Same Time, Same Channel

May 04, 2024

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Location:

Littleton,CO,USA

Member Since:

Aug 04, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

I've run off and on (more off than on) throughout my adult life. Most recently I started running in May of 2007.

5K PR: Colder Bolder in December 2009 in 22:50.

10k PR: Bolder Boulder in May 2009 in 48:06.13.

1/2 Marathon PR: Canyonlands Half-Marathon in March 2010 in 1:43:20.

Marathon PR: Newport (Oregon) Marathon in June 2010 in 3:42:17.

I have completed two full marathons.

Short-Term Running Goals:

Get back to consistent running.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Sub 3:30 marathon.

Personal:

I grew up in Utah, but live in Colorado now.

I am married and am a working mother of four children, ages 9-19.

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00
Nike Lunarracer Lifetime Miles:						284.91
Brooks Adrenaline Trail Lifetime Miles:						574.62
Brooks Green Silence Lifetime Miles:						681.13
Brooks Adrenaline 10 (2) Lifetime Miles:						424.52

Wed, Sep 24, 2008

Slow miles	Fast miles	Total Distance
5.00	0.00	5.00

I got up one minute before my alarm went off. I did the shred level 1 with 5 lb. weights. I figure I'll stick with level 1 this week and then move up to level 2 next week. I've been through all three levels in the past, but then I took over a month off when I had surgery during the summer, so then I started over with level 1.

I got out on my run pretty quickly after I took my son to seminary, so it was still a little dark when I started, but I knew it would be light within 15-20 minutes, so I wore a reflective vest, but not a headlamp. I didn't look at my watch for pace at all, but just ran by feel. At one point, there was an older man, I would guess about 70, running along the same street as me, but on the other side of the road. We were going roughly the same pace and I made sure to at last stay even with him, but then after a short distance he veered off onto a bike path. I tend to run on the main streets rather than on the bike paths. The bike paths are made of concrete, so they don't offer a better surface than sidewalks and I figure the main roads are safer at dark-thirty in the morning than the bike paths, which run through the green belts, are.

I've been thinking about the best way to increase my weekly mileage. I think right now I should focus on increasing my week-day mileage and keep my Saturday long run at 10 miles for now. Last week, my week-day mileage was 4, 3, 5, 3, 4. So far this week it has been 5, 4, 5. I think I'll do 4 each tomorrow and Friday and then try to do all 5s next week. Then I'll take a couple of weeks to move all of the weekdays up to 6. I don't know whether I should stop at 6 miles/day with maybe a little bit longer run one or two days during the week or if I should try to get up to 8 miles every weekday. I don't think I have time in the morning to do 8 miles every day unless I make my husband drive my son to seminary every day and get out on my run earlier. Any suggestions for what my weekday mileage should be are welcome.

Also, I bought the Run Faster book by Brad Hudson yesterday and have started reading it.

Stats for today:

Average pace - 10:44. Splits - 10:58, 10:57, 10:49, 10:32, 10:26.

My pace was more consistent not looking at my watch than it usually is when I look at my watch.

Night Sleep Time: 7.50	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 7.50

Comments

From Snoqualmie on Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 10:44:14

Good thoughts, and good goals. My only suggestion is to wait until your current mileage increase goal is achieved before deciding about how to do the next step. I always feel I have a clearer idea of the what and the how once I've gotten over the last hurdle. You're doing great!

I have one other suggestion, which I offer humbly since this may not match your style or your objectives. If it were me, I would ignore all the data on your splits on designated "easy" days. I still record distance and overall time, but for those easy days to really feel gloriously easy I ignore pace completely. Then I feel like pace really matters on the harder days. It breaks up the week nicely too. Just my 2c. :)

I'm so jealous that you got started on the Hudson book already. Mine is in the mail from Amazon...

From Carolyn on Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 11:47:51

So would you consider getting weekdays up to 6 miles to be my current mileage increase goal that I should focus on before I worry about getting up to 8 miles/day?

I'm open to your suggestion about ignoring splits. But at this point, every day is supposed to be an easy day, I think. I don't mind dropping the splits all together, I'm just wondering at what point I should stop doing easy pace all the time and introduce some harder days.

I have a coworker that I walk a mile or so with every day during the day. There's a bookstore near the office and yesterday we walked to the bookstore and I bought the Hudson book. Today we're going to walk to the library because a book I've requested (it's not running related) is finally available. It's lovely having a bookstore and the library so close to the office and we're not even downtown - we're out in the 'burbs.

Another cool thing about my employer besides that they offer yoga and kickboxing classes: free fruit on Wednesday mornings. Today there are bananas and plums. I had a previous employee who offered free donuts on Wednesday mornings and free soda all the time. The fruit is way better.

From Snoqualmie on Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 13:08:08

Yes, but I would run 6's every other day and 4's or 5's on "easy" days. If that is comfortable, I would go ahead and move to 7/6 respectively right away.

I guess I was saying that I would think over how to accomplish each increase as the current increase is getting comfortable, rather than worry about it in advance. The reason I said this is the fact that my current mileage (non-taper) was unthinkable to me 18 months ago. I knew I wanted it, I just couldn't figure out how to get there. As each increase became comfortable, I seemed to just know what I had to do next to either make more time for running, or fit the miles into my time better. Even now, I look toward 70 mpw (my ultimate goal) with no clue of how I'm going to get there. But somehow I will figure it out. I don't have a big plan; I believe a dozen little plans will come to me. Does that make sense?

This is just a matter of opinion, but I think the same miles every day leads to burn out, even if it's just psychological. When you're doing long/short or hard/easy, you can add some faster pace miles to the longer distances and lookie there: the longer and shorter runs might take up about the same amount of time (ie packing in more miles on speed days).

Even if all your days are "easy" right now, ignoring splits every other day might give you a psychological rest. But if it's more helpful to monitor pace, I don't think it hurts. It was just a thought.

Did your busy day go ok yesterday? I had a horrible day myself. Among other challenges, DD is going through some dental work and it is so difficult to watch her suffer. Not that there is anything major; she is just SO sensitive and anxious (hm, wonder where she got that from? lol) and my philosophy of speaking to children is radically different from every dentist we have tried. This one is probably the best (a kids' dentist) but there is no chance of finding one that will tell her the truth and not talk down to her. Sorry to hijack your blog comments. Just needed to vent to another mom. (Hope you're not a dentist, yikes.)

From Carolyn on Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 13:14:37

Don't worry. I'm not a dentist.

Every day is a busy day for me. We're going to drop the dance class for my daughter to free things up a bit and because she doesn't want to do it.

Snoqualmie, how many kids do you have and what are their ages? I have a boy-16, a boy-14, a boy-11, and a girl-6.

From Snoqualmie on Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 13:17:13

Just the one girl, 11. We got a late start as you can see. That 3 boys and a little girl is the same combination my DH grew up with, him being son #1. It's a wild ride from what I hear!

From Tracy on Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 20:13:55

I agree with the ignoring splits on easy days.

Maybe you're at the point where you can start trying to add some faster miles in. I feel like I'm in a rut when I'm doing the same thing day in, day out. Sometimes you need the variety, even if it's only for sanity.

That doesn't mean you have to go out and run repeats on a track like crazy. Think about doing some fartlek maybe. Or maybe if you're feeling good during a run, just trying to push the pace and sustain it.

I don't know. For me, I always feel that I need to get in some "fast" running (even if it's only fast for me) so I don't get bored.

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