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This is written by Jen Torres who is a new Pacer and a beginning runner, doing the 5K training program: |
an ongoing journal about running and weight loss and doing something you never imagined you could do. by Jennifer Torres Running From the Cops I started running a couple of months ago. In my 40’s and overweight it’s amazing that it took me this long to get serious about building a strong training program that I can stick to with goals and accomplishments that I can track. All my life I had never even considered that I could be a real-life runner. I always made excuses that I could never do this at my age, and then I started reading and learned that as far as my age was concerned I was in a minority for "old" runners; many folks had overcome much bigger obstacles than what I was dealing with. Although I did some long distance biking as a youngster as I got to my teenage years I hated most physical activity and hung out in the park with the "bad" kids. The most running I ever did was from the cops as they tried to clear out our unruly bunch after dark. As I got older I had always loved hiking, biking and boating and spent some time as a serious rock climber in my early 20’s, but hey, eventually life takes over and the energy and passion for keeping yourself healthy seems to run aground. How do you get that back? Many things correlated with the start of my training program- My Yankee blood has a hard time changing over to the hot summer temps, even after 10 years in Mississippi! As a result I always feel sluggish and grumpy at the start of summer and knew I had to change this The extreme cost of diesel put a damper on my twice weekly trips to the Gulf Coast to do my sea kayaking I was feeling fat, lazy and not sleeping good at night I was tired of hearing my younger brothers and their respective partners always talking about their marathon training and how many miles they biked this weekend or that. As a result of the above items I knew I had to find a way to get out and do some exercise; something that I could do locally and do right away and on the cheap. Running seemed like the perfect choice, but could I actually do it? And then, low and behold a couple of months ago I saw this little article in the local paper about a 5K training program that was starting in June and being run by the Pine Belt Pacers, a local running and walking club. Not wanting to wait an additional month I figured I would get off my bum, get some training books and get a head start. Wow, how the mysteries of life continue to amaze me; just like living in Mississippi, who ever thought I would end up running and loving it! Where to Start: Books, Books and More Books and the Internet I suppose being a college professor may have something to do with finding comfort in the words and experiences of other people, but I found from the vast number of resources available that I am not the only one. I have been reading tons of books and articles and interestingly with the exception of differing opinions on the role of stretching; much of the information is the same. Heart rate information, training plans for different skills and levels, nutrition, weight loss control, injuries, and gear are among the many items dissected and hashed over in these texts. The fact that many of the conclusions are the same was comforting and helpful for me; it’s easy to follow a plan and know I was on the right path. Even more helpful was when I did start my "official" training with the club for the 5K I found the training plan provided by my coach Becky Ryder, was again, similar to all the others I had read about and emphasizes slow and steady training. Some books I am reading- (all purchased at Books-A-Million in Hattiesburg) Shorter, Frank. Running for Peak Performance. New York: DK Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0-7566-0951-8 Galloway, Jeff and Barbara. Women’s Complete Guide to Running. Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Sport, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84126-205-5 Van Den Bosch, Paul. Marathon- from Beginner to Finisher. Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Sport, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84126-207-9 There are a ton of websites, just Google "running" or "running gear" or "running injuries" and you’ll come up with a plethora of sites to visit. The Pine Belt Pacers (pinebeltpacers.org) the local club web site also has excellent resources and links as well. Shorts I Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead In So reality sets in, I have made the commitment to start a running career and need to get some gear so I find some local sports stores in the mall. Yes, they have some proper running cloths, but nothing I would ever put my bum into. Yikes, the shorts are so short, perhaps in a couple of years or a decade? After a long search I found some compression shorts (good for chubby thighs that rub) and a men’s short sleeve (moisture wicking) sports top that gives a little bit of coverage for my bottom. Some proper undergarments were next and a decent pair of shoes. Never underestimate the importance of good shoes and be fully prepared to buy more than one pair to find the best ones to suite you. I had no idea what I was purchasing, except that they were "running" shoes and got a pair that are not very supportive of the high arch I later found out I have. Some good running-specific insoles are helping until a new pair arrives. Since I tend to get crazy obsessed with new projects I really had to work hard at not buying all the cool gadgets, like GPS units and stuff. I did get a good sports watch/heart rate monitor (on sale!) that I have found to be very beneficial. All in all the investment was minimal as compared to other sports where expensive equipment is necessary. This was good for me, not only because my budget is small during the summer, but also because I was just starting out and even though I was very motivated I wanted to make sure this was really, really something I could do. In my next installment I’ll discuss my running and food diary and how I am battling losing weight, among other things. RUNNING LOG Overview- since I started my log sometime before beginning with the Pacers I had to take the books I was reading and tie together my own plan. I will try to summarize the past few weeks to get up to date for the purpose of this journal. Next