The simple act of running

2007-04-20T17:23:00.001-04:00

I just felt like wanting more

2007-01-18T13:15:00.000-05:00

Today's workout was made in episodes. Instead of leaving home at around 6.45 with N I stayed until 7:25 because she didn't come and M was about to arrive at 7.30. I didn't have a real plan to do today. I thought of training only with M in order to do a longer run tomorrow. With M "covered" 3.5 miles. Running and walking. When we end made some stretching and watched the day was gorgeous,
windy, blue sky, fresh, lovely, believe me. We started talking and to continue with the chat invited her for breakfast. It happens from time to time, we are friends now.
I had what I usually eat for breakfast; 1 egg + 3 egg whites with fresh tomato sauce and a slice of bread, a glass of pineapple juice and coffee with a small pan cake.
Not conservative at all but this is the best I can make having breakfast in a hotel everyday in the buffet! The truth it was harder before not to eat other things they offer and that look great. Now I am stronger...
After that we took a brief walk, -about 10 minutes as we were finding out about an new Internet service available at the hotel (which could in the future solve my connection problems) and went to the parking lot and said goodbye.
While walking to my car I watched again the lovely morning. It was already around 10 but the sun wasn't that hot in fact the wind was fresh. I just felt like running again. The rest of course could wait. I just went and how nice it was! I had no water with me and had to stop to drink 2 times but continue until ended with 4.5 miles for a total of 8. Started thinking of going for 1 loop around the hotel (2 miles) but after drinking water felt like going for half of that again. Drank again but felt fine and went for 1 more. It is great to feel again the happiness of running. Stopping helped of course a lot but there was no one around who care in fact. Garmin had a day off as it ran out of energy but I didn't precisely missed it.
This second chance to run I was in a high. And it came to my mind that the only ones that could understand this moments is you my team from the blogsphere and knew I had to share this feeling.
It was surprising that I could run immediately after eating that amount of food, the first 3 miles it was fine ended with some discomfort but nothing that bad.
One thing different I had this morning was a dosis of ginseng that definitely was what made the trick. In fact after this that I call successful morning I am thinking about green tee. I used to have some before starting my workouts and gave me lots of energy. I will stick to that again.

Tanita loves me :D

2007-01-12T18:02:00.000-05:00

Thursday went to Punta Cana for a bike ride. The area is a new neighborhood that is being built. There are open roads and there is no transit. It was nice to be able to develop the fastest speeds I've tried. 12m/h not continuous, but I could reach it as said by Garmin. In the hotel the traffic doesn't let you speed up. Still this high speed is relative. I don't know what is high speed for a bike ride. By the way the other day I was thinking while riding 10m/h that a marathoner that ends in 2.15 develops this kind of speed that I reach when riding! They are super humans!!! It is then a nice place to run or bike ride.

This morning my WO was 2miles+strenght training+2 miles.
I will continue training on the treadmill to end recovering my energy. I want to save energy and take care. I haven't mention but now the left foot is giving me some trouble spur related. I was warned about that. Seems like people with spurs develop them in both feet. Still as I stated before, spurs don't stop me.

Now to Tanita. The new scale arrived. I don't know how accurate it is but is should be close to what it states. I waited two hours after exercises and eating: 25% fat !!!
I like it measures the hydration percentage also. I will check it to see if drinking regularly elevates my % Now I'm in a medium point.
It has a mode for metabolic age. It said that mine is 25 and I'm 35. I don't know if it is true but it sounds great!
Luis was some angry. Funny. He is 39 and his MA was 50.
I also weighted some of my friends and even M who is 30 had a MA of 40.
Seems like I'm the only one that Tanita loves.

A real runner partner

2007-01-10T17:37:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday I was supposed to met 2 moms from school to go for a bike ride. Instead of waiting for them 30 minutes I thought of going for a short run as I was in Punta Cana, the place where the school is. A beautifil green safe area that has a "trial" on the side of the road. I've run there once only as it is some far to get there early with my girls, but from this run I will have to go there more often, seriously.
It was a great run, a shame I forgot to my Garmin, I love the maps. Warmed up for 5 minutes and I was already able to run which doesn't happen lately. Immediately felt happy with a steady pace on this soft surface. I had my phone with me, there I checked the time and when I had run 20 minutes I went back. About five minutes later I met with L who was running, -she was in the group when I was with the kickboxing thing- I was so happy to see her that I turned back and continued with her. We started chatting and after about 10 minutes I started feeling the effort of running and chatting. But it was ok. She is a runner! In fact she was talking me about her training and an expedition to the highest point of the island called Pico Duarte at the end of January.
She is a short woman maybe a feet smaller than I -maybe- but she is FAST. Well at least stronger and faster. We accorded to run from time to time togheter.
The landscape and company made me realize about my lack of motivation this last days. It also should be some boreness. I need challenges, to feel motivated for running but with real runners. Sorry for N and M my actual partners but they've made me lazy :-P Now I decide it is their fault.
By the way I missed the other bike partners...

Today I went to the gym thinking of running at the treadmil and do there an easy workout considering yesterday as a hard day. Warmed up for 5 minutes and had to stop to move one of my orthotics that has caused me a blister grrrr. Still I was able to concentrate and continue running.
I was checking my low heart rate. I set my usual speed of 5m/h and it was still around 140 when normally it is over 150. I wondered if I could reach again 160 as before. Started a hill session. Made in total 8 reps of 1 min at 8 incline which is the max rate I usually reach, with about 2 minutes to recover on 4 miles total.
For the first 5 reps I lowered the speed to 4.7 The HR continue being very low; it only increased to 150 not 160. But it was nice, incredible, but I wasn't as tired as before in same conditions.
The last 3 reps I left the speed on 5 and finally the HR climbed to 160. But it was fine, in fact I haven'r feel tired or bad during the day :D
With this run I completed 6 days in a row training with a low total of 17 miles and 1 hour bike. I am feeling fine so I'm planning to go to Punta Cana tomorrow again for an hour or more of bike ride!
Photos and map tomorow!

