This spring, when I thought of summer break, I pictured long stroller runs and maybe a 5k or 10k pr. The lack of school, students, and stress seemed like the perfect gateway to running. Moreover, James really likes the jogging stroller now. He truly enjoys riding with his blankie-bear and a snack while naming the animals he sees along the way and pointing out every runner, biker, and skateboard.
But the reality of summer in the south is this: you have three, maybe four hours in the morning where it's not too hot to exert yourself outside and when the sun won't burn through the sunscreen you so carefully put on. And those four hours become much less since I refuse to set an alarm clock during summer break. We wake up around 7:00, have an easy breakfast, and by 8:00 there are only two hours left at most on an average day. Sometimes we run, but more often we walk (because James will run and walk along with me), go to the playground, or simply garden here at home. My earlier dreams of running with the little man almost every day would sacrifice other activities that he loves. There are also glorious days none of the grown-ups have work, and on these days we hike or go somewhere exciting during those cherished heat-free morning hours.
I have always struggled with fitting in time for running and family. What seems different is that I don't feel guilty right now when I don't get in a run. I've accomplished a lot in the last year: two marathons, two 5k PRs, and mastering the jogging stroller. If I slack a little bit this summer, I know I can get it back. No worries.
Yesterday we ran and it was great. Today we worked in the garden, and that was great, too. We picked blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, chard, spinach, tomatoes, radishes, and beets. Tomorrow? Who knows?
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Running of the Green Race Report!
My parents arrived Friday evening for a quick visit. It was one of those quality-time-with-the-grandson-and-spades-and-wine-for-the-big-people visits, this time with the addition of a 5k for everyone! James was so excited to see Meme and PopPop. After he finally went to bed, unwilling to be serenaded by his grandfather ("move" - "where?" - "out") we settled into the 2011 season of our spades battle. Mom and I started out ahead, but by 11:30 we were somehow slightly behind. Oh well, the game continues until New Year's Eve!
But that late night did not help the race. We had a leisurely morning and got to the race, at the Greensboro Children's Museum, about 15 minutes before the start. This was a small race- two port-a-potties small. Dad, Mom, Jenn, and James started near the back, and I found a place near the front, surrounded by Girls on the Run participants excitedly clutching their water bottles.
The race began with all of the kids running very fast and the adults dodging them as they gleefully sprinted to their inevitable slower pace. The race was small enough that I could see the front "pack". It was a great feeling. At about the half-mile point, my buddy John passed me. This is not surprising because he s very speedy; what was humiliating was the fact that he was pushing not one but THREE children in his double jogger as he yelled, "hey, Margie!" and breezed on by. I would hate him but it is impossible. He's just too dang nice.
I would say that the spades and wine kicked in when I realized that my first mile, at 7:13, was going to be my fastest by a lot. To run under 22 minutes, I needed to average a seven-minute pace. Normally I like to get progressively faster during a run, but the way I was sucking air made me think that maybe that wasn't going to happen. Oh well. The course was lovely and wove through old neighborhoods as well as downtown. I passed a few people, but just as many passed me. I am proud of the fact that I didn't quit or get angry at myself at not making the goal. I spent about a minute on the what ifs and then just enjoyed a fun race through my city.
I finished in 22:39 and ended up winning my age group! My buddy and co-worker Paul also won his age group, so now we both have new shirts, although mine is way cooler.
After the race, there was a puppet parade and free entrance into the Children's Museum. We visited the amazing Edible Schoolyard and James spent a lot of time playing with cars, trucks, dump trucks, trains, airplanes, and pretty much anything with wheels. It was great.
So, I end with some pictures.
But that late night did not help the race. We had a leisurely morning and got to the race, at the Greensboro Children's Museum, about 15 minutes before the start. This was a small race- two port-a-potties small. Dad, Mom, Jenn, and James started near the back, and I found a place near the front, surrounded by Girls on the Run participants excitedly clutching their water bottles.
The race began with all of the kids running very fast and the adults dodging them as they gleefully sprinted to their inevitable slower pace. The race was small enough that I could see the front "pack". It was a great feeling. At about the half-mile point, my buddy John passed me. This is not surprising because he s very speedy; what was humiliating was the fact that he was pushing not one but THREE children in his double jogger as he yelled, "hey, Margie!" and breezed on by. I would hate him but it is impossible. He's just too dang nice.
