Back on the Rhode

I ran 20 miles on the nose this week.

And 65 miles in November. And 27 miles in October.

Dare I say I am back?

I still don't have a specific training plan or target race, but I am starting to think about races again. My ankle, while still not 100%, is getting better. No more just tolerating not getting worse. Actually getting better. There is a different feeling when you are healing. Almost like the injured part is letting you know it's there. But it definitely isn't pain, more like a slight discomfort or itchy feel. That's where I am.

My paces are well within my normal range, if not faster. Some runs bring me back to the peak of Shamrock training where I was easily running fast paces and building confidence in my mind and body. Today's run was a perfect example. I had a couple of sub-8 miles in the middle of my run. I didn't even know I ran that fast until I looked at my Garmin data at home. That did not happen when I was training for Boston about a year ago. I really struggled to maintain my normal pace. So what's different? I think I eased back into running more slowly. I don't have the pressure of a non-refundable race that I need to train for. I learned more about my body.

November Mileage Summary

I have not done one of these in a long time.

Mileage Total: 4.5
Average Distance: .9 mile
Average Speed: 9:05/6.6 mph

Yep, you read that right. I ran a grand total of 4.5 miles in November. 2 miles total in about a week (.5, .5 and 1 mile), then 2.5 miles the following week. I was going to try .5 mile a few times, then increase by .25 mile if everything felt OK. Well, I accidentally jumped from .5 to 1 mile and everything felt OK.

I have lost a lot of endurance. That first time I ran .5 mile at a 9:00 pace was hard. Sure, I tried to keep my cardio up by biking. And then I got discouraged, tried to see if total rest would help, and did more strength training. I am essentially starting from a base of zero (nowhere close to my usual 20-25 miles a week), but I haven't lost my running knowledge. I am going to need it if I am going to make it to the finish line in Boston.

June Mileage Summary

Total Miles: 92.3 miles
Total Runs: 16
Average Distance per run: 5.77 miles
Average Speed/Pace: 6.9 mph/ 8:42 pace
Races: none
Highlights: took a short running break, survived a nasty cold, ran some base miles, and started training for Marine Corps
Up for next month: surviving the DC summer

First month under 100 miles in a loooong time. That's OK. It'll be a while before that happens again.

2012 halfway update: 828 miles. I am pretty sure that is a record.

May Mileage Summary

Posting this now because Thursday is almost always a rest day and I am done running for this month.

Total Miles: 125.4
Total Runs: 21
Average Distance per run: 6 miles
Average Speed/Pace: 7.1 mph/8:27 pace
Races: none
Highlights: just maintenance running
Up for next month: A rest for a few days or more (maybe) and the beginning of Marine Corps Marathon training. Oorah!

April Mileage Summary

Total Miles: 112.5
Total Runs: 17
Average Distance per run: 6.6 miles
Average Speed/Pace: 7.1 mph/8:27 pace
Races: 1 marathon, 1 5K
Highlights: Running the Gansett Marathon. PRing at Gansett after massively PRing 4 weeks earlier at Shamrock. Also PRed at the 5K on a decently challenging course. I made like my Bondi Band and ran like an animal.

April was a relatively lower mileage month and a little bit slower than usual. I needed it after running back-to-back marathons.

March Mileage Summary

Total Miles: 148.8
Total Runs: 20
Average Distance per run: 7.4 miles
Average Speed/Pace: 7.3 mph/8:13 pace
Races: 1 marathon
Highlights: BQing/GQing/21 minute PR at the Shamrock Marathon

Spell it with me: B-E-A-S-T

Gansett, you saw what I did at Shamrock. You better start running now ;-)

So about that Gansett Marathon course being flat

It is. Sort of.

I scratched my head looking at the Gansett course map and elevation chart. It looks like there is a hill in the beginning of the marathon and then another one later on. Because the course loops around twice, you get to run both hills twice. Joy of joys. The Blessing of the Fleet 10 mile race runs on part of the Gansett course. I ran the Blessing several times. I don't remember hills.