*A note about weight. I feel happy to confirm that I didn't gain weight on December. I feel proud. Didn't loose but I'm still on 149 despite my lack of training. Yeah!
Spell checking doesn't work and loggin in is a whole problem since I moved to betta grrr.

Looks like I'm improving :D

2007-01-07T18:36:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm feeling better. I haven't feel that weak and not stomach issues!
Saturday wanted to try the tread mil which I haven't in a long time. They were busy. Instead of that since I was already in the gym and mentally programmed for not hitting the road I choose an elliptical. Stayed there for about 45 min. I will count it like 3 miles, as it counts on distance. I don't really like it. My feet become still there. But still it felt like a good effort and a big sweat.
As Spark suggested better now than latter I started with the bike. An hour, 10 miles. Felt fine. If I will be using it for my marathon training it will work nicely since now while I recover my energy.
About the marathon training I still think that if I feel better I still can change some of the Cross training sessions for easy runs.
I will focus now on hydration. Now that here is not that hot I am not drinking enough water. I bought on an Internet sale a Tanita that measures the hydration level, I know for some of your blogs, that it is not that accurate, but I hope it helps me to focus on that as a key to improve my running.

A start

2007-01-05T13:10:00.000-05:00

Well, finally made it. The year started with four easy miles.

A good point is that my heart rate is lower now. It should be not only for the fitness level :P but because of the weather. Still it is some strange looking that my heart rate is still on 145 -148 at the end of 4 miles. It used to be 150- 155. Of course I have no good fitness level at this point... is it maybe the age???

I'm looking for the marathon training and found some with only 3 days a week running, the rest combines lots of xt. Maybe that could be a good way to enjoy my runs again.

I have talk about my "partners" since a long time. Two of three that started are still trying. N is already running 25 minutes non stop. M is still doing intervals of running as she has missed many sessions during this months. I am trying to motivate them to follow a half marathon training and travel with me to Cleveland on May but will see if they finally want to come. I also understand that racing is not for everyone :)

Beyond numbers

2007-01-02T22:18:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Looking at my numbers, well, I might say that is not that I can precisely say that I feel proud of this year as a runner and there are doubts about my running that I would like to state here.

I understand that long distance is not for everyone. I realized about that reading Lulu's blog, seems like a good choice doing it right before going to the next step. Am I prepared for it?

I like to be there "in the long run" as Scott referees. I will find out again how to get there. I have no clue of how to do it right now. Thinking of a 10 mile run seems pretty scary. I know I like it but am I able to do them again?

I wonder what is the secret to keep all the way up during the year with a fresh Moho and feel full with all the energy required to run all those miles most of you do.

I also think that anyone complains as I do. And I don't mean complaining about spurs. In general I think that my health is not that good as yours for example. My stomach is still giving me some troubles and looking back during the year makes me think that I am not strong as you are. I won't say I am not strong enough since I've already done it before, but has it taken too much from me and my body is not reacting as it should adapting itself to this new stress that will make me grow and instead of that is somehow stepping back getting weaker and weaker against what is expected??????

How many times were you sick during last year?

I was thinking of all this last night when trying to figure out how will I start training for the marathon again. Anyway I feel very engage in this marathon thing and I will attempt and will take this new challenge. I want to enjoy my training and at the same time feel proud of how I do it and do it complete and with quality, which will not exactly mean being fast ;-)

THANKS, THANKS, THANKS for your supportive words, it is incredible to have to say this but is like feeling that you guys will understand what I mean, people that I don't actually know but from the ones I receive so much! Your welcome back words have being so important to be inspired about my running even more.

*My running year hasn't started yet. No miles logged yet. I want to refresh my legs and try to recover my Moho which I will need a lot for the marathon training.

Last post of the year

2006-12-31T15:00:00.000-05:00

****Running Goals for 2007*****
- Improve 2006 numbers, (1080) in 20% at least
- To run my second marathon and set a better mark (!)
- End the year training for my third marathon in Miami 2008
- Keep posting on blogger :S

December numbers:

90 miles 20 running days of 31.

2006 ended with 1080 miles total.

After and during taking the medication my performance decreased a lot. It was a shame to step back precisely when everything was going so right. It lasted 10 days and it wasn't that bad but seem like this medicine affected my sleep and made me very anxious. I just wasn't on the mood to run, but still try my best effort. Cancelled running four days in a row and then came back easily running five days in a row, then resting 2 and this last week ended with 36 miles in 6 days running that were not perfect, but done. The spring training wasn't completed... I completed only 9 of 12 weeks and missed many of the speed session from the second season, "again".

December... a very busy month. It mean all sorts of parties, not to mention school holidays and with kids at home everything changes. I had no longer my mornings and instead of that I become in to my daughters driver and tour guide :D

I spent a lot of time on the Internet I confess, but with my slow connection I could only made the basic research for Christmas presents and until two days ago the presents for the 6Th of January when we Mexicans celebrate "Los Reyes Magos" (it is when baby Jesus received presents from the three wise men). Kids receive toys from them, so they are on the way! I have always to buy on line, there is nothing available here.

Thanks D for recommending me the Oklahoma marathon I really appreciate it, the thing is that I wasn't able to start training on time. I choose Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, May 20Th! I will have to start training on January 15! Have anyone run that one?

Happy New Year for all of you my inspiration from the Internet. It is amazing to discover how important is the state of mind. This days I was absent form the blog sphere but when running many of you were still inspiring me in more that one way! The best for you and your family!!

Glutes on the run

2006-12-10T21:40:00.000-05:00

It was a productive week that ended with 24 miles.
Since Thursday I noted something different on my glutes but until Friday and then again on Saturday, was that I started using and enjoying it. After about two miles into the run there is some new energy coming from my glutes and make my run stronger and easier. Maybe I think is like my strike has grown some maybe only a bit in length and that should aloud now this muscle to move better and for that reason now I can use them. I feel like the rest of my leg is useless now that I can use my glutes for pushing. It's energy is crucial. What a nice sensation. Seems like everything takes me long to happen and for that reason I can almost watch how my progress goes on...
On Friday I had to go for a speed session but missed it again. Instead of that I ran in what seemed to be a tempo run which had the best mile in 9:20. It was a great run. On Saturday I could felt the effort and change the run for the afternoon and that gave my legs a chance to run the last day of my running week. The start wasn't that nice but it ended full of renewed energy!

