19 Mile Saturday

So to be honest, I was as nervous about this run as I have been about any run before. When I attempted to do 18 miles two weeks ago, I missed the distance by a lot. My longest run up to today had been 16.5 miles. I knew that today was going to be a tell tale sign of whether or not I could do this.

I got up a little later than I had hoped. Another long week and school work had me going. I made myself get up at 8. I could not find my balaclava and that stressed me out something fierce. The windchill was around 10 degrees and I knew if I did not have it my skin would get baked. I finally gave up. I put on sunscreen and a hat and took my chances.

I decided to keep all of the run in the east side of Laramie this week. I have this nagging suspicion that the dirt roads were not helping the knee problem. So to make the distance I had to do two large loops, followed by a hook that would take me home.

The first mile is usually one of the hardest for me and today was no exception. I was cold immediately and the wind was blowing strong. After the first two miles the cold was no longer an issue. The wind treated me poorly the whole run...but I live in Laramie....so I deal.

I did have my first run-in with a dog. I was about three miles in when I looked over my shoulder and saw this dog running at me. I turned to brace myself but the dog just ran up to me...sniffed...and went on his way. He ran closed to me for a few blocks and then took off. Hope he found his way home.

After the first fool loop, I was feeling pretty good. The left knee was hurting...but it felt manageable. By the time I had hit Grand again (10-11 miles I think), I believed I would get all the way through. It was a good feeling. I needed to have a successful go of it. The second time up the hill on 30th I was really starting to drag. The pain was really starting to get to me. I just told myself to not look at the incline and to focus looking down. It helped.

The last two miles were incredibly rough. It seemed to get more and more difficult to get my legs up. Each curb felt like an obstacle. By the time I reached the destination street I was going pretty slow. I was still not walking though...and that was the goal.

So I made it! The time wasn't great...but ok. I am just happy I was able to get through it. 3 hours, 12 mins, 12 secs. I am running a half-marathon next weekend down in Littleton. I am excited to get out there with other people. Thanks for reading.

Route:
This
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=S+30th+St+to:S+26th+St+to:Russell+St+to:Reynolds+St+to:41.321009,-105.557499&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdrgW1-Q%3BFZZVdgIdGFK1-Q%3BFZpCdgIdFEe1-Q%3BFc09dgIdxcK0-Q%3BFUCXdgIduNC0-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=5&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4&sll=41.331387,-105.575523&sspn=0.03287,0.076904&ie=UTF8&z=14

Then this:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=41.320881,-105.557585&daddr=S+30th+St+to:S+26th+St+to:Russell+St+to:Reynolds+St+to:N+30th+St&hl=en&geocode=%3BFZZVdgIdGFK1-Q%3BFZpCdgIdFEe1-Q%3BFc09dgIdxcK0-Q%3BFUCXdgIduNC0-Q%3BFTeCdgIdUFG1-Q&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4&sll=41.320429,-105.561962&sspn=0.032875,0.076904&ie=UTF8&z=14

Finally this:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=N+30th+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:Willett+Dr+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:N+7th+St+to:41.315949,-105.58784+to:N+7th+St+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=FRCBdgIdUFG1-Q%3BFchkdgId3FG1-Q%3BFb5kdgIdRUO1-Q%3BFctWdgIdoA61-Q%3BFQ5ldgIdmtq0-Q%3B%3BFVh1dgIdT9y0-Q%3BFVp1dgId2P60-Q&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=5&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4,5,6&sll=41.315723,-105.578141&sspn=0.016439,0.038452&ie=UTF8&ll=41.316465,-105.569215&spn=0.016439,0.038452&z=15

Addendum:
So putting this in only came up with 18 miles...grrr! Made the map yesterday. I am beyond annoyed. I guess if you added in walking I did 18.6...but that is not the point. Not sure why I keep having these issues with googlemaps. Anyway....takes some of the good feeling away....I will get this figured out one way or another.

This week

So I have been a total tool about updating the blog. I am sorry. I have been swamped with work and school. I did make my total mileage last weekend of 13 miles. It was really slow after taking those three days off in Vegas. I did get through it and that is what is important.

My runs during the week were all on the treadmill. As much as I am not a fan of the treadmill, it really helped this week. Not only did I find myself pushing all three runs...I also put in some solid core work. It is just really hard for me to get into my run there. There are a lot of other distractions and noises that just make it more difficult to find a groove. My run Tuesday was 51 minutes even...Wednesday was 49:34....and Thursday I pushed hard and got 47:24. All of the runs were five miles. I might make myself go again next week depending on the weather. I enjoy the scenery while running outside....but the scenery in the gym isn't half bad either!