That's because the hill in the beginning isn't a hill. It is a long gentle incline for about 3/4 mile. One of the nice things about my job (wah, last day was Monday) was that I worked close to Narragansett. I popped down after work last week, parked at Narragansett Town Beach (I miss this crescent-shaped beach so very much), and ran about the first 2 miles of the Gansett course. The start is at the curved part above the r in Pier at the top of the map.



R2's elevation data backed me up. It is not as bad as the graph makes it out to be. Check the scale. The "hill" is an elevation gain of about 60 feet over 3/4 mile. I could see and feel the long gentle incline. It wasn't that bad, though. I turned around at mile 2.4 at the blue spike and ran back to just before where I started. Also, I don't know why it looks like I went below sea level at the very beginning. That is not possible. I promise you I did not jump in the water and go for a swim ;-)



Side note: I actually used a similar example in my stats class to illustrate what happens when you change the scale of your graph. I took the official elevation chart and my Garmin data from RnR Providence. I made the course look flat and then made it look hilly. All I did was change the scale.

If that's a "hill," the rest of the course is pretty darn flat. Good stuff.

In related Gansett news, I dug up my emails from volunteering last year. I saw the race from the other side and was impressed. Can I just say how amazingly organized the race director is? His level of detail for volunteers (maps, specific instructions, times to expect runners, etc) is incredible. Then there was a spectator guide to match. Holy organization, Batman. Big race or small race, I have never ever seen anything like this. Super impressed yet again.

Sunday Thoughts O' Random

Dear Nike+,
We need to talk. It's not you, it's me. Wait, that's wrong. It's not me, it IS you. You are just not meeting my needs anymore. I am not happy about it. I work hard. Why do you not work hard? Oh, I guess I can see you on the side on the treadmill once in a while. But you better be on better behavior.
No love,
(mostly) former Nike+ user

Dear Garmin Connect,
Wow! I just discovered weekly and monthly summaries. How did I not know those were there before? It was nice to confirm that I actually have been getting faster over the last few weeks and months. My inner data diva is pleased.
Best,
me

February Mileage Summary

Total Miles: 176.4
Total Runs: 21
Average Distance per Run: 8.4 miles
Average Speed/Pace: 7.2 mph / 8:20 pace

This is another highest mileage month ever, even with 2 fewer days than January. Shamrock Marathon, you better start running because I am coming after you.

January Mileage Summary

Total Miles: 172.4
Total Runs: 21
Average Distance per Run: 8.21 miles
Average Speed/Pace: 7.1 mph / 8:27 pace

Goodbye, highest mileage month of all time. Hello, hungry little marathon monster that lives in my stomach.

December and Year-End Stats

December Running Summary
Total runs: 22
Total miles: 147.3
Average miles per run: 6.7 miles
Average speed/pace: 7.3 mph / 8:13 per mile

2011 Summary
Total miles: 1378.8
That's an average of 3.77 miles every day.

Thanks, 2011, you have been a good running year. Let's run on into 2012.

Running Thoughts O'Random x 4000

I ran my 4000th mile since I started keeping track in January 2008 in my run yesterday. No wonder it was a good run.

I didn't realize I had hit 4000 miles right away because most of my runs are logged in Nike+. Anything since the beginning of June is logged in Garmin Connect. One of my tasks (whenever I have free time ... good luck with that) is to consolidate everything into Garmin Connect.

One of the reasons I like running is that I just really like data. Distance, pace, time, calories. It's all good. Reports for specific time periods? Made of win.

Speaking of Nike+, Nike is sending me a free Nike+ sensor because I reached the black level (5000K or about 3100 miles). I don't use Nike+ much anymore, but I have family members who do. Free is good.

And one more thing. My husband just registered for the Shamrock Half Marathon. Yay! Oh, we won't race or train together because the races start at different times and we run at different paces (I am considerably faster), but that's good that he has a goal to work towards. 100 days to go.

November Running Summary

Last post for NaBloPoMo. Woo! I made it. I am not sure I am ever going to attempt to post every day for a month again. It is very much like a marathon. See, it all relates to running.

Anywho. Here are November's running stats. Half rebuilding my mileage and half marathon training. Pace is right where I want it to be. Good stuff.