In other notes, I finally visited the doctor to receive the results of the studies, I was busy yes, but the truth is that as I felt recovered just didn't paid attention to it. I have gastritis coming from a bacteria and the treatment is with two different antibiotics. I didn't wanted to take them as some internet research I found saying it is common in this countries but exactly yesterday morning I started having some nausea and stomach discomfort. Hope this doesn't change my runs that at the moment are going so well... What a time for this to come, but still I should focus on the future and think of this as a part of the taking care of my health now and not in the middle of a marathon training. :-)

5 under 10 and 147!!

2006-12-05T12:08:00.000-05:00

More numbers. It is good to watch them sometimes :-)

My schedule said for today an 8km race. No race of course but still tried to go fast and strong. For the first time ever despite of had stopped several times to recover set a good time for me. Looking at my chart I see that the average is 9:53 the last mile was around eleven so for the next race I will have to start easier to complete as strong as at the beginning. Still I tried to end with a negative split. It was a short one, but still I felt good while doing it.
It is the first time that I complete 5 miles with this numbers, good day! I know for most it is a turtle pace but still I was going -as it should be- only against myself and I think it was good. I know that with some more concentration I could be doing even better.I have to translate those stops in to slower pace. Another detail to remember is to carry my pack with water. My mouth felt dry for moments and I was feeling some thirsty.
Those stops that I made in fact helped me, then I needed them. My heart rate was very high and making it to go down by stopping felt good.
The 147 is what my scale read today. I know my weight goes up and down depending what I drink also, but still I hadn't seen that number since maybe last year, so the 'DETERMINATION' month worked... To be honest, the determination wasn't as strong as should be. It is a process and with my visitors, sharing meals with them... (By the way I read an article that mentions that if you eat in groups for business for example, it is harder to follow your diet, seems like you eat more if you eat in groups). But I can say that the process is working. Lately I am not puttin in my mouth junk food that easy, but not only because I think I shouldn't, but because I have no more carvings for it. My friend who is a personal trainer, is a vegetarian also. She used to tell me that she can not eat certainly foods as they appear too sweet or too greasy. Is this finally happening to me? Hope so, fingers cross :-P

Ending the year with hope and energy!!!

2006-12-02T11:44:00.000-05:00

New month, new chances, lots of energy!!! Happy but absent from the blogsphere... That's the only bad part.
We received a visit and I was very busy. The truth is that is not that I was completely unable to write, but writing in english need some more concentration and inspiration still. Also I don't like to write my blog if I can't read yours. That's about writing, but not for running!
I didn't miss any of my scheduled runs. I found myself happy to wake up early to run still inspired from blogs like Jen's who says she needs to end her training at 6.30. I was very dedicated this days, I am happy for that. My legs feel strong and the weather conditions are better than ideal, what else can I ask for?
November ended with 120 miles. Of 30 days I ran 24, rested 5 scheduled and skip 1 for a forced trip to Santo Domingo.

The trip worth the shame, you know what? It was for applying for an american visa. And we receive it!! Of course I am happy as it means now I can travel "close" from where I live, to run marathons!!! That's the reason that finally moved me to apply for it. I hate doing any kind of papers :P specially as it means cancelling running, but still looking for papers questions, grrr. Now that's done and I can say now that I am looking for a flat course. RW have some options, I want to run at the end of april or in may. Could you recommend any, please?

Best days to run in Bavaro

2006-11-08T16:17:00.000-05:00

Tuesday 9 miles walk-run.
What lovely running mornings we are having here. It is a shame people in general don't appreciate them. Well I won't blame them as they are not all the time measuring the humidity and the weather in general to enjoy running, but believe me, suddenly it has had a lovely change. Great running mornings are ahead in our tropical winter! Wish you were here :-)
The long run change from run to half walking. It was not for being tired, first I ran about 2 miles and stopped to start with one of my partners. Walk and sprint for about 45 minutes and then took my camel pack and headed to the beach. It is been a long time since I haven't had a serious run there. The view and weather were awesome, but the sand was ot firm enough to run, I tried from time to time. Couldn't move to the hotel as the day was so beautiful. Ended with 9 miles, total, but stayed on my legs for almost 3 hours. What I've planned was to run along the beach from the opposite side to here, which will be about 8-9 miles. Fortunately I wasn't there as there was nobody available to drive me there, lucky me as the sand was so soft!

Wednesday 3 miles + strength DVD.
Three miles non stop and the avg pace around 10 makes official that after the marathon there is an improvement. Running seems now easier with this weather changes, time to enjoy!
Felt totally energize after doing my strength DVD, I am feeling back on good shape!

On the right path

2006-11-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

This is going well and that makes me happy, there is no better sensation than to know that I've programmed myself and I am just doing what I want to do.

Training until today:

Friday 5 miles including 5xHills

Saturday 3 miles + DVD strength training.

Sunday Off It was so weird not to run on Sunday after a long time doing it!

Monday 3 miles including 25 minutes tempo. I was supposed to run 35 as the schedule said but I headed home as it was late and my partners were supposed to be there... But they weren't. I ran a last mile with brief intervals that made me had lots of fun!

Today's weight was 149 pounds. It's been a long time since I haven't seen the 14... I am on the right path!!!

Google earth has updated photos from my area recently and now that my new Garmin is here I just upload this morning's run. Total of this path is 2.42 miles.

Here we can see how the photo was taken exactly on the boundaries of the hotel.

I'm planning a special long run for tomorrow, hopefully I will give you the good report tomorrow!

Thanks for your wishes and comments about my visit to the hospital. Staying with out food wasn't bad, in fact I'll confess that I stayed in bed until 10 and then headed to the hospital. No time for thinking on food. The study was a stomach endoscopy. They practiced it me with out being sedated -I don't know if asking for your cooperation is normal-, they told me they were going to give me a chance to behave instead of sedating me as it lasts just a couple minutes. I didn't like it at all, of course none will, it gives you terrible nausea and feeling that tube crossing my throat well... At least I saved time. The results will be ready in one week.

