Week 5 of ??? Sub 20 5k training.

So I’ll *try* to refrain from sounding like a broken record for the 5^th week in a row. BUT, I really need to start giving myself more credit in regards to my abilities. I’m pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, it should be uncomfortable but not impossible. I’m always left wanting more post speed work.  The 4x1 mile repeats were tough. In fact, it was probably the hardest workout I've completed in the past 5 weeks. The first mile was particularly difficult. I couldn't get into a good rhythm, and just felt off. The rest of the repeats felt comfortably hard but marginally easier. So I’m chalking this one up to an off day vs being too difficult. And this was the first time I was just happy to be done with a speed work sesh.

Monday: REST!

Tuesday:  7 miles- Progressive

Wednesday:  3 mile run, 5 mile cycle

Thursday: REST!

Friday: 20 miles cycled- 10 AM/10 PM

Saturday:  8 miles total. 4x1 mile repeats @ 6:22, 6:22, 6:18, 6:18. 3 min recovery between. COWABUNGA

Sunday:  4 Mile recovery run. 8 mile cycle

Total time: 5 hours

Running: 22 miles/ 2:50.43

Cycling: 33 miles/ 2:09.30

Total miles: 55 miles total

The snow came back again, along with the cold.

The week was super ridiculously busy at work, which spilled into my personal life leaving me zapped by the end of the day not wanting to work out. BUT, since I have a goal I either woke up before work to work out, or pushed through at the end of the day- something I was so thankful for later on. I hate to sound cliché, but that 7 mile progressive on Tuesday was the perfect addition to my day. I just didn't feel that way when I started. By mile 7 I was happy to have a midweek longish run and I felt energized- a complete 180 to how I had felt 56 minutes earlier when I got home pre-run.

During work this week I reminisced about running my last marathon almost a year ago while drinking tea out of the mug I bought at the race expo. (I don't buy all pint glasses from races!). Knoxville was so fun, but I don't miss spring marathon training one bit!
I also wore my "most expensive shirt" to the gym this week. That sweet cotton blend only cost me around $1500, but is priceless because I am injury free and running better than I ever have in my life currently. I am also keeping up with my PT exercises to ensure I don't waste my "investment" that I put into PT.
CB got to see his boyfriend this weekend too for a quick sniff fest. CB was so happy to see Paddy. Couldn't say the same for Paddy. Our weekend was chill and helped us unwind from our busy work weeks. CB wasn't amused for our awkward "family photo" we took.

Looking forward:

We registered for the Shamrock Shuffle. It will be my 4th and L's 3rd, and I cannot wait to obliterate my PR from 2013 when I last ran it. I was on the fence about it for a while since I'm not really into super large events as much any more, but quickly decided I would regret my decision on race day when I could see all the runners going by our apartment. Shamrock Shuffle here I come! Plus, it is 2 weeks after my first 5k of the year, so It will be a great test to see where I'm at for the sub 20 goal.

Mikkeller Running Club Chicago:

Also: Come join us on Saturday March 7th for our 2nd Mikkeller Run Club run. RSVP/Details HERE.  Hope to see you on Saturday!!

Week 3 of?? 5k training aka See you in 56 days...

This week was a nice contrast to last week's suck fest. I pretty much smashed all of my workouts and felt great- minus Saturday's 5k hills post brunch. Derp. I should know better.

Monday: rest!

Tuesday: cycle 10 miles
                10x 400's @ 6:18, last 2 @ 6:10 pace

Wednesday: easy 4

Thursday: easy 4 progressive with strides

Friday: rest. Hungover. Rest.

Saturday: 12 mile cycle, 
                  3x2:00 hills @ 5k pace felt heavy and slow. Yay brunch!

Sunday: 12 mile cycle, 3 miles east

55 miles total. 34 cycle, (2:18) 21 running (2:42)
5 total hours.

