The weekend proved better than the week. I was able to run 12 miles in 2 "sessions" yesterday, with little problems.
Today I did a "race" of 5 miles locally. The packet pick up was at a township building after you took a bus there, so I ended up wearing my shirt through the race. I didn't bring my ipod and it was nice to just take it all in and listen to the crowd, look around at the nice big houses on the Main Line, run slowly and just enjoy it. It was a challenging course with many steep hills. I walked a few times including through 2 water stops and really didn't push myself at all. It was pretty enjoyable just to be running along with people and not trying to race a clock or trying to beat anyone. I liked that! It is a change. A guy pushing a double stroller passed me around mile 3 :) Hah. But as I was running, I thought, WOW. I declined fast. In the past 2 weeks I hit a wall and I really slowed down my pace, if I can run at all! It is all fine and will be worth it in the end, but I felt like I was still able to maintain a pace that was only about a minute slower than my normal pace - for a while - but then BAM! Time to slow down. Maybe the random cramps that have slowed me down will go away but this is doubtful. I will just go with it and be happy to be running whenever I can.
I made my husband take a picture of me so that I could add a picture to my blog. Aren't blogs more fun with pictures? I'm a big dork. The leaves were really pretty driving home!!
Question for hill running: When you are running up a hill, do you run on the balls of your feet or run like you normally run? I read somewhere to lift up your knees and look to the top of the hill. I think that I run on the balls of my feet but don't sprint hills for sure - I did when I started out, and it takes too much energy away and is hard to recover. What are your hill strategies?
week 23 - Monday elliptical, yoga and lifting, Tuesday - run 8 miles, Wednesday - swim 1700, yoga, Thursday- elliptical, walking 3 miles, Friday - swim 2000, run 4 miles broken up, Saturday 12 miles split up, Sunday 5 mile race. Total - yoga 1:45, run/walk 32 miles, swim 3700 yards, cross train 45 min
I still cant even tell your pregnant! :) When i run hills, i run on the balls of my feet and 'dig' into the hill, leaning forward a bit. But its been a few months since i've done hills. I should work on that. Great race! You look so refreshed in that pic! :)
ReplyDeleteI think you've got the right idea by giving up your watch while running during pregnancy. I've found, at times when I'm not as fit and fast as I want to be, that training without a watch has been my savior! :) Totally allows me to enjoy the journey so much more.
ReplyDeleteAnd about the hills... I pretty much always slow down as I'm climbing a hill and then accelerate over the top and onto the down. I use this strategy b/c most of my training/racing is long and I feel it's better (for me) to keep a more steady HR than to have too many surges. Surges have a way of zapping an athlete when repeated over time.
Lastly, wait til you see your feet at the very end of pregnancy... holy sh*t. Can you say 'cankles'? UGH.
Your Milky Way comment made me smile! Glad to hear you were able to enjoy the race for all it has to offer. I think we can get so caught up in finishing and time that we don't always see everything.
ReplyDeleteAs for hills, I don't really know what I do. Guess, I really never thought about it. I do try to keep the same pace. I'll have to let you know when I do a hill workout this week.
Great picture! Blogs are more fun with them.
Great pic. I agree, blogs are more fun with pics. You are looking good, N-slice.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have read, hill running requires shorter strides. You need to concentrate on staying upright too.
Check out this article:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-264-12863-0,00.html
You look cute! You still don't look pregnant!
ReplyDeleteAs far as hills go? I never pay attention to how my feet go?! I just try and pretend that someone is pushing me up the dang thing HAHA
the dreaded arch pain! i got arch supports for some of my regular shoes and it totally helped. that, and the foot massages. glad running is still fun, even though it's slower. it is kind of a nice break, one we'd never allow ourselves otherwise!
ReplyDeleteNice job with the runs. I feel for you on the arch pain. I have horrible issues with my arches. I just broke down and bought a pair of $120 softwalk shoes to wear to work, they are actually pretty cute and not orthopedic looking. I hope they help me.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you're prego yo... I think someone must have told that one guy. And I'm glad to hear the Dr. gave you an ok on running the marathon... great news.
ReplyDeleteI generally will run on the balls of my feet when I get to hills. I'll do shorter more choppy steaps, keeping my head down and more or less attack them.
you are so cute :) so glad you had fun at the race and really got to enjoy it!
ReplyDeletei think i run on the balls of my feet also, pump my arms harder and shorten my stride.
My hill strategies consist of staying far far away from them! LOL! There really isn't much for hills around here, but I have hear that you are to take smaller steps, probably more at the balls of your feet region.
ReplyDeleteNice pic... and great job on the race!
I try to run up hills on the balls of my feet but sometimes i get tired and just go back to regular steps. I usually aim to look about 10-15 feet ahead of me - not at the top of the hill and not straight down!
ReplyDeleteUm... Considering I've run all 5 of my marathons in San Francisco, you'd think I'd have some good hill advice but ... I don't! I let my body do it's own thing when I go up the hills and see how far I go! Maybe I need to film myself running up hills!
ReplyDeleteBtw, that is a totally cute pic of you!!! And yes, more pics = more fun. :-)
I agree- you totally don't look pregnant! Great job on the race too. About hills, I run on the balls of my feet 99% of the time anyway (and have the giant calves to prove it), but especially on hills. I imagine I'm running up steps.
ReplyDeleteYou look adorable! And yes, blogs are more fun with pics. As you can see by the 5498752 million on mine! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear you had a better week running and are enjoying just taking in the runs and not worrying about times. The next few months are the perfect opportunity for you to just "enjoy" running. After you pop out that kid, you'll be back to "racing" and be stronger than ever! Think of how childbirth will prepare you for endurance and pain! Hahah!!!
As for hill, I too run on the balls of my feet, shorten my stride, lift my knees and pump my arms. I recently read an article where they said to stare at the top of the hill and imagine it twice as far away. I have been doing that and it's actually been working!
More pics for sure! As far as foot pain goes, you can call me a sympathetic fellow sufferer! I plantar fasciitis is a real pain, and now I must take some time off to let it properly heal. Hope your feet feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that the running is going better for you than last week. It's nice sometimes not to worry about the clock, but just to enjoy and be grateful that you're moving.
ReplyDeleteAbout the hill running, if it's a long, gradual hill, I just slow down a bit and try to conserve energy, but if it's a short, steep hill, I find myself using the balls of my feet, which totally strains my calves. I also try to use my arms a lot more to "push" myself forward, and I usually lean a bit forward, too.
Overall, it looks like your weekly workout totals are great. And yes, pictures are totally more fun! = )
That's a cute picture! That's great to hear you could enjoy the race and are appreciating that you are still running in some way. I bet that even if you're slowing down you're still maintaining fitness, so you'll bounce back for Boston pretty easily!
ReplyDeleteI think being on your feet all day is responsible for the foot pain!
ReplyDeleteBy the end of my pregnancy, people would be like, I can't believe you can run 5 miles" or whatever... but the truth is, that was easy... but I just could not manage being on my feet for several hours at a time. Much harder.
Had to get a chair for me to keep in our empty condo while remodeling just because I couldn't stand all day.