Sedona Marathon Training – Week 3 Recap

November 5, 2013 / racingthestates / 2 Comments

Welcome back! I am happy to report that things are still going well! Actually last week was pretty fantastic in all aspects of life.

Sedona Marathon Training – Week 3:

Monday: 4 miles due, 4 miles complete! This run actually felt really good! It was misty, cold and cloudy here in Denver, but perfect for running! It was just an easy run, so I took it easy, but I felt like I could have gone for way longer or faster! It was great! My run was followed by work and then I had great company for drinks and a little haunted house adventure!

Tuesday: Rest day. I flip flopped Tuesday and Wednesday to get a little extra rest! Tuesday was also a day to celebrate because we started a new semi-private personal training program (in addition to bootcamps) at my work and it went off very successfully!

Wednesday: 1 hr fartlek ladder. 10 min warm up then starting with 1 min “on” (at a faster pace, or race pace), 1 min off, 2 min on, 1 off, 3 on, 1 off, so on and so forth to 5 min on. Then I repeated a 5 min “on” segment and went back down the ladder. 10 min cool down. I didn’t care about distance at the time, but while writing this post, I mapped it out due to curiosity and it came to over 7 miles!

Thursday: Supposed to be some kind of tempo run but I did a trail run for an hour and a half, about 5-6 miles. I ran a new trail loop that I’ve never done before. I met up with a running buddy and we started on one trail that I’m familiar with but at a cross roads, went a different direction that I’ve never gone. Due to the hills, the trail itself, and the ridiculously strong wind, my run became really challenging! I was trying to avoid “speed work” but due to the elements, I think I was force fed the speed work.

The run was a after a fun trip to a local news studio to promote my work, Camp Missfits! That’s right, I’m FAMOUS now!!! Just kidding. But I was on TV. Every fall, the local news does a “Colorado’s Best” segment that features and promotes local businesses. My boss and Camp MissFits has been featured for the last 5 to 6 years, focusing on our signature Pumpkin Bootcamp annual event. My boss and I with three camp members dressed up in our rock star outfits, brought our pumpkins and exercised on live tv!! Check it out HERE! (I’m the one with the pink highlighted wig).

This year’s halloween costume

Then of course, after my run, I participated in as much halloween related things as I could think of. I carved some wonderful pumpkins, handed out a little bit of candy to trick-or-treaters, got dressed in my halloween costume then hit the town!

Friday: Rest Day. ALLLLLL DAY! I completely checked myself out of work mode for my three day weekend and I’m pretty sure I was supposed to run, but I slept in reallllllyyyyy late and laid in bed. It was much needed and I don’t regret a moment of my laziness. I also had to clean up my house because we were expecting our local ghost hunters (not from the TV show) to investigate our house….

Yes, that’s serious!

Don’t ask questions.

Saturday: Back to double digits! 10 Mile Run…. the weather was soooo nice I ran in SHORTS! That’s right: SHORTS! My 10 miles went well with no problems, pains or anything. I feel like I’ve regained my milage fitness really fast. I followed it up with game night and deliciously cooked food with great company.

Sunday: Rest day, football watching and drinks with some friends.

See, what did I tell ya’? It was a great week!

Week 3 Total Milage: 26+ miles!

Sedona Marathon Training – Week 2 Recap

October 29, 2013 / racingthestates / 2 Comments

My weeks just keep getting crazier and crazier! I thought with a career change my life was supposed to be LESS stressful.

That is not the case right now!

Anyway.

Let’s talk about running!

Sedona Marathon Training – Week 2:

Monday: 4 miles easy due, 4 miles easy complete. It was a lovely fall day and a lovely run.

Tuesday: I was supposed to do 4 x 800 but it ended up being 2 x 800. I started my workout. Ran my first 800 (a small 2 block loop I mapped out around my house – the neighbors probably think I’m crazy), then added some abs and pushups up in the mix, kinda cross fit style. I ran my second 800 (in the opposite direction) and followed up with my exercises. As soon as I started my 3rd loop, I felt super nauseous and turned about after the first block. No idea what was wrong. So, I went back inside, ate and felt better. Who knows!

Wednesday: Rest Day!

Thursday: I was supposed to do a tempo run with a 2 mile warm up, 2 mile temp, and 2 mile cool down. Just like last week, I keep running out of time on Thursdays and had a marketing event I had to go to. I only got in a quick 3 mile run. At least it was something.

Friday: 4 miles easy. 4 miles done. I actually had a running “buddy” on this one and we ran in Wash Park in Denver. If you’re in CO you’re probably familiar with the area. I, however, live under a rock, and had never been there. It’s a very lovely park with a two mile loop around. Lots of young runners and walkers enjoying the sunset.

Me as Joan Jet!

