My husband is in his glory. He’s like a little boy with a Tonka truck in a sandbox. Not only does he plow OUR driveway which is almost a half a mile long, he plows ALL the neighbors and then even goes down the highway to find MORE people who need plowing. Yes, this is very “Good Samaritan” of him but truly they are doing HIM the favor by letting him “play” in their driveways! Too funny!
To the random...
I have been giving some thought to the way I run lately. I’m still a bit of a work in progress here as I’ve only really "trained" for 2 races (both of them marathons) and I’m still trying to figure out what is the best approach for me. I know I have some areas I definitely need to work on. For example, my easy runs….I am getting a little better but they are not done at entirely EASY pace. I have the HARDEST time running a slower easy pace (pace is relative obviously, but for MY fitness level). I’m not saying it’s easy to run faster, I’m saying I just keep naturally speeding up and often times finish my run more tired than I should be on an easy day. This in turn, makes me drag on speed days and I have a hard time getting my pace where it should be. This type of running has suited me OK for running marathons since during training I run many many miles at MP in the course of a week. It doesn’t however help me much for shorter distance since I can rarely pull off many miles at what should be my 5K or 10K pace especially when I get into higher weekly mileage. Ramble ramble…. My next race will be either a 10 mile or a half marathon in March (depending on what weekend works out for hockey). I would like to improve at both those distances so I need to make some changes here...
I’m not done. Still thinking! I don’t think I know how to lay it all on the table when it comes to racing yet. I think I’m a little too conservative sometimes and too afraid of failing. I ran an untapered 10 mile race during the peak of my training, about one month out from Boston. My pace was 7:18. I was definitely tired and I ran pretty hard. I often think about this race. (When you are on crutches you THINK yourself silly….Unfortunately, I didn’t get much smarter) Anyway, I don’t think I could have expected to run much faster since I was rarely running many consecutive miles at that pace and I was going on no rest. On the other hand, I ran 20 miles the next day for my long run. This confuses me. Time aside, if I really gave it everything, I feel like I should have felt WAY too crappy to run 20 miles the next day. Then again, maybe my legs can handle the miles but they just can’t go any faster…. I’m neurotic-can you tell? My first 2 half marathons I ran without a watch. I’m pretty sure I was more tired in the second one than I’ve ever been in ANY race. My time was slower than what I would currently run but my effort level was near puking. I can’t get there anymore…. My husband says I’m married to my Garmin and maybe it slows me down. I wonder if I’m just lacking mental toughness...
Why did I just buy 3 new different pairs of shoes when I really just love my Brooks Launch. I’m like a marketer’s dream. Give me some fancy new colors and designs and I will buy your product…..Forget the fact that I now have a blister on my left foot and my arch hurts...
I got all these sport jellybeans at a race expo. I could never take them during a race-way too much chewing and I am uncoordinated and can’t run and chew at the same time! Anyway, my daughter took them and is eating them during hockey games. She skates very hard and gets a lot of ice time. I’m wondering if that’s a good idea or not...
I have to include this picture because I have NEVER laughed so hard in my WHOLE life as when my nephew, Leif, looked at this. He is 3. The picture is of my niece in her swimsuit carrying a potato between her legs during a family yard race at our family reunion. He looks at it and says “Why is his wiener hangin’ out?” BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
I have NO pain in my hip. Nothing-not even a twinge after a speed workout or during a long run. Unfortunately, my stupid arch hurts...
We are going to pick names off the giving tree on Friday. My kids LOVE this. They each pick a kid (underpriveleged) about the same age as themselves and shop for a gift for them. I love seeing how excited they are to do something nice for others and how much thought they put into finding what they believe is the “perfect” gift .
Babble much?!! Hmmmmm -I just put hours into organizing these posts! Happy Tuesday! Off to read and comment!!
30 comments:
OMG I totally thought that was a ball sac. Hilarious.
lol love all the ramble!! hope you get some clearer weather soon so you dont have to be bff with the TM.
Hence forth, I shall refer to your husband as "Mr. Plow."
LOVE THE PICTURE!!! We are all a little neurotic...I am married to my garmin too:) I am SO happy that you have NO pain in your hip, yipee. I love that you analyze your running...it make me think more about my own and how I can get better. You are one speedy woman and I think that if you ran 20 miles after that fast ten-miler you could have even gone faster, I LOVE it. I can't believe your weather. How many days has school been canceled. At least the hubby loves it.
