Monday, February 25, 2013

All the News That’s Fit to Blog

All right, people: get ready for the longest fitness update EVER!

But first, more pretty pictures from New Orleans.

Fancy Ferry

Another Cool Sculpture

Fern Overflow

Ah, it’s all so pretty!  Okay, onto the updates.

Week of February 10, 2013:

Monday: Off, with a little yogic stretching before bed

Tuesday: Bike ride commute to work and HEB

Wednesday: Bike ride commute to work and Target

Thursday: Evening run (38 minutes)

Friday: Off to New Orleans!

Saturday: Wandering around NOLA

Minutes run this week: 148.

Week of February 17, 2013:

Sunday: Visiting City Park, Bourbon Street, and other delights in NOLA

Monday: Driving back to Texas (insert sad face here)

Tuesday: Bike ride commute to work and HEB for groceries

Wednesday: Short evening run (30 minutes)

Thursday: Either a bike ride commute or off—I can’t remember which

Friday: Short evening run (30 minutes)

Saturday: Bike ride for groceries in the morning, yoga in the afternoon

Minutes run this week: 60.

Week of February 24, 2013:

Sunday: 2-HOUR LONG RUN!  Yee-haw!

Whew!  That’s quite an update, don’t you think?  I think it’s a sign that I have been preoccupied with other things, both fun and not-so-fun.  Fun: New Orleans, new men, new running shoes, new dresses from Target.  Not-so-fun: a new crisis at work that’s causing me a lot of stress and anxiety, new men.  Men can be a real problem sometimes!  But enough about them: let’s talk about running!

Yesterday I did my final long run before the Armadillo Dash next Sunday.  I decided to go all out for a full two-hour run, knowing that it was probably a wee bit beyond my current fitness level, but what the heck, right?  I’d say that the first 90 minutes of the run were pretty good—the fatigue and soreness was manageable and I felt strong and capable.  In the last 30 minutes, I started to feel the effect of reaching my current long-run limit; I’m sure my pace slowed down to more of a trudge.  At the very, very end, I did something unusual: with just 3 minutes on the clock, I stopped at home, got a drink of water, rested a few minutes, and then headed out for the final 3 minutes.  It sounds kind of silly, right?  Like, it’s just 3 minutes: either finish it or call it quits.  But I was so parched and so tired at this point that I desperately needed the break.  I needed water.  And once I had my moment of refreshment and stillness, I was able to finish the last few minutes of the run.  I really wanted to be able to tell all of you that I did a two-hour run yesterday—yes, sometimes I do things just so I can write about them on my blogs.  I’m not the only one, right?

Anyway, I’m happy that I got two hours of running under my feet this week.  I’m not sure I feel ready for Sunday’s race, but maybe when next weekend rolls around, I will be ready.  I’m getting ready in other ways: I ordered a new pair of running shoes and wore them on yesterday’s run, and I finally (FINALLY!) ordered a SPI belt to use during Sunday’s run.  All I need now is my bib and shoe tag and I’m ready to go.

How have you been, lovely readers?

3 comments:

  1. I definitely can relate to sometimes just needing a drink and a little rest before finishing up the last part of a run -- whether it be 3 more miles or 3 more minutes. I love the NO photos! I haven't been there in way too long.

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    1. I'm glad to hear it's not just me! I imagine that if I hadn't gone two weeks between long runs, I would have been able to finish a bit stronger, but eh--I'm not going to regret visiting NOLA and celebrating with friends. When I race, I usually get some Gatorade every 3-4 miles, so I won't be feeling so parched at the end of the half-marathon. For full marathon training, I am going to have to learn how to fuel and hydrate as part of the work-out! :-)

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  2. Sometimes the last five minutes of a run are the hardest. I'm most impressed that you got out there and finished them after your brief rest - I probably would have collapse on the floor and stayed there. :)

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