The Start of Training, A New Book and the Hunt for New Shoes!

Yesterday was my official first day of marathon training!!!! I'm very excited/anxious about the upcoming semester. It's going to be tough and a lot of work...but...I'm willing to go though that to run this marathon. I plan on registering for the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona (YAY!!!) before 9/15 for two reasons. 1.) If I register now, I will definitely be running it (no ifs, ands or buts) because I'm not paying $105 for nothing. This will push me to train harder.
2.) If I register after 9/15, the price goes up to $130. Ouch.

I definitely know I want to run it, so after I get back from Wales (by the way, I'm going to Wales, I'll tell you about that later...) I'm buying my ticket to the race! :)

I have a schedule for my marathon training, of course. With help from my lovely sister. Thank you Joann! I'll write more about this later...it may take up a whole blog post...

For my 1st training run, I was supposed to run for 20 to 30 minutes.
Time: 23:51
Miles: 2.49
Avg. Pace: 9'34"

More to come!!

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I'm trying to start on my goal list early! I was browsing Bookman's when I stumbled upon this book about running (one of my goals is to read a running book, for fun). :D 
From what I understood on the back cover and online descriptions, the book examines human evolution with a focus on running. It discusses endurance and how/why we run like we do. It's written by a nature writer/biologist/ultra-marathoner. It should be interesting. :) I haven't got a chance to sit down a start it, but I will soon. It sounds good, and I hope to learn a thing or two from it. I will let you know what I think when I finish!! But be patient...books take a while for me to get through, especially when school starts up. I tend to savor every detail when reading...which is not the fastest way to read.

Lastly, I need running shoes. I haven't had a new pair of shoes for quite awhile now. It's been years. Seriously. So, I'm on the hunt to get me some new ones! I plan on splurging on good shoes at my local running store. :)

These are my sad, sad current shoes. They really do look sad. The green ones are losing the bottom heel part, but the blue ones seem to be holding up pretty well, considering how long I've had them. Reminder: I bought these shoes for cross country in high school, so they were probably on sale. Not the best quality. 

If anyone thinks there is a shoe I MUST HAVE, please let me know. I will definitely look into it! I'm researching like crazy. :)

Hope you all had a great Monday (Or a better than the usual Monday...)!

a run in the rain

I decided to go for a run last night. And it happened to be a wonderful idea! And sort of horrible at the same time…but only slightly horrible. I don’t usually go running after work because it’s too hot at that time of day, but yesterday was something special, especially for the southwest. It was raining! 

It was so beautiful outside with the clouds and thunder and rain that I just had to get out there and run! So, I drove over to Reid Park and began to make my way around the course. It was a soft drizzle the whole time (soooo nice to run in) and there was only one problem: the lightning. I don’t believe I have ever run that fast to get from one covered spot to another. But believe me, I did. I got to one nicely covered corner and waited for a few minutes. It really felt like no one was out on the course except me. But then this macho runner came speeding by and I did a stupid thing and told myself to suck it up like him and get out there. Ugh. Why do I constantly try and compete with others? 

So I ran.
And the lightning continued.
And I ran faster.
And this continued on for about another 15 minutes until  the  weather settled down. I made my way around to my car in about 30 or so minutes and decided I didn’t want to stop. So, I made another lap around the Park. It felt great! I love pushing myself. My legs ache so badly today, but it was well worth it. :)

Total Miles: 5.87
Time: 1:00:39
Avg. Pace: 10'20"

I didn’t get a chance to do my postrun stretching. That’s something I plan to work on. Which actually brings me to something else: my goals. I made  a list of nonspecific goals for this next semester. I feel, just with my past experience, that goals are super important with a sport as challenging as running. It’s challenging because you don’t have a team to help you out with training and whatnot (usually). That’s where I’m at anyway. I have yet o join a running group and so I am doing this all by myself. Which is very hard for me to do, obviously (see previous post…).

I plan on doing a lot of things with my running this coming semester. I have a marathon to train for, I have groups to join, and I have a lot of training to do; training I’m not used to. One of my future posts will be this list excepted revised and more specific. Call this a rough draft. So, here they are:

*Run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Phoenix Marathon in January. (woohoo!!! my first one!!!)
*Run a half Marathon before that. (for kicks)
*Drink more water
*Stretch more (after every run)
*Warm up! (I’m really bad at this one. I usually just jump into a run)
*Join a running group! (whether it’s  with my school or a group around town, but it should be organized, so no groups of friends…we’ll get nothing done!)
*Read a running book or two (another just for kicks) :)

That’s about it for now, goal-wise. I’ll definitely revise this, and perhaps add some more. There’s always room for improvement, right? :) I'm always searching other runners blogs looking for good goal ideas. If you have any goals that stand out,I love to hear about them! :)

I’m back! And new rule, effective immediately.

I don’t even know where to start. I’ve been gone for far too long. That’s what happens when “hiatuses” happen. So, here’s my new rule:

NO MORE HIATUSES…EVER…AGAIN.