Thank you for the comment earlier today....it was my favorite and it was way too nice, Billy must be paying you a lot!
ha ha!!! that picture made me laugh!! I needed that today!!
You said that you tend to think yourself silly on crutches -- I thought that I was losing my mind. For that is exactly what I am doing.
When you figure out how to run slower on easy days, please share how. I just love long tempo runs.
The pic says a 1,000 words. Wow.
i'm pretty sure that i obsess over all the nuances of running in a similar way...maybe not two watches and two pace bands... but similar. especially about the garmin. i feel like i only know how to train for the marathon. if i had a "goal" half marathon or any other distance, i would completely be at a loss of what to do. i also have no idea how to pace or plan for other distances....its all such a mystery.
the coleslaw recipe is at http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/lime-peanut-coleslaw-recipe.html
and it is sooo yummy!
Oh My Goodness. Your nephew and I share the same level of thinking!! Hahahha!
Do you have to be on crutches to reach that level of neurosis? I am not on crutches and I totally over think running all the time.
Sorry about your arch. :/ Is it the new shoes? Glad to hear about the hip, though!!
My guess is that you have some super speedy stuff in you and all you have to do is go to the road or the track and start busting out repeats of what feels "hard as can be" to you (when you are SURE about the hip). Don't guage your pace while running - just check after each repeat. Maybe try it with some mile repeats first, as they could be used to (sort-of) indicate potential. Four would give you some warm-up/practice and a good workout, leave you possibly a little sore (if you give it 90-100%) and give you atleast one good mile to check against McMillan. Ahhhhhhh....that's my thought anyway ;)
BLAH!!!!
One long comment deserves another. And...I don't think you were asking for advice, so SORRY!! lol
Oh..and because I didn't write a long enough comment earlier..
Your husband and my husband sound similar :) Boys and their toys!
The only plan I have ever followed was for the marathon (when I discovered speedwork)- We are alike.
OMG, I thought the same thing when I saw the little photo on my blog dashboard, bahahaha!
im glad you posted an explanation of the picture because I would have seriously thought someones nut was hanging out.
our conditions sound very similar. schools actually just closed not too long ago. were supposed to have a foot of snow tonight.
Definitely sounds lik eyou should forget short distances and just go long. 50K with me in May? Ice Age Trail 50K in Wisconsin, so just a quick drive for you. :)
I get what you say about going easy on easy days. I used to have the hardest time with that, but I think I got the hang of it now. For me, I must go without a garmin (Garmin vanity here, don't want anything slow on my watch). During my slow runs I keep my cadence high but my stride short. This guarantees a slow pace. Also, my legs are tired after a hard workout. For ex., yesterday I did a 9 mile workout with a 4 mile time trial (all out). My legs were a little tight today and my 6 miles were sloooow. I also don't listen to fast music during my slow runs, but listen to podcasts.
I think it is hard to tell whether you are more of a marathoner than a short distance gal, because, like you said, you tend to have one gear (MP). The only way to find out is to run really hard during your key workouts. My philosophy is that my training should be harder than racing. I often get to the puking threashold in training, particularly on the track. I think if you pushed really hard during the key workouts, it would be easier to run slower during easy days. How is this for rambling? You know my opinion, I think you are one stud runner and I think you can do well at all distances. Sub 3 marathon will be yours in the near future, I have no doubt about that.
AHHHHAHAHAHAHA! That picture is fantastic. WAY too funny.
I'm so sorry about the horrible weather... The weather here has been garbage too- but we haven't had to plow the driveway (yet. but who needs to, really...)
I long for summer, to run in shorts, to sweat (not from shoveling) and to need to chug gatorade in order not to die.
I love your blog. I do not want to live in your state. Or eat Hot dish.
I love random! Umm, regarding the picture...I was like, what and the hell is that? Is that what I think it is? :) Good to know it was not! Ha ha!
Take care Jenn!
Very funny picture! I could NEVER show this to my third graders as they would all go home and tell their parents I was showing pics of "private Parts"
The picture is hillarious! I hope the arch feels better - stick with the shoes that work!
Exactly Julie.... "what the hell is exactly what I said!"
