Habanero Hundred Training - Week 3

 

Yesterday's run was brought to you by wind and cloud cover. 

Its actually the only run I did this week although I did manage some strength training. 

Barry was working so I was on my own for crewing this run and instead of getting everything ready ahead of time I pulled a "It'll be fiiiiiiiine" approach and regretted it almost immediately. 

As of right now the boys are still in school so Fridays are my long run days and it works out really well except I'm a slow runner and sometimes I come right up against the deadline of needed to go pick them up. Which is almost what happened yesterday.

I have approached the last couple of runs that way I would Habanero, walk the first half and do running intervals during the second half. The reasoning for this is that HH starts at noon. It starts at noon so you are fresh when you hit the hottest part of the day and as you start getting tired, it starts moving into the evening and cooling down. This is a great plan except that my training long runs have to start at 8am so I can finish before I have to go pick up the boys. Meaning I start when its cool and it gets hotter as I get higher in my mileage.

I decided to do this run backwards and run intervals from miles 1-8 so I could bank time to be able to walk the hottest part of my run and it worked great! I was able to run my tiny little intervals and add a little length to the interval with each mile. I was able to maintain those intervals all the way until the last three miles where I ran out of ice and water. I still felt surprisingly good, not perfect, but really good considering this was my longest run in a really, really long time. 

I will say that miles 11-14 were incredibly difficult. It was hot. I knew that when I ran out of my current ice there was no more. I worried that if I pushed too hard and got woozy there was no one near (that I knew) that could come help me. I was worried that even if I could finish the distance I would be putting myself and my boys at risk when I went to go pick them up from school. If I pushed too hard because I felt good during the run would that hold up and allow me to get home safely?

And then I worried that I was worrying too much and making up ridiculous situations because other than being hot and tired I really was fine. 

Welcome to my brain. 

In the end everything worked out great! I was able to hit an awesome pace considering I included all of my potty breaks and time I spent refilling my pack. The potty breaks wont take as long during the race because I will just use the porta potties and not have to let myself back into the house, go to the bathroom, then lock everything back up again. And Barry/my crew will have my packs ready for me so that will save time during the race as well. So I'm REALLY happy with my pace for this run.

That being said, my run took so long that in the time it took me to finish it, two guys built a shed in their backyard.  

This was also an important run because my last two long runs I had to cut short because of time or because I was ill-equipped for the run and had to quit for safety reasons. I needed to finish this run or I wouldn't be able to gradually increase my mileage over the summer. As it is I'm up against the wire. This is my current plan (highlighted workouts are ones I've completed):

I have my long runs set up to increase two miles each long run and I alternate weeks between long runs and shorter recovery runs (those 8 milers). If I miss a long run or two the increase from week to week will be too much to do safely. But I am DETERMINED to get this race done. A 50K has been on my list for years now and its starting to give me an eye twitch that I haven't finished one. 

I really feel like this is my year to do it.  My mom can watch the boys for my long runs and I can run my shorter runs on the treadmill. I have almost finished my first 12 week Sweat program. I completed 30 days of 75 Hard. I'm starting to get my discipline back and realizing that I can do hard things. And that those hard things, aren't as hard as I thought they were. 

-Ri

4 Miles of Awesome

Today I hit a milestone in my training.

I have always wondered how long distance runners maintain such a punishing pace over long distances. I'm okay with trotting along at a leisurely pace for miles and miles, I can do that. But how do you push yourself for 10, 15, 26.2 miles? I can practically sprint two miles and I'm really comfortable pushing myself over three miles. But that is kind of my comfort zone.

I smashed that comfort zone today.

Its kind of like when I ran ten miles the first time. After that point it became clear to me that I have no excuse to walk during a single digit run ever again. 

Today I ran four miles at just over a 10 and a half minute per mile pace. That is pretty amazing for me. And if I can do that for four miles, I can do it for three. And if I can do this for four miles, there is no reason I should run two miles over a ten minute pace ever again. 

I'm starting to find myself in the realm of "no excuses" and it's pretty awesome. 

I really needed this kick in the butt today. I've been having some serious get-up-and-go issues lately. This is a perfect example why you just keep running, eventually you are going to have an awesome run that will change everything.

I have a seven mile run on Sunday. My distances are starting to creep up and I'm loving it.

2015 Racing Season

I am so thrilled to share this with you guys! Here it is, my official 

training and racing schedule for 2015 into 2016!!!

I have been playing around with the dates for two or more weeks and it's been driving me crazy. The half marathon training plan is 6 months long but the marathon season ends in late February here in Houston so it took some pretty serious effort to get all the scheduling figured out. I'll have to cut my 10k training short but since the half marathon training plan is so long I'll have plenty of time to adjust. 

