3,5,10,15

I haven't been posting about my runs very regularly, so I thought I'd recap what I did last week. First off were 2 short(er) runs that I did on Wednesday and Thursday. I usually run with the running group on Wednesday evenings, but I had to make an impromptu trip to Lincoln so I decided to get my run in while I was there. I hit up Pioneers Park for what turned out to be a fast, somewhat hilly, kinda soggy, and most definitely beautiful run!

I was hoping to get in 8 miles, but I overestimated how much time I had until the sun set, and condensed it down to a speedy 5 miles instead.

I really pushed it at the end, and was happy I ran that last mile in 8:31!

On Thursday, I set out for 8 miles, but had to cut it short yet again. Unfortunately this time was because my right knee started hurting. But, not to worry! Although my run nearly ended in tears (from the fear of being injured, not from pain) my knee is feeling normal again. I think my speedy run on Wednesday may have been a little rough on my knees. Before the pain got too bad, I got in 3 miles running, and then walked another 2.5 miles home.

Some miles are better than no miles - and these times do not disappoint me. I'm trying to get faster, but I really do NOT want to get injured again. It's not worth it!

This past Sunday, I woke up early to hit the roads for my weekly long run (even though I attended a bachelorette party the night before!) I was in a rush in the morning, so I didn't get a picture of my usual pre-run English muffin with almond butter, but I'm sure you can imagine what it looked like. I was also so worried about being late that I hadn't quite committed to a distance by the time I began my run. In retrospect, this was probably a bad idea. However, even after facing rolling hills, swarms of mosquitoes, and high temps during the first 5 miles, I managed to talk myself into eking out 15 before the morning was over.

The running club met at the same location as last week, so I got the 'pleasure' of trekking up and down the hills of South Omaha again. I really do like being able to practice on what could be deemed the hardest portion of the Omaha Marathon course before September, so I'll try to keep my complaining to a minimum. Instead, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to compare this run to my previous lope on this route.

There were a few things that stood out to me here.

• First of all, my overall pace during week 2 was faster than that of week 1, even though I ran 4.5 more miles.
• I kept a much steadier pace during the first 4 miles of the week 2 run. I wonder if the the fact that I went from a 9:00 mile 1 to an 11:00 mile 2 during week 1 goes to show that I went out too fast.
• I highlighted my slowest miles on each of the runs. It's no surprise to me that I bottomed out during mile 5 both times. This is a looooong hill with a water stop at the end. It's also a turn-around point, so it makes sense that mile 6 is nearly a minute faster both weeks, as I was running downhill at this point (and had just stopped for water.)
• Usually I'm able to pick it up during my last mile, as seen in week 1. However, I was NOT feeling it during week 2 and it was all I could do to keep moving during mile 15. Sometimes during long runs I get to the point where I can tell myself "What's 3 more miles...you've already gone 12!" (forgive me) but I think it's obvious here that I got tired. I remember my legs and hips started hurting, and I didn't have a burst of energy left.
• Another factor I should note is that I fueled at mile 5 during week 1 and mile 7 during week 2. I like to have around 100 calories of something (GU, Sport Beans, etc) about every 60 minutes or 6 miles during my runs. Week 1 I knew I was going 10 miles, so fueling at the half-way point made sense. Week 2 I waited until mile 7 because a) the mile 5 water stop was infested with mosquitoes so I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible and b) I was pretty sure I'd go further than 10 miles but I only had one pack of GU with me so I stretched it out a bit. I really could have gone for another pack of GU or, better yet, some Gatorade at mile 10 or 11.

I think this kind of analysis will be really helpful to me! I could see myself getting discouraged during that long mile 5 but then remembering that I can usually pick it up afterwards. And I can definitely see using these splits as times to beat - a goal for next time.

After my run, I immediately fueled with a banana and a gatorade. (I drank the Gatorade Prime before my run.)

I stopped at the gas station on my way home for some essentials:

That's right, it's ice bath time again! I knew I was hard on my muscles, as they were aching during my last 2 miles. Ice baths really help speed up the recovery process - and I can definitely tell a difference. I was sore Sunday and a little bit on Monday, but by Monday evening I was feeling fine. When I got home, I filled the bath half way with cold water, dumped in the 2 bags of ice, and sat in in for 15 minutes (running clothes and all). Getting in really is the hardest part, I swear. And drinking a hot beverage while you're in there does wonders for keeping you warm. I will admit that my feet started to ache. I don't know why they seem more sensitive to the cold, but once I put my socks back on (while still in the ice bath), they felt a little better.

Next up, more food!

And then it was off to my nephew's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese.

When my sister asked him what kind of cake he wanted he said, "Chocolate cake with vanilla tornados." What?! Definitely a Midwestern boy! It's a good thing my sister is an artist, because she delivered!

I have to say, those vanilla tornados were the best part!

After the party, I went home, took a nap, and watched "Couples' Retreat", which was kind of a let down. I think it was just predictable and had no real 'laugh out loud' moments. Then again, I find comedies best watched with other people - it makes the jokes seem funnier when others are laughing, too.

Well there's a random recap of my last few runs. I have got to figure out some sort of blogging schedule, but I'm having a hard time finding something consistent. I'll keep working on it!