Do you want it or not?

2006-11-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

YES or NO are the only answers to this question. Is what I have to think about to practice my Determination month. At least my problems aren't about running or in______. Better not even mention them.
Is the food. Hilda, repeat with me again: loosing weight will help your running A LOT. At least this are the current problems with the ones I have to be determinate to decide what I want for my improvement which at the same time means happiness. I've said it before. Running and training for a marathon is thousand times easier than to loose weight, -well not exactly- to keep my mouth as closed as it should be. (for me)
The scenery is not easy. I've been taking care of this issue the last two years and sounds like it will be a for ever task. Eating is one of the pleasures of life but leaving it on the side for something higher will have its regards.
I remember those days when being thin meant something completely different. It was about vanity only. In fact as soon as I started training four years ago, to loose weight, I put vanity on the side as I started feeling with energy and healthier than ever. Now when I see thin girls around or on TV I wish I could have a body like that to be a better runner or at least lighter.

Running is going fine by the way.
Wednesday 3 miles + DVD Jillian Michaels. Ran on the treadmill, felt much better not having to stop at all. Well, being indoors is impossible not to end doing a decent workout. I will train on it I wish, about 2 times a week.
Thursday 5 miles. It is definitely that my legs are stronger. It is now my breath and hasn't have improved as wished.

Tomorrow morning I have a couple studies at the hospital to end making clear and sure how my stomach is. When they gave me my appointment I was completely disagree of having to wait until 11 with out eating as they are busy until that time. The doctor gave me this killer look saying, "it is only for one day, nothing will happen". I wanted to be able to at least drink water.
Is not that I thought of not surviving with out eating. Is that I didn't wanted to cancel my morning run. But, ok I will move it for latter. How nice to defend my runs like this! It was just about that, but how could she understand how terrible could something like that be?

The wind is blowing again

2006-10-31T21:42:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-26T12:01:00.000-04:00

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

2006-10-23T16:39:00.000-04:00

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 ?!?!?!

2006-10-18T22:12:00.000-04:00

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!

2006-10-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

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!

2006-10-11T13:31:00.000-04:00

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!!

2006-10-09T22:43:00.000-04:00

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

2006-10-07T11:24:00.000-04:00

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??

2006-10-04T13:29:00.000-04:00

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?

2006-10-03T11:31:00.000-04:00

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

2006-10-02T18:31:00.000-04:00

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.

Stop the silence!!

2006-09-30T18:06:00.000-04:00

An unusual busy life with visitors and a new member in the family took me apart from writing my blog... Fortunately not from running!
I stopped writing also because I wanted to redesign my page, which seemed to be an impossible mission from long time ago. Finally I met a Mexican girl here in Bavaro who is teaching me to use new programs. The slow speed at home and lack of time took me apart from reading your blogs, but from time to time I visited you and immediately remember why I write, why I read, why I like to stick to you my inspiration in effort and in this great adventure of running!!

I miss you guys, please accept my apologizes and accept me in the club again, I promise to be as before.. What do you say? Thanks for saying you miss me!!!!!!

As for running, well, there is no injury at all. September has been a very low month, as I been running but only for 2-3 miles a day, but I am ready to start training more seriously from now. I need a goal, yes, you guess, a new marathon, but I don't have any on sight yet... You know is not as easy as where most of you live....
The weather has been terribly hot. This last days of summer had been so so hot that I just wish it refreshes soon! When I run despite being early in the morning the air is so damped that I can hardly breath... The truth is that this is also about the weight I've gain. This week I started following my calorie intake and I think I deserve "almost" a 9. Increased also my activity with free weights and some bicycle. Wish it works!

By the way, our new dog is a shar-pei, her name is Luna. She is a baby, I even have to huge her at night... No I don't need another baby! I got the messege.

This page is already a year old, how quick time goes!!

Those 26.2 and me

2006-08-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

It is different to see it now from this side of the wall, now I know :)

I had no internet connection at my mother's house, then went to an internet on Monday wrote all my report and it was deleted when I tried to post it... At the moment I know the high has ended but still I will try to write my report as emotive as possible :)

On Wednesday we arrived to Panama to stay a night, my mother wanted to see it and what could I say... There I did walk more than I'd wish.

Friday in Mexico city after picking up my bib number and watching the new route started feeling some nervous. On the new route they included at the beginning five bridges and at the end you had to cross three of them again.
I got scared of my ITB aggravating by crossing them. Friday night I woke up at 1 am thinking of crossing those bridges. Checked my HR in the middle of the night to confirm it was much more higher than predicted, above 25% instead of 10%, resting. Altitude was scaring me too. I didn't talk to my family about my fears, (only to Luis by phone) instead I started telling them not to expect too much of me, I think my mother even was scared by the event.

Saturday night leaved all the gear ready. It included my camel pack. I decided to use it despite knowing the weather was pretty cold for me, thinking of drinking from it more comfortable than from what they will give on the race. But, what did I know about cold weather?