Last year the biggest fault in my training was that I tried to do too much too quick.  I'm hoping the long training plan will help me gently increase my mileage and give me lots of prep for the marathon training. 

And then there's THAT! A marathon! I had originally planned to have completed a marathon by now but it just wasn't in the cards. Like I said, too much too quick. I wasn't really prepared for the physical requirements and the time required to truly train for a marathon. This time I'll have two years (!!!!!) of running experience behind me and I think I'll really be able to do it this year. 

I'm so excited to finally have hard dates, you all know how much I love a good plan. I'm also playing around with the idea of getting sponsorship from family members to help cover the cost of running gear, race entries, and babysitting costs. But more on that later. 

Time to get to work!!!

-Ri

How would you guys feel about me doing weekly updates on how my training is going? Maybe bi-weekly? 

Aramco Half Marathon - 2015

I'm officially a runner!!!!! 

Waaaaaay back in October, when I was still on track training for a December marathon, a friend called me to see if I wanted to do the Aramco Half Marathon with him. Um, YES!! I signed up with all the fervor of a new runner. 

And then life happened. All through November I ran with horrible shin pain and finally in December I called it quits with the Marathon training and decided to take two weeks off to heal my shins. Well two weeks turned into three, into four, and then suddenly, oops! It's a week before I have to run 13.1 miles. Crap. 

I. Was. Terrified. Because of the way the permits worked for the race, you had to get to mile 9 with a 13:45 minute/mile pace. That's how fast I run on a good day...after a diet coke...with the wind at my back...going downhill. Needless to say I was sure I was going to get picked up and be disqualified. 

It was early. So very early. I heard parking would be nearly impossible to find but luckily a friend shared with me a top secret, slightly illegal place that he parks every year. We parked and then waited oh so impatiently for the race to start. I worried about my slow pace while listening to King worry about his pace (he runs about five minutes faster than I do...he had nothing to worry about. But it was his first half so fear is understandable). We finally made out way out to our starting corral where we waited...and waited...and freaked out...and waited. :) forty five minutes after the gun start, I finally crossed the start line. 

"Oh My God. I'm so scared. Omg. Omg.
Don't have a panic attack. That would be embarrassing."

We passed a fire house! They were super nice and cheered us on while they leisurely enjoyed their morning coffee. 

Seriously. The signs are the BEST! I laughed so hard at this sign I startled the person next to me. 

See that guy in the white shirt? He's juggling. My though process went something like this:

Hey, is that guy juggling?!?!?!
Omg, he is totally juggling! That's so awesome!

Wait.

Did I just get passed by a guy juggling!?

Halfway there! This is my first race selfie!

Ok, so this is the big achievement. I fought so hard to run 10 straight miles with no walking. I am so very proud to be able to say I have run double digits. By mile 9 EVERYTHING was hurting but I pushed through it and dragged my slow self to the ten mile marker. 

Around mile 12 I was over it. I was exhausted and everything hurt and I just wanted to finish. I kept telling myself to just run it so I could be done but I just couldn't run anymore. 

Once I hit downtown I knew I was in the final stretch so I ran the last mile or so. People were watching, I couldn't NOT run! ;)

I don't have any pictures of me immediately following the race, the finish line was so clogged with spectators that Barry couldn't get a shot of me. The race has photos for sale but they're like $30 a photo, that's not happening right now. :)

Barry met me with roses and a beer, it was such a sweet gesture! 

It was a great experience and I'm so proud of myself! Now that this race is behind me I'm going back to the basics. I know I can run long distances but I'm not very fast so I've started a 5K training program. I'm hoping to be able to run a 5K at a sub 10 minute per mile pace. It's a big jump for me! I've signed up for a chip timed race in March to keep me motivated. 

-Ri

What are some of your fitness goals for 2015?

Gritty Goddess - 5K Mud Run

It's been wild over here for the last two months. You should expect to see a bunch of posts coming soon - aaallllll outta order. :)

A couple weekends ago I had the opportunity to run the Gritty Goddess again and it was a blast! The number one thing I learned this time around was to go ahead and bite the bullet and just sign up for the second wave of the race. I ended up waiting in a HUGE line at one obstacle. Other than that it was a great race and I can't wait for the Rennaissance Run in May! 

The starting line is always rough, people are staring their heart rate monitors and everyone is always trying to get through the starting line first. Or they're talking about how excited they are. :)

As with most fun mud runs (not the spartan/military/tough mudder style races) none of the obstacles are particularly difficult. This race was women only and was a great segue into mud races for those who have never done one. 

There's usually a fair amount of climbing so a little bit of arm strength goes a long way. As I said in my other post about training for mud runs, really all you have to do is add some bicep curls and some push-ups to your regular running regiment. 