I would say that the spades and wine kicked in when I realized that my first mile, at 7:13, was going to be my fastest by a lot. To run under 22 minutes, I needed to average a seven-minute pace. Normally I like to get progressively faster during a run, but the way I was sucking air made me think that maybe that wasn't going to happen. Oh well. The course was lovely and wove through old neighborhoods as well as downtown. I passed a few people, but just as many passed me. I am proud of the fact that I didn't quit or get angry at myself at not making the goal. I spent about a minute on the what ifs and then just enjoyed a fun race through my city.
I finished in 22:39 and ended up winning my age group! My buddy and co-worker Paul also won his age group, so now we both have new shirts, although mine is way cooler.
(the camera on the computer put the words backwards,
but there was a mirror effect. So, here I am with my conjoined twin.)
My dad's goal was to run the race, his first in a while and his first since foot surgery, in about 36 minutes. Well, he finished in under 32:00! Amazing. I am so proud. He didn't even look like he was going to die, and I didn't hear him curse at the end. Jenn, my Mom, and James walked the course, and James hopped out at the end to run the finish line. It was so incredibly cute, and he really got it. He's seen me race enough times to know that crossing that line was a big deal. So cool!After the race, there was a puppet parade and free entrance into the Children's Museum. We visited the amazing Edible Schoolyard and James spent a lot of time playing with cars, trucks, dump trucks, trains, airplanes, and pretty much anything with wheels. It was great.
So, I end with some pictures.
I thought I looked at the camera. I really did.
James running into the finish chute.
And done!
How cool is that puppet?
more puppets in the parade
proud Mama
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Ah, the cautious optimism of that last post. I had just had a great running week but knew that one week could not be a trend on its own. The following week I only ran twice, and neither one was during the week! I could blame it on outside forces (Monday- rain, Tuesday- school, Wednesday, church, etc.), but there was time. I know it was there. I am not good at finding it when my pre-planned schedule goes to pot.
Last week was better than zero but still sub-par. I ran Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Monday was speed work, with four speedy quarter-mile repeats. Thursday I ran with the bambino, and Saturday I did five miles in forty minutes, which is very fast for the distance for yours truly. Clearly, when I get into my running shoes and out the door, I run hard and am proud of the effort. But how do I get out of the door?
Take this week, for instance. Yesterday (Monday), I packed my running clothes in a very chic Target bag (as in, the whitish plastic one from the checkout- absolutely nothing fancy or lovely, just reusing) and took them to school. I had a school event at 6:00, but I figured it would be okay to run in between and show up slightly sweaty. It would not be the first time. Instead, I looked out the window at 3:50 as the students were leaving and said, "you know, it looks a little like rain. Better just stay in and grade." This wouldn't be so terribly bad, but instead of grading I played hearts on the computer. Sad.
Today I am home with little man, who has a bit of a fever. He napped for three hours this morning, and I napped for two. I never nap. Hopefully it will give me energy to go to the track tonight. There's rain in the forecast, but I also registered for a 5k this weekend. I may be lazy, but I am also cheap. If I paid money for a running event, I will at least try to put in a good effort.
Last week was better than zero but still sub-par. I ran Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Monday was speed work, with four speedy quarter-mile repeats. Thursday I ran with the bambino, and Saturday I did five miles in forty minutes, which is very fast for the distance for yours truly. Clearly, when I get into my running shoes and out the door, I run hard and am proud of the effort. But how do I get out of the door?
Take this week, for instance. Yesterday (Monday), I packed my running clothes in a very chic Target bag (as in, the whitish plastic one from the checkout- absolutely nothing fancy or lovely, just reusing) and took them to school. I had a school event at 6:00, but I figured it would be okay to run in between and show up slightly sweaty. It would not be the first time. Instead, I looked out the window at 3:50 as the students were leaving and said, "you know, it looks a little like rain. Better just stay in and grade." This wouldn't be so terribly bad, but instead of grading I played hearts on the computer. Sad.