Sunday 5 am. Walk up and leave home at 5.45. I used pants and a t-shirt on my shorts as it was very cold for me 53F= 11C. It took us long to find a place to park the car, it was so crowded!! My mother looked nervous to go alone, so I stayed with them until all we walk to the entrance at Hermanos Rodriguez Sports City where the race was going to start. It was still dark, sun rises at 7.20!! We said goodbye and as I was kissing them I thought, when I find you again, I'd have run those 42.19 kms. I crossed the corridors where all the runners were getting together, which is behind the launching slips. There were other women around and it was almost 7, time when women were about to start. (Men started 7.15, don't ask me why, I think men hated to find us there hindering the road latter) People started saying women had already started, yes, I was starting late for my first marathon despite my watch said I still was 15 minutes ahead. All women around started running to the starting line, fast. At least I was ready, so started too. Garmin was on...
Around me there were some women too, so I wasn't alone there. My hands were freezing, it was a foggy morning.
In front of me there was a woman running in a strange way, I approach to her and say hello, start talking to her to find out she had polio but didn't stop her for running 15 marathons already, she also said she has many injuries. Knowing her at the beginning was very inspiring of course.
I left her behind as I felt I was loosing to much energy talking. I was sweating.
My heart rate continue being extremely high, around 165 but as I was feeling my legs strong just tried to keep going as slow as possible to avoid being depleted from the beginning.
When I find the bridges I climb them walking with no regret. As I get down I had nothing to report!
Kept going and around mile 5 I was looking for my father who said he was going to be around there. That gave me another thing to think about. I couldn't find him anyway. I made a stop to the bathroom in a restaurant. I was starting feeling the urgency of going but there were not bathrooms for the race... This will give me serious technical problems later.
Mile 10 I was not enjoying the run, never thought of dropping down, but it was hard to keep going. Certainly the high HR was taking its toll. Suddenly around mile 14 a thought came to my mind. For some reason the last weeks what I found out on movies and magazines was that running a marathon was a painful experience. I started thinking about pain and what it really means. Thought about different sorts of pain, from the people I know. My husband's experience came to my mind. All the time he has fallen or suffer at work and has never complain or give up. This thing, the marathon was nothing compared to real pain. Tears wanted to come to my eyes, some of them made it. Immediately from I don't know where I had a photographer taking pictures of me crying, poor guy. Certainly he thought I was crying because I was suffering about running or something! As the same time it happens I realize that crying is a huge effort. I can feel how from my neck the tears have to be squeezed! Control myself and from that moment I am enjoying the run. It is incredible how after programming my mind I could continue with out even thinking about it. Then I should say my marathon really started about that. Now that I remember me, I was there just programmed to keep going to the end. Even stopped watching my monitor or Garmin. Happy.
Nobody told me it is so nice keep going after mile 18 and it is even easier to do it.
I can see the lovely smiles of me daughters watching me, I can just do it!
On the edge of the street people were cheering so nicely. Some even were offering lemon slices, cookies, coke, candies. I accepted some of them besides the water and gatorade stations. Now I know my stomach supports anything after real long runs. But it will be even better if an available bathroom would be close.
I have to walk but I feel I need to recover doing it and there is no pain anywhere.
Around mile 20 I pay attention looking for the wall an just find a little bench that easily jump and just keep going.
An angel was waiting for me at mile 21. My sister was there to join me for this last effort. It is very nice to see her.
Technical problems are starting giving me real problems, I need to use the toilet. REALLY. Seems like all what I ate this last hours want to get out. My hands and feet are swollen, it is horrible.
My sister tells me about places where to go but they look too far and don't want to leave the road. I am so focused!
Finally we find the right place. Now we are over 39km mark. After leaving the toilet I feel much better! I can run again, slowly but that is not new and over the end is great.
I pass people around me. All they, most men, are walking and turn their faces to look at me. I am so close and feeling great! On my face there is a great smile. I cross the line and this is it, the marathon is done and I am feeling so happy.

Oh, yeah, about time! I ended in 5.50. An eternity I know but still happy as the experience was something awesome.
To see some pictures go here. My number is 1010.

Now, Wednesday night I am in Cancun, my recovery is going great. Monday and Tuesday my legs were stiff. Now they feel just great. I will keep drinking a lot and recovering. Thanks for your thoughts, they helped me a lot, before and during the marathon.

How to know

2006-08-21T22:30:00.000-04:00

After reading turnip's post my mind has being spinning about why am I doing the marathon for the last days... Even more when people around me say so many strange thing about running it, like for example that is inhuman to run for 5 hours, that there is no sense on doing something like it. Some others even say running 5 hours is not that bad :) a Dominican friend told me she thought it was going to last for days! How to make them understand that this challenge despite being so hard just to even think about it, will certainly take me in to a great high...

I've been thinking about when and why I started my long runs last September. It was a combination of discovering information about running and feeling how it is to achieve some points. Discovered myself enjoying long runs a lot. I even thought when is the point to decide to run or not a marathon... Should it be before knowing how it is to run long or just as taking it as a challenge and do it because you want to know that you as many, can do it... That could take us to the point where you define runners who are more competitive from the ones who enjoy, don't you think? Still I am just about to know how it feels to make a real long run and what I expect from it is the great sensation it gives you to make your first long run.

This week I am focused on fueling and hydrating properly, I am feeling strong and running well. The weather there is very cold for me, but wish it can help in some way, will see... There the temps are around 10 in the morning, there is no humidity. Those are my advanteges. The odds are the altitud... not that bad! 2-1

These days my mind is being very positive, knowing that I can do it and feeling strong. Planning mental strategies and understanding why I want to do it, I am just convinced.

The last details for the trip are ready. I will be in Mexico city on Friday morning to pick up my bib# and from there I will be taking it as easy as possible there in my contry... trying to avoid all that delicious food and stopping myself to go around... I will have the chance for that and more on Sunday!!

The sad part on my marathon is that my husband Luis is staying in the Dominican. He has to be at work, can't travel again for this dates... I will miss him so much, you just can't imagine...
Your good wishes and nice words will reach my even from as far as Australia, this my first marathon will be such a great experience and a lot of that I have to thank you guys!!!

Only good news

2006-08-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning I finally knew about the new route that the marathon will have. I could feel my hope renewing and could enjoy the idea of becoming a marathonist! In fact this is not a new one, the first 16 marathons were there and the route was just recently changed. Now it is officially the route we 14,000 people will follow to run the marathon... Sweet words!

Running has been great this last days. It is like everything is on its place and my legs are strong and happy to be there. The last change on shoes had meant a huge benefit as now I don't have problems with my left hamstring or ITB. As Lore of running advises, seems like the other pair were very rigid... I had used that model for a while but I can see now that from one version to the next many changes can happen. Impossible to try to understand how this people who are supposed to understand the importance of the shoes don't aloud us to stick to one pair. Despite we know we have to change them very often. Sigh.

The last long run of the was a 12 miler last Friday. It went very well, I enjoyed it and felt happy.
In a review at the moment I check my numbers and they say I ran 85% of the scheduled runs. At least I can say on my defense that the runs were cancelled to avoid further injuries, it wasn't because of being a slacker :)

Yesterday I had a glorious run of 4 miles. I put no effort and accomplish good pace and felt very strong.

