Good Things are coming this way!

Did I mention that life is overflowing with good things? Is it becoming annoying that I brag about them nearly every week? No? GOOD :)

So, kinda a big thing, and I am pretty sure it is a good thing. 2 people, complete strangers, stumbled upon my blog and were compelled enough to leave a comment, one even bold enough to FOLLOW me. Must be a runner, only a runner could appreciate most of my boring posts about how far I ran, what nasty gels I slurped down, and how my knee still hurts. Most people would just say, "Thats what you get for running XX miles. Stop racing around like a crazy person and your knee will be just fine." I'm sure that's what the bestie thinks every time she reads a marathon training update, lol. How loyal she is. Now I can stop following my own blog because I have more than one person following it. YAY! Some people, I won't name names (Matt) think I should give the blog a good ol' Facebook blast. SCARY!!!!!!! Strangers are cool, but people I know talking about how my blog tries to be witty but falls desperately short? TERRIFYING!!!!! More on this in a later post...

Back to things that are good. Luau this weekend!!!!!! I am painting giant cardboard tiki statues, butchering everything about the Hawaiian culture in order to have a fun and festive three way birthday party (sorry Bestie!). Not bad for a mainlander, and if they turn out respectable (in my eyes), I might post brag pictures. They stand 3 feet tall. We bought all sorts of kitschy deco to create ambiance. It is going to be fantastic. I am VERY excited!

Last good thing to point out? I got to spend quality time with my nephew. Little dude loves to swim, and loves teething on the side of the spa even more (it's flagstone, btw). I'm sure I gave him back to his mom with chipped teeth, but they are only baby teeth, and he barely has two, so I am sure they will grow back. I still can't get over the goofy smile that comes across his face after he breaks wind. Just like his daddy. Equally as smelly and gross. How does such a small creature make so toxic a scent? Dogs do it just as bad. What the heck?

Week 6 of Training

Week 6 of training has come to a close, and I climbed back into the saddle just in time. No, my big plans for the week didn't work out quite as how I expected, but I did log 17 miles this week, including an 11 mile run, which is a new training milestone. I broke the 100 mile training landmark as well!

This week, I did the gels much better on the long run, having a strawberry honey stinger (yum!) and a jet blackberry gu, as well as strawberry gu chomps (chews). All seemed to work out quite nicely! My pace was a little slower than usual, but that is to be expected after a 12 day hiatus. Today's run was great, with deer, wild turkeys, bunnies and geese. I am so happy to have such great places to run.

So, the total training mileage to date is 113.5 miles. Thats the distance between Truckee and Davis! This week, I plan of doing some speed intervals and weight training, as well as run 35 miles. Now that I have more time, I hope to increase my mileage and start building a longer midweek run.

Week 5 of training?

Not quite sure if we can call it week five considering I did not run AT ALL this week. Shame on me!

After a week full of bad decisions, tummy aches, and travel, running just did not fit in and I am ASHAMED!!!! I am supposed to be a hardcore runner, what is going on here????

Next week we are going to step it up and resume the training schedule. Run 6 miles Monday, Tuesday, crosstrain Wednesday, rest Thursday and Friday (Field Trip), Run 5 Saturday and 11 Sunday. Thats 28 miles better than this week. Then it will be time to start running half marathons on the weekends. Oh joy!

I did get my case of Jet Blackberry Gu and my 4 bottle hydration belt from REI this weekend, so there is not reason not to step it up a notch. Marathon vacation days have come to an end!!!

Week 3 comes to an end

Week 3 of training has officially come to a close. As I sit here blogging, I have a bag of ice balanced on my left knee and ibuprofen in my tummy. No, it isn't that bad, but this is just a precaution. I don't want week 4 to be a bust.

Looking back, I am really surprised/proud that I was able to hold it together this week to get the miles in that I did. I missed a day of running, and my cross training was weak (no core exercises), but considering it felt like the world was collapsing in on me most of the week and I was fighting a constant war with pollen (the spore count was epic this week), I didn't do half bad. It helped to get the confirmation for the marathon midweek. The pressure is on!