week’s log will be shorter! Week one for a few weeks prior to starting my journal I was basically mostly walking with short running stints in-between, I might do 1.88 miles total with a .5 mile to .75 of running. I remember it being so hard. I always walk early morning and around my local neighborhood in Hattiesburg. Towards the end of my first recorded week I was out for about 30 – 35 minutes. I listed my heart rate as 158 – 165, too fast for me, especially for aerobic running. I knew I had to slow down and steady my pace. Total 2.5 miles run for the week Week two I started with the club for the 5K training, I hated the time of day and found running very hard in the heat, but I loved meeting new folks, especially watching the better runners as they went through their paces. During the week I tried to do the club plan, walk/run for a few minutes combo, but found it difficult to keep track of things, so I went back to my original plan of doing more running without walk breaks, going slow with lots of walking at the beginning and end. I was now doing about 1.25 to 1.5 miles straight through of running and total of 2.5 to 3 miles including the walking. I had slowed my pace to 12.51 to stay in a comfortable zone. I ran a total of 6 miles that week. Probably more than I had ever run in my entire life all together. Week three I had been feeling some angry tingling in my right hip and the inside of my knees; it didn’t hurt when I ran only after I ran. I start regular icing of the affected areas. I learned later that a lot of this was normal as my body adjusted to these new demands. Again I did the club run and enjoyed it but I felt tired and didn’t like the run/walk combo, I did eventually get my grove and even did an extra lap running. I changed up my regular weekly route to include Kemper park so I could take advantage of the track and the local neighborhood. I did a total of 10.24 miles that week by the end my pace was at 11.55 and I was running 1.93 miles straight through. This pace was in the end a bit too fast for me and was stressing my knees, probably some bad form thrown in there too. Week four I really dislike running on a track, I find it mind numbing, but I was committed to the 5K training and really enjoyed being around other folks. I decided that I would use the laps to do some rudimentary speed work. To the other runners on the track I am sure I look like a snail but for me taking a few seconds off of each lap was a major task. During the week I did the exact same route and distance the other four days, and concentrated on running a steadier pace with good form. My pace at the end of the week was 12.36 for 2.5 miles (a bit over 30 minutes per run) for a total of 11 miles for the week (5 days of running, 2 rest days). I was still having issues with my knees and decided in lieu of new shoes I would try some specialty running insoles. I went to Soccer Locker and they did a foot test and I found out I have high arches; my current shoes give me no support for this. With my new insoles (they felt weird!) I was set for the next week. Week five The club run felt extra hot today, we were doing 4X600 run/walk. I concentrated on improving my speed and went from 12:49 to 11:45 by the last lap. I realize I am a slow runner. Other peoples legs just seem to go faster, other beginner people pass me on the track all the time. I wonder if I will ever get near that 8:00 (or less) pace you hear people talking about all the time. Becky assures us; keep working at it you will get faster! My weekly run is now close to 3.3 miles of running daily (plus 1 mile walking) for my four other days. I think the insoles are working and I notice that the pain in my knees and hip is slowly receding. I am glad I had patience to keep up with the icing and working on my steady pace. I did a total of 13.6 miles this week.
A Beginners Ramblings: Part Two By Jennifer Torres Listing all the Ugly Details For me one of the key issues towards maintaining success is building a strong training program that I can stick to with goals and accomplishments that I can track. Seeing my progress is key to taking the next step in any project I get into, but especially in running. This is important not only for my psychological connection but for health reasons as well. I am by no means an expert on running, but I am pretty experienced with this body I live in and listening to what my body tells me has made my running experience easier and safer. One of the most helpful things I have learned so far is about making sure to keep a diary of, well… basically everything. I started by recording all my stats- date, age, weight, height, resting heart rate, active heart rates, and daily caloric needs vs. daily caloric intake. Next I listed my goals. It started off being to lose weight as the number one priority, but very shortly after my first few (real) runs that changed to feeling good as number one and losing weight as number two. I experienced such powerful feelings of well-being after my first few runs I realized that improving my health and feeling good was a much more important goal. The weight would come off as I continued running and fine-tuned my eating habits. Lately I have also developed additional goals; these are more specific and include working on heart rate, form, distance and speed. The next part of the diary is basically a log; two logs more precisely, one of all my running and related adventures and the other of literally every piece of food I put in my mouth and the calories associated. Just recently on USA Today it was stated that research showed that people who keep a food diary (or log) are twice as likely to lose weight than folks who don’t. The running part of the log keeps track of my routes, distances and time. This allows me to see real progress, track my pace and even make plans for what I will do the next week. I have also found it important to regularly up-date my goals. My running log shows my increases in mileage and other stats and now that I have completed some goals I can work on new items. In addition, since I have been closely county calories in order to lose weight I may need to adjust my caloric intake in order to accommodate my increased workouts, this is important so I don’t burn out during a run and cause myself injury. In my next installment, Sweat the Small Stuff, I’ll talk about how I am counting calories (or not) and other issues associated with staying healthy during my training.
