Blah, blah, blah

Well, I ran today. I was going for 10 miles, but made a wrong turn and ended up with 9.47. I tried to stretch it, but I just wasn't into it. In fact, I don't know if it's because I'm not "officially" training for anything but I just couldn't get motivated. It took me an hour and a half to get out of the house, and then I just wasn't having a great time out there. My pace was all over the place. But the weather was beautiful, so I can't complain about that.

I've been excited about my workouts, but I can't get into the long runs. And really, is 10 miles even a "long" run anymore?

My right achilles hurts again.

Random Running Thoughts

I ran a slow and easy 8 miles today. I think I have the achilles problem figured out. I've discovered that I always have intense achilles pain whenever I wear the Brooks Glycerins. They have less than 200 miles on them (193.73) but I'm going to retire them. They squeak like crazy anyway, so wearing them is embarrassing unless I'm wearing my ipod. It's a little disappointing because they are my first pair of non-Pearl Izumis I've worn in two years. The last non-Pearls I had were the Asics Gel Kinseis, which set me back $165, and I got a calf sprain that kept me off the roads for two weeks when wearing those. I only race in the PI Shines these days anyway. They're my Good Luck shoes now as I've PRd in them every time.
______

I saw an interesting Nativity Scene on today's run. To make the manger, they used the Little Tikes Log Cabin and took off the front wall. Imagine Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus hanging out in here:

_____________

I'm feeling a little conflicted about our Democratic candidates for the presidential primary. As a "progressive" (read "liberal") woman democrat, I feel somewhat guilty that I'm not on board the Hillary or Obama train. Instead, I find myself supporting John Edwards. Of course, it's great to have three (viable) candidates to choose from, but shouldn't I be backing the woman or the minority? Why don't I see Hillary Clinton as a woman who could win the race for president? I actually see Obama more as a winner than I do her. And yet, here I am backing the rich, white guy.

If I Can Make it There...

I'm supposed to run 4, but I'm not sure I'll get it in before I have to go downtown and get my hair cut/colored. And once that's done, I'm not going to ruin it by getting it sweaty or putting it in a ponytail! Oh, no! I have to get my money's worth out of a good visit to the salon! That means no running tomorrow either.

Things I'm worried about for Sunday:
1. My achilles. It's been an issue since the end of July. I really should rest it today anyway, but then I worry about taking four days entirely off before the marathon.
2. The crowded start on the Verrazano bridge. My number is really high based on my worst marathon finish. That means I'm supposed to line up at the back. I don't get why I can't line up according to my own projected finish, so I'm worried that I'll be 2-5 minutes behind right from the start.
3. Potty stops. My history is not good here.

Things I'm excited about:
1. My training. It's been excellent. I've gotten significantly faster this year and I've got the logs to prove it.
2. Running through NYC. What could be more exciting than that?
3. Proving to myself that I can keep the energy high for 4+ hours.

My Goals:
Ultimate: Anything less than 4:20
Trained for: 4:20
Acceptable: 4:30

Anything less than 4:39 will be a PR, but honestly, I was trained for better than 4:39 when I achieved it.

Blah, blah, blah

I did a kind of lame (for me) but tough strength session this morning. Mostly upper body. I'll workout next Tuesday, but that's it. Mostly stretching, no weights.

After I attempted a four mile recovery (avg. pace 10:46) but my right achilles told me it was in no mood to finish so I bagged it at 3.70 and walked the rest of the way back to the gym. I'll rest it tomorrow and skip Saturday's 4 mile run. This close to the marathon I don't want to take any chances. If need be, I'll rest it on Sunday as well and do the 8 miles on Monday.

I ordered a pair of tights from http://www.runningfunky.com/. I'd post a picture (I'm actually wearing them at this moment) if I had one. The fabric sample isn't pictured on the website anymore, but it's petal pink background with hot pink hearts. They are VERY LOUD. I'll wear them in NY if it's too cold for a skirt. I'll probably order some other things now that I've seen the actual product. They run very true to size. They are custom made to order. DO measure yourself before selecting a size. They are also very soft and comfortable. The only thing I would improve would be to add a breathable patch of fabric in the crotch. For $40 you would think they'd have that but they are unisex. I also got a bike seat cover.

Ok, then. That's today's report.

8 miles. I decided to take it easy because of yesterday's hard run on top of a challenging strength workout. 10:34 pace, but man it sure felt hard. My achilles was bothering me again, which always seems to happen when I wear the Brooks Glycerin shoes. Also, I have some soreness in my hip flexor.

I think my body is breaking down as the marathon gets near.