Total Miles: 108.2
Total Runs: 21
Average Pace: 7.1 mph/8:27 per mile
Average Distance: 5.15 miles

I am on track to cap out around 1350 miles for the year, my highest yearly mileage ever. That's about 350 miles more than last year, even with several injuries and 5 weeks total with no running after marathons. So far in 2011, I ran ~1230 miles. I'm already well over last year's total, and there's still a full month left to go.

That is a lot of miles out on the Rhode.

October Mileage

I got sidetracked by traveling and coming off of my running hiatus. Oops.

I'm participating in NaBloPoMo in an attempt to blog every day for the month of November. Blogging for blogging's sake. Right. We'll see if I can actually make it. Look for some extra random entries coming up soon. Or an excuse for me to finish all those draft posts and get them out the door.

Anyway. Back to running. The numbers don't look all that great, but the month went reasonably well. I pretty much didn't run for 3 weeks, which was something I planned to do. For 9 runs, I'll take it. I set a marathon PR and ran a marathon and half marathon a week apart. My legs stayed on speaking terms with me. I still have all my toenails (for now at least). Those are victories in my book.

Running Stats for October

Total miles: 65
Total Runs: 9
Total Races: 3 (1 marathon, 1 half marathon, 1 5K)
Total Race Miles: 42.4
Average speed: 6.5 mph/9:14 per mile
Average distance per run: 7.21 miles

Marathon Training Week 17

My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 4, 5, and 4 miles, rest, 3 mile run, and 8 mile long run. Huh, look at that. A regular running week.

I started phasing out some of my strength training, especially my legs. I can see that my quad muscles are stronger. I am really hoping that I will avoid the massive quad muscle failure that happened in both of my marathons. Or at least this time I know that yes, it hurts, but yes, it's just part of the game and I can push through it. I am still going to yoga once a week. That's not going to change.

Sunday – yoga class, plus lunges (2 sets instead of 3 as usual).

Monday – 4.2 mile run, plus abs and lower back exercises. Nice easy pace. Humid. Hey, weather, it's about time to drop the humidity. Thanks.

Tuesday – 5.2 mile run, plus upper body exercises (3 sets as usual) and squats (2 sets instead of 3 as usual). Kept the pace pretty easy. Reeeeallly not feeling the humidity, though. Where are those crisp fall days? Did my strength training on Tuesday because I had more flexibility with my schedule. I kinda like teaching one class, going home, exercising, doing work, and then going back to teach my second class.

Wednesday – 4.4 mile run in the PM, then planks and pushups when I got home.

Thursday – Rest day.

Friday – 8.2 mile run. Last long run on the books. I switched the 8 mile long run and 3 mile run because I was running a 5K on Saturday. Started the run in the dark and finished when it was light out. I got to see the sun rise for the first time in a long time. I had a ridiculous amount of reflective stuff. My shoes, pants, arm sleeves, Fuelbelt, headband, and vest all had reflective strips. Ran negative splits without realizing it.

Saturday - Local 5K that I ran, not raced. I thought of it as doing a training run with a bunch of other people with a T-shirt and refreshments thrown in. And yet I ran it in 23:29. I was not pushing the pace. Seriously? Something must be working. I was the 4th female overall and 1st in my age category. I also got a special prize for being the first female faculty member (the race was sponsored by one of the universities I work for). Not too shabby. I learned that the pack will go out too fast and that I am not competing against anyone other than me. It is also important to note that the pace felt easy and yet I knew it was faster than I wanted to run. This is helpful info to realize going into Chicago.

Total Miles: Scheduled – 24 Actual – 25.1

September Mileage: Scheduled - 151 Actual - 148.8

Marathon Training Week 13

My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 5, 8, and 5 miles, rest, 5 mile pace run, and 20 mile long run. Another high mileage week and the first of two 20 mile runs. Bring it, marathon. 35 days to go!!