RUNNING LOG- week six July 7 – 13, 2008 Monday I decided to go a bit less distance than the day before. The previous day I had gone a bit over 3 miles and for me that was the was the longest I had ever run during one session, I knew that going a bit less distance today would be important so I could work on improving my pace. I had also been concentrating on improving my heart rate. On much shorter runs in my first weeks I had a rate from 158 – 160, too high. By backing off today I was able to keep my heart rate at 140, a decent zone for me. This means my body is working more aerobically, which means I am burning FAT and not carbohydrates. I went to this link Target Heart Rate (http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/heartrate.htm#) to find my maximum and target heart rates. Distance 2.8 miles/ pace 12:30/ Calorie intake 1707 Tuesday The club run was today at Thames Track. Today we were to do 3x 800 run/400 walk. It felt extra hot to me, but I also noted I was feeling more tired, just kind of out-of-sorts. As instructed by Becky we ran our first 800 pretty easy, but I ran most of it with Sybil, chatting a bit and not paying attention. I logged my best time in the first lap (10:11). I was amazed at how running with someone can make a difference. It was probably also too fast as my second lap alone was slow and miserable and I had to concentrate very hard to improve my last lap. Run distance 1.5 miles/ pace 10:11, 12:10, 11:40/ walk 1.7 miles/ Calorie intake 1573 Wednesday rest day. Resistance band work out- (upper body) bicep curls 3x20 reps, overhead press 3x20, chest press 3x20, rear delt row 3x20. Crunches, 4x30 reps. Walked one mile with dogs. Calorie intake1628 Thursday I have new shoes! They came yesterday and I was able to walk a mile, they are soooo cushy. I slept poorly last night and didn’t think I would do well today, but it was a very good day, my feet and legs felt fine (so far) in my new shoes and I had good energy. Distance 3.54 miles/ pace11:21, walk 1 mile Friday Decided today that I would try and run where ever the wind blew, so to speak. I have been running pretty much the same route for a few weeks and wondered what would happen if I just ran for about 40 minutes and see where I ended up. It was great fun and I was able to find some hills to get a more variety in the terrain. My new shoes are still doing great; I am having little or no knee pain. Run distance 3.25 miles/ pace 12.36, walk 1.4 miles, calorie intake 1789 Saturday rest day. Yea right. I got my kayak out, first time in a while (had a wrist injury healing, and other various excuses), got to Black Creek Lake before sunrise- How nice to watch the sun come up on the water! Paddled about 3.65 miles and did some turning and rolling practice. Forgot my nose plugs, had to limit the rolling. About a 1 hr workout. Calorie intake 1678. Sunday decided to again mix it up with my route, did a little of my "Kemper Park Route" and the reverse of the new "Sort of Hilly Route" I did on Friday. I found that this route is actually hillier from this direction, no matter though it was challenging. I had a hard time getting my grove, I felt strong, but slow. I knew I was working hard and figured that was all that mattered. In the end there was a reason I was a little tired, I had one of my best times in a while! Run distance 3.55 miles/ 11.16 pace/ walk 1 mile/ calorie intake- fried turkey and homemade ice cream at the Pacer’s meeting, who cares about calories! Total miles run this week 14.64! A Beginners Ramblings: PART THREE By Jennifer Torres Sweat the Small Stuff Did you know that one garlic clove has 4 calories in it and that a whole small (6oz) skinless chicken breast has approximately 160 calories? But did you know that one cup of chopped pecans has 753 calories!? The plan is simple, if you take in less calories than you burn you will lose weight. I’m not going to pretend I know enough about this to give dieting advice, but what I did was find my calories needed; at active.com (http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/calories.htm) you can find a calculator that tells you based, on age, height, weight and daily activity level what your daily caloric needs are in order to maintain your current weight. From there I subtracted calories I wanted to lose. This site, http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/ is one place I found all the different foods I love, and was able to make up a list of my frequent foods and what the calories for different portions would be. I record all this information daily in my food dairy. I put "calorie calculator" into Google and got many versions of the ones listed above, sometimes the information I got was very different. In some cases the information I got back from the web said I would need to drop my calories to nearly 1200 a day to lose weight. Yea, if I want to be anorexic! Or maybe pass out running on a hot day. So I based my plan on an average of the different information I was getting but mostly on what I know about my own body. I have in the past experienced what I call "starvation mode", when my body is loosing or being denied too many calories and basically