The wind is blowing again

This was the last day of the month and as lost as I am in other things took it off just like that instead of putting on some more miles to end with a better mark. October ended with 86 miles.
Still I am not that disappointed. Despite the bad days this number puts me in the range of my low mark. I mean, I feel like I am "in" again.
I lost one of the four long runs programmed this month but made all the tempo and hills.
This last week I ran six days in a row for the third time during the month and at least I can say I am feeling fine during the day despite of not being running in the best of the shapes.

November will be a DETERMINATION month. If I want it, I will do it. Just like that. I have to be determinate about my commitment with struggle improvement and effort.

Fresher days are here. The wind blows through my windows, I can hear it and as it sounds a nice sensation of good times brings me back to last year when I was doing my first long runs. It is a great sensation that comes along with a desire for running, how nice! Certainly the endorphins produced took me all the day along with a high that now, while listening and being in that same ambiance, takes me there. Better running days had gone, but better should be ahead. It is just about time. I am patience they will be back.

Fresher days are here, my legs are feeling strong. I am feeling fine.... Is just about to happen!

Always

I opened a new blog that talks about my youngest daughter, it is in Spanish, I discovered I like writing in Spanish too :P it is faster to think!!!

Finally I resigned and visited the doctor. But it was needless -as always-. It is very hard to find good service in a hospital around here. At least for some of your reports I know that it can happen anywhere. The thing here is that when arrive to the hospital I asked for an appointment with the internist. Waited 40 minutes to find out with this doctor that he was an specialist for the heart and lungs. I will need to visit another doctor who is at the hospital only from 2-4 pm. Ok, so I will have to re-schedule this visit for latter on the week. It was only around 12. Still the visit worked psicologically somehow. I started feeling some better after being there at the hospital. Hope my organism can deal with this by itself. How I miss my "curandero" in Mexico, a place where all sorts of natural medicine are available and they word pretty well...

There is always an up to come during any down. Always, always, always!

My bright six days a week running started until Wednesday.
Yesterday's run was along with nausea and dizziness. It came to my mind a RW's interview about this woman who struggle training for the marathon while she was under chemotherapy. I just thought, certainly nothing compares to that. This is the time to go back again to think about how much do I struggle, sorry... Completed 4 miles. At least...
Today was much better. Programmed two loops from home to the end of the hotel and back. Made both without looking G, it happens that I discovered that my pace is going some faster that usual, -nothing really fast of course-, but as soon I was looking at this faster pace, I felt tired. Like thinking that this faster pace, -despite feeling well- was something to feel tired about! Grrr...
Went only by RPE. Avoiding watching G at all. I think this is what I have to do....

Later edit
I interrupted my writing thinking of posting a photo from Google earth who has refresh photos from my area and I wanted to show you some of those. Also I still haven't being able to look for the map from the day that I ran the marathon.
I was trying to connect G to my laptop when suddendly it stocked. It can't even being turn off and it wasn't sending data to my computer... Will it be the end of its days???

Truths

RW's wake up calls:
"Each extra pound of body weight is equal to four pounds of pressure on the knee when walking and 25 pounds when running".
"For every week you take off it takes two weeks time to regain fitness".

Yes, all we know about this stuff, but is good to read it again, remember...
No, it is not that I've stop! Not at all, is just that sometimes I get lazy on checking your blogs due to my slow internet connection. It takes me LONG to do it. Then I just don't write mine either. Hope I can improve that finally this week.

Last week continued with 3.5xhills (4 miles) on Thursday, Friday was off, Saturday 4 miles. Total 19. Goal was 23.
The truth is as walking with my partners is taking me apart from my own training. When I go with them we are not yet running as they are beginners trying to loose weight.
Felt too tired to run Sunday morning. I had some "social activities" on Saturday. Woke up at 7 but feeling tired.
This morning made my weights session. Today I still have to run and an Abs session to do.
I will have to change some details on my schedule. Doing long runs Sunday morning is not working. Even to think of it the day before gets my stressed as I have to be ready around 8.30 to take the children to horse ridding. I can only go for around 4 miles.
The goal of running 6 days a week is not yet reach. My week will start today and reach that goal with no excuses. Just because I want to do it. I want to feel stronger and fitter and for that I have word to do!

My breath has to catch my legs ?!?!?!

ril
Monday's long run, was made late, but done. In the morning I still felt tired. It isn't lack of motivation. Maybe my organism fighting with a bug. I feel suddenly tired, or too hungry (more than normal :P) some dizzy sometimes.
Motivation is fine. I feel butterflies in my stomach everytime I think of running!

Monday: 5pm run 7miles
The truth is that I wasn't very pleased with this run. My legs were ok but started feeling too tired too soon. Introduced many walk breaks to catch my breath. Now I can't say it was the weather. Now it is becoming fresher and the sun is low enough to not interfer with my running. Lack of fitness. Ended feeling too tired like a very long run.

Wednesday run: 4 miles.
Lost the chance to run on tuesday. First, in the morning I had to attend an event at school. Then I had the intention of running in the afternoon, but our usual afternoon activities didn't let me enough time... This morning I lost valuable time because of my partners. As we finally started training made a resistant training with bands. Then, time only aloud us to walk 2 miles. The sun was already high and I wasn't even able to think as I was SO HUNGRY. Bla, bla, bla. My run was still missing!