Darkness in the morning? I am not a fan. It used to be light when I got out of bed. Right now I am lucky if the sun has risen before I head outside. Bah. I have gear for running in the dark, but that doesn't mean I want to start using it yet. I'm going to switch to the treadmill or running in the evenings soon. Or I could take advantage of my flexible work schedule and go in a little later than usual.

Sunday – Tropical Storm Irene. Power got knocked out in the morning. Went for a 3ish mile walk after the storm subsided, and did some calf raises and pushups.

Monday – 8.2 mile run, plus lunges, abs, and lower back at the gym, plus 3/4 mile walk home. I switched the 8 mile run with one of the 5 milers because the power was still out and I decided to stay home to start cleaning up. Hence I had more time. It's actually a good thing to have a day off from work during a high mileage week. Despite no power at the gym either, the gym was open. Plenty of people were there.The only equipment that wasn't working were the treadmills. Can I count sawing up a large tree branch and cleaning up the yard as exercise? I think so. The power came back on just before lunchtime. Yay.

Tuesday – 5.2 mile run. It was supposed to be my first day of class, but the campus was having power issues. So I went to my other job at my other campus, which did have power (at least my building did).

Wednesday – 5.2 mile run in the evening, plus upper body exercises, squats, and planks in the morning. I was all dressed and ready to head out on my run. Rhody G refused to turn on. The instruction manual didn't have instructions on how to reset it. I had power but no Internet and couldn't get online to figure out how to reset it. So I grabbed my iPod, water bottle, and lifting gloves and headed to the gym. Reset Rhody G when I went to work. Went for the run in the evening. I really need to remember that I cannot eat anything orange before I run. That means Goldfish crackers, oranges, carrots, and other orange stuff.

Thursday – Rest day. First day of class take 2.

Friday – 5.2 mile pace run. Nailed it with relatively little effort. Another day bringing a taste of fall.

Saturday – 20.2 mile long run. Ran the first 13 miles with running buddies at various paces, then went off on my own for the last 7 miles and dropped it down to marathon goal pace. Finished in about 3 hours. I broke out the iPod for the last 7 miles. As much as I like running without music, I definitely needed it to get through this run. Legs felt a little sore at the end but were otherwise OK. I took a walk break at mile 19 because I was running out of water and getting too hot. No, I do not feel bad about that. Overall it was a good run.

Total Miles: Scheduled – 43 Actual – 44

August total: 166 miles, 20 runs, average distance of 7.56 miles, average speed of 7 mph (8:34 pace). Thanks, Garmin!

Marathon Training Week 8

My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 4, 7, and 4 miles, rest, 7 mile run, and 15 mile long run. Not including the week of the marathon, this is my 5th highest mileage week of this training cycle.

Sunday - yoga class, plus calf raises.

Monday - 4.2 mile run in pleasantly cool temperatures, plus lunges, abs, lower back, and pushups. I was feeling kinda sluggish, so I decided to just run and not pay too much attention to pace. At first, I thought it was because I didn't get enough sleep. But then I realized that I only drank half the amount coffee that I usually drink. Coffee grinds in coffee do not make for good coffee. Less sleep or less caffeine? I don't really know. However, I ran pretty consistent splits until I kicked it in the last .2 mile. Also, when did my comfortable easy not-paying-attention-to-pace pace get to where it is???

Tuesday - 7.4 mile run along the water in Narragansett. I didn't get home til way past my bedtime on Monday night, so I forewent my usual morning run in favor of getting enough sleep. I can't remember the last time I ran in the evening. It went OK. The change of scenery was nice. I really miss living near Narragansett.

Wednesday - 4.2 mile run. Another evening run because I decided enough sleep > running. Ran after work, cooled down, drove 45 minutes, and stopped at the gym to do some upper body exercises, squats, and planks. After all that, my arms were jelly. And so ends my brief return to evening workouts. Morning workouts are better for a whole host of reasons. The weather is cooler. It is easier to cross streets because fewer people are out. The gym is less crowded. I am more motivated, less tired, and can concentrate better.