shuts down its metabolism to conserve energy. It sounds weird, but sometimes you have to eat in order to lose weight. Eat healthy that is. For me it is easy to slip into this starvation mode, always has been, so extreme calorie cutting will not work and I have to take a slower mode using exercise as a key factor. This is where knowing my own body comes in and paying attention to what it is telling me. Easy said, easy done, but boring! I have decided I would keep my food diary for as long as I could stand it, it’s not very fun to do, but it is enlightening. When you really start reading box labels it is an eye opening experience. Luckily I already eat whole grains, and lots of veggies and fruits. In some cases "good" food has more calories than the bad version. Like white rice versus brown rice and same for breads. I also know that the little stuff matters. I have a dressing that says it is calorie free, well, this is really only possible if you are putting air on your salad. The fine print explains that if you put on more than the recommended two tablespoons you will start adding "significant" calories. Really? I would never have guessed. Who ever thought air could taste so good. RUNNING LOG 7/14 – 7/20 Monday I had a lot of energy today (probably from last night’s fried turkey and all the good food at the Pacers meeting) so I decided I would repeat yesterdays route and see if I could improve my time. I did and although the small hills gave me a good workout I still felt good in the end. I could feel my legs all day and knew I had gotten a good work out. Run distance 3.55 miles/11:11 pace/ 1 mile walk/ calorie intake 1466 Tuesday training at Thames track- I was surprised I felt so good today. Today we were doing 400 x 6 (walk 200 in between), Becky asked us to work on speed. I didn’t record all my laps, forgot to set my timer for one, left it on after another, etc… but I did get three recorded; lap two was 2.44 minutes, lap five was 2.31 and lap 6 was 2.22 that’s a pace of 9.31. Wow, I have never gone that fast, of course it was only 400 meters. I did a .5 mile CD at a jog and an additional mile of walking before and after. I am trying to integrate a jogging cool down and eliminate some of the walking. Run distance 1.9 miles/ walk 1.9 miles Wednesday Rest day. Paddled around Black Creek Lake, 4.72 miles, and lots of rolling practice, smooth as glass water and not so many fishermen. About a 1.25 hr work out. Thursday Back to my Kemper Park route, for the most part, it seemed to take a bit for my legs to get into gear, not surprising since it’s only 6am and I only get out of bed maybe 40 min before I start running. Adding a slow jog to my work out just a few minutes worth, before the "run", same with a cool down at the end. Run distance 3.52 miles/ pace 11:21/ walk & cd jog, 1.5 miles. Friday this was a much harder day for some reason, probably because I had worked pretty hard the day prior and also the humidity, even at 6 am it was tremendous. I also found myself a bit bored with the route so I just kind of winged it, running around the neighborhood. I have also been having tension in my shins after my runs. Doesn’t bother me when I run, only when I am relaxing on the couch in the evening, I have been icing them pretty regular. Run distance 3.39 miles/ pace 11:47/ walk & cd jog, 1.25 miles/ calorie intake 1891. Saturday today really needs to be total rest day. I had put my kayak on the truck and had my gear ready for a 6 am drive-out but my wrist had been achy even after having a brace on it all Friday. I did not see a reason to push my limit. Also I just felt kind of tired all around. Consequently my only real exercise all day was a mile ride down to the bike shop for some repairs. I ended up spending most of the day on the couch reading and boy did my legs ache, mostly the shin thing I had been dealing with but other areas as well. It was almost as if my body was rebelling because it was forced to be sedentary. Icing and mild stretching helped and I realized I probably needed to do it more and not be so stuck on the couch the next time. I have also decided I need to get my bike out and get a proper fitting. I need to round out my training with other sports. Monday I will have my bike and am looking forward to getting on the trail. Bike ride 1 mile/ calorie intake 1617 Sunday I was worried about how my legs would feel today and was mildly surprised (as I always am) that once I got warmed up things were fine. I wanted to concentrate on purposely working some hills into my workout. I did a 1.5 mile loop twice around my neighborhood. Three quarters of the loop is a steady uphill, the rest goes downhill but this is shorter steeper section. I took the longer uphill part as my challenge, trying to keep my pace on that section and laying off and catching my breath on the steeper downhill. Although my overall pace was slower for the time I ran, I challenged that hill twice and did well. I was also able to incorporate a bit longer of CD jog at the end. Just two months ago the idea of jogging after running as a cool down seemed hilarious now it seems almost natural. Run distance 3.19/ pace 12:18/ .5 mile CD jog/ calorie intake Total weekly run 15.5 miles/ several miles walked / 4.72 miles paddled |