I’m serious. I will find a way to get to a computer and update my life, running, whatever …even if I am in the middle of nowhere. There’s usually a way. Because you know what happens when I take “hiatuses” from my running blog??? The answer: I don’t run. :(

Totally lame, but a fact of life. I got in about 2 WHOLE RUNS during my original 2 week break.  But that was mainly due to the uneven jeep trails that tore up my ankle (sad day). The two weeks after that I have no excuse. I didn’t run or train at all. So that meant I couldn’t run the 5-miler (my own punishment for myself).

Last week, I went back to camp as a counselor (on Mount Lemmon!) and decided I only had a few weeks until I needed to start training for the marathon in January. I decided to run on my breaks and do hill workouts (what else is there to do on a mountain??).  I felt really good about those runs despite the fact I had left my Nike + at home. But, in a way, it felt really good to not be constantly looking at the time and my mileage. I did have my IPod, so I didn’t go crazy, but it felt really weird without my Nike +. I’m just saying. It’s not like I’m one of those “naked” runners. :) 

So, moral of the story (and the past 5 weeks) is that I wasn’t doing what I should have been doing. BUT…there’s a lesson in this ( No worries, I DID learn something people. J).  I learned that I need a  schedule.  What an important, must-have item for all runners. And I didn’t realize it until now. I was running with the idea of running on certain days, but obviously, that didn’t work. SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE! Super important.

I didn’t get a chance to run since I got back on Friday because I have to be to work at 7:30 AM everyday and waking up earlier is difficult to do. My solution to this is to either wake up at 5:30 and run, or run at night, despite the intense heat. Whatever I decide, I need to decide soon, because training is approaching and I still need to find a group to run with. My next post will be on my goals for the upcoming semester and hopefully *crosses fingers* an idea of a training plan. I want to get out of the apartment and run around Reid Park tonight. Hold me to it! :)

On Hiatus for 2 Weeks...

Hello bloggy friends!

I'll be taking a "trip" to the middle of nowhere for two whole weeks! Why the break, you ask? Well, for starters...it's Summer and I need to take advantage of that! I signed up to accompany Pima Community College in their yearly effort to try and survey/map out the Burro Creek/Pine Creek area. It's located  near Prescott, but it's definitely in the middle of nowhere, which is absolutely fantastic. It's really beautiful out there and I have pictures to prove it.

                            

                            

The ever so lovely cattle tank...

This is me from last years project.

I haven't even told you the best part yet.

This is where I get to train for my upcoming race! It's some pretty sweet terrain and I'm really excited about finally getting some hills in my run.

I guess this is goodbye...for two weeks. :(  I doubt I'll have a chance to post workouts or blog updates. But it could happen! Cross your fingers. ;)

Alright, I still have some packing to do (I know, I know, last minute....) and since I'm waking up at 4:30 I'll need some sleep too, I suppose. So, adios, for now! Hope to see you at the end of the month! :)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Meet Me Downtown 5K

Hey all! I know it's been almost a week, but I'm finally ready to post the Race Report.
As the title suggests, I had some qualms about this 5k.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Okay, lets start with the positive. The Good:
       - It was a "night" run. It had a totally different feel than a morning race would have, which I enjoyed. I say "night" because it wasn't dark at the beginning or the end of the race (see the ugly). It was nice to see how a race would work at this time of the day though.
       - It was cool to run around the downtown Tucson area. I love the historic buildings and the downtown feel. People came out from their houses and cheered us on. Very awesome. :)
       -Free Food!!! well, sort of. After the race, a few popular restaurants downtown (On A Roll Sushi, for example) were giving out free samples. And it was GOOD. I really enjoyed that part.
      
The Bad:
       -No timing chips. :( I really disliked this part. I wondered how they could get an accurate time without the chip. I know they didn't because I wasn't at the very front for the start of it. I was a few minutes back and I could see the clock when the started. Thankfully, I had my Nike+ with me.       
 -I have never gotten a technical t-shirt at a race...yet, but I wanted to see some at this one. I would have definitely bought one!
        -I might be acting a little picky with this one, but I thought the people at The Running Shop, who gave me my t-shirt, were a little rude. I want to see smiling faces people! I'm giving you my money to run, I'd like a little kindness. I'm figuring it was because they didn't know me/I wasn't exactly dressed like a runner? Because as soon as someone they recognized came up to them, they became the sweetest people on earth. I despise people who do that. Just be nice to everyone please, not just people in your running group or whatever it is.

The Ugly:
        -The only ugly about this race was the heat. It was TOO hot. Now, I usually have to run in the heat because I can't get away from it (it's Tucson...) but this was a temperature I would never run in. 100 DEGREES. Not enjoyable after the 1st mile. It was okay that first mile because the sun was shaded by the taller buildings. But once I came out from the downtown area and my body temperature began to rise, it was unbearable. I was pouring water from my water bottle on me but it only seemed to help for a few seconds. Even the cold water from residents hoses only helped for a little bit. And there weren't any firefighters with hoses. :(

Overall:
      I think I did a pretty good job, considering the heat. I kept going and pushed myself especially hard. And I had fun! My parents, sister, nor my boyfriend saw me race it (they were traveling), but my friends Winter, Laura and Lisa did. Thanks for being there! :)
Time: 34:53.4
Pace: 11:13.8
Place Overall: 582
Place in Age Group: 23

I didn't have my camera with me, so I didn't get any photos at this race. Oh well. Next time!
I did find a photo of me after the finish line courtesy of Lupita Ramirez of Solaris Photography. I also snagged a couple of her other photos to show you guys what the race was like. 