Notes:

Thursday we went out drinking with friends, nearly repeating our exact path on Sunday. Links taproom Check! Emporium arcade Check! I woke up friday so incredibly hungover there was no way I was going to attempt speedwork or workout of any kind. I think I was super dehydrated from my run plus re-hydrating with 4very strong 10%+abv beers was not smart. Lesson learned.

On weight:
I've accumulated a few extra lbs over the past few weeks and have decided to shed them to get to a better racing weight for my first 5k of the year. That means a few less beers a week and some smaller portion sizes. Nothing too drastic but need to acknowledge I must make a change. I feel heavy and slow more than i'd like. It's amazing what a few extra lbs can do negatively.

Saturday L and I racked my Belgian stout onto blackberries for secondary fermentation. It's already been fermenting 3 weeks and posted a 8.53%abv before secondary. I really hope this one turns out well since it's the first beer I've adapted from a 5gallon recipe. I had been using all grain kits before this, But something about measuring out the grains and hops made it extra satisfying to make. I'm almost to the point of making my own recipes based on the hops/malts/barley/yeasts that I like.

The Belgian Stout prior to being moved to secondary + blackberries

After racking the Belgian stout on the blackberries, we brewed another adapted recipe- a Russian Imperial Stout. Folks, the wort of this beer smelled absolutely divine & was a gorgeous brown black color. I have high hopes for this one. But it won't be ready for another 56 days. At least I have 2 carboys now so I can keep brewing other beers while this one ferments. Next up: the same Belgian stout I used for the blackberry stout, but we will either leave it plain or add a flavor like coffee. Then I'm done with stouts and will start brewing more spring appropriate beers.

The Blackberry puree for the Belgian Stout, The grains for the RIS. That Russian Imperial Stout boil though... Look at that deep color! The smell was divine!

For Valentine's Day we went out to Belly Q and had an amazing time. The food was delicious and our waiter really made the evening pop with her knowledge of the menu/drinks.

Of course- since we brewed beer we made more spent grain biscuits which CB was super happy about. Our freezer is overrun with spent grain and biscuits right now. CB does not find that to be a problem though...

Yesterday it snowed again and was super cold so I didn't get to run outside for my long run. And the reason there was no long run.  Oh well. We had brunch & got to celebrate our friends daughters 3rd birthday which was cute and fun. It's so amazing to see the difference between 2 and 3 with her!

Onto another exciting week. Only 25 days until my 1st race of 2015!

--Xaar

Week 1 of ?? 5k training

I started training for a race! Well, I don't have an actual race picked out yet, but I started following a training plan! I am registered for one race this year so far, but not really sure if it is a race or more of a fun run. But regardless, running in Europe for it will be fun.

I'm all in for seeing a 19:xx on the clock this year for a 5k. That would be a 1:30+ PR smashing my old PR from 2013 after multiple marathons and time off that year. Id love to hit this sub 20 in the spring, but know progress takes time. I need to awaken my speedy muscles again after all those long slow marathon miles.

I have a few advanced 5k plans I found online that I'm tweaking for whatever I feel- like slightly longer long runs. The good thing is that I'll also be totally prepared to smash my half marathon PR if I find one with perfect weather this spring. Yeah- no more registering for events way in advance to "save" a few $$$. I'd much rather have perfect weather and spend a few extra dollars than "save" money and not be able to hit a goal due to shitty weather (and be miserable in the extreme cold, wind, or heat). Luckily there's 5ks all the freaking time in Chicago, so when I feel ready to test these legs, i'll have many options.

Plus I'd much rather sleep in than go for a marathon training long run in sub freezing temps or hit up the treadmill for 17+ miles. Cb has the right idea.

Monday: 9 Miles stationary bike

Tuesday: 10 x 1 minute @ goal 5k pace. (6:26/mile) Warm up/cool down yada yada

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 5.5 Miles, 45:00

Friday: 3 mile tempo at 7:00/mile. COWABUNGA! with 1.3 mile cycle WU+ 1 mile running WU
              7 Miles cycled- aka cooldown

Saturday: 8.5 miles on the lakefront

Sunday: 2 miles run in the snow with CB, and a hilly 6 miles on the stationary bike.