A Beginners Ramblings: part four by Jennifer Torres Run the Tangents but Never Cut the Corners As I reflect back on the past 6 weeks of the Pacer’s 5K Training Program I am most impressed with the quality of the people I have met. These are super folks who are devoted to running and support the running community; old and young, experienced and not. I will not gloss over the reality that the training has been hard, very hard. But, (and I am sure this is because of the support I have received) I have never once felt like quitting. I may follow a different plan than most of the other beginners, but I follow a plan, and I follow it every day of every week. I have great days and big setbacks and maybe sometimes I get a little over eager and do too much. (Usually the next day my legs hurt and I have to take it easy…live and learn.) My goals are to feel good about myself, lose weight and run a marathon sometime in 2010, or sooner. I am already feeling good, started losing weight and I think, on my way to some day completing a marathon. In one of the books I have read, I think it’s in Frank Shorter’s Running for Peak Performance, there is a comment about when running a race it’s best to run the tangents (especially since that’s what all the other runners will be doing!) what I have learned is that in addition it’s important to never cut any corners, especially in relation to training. The minute I stop paying attention and stop following through on my training plan, rest days, nutrition, stretching, and a host of other things, it comes back to bite me in the bum. It was Becky Ryder who said that, "running must become your lifestyle, it’s not just something you do on your day off". I have heard Sheryl say this too and other folks as well. There are lots of good role models in the Pacers, and I am trying to be a sponge to soak it all in. I think it is actually really becoming an integral part of my life, I think about it all the time. I just spent two busy days in Birmingham on business and when I got home I could not wait until the morning for my run. I carefully laid out my running cloths; got my shoes all lined up and made sure the iPod was charged. Yikes! And I was doing this even without thinking about it! Surprisingly the two days off did wonders for my body; I felt super great on my Friday morning run. At one point on the run I was listening to Luciano Pavarotti’s "Turandot, Act III, Nessun dorma!" and at the apex of the song the rising sun burst through the trees as if scripted by the great master himself; I could not have had a better day. I love running. RUNNING LOG 7/21 – 7/27 Monday I want to up my distance a bit this week. I will try and not be concerned with time, just be relaxed and go a bit further. A few cricks needed to be worked out then I felt strong and pretty steady. Run distance 3.85 miles/ 11:59 pace/ .75 mile CD jog & walk. Tuesday Morning bike ride (to try out some new gear) and Thames track session- Hot, hot, hot, I was also more tired from my bike ride than anticipated. It was a real struggle today… we did 6x400 run with 200 walk in between, one goal I had was to try and not walk as much, but to jog in between laps, managed to do that on the first couple of laps only, I run so slow already, it’s hard to get slower. I had to walk the others. But I did a 1.5 lap CD jog at the end. I did not have any super fast laps like the one I had last week, but I also did not have any super slow ones, my goal was to run faster than my usual pace but to be more even for the whole session and that I did. Run 2.1 miles/ avg. pace for all laps 10:03/ walk .75 miles/ bike14.48 miles, avg. speed 12.26 mph (slow!) Wednesday Business in Birmingham- my lower legs were driving me crazy on the three hour ride, achy and sore. Thursday Business in Birmingham Friday Still on my quest to increase my distance at a comfortable pace, the two days off were great for me and the run was very nice! Did have to ice the shins later, they are sore especially the right one. Run distance 4.26 miles/ 11:50 pace/ walk .75 miles Saturday off from running- bike the trace- it’s very nice on the trace at 6AM! Biking 22.69 miles/ avg. speed 12.98 mpg (did get to 20 mph for a while) still slow but getting better. Sunday since I worked hard yesterday and the day before today was a perfect day to go short and easy with my run. It was interesting that even though I had this in mind I still ended up with a very good pace (for me). No problems with my shins, they felt good today. Run 2.64/ 11:09 pace/ .75 CD run- walk. Totals Run 12.85/ bike 37.17 |