I'm the one on the left, chugging my water, in the blue and lime shorts. :) Attractive, I know.











Have a great Thursday everyone! 

Downtown 5K Tonight and the Headphone Ban

Finally, Tucson's Meet Me Downtown is here! The 5k is tonight at 6:30 pm, and I'm running it! :)

But it's going to be hot out. Right now it's 101.5 degrees! Hopefully, it'll cool off enough so the race won't be terrible. I heard the Tucson firefighters are coming out with their fire hoses and spraying the crowd down. That sounds pretty much awesome. :)  I hope what I heard is true. *crosses fingers*

I picked up my packet today and I'm ready to race!!! 

During my past few runs, I've been having trouble with my breathing. Since it happened more that a few times, I decided to look into it. Apparently, I have/had exercise induced asthma. I have an inhaler but I have never really needed it (except for a few exciting times when stress got the best of me and I ended up having panic attacks in which case I needed the inhaler for that). So, I hope my breathing issue isn't asthma acting up again.  I find myself gasping for air, even when I slow down the pace and my breathing.

I looked up breathing techniques for running and found that there is a helpful ratio of breaths per strides you take. It comes out to 3:2 which means breathe in for 3 strides and breathe out the next 2. I have been trying to incorporate this into my training. Usually, I start out really well and I keep up the ratio. But jeez do I have to think hard about it! Near the end of my workout, I slowly drift out of my concentration on breathing and focus on  how much my lungs are hurting. *sigh*
This is something I plan to concentrate on in the race today. Breathing seems like a very important aspect of running well, and I want to achieve that. I feel hindered by my constant gasping, and totally embarrassed when I past someone and sound like I'm dying...literally.

Question: Why do some races not allow headphones? It seems silly to me. I saw that this 5k doesn't allow them and so I called up the race director wondering what it's all about. 

He said "it's not safe for people to be wearing headphones while racing". But really that's what the insurance agency that's sponsoring the 5k told him to say. However, he also partially believes in this idea because he told me of an article he's going to write for the paper about women (specifically) and the dangers of wearing headphones.I used to think headphones weren't allowed because it gave an advantage to those who had music as opposed to those who didn't. But I was informed that it's really a safety issue for the runner. If there happens to be other runners around you or vehicles coming your way and you have you music on, you wouldn't be able to hear them and could possibly get hurt.

I read into it and found out the USATF (USA Track & Field) had this ban for awhile on races they organized. However, in 2008, that rule changed and the ban now only applies to runners competing in any championship race.

In most road races, I feel it's mostly an etiquette thing. But personally, I will continue running with my headphones. I love how music can push me faster and farther. I get lost in the music sometimes and I really love the runs when I do. However, it's not like I'll be blasting my music. I usually turn it down or leave an ear piece out. I try to be respectful and cautious, but at the same time I don't want a race telling me how I should run. 

I'm curious what everyone else thinks. Let me know your opinion on this! :)

Okay everyone, I'm off to get ready for the race. I'll eat a banana or something, and some of those Clif Shot Bloks (just for kicks). I want to do a quick ab workout too. And then I'll just relax until 6. 

whoa. I kinda rhymed there...

Wish me luck and I'll post the recap as soon as possible! Have a great weekend! :)

How ya feelin'? HOT HOT HOT!

Happy June everyone!!! I went for a run this morning after dropping Chance off at work at 5:30AM. He's leaving me for a week to go to New Mexico for work. :( Which means he won't get to see me run my 5k on Saturday. The same goes for my parents and sister. They're heading over to San Diego to watch Joann run her marathon, which I think is waaay more important than a 5k, so I'm not really upset. I'm asking a few of my friends to come out and cheer me on, so I have it covered. :)

The run this morning was pretty great. I was considering going back to sleep. Thankfully I didn't! It was really nice out, despite the increasing heat. Now I definitely can't decide if the morning or the evening is a better time to run. Both times are pretty hot here in Tucson. I figure you just have to run and put up with the heat...which reminds me to put that song on my ipod (How ya feelin'? Hot Hot Hot!).

3.11 miles
32:10
Avg Pace: 10'19"

I looked up temps in Tucson for the upcoming week and race day and it doesn't look pretty. The high on Saturday will get up to 105F!! Wow! Unfortunately, the race isn't in the morning...it's around 6:30pm. Which means its still going to be pretty darn hot. I should employ a few of my friends to dump water on me in different areas of the route. :)

Actually, I really like that idea...

Happy June/Tuesday!