I was like...hmmm I'm more than half way through...again the fractions :) and ok but I've still got more than 3 miles....then I only have 2...and at that point I was good...my body was numb, I was in a rhythm and I was good to go....the last two were tough but not that tough, not quitting tough....I can say easier then the first 5. Once done....can't breathe....but felt great and again the badge of honor....a sweat drenched t-shirt...love it!!! Can't walk and I think it was the first time I considered taking the elevator down to the first floor for fear of my legs giving out and tumbling down the stairs :) Anyway I was very happy and proud....but again the numbers...the half marathon is barely less than double that...ugh can I really do this...I know the answer...but it's still hard for me to realize I can meet the answer.... Ok so tonight (this is my easy week...a low mileage week due to increase in mileage) and my long run was only 4 miles. I started the run later then I had planned but was still motivated...however didn't eat much. At less then 2 miles I was shutting down....I don't know if it was the food thing or just mental but I started into my 3rd mile and just stopped....walked a lap and grabbed water....ran another lap or two and walked off the course. Immediately as I started to walk down the stairs to leave I regretted it. Whenever I have a set mileage I know I have to do it...know matter what and for me I hate stopping so I just always continue to run. This was the first that 1) I stopped to think about it and then 2) restart and then quit....yes I say quit...because for the first without actual pain being involved I quit. That is a hard thing for me to admit....I don't know why. All I did was 2 1/2 miles which is minimal to what I've done. I can beat myself up which is what I can tend to do...but I've decided I won't...I can't forget where I've come from....and there will just be bad days. Always think good not bad right?!

On a more positive note....I got new shoes this past Friday and the guy who helped me must have been in his late 50's and runs 8 marathons a year and has done a total of 193 in his life....INSANE!!!! Isn't that amazing!!

And another thing...I love that I'm doing this with my brother....we are experiencing it all together and feeling each other pains and success together....been so great!!! And most of all we both really really feel it as a life change and amazingly enough (and my dad is most shocked, not so much about the achievement but running in general) that we are really enjoying this and want to continue to make this a part of our lives!!! Find new events to do which is why again from the beginning maybe it's not an S for stupid or sucka....maybe it's just becoming Steph...me and who I'm finding AGAIN :)

Wk 4-6 of 16 Wk Program

Been working really hard on and off the track....at work continue to live and breath 2010 plan....but end of week 4 headed to Huntington!!! :) So I get a much needed break from work and enjoy some vacation time with family on the beach! Worked my workouts around it but also B and I were also excited to get in a workout on the boardwalk along the beach! So for week 4 I was still down in the lower mileage for this plan but knew I was soon suppose to be back at that 5 mile mark. It was stessing me out and I was worried after not hitting that for almost a month now I wouldn't be able to do it and I was getting behind. Also as I talk about these weeks I really don't know what my true pace is...have a good idea but have spent so much time on trying to calibrate for indoor it just isn't working out. Anyway did a workout that Monday 3 miles...then getting ready for the trip didn't get in another run until B and my run in Huntington. So funny thing...B and I, (brother and sister, hermana y hermano), were so excited to do this run, we're in cooler weather (outside the 100 plus heat of Vegas and Phx,) plus we were on the BEACH!! This is going to be great!! He's like we'll run together...and I kept saying...you don't have to my pace is really slow (keep in mind at this point he'd started training almost 2 months after me and had already reached a 7 mile run and in one of those miles did a 8-9 min pace....boys are so lucky! :) ) So he's like no no we'll stay together....not even 1/3rd of a mile he bails :) I tease because I can and it's funny to me....but honestly, I get it! I have just as much trouble trying to run with someone faster because it's making me go out of my comfort zone and throws off my overall pace and approach to my run. I think afterward during our bloody mary...yes that's right bloody mary, he said it would have been easier to walk with me...ouch :) No again I know this and the pace is what I'm now working on but I do have to say it has improved. Funny story which I've told a few people...in my first week or two when I was running in my neighborhood there was a couple walking in front of me....not more than 25 yrds....first it literally took me 10 minutes to catch up to them...then I actually ran (what am I saying jogged, trotted...whatever you call it) next to them for a good 2 minutes...I COULDN'T EVEN PASS THEM)...boy did I feel pathetic and couldn't help but laugh inside my head. So anyway B ran ahead which was absolultely fine I do better by myself...he was going to do 5 and I was going to do 4 and hopefully by the end we'd meet up at the same time. So I'm going along trying to take it all in...and I just wasn't feeling it...isn't this suppose to be amazing?! Keep going and ugh finally 2 miles...one of the hardest 2 miles but now I get to turn back. Think that's cool...just keep an eye on the pier and I know I'm almost done. The run was miserable...wasn't taking in any of the beautiful ocean...my chest felt like I was being drowned...my breathing just stunk. It was actually the first time I walked...at 3.25 mi I walked...ran walked again and then finished it out. I did manage to beat him back but only because he went 5.8 instead of 5...good for him! I was able to see GPS and get a true pace...and it ranged from 13:20 to 14:20....and in this case with the higher pace at the end which is usually opposite for me. I tend to improve. But so why was it so hard....was it the ocean air...the moisture and humidity (didn't feel humid but obviously there is some being on the ocean)? And if that's the case it's got me freaked out for Monterey...what if I run into the same issues?? The other thing I think may have wigged me out is I think I've actually now become more accustomed to indoor training...counting laps etc and mentally I've shifted...when I was outdoor running...I kept seeing sights in the distance and think oh hey if I reach that crazy looking guy in the speedo then I've got to be close to the 2 mi mark...and then I'd get there and I'd still have another qtr mil...what the freak..it was defeating! Scoping out the distance in front of me visually really messed with me I think plus I think I made a skate boarder wipe out. So anyway we didn't get another run in that weekend but got plenty of exercise on the beach in the ocean boogie boarding. And that's another thing walking in sand is hard and tiring ( you don't remember that until you do it) and the waves can take there toll...but I honestly felt really good...no problems digging a big whole to bury my nephew in and carrying his wetsuit, boogie board, shovels and pails...my muscles are getting strong and they held out for me over the weekend...it was great!! Oh and what was it my nephew said when he saw a guy playing volleyball in a speedo...first why is he playing in his underwear...and then I think there was something about his twigs and berries, or meatballs and noodles...either way we were dying!!!