A Beginners Ramblings: part five by Jennifer Torres Spilling the Beans When I first started running I didn’t tell a soul. Perhaps that’s because I didn’t believe it myself, I certainly wasn’t going to tell anyone else. I wasn’t much concerned with my colleagues at work, (their opinion doesn’t mean much on these matters), but my family, now that was another issue. On a scale of one to ten, my family rates an 11 on the support level. There are always words of encouragement, support and wisdom lobbied your way when you start up a new project, it’s always been that way. But for me, this new journey into running (and also biking) was such a stretch I decided not to speak a word of it until I knew, without any question, that running was now a permanent part of my life. I guess that time has come; I spilled the beans to my two brothers over the past couple of days. I had confided in my Mom a little earlier (just too hard to keep things from her) and she spilled the beans to Dad, but the big hurdle was my brothers. One brother, Gene, I would call a runner who also cycles and my other brother, Willie, a cyclist who also runs. Between them they have some impressive stats; running marathons, half marathons and putting outrageous mileage on their bikes. It’s been kind of funny the last few weeks, me trying to plug them for info without letting on about my recent adventures. I guess we all have our inspirations, you here folks talk about some famous time-trialer or long distance guru, for me it’s my brothers. It’s not just their stats but also the life situations that they have and are overcoming to be the best that they can be. For me my admittance of my own program to them has made my running all the more real. I feel liberated and excited to know that maybe some day I’ll do that marathon or century ride with my family behind me all the way (well… probably somewhere in front of me, to be more accurate.) RUNNING LOG 7/28 to 8/3 Monday I felt I needed a little more rest at the beginning of this week. I was also thinking about the fact that school starts in two weeks and my Tuesday and Thursday courses start at eight in the morning. (Okay for me but the students hate it.) This will force me to change up my schedule a bit. I decided to start making a slow transition to moving around my resting and working days. Workout- resistance band, chest press 3 x20, rear dt row 3x20, bicep curl 3x20. Also crunches 6x30 and back crunches 3x15. Tuesday Bike the Trace in the AM, track run with club in the evening. Again working on speed at different intervals at the track, my main goal was to do no walking in between speed laps. I managed only one last week. This time I did the whole set without stopping once! I even did extra laps for a CD at the end. I did 4 x 200, 2 x 300, 1 x 400, all with 200 jogs in between and extra at the end. On one of my 300’s I managed a pace of 9:50 and on one of the 200’s a pace of 8:43, holy cow I never did that before! (Well it was for only 200 meters…) Run distance 2.48 miles, 1.25 mile CD, walk .5 mile warm up/ bike 22.21 miles, average speed 13.42 mph. Wednesday I worked real hard last night and just needed not to run today. Workout- resistance band, chest press 3 x20, rear dt row 3x20, bicep curl 3x20. Also crunches 6x30 and back crunches 3x15. Thursday Today the plan was to get back up into the four mile range, since I hit that benchmark last week now I need to repeat that several times and work some on my pace before going further. Run 4.17 miles/ pace 11:48/ .75 mile CD Friday Today the plan was to run on the Trace for the first time ever. This is hard for me because it is so straight, I like the turning and varied terrain of the neighborhood and Kemper Park, but the Trace offers an easy way to gauge improving pace and distance and also some races are set on the trace and I want to get more familiar. I did fairly well, but slower than I would like. I hit a mental wall shortly after the turn around, never had this before. In the neighborhood I run a loop so there is no visible half way point. This day I had to really work through the mental aspect to keep going, especially when concentrating on my breathing. Run 4 mi/ pace 11.52/ .5 mi CD Saturday Bike day, my goal for today was to go all the way to Sumrall. I had never been past the Eply station before. An additional goal was to work on my cadence. I want to keep my cadence up over 80 for as long as possible, or for most of the ride (I actually was closer to 90 most of the time). It’s better for my knees and works my heart in a better way. Once I warmed up (it took several miles) I rode for a bit in a good cadence I then did three sets of sprints to get my cadence to at least 115- 120 range, for me this was going pretty fast, or at least the legs were fast- I did get up to 21.06 MPG at one point on a slight incline, for me that is good. Bike 30.1 miles/ avg speed 13.8 mpg (this includes the warm up period) Sunday Today I needed a slow easy day with low mileage. I have been reading about taking "rest" days and turning them into "active recovery" days, so I wanted to try it. It was fun, still a good work out and good for the head as I was running for the pure joy of if. It’s amazing that just two months ago I struggled with anything over 2 miles and now I can do an easy two miles, albeit slow, and still feel good. The other thing I have been working on is getting myself used to running without my iPod. It’s amazing how much better I can concentrate on my breathing when I can actually hear it. I will still need it for longer runs where I struggle and can use the music to help my concentration, but for short runs, it’s kind of nice without it. Run 2.77 mi/ pace 13:01/ .75 CD jog and walk Totals Run 13.42/ bike 52.31 |