Started running at 6pm. How strong my legs feel, even I can tell they are running faster. Is my breath what I can't catch. My lack of work of this last month. But this improvement in strenght is real and my legs are in great shape. I don't even have to complain about the spur or my left knee! The run went great. Weather was perfect and I was just there enjoying what I expect will be a great off-season training!

Blame the weather!

It all was going just great until this morning!

Made a hill session on Thursday as planned. I should not skip this session, they are so important and in fact I had fun. The thing is that there are no hills around here and the only one that I've seen has dogs around. Then I have to go to the gym. Lately that sounds so boring for me that last week changed it for a speed session.
This time it was late and sunny, so I just went to the gym. The schedule said to do only 3 x hill. That could be a clue for the other times hate this sessions. I was doing around 6 to 8 times repetitions. I ended too tired to repeat it again the next week. After that made a weights session.

Saturday woke me up with a headache. But just ignore it and went for a 3 mile run. It ended well and it felt fine to do it. The weather changed and started being very cloudy and rainy. I started feeling tired and with no energy.
It should be the weather changes.

This morning was the problem. Woke up on time. It took me long to leave home and went to the gym to get some cold water. Couldn't get out as heavy rain started. If I am already in the run I don't mind to run with rain, but I'm not good as starting with it!
Anyway, after just a few minutes I could get out. Started running, but it didn't work. The engine could not be turn on never. I tried one and once again, but no. Something didn't let me. It should be that my body felt the weather changes! It has happened to me before, just hope it doesn't go farther.
The worst part is that I was just about to loose my only "long" run of the week. But I still have a chance tomorrow. My friends aren't coming as they are traveling to Santo Domingo.... I will attempt again!

11am Run!

Week 2
Day 2 = 3 mile
Started early to run before training with M and K. Finally had my first run after two weeks. I didn't stop and no walking breaks, felt great! Covered them in 30 minutes, I was very pleased.
After that we made a 45 minutes walk. I must confess that at the end I was feeling some tired. My legs were some stiff. It must had been the weights from Monday.

Day 3 = 3xhills
missed the hills because of not checking right my schedule. Doesn't matter, I will make them tomorrow.
I had a terrible night. Now it is like if I have a baby at night. Luna started crying at 1.30 then at 2.30 and didn't checked the time the third time when she cried. She wanted to pee. After each one it was very hard to go back to sleep.
strange but despite of this I woke up easily and in a good mood.
The "group" training consisted this morning in 30 min walk and 30 minutes of deep water running. The water was so fresh that we really enjoyed it. I felt like it was going to be enough for the day.
The nice history of this morning is that when we ended the "group'" workout, I realized that it was going to be a cloudy and fresh day. My mind immediately scheduled a run.
Arrived home and started preparing myself for going to the run, when a friend arrived. She stayed for about an hour. When she left I thought it was too late to start running, but as I was trying to start doing something else, everything seemed to be like confusing. I wasn't in my own. My mind had scheduled a run because of the cloudy morning, that there was no choice and I had to go.
Oh! If I was feeling great and strong! It rained nicely for about 10 of the 30 minutes the run took me. Garmin even said 10:05, 9:50 and 10:25 which as you know is like flying for me, but if I listen to it when is too slow, why won't I listen to its positive statements?
Ended with a great sensation again, thinking that there is not even one time, that I have regret of going for what could had seemed to be a bad day!!! Never, not even once!!

Week 2 Day 1 = 3 mile+strength
My partners were specially slow today (now they are two!!). One of them will have to loose about 40 pounds, which makes her beginning hard. It is nice to think how much is in them, how much they can improve and I hope I will be able to see them grow!
Walked with them for 45 minutes. It was late when I was ready to start with myself, the sun was BURNING. Despite of my wishes of running outside I went to the gym and climbed in to the elliptical. The treadmill was busy... I made there 3 miles, in about 30 minutes. My feet get numb with the elliptical. When I ended the session also my right knee was sore. I don't like it, but well, I had 3 miles to go! Then after, my weight and abs session. It is nice to workout seriously.
I have to work myself apart. Now with two persons is harder to combine the workouts.

Week 1 Day 7 = 6 miles (long?)
I was expecting a lot from this run, but it wasn't the right day. Started just fine, but couldn't enjoy my first "long run" since the marathon happened. Still experience tells me that enjoyment sometimes starts only after the 8th mile. Anyway, my legs were tired at the end. Better days will come. I am just climbing up to the stairs of it!

Struggle No.1

As I will be doing two-three "hard" sessions a week, I will rate them and analyze what kind of effort I made. It was so interesting to read about your opinions about what a struggle is!! Now I understand more how it is so relative, depending on the day, the stage, the fitness conditions, etc.
Last night it wasn't junk food but delicious food what I put into my mouth. A steak called churrasco and smashed potatoes was my dinner, about 1000 calories, great. !@#$
Sooner than latter I paid for this. That is not the recommended diet for someone who is planning to run the next morning. No matter what kind of run is!