The biggest tip I can share for getting through mud runs is to really try to think outside the box. For instance, with this obstacle many girls tried to put all their body weight on their feet and they kept slipping because they couldn't quite maintain their balance but if you used your arms to hold your weight then you had plenty of time to put your feet in the right slots.

It's a mud run. You're gonna get dirty. :) You caaaaan go around any obstacle you want, but it's worth it to just go all in. 

The obstacles you're going to get most hung up on are obstacles that have to deal with any sort of heights above 5 feet. People get scared when they reach the top and then they freak out and have trouble getting down on the other side and you end up having to wait for them. This is another reason why you want to go ahead and get the first or second wave. 

This was actually the hardest obstacle they had there and the one with the longest line. The ridges were pretty tiny and sometimes it didn't matter how agile you were, if you had the wrong shoes on you weren't going to make it up there so many people had to try it a couple times to get up top. 

Like I said. People get stuck on high obstacles. 

Another tip, wear a bandana and make sure anything that can get caught is tucked away. Many girls got their ponytails (and hair decorations) caught. The buckle on the should strap of my bra got caught and I spent a few minutes (literally) trying to detach myself. 

This race was held on marshland. This stretch of mud STANK. Not all the mud was stinky but this pit was pretty serious.

The walls are usually the toughest obstacle to get over. I find that going to th edge is helpful. If you get the first couple of waves the mud on the ledges won't be as bad so that will help too. 

Finally! The finish line!

I had a great time! I've learned a couple things and I can't wait to implement them in the next race!

If you have any questions, ask away! These races are so much fun and they have such a great community feeling to them. At these races you get the full gauntlet of people and personalities; there are althletes and couch potatoes, the fearful and the fearless, the serious and the silly. Don't let anything keep you away from doing something so fun! 

-ri

Medieval Mud Run and Mud Run Tips!

About two months ago my bestest, most wonderful friend Ashlie came down from Dallas to see me and my babies. It happened to fall on a weekend where I was supposed to run a 5K obstacle course race. To cut a long, convoluted story short I put off buying a ticket for the race until the last minute and then decided I wouldn't go because I didn't want to spend the money. Two weeks before the race a friend offered me a ticket for super cheap and I gladly took him up on his offer.

He runs a 10 minute mile, I walk/shuffle a 14 minute mile. The "race" was comical. He's also roughly 14 feet taller than me so his stride is huge  his walking pace is my jogging pace. Comical.

It took three attempts but I finally got over!

We still had a blast and I was so thankful that Ashlie could get a couple pics of me going through the race. My first obstacle course race was the Gritty Goddess which was a lot of fun. I so love doing these races and I look forward to getting to the point where I can really run and do these races and feel all Lara Croft-y. Right now I feel like the chubby kid in gym class. Three babies in two years will do that to a girl. :)

One of the rare moments when I was running and not gasping for air.

Because I'm a list kinda gal I put together a little list of things I've learned about doing the races.

What kind of training do you do?

Pssshhhh! I don't. When I did the Gritty Goddess it was no big deal. It was only 7 months after I had had Bear Bear (and I was 1 month preggers with the twins) but I had retained some muscle from before getting pregnant. With the Medieval Mud Run I had no idea just how much muscle I had lost of the past two years. I had some serious trouble getting over a couple of the obstacles! If I had all the time in the world to train I would train for a regular 5k and add in some basic weight training with special attention to arm strength. Everyone knows your legs get tired while running but no one ever mentions how tired your arms get!!! I would add some push ups to the end of every run at the very least

 

What to Wear:

-Head Gear: I love running in bandanas. I hate my hair getting in my face and no headband is going to make it through the mud and the muck. 

-Shirt: Wicking shirts are best. For the love of god stay away from cotton. It will grab all the mud and water and weigh you down for the rest of the race. A fitted, wicking tank top would be best. 

-Bra/Underwear: NO COTTON. I think there are such things as fitness undies but I've never tried them. I think I'll give them a shot but until then I just wear thin, "silky" undies. Mud will get into your underwear. Sorry but it's true. Wear a sports bra but know that it acts as a scoop for the mud. Girl problems.

-Fingerless gloves with a rubbery palm: This isn't really necessary but the last time I did a run they squirted us down with a large hose and then expected us to go across monkey bars. It was impossible with wet hands. So now I run with the gloves because I have a pansy grip. 

-Pants: Let me say again: NO COTTON. Seriously, I wore black "yoga" pants to my first race and I almost lost them in the mud pit. Running shorts with the biking shorts sewn in are great but your legs will get cut up. I like using the tight wicking fitness pants that go down mid calf. I wore the shorts at my last race and my legs got all kinds of cut up. 

