My friend Raquelita shared this on Facebook, and I thought it was too good not to pass along.
The 26 Stages of Taking Up Running
(Numbers 8 and 17 are my favorite. I’m pretty sure I had my #8 moment this summer inside a bank…and wound up looking like this for a few days. Oh, running, the things you do to me.)
Happy running, friends!
I’m currently training for the Detroit Marathon, so this archive is not yet complete. But for some reason, I am completely on top of this organizational task, so I’m going to publish it now and update it in the weeks to come.
* Weeks 1 and 2: Weeks 1 and 2 are on the books!
* Week 3: Week Three: (Un?)lucky Duck
* Weeks 4 and 5: Feels Like Flying in New Mexico and Colorado
* Week 6: Week Six = Done.
* Week 7: Week Seven Confusion
* Week 8: Week Eight: Heat and Pain
* Week 9: Week Nine: Workin’ Hard
* Week 10: Week Ten: Passport to Run
* Week 11: Week Eleven: Is It October Yet?
* Week 12: Week Twelve: MIA?
* Week 13: Week Thirteen: The Sweetest Taste
* Week 14: Week Fourteen: The Heat Rolls On
* Week 15: Week Fifteen: Marathon? What Marathon?
* Week 16: Week Sixteen: 3:32!
* Week 17: Week Seventeen: Camping and Cooler Weather
* Week 18: Week Eighteen: Almost There…
* Week 19: Week Nineteen: The Home Stretch
The Big Race and Beyond:
* After the Marathon: We Gave It Our All
* Race Report: 2013 Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon
* Recovery and Ruminations on Failure
* Coming Soon…What’s Next?
About a year ago…
…and now!
Marathon Training Week Nine (Week of August 5, 2013):
Monday: Treadmill work-out. 34 minutes total, 5 min. walking warm-up, {5 min. run + 2 min. walk} x 3, 6 min. power-walking, 2 min. slow cool-down.
Tuesday: Off, I think
Wednesday: Treadmill work-out. ~28 minutes total. Running portion: {5 min. faster pace + 1 min. slower easy pace} x 3.
Thursday: Off
Friday: Off (TO DALLAS!)
Saturday: Off having fun in Dallas
Sunday: LONG WALK! 2 hours 15 minutes of power-walking with a few short running bursts.
Total minutes walked/ran this week: 197. Estimated miles: 15-16.
I can’t believe that I’ve been to Dallas four times in the past four months, and I have yet to take any photos of its outdoor spaces. I have taken NO PHOTOS AT ALL, which is sad, because Dallas has some really charming views, both of natural spaces and its urban scenes. So today, I dug into my photo archives to find a few photos from around this time last year, which I figure is better than nothing. Right?
On Sunday, I did my long walk in my friends’ neighborhood, and despite the scorching heat, it was pretty nice! There were lots of trees and shade along my path, and I even broke up my walk with lunch and a coffee in the middle. I walked for about an hour and a half before popping into Subway for a sandwich and water (oh, sweet delicious cold water!), then I went to Starbucks for an iced coffee. I power-walked my way back with the iced coffee in my hand, which probably sounds silly, but it worked out well.
In lieu of doing long RUNS outside because of the searing heat, I am really hoping that the effort I am putting forth on the walking front will translate to strong legs when I walk/run the marathon under much cooler and more comfortable conditions. I know I have opted for an unconventional approach to marathon training, but still, it’s hard not to worry. The good news is that as far as “on the feet” time goes, I am on track with my long walks. I’m also feeling like a stronger power-walker, able to keep up a good pace for longer stretches of time. I remind myself frequently that if I’m not running, I should still be moving at a good clip to keep that pace under 15:00/mile. (That’s my “working goal” for my outdoor training.) I think I did pretty well on Sunday, based on perceived effort/speed and in comparison to the paces I’ve experienced on the treadmill.
How are things with you? For those of you with fall races coming up, how is your training going?
Inside…
and outside!
Marathon Training Week Eight (Week of July 29, 2013):
Monday: Long walk/run: 73 minutes total. Walked 51 minutes, {run 1 minute:walk 1 minute} x 10, plus ran 2 minutes just for fun at the end of the running segment.
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Morning work-outs! Bike ride to HEB + 20-min. power walk around my neighborhood
Thursday: Treadmill work-out. 35 minutes total, running portion was {5 min. run, 2 min. walk} x 4
Friday: Off, with push-ups + crunches before bed
Saturday: Bike ride to Target and HEB
Sunday: Long walk/run. 88 minutes total, running portion included {1 min. run, 1 min. walk} x 10 + {2 min. run, 1 min. walk} x 7.
Total minutes walked/ran this week: 216 (estimated miles: 13-14?)
I just woke up from the best/worst nap. The best: it was spontaneous and felt awesome. The worst: I am groggy now, and I might not be able to sleep tonight. Hurray for naps!
Today I had one of my hardest work-outs ever. My initial plan was 2 hours total of walking/running, with 32 minutes of running in the mix. I ended up getting 88 minutes done, with 24 minutes of running. I just hit the heat wall out there and felt it best to not push harder—I was about as hot as I’ve ever been during a work-out, plus my left foot is still bothering me. My suspicion is that my old pink sneakers are the problem, so I’m going to trash them and stick to using my newer purple sneakers.