I firmly believe you MUST learn to run easy. Hard days & easy days are the keys to achieving your best. I use my Garmin more on the slow days than the fast days to make sure I'm running slow enough. Without the Garmin and monitoring I would run too fast on the slow days. A good and wise friend once told me the following, and I believe it to be true for most of us. "most people run too easy on the hard days and too hard on the easy days."
I am totally neurotic about my training and love analyzing EVERYTHING about it. Oh, if you think you need mental training - get Running Within by Jerry Lynch - awesome book with good tips.
You are awesome and you have so much figured out already.
your poor niece! lol. there are definitely some guys who go out in snowstorms to help pull other people around. i think it's pretty cool of them, and your hubs! as for the running advice... i have no idea. i am always up and down about my own.....
That picture is hilarious!! I think my husband would be the same way!
Just wanted to come back and say how ridiculous it was for me to advise you on running! Silly me...
Anyhow, I bet you'll blow your next race out of the water!
Training is a hard thing to do. I still don't have it figured out really and I'm going on my 4th marathon.
That pic is great. My eyes went to it before reading the caption about and I thought "WTF!". Then I had to read the caption and figured it all out. Great post!
I was fooled by the photo too. What do I need to do to get invited to one of your family reunions?
I choked on my toast when I saw that picture! Oh goodness.
I don't see why having sport beans would be a bad thing if she's seeing a lot of ice time. If she wasn't, I would think that the activity wouldn't be enough to justify needing that kind of refueling.
As for training, maybe you need to focus harder on the easy runs. I know it's boring and heinous, but maybe do a couple "easy runs" on the treadmill with the speed set slower than you'd usually go. It'll kind of force you to take it easier.
My mother is the same way about plowing our driveway at home. She LOVES it--it's like watching a small child play sometimes!!
I REALLY wish you were going to be in Boston this year too! really, REALLY! - But I don't think the town could handle the two of us at once. Ha ha!
Nathan actually said "I got to touch the big BUTT HORNS". I think he meant head-butting, but it was funny how it came out.
Anyway- very excited to see how you do with the speedwork. It's all relatively new to me, since I never did track, or "trained" before Eugene. Eugene training really opened my eyes; but as you know, it was only tempo or intervals alternate weeks. If I do SC this time, I'll do both in the same week. That's the "goal" anyway =D
BTW. Have fun with the giving tree. IT's a fun & meaningful thing. :) And if you ever get out to Oregon, I'll have Jon hook up your hubby with the backhoe- unless that's too ordinary for him. lol
Oh my, I totally looked twice at that picture...hilarious! I loved reading this post. I don't think I've ever really pushed myself to my limits and I often wonder what I'm afraid of. I'm hoping to see what I can do in 2011! yay for no pain at all! Such a good feeling. I asked for a garmin for Christmas...hope I don't get too hooked because right now my "mental garmin" is pretty right on!
You and I are exactly alike! I cannot not do easy or slow days. Mentally, they are hard, and physically, it's hard to slow down. My no means am I speedy, but like you, I start every "easy" run with the intention of going slow, only to find myself zipping through the run. And then, run a good long run the next day. Hmm....let me know what you figure out! I will see if this has been an aide or an hinderance come Sunday! Eeeek!
I think the sport beans are fine, sugar and carbs while skating is probably a good thing!
Love the potato pic!
Have a great weekend!
DANG! Am I glad I snuck over here from Janae's blog to see who she was talking about! That picture made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!! I was scared to take a second look, but of course I had to! A potato?? That looked like a one eyed snake if I ever saw one!! LOL!
I'm going to have to "follow" to see what else comes up!
Nellie
http://midlifecruiser.blogspot.com
(I'm a 36 year old full time RVer and runner...eating my way across the country!)
Maybe running with a potato between your legs would help with pacing? Just a thought ;-)
For what it's worth, what I do whenever I feel I am in a rut of some kind (whether running/exercising, parenting, some other angle of life) is bust the rut... just do something different. If you feel you are too attached to the Garmin, leave it home for a bit... until you no longer feel the PULL to HAVE it!
Hi Jenn...sorry for my lack of comments this week, this blog exchange is comsuming sooo much of my free blogging time - bleh!
I read your blog, ever word. Always makes me smile! I'm thinking you need to go long, like Kovas and I...we could all run together. :)
Sorry short comment, I just popped over to get your blog link. For the gift exchange. Which is consuming my life. Hahah.
xoxo
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