Wife Mother Runner treadmill Archives

Dopey Training Going Well!

October 28, 2014

I had my long run this weekend in preparation for the Dopey challenge, but mainly for the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23. I haven’t really talked about that marathon, because I haven’t really been thinking about it! I have mainly been thinking about the Dopey races in January. I need to do some research about this race to find out what train I need to take to get there and also to get home, which station to get off in Philadelphia, what time the expo closes, and to figure out all the details to prepare for that race! I guess it’s a good thing I don’t feel too nervous about it. I was nervous about the 23 mile run that was on the training plan this past week. I had to do 3, 5, 8 and 23 miles. I did 3, 5, 8 and 22. I did most of the runs on the treadmill because of timing and my job and my husband’s job. But I’m ok with that now.

I started the training at 9:30 a.m. on the treadmill. My husband was working so the kids and I went downstairs and they played while I got started. I had my iPad and ate a bagel with peanut butter prior to the run so I was fueled up and ready to go. I learned that after 99 minutes, the treadmill shuts off. I stayed on it for 12 miles so that I would only have to do 11 miles on the road. I did well. I wasn’t as bored as I thought I would be. I don’t know if I would WANT to do the full 23 miles on the treadmill, but I think if I had to I could.

Around noon I got off the treadmill, mapped out a new route for an 11 mile trip, ates some pretzel fish and then hit the road. I was on the road until 3:00 p.m. I started to feel sluggish around mile 7 so I started to do the marathon math in my head and realized I was approaching mile 18 so I was getting close to a wall. I brought with me some fruit chews and ate some of them to help get some sugar to my brain. I mapped out a new route so that I was doing something different and that helped. When I was feeling tired, I decided to walk a mile and then resume my 30/30 intervals. I was maintaining a pretty consistent 13 minute mile. My legs were doing ok but I was getting tired of running. I had been doing it since 9:30 in the morning and I wanted to get home to my family. I ended up cutting the run short by 1 mile. I don’t like to do that, but I needed to. We had plans for the evening and I needed to get showered and ready to go out.

A beautiful fall day. Not a bad view to have to run by.

I know Jeff Galloway recommends you walk most of your runs prior to your long run, but during the week I ran most of the short runs. I was in a time crunch so to walk 8 miles would have taken me too long so I had to run most of it. I don’t feel too bad for cutting my long run short by a mile because I realized that it was the last run of 4 consecutive runs and considering that I really felt good. It was a beautiful day to be out for a run and I did enjoy the wonderful weather I had to run in.

The downhill I was approaching and it was so difficult to run DOWN that steep hill!

So I am encouraged now to know that I CAN do the Dopey challenge. I WILL do the Dopey challenge and based on how well I felt that night and the following day I am going to be just great when it is all over!

The issue I was having with my left leg has improved greatly since I got my orthotics replaced. I don’t need to use KT tape anymore to help lift my arch. Something I did notice is that I should consider wearing different shoes for every other day. My shoe laces were digging into my foot from my treadmill running on the previous days so by the fourth day, it was quite sore. I also heard that it is best to pack 2 different pairs of shoes for the race in case of weather. You want dry shoes each morning. However, my older shoes have more miles on them, so I will wear them for my shorter runs and save the newer shoes for the long runs.

I Have Rekindled An Old Relationship

October 24, 2014

No, I’m not cheating on my husband. I have reacquainted myself with my treadmill. For several reasons lately, I have had to do all my running indoors. I wasn’t happy about it at first; but after the third day in a row of my Dopey training schedule for this week I have come to terms with it.

I had to do 8 miles today. I had an online training class that starts at 9 and it’s dark out by 6 p.m. so I knew I couldn’t get in 2 hours of running outdoors tonight. So I set my alarm for 5:30 this morning so that I could have my tea and get downstairs to begin the run at 6:00. My daughter woke me up at 4:30 because she was coughing (side effect of fall rainy wet leaves). Once I got her settled back down and into my bed I think I slept for about 15 minutes before my alarm went off. I reluctantly hit snooze and laid there for a few minutes. I knew I couldn’t waste time so I got up, had my tea, got dressed and ventured downstairs with my iPad and headphones.

I felt good. I planned on walking all of the 8 miles per Jeff’s training plan. As the first mile was complete, it was almost a 16 minute mile. At that pace it would take over 2 hours to get the run done and I really only had 90 minutes to do it. I decided to throw in a little jogging here and there. It was still a productive run. I caught up on my episodes of Nashville and watched the latest episode of Scandal (LOVED IT!) At about 6:50 my son came into the workout room and scared the heck out of me! He had a bad dream and couldn’t go back to sleep so I brought him back upstairs and set him up with a tv show so I could complete my run.

I was keeping an eye on the clock and knew I had to stop at 7:30 to wake up my daughter and get them their breakfast. At 7:30 I had 5.25 miles completed. I woke her up, made breakfast for both kids and went back downstairs. The kids were so awesome and cooperative. At 8:00 I checked in with them and told them to get dressed and brush their teeth. I made their lunches and went back downstairs. I was at 7 miles a little bit after 8:00. So after making their lunches I had to finish my last mile on the plan and get them out to the bus. By 8:30 – Mission Accomplished!

