Two Loose Teeth: Lisa: Training, Week 5 (and assorted ruminations)

March 20, 2006

Lisa: Training, Week 5 (and assorted ruminations)

3/16/06

Thursday Sarah and I ran in the evening along the marathon route, starting at La Puente and finishing at the Cotton Bottom. We went five miles, and it honestly didn't feel too bad.

3/17/06

On Friday night, we ran our three miles at Sugarhouse Park, as usual. It was cold, with snow seemingly being driven directly into our eyes. We are seriously so tough.

3/19/06

On Sunday after Jeff's recital, we ran TEN MILES, from the Cotton Bottom all the way to Liberty Park. After the first five miles, I felt great, but the last two miles felt really hard. I definitely hit a wall--the last couple of miles were just a test of will. It took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

I have been feeling a little bit less motivated lately, now that the runs are getting longer and harder and the newness and excitement has sort of worn off. I decided to buy a copy of the book to read on the plane. I figured it might get me more excited about running again, as well as giving me some more helpful info (about stretching, hydration, etc.) now that we are getting into the longer runs. Here's what I've been thinking about:

We need to have a carbohydrate-rich treat after the long runs. A Jamba Juice might be a tasty but relatively guilt-free option.

We need to stretch more (duh)

We need to be drinking Gatorade or a similar replacement drink before, DURING, and after runs over 8 miles. That means I probably need to get one of those belt pack things that will hold a water bottle.

The book talks a lot about positive visualization and self-talk. They suggest playing "videos" in your head of finishing the marathon or the highlights from your best run ever. I think all that stuff is kind of cheesy, but it seems to really work for people and it might be worth trying.

I would like to try changing our running schedule so that the long runs are not on Sunday afternoons. It just seems like the runs are getting long enough that they get in the way of any Sunday night activities. Plus, if we are going to start getting a treat afterward, I would really rather not be buying something on Sundays on a regular basis. Maybe every other week we can go on Saturday mornings (which would mean no running on Fridays in order to give ourselves a rest day before the long run)?

We probably need to pick up the pace a bit. The book suggests doing this naturally by optimizing your running form. Watching a video of a marathon runner might help.

I think we should get some kind of reflecty vests or something to wear when we're running in the dark, to avoid death.

So. Put all of THAT in your back pocket.

Posted by lisa at March 20, 2006 09:26 PM

Comments

Another thing the book said, which I've used a little, is the "Come along with me" thought. Like, when it gets a little tough, think "Hello, eyeball-seeking rain! Come along and run with me!"
It's still annoying to run up that hill or get rain in your eyes, but at least you can feel like you are acknowledging those parts of your run in a positive way.

The author also relates his feelings about the pain in his muscles while training. At first, he was thinking "This hurts because I'm out of shape," but when he got more into the training, his legs still hurt but he told himself "that pain is my muscles getting stronger." I think that's helpful, to remind yourself that the pain in my chest or the sore muscles are my body getting stronger and more efficient.

Amen.

Posted by: sarah on March 27, 2006 03:43 PM

Also, Jamba = tasty.
And I've now had Propel fitness water. The verdict: Has sort of a gross sweet/fake aftertaste, but is pretty good for flavored water... I would probably opt for just plain water, though, as I don't believe it's anywhere near as potent as Gatorade.

Posted by: sarah on March 29, 2006 10:23 AM