Even though it is the same day...I am going to make a new blog post for my 19 mile run from earlier today. Thanks for reading.

Synopsis...sigh

Ok. So I have been really lax in getting this thing updated....I apologize. Things have been hectic and then I was without internet for 4 days...I will be brief and promise to be better from here on out. The runs from last week Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday all went ok. Saturday was the worst I have done. I only made it about 12 miles and then my legs just slowly shut down. I managed to walk 4 miles more before they just stopped working. It was a pretty terrifying experience to be completely honest. It really made me doubt my ability to get through all this. I think it was just the accumulation of all the stress and mileage on my body. I am really hoping that it does not happen again.

This week I went to Las Vegas for a few days of R and R. I planned on running in Vegas. I thought it would be cool to run on the strip. That was until a cab driver told me that a runner had been killed a litte while before while running on the strip....so I gave up that idea. The hotel where I was wanted $15.00 to use he treadmill a day. And I just wasn't up for it. So I took the daily runs during the week off. I have a 13 mile longish run planned for tomorrow. I am nervous because it has been a week since I ran (really a week...that is hard to believe). So I am anxious to get out and see what these legs have in them....

bah

Heading out for another run. I will update more later. I just need to get my two times down before today so I don't forget them. Tuesday 46 min 46 secs and Wednesday 1 hr 14 min and 21 secs.

Almost 17 miles (Googlemaps hath led me astray)

I was kind of dreading how I was going to feel Saturday morning. I wanted to be up early. I decided to experiment with gel before I ran. For the non-runners that check this, gel is this substance you take that is really high in calories and supposedly works into your body quickly. It is meant to be taken before you ran and during your run, depending on the time spent running. My stomach gets so sour while I run I decided to just try at the beginning to see how the stuff would sit. Its consistency is like the name says....gel-like. It is very sweet. I am sure I could not get it down without water. I will be the first to admit that I felt like I had more energy starting at about mile 2. I am not sure this translated into me moving any faster...but I liked having the extra oomph. I will try again this week and try halfway through to see what that does for me. On to the run itself....

I had made my map earlier in the week so I thought I was good to go for 17. The first 9-10 went ok. It was cold but that is how I like to run. When my muscles stay cool it helps with the pain. The knee started acting up around mile 8 but it was not too bad. My big problem with this run is that I was supposed to go up one street....go across another...and then back down in essence just bumping up the mileage....the problem was that I never saw the road that dissected the two. I just kept going and then the road I was on turned into a new road...and I knew I wasn't right. I took the last turn that I saw and ended up on this dirt road that felt like it was going on for forever. I could not get any sense of where I was as compared to some of the landmarks (dorms, art museum) that would have helped me. I finally got desperate and just took this right and it ended up taking me back into town on 30th(which is where I wanted to be...but not that way). The dirt road killed my knees and my ankles and the frustration took away the positive feeling I usually have when I run. To get over to the street I cut through this neighborhood and ran up the steepest hill I have ever seen. It was truly humbling. I found my way back onto my path and got home. I did my little walk around the block and the pain in the knees(specifically the left) really kicked in. I did a bit more stretching than usual...but it did not seem to help.

I did get a little ego boost when I came back in and my roommate (who was awake when I left and still awake when I got home) said: "Where you running that whole time?" Kind of made it all feel worth it.

Looking back, I did not miss the route by that much...but once you get to mile 12-13 the ability to reason isn't as strong as it is pre-run. But I am still proud of making it as far as I did. This next week is the longest total mileage of the whole schedule (5 Tuesday, 8 Wednesday, 5 Thursday, 18 Saturday) so I am excited to get down to it. If I can make it through this week I will really feel like I got this. On a side note...yay Daylight Savings!

Route I wanted to take:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=E+Harney+St.+Laramie,+WY&daddr=S+30th+St+to:Spring+Creek+Dr+to:Russell+St+to:Ord+St+to:N+3rd+St%2FBusiness+I+80%2FUS-287%2FUS-30+to:Snowy+Range+Rd%2FWY-230+to:Snowy+Range+Rd%2FWY-130+to:Reynolds+St+to:Unknown+road+to:Ve+Trail+to:N+15th+St+to:Reynolds+St+to:Reynolds+St+to:Reynolds+St+to:Ve+Trail+to:Inca+Dr+to:Inca+Dr+to:Grays+Gable+Rd+to:41.317657,-105.579128&geocode=%3BFaFWdgIdGFK1-Q%3BFa87dgIdwwi1-Q%3BFbo9dgIdvMO0-Q%3BFYJBdgIdHMK0-Q%3BFfppdgIdkMa0-Q%3BFaZWdgIdQ4m0-Q%3BFfpudgIdKjK0-Q%3BFVqTdgIdmOm0-Q%3BFfy3dgId4uy0-Q%3BFUqzdgIdNge1-Q%3BFaCRdgIdjAa1-Q%3BFZaRdgIdmwq1-Q%3BFaCRdgIdMBK1-Q%3BFbuRdgIdVk-1-Q%3BFU6sdgIdTF21-Q%3BFdaNdgId8HS1-Q%3BFSSBdgId8HS1-Q%3BFRWBdgIdZ1q1-Q%3B&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=19&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18&sll=41.321009,-105.564365&sspn=0.016437,0.038452&ie=UTF8&ll=41.332805,-105.557928&spn=0.016435,0.038452&z=15