A Beginners Ramblings: part six by Jennifer Torres Learned Lessons This past week was our first "fun run" with the club. Trek the Trace is a two mile, predict-your-time run that we will do every Tuesday for the next few weeks. This is in preparation for the Labor Your Legs, 5K race on Labor Day. I really was not sure what to make of the event, besides being a time to hang out with some new friends and do a little running. When the run started I did well at keeping my pace and managed to run the whole time and ended up with my best pace for a run (outside of speed workouts at the track). However, during the run I was burning up, it seemed to take everything I had to keep going at the end; the finish line seemed so far away. I was so relieved to be done. But gosh, it was only two miles! I had already progressed to four miles at least three times before this run and was shocked at how crappy I felt during this little event. Looking back I can see my first mistake of the day was not really preparing early on, I was rushed when I went out the door and hadn’t really eaten anything prior to leaving the house at 6 PM. I also did too hard of a warm up and found myself more spent than intended and also found it to be very hot on the trail. My initial response is to berate myself, but I realize, without doing little runs like this; how would I know any better? It’s not like I have done this before. Many times when running with more experienced people I feel this great lack of self confidence. It’s real easy to compare myself to everyone else who has tons more experience and therefore end up with unrealistic expectations for myself. High expectations are fine, just as along as they are realistic high expectations. As a new runner I learn every day about new stuff that my body will and will not do. Sometimes the "will not do" seems more common, like the two mile race for example. Then sometimes I am completely surprised by what I can do; this past Friday, I ran six miles on the Trace and at a good pace for me. It was hard, but not nearly as hard as that little two miler. Go figure! The most important thing I can take away from this first race is to not underestimate the mental part of running. I was not mentally prepared for last Tuesday and I felt it for sure. I will also make sure I am fueled up and not tired. I will set a higher standard for myself, but one that is attainable and I will run for me; not for anyone but me. After all, in the end I am the only one who will benefit (or not) from my learned lessons. RUNNING LOG 8/04/08 to 8/10/08 Monday Ran around the neighborhood- 1.55 miles/ pace 10:47 Tuesday Trek the Trace, this was harder than expected, but I went into it, hungry, tired and not mentally prepared. Should I be surprised? 3 miles total, 2 mile race done in 21:10 (10:35 pace) Wednesday Was tired from the day before- so I wanted fun and slow and short, didn’t know I could go so slow…but it was fun and I really enjoyed it. 2.52 miles (13:37 pace) Thursday Rest day- went to gym 1:35 hr workout weight room- mostly lats, lower, middle, and upper back, and abs Friday long run day- set out to get on the trace and put in some miles, 4 miles had been my best so far, I felt real good today so I went for 6 miles, it felt good and I felt fine in the end. Carried a water bottle with go-juice and that helped a lot to keep me fueled. Run 6 miles/ pace 12:34/ walk .5 mi Saturday Hood run- wanted to get in a fast and short run, and use the local hill to force myself to keep up pace, started out real slow, but then found my rhythm and really ran the last half. Run 2.53 miles/ avg. pace was 11:21 but did 10:10 the last mile/ .75 mi CD jog Sunday Bike the Trace- 33.23 miles Totals Run 15.6/ bike 33.23 |
A Beginners Ramblings: part seven by Jennifer Torres The Commitment I’ve been doing this (running) for over three months now. Becky says that if you keep with it for six months that you are more likely to continue running for the rest of your life. I guess I am about half way there at this point. Some days it feels as if I have been doing it forever; it’s easy, enjoyable and I feel great. Other days I feel as if I am just doing my first mile ever; it’s hard, I feel crappy and I wonder when I will see progress. I have participated in Trek the Trace two times now and I hate it (love the food and people however). Hate racing all together. Not very fond of the Trace anyway, and running so hard it feels like my head is going to explode doesn’t do much to add any positives. Non-the-less I am registered to run the Oak Grove 5K on August 23 and Labor Your Legs 5K on Labor Day and finally made a commitment to run a half marathon in February 2009 in Tallahassee, FL. I am not exactly sure why I am doing this to myself, but I know that in order to conquer my dislike of racing I need to do it more. In all actuality my meager experience at racing doesn’t really qualify me to pass judgment on it anyway. Having a goal is important and works well in keeping me on track to finish something. As an artist, I work in my studio a great deal, but there is nothing like an exhibition date to