Running for Jen

I felt lousy for this one at they gym.  I was so tired.  It took me up until the last mile to get to my normal pace of a 10:00 minute mile.  I was just happy to get through the whole thing.

My original plan was to run outside after work today, but the weather was calling for cold and rain, so I thought that it would be smarter for me to go to the gym.  I felt better today than I did yesterday.  I made sure that I went to bed by 9:30 so that I wouldn't feel so lousy in the morning.  As usual, I warmed up for the first mile and then finished the last 6 miles at a 10:00 minute/ mile pace.

My weight of 113.5 was post-run.

This run wound up being a nice 7 miles at the gym.  I felt pretty good from the start.  As usual, I warmed up for the first mile, then ran the last 6 at a 10:00 minute/ mile pace.  Sportscenter kept me company for the majority of my workout.

Weight of 112lbs was post run.

I felt pretty decent running at the gym for this run.  I was able to get my 7 miles in without any issues.  I warmed up for the first mile and then ran the final 6 miles at a 10:00 minute/ mile pace.

Cold and blah.  That is pretty much what it was like outside.  Fortunately, my run was much better than the weather.  I actually didn't think too much about the running at least for the first few miles.  This run was considered a taper run (compared to 20, yes, but it didn't feel like a taper otherwise), so maybe I was more relaxed.  I just went with the flow and hoped that the rain would hold off, which it did.  I had told myself prior to starting that if I only got 14-15 miles in that I would be fine with that, but needless to say, I felt good enough to get all 16 of my scheduled miles in. 

Race day is now two weeks from tomorrow.

 Weight of 111.5 is post-run.

The fleece gloves came out today and I am so glad I had them.  It was in the upper 20's at the start of my run.  It was cold!  I felt good throughout the whole thing.  

Due to time constraints this morning, I had to limit my run to 6 miles.  This is one of the reasons why I made sure that I ran at least 9 yesterday.  I felt good.  Sportscenter kept me company throughout.  I warmed up for the first mile and ran the final 5 at a 10:00 minute/ mile pace.

I ran at the gym this morning.  It took me about 3 miles to get to my normal 10:00 minute/ mile pace.  I then finished the final 4 miles at that 10:00 minute pace.  I was really tired and it was my 8th day in a row of running.  I will be taking tomorrow off.

I was back at the gym after a day off yesterday.  It took me a couple of miles to get to my 10:00 pace, but I was able to get there and maintain it for the last 5.  

I was back on the treadmill this morning.  I was tired, but my run was fine.  I warmed up for the first mile, and was able to run a 10:00 minute mile for the last 6 (I actually ran the last 1/2 a mile at a 9:50 pace).  I look forward to hitting the streets tomorrow morning for my last long run before Jacksonville.

A week before the race and I manage to develop a cold.  This is not the first time that this has happened as I have read that your immune system tends to go down a bit during the taper.  I guess if I had to get this, let it be now and not next weekend.  Needless to say, my run wasn't pretty although I was pleasantly surprised to be able to get through the whole thing.  I did walk on many of the hills, as I felt tired while I was out there.  It was 34 degrees out there, therefore between the cold weather and my cold, the Kleenex were used in full force.  

I thought that I was going to get 50 miles in for one more week, but I miscalculated or at least forgot that I only got 6 in on Monday.  No worries though.

I would normally have run yesterday as well, but between my cold and the fact that it was in the 30's and raining outside, I didn't think that it was in my best interest to run.  I know that it was the right decision, but I didn't really want to miss another day or running for the week.

I ran at the gym this morning.  It was fine.  It took me a couple of miles to warm up to my 10:00 minute/ per mile pace, but eventually I did get there. The right leg felt funky again.  

It was nice to finally run outside again.  I decided to run a couple of miles at race pace to make sure that I was ready for Sunday.  It went well.  I was able to run mile 4 at a 9:19 pace and mile 5 at a 8:52 pace, which was definitely faster than what my goal is, although I didn't feel particularly fast.  My legs felt a bit heavy at the start, as if I was breaking a new pair of running shoes.  The taper has been a bit rough.  I feel like a blob, although I must say I have not eaten any of the candy that I have been given this week.  I am saving it all for post-marathon eating.