This week I completed a total of 20 miles; two 5 mile runs and a 10 mile long run. I feel like next week's long run can be stepped up to 11 miles, as long as I get all my runs in leading up to it. It feels so good to know that I had the strength to end this week with a bang and meet my long run goal. My total training milage is now up to 66.5 miles!

This week was about self talk and getting out the front door. Last week I needed a lot of self talk on the runs, but this week I needed it before the runs. My new strategy is is to tell myself I am going to run and talk it up so I am mentally committed. I mean really talk it up. Put on my clothes. Get my water bottles filled. And just go.

As I run, I have been playing with the idea of keeping more notes about my training. So many people write books for the bourgeoning marathon market, so why can't I? I am playing with ideas to find a niche that will appeal to publishers. How rad would that be, to publish a book!?!?!?! Good thing long runs give me a lot of time to think about things like this!

We'll end this blog with a gel and chew review (it rhymes! I will make note of that for my book lol). Today was Clif shots strawberry (gag), strawberry Clif shot bloks (tastes better as you eat more of them/need them desperately), and Gu jet blackberry (yum!). Honey stingers cherry blossom still win for best tasting chew, but Gu Jet Blackberry has taken the lead. Finally, a gel that doesn't make me want to yak or curdle in my tummy as I bounce up and down for 2 hours!

10 Miles, brought to you be chaffed thighs and farmer's tan

Week two of training ended with a bang, reaching my 10 mile run milestone. This is the first time I have run this far without being in a half marathon race. My knee didn't act up nearly as bad as expected, but the blisters are back in full force.

Oh, how I am proud of myself!

It feel like I need to hover at 10 miles before I start pushing the long runs any farther. Maybe in 2 weeks I can increase to 11 miles on Sundays. I ran a total of 25 miles this week, reaching a training total of 46.5 miles over the last two weeks. I feel like a rock star! And aside from the blisters and the inner thigh chaffing, marathon training has been just peachy!

On the gel front, I have discovered that clif shots are far superior than powerbar gel. The vanilla probably won't be my favorite flavor, but it was palatable, although it was messy sticky like honey. I am really digging the honey stingers chews to mix it up. I had half a pack at mile 8 and it was nice to give something a chew. I am not sure I fueled enough, but I made it home. We'll have to see how crummy recovery is!

Week One

Today is the official end of week one of marathon training. I have new shoes, new socks, new hydration belt, new books on marathon training and an array of energy gels and chews I will be testing out over the next few weeks. I also managed to log 21.5 miles this week. Not too bad!

The hardest part is getting out to run. I know once I hit play on the ipod and start running, I am there. But setting an alarm to get up early to run absolutely sucks. So does getting dressed when the apartment is cold. I can't wait until I can just get up with ease! The first mile is tough too. My body gets really tight and tries to fight me on this whole running thing. Once I stop and stretch after mile 1, it usually gives in. And around mile 4 it really starts to open up. By mile 5 I feel like I can run forever!

The big run for this week was 8 miles today, and will be a good starting point for building higher milage on the weekends. I am bummed by nike+ isn't working, but I am finding that just having the music going and just running until I make it home is making me a better runner. I am not constantly checking the ipod to see how far I ran or what my pace is. I am just running, and it feels amazing.

The plan for this week is a 5 mile run on Monday, 6 miles on Wednesday and Friday, and 9 miles on Sunday fora total weekly mileage of 26 miles. I want to cross-train on Thursday... maybe some laps in the pool and some weights? An if I am feeling really good, I might bump up the Friday mileage to 8 miles.

Overall, I am off to a great start. I have my goofy belt to hold my water bottles and my gels but it is all worth it because I get a giant glass of chocolate milk when I get home. This is essential for muscle recovery! It really beats the awful energy gels, that work great but taste like someone is trying to show nasty vitamins down your throat to incite your gag reflex. Power Gels are official done, they are way too gross. Next to experiment with the Gu and Clif Shots.

Now I just have to recruit more people to join my race team... registration ends Friday!