When I ran on Saturday I saw some cool things- like some guys ice fishing in the harbor. I was wondering if they would be able to do it this year since it hasn't been as cold...
And a tree covered with ice near navy pier. Sunday: CB and I ran around Grant Park for a bit- he had a blast running in the snow. The little rubber boots have given him a much better quality of life during the winter. I haven't seen him this happy in a long time!

We watched the Superbowl and were happy the Patriots won.
CB didn't seem to care all that much since he was too busy with his friends.

Knoxville Marathon Week 5

Monday: REST
Went to the doctor for a routine physical. Got a TDAP vaccine which knocked me out. Good thing this was a cutback week. Silver lining: after what seemed like them taking all my blood for tests, I received a clean bill of health.  

Tuesday: REST
My arm hurt ridiculously bad from the vaccination. I'm talking like searing pain when trying to put on my jacket.Decided the best thing was to take my other rest day.

Wednesday: Easy Hard 3
Intended 5, cut to 3 because I felt like crap. For the usual "easy" pace, the effort was off the charts. I took this as a cue to just hop off the tread and go home. Felt feverish and overheated too.

Thursday: 5 Tempo miles at 7:24, Total 7 Miles.
Still felt off. The effort seemed too much for the pace, but pushed through to finish this one. Never realized the TDAP would knock me out like this. I dont remember this happening before.

Friday: Easy 4
Felt much better, but still mildly feverish. 

Saturday: Easy 5 with the pup.
Actually ran outside for this one. It was in the mid 20's and not much wind so I took CBdog out for an easy 5. Felt pretty good just enjoying the lakefront with the pup. There were loads of ice patches which we had to stop and walk through- didn't want to slip. We side 5'd Jenny which instantly uplifted the "meh" feeling i've been in the whole week.

Sunday: Long run 12 miles, 1:37
Got up early and hit the tread. Had a lot of anxiety for this run given how the rest of the week went. The miles ticked off quickly and it felt great to just relax and enjoy the dark 58 degree gym. I couldnt get the TV to work so I didn't watch the gold medal hockey game, but instead was left to deal with my own thoughts which was exactly what I needed. Progressively splitted the run all with a 1% incline. Felt great.

Last Sunday we celebrated the 2nd birthday of our friend's incredibly cute daughter.

Workout thoughts:

The cutback week couldn't have come at a better time. This week was just full of "MEH."  I only did one strength session- just my legs because my arm was f*cked and because I felt like shit. The meltdown I went through this week didn't really help things either. A call with Coach B really helped me put things in perspective and how cutting back on miles or even bailing on a workout wouldn't hurt me for the marathon. Better to be smart now than prolong the crappy feelings and wear myself out further. I'll also get back on the strength training routine this week.

Before the snow on Monday.

Other Stuff.

I mentioned to the Doctor that after eating my stomach hurts intermittently. This has been going on at least 4-5 years now and I had just assumed it was from eating fast or something dumb like that (because I couldn't find a clear trigger and seriously doubt it's caused by gluten). The doctor showed some concern and suggested I eliminate Gluten for a week, and then dairy for a week to rule out possible Celiac or Gluten intolerance/sensitivity since my symptoms mimicked those issues.  I eat about 90% non-processed food usually (and not much dairy), so I started the GF as soon as I left the doctor thinking this would be "easy". Because I hadn't gone food shopping, I was starting to stress about "hidden" gluten in the foods I was buying for lunch. As the days passed, and my arm continued to hurt, and the fever continued to be present, and I worked to insure I wasn't consuming gluten (wanted to give this GF week a good effort)  I was starting to lose it. 