Boy this is going to be a long post....ok so when we got back I was feeling a little pressure like I said because I was getting close to having to hit that 6 mi long run and was worried 1) because I hadn't done 5 since a month ago and 2) it was only increasing from that point forward. What about my hip blah blah blah...I also decided to change up my days with my long run being on Monday's so week 5 I moved my long run to 8/31...6 miles the day before my 34th B-day. I was really nervious about that 6 mile long run. I just didn't see how I could do it...80.4 laps around this track but with my b-day the next day it became a personal goal for me. So I did it...it was hard and it sucked at many points...oh but the highlight...a complete stranger whom I never recall ever seeing there before (ya get to know the repeaters) started walking on the track around mile 5 and as she saw me approaching her she says "you are really doing a great job...I can really see all the weight you've lost especially from behind"...what?! I don't care from which angle...that was the nicest thing!! She must have been watching me since I started running at the center and seen my progress...it just totally lifted my spirits and made the rest seem easy. So I finished and what is it about once you stop your body just is shot....I'm breathing fine in my 6th mile but the moment I stop running it's like I can't suck enough air in...I went to sit down and put my head down between my legs...came back up as a guy was walking toward me to see if I was ok...he just smiled and back away. I was dripping, half my shirt was drenched, my face was all salt and I couldn't have worn that more as a badge of honor...it was awesome!! I liken it to what I can imagine as giving birth...sucks while you're doing it but it's great afterward..of course I just recently read pregnant women hate when you use this comparison and you've never had kids....so forget that :) Also my recovery went well...no major hip pain outside just the overall aches and pains from long run so I was psyched about that.

Next night was great with the girls celebrating my b-day...low key, sushi and a couple drinks...oh and forgot to say I got a surfboard from dad while in CA so my goal next summer is work this ass and get into surfing shape :)

Labor day weekend was fun...had family over and played water volleyball in the pool...and then didn't get my run in Monday so I did my long run tonight. Horrible day overall and was literally 90% checked out from running but then something just told me it would make me feel better mentally and physically...because ultimately I'd just beat myself up for not doing it and feel worse. Ang came with me and while stretching asked how many miles I needed to do today and I said 6 mi...she essentially said oh my gosh really....she hasn't been there for anything past 4. She ran the first mile with me which was a great distraction and then did her own intervals around the track as well as weight training but on top of that came back to take care of me and be my water girl...that was great...so supportive and really helped. Time went slow but fast and I felt great when it was done!!! So so glad I did it and just have to remember that the next time I try and talk myself out of it. So anyway....whew...that all! 3 weeks worth of catching up....