Is Pool Running Boring?

liz reichman - 8/15/2007 7:24 PM "Aw man, I am sorry. Pool running is incredibly boring."

Kathy N - 8/15/2007 9:45 PM "you could do some kicking stuff to break up the monotony."

Todd-O - 8/16/2007 7:41 AM "Pool running is boring, Boring, BORING! Good luck with that"

Natalie. "I know it's not any fun".

Joel H - 8/16/2007 10:42 AM "Man pool running sounds boring... I don't think I could stand it... I am not jealous that is for sure."

Meggan Ann - 8/16/2007 12:11 PM "Pool running is boring, I agree with everyone else."

And Amanda said "it sounds awful."
___________________

Well, now that we know that POOL RUNNING IS BORING, let's get on with DAY 2 OF NATALIE'S ACHILLES RECOVERY PROGRAM shall we?

This morning I did my strength workout. Without boring you with the tiny details, I did

Leg extensions

Lateral squats over the bosu

Squat into military press (8lb)

Seated rowsbicep (pulley)

Bench press

Stretch

All done with that, I took my daughter with me to the pool and did 40 minutes of pool running. After 20 minutes, my daughter was even saying she was bored. I entertained myself by watching the summer action on the neighbor's zinnias. Goldfinches, butterflies, and hummingbirds this morning.

My achilles is feeling much better. No running tomorrow (scheduled rest day), but hopefully I'll be able to run again on Saturday and Sunday. I plan on finding a flat place to do my 16 miler as I wonder if the hills are taking a toll on my ankle.

Here's my view from the pool:

Everybody into the pool!

Today was the first day of "Natalie's Achilles Recovery Program." I'm a firm believer in pool running as the next best thing to simulating real running without the impact. The only thing is, pool running can be mind-numbingly boring. Fortunately, by sticking the ipod under my hat, winding the headphone wire around it a couple of times, and plugging the earbuds in my ears through the back, I was able to listen to some music. A one hour episode of podrunner goes a long way when you've got eighty minutes to kill.

That was my plan. I'm supposed to run 8 miles today, so instead I pool ran for 80 minutes to at least simulate the length of time I would have been running. Even with the music, it was more boring than a treadmill, so every 10 minutes I alternated between high-knee jogging and "cross-country skiing." I was the only soul in the pool. Just me, two yellow swallowtail butterflies, a few cicadas, a pair of mourning doves, and various other little birds.

At the end of the workout, my legs felt like jelly and I was starving. I've now negated the entire thing by drinking a protein shake (good) and snacking on cheez-its (bad).

Tomorrow will be 40 minutes of pool running in addition to my morning strength workout. Thank goodness I can take care of this injury now rather than after Labor Day. I'm lucky to use my parents condo pool since I don't belong to the Y and the JCC is still under construction.

2fer

Yesterday turned into an unscheduled rest day, so I doubled up the workouts today.

Running: A brisk 55 degrees and sunny morning. I had no problem getting up early since the boys started school today and they were up earlier than me. 4 miles in under 39:00. Avg. pace - 9:49.

Strength: I was a little sluggish.
Warmup: bike and leg extensions
Squats (45)(bar only) - 3 X 15
Rev. lunge on bosu - 3 X 30
Seated row (one arm) (12.5) 3 x 20

Sled calves - 2 X 90lb/ 1 X 95lbRebounder (7.5 ball) 3 X ALOT

My right achilles is bothering me. It has been bothering me for a couple of weeks now. I'm going to ice it and hopefully it won't get any more bothersome.

This is the first day of my 40 mile week. I plan to take it one day at a time. The weekday runs are only a one mile step-up each and Sunday's long run is only a 2 mile step-up from my longest this cycle.

New Shoes

I finally did something about a nagging achilles issue that I've had for a couple of weeks and some hip pain I'm starting to experience. Both are on the right side. I lost track of mileage per shoe, but I figure all three pair are long past their prime. I started favoring the PI Shines at the start of summer because they had the fewest miles on them, but, they're all about even now. I promise to do a better job of tracking the miles. I've started logging my runs on logmyrun.com and it has a feature that lets you track your shoe mileage.

Here's what I got:

Another pair of Pearl Izumi Syncrofloats 2. They are orange. I know. No comments, please.

And for something completely different, Brooks Glycerin 5. I wanted to try something other than the Pearl Izumis and the Brooks felt like they were part of my foot when I ran in them.

I also called the podiatrist and made an appointment to have my orthotics adjusted. They've always been a little short for my shoes and I get blisters where there is a gap. Time to remedy that situation!