I finally broke down on Thursday and came to terms with why the hell i just "accepted" for so long that I feel bad after eating sometimes. This also meant acknowledging I have some issue that needs to get sorted out and the enormity of that hit me like a bag of bricks. Good news, I doubt it's gluten. And I already avoid cow milk because I know it makes me feel funky. There's a list of foods the doctor gave me which some people cannot digest properly (FODMAP) which causes symptoms very similar to mine. Many of the foods on the "list to limit" are foods I regularly consume. So i'll be extra vigilant to notice if I feel crappy after eating any of those foods... So far i'm 80% convinced avocados and pistachios are giving me grief. And that makes me a little sad if indeed avocados are causing it because they are my favorite.

I picked up my glasses this week. WOW. For not having major vision problems asides from astigmatism and slightly less than 20/20, my vision with the glasses has gone from analog to HD! So much more crisp.

More thoughts
The weather hasn't really been helping with my mood either. I always looked forward to running outside on the weekends, but since it's been way too cold, I won't jeopardize my health anymore and now must keep my runs inside. I love being outside, but this winter is slowly killing me.

MELT AND GO AWAY!

Shoes & Happier stuff
I just got a new pair of Newton Distance shoes and was all in love at first run on Friday with them. I'm hoping they will be my marathon shoe in 5 weeks. I'll decide soon once I've done a few longer runs in them. They fit more snugly than the older model so that concerns me a little.

Newton Distance aka Pumped up kicks. I'm in love.

Running with CB on Saturday was nice. To see him so happy melted my heart and helped lift me out of the funk I've been experiencing. It was also beautiful out, minus the ice.
CB dog kept getting pissed at me when I made him walk through the ice.I didn't want him to make me fall and faceplant or crack my head open on the ice.. Hey, i'm injury prone and would rather be safe than injured, especially with 5 weeks to go.

Why yes, that's a huge sheet of ice behind CB. FUN.

Final Thoughts

With 5 weeks to go until Knoxville, I'm excited. Like really really excited to get out of Chicago for a few days and see my mom again.

 I know every run and every week cannot all be OMG RAINBOW GLITTER FARTING PONIES, so i'll tuck this week away and start fresh again tomorrow. There's no sense in dwelling on the past for these kinds of things, and I've already analyzed the workouts to the Nth degree to figure out what happened (the TDAP vaccine + possible cold). Learning from days or weeks like this (if possible) helps give me a peace of mind that I will continue to have good runs and good race days if I keep things consistent.

Where the eff has time gone?

5 Weeks to go COWABUNGA!

-xaar

Knoxville Marathon Week 2

Monday: Ballerina Fight Club. 1 hour

Tuesday: 5 Miles, Easy 42:00

Wednesday: 6.5 miles total. Speed. 2x 2 miles at 7:18-20 pace.

Thursday: REST

Friday: 4 miles, Easy 32:30

Saturday: 5 Miles, 6x 20 second Hills. 40:00

Sunday: 12 Miles. 5 @ GMP (7:55-8:00). 1:45.17 

Thoughts:

The first 2 runs of the week felt so off. My heart rate was elevated, and for the "easy" pace, the effort was way too hard. Figured it was probably from last Saturday's long run and just feeling overly exhausted from running in the sub freezing temps and wind. Because there was NO WAY it was from putting an incline of "1" on the tread... I stopped going to dance classes the rest of the week to ensure I was well rested and recovered for my remaining runs.

Felt like myself again Friday and was instantly full of confidence again.

Sunday's long run was *almost* a dream. It was freaking cold (no surprise there) and when the wind picked up, the sub zero feels like was almost too much to take.I made a deal with myself to run the first 6-8 miles outside and do the remaining GMP miles on the tread. Surprisingly I felt wonderful and decided to carry on outside. I ran north into the wind first and even tried to run half a mile in the snow field past Oak St Beach during mile 5.. but that was just stupid so I turned around.  For the GMP I ran by effort and did not look at my Garmin much.I use the Garmin as a tool, and not a "be all end all." I do not trust it is accurate 100% of the time.  I did laps to include a few hills to get my legs acclimated to Knoxville's rollers. The headwind was not bad, and I felt so fantastic overall during this run. With 8 weeks to go until game day, I'm feeling very optimistic that with Coach Britt's plan, and my current fitness I will be prepared to run marathon #11 well.