-Socks: Non-cotton ankle socks. 

-Shoes: There are two schools of thought on this. Some people want to wear older nice running shoes since they'll be running three miles. Other people wear the old shoes they use for mowing the yard. Your shoes are going to get effed up. A lot of people throw away their shoes after the race. I wore my old running shoes and I totally regret it. Walmart carries sneakers for around $10-15. Just get those.

What to bring

-Sunblock

-Chapstick (that has sunscreen in it) 

-Change of Clothes (including shoes)

-2+ Gallons of water: we leave these in the car to get nice and warm so we can do a final rinse before getting into the car

-Cheapo waterproof camera: I saw some girls with these at the Medeival Mud Rum and I was insanely jealous. :)

-Tight Fitting or running sunglasses. I wore big girly glasses because they were all I had and they bounced all over my face. Ideally you should make these easily replaceable. There is a significant chance they could be knocked off into a quicksand pit, never to be seen again. 

-Trash bag for your old clothes and a couple of trash bags to cover up your seat in the car, just in case all efforts to get clean are thwarted. 

-Towels: one for you, one for the car. 

-Baby wipes are great for general cleaning. We use pampers sensitive. I don't know what is in them but those puppies get EVERYTHING clean. 

-CASH- I would bring about $50 in denominations 10 and under. Even if the event is being held in a location that usually allows cards, they may not have that part up and running for the single day. It was like this at the Medieval Mud Run, tons of ATMs and none were functional since it was during the off season. You might have to pay for parking and that is usually cash only. 

-Under nail cleaner: pet peeve of mine. I hate stuff under my nails and mud WILL get under there. 

-Post run snack: most places have post run foods, sneak a snack in anyways since the lines are usually long. 

-Simple first aid kit: there will be a medical team there to supervise the race so if anything goes terribly awry (it does happen) they will take care of you. But you will probably get a small number of cuts and abrasions so if that weird you out bring some peroxide or rubbing alcohol to clean your cuts.

Finished!!!!

 

Mud runs are a super fun way to bring some excitement into you running. I love doing these and the best advice I can give is to just do it! Even if you are concerned with not being able to complete an obstacle just do it. The races allow you to pass obstacles so don't worry.

I would say to be aware of the type of race you are signing up for. Most races are just for fun but there are some out there that are set up to really test your strength and agility, namely the Spartan Race. Also, some races have the first wave set up for competitors, those waves are usually timed and are set up so you HAVE to do all the obstacles. Any other wave is fair game. (Tip: sign up for "off-timed" waves. Usually they are set up in 15 minute increments, sign up for the 10:15 rather than the 10:00, there will be less people)

As always, leave your questions in the comments and I'll update the post!

I can't wait to do the Gritty Goddess again in October with Ashlie, it is going to be so much fun!

-Ri

Go Me!

Yesterday I RAN one mile! The whole thing! No walking! I did take a five second break at the 1/4 mark, leg was just about to crap up.

Lately I've been running a lot, not for long distances, just around work, around the house etc.

So I decided to get on our treadmill and see if I could run 1 mile. I put on the Fool's Gold soundtrack (the first song is fantastic for running!) since it reminds me of the movie (which is AWESOME! Kate, Matthew, comedy, history, romance and the flippin' beach! It can't get any better!)

I was done in 13 minutes. My all time best...uh...time. :)

I was very excited.

I immediately ate my pizza for lunch, came to work....and ate a slice of cake lol. So much for calorie burn, but it really made me feel strong! I've always WANTED to enjoy running and I'm finding that running is like yoga. The more you do yoga, and the better you get at it, the more you love it! Now that I know I can run 1 mile, I'm interested in running farther!

Today is my strength workout day (Yay Bikini Body!) but tomorrow I'm going to see if I can run 1.5 miles, not timed, just to see if I can do it. The Bikini Body Workout that I'm doing focuses on interval cardio, so I will have to fit the 1.5 miles into that. Should be fun!

On a different-yet-same note, I've been watching the Battlestar Galactica series. Holy cow, it's awesome!

There's this woman. Well, she's a cylon, but she is downright sexy.

She is stunning.

She is sexy. And she has little muscle definition.

After seeing how incredibly sensual and seductive this woman is, I have started re-evaluating what I think I want to look like.

I've always wanted clear muscle definition (see ab photo above) but now I'm thinking that maybe, I don't really need that to be sexy. I need muscle definition to look fit and active which is what I want to BE, but maybe not how I want to look.

I also want to BE sexy, but I also want to LOOK sexy. I want to look approachable, yet sexy, without having to be half naked. :) walking a tight line, I know.

Today, I'm wearing my hair down.

It's a start.

-Ri