Route I actually took (more or less...stupid Googlemaps):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:S+26th+St+to:Russell+St+to:N+3rd+St%2FBusiness+I+80%2FUS-287%2FUS-30+to:Snowy+Range+Rd%2FWY-130+to:Reynolds+St+to:Unknown+road+to:Reynolds+St+to:Reynolds+St+to:N+14th+St+to:N+14th+St+to:E+Gibbon+St+to:Unknown+road+to:41.317754,-105.579042&geocode=Fap4dgIdvwW1-Q%3BFZ16dgIdbFG1-Q%3BFZpCdgIdFEe1-Q%3BFZg9dgIdvcW0-Q%3BFfppdgIdkMa0-Q%3BFTt2dgId1CS0-Q%3BFVmTdgIduum0-Q%3BFcC7dgId1061-Q%3BFQORdgIdvV61-Q%3BFfaQdgIdiXG1-Q%3BFVx3dgIdegC1-Q%3BFVt3dgIdeQC1-Q%3BFXN1dgIdMf20-Q%3BFaRzdgIdRP20-Q%3B&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=14&sz=16&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13&sll=41.318753,-105.572884&sspn=0.008219,0.019226&ie=UTF8&ll=41.327713,-105.554581&spn=0.032872,0.076904&z=14

Soooooo tired

One of the main reasons that I got into running, were these spells that I would have. It feels like I am going to just fall asleep at anytime. Hard to focus and concentrate on things and then I have a hard time actually sleeping. Makes is really hard to get anything done. I absolutely hate it. Since I started really running last June it really has not happened....until yesterday. It has continued through today and it is really starting to wear on me. I am worn down anyway...adding this on top really has made this week a bummer.

I went to the gym last night to get my 8 mile run in....man I hate the gym. So many distractions and other people to worry about. I am constantly worried about being over the 30 minute "time limit". But it had to be done. Daylight saving is this weekend....so I am hoping this will be the last time I need to go on Wednesday. But anyway.... I really did not focus enough on how far 8 miles would be. It is strange...but I don't really think about mileage that is under 10 anymore. I need to really respect every distance....the agony of my time on he treadmill last night definitely taught me a lesson. I started out a tiny bit faster than my pace outside....but it really took it out of me quickly. I had to keep moving the speed up and down just to get through it. I really hated having to do it. My the time I limped to the end my time was 79 minutes and 39 seconds...and it made me feel even worse than I did before....

Today I was absolutely dreading my 4 mile run. I felt the same way I did yesterday. It has been really hard to get through the day. The last thing I wanted to do was get out in the now frigid wind and do 4 miles. I am proud that I actually did it. My pace was not great and I was pretty miserable the whole time...but I did do it. My time was 37 minutes even. Not horrid....but I am not feeling good....getting ready for Saturdays run should be an adventure....

4 miles back on track

So the knee pain has been concerning me. It was pretty bad Sunday and Monday. Today it felt quite a bit better and I only really noticed it when I was going down stairs. The weather has been warm but very windy. I was able to get out in shorts for the first time and that is really exciting. I saw a few people out running and so that always helps push. There was a guy about 1/3 of a mile ahead of me and wanted to try to pace him a little to see if my pace was similar when I ran to his. At the top of the 1st mile I was a couple of blocks behind him. By the 22nd St. turn I was only a block away...but our paths changed. The wind was pretty solid the whole run. I think the gusts were in the mid twenties and I find that when I run into the wind I push harder because I feel like I am going a lot slower. This always seems to help me get decent times when I am running. I also passed what I imagine was a group of girls from the track team. There were like 10 of them. They didn't really seem to want to acknowledge me so I just kept on my way. By mile three I had found the guy that I was behind....I was about two blocks away....but I also ran 4 more blocks up and down so my pace is probably similar. I pushed hard the last 5 minutes and was really pleased with my time of 35 minutes and 42 seconds. It is better than a 9 min mile so maybe I am getting back on track. The knee has not been giving me problems and I am happy about that. Have 8 miles tomorrow....should be good times....