CB was happy to play with his Tornado again this week.. As long as there's treats involved.

CB also went to the vet this week for his semi annual checkup. He received a clean bill of health and is starting on supplements to help prevent arthritis.  I just have a problem with the vets calling my dog old. He is my baby and acts like a puppy. But he is now 9 years old... :(

For seemingly not liking the cold, CB really enjoyed running through the snow storm on the way to the vet. Boots make all the difference!
Yeah, I crossed that barrier and ran 400m past it through 5"-8" of icy snow. Not fun at all.
Leading up to the barrier. The rest of the path was super clear- minus by the Aquarium which was a little slippery.
Looking forward: I can't wait to cross off another week of training. I also plan to go to a few more dance classes during the week to get my core/strength work in. (it's much more fun in a group) I hope the weather gets a little more mild,but so far it's not looking that way any time soon. I just really want to avoid running on a tread for more than an hour- but adding "hillz" makes the time go faster. Feeling great going into week 3.

-xaar

Knoxville Marathon Training Week 1

Monday AM: 7 Miles, 55 minutes. Progressive run before work.

Monday PM: 1 hour, Ballerina Fight Club @ Mazi.

Tuesday: 1 hour, Zi-Cardio @ Mazi

Wednesday: REST!

Thursday AM: 7 miles, 53 Minutes. Speed workout. 2x 2.5 miles @ 7:18 pace. Felt fantastic.

Thursday PM: 1 hour, Hip Hop @ Mazi. I always have the biggest smile on my face after leaving this class.

Friday AM: 6 miles, 49 minutes. Hillz for breakfast.

Saturday: 11.25 miles, 1:40. Just another weekend long run colliding with Polar Vortex version 2.0
Ran south the first 5 miles and thought "WOW this is so fun and not too cold." Then I turned around into 30 mph headwinds. OMG not so fun.My hand warmers were defective and weren't very warm and any exposed skin on my face was burning from the wind + arctic air. I am constantly surprised at how the lakefront path is always plowed and salted and relatively clear. At least in the segments that I run on.

Sunday: 3.75 miles, 29:20. Easy miles to close out the week. My highest mileage week in what seems like forever.
So I went into this week still mulling over a "goal" race for the spring. By Tuesday I had settled on the Knoxville marathon in late March- It will be a "win win" because I'll get to see my mom and also run a challenging race in a beautiful part of the country.  10 weeks isn't a long time to train for a marathon- considering many "popular" plans are 18 weeks but I thrive on shorter cycles.  The last 2 Fox Valley Marathon cycles I've done were 14 weeks. I enjoy being fully focused and engaged in training while enjoying every single step and arriving at race day feeling prepared and mentally fresh- something I never felt with the longer plans. Next week starts 9 weeks of working with Coach B until game day and I really couldn't be more excited.

I was happy to run outside Sunday and see the beautiful sky.

I ran around the Planetarium and it wasn't plowed at all. But was fun to run in.

It was so cold outside during Saturday's run that much of the water in my bottle froze.

I'll never get tired of this view. 

-xaar

Over-Under Confident

I committed to a spring "goal" race.

What I find very interesting currently is this duality of feeling extremely confident and completely unprepared concerning this goal.

Overconfident because I tell myself I've built a decent base of miles to tackle another training cycle. There's been some speed work sessions I've completed which I never would have thought possible right now. (2x 2.5 miles at 7:18 pace to name one of many kick ass workouts) That nearly 100% of my miles have been high quality and far from "junk" miles. And let's not forget I'm freaking injury free and feeling invincible! (While of course I am taking every step possible to maintain that)


And then....

I find myself in incredible self doubt. That I haven't built up enough base mileage. That I haven't completed many long runs (mainly due to the shitty polar vortexes that have descended upon Chicago). That the course I've chosen according to the website "has some hills, particularly in the first half... Not terribly hilly, but there aren't many miles that are just flat." That this race is just over 9 weeks away.