The same happened this morning in my 6 miles run. What I want to report is about Garmin. It ran out of energy, but as I was going to use it to walk with a partner later -a friend wants to learn to run and I am walking half an hour a day with her and Garmin is very useful to set up laps for jogging and walking-, so I went back home and left it charging.
I went back running to end the last two miles, but felt my arm strangely light. It was that Garmin was not there. Its weight is enormous, I found out. It was like its black presence weighted more than I could know. The training ended nicely.

I've been some busy with my mother and that don't let me enough time to write my blog. I've been trying to upload some pictures, but you know the usual blogger problems... Well next time.

Goal: To enjoy

2006-08-08T16:44:00.000-04:00

This is what I thought this morning when started running. I've thought many times about Thomas's post and that helped me to remember that nothing is happening if I run the marathon or not. This is something that I want, not that I have to. Running is not an obligation, is a great source of enjoyment in my life.
I wanted my enjoyment back and I found it.
A very important thing to accomplishing this was not to focus at all on pace. Go with RPE and avoided to watch Garmin as less as possible. It is a tool an sometimes it rules my runs and don't let me get my main goal, which is enjoying! I know that will drive me to the next points which are consistency and all the rest.

So, this day I don't know how mental it was, but I could enjoy and felt great. No pain appeared and could run with damped air. Pace and time were good. Completed 9.5 miles. Happy, happy.

Thanks for your advises. I am listening to them and will apply them. I will go for 12 on Friday:)

After four days of rest

2006-08-07T08:30:00.000-04:00

I am much better!

I wasn't completely inactive, trained legs in the gym. It's been a while since my legs doesn't hurt, this time they did! That was on Wednesday and Friday.
Sunday morning started 2.5 miles outdoors. It was hard with the damped air, but the leg was surprisingly good. Inserted legs workout and climbed up to the treadmill for the resting 2.5. Still I think I should not use to much weight and increase reps.

I was running! I was feeling so happy with this!

I am thinking the problem last Tuesday was increasing speed and hills. I will not attempt to train that at this stage. I used my soft shoes and I was like over clouds.
Now, I've lost my last and longest run of the schedule but I still have 3 weeks to go. I will try to do a long run this Friday again. Normally the schedule calls for a 12 miles run but that will mean that my longes run was 5 weeks before the marathon. I will still have two weeks for the taper. I'll try 16 to 18... What is your opinion please? The marathon is on august 27, three weeks from now.
Took today off... I was very sleepy this morning after the 7 hours drive from yesterday.
My mother is here! We are very happy :-)

Update

2006-08-02T17:40:00.000-04:00

Yes you guess it, this is not going right yet, but I didn't want to complain about it, I'm still alive!
As Speedygeoff commented not only because of running fast you can get injured but for running longer, maybe I'm not friend of 18, who knows...

This week I am supposed to be running 20 miles as a long run, not sure yet if I should even attempt to do it. My left knee flexors are hurting. Maybe I should start calling it by its proper and scary name ITB. Sigh.
Yesterday I went for a 10 miles run and I was doing fine. I even made some speed laps and hills, I was on the treadmill. I step off to go to the bathroom around the 6.5 mile and when I came back it started. I was stretching, walking, trying. A couple times in that order. Stopped at 9.5 miles.

Instead of the recovery run of today, I headed the gym for a serious lower body work out. I wanted to give to my knee and extra day off. I hope I can be ready on Friday for this long run. Included specially exercises for hamstring and calves.
I had this idea after I read RW article "How we turned a slacker into a finisher". It came just in the right time. I liked so much this article and its recommendations. It gave me hope.

Next Sunday I'm driving to Santo Domingo to pick up my mother. We are very happy that she is coming. She will stay here with us until all we together go to Mexico city for the marathon. If it happens.
It will be the first time she is close to me while I go to run. This is very weird for her, she is always recommending me not to force myself "that badly". People that she knows from her work that have run half marathons say it is very hard. She is has told me several times how I need a real trainer to teach me how...
It should be the natural reaction to unknown, in fact is funny.
I mean I LOVE she is coming -don't get me wrong, in fact it is the best part in this hoildays for me and my family-, but she won't help a lot with motivation. At least she will be only for the taper.

Now that I say only for the taper, in fact I didn't find the training that bad, how to avoid saying this if I decreased my weight training? The only real bad part in fact is being injured... running is always good!

Huevos rancheros

2006-07-30T19:59:00.000-04:00

This is my own recipe and in fact, I use PAM!

Huevos Rancheros 2 portions
4 eggs
4 tortillas
1 cup Red Salsa
Grated Mozzarella cheese
Smashed refried beans.
Red Salsa.
Put in the mixer 2-4 tomatoes, half onion, salt, one clove of garlic and fresh or dried chilies. To cook the salsa spray some PAM on the frying pam and put the pure to broil there, just until it is hot.
Fry the tortillas in small amount of oil or with PAM. Fry (use oil or PAM) the eggs sunnyside up. Place the tortillas on a plate. Add the beans and then the fried eggs. Pour the salsa over the eggs. Top with grated cheese.
Enjoy!

About me

2006-07-28T19:21:00.000-04:00

I almost forget that Wobbly tagged me. Thanks CJ for the remainder :)

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Waitress, yeah, me too!
2. Front desk cashier
3. English teacher (for kids and begginers of course :P)
4. Kickboxing monitor

B) Four movies I would watch over and over
1. Constantine
2. Matrix 1 -2
3. March of the penguins
4. Bleu

C) Four places I have lived
1. Mexico City
2. Cancun and Playa del Carmen
3. Monterrey
4. Veracruz, all cities from Mexico :)

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Animal extreme
2.
3.
4.

E) Four places I have been on holidays:
1. Canada
2. Cuba
3. Bern, Paris
4. Madrid, London

F) Websites visited daily:
1. Weather Channel
2. Hotmail
3. Bloglines
4. Listin Diario

G) Four of my favourite foods/drinks:
1. Tacos
2. Rancheros eggs
3. Tamales
4. Pozole, all mexican dishes, I'm hungry now!!