Today I am home with little man, who has a bit of a fever. He napped for three hours this morning, and I napped for two. I never nap. Hopefully it will give me energy to go to the track tonight. There's rain in the forecast, but I also registered for a 5k this weekend. I may be lazy, but I am also cheap. If I paid money for a running event, I will at least try to put in a good effort.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Progress
This has been an amazing week for running. First off, we have gone for three family exercise outings, where Jenn rides her bike ( much faster and independently) while James and I jog. This let's me feel like I am still getting family time while also getting a killer workout. I am not used to pushing a toddler, but it is doable. James and I ran yesterday evening sans Jenn with the local running store group. Very fun, and James got a super bright light to play with. ( maybe I was supposed to return it after the run. oh well, he likes it...)
Pushing a nearly thirty pound baby up hills while trying to run fast is a new challenge. James now does this funny heavy- breathing sound that I assume is an impersonation of how I sound near the top of a hill. It is cute. He also likes going on these runs now, and this is key. He gets a juice, some cereal, and has a great time. He gets to flirt with passers- by who invariably think he is adorable, because he is.
Then this morning I ran long- well, 10 miles. It felt so good to run without the stroller that I averaged 8:12 over ten miles! Good music helped, too. I ended feeling like I could have gone further. Then I ate a lot of food. Yay.
So, that makes 20 miles in six days, over five runs. The nice weather and family exercise time are helping me get more regular, but I will not pat myself on the back until I manage to get two good running weeks in a row. We shall see...
Pushing a nearly thirty pound baby up hills while trying to run fast is a new challenge. James now does this funny heavy- breathing sound that I assume is an impersonation of how I sound near the top of a hill. It is cute. He also likes going on these runs now, and this is key. He gets a juice, some cereal, and has a great time. He gets to flirt with passers- by who invariably think he is adorable, because he is.
Then this morning I ran long- well, 10 miles. It felt so good to run without the stroller that I averaged 8:12 over ten miles! Good music helped, too. I ended feeling like I could have gone further. Then I ate a lot of food. Yay.
So, that makes 20 miles in six days, over five runs. The nice weather and family exercise time are helping me get more regular, but I will not pat myself on the back until I manage to get two good running weeks in a row. We shall see...
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I am a Slacker
I ran Monday, meant to run Tuesday, had a meeting Wednesday, had a visitor to the house Thursday, meant to run Friday but it was raining and I'm a wimp. I did run today, but just 3.5 miles. I want to run more, but life keeps getting in the way. Every week I make plans, but some weeks( well, the majority, actually), I only run about 50% of my planned mileage.
What's confusing lately is the pace for my basic, run-three-or-four-after-school miles is going down. My pace is now between 7:30-7:45 for regular old runs. If I plug my 5k or marathon times into a training pace calculator, it tells me that my easy pace should be around 9:00. So I'm faster than expected for my finish times. What does it mean?
I think it means that if I were to actually build a good base of 25-35 miles per week, I would be a much faster runner. 35 miles sounds enormous to me right now, but in reality that's just 5 miles per day on average. It could look like this:
What's confusing lately is the pace for my basic, run-three-or-four-after-school miles is going down. My pace is now between 7:30-7:45 for regular old runs. If I plug my 5k or marathon times into a training pace calculator, it tells me that my easy pace should be around 9:00. So I'm faster than expected for my finish times. What does it mean?
I think it means that if I were to actually build a good base of 25-35 miles per week, I would be a much faster runner. 35 miles sounds enormous to me right now, but in reality that's just 5 miles per day on average. It could look like this:
- Monday- 5
- Tuesday- 5
- Wednesday- 5
- Thursday- 5
- Friday- rest
- Saturday- 10
- Sunday- rest
...or like this...
- Monday- 5
- Tuesday- 6
- Wednesday- rest
- Thursday- 6
- Friday- 3
- Saturday- 10
- Sunday- 5
... but it would take more time than I'm willing to give, at least during the school year with a twenty-five minute commute. Aiming for 25 miles would be much more doable; it could look like this...
- Monday- 4
- Tuesday- 6
- Wednesday- rest
- Thursday- 6
- Friday- rest
- Saturday- 9
- Sunday- rest
...or like this...