It is an interesting place to be feeling such strong emotion on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. Maybe some of these feelings are residual from the bonkfest of FVM which was completely out of my control. Or maybe I'm just overly hopeful that this is the "3rd time is the charm" with my goal.

Either way, I'll be in a place I enjoy with people I love doing something I enjoy immensely. And at the end of the day, that is all that matters to me.

Do you usually feel overly confident or completely unsure of executing your goals?

Usually I'm pretty much in the middle. As the project or race goal grows near, I have a pretty good idea if I will succeed based on my preparations, and that increases my confidence exponentially.




- xaar

Thoughts {2}

•I wrote down my time "goals" i'd like to achieve in races this year. Putting these numbers on paper made me giddy with excitement. Last year I was 2 for 4 with surpassing my goals- only in the 5k and 8k... (I'm no longer counting the 10k since I don't race those) Perhaps this is the year Chicago is blessed with "perfect" weather for a half marathon I plan to run. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but surely won't hold my breath.

2013 time goals... So last year...

•I have not registered for any 2014 races currently. And it feels good and weird to not have an event on the horizon. With the knee still being a little funky I can't pull the trigger on anything yet- plus I'm tired of running in super shitty conditions for races (read: half marathon in sub freezing temps, with 30mph winds and sleet.) oh snap, I've actually done the rain/sleet-wind- freezing temps a few times, it's just not enjoyable getting the early symptoms of hypothermia. Plus, I'd rather spend a few extra $$$ knowing I'm 100% healthy for the race.


• My "theme" for running in 2014 is "cautiously aggressive." Cautious because I am injury prone and must constantly listen to- take care of my body to make sure I don't end up with injury again. Aggressive because I know I can HTFU a whole lot more. In the past month I've had some kick ass runs with some speedy (for me) paces.

•I don't do "resolutions" for the new year. I make changes weekly if not daily. Most of my "goals" keep evolving as time goes on.


•Eataly is one of the coolest places I've been in Chicago. It's like Ikea for all things Italian.


•Three Dots and a Dash might be my new favorite bar. What's not to love about a Tiki bar that makes you forget that the weather outside is "feels like negative 15?" Perhaps it was the rum drinks instead.


•I'm looking forward to running outside tomorrow. It will be "warm" with some snow. I've been enjoying my treadmill runs, but getting outside for a bit could be fun provided the path is plowed and salted.

- xaar

Thoughts {1}

•The "agony" of choosing a spring marathon. Who ever thought it would be so "difficult" to choose a goal race? (Haha) 1st world problem for sure. Things I'm considering/concerned about:
-Weather

-Course Profile

-Whether or not I'm healthy 4-5 months in the future. My knee has a bruise (presumably) from the turnstile incident 2 months ago and gives me minor discomfort on longer runs. The bruise showed up a week ago.

Front runners include the Knoxville marathon (hilly) and the Wisconsin Marathon. (Along with a few others) I just can't pull the trigger on a race just yet.


So I continue to base build and enjoy snowy runs.

•Food and running and the holidays and stuff. I don't get the "free pass" mentality of stuffing your face with all the things during the holidays, and marathon training and just because. I say that- yet I struggle with food (eating too much) and am not sure why. Could it be our cultural emphasis on food as a reward, or motivation?

So for December I've made a very conscious effort to eat reasonable portion sizes, not snack (feeling a little hungry is OKAY), and continue to eat more whole foods. And 3 weeks in I'm feeling the best I have in a while.

Last night we made pizza- just heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and some Parmesan. Noms with a bottle of good wine.


This also ties into the potential spring marathon because I want to be in better shape going into training. "You can't out train a bad diet." Cliche I know, but "garbage in, garbage out.Ok I'll stop. But seriously, I plan to improve my running for as long as my body allows- (and I want to continue to look and feel "better.")


•CB is no fan of Christmas either. We are just over the materiality of this season and the fakeness that goes along with it. Be a good person all year long, yo!


- xaar