Well, this was an interesting morning.  I went to the gym as usual, but unfortunately, the person who opens the place wasn't quite there.  Keep in mind that I get up at 4:10am so that I can be there when it opens at 5:00am.  After waiting for 20 minutes, I decided to go home and run from there.  Once I got home, I had to change into warmer clothing since it was 31 degrees out.  By the time I was able to get out there I had about 50 minutes or so to run, which is about 5 miles of running for me.  It wasn't bad and I felt fairly safe.  It was fairly dark in a few spots.  I would have brought a flashlight, but the smallest one that I could find would have been too heavy to run with.  I really wanted to get my usual 7 miles in, but 5 is better than nothing.  I will try again tomorrow at the gym.  This will be my last run before the marathon.

This was my final run before Sunday.  It started out a bit slow, but I was able to get up to my normal 10:00 minute/ mile pace by mile 4.  I felt pretty good once I got going.  I am looking forward to Sunday and am hoping for the best.

What a Great Day!  I set a personal best by over 30 minutes!  Prior to this race, my best time was a 4:42:10.  To break 4:15 was awesome, let alone 4:12.  I even had a negative split.  I was so excited!  This is the first time where I have felt pretty good from beginning to end.  It was cold at the start, but not as cold as it has been at home, therefore it was a perfect day for a run.  I dressed perfectly for me and just enjoyed myself as much as I could.  Two friends of mine met me in Jacksonville, one of which also had a PR, so all together we had a great running weekend.

I was a little worried going into this, because I have had a cold and because I was worried that I was getting a fever during my drive down to Florida. I picked up some Tylenol 8 hour, which wound up being a life saver.  At the start of the race, for the first time, my GPS stopped working. I was waiting for a signal and realized that it wasn't moving.  When I went to turn it off, it wouldn't turn off or do anything.  It just stayed locked up.  Fortunately, the race had pacers and I was able to tag along with the 4:15 guy, who I later found out was named Ed.  I wound up running with him from at least 9 - 10 miles and on.  I felt so relaxed.  I knew that the day was going well when I still felt good at 17 and then 18 miles.  At this point, my gut was telling me it was going to be a good day.  At around mile 21 or so, we ran into some friends of the pacer that wound up joining us. One of them named Annie ran with me from about 23 miles to the finish, which was awesome.  It was so nice having someone just to talk to me and remain positive.  I didn't even know her and she saw me pulling away from the group and joined me.  Those last few miles are always a bit of a struggle, so to have someone there was great.  I started feeling that awkward feeling in my right leg around 23 or so, but was able to push through it.

 I am now looking forward to a great night's sleep and the next two weeks off from work.  I am going to enjoy some good eats for the next day or so and then get back to normal.

Mileage is approximate.  This was my first run post-marathon.  My husband and I were in North Fort Myers, FL for the holiday.  I ran post holiday meal.  I felt a bit nauseous at first, but the running made me feel better after a mile or two.  It felt good to be out there again, although running on my mother in-law's street did not feel so good.  I had a pain just above my left knee.  It hurt when I ran, but not when I walked.  I decided to attempt to run through the pain and fortunately, the pain went away.  It was warm outside, low 70's, but the ground was nice and flat.  It was nice to get back into the swing of things.  I won't be able to run tomorrow since we are heading back to Georgia first thing and after nine hours in the car, I don't think I am going to want to run.

This was my first run back in Georgia.  It was cold, 25 degrees per the bank sign that I run past.  I had gloves on, but my fingers felt frozen to the point that they hurt for the first mile or so.  Fortunately, during mile 2, my fingers warmed up and felt much better.  My legs felt good.  The hills were not a problem.  I just trued to enjoy my run.  I didn't worry about time.

 My weight of 113lbs was post-run.

I decided to take this nice and easy.  It was once again, cold outside.  I also have my parents in town and wanted to get back before any drama started between them and our dogs (one of our dogs is a bit neurotic).  I felt good.  Nose ran as usual.  I didn't weigh myself, because I really did not want to see what it said at this moment in time.

Just another relaxing run outside today.  It has been so nice to sleep in first.  It was cold again.  I felt pretty good, although I wasn't too upset to be done at 5.25 miles.

This was a slow 6 miles, not that I am racing or anything.  It was cold and wet outside, although I avoided the rain for the most part.  I felt like I needed to run, especially after all of the eating out that I did when my parents were in town.  My run felt a bit sluggish, although I know it is not from a lack of sleep, since I have slept in everyday this week.  I guess it is a combination of the prior days of eating out and my legs still recovering from the marathon.  I am not going to worry much about this.  If this is still going on in a couple of weeks, then it will be a bit of a concern.