make you really get things in motion. So in that light I have found a good 20 week training program for the half and since that doesn’t start until mid-September I have worked up a pre-training training program to help build my base. I picked this training program because it is flexible and long; starting at 4 miles for the weekly long run, it works slowly up to the half marathon distance. Since I have already gotten up to six miles as my long run I think I’ll be well on my way by mid-September. I can’t imagine going anywhere near 13 miles, but then again two weeks ago I never imagined I could do six (and actually feel okay when done)! RUNNING LOG 8/11 to 8/17 Monday Raining hard this morning so I went to the Payne Center at USM, not fond of treadmills so I went to the indoor track and did 3 miles. The first mile (eight laps) was just normal, then I did 4x 200 very fast with 200m slower laps in between the fast laps, than an additional mile in medium mode. I had the track to myself for the most part and I like the cushy surface, not to keen on the sharp corners, seems to wear on my ankles, especially after 24 laps. Run 3 miles, avg. pace for all 3 miles 10:00/ walk 400 Tuesday Trek the Trace, I did better this week, made sure I was fueled up and did a slower warm up. Unfortunately about a quarter of the way into it I got a bad cramp in my right calf, I decided to run it out. I was amazed I did better, it was also much cooler and that helped a great deal. Run 2 miles in 21:03/ .5 mile WU Wednesday Business in Tallahassee (did get to check out some of the route for the half marathon in ‘09) Thursday Business in Tally Friday long run day- set out to get on the Trace and put in some miles, did six miles last week and thought I might only go for four today, but I felt energized today so I went for a full six miles, it felt good and I felt fine in the end, even had something left over to push it out in the end. Carried a water bottle with go-juice and that helped a lot to keep me hydrated. Run 6 miles/ pace 12:08/ walk .5 mi Saturday Walk with dogs 1.7 miles Sunday Local hilly route, just needed a slow easy day with some hard work, but no fast. Run 2.55 miles/ pace 12:18 Total Run 14.05 |
A Beginners Ramblings: part eight by Jennifer Torres I knew this Would Happen Maybe it’s my own weird form of reverse psychology but I had this funny feeling that once I said how I felt about racing that I would make a turnaround and completely love it the next week. So is life… I suppose many factors came into play; I felt good, had no expectations and the weather was great, never mind the superb people of the Pacers. I ran the Oak Grove HS 5K, this was my first 5K race and it was a great experience, I ran a better pace that I have for shorter runs and felt good at the end. It is so energizing to be with all these people who are loving the same thing you are. I think perhaps fate intervened to make sure things went perfect. Well, whatever it was I now have a positive outlook on racing and look forward to doing more. Ginny, I see what turns you on about racing and I thank you for your words encouraging me to keep at it. The Next Step As I have been doing a great deal of reading about training and also bio’s about great runners and other women athletes I realize that one thing that I need to do to help me move better is to drop a bunch of weight. I have already lost some weight and it amazes me how much I can feel this when running. Let’s be honest here, extra weight is not good for you. I have nothing against curves (my genes predispose me to this) but my 5’2" frame does not need to be carrying so much extra weight on it. I know that the more weight I can lose the easier it will be for me to make progress in my speed and distance. For most of my life I was not over 115 lbs, but a failed marriage, quitting smoking and a new career can really throw one a curve ball in the weight management area. This was years ago, so at this point I have no more excuses. My plan is to alter my pre-training training program to include among other things, more time on my bike, this is someplace I can really burn calories and something I love to do. One thing I have learned in life; it’s not worth doing if you don’t absolutely love doing it (expect maybe the dishes and laundry; they’re pretty essential, well, sort of…)
RUNNING LOG 8/18 to 8/24 Monday Run around the neighborhood. Run 2.25 mi/ pace 11:07 Tuesday Trek the Trace, sick this time around, do get points for sleeping on the couch? Wednesday Run on Trace, had been doing 6 mi as my long run so I needed to dial it down just a bit this week, also this is the first week of classes so I was having that "slammed" feeling. Run 4 mi/ pace 11:16/ Walk .75 mi Thursday Classes Friday Bike the Trace, had been on my feet in the shop for 10 hrs the day before and want to stay off my feet to stay fresh for tomorrow’s 5K. Bike 23 mi (easy, 13 avg. mpg, max 20 mph) in 1:43:34 Saturday Oak Grove HS 5K, great day! Felt good, was relaxed and the weather was cool and breezy. Run 5K in 32.04 / 10:19 pace/ .5 WU Sunday raining today- bike on my indoor trainer- 1hr, (about 16 miles) Total Run 9.45mi / bike 39 mi |