Yes, this is me too…

Saturday: Rest day! This was actually a very fun day! The bootcamp I coach (Camp MissFits), has a big annual event called the Pumpkin Bootcamp! It’s a fundraiser to raise money for the Arapahoe Community College Fitness Center, which is where our bootcamps are held. It’s a fun event where our members, staff of the college and the community all come for a workout with exercises that all involve using pumpkins…..as if they are medicines balls! I was in charge of the lower body exercises. The theme was rockstars and I dressed up as Joan Jet! After working out with my pumpkin, I went home to rest and changed in my zombie costume for a halloween party! It was a blast!

Sunday: RACE DAY! I actually did a race, the Halloween Hustle, a 5K down in littleton, CO. Expect to see a post this week on my recap! It was a great race!

Week 2 total miles: 15.1 miles

Other than that, work has been keeping me SUPER busy! I barely have had time to breathe/think!

I did want to share something fun/exciting/motivational for me that happened over the weekend. During the Pumpkin Bootcamp, a lot of the attendees were our Camp MissFit Members and their family. One woman, who isn’t much older than myself, I feel pretty close to. We get along very well and have the same hyper, talkative personalities. She brought her husband to Pumpkin Bootcamp. When she came up to me introduced her husband, she introduced me as her “running coach.” Over the few months that she’s been a member, I have given her running plans, tips and advice. A huge smile came over my face when she gave me that title! I really want to be a running coach in general and plan on getting my RRCA cert, but even without it and my current personal training and running knowledge, I’ve been able to help a client and that’s when I knew I picked the right career. 🙂

Your turn: Tell me about something that someone has said to you recently that has just brightened your day! Additional, are you in the fitness industry? Did you have a moment that made you realized you did indeed pick the right career??

Tuesday Newsday 10/30

October 30, 2012 / racingthestates / 12 Comments

So, I don’t know how to explain this….I feel like a complete idiot. And frankly, I don’t even want to put this in my blog, but I have to.

Here it goes: I’ve been behind in marathon training by about 3 weeks. I have no idea how it happened, it just did. I must’ve counted wrong way back in the beginning when I picked my starting day and never checked it. I just assumed I counted right, and went on my merry way. I think I must’ve been counting only 16 weeks back instead of for the 18 week training program I selected.

Don’t make fun of me TOO much.

SO, here, I thought I was on week 10, but as I was looking at the calendar I noticed that November starts this week, which at first I was like, WOW only a month away from my marathon…..

…But then I started realizing…if I was only a month away, I should be doing my 20 miler soon….and that’s not right, I just did a 15 miler a couple weeks ago…..

Sure enough, I counted, re-counted, and triple counted about 500 times and I started out horribly wrong.

In actualality, I am SUPPOSED to be on week 13 of my training. UGH.

Am I allowed to blame this oversight on my level of stress from work, the GRE and life???

So, needless to say, I was feeling pretty down…and I was contemplating giving up. Here’s where I need all of YOUR help! Has anyone else done this, or am I the only silly one? What would you guys do? Give up? Aim for another marathon?? I really want to do this one…but I’m scared I physically wont be able to.

This is where I’m at running wise last week, based on where I thought I was:

Monday: Rest day. I did rest; this day was leftover-feeling-sick day anyway.

Tuesday: 4 miles. Complete.

Wednesday: 7 miles – not compete..12 hour shift at work

Thursday: 4 miles – not complete…12 hour shift at work..AGAIN. And I don’t run at night, by myself. My neighbor isn’t the best for alone running at night…. Hint, hint: I need a running buddy.

Friday: Rest day, but I did 4 miles. Yes, I ran actually.

Saturday: rest day.

Sunday: Was SUPPOSED to be a 17-miler…but when I got home, and put on all my running stuff, I was checking my calendar and that’s when the realization hit me that I was completely behind. So, It crossed my mind that maybe I should just do the 19 miler that I was due for if I had counted right. But by the time I figured out what was going on, I ran out of daylight, and frankly, I don’t want to right in the dark, by myself. I’m scared to. So, I ran 4 miles instead.

Feeling pretty defeated and down about it all, I ended up getting Monday off from work as well (mostly to study) but I decided to challenge myself and see how far I could run.

That brings us to yesterday: Monday, I ran 16.5 miles (I walked the remaining half mile back home, so technically I did 17 miles, if you want to count that) but I hurt my foot pretty bad. AHHH! I literally was crying part of the way home. The top of my right foot was killing me! I’m so worried that it might be a stress fracture….so I took some anti-inflammatories, and iced it, hoping for the best. So, now, on top of being behind on my training schedule, my foot was hurting.

I woke up today, not as sore as I thought I would be from the actual run, and my foot doesn’t hurt to walk on at all…but then again, yesterday it didn’t either…only when I was physically running.

Here’s my idea about training, assuming my foot is un-injured: Pick up from where I’m supposed to be..if I started correctly. That means this weekend I would attempt a 19 miler, then the 20 miler the following week, and then taper….

So…HELP! Give me some motivation…or advise…what would you guys do??? Should I just continue training from where I’m supposed to be??

Lastly, the GRE is tomorrow…and I’m extremely nervous for it…but afterwards….I’ll be dressing up like this again: