Weekend Recap

OK so here is how the weekend went running wise and some other things. I went back to my favorite circuit class on Friday and it was more manageable. The focus was arms and I felt like I was completely weak after I finished the class but my arms felt OK the next day. There was also more sprint type running but only about a third of a mile as fast as possible. The trainer was timing us and I didn't realize it till after the fact. I forgot what my time was but he actually said good job so I guess it was respectable. I made the decision to skip the 8K in favor of a long run in Clear Lake. I met the group under the Kemah bridge and from there we ran the boardwalk and the Seabrook trails and then back over the bridge. I think we ended somewhere around 12-13 miles. My legs were shaky most of the time but I hung in there and was really tired that afternoon. After the group hit the Starbucks at the Boardwalk I went home to get ready for the closing ceremony of Marathon Kids. The family went to Barnett Stadium and the kids ran the last 600 meters of their 26.2 miles. The kids had fun running on the track with their friends from school and then we went to lunch afterwards. When we got back my legs were still hurting and I took a long and much needed nap. I haven't done that in a really long time. When I finally pulled myself out of bed Mike and I went to see Run Fatboy Run. That is the most hilarious movie! I highly recommend it. This was the perfect movie to me because it had quirky comedy and running. What more could you want? We laughed the whole way through. After the movie we went and filled up on yummy Mexican food and margaritas. Needless to say I could not get up this morning for an early run so I will probably go out in a little while for maybe 5 miles. Hope my 6 readers had a great weekend.

I Hurt

I still hurt from yesterday. This will definitely be a complaining post so you have been given fair warning. I have a major pain in by back side region and I am wondering if I can even run today. I was thinking I should at least try so I can work through this and feel better tomorrow. I may just get on the treadmill and power walk this afternoon after I finish my work. I will wait till the Seinfeld reruns are on so at least I can laugh and be distracted from the pain of it all. I keep telling myself what doesn't do you in makes you stronger. Right?

Ouch!

I think I found one of my new favorite workouts. The Y has a circuit class on MWF nights so I was curious and tried it out today. I thought it would be a good way to get the weight training I was missing and add some different types of cardio. I ran with the Clear Lake group this morning for 7 miles as a recovery from yesterdays fast 3 miles. This was a fun run with friends and some good girl talk.

OK now about the class. When I got there I was informed that it was hard cardio night. This of course is relative and I thought it would probably be much easier than a long run with Bayou City or Kenyan Way. Wow I was way wrong! The guy who led the class was rather hard core and really didn't like it when I was right behind him during sprints. I figured I should go pretty hard since I haven't put in many miles lately. He kept looking over his shoulder which made me want to pass him even more. Then he asked if I was actually trying to pass him in a shocked way. I just said yes. What is the deal with guys and not being able to handle it when a girl is anywhere near them during a hard workout? I have actually had guys zig zag in races to keep me from passing. Anyway we did some lunges in between sprints and then went inside to do more cardio and weights. The next set consisted of 30 minutes in which we cycled through push ups, lunges with a weighted bar and 3 minutes of cardio (I chose treadmill). During one of the sets I was on the treadmill talking and the instructor came by and said there should be no talking and told me to increase the speed ( I was at 7.6) and add incline. The others in the class were surprised and said he had never done that before. Great. Maybe this was payback for the sprint episode. After this set we finished with more leg weights and stomach work on the mat. I was so tired I drove home in a fog. I can't really remember the last time I was so tired. I will definitely be back. Man I hope that guy dosen't read running blogs.

Is Less Really More?

I ran the Resurrection 5K yesterday for my third run of the week. Lately I am running more in races than training runs. Actually I am a bit curious as to how this could effect my fitness. Can you get faster on 3 days of running per week? The days I do run are a hard effort so really I am putting the work in and at the same time getting more rest between. A major drawback would be the cost of races every week but aside from that if it works I'm all for it. I remember an article I came across in Inside Texas Running some time back that talked about some really fast masters runners like Ino Cantu following a similar program with much success. This is appealing for those of us with busy schedules that don't like predawn running. So we will see how it goes.

I was talking with some other running bloggers at the race yesterday and they mentioned the 8K next week. Originally I was not to enthusiastic about this race but I may just try to fit it in as my hard workout for this next weekend. The distance is interesting and I would like to see how close I can stick to 5K pace for this. My time for Saturday was rather disappointing but afterwards I found out the course was long so that made me feel a little better. So in the spirit of my new plan of the moment I have not run today but will try to get in a least one workout before Saturday. I like to keep things interesting. I have been told I could improve a great deal if I had more patience and would stick to a plan. That is just not how I work and I think that is why I am still running after 5 years. Now I must get to all the work that has piled up on my desk....

My First Run Since Sunday

Today I met Jackie for a run from the Kroger in Clear Lake. We made it the whole 7 mile route and it felt the same as when we turn and take the shortcut for 5 miles. I feel like a real slacker this week but I just haven't been able to get myself up in the mornings lately. It was very hard to not cancel this morning but I knew I needed the miles or the week would end with nothing. I have a 5K to run on Saturday so I guess that will be my speed for the week. I am fighting the urge to have another cup of coffee as I sit here at my computer. I would like to reduce my caffeine intake in hopes of better general health. I think all this is doing is giving me a headache. Today definitely feels like Friday but I guess that makes sense. I suppose I am rambling now but that happens when your alarm goes off at 4:30 am and you don't have the good sense to go back to sleep. Anyway most likely I will go easy tomorrow for maybe 4 miles and then run the 5K Saturday. I hope my 5 readers have a great weekend!

Seabrook Lucky Trails Half

Today was my attempt at a longer speed workout. Things turned out pretty much how I expected they would. My time was 1:40:33 (my goal was anything under 1:40). So I missed my goal by 30+ seconds but it was warm and there was alot of wind in some areas of the course. This is always a really challenging run for me and I did better my time by 20 minutes from the last time. This race is unique with awards also because the top three overall get nice plaques and then they also give 10 year age group awards. I ended up third female overall so I got to bring home something nice for the awards shelf which is always fun. Afterwards I got to eat some really good food and watch the marathoners finish. The guy who won the marathon blazed the course in 2:38. He was so fast for that race that most spectators didn't even realize he was finishing (they thought maybe he was on a relay team or something). Truly amazing especially considering it is a trail marathon and four loops with windy conditions. I think most people had a pretty good day and I would recommend this race if you are looking for something different.

Trying to Stay Motivated

The last few weeks I have been trying to run at least every other day. I guess I feel directionless and work has been really busy so running has been put on the back burner. Next week I would like to get back to running garages again and doing a run longer than 10 miles on the weekend. I also have a resolution to go to the gym at least twice a week. I lost my ipod so that makes it all the harder to do those tough treadmill workouts. OK enough complaining and lamenting lost workouts. There are some fun races approaching that I have never run so maybe that will keep me focused or something. Anyway not much else to report.