Thursday - Rest day. And my wedding anniversary :-)

Friday - 7.1 mile run. Not too hot but very humid. Nice and easy. I'm getting the hang of the clip-on Fuelbelt bottle, but it's still annoying and difficult to manage. Also, wine the night before slows me down the next day. It could have been the humidity, or the wine, or both. I can't control the humidity, but I can control what I choose to drink. I think it was a smart move to limit alcohol to Saturdays during this training cycle.

Saturday - 15.2 mile run. Still alone. Still with no music. Early before it got too hot. It was sweaty but surprisingly pleasant. I chatted with some other runners who I ran with for a few minutes. I came across a just-opened and just-cleaned bathroom in a park (soap! running water!) at mile 9. I would like to thank the gentleman on a bike who congratulated me on my pace. Great way to help me kick in the last mile. I tested out running with Gatorade. It was fine, but I think I'll stick to mostly water.

Total Miles: Scheduled - 37, Actual - 38.1

Since I won't be running tomorrow, my July mileage total is done. 154 miles. That is my first month over 150 miles and my highest monthly mileage ever.

Fun with Rhody G

I have really been enjoying my Garmin Forerunner. Especially the maps. This is a partial map of my run on Saturday. One of my favorite runs crosses two bridges.

Look! The red line is where I ran. I don't need a bridge. I can run over water!



What you can't see from the road map is that I was on a pedestrian bridge next to a highway. The bridge is not a road, so it doesn't show up on the map. Silly Garmin. Darn. I thought I had super human powers.

Here's the map again with a road/aerial hybrid view. The pedestrian bridge shows up now, although it looks like I still didn't run on it.



Maybe I do have super human powers ;-)

My new toy

I've used Nike+ for nearly 3 and a half years to track my runs. It was the best Christmas present of 2007. I was sold after using it twice. It was reasonably accurate out of the box. It gave me extra motivation and accountability. I ran with my iPod anyway. It had a slick website with a mini me. The more I ran, the more active the mini me was. I can go back and look at all of my runs since January 2008.

As much as I have gotten tremendous value out of Nike+, I just got a Garmin 305. Reasonably accurate wasn't cutting it anymore. I calibrated my Nike+ sensor recently, which improved the accuracy a lot. There was a very small margin of error (2%) between Nike+ and Garmin distances when I took both devices out on the same run. But I think I have outgrown Nike+. The Garmin is better for where I want to go with my training/running. Accuracy aside, the Garmin provides so much more data. Such as mile splits, elevation, maps, and more info on pace. The display is bigger and can be customized to show the data I want. My not-so-secret inner data diva is pleased.

Oh, I will not completely abandon Nike+. I alternate between the treadmill and outside, so I will still use it on the treadmill. Although Garmin's website is more useful, Nike+'s website is more fun. There is a way to add Garmin runs to the Nike+ website (not automatic but fairly easy to export the Garmin run, convert it with a website, and upload it to Nike+), plus my running history is on Nike+. And so I will continue to track my runs on Nike+.

A Wee Bit about Running On the Rhode

I'm one of those lifelong runners, although I didn't really enjoy it until the last few years.  Ran track from 3rd to 8th grade, then cross country in high school, then took a break in college, then moved to Rhode Island and got back into running while I was in graduate school. Ran a 10 mile race in the summer of 2005 and got very very badly dehydrated. Started running a bunch of shorter local races. Took a running hiatus for no real reason. Got married. Returned to running and ran my first half marathon in 2008. Ran a half marathon every time I reached a graduate school milestone. Finished my Ph.D. Ran my first and second marathons in 2011. And here I am today.

Running paralleled the end of graduate school. Set goals. Work hard. Try again if you don't get it right the first time. Persist in the face of adversity. Celebrate when you meet your goals. One of my favorite sayings is that everything I need to know about life, I learned from running.

I am likely to talk about:
running - Training, tips, observations, race reports ... it's all fair game.
marathons - ran my first 2 this year and have one more lined up for 2011
Rhode Island - I grew up elsewhere and will be moving soon, but for now I am a transplanted Rhode Islander.  Rhode Island is a small strange place.
psychology/statistics - By training I am a quantitative social psychologist. I spend my days looking at data and telling people what numbers mean.
random thoughts - whatever else I can think of.