I was so glad. I got them off to school, took a quick shower, made my chocolate milk and breakfast and got ready for my 9:00 online training class. It’s nice to know that my third workout was done before the day even got going. I am feeling soreness in weird places and I know it’s from running on the treadmill. My right butt muscle feels a little weird and I feel it in my muscles in my back going up along my spine. All good things, not bad soreness, but adjustments

I am considering beginning the first 10 miles of my 23 mile run tomorrow on the treadmill so that I can be home with my kids and have it done while my husband is at work, then when he gets home I’ll finish 13 on the road so that I won’t be out of the house for 5+ hours after he gets home. This way we can spend most of the afternoon together as a family!

I am rekindling my love for my old treadmill. That treadmill has been with me for over 14 years! I began using it religiously in 2002 when I first started to “run”. Then I used it as soon as I could after my son was born and began running again after I was given the OK to run again. I remember watching Prince Harry get married while running on that treadmill! I ran 9 miles for the first time in my life while watching the NYC marathon on TV that my old boss was running in 2002 on that treadmill. It stopped on me while I was running today so it is quirky and it may be time to invest in a new one, but for now I’ll make it suit my needs while I get my mileage in so I can be successful with my Dopey Training.

The Dreadmill

October 22, 2014

Well, I had to do the dirty deed tonight. I had to use my treadmill. I swore off my treadmill for 4 years! But I didn’t have a choice tonight and I didn’t want to miss the first workout of my Dopey cluster of runs this week. I have to do 3, 5, 8 and 23 this week. It was raining on my way home from work. I don’t care about the rain, I would have gone out in it. But my husband was still at work and wasn’t going to be home until almost 7.

It was already dark by 6:10 and I needed to be with the kids, so I had to fire up the dreadmill. I had to put 2x4s underneath the back end of it to raise the back up a little to avoid hurting my back (my chiropractor told me about this several years ago). When I did so, I dropped the back of it on my finger. I wasn’t happy about that.

I got my ipad with my favorite show Scandal all cued up with my headphones, told the kids not to kill each other while I did what I had to do. Yea it wasn’t the greatest, but it wasn’t as bad as I had feared. Funny, how I used to live on that treadmill religiously from 2002 to 2011. But it’s all good. I walked the first mile to get reacquainted with walking on a treadmill, then added a little running in 1-2 minute segments. I don’t know how to manage the intervals just this time. If I do the Galloway method on the treadmill I may break my neck doing the start and stop every 30 seconds, so I will have to work on an alternate interval cycle.

When I did run on it, it felt weird at first, but I did 1-2 minutes and then walked half of a lap. For my 5 mile run I plan on going outdoors to get it done after work tomorrow, but depending on how I feel in the morning, I may want to get dressed and do my 5 miles before the kids wake up and I have to start work. There is some potential to getting it done whatever it takes so I stay on track for my Dopey training.

I hate this time of year. I hate the dark at night. I don’t want to be trapped indoors to work out; but I’m proud that I am sticking to it. Despite my new job and the fact that I can’t run while at work, I’m doing what needs to be done and that’s ok. I’m also catching up on my shows!

Dopey Challenge – It Really Is A Challenge

October 19, 2014

This past month I started a new job. I really enjoy the new job and so far it hasn’t gotten in the way of my training for the Dopey Challenge. The challenge for me is that I was Dopey to sign up for this challenge when I never before even did the Goofy challenge! What have I gotten myself into?

My training has been going well, I will admit that. But I don’t feel as successful as I think I could feel. Maybe I just don’t know how I am supposed to feel. I do know that at times running does feel like work. Mike and Michelle talked about it on their podcast in a recent episode and it hit home with me. I do enjoy running still and I get out for my two short runs during the week and then my assigned run per Jeff Galloway. Typically if it isn’t a long run or race weekend then it is a 4 or 6 mile run. Again, I still enjoy those runs. It’s when I have the long run showing up closer on my calendar that I start to feel anxious.

I knew that next weekend I have a long run on the schedule and I can’t take a day off of work to fit it in. This means I will have to spend a weekend day running for 5 hours. It also means that I have to figure out when and how I will get out there because my husband is starting a new job and has to work on Saturday. I don’t want to spend my Sunday out running for half the day when it is the only day he will be home with the family.

So we discussed the plan over breakfast and since he will only be working 5-9 on Saturday I will head out when he gets home. This is similar to when I would go out for my long run after getting Kevin on the bus and dropping Adrienne off to preschool last year. So if I keep that mentality I will be ok.

However, the difference this time is that I have to do a 3, 5, 8 and 23 mile run in 4 consecutive days – The Dopey part. It’s getting dark out very early and it’s also dark early in the morning. I can’t run in the morning because my husband is starting his new job this week. So I’ll have to plan on doing my 3 miles Wednesday after work, 5 miles Thursday during lunch since I am taking online training at home, and I am not sure yet how I am going to get in my 8 miler on Friday. Here’s where the crazy juggling comes in.

I think what helps me not freak out too much is knowing that I only have 2 more groups of training runs like this in the next two months. One right before the Philadelphia Marathon and then before the WDW weekend the week before Christmas. I guess I’ll worry about how I’ll fit that all in when the time comes. I may have some accrued vacation time to squeeze in the long run on a Friday. I may have to fire up the treadmill in a few weeks and put in the miles indoors early in the morning. I don’t know how to get back into treadmill mode. I swore it off four years ago.

Do you have any advice on how to integrate the treadmill back into my training routine?

Tag: treadmill

Dopey Training Going Well!

I Have Rekindled An Old Relationship

The Dreadmill

Dopey Challenge – It Really Is A Challenge