- Monday- 4
- Tuesday- 5
- Wednesday- rest
- Thursday- 5
- Friday- 3
- Saturday- 8
- Sunday- rest
...and wouldn't take much more time than I already devote. The problem is that devotion doesn't necessarily lead to me running as planned. This week, for instance, I planned to run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but it just didn't happen. The plans are fine, but I am not getting it done. I only have five weeks of school left, so maybe I'll make better habits this summer. Fingers crossed...
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Streaking
Not that kind, of course!
As of today, I have run four days straight and six of the last seven days. This probably sounds normal to a lot of runners, but I have a hard time fitting in more than three-four runs per week. My post-marathon goal- well, one of them- is to run more consistently. I'm not pushing for crazy long runs, I just want to get out there more often.
Monday- 3 miles
Tuesday- 2.5 miles in the woods (I forgot my garmin, but it's all good.)
Wednesday- 5 miles
Thursday- 4 miles
Holy cow! That's a lot of running for yours truly. Tomorrow is a rest day. I'll probably do yoga with the bambino; he especially loves to do downward dog and then use his head to balance instead of his arms- I will try to get a picture. Even though baby yoga almost always degrades into jumping on Mama's belly, airplane rides, and push-ups with toddler on the back, it is really fun. Not exactly restful, but the stress does melt away. Saturday I may run ten miles with the local group, but I don't really have a desire to go long yet. We'll see.
On a non-running note, I have been a single parent this week since my better half has been on a field trip. The family will be reunited tomorrow. I am beyond excited.
As of today, I have run four days straight and six of the last seven days. This probably sounds normal to a lot of runners, but I have a hard time fitting in more than three-four runs per week. My post-marathon goal- well, one of them- is to run more consistently. I'm not pushing for crazy long runs, I just want to get out there more often.
Monday- 3 miles
Tuesday- 2.5 miles in the woods (I forgot my garmin, but it's all good.)
Wednesday- 5 miles
Thursday- 4 miles
Holy cow! That's a lot of running for yours truly. Tomorrow is a rest day. I'll probably do yoga with the bambino; he especially loves to do downward dog and then use his head to balance instead of his arms- I will try to get a picture. Even though baby yoga almost always degrades into jumping on Mama's belly, airplane rides, and push-ups with toddler on the back, it is really fun. Not exactly restful, but the stress does melt away. Saturday I may run ten miles with the local group, but I don't really have a desire to go long yet. We'll see.
On a non-running note, I have been a single parent this week since my better half has been on a field trip. The family will be reunited tomorrow. I am beyond excited.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
What Now?
The marathon is done. The (running) goal of the last four months, the thing that I've trained for, worried about, planned, and fretted over is no longer on the horizon. It is finished; 100+ days' work ended in less than four hours. This past week I had no planned workouts. I did lots of yoga, waited to run until Friday, then ran Saturday, too, because I chose to. It felt really good.
It felt really good, but I need to have goals. Sure, I could run just to run, but when I don't make it a priority I find it difficult to carve out the time.
With that in mind, I have five races set between now and October:
April 23- Eggstravaganza 5k
May 21- Running of the Green 5k
June 25- Fun Fourth 10k
July 4- American Mile
October 8- Cannonball 1/2 Marathon
I want to work on speed with the 5k races and the mile, and I've never run a 10k! As long as I finish the June race, I will PR. That's a cool feeling. The April race is more for fun than to set a PR. It's the day before Easter, the prizes are chocolate, and there is a kid's race. It also allows enough time before the May 5k to see if I'm on track to break 22:00.
My goal for April is to run at least four days per week. I know it's possible, but it will take some time management (or a treadmill?).
It felt really good, but I need to have goals. Sure, I could run just to run, but when I don't make it a priority I find it difficult to carve out the time.
With that in mind, I have five races set between now and October:
April 23- Eggstravaganza 5k
May 21- Running of the Green 5k
June 25- Fun Fourth 10k
July 4- American Mile
October 8- Cannonball 1/2 Marathon
I want to work on speed with the 5k races and the mile, and I've never run a 10k! As long as I finish the June race, I will PR. That's a cool feeling. The April race is more for fun than to set a PR. It's the day before Easter, the prizes are chocolate, and there is a kid's race. It also allows enough time before the May 5k to see if I'm on track to break 22:00.
My goal for April is to run at least four days per week. I know it's possible, but it will take some time management (or a treadmill?).
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