My plan is to “finish” today’s work-out tomorrow on the treadmill. That way, I’ll also be able to add more running into the mix, thanks to a well-cooled gym. Honestly, training for a marathon in summertime Texas is going about as well as I expected, which is to say: it’s really hard, and I am making adjustments based on how I feel. Let’s hope that all this hot work now will pay off big-time when it comes to running an October marathon in Michigan.
Stay cool out there, friends!
{Me before setting off on my long walk. Hi!}
Marathon Training Week Seven (Week of July 22, 2013):
Monday: Off (didn’t feel well)
Tuesday: Long walk: 106 minutes.
Wednesday: Treadmill work-out. 37 minutes total: warmed up for 5 minutes, {ran 2 minutes:walked 1 minute} x 10, cooled down for 2 minutes.
Thursday: Off (though with at least an hour of casual walking around during the day)
Friday: Walked 50 minutes to do errands (so hot…so slow…)
Saturday: Bike ride to Kohl’s/HEB
Sunday: Evening walk with Paul (not counting this in my minutes total)
Total minutes walked/ran this week: 193 or ~12-13 miles
A few notes on training this week:
* Somehow I managed to confuse myself with my training plan. (I so smrt!) Here is what I was supposed to do in minutes—>followed by what I have actually done for long walks.
~Week 5: Walk 90 minutes—>Walked 105 minutes.
~Week 6: Walk 105 minutes—> Walked 106 minutes.
~Week 7: Walk 120 minutes—>Walked/ran 73 minutes (I did this today.)
The reason I’m so confused is that technically, I’m supposed to do my long walks on Sunday. In reality, I do them whenever it suits me best, which right now tends to be Monday or Tuesday. The important thing, I suppose, is that I’m getting those miles done. This week, even though it’s Week 8 now, I am going to get my 120 minutes done because dammit, I’m not even running much these days, which means I’m doing way fewer miles than I’m supposed to be!
The takehome message: I cannot follow a training plan to save my life. Send help immediately.
* I’m experiencing some pain in my left foot. It feels like a foot cramp, except I can’t seem to pop or stretch it back into place. I noticed it on Friday, I think, and I’m not sure if I should be worried about it. It didn’t hurt at all today while I was out walk/running, but if I try to stretch it now, I can feel it’s not quite right. Hmm.
* Today I did 20 minutes of run 1 minute/walk 1 minute, and I felt pretty good! After two weeks of walking (and NOT running!) outside, letting myself run today made me feel very fast. Also, the run/walk intervals are a good way to keep me from pushing too hard in the heat. It is very, very hot here now, and it would be way too easy for me to push myself beyond my physiological capacity for exertion. I liked the run/walk intervals so much that I’m going to do them again this week for the 120 minute work-out I was supposed to do last week.
* I am starting to believe that I can actually do this marathon thing. I’m feeling happy that I didn’t bow out of it.
Have a great week, friends!
{Marathon Training = Pasta Meals!}
Marathon Training Week Six (Week of July 15, 2013):
Monday: Off, with some push-ups, crunches, and squats for good measure.
Tuesday: Yoga for the first time in FOREVER! 20 minutes of Gentle Hatha Yoga
Wednesday: Medium walk, ~40 minutes (+/- 5 minutes? I left my watch ticking while I ducked into a store to buy some peanut butter.)
Thursday: Leisurely walk, ~37 minutes with pitstops for a few purchases
Friday: Leisurely walk, ~37 minutes
Saturday: Leisurely walk, 50 minutes
Sunday: Bike ride to Target/Old Navy/HEB
Total minutes walked this week: 164, or ~8-9 miles?
There’s not much to report here except that it is hot, hot, HOT outside. I am getting a funny sunburn/suntan pattern on my upper body from walking outside during peak daylight hours. I know, I know we’re not supposed to do that, but sometimes a person has errands to run, you know? Errands to run and miles to walk.
I’m going out of order a bit here, but today I got on the treadmill, and it wasn’t half bad. My brother and his boyfriend gave me a tiny MP3 player for Christmas last year, and with some music in my ears and a 2:1 run:walk ratio on the treadmill, I had a pretty good work-out. The gym was blessedly cool (74 degrees!), and it was a quick enough work-out that I could handle running in place without feeling like a crazy person. Plus I got to run. I haven’t done that in ages—it was fun and novel.
The boyfriend is going to be here for dinner in a few minutes, so I won’t ramble on any more. I’m feeling kinda down today, so I’m hoping his company will cheer me up.
Happy day to you!
Hey guys! How is your running going?
My running walking is going well, thanks for asking. Today I got 106 minutes under the old feet on a steamy Texas day. Plus I now have ingredients to make ice cream, and that combination is a win-win in my book.
As I’m starting to wrap my mind around the idea of 26.2 miles in one day (October 20, 2 months and 26 days from today, not that I’m counting or anything…), I’m hungry for running inspiration. Fun, uplifting, motivating pieces. Not crap advice on Pinterest. (Seriously, am I the only person who feels like most of the fitness “inspiration” on Pinterest is just awful? Maybe I am.) So for today, how about a piece by Rachel Toor?
Stay cool out there, folks!