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Having dinner with Luis :)in Mexico
2. With friends
3. In Mexico
4. A cruiser...

Four people I think will respond, better say I wish to know more!
1. Jen
2. Spark driver
3. Olga
4. Miners,D (I know you don't like but still), R2B,Thomas, Rob, Racheal, Liv, turnip, well all "of you" who read this :P

Blow wind, blow

2006-07-28T11:55:00.000-04:00

I could run 12 miles today. It was a windy morning and that definitely help. I also took advantage of the irrigating system and took a shower from time to time. When the wind was blowing I repeated myself many times how nice it felt!! I took of my hat and my head was fresher. (as suggested in RW) I feel like I am getting closer again not moving away!
I recognized this morning that another fact for the failures this last days was the lack of focus. Lately when I head the beach it is hard to run there and that makes me tired. My motivations goes down and getting up from that state steels me lots of energy. This morning avoided the beach. Planned two loops around the hotel (5.5miles) without stopping and then head the beach. Then I went, the temptation to run next to the ocean in a smoother surface is big! Even when it was still hard to run there I was already warm up and stayed there for a mile. Coming back to the road was easier than other days.
The weather reports says wind's sped is 12km/h I'll check it often now!
Luis told me the treadmill at the gym is fixed, I wish!! If it is, my next highest week will be easier. I will stay there as much as possible breathing fresh air, ahhhh!
I can. I will.

As there's still life, there is hope

2006-07-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

R2B sent me this quote, enjoy:

People can't understand why a man runs. They don't see any sport in it. Argue it lacks the sight and thrill of body contact. Yet, the conflict is there, more raw and challenging than any man versus man competition. For in running it is man against himself, the cruelest of opponents. The other runners are not the real enemies. His adversary lies within him, in his ability, with brain and heart to master himself and his emotions.

Thanks R2B :) This raised my hope enormously this morning while struggling to do the miles. Completed 7. I was supposed to go for more, but didn't wanted to offer the sacrifice of doing the rest under the sun. Not today. It was sunny then, now it is cloudy, grrrrr.
The main idea as going, was that I knew somehow that going slowly I could manage to go the distance. The good news is that the ITB pain did not appear at all, only the normal stiffness on the knee flexors. The bad part again was the breath. I had to catch my breath continuously, despite going slowly. I say it should be this combination of hot and humid air. This latest runs under this conditions are killing me slowly. Well, I hope that is what is happening. Unfortunately the treadmill at the gym are broken so I can't give a try on them to my breath, grrrr, it had to be at this same time! Still I'll give another try tomorrow, the weather conditions say it will be raining which means at least no sun today and tomorrow.
So, as I said I trust the weather conditions are doing this. What else could be? Yesterday afternoon I get into a bathroom where there is no air conditioned and started feeling dizzy just because of breathing normal air!! At least there is no humidity in Mexico city where the marathon will be. In fact it has been very fresh lately, well as usually is during summer. I will just ignore the rest of the facts :P
Thanks to all of you for all the support, believe me it works!!

And there's even more

2006-07-24T11:18:00.000-04:00

For the first time I did not complete my run. Instead of 9 they were just 5.7, the reason, well this is what happened, should be here for my records. I hate hate hate to complain, but I want to review and follow every step I make along this narrow gap.
The laborious breathing was the main thing happening during the first miles. I continued anyway with the thinking of improving latter on. Ended the first 3.4 miles ok and started brief speed work. It was only 200m laps. I made them comfortably, but since the first lap a ITB pain appeared. It was not that bad certainly, but this time the usual niggle on the knee move there. Ended with 5 laps and continued to run. The pain was there as the hard breathing. Felt defeated disappointed, frightened, sad. I was questioning myself what I knew that was happened, punishing me for being so stupid. Changing shoes at this stage and ignoring the latest niggles...
I started walking I was going under. When I saw this guy watching up to the trees. Up there, there were about ten parrots making different sounds, life is not that bad I thought. Stopped and made some photos. Turn off my headphones and listened to the sounds of the jungle, lovely. That calmed me down. Thought of going for the rest of the run slowly, but first going home to change shoes again... On the way I made a stop in the bathroom, and just decided that for today I was done.
Now I am thinking that I am not defeated, there is much more to come and I am taking it.
I'll take off tomorrow of running and will go to the gym to do some weights.
On Thursday I will be fine, I'll stick to my usual pair of shoes and that will be it. No more speed work just focused on the marathon. Ending is the goal and I am reaching it.
The thing that worries my now is about this breathing path. I don't think the weight is doing this, I was this same weight before and I wasn't doing it, anyway I'm watching what I eat... And don't forget to start easy the next time...
Wish my moho comes back, I am not enjoying this.

In review...

2006-07-23T19:51:00.000-04:00

What does writing this reports are for? Why is blogger so helpful? Well it definitely helps with motivation but at this point I am somehow lost between that and the main reason to write it, record and be able to analyze what I am doing, in a word, to improve.
I was wondering about my first 18 miles run last January and decided to read about it. I wanted to know how I felt those days. I remembered that the last miles were in a very slow motion... It was a surprise to read how good it was, in fact it was marvelous! Tiredness or complaining wasn't the main subjects!! In fact that was an speedy workout. My pace was always under 11 which is AMAZING for me now? What is going on?
Well and that is just to start. Take a look to my weight and well -no surprise- and finally realize about being 142 at that stage and now 150. Ok, this is going backwards then.

I have to mention and take on count more details:

- The weather at the end of September is fresher, in fact those runs started around 8 but I think that it was still too hot!
- Those days I had niggles all around my body, I think as a result of running strong every workout.
- After that 18 miles run in January I had the ITB injury which lead me to go to the doctor and finally found out about the spur.
- Now,the reason to run always slowly is also that I learn that training should be divided in to hard and easy days, half-half. Running long meant hard, then that left me with two easy days and one free to do speed training. (Which I haven't as my records say since about 6 weeks ago, great!)
-About the weight gain, my weight session have decreased enormously since the marathon training started. Those happy days with 142 pounds came along with the kick boxing sessions and a heavier weight program of about 3 hours a week.