Week 1 Day 6: 30 minutes tempo
I thought it was going to be too hard to rise the speed so I decided to change it for the easy 6 miles.
Started easy but it wasn't going good. Changed again and thought that a 10 minutes "struggle" was easier.
Rate: Good effort
It was my first tempo ever and felt good. Despite the humid morning, blah blah blah, I could rise the speed bit a bit and sustain it for 10 minutes. Or at least that was my feeling. Minutes flew sooner than I could imagine. The sustained effort gave a good confidence and made me feel good. Laps were 11:39, 9:52, 10:51. It was some hard to go back to an slower pace at the end. For some moments I wanted to walk but I struggled, -not so bad- and kept going. I sweat so much, but ended feeling very happy. It was fun.
Garmin graphic says my tempo wasn't that in fact. Look more like a normal run... I will work on that and try to be as accurate as D when doing her laps :) Oh yeah, someday someday....

Week 1 Day 4: 3 m + Strength
I went with my partner walking along the beach for about 30 minutes. The sun was SO HOT, you can't imagine, we were there giving away our energy to the sun. As we reach the hotel again, I NEEDED to run. What a nice feeling. It is that after the beach my HR and legs were warm enough to go on. The last mile was the best. Still I have to burn more calories. No more walking for me.
The strength session was ok. From next week after finishing with my partner, I will stay at the gym to continue with an extra serie and my old abs session. I need strength!

What a struggle is??

Week 1 day 3 - 3 x hill
This wasn't a very energetic morning. For a moment thought of going back to bed. That is the truth. But, as I know is better, I just kept preparing and ignore the somehow lack of energy and went for it. My partner wasn't training today, so I turned on my music and went on. As I am not able to reach the closest hill, I change it for a speed session. Started jogging for about two miles. Set Garmin and started 3 x 400. Time laps were 2:12, 2:12, 2:06. I was over 1:58 last time I practiced this. That was on the beach, today on the road...
Between each lap I felt I recovered better walking for 2 minutes instead of jogging, (how I hate this word). The session ended with 1.5 miles running and walking. There was no problem with my legs but with breathing while recovering on the last miles. For the next week I will try a shorter distance as Ewen recommended me before to check if I recover better.

Thinking of this morning session, I wonder what a struggle is. Am I struggling enough? During the hard part do I do my best? I see myself finding it easy to run harder but not while recovering and starting over. Recovering seems to be too much and the fact to avoid the session. I will have to program my mind to understand that this doesn't last that much. I feel sometimes like I'd go faster because I feel I can, but something stops me.
I know I have to be on certain HR zones and it is where I get when training.
Maybe I need the courage to jump to the next step. Defeat my fears thinking that this is normal and the "hard part" of the training as it is, I am not in a birthday party! To see results I should work harder on speed sessions. Struggle should be the part that is missing in my training.

How hard is the hardest part for you guys? Could you share it with me?

Week 1 Day 2 : 3 mile run

Yesterday's headache remained until late afternoon. Then it became suddenly in a terrible nausea that after became in a ........ Ok, I don't know if that is the worst or the fact that after "that" I was so hungry with the smell of the arriving dinner consiting in Tacos de Fajitas, that I had dinner and ate. I am nasty.

The good part is that this morning I was amazingly recovered. Not completely strong but I went for my training. I checked on my HR all the time and instead of a run I choose for going only for a walk. HR remain some high still.

I haven't commented here yet about a new friend that is training with me. She wants to stick to a fit life and loose some weight. I can see myself at the begining of this journey 4 years ago. I was comparing her HR with mine during the walk and hers was of course much more higher than mine even walking. I think that works as she is mexican too and our genetics could be more similar than compared with others. We head down to the beach and completed a 4 miles walk. Yes a walk only.

Another reason for my High HR should be the overweight. The diet is on, my mind is agree. I just have to watch my mouth.... for ever.

The training

I found a 12 week plan at Hal Higdon's page. It is an off-season program to improve speed and be in shape. It says it is also to learn to race, I will just skip that :P. Here's the link in case you want to check it out.
It will make me increase from 4 to 5 days a week running and includes tempo runs, hills, fartlek. It doesn't include long runs, that is sad, but for me sounds like less stress and more chance to accomplishment. It recommends to save the long runs for the marathon training. Will see if I can avoid the temptation of doing long runs as soon as I feel stronger!

Week 1 Day 1: 3 m + Strength
My heart rate continues unusually high. The morning was in fact finally fresher so I can stop saying it is the weather who makes my HR higher... What is it then?
Completed the 3 mile run. It wasn't very comfortable as I had to stop a couple times to breath. Great.... My legs feel very strong and there is no other problem than breathing.
The bad part of it was that when I was at the weight room, I felt suddenly terribly dizzy. I looked at my HR monitor and it was on 55. As I recovered, -about 3 minutes later- I tried again to continue training and it happened again. Of course I recovered but during the day I've been with a headache. Hope it doesn't go farther.

Thanks for asking about Luna, but I am not sure yet if she will be a runner. For the moment I can tell you she is a very good dog for the family, very intelligent and tender. Just what my girls dreamt.