Its All in the Numbers...

I am sitting here less than a week before my half marathon. I only have two 3 miles run before I take a few days off. The Heart of the City Half Marathon is on Saturday and admittedly I am feeling a bit anxious about it. The most I have ever run has been 11 miles. This race is that plus 2.2 miles. Very doable. My main goal is to finish and my secondary goal is to finish under 2 hours. I believe it will be tough but within reach (just went 8.25 miles at an 8:54 pace). I would just need to keep it up for another 4 some miles.

I wonder if I'm ready. Today I had a 5 miler that didn't go as smoothly as I hoped and I am still a little banged up (while I am typing I am icing both shin splints). I am just happy that I kept track of everything with my Garmin. That is what tells me I am ready. I started training on March 7th and at the time of the run next weekend this is what I will have done: (1) Lost nearly 30 lbs (2) Ran 242 miles for a total of 39 hours 30 minutes and burned 45300 calories and (3) Set a 5k PR by over 7 minutes!

If at all I question my ability to run next weekend I need to look at how I prepared and know that I did the best I could have done.

Weekly Weigh In and Others

I had my last session at St. Davids and I decided I would conquer the rock wall that I had been stuck on the last three times. The wall is about 60 ft high and I have been able to go half way up before giving up or falling off. Last night I made it all the way to the top. I wanted to give up half way through but the belay person kept pushing and encouraging and I made it!

I had weigh in today and I was down -1.2 lbs for a total loss of 29.2 so far. Its been a tough week getting back and staying on track after the Milwaukee tailgating trip. Doing better with it though and was surprised by the result!

The shinsplints have picked up a little bit but I am in the middle of my two week taper and will be running easier and lighter until my half marathon next weekend. Thats all for now!

Road Trip to Milwaukee

Well needless to say I didn't do to well sticking to the diet over the last few days. Took a roadtrip to Milwaukee to catch Saturday and Sundays Brewers and Twins game. Twins won the first won 8-2 and lost the second game 6-5. Very good time but it involved grilling and no running. I will have to see what the damage is during weigh in on Friday.

Have another vacation set up now. Will be heading out to Providence, RI from July 2nd-7th and will be staying a block or two from the beach. Am also planning on driving up to Boston for a day to see Jess and take in more of the sites. Looking forward to it!

Finally, had my long run today. Started off poorly (forgetting my Garmin at home) but was able to make the best of it and go 11 miles. Felt pretty good but am slow and am feeling the shin splints quite a bit. The good news is that it is my last long run until my half marathon on June 2nd and my taper has begun! Excited and nervous but am looking forward to a new milestone! That's all for now.

Weekly Weigh In and Update - May 16

Yesterday I had my weekly weigh in and lost another 1.5 lbs. That pushed the total to 26.7 and I hit my 10% total weight loss mark. I am hoping to drop another 25 lbs before the marathon! I am changing the weigh in day to Fridays from now on. I tend to be a little less strict the day after weigh in and on weekends so if I combine them into one then I might be able to stay on track a little easier.

I went 10.5 miles on Sunday and with Mother's Day brunch and 90 degree and sunny I hit a wall. My goal was 12 miles so I fell short of that but either way it was longer than the scheduled run. Had a 4 mile on Tuesday night and a 3 mile Wednesday morning. I tried going without my shin splint wraps and it seems like they are still lingering on.

It will be a tough weekend staying on track this weekend. Planning on tailgating for both the Brewers and Twins games and driving back Sunday night. I have a 3 mile tomorrow morning and a 7 mile early Saturday before we are off on the road. Will check in after I return on Sunday.

Long Stretch & Aches and Pains

I had a 7 mile run today around Ford Parkway and Lake Street in Minneapolis. I was able to go at an 8:55 pace so my times continue to keep improving. Actually had some guy tell me to watch the speed limit as I ran past him which was half amuzing!

Ran 4 miles yesterday, 7 miles today and am not looking forward to my 10 mile run tomorrow evening. I am looking forward to the rest day on Monday because it is very needed. I've picked up a few aches lately that I have been icing and keep an eye on. The shin splints are still there with minimal pain and the outside of my good knee was a little tender today. If tomorrow is rough I might be taking a few days off. Would like to be healthy for the half in the beginning of June.

On a crappy note the vacation to SD has to be rescheduled because I have a worthless Saturday class that day and if I miss another I wouldn't be able to continue in my practicum. Can't wait to be done with school once and for all!

Weekly Weigh In and Update

Had a great 5.25 mile run last night! Ran over the Minnesota River and through Fort Snelling. Felt pretty good today too so hopefully all the icing has helped the shin splints.

I had the weekly weigh in today and managed to loss -5.9 lbs over the week! Its a lot but I had plateaued there for awhile so it helped catch me up! Otherwise everything is on the up and up!

Melpomene 5k (New PR)

Well I just got back from the Melpomene 5k race in St. Paul along River Road and the banks of the Mississippi. This was a men's only race and the weather was fairly cool and cloudy. My goal for the race was to finish in under 26 minutes. I started in the front of the pack for the first quarter mile until I glanced down and realized I was running at a 6:20 pace which I knew I would never keep up with. I passed a drumline band about half a mile in so the music was an interesting addition. I started to get into the rhythem and ran the first mile in 7:50 and my second mile came clocked at 16:00.

I felt good throughout the race and was somewhere in the middle of the pack. When I got near the end I noticed the clock at 24:50. I knew I had my goal beat but went into a dead sprint and finished at the 25:05 mark which ended up being a 7:57 pace! Set a new PR by over 7 minutes and feel pretty good right now (minus the ice on my shins and knees!) The winner managed to run the race in 14:55 which was ohhh......10 minutes faster than me! I saw him after though and he did not look like he was in good shape! Good times and no more races until my half marathon on June 2nd!

Thanks for everyone you came out to support me and cheer me on it was very much appreciated! Its always nice having people there as you cross the finish line!

Its Official!

Signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon this morning so I am officially in! Went 4 miles this morning but felt pretty fatigued for some reason. I am running the Melopomene 5k tomorrow so I will post more after that one! Have a great day everyone!

Last Few Days and Week 8 Weigh In

I put on 18 miles over the last three days and had the most difficult long run day on Monday. Way too many hills which I don't think I was that ready for at this point.... I am feeling fairly injury free anyhow...just a little fatigued so I am taking the next two days to rest :) Lucky me!

I had my week 8 weigh in today and lost 1.3 lbs this week. It should have been more but I think I bombed things this weekend with two different barbecues. I was a little disappointed actually I thought I as doing better this week. Can't change the past and can only move ahead. Total weight loss to date is 19.4 lbs. I have 6 miles of speedwork on Friday and the Melopomene 5k this weekend!