Should I say that speed is not my best friend? As a beginner I shouldn't be doing speed sessions but I am someone who needs it desperately. (And still don't do them, preferring to go longer than faster, to avoid leaving my comfort zone and injuries)
Is this the time to go and do a greater effort? Should I concentrate on just ending the training and just put all together and as a magic craft it will happen?
Maybe as my mother says I need a real trainer.

All that motivated my run today, I wanted to see how fast I could go. I wanted to know if I am still capable of running under 11 min/mile. (!!!)
I AM. In fact it was all the time closer to 10 and sometimes around 9. Sigh.
This thinking are about the marathon time of course. I have to, I want to do it under 5 hours. I haven't lost the main focused on finishing, but now I am wondering how much should I effort now and then. Have I done enough effort? What and when do the effort should appear?

The weather and conditions there will hopefully make a difference as there the mornings are pretty fresh, anyway ending running at noon sounds hot anywhere...

Well more than enough today. Tomorrow it will be another day another chance to improve!
I will continue and pay more attention on performance, pace and RPE.
Tomorrow 10 miles and speed work.

18 miles report

2006-07-20T11:46:00.000-04:00

Started preparing for it from yesterday eating more complex carbs. Eating them was hard, this days I haven't been that hungry. Somehow I was forcing myself to ingest which seem to be lots of food.
Set the alarm 4:40, woke up at 5:00 mmmm. Pre-training meal was an orange juice and oatmeal. No problem at all to digest it, as I started running over the next five minutes after the last spoon.
The starting. How bad it was!! The problem was breathing, the air was so damped that it was hard to take some oxygen from it. Anyway I wasn't alarmed, there were many miles ahead to solve the problem, to get use to it, -I thought- and it was like that. Over the third mile I started breathing normally.
Today I used the shoes I am planning to use on the marathon day but I felt them so inflexible compared to the new ones that maybe I should give it a second thought, I'm on the right time.
As the first miles included some walking laps I pushed to end the first hour on time and could make it.
Training has given me the experience to know that during the run there are many ups and downs, so any time that a down was on, I was just waiting for the up to come knowing it was coming, that it was just about to happen, no matter what. Should be that now, my positive side is more confident and trust more to tell myself go on, instead of "walk". If my body was about to walk, my mind was saying go on, you don't need it and was fine. Just a slow motion step was done and then I was just there running again. Walking in fact was painful compared to running. Also while walking I could feel the hot even more.
Other positive thinking was that finishing was close and after that it was going to take me only a few minutes to feel again like if nothing had happened, like if it was someone else doing that effort. Imagine the shower and my fresh room and I was about to win that price. The effort seemed to be something ephemeral from that moment in the close future. That made me able to enjoy again my running.
The heat started over the 12 mile but it was just only for about 10 minutes, then some clouds came on time to give me some shadow, wonderful, thanks mother nature :)
Ended 15 miles on time. Three hours already. Two stops in the restroom included.
Went to the gym and recharged my back pack with cold water and poured two glasses on my head, how nice it was! Made me feel like the next three mile to be done were going to be fine, my mind was positive and clear.
Pace decreased some but I was still running over miles 16 and 17.
When started the 18th mile I was happy and smiling. Knowing that I could make a last effort and made it. Increased again the speed, but first I looked for my favorite songs. How they helped me!! Then I realized the sun was over me, but I was not feeling it. It was something happening outside of me. Inside I was just fine and focused on my running, wanting to try if I could do more...
Ended with a positive mind state. How nice is running, it gives you the nicest time to enjoy yourself, the only thing to be done is to go on no matter what is going on around.

And I say enjoy!

2006-07-17T11:44:00.000-04:00

The training at the moment:

Friday, 3 mile recovery run.(treadmill)
Now I understand the sense of the recovery word. How it helps! I started making this recovery runs since I knew about my vacations to add some more miles because of the one that were not going to be done. But now making them is giving me the chance to feel how good it is and how it speeds up the recovery. And the bike is just there staring at me, but now I am running 5 days a week, better load and I am feeling good!!

Sunday, 5 easy miles. Weight training.
My weeks start on Sunday. This week I am planning to go back to my complete program including the weights, the plyometrics, abs and the yoga sessions. Inserted the weights in the middle of the run. The second session with 2.5 miles to go was easier than the first one. My body missed the weights so it felt good to work my legs and back.

Monday 10 long run + plyometrics.
I'm still playing games with food. I had for dinner last night arrachera, ignoring my own thoughts telling that it was not good for a run the day after, but I paid the price this morning. Over the fifth mile I was exhausted. Made walking breaks and it was when I started asking myself what was going on this morning. Soon came to my mind the steak... Well at least this is just a training and will work as a warning to myself to avoid all the food that is waiting for me when I'm in Mexico, the days before the marathon. Fortunately they will be about only two. So still I made the miles, grrr it was hard, but as long as I decided to go for them understanding what was causing me the problems I felt better and slow but reach the distance.
I will make a review to my nutrition notes and books to start the carbs load from now. They are a key for success to my long runs ahead.
Talking about long runs, in fact there is only 3 more of them 18, 14 and 20 before the marathon. I've made 18 before but I bet this will be much better now. The day is getting close!!

I like to wish you to enjoy your races, training runs and the fun runs. Seems like it is me who has lost some of it. I remember last year, running yes, but all the time watching around the landscape the palm trees, the sky the waves breaking on the sand... Now on my mind is the distance. To complete it. The marathon etc. In fact I even stopped going to the beach. Sometimes it is the dogs around it, others the sand that is too uneven, the thing is that I will try to move my mind in that way.

I feel good :D

2006-07-13T14:47:00.000-04:00

Made it. I just don't know how but made it and feel great just like if it was any run. I am not with the usual high. It was somehow easy... Is this becoming in something I am finally getting used to??
I wanted to run 14 miles if the morning was lucky, and if everything was ok, try to reach 16.
From the beginning planned to do six laps around the hotel. Each one is 2.6 miles, if each of them were done in 30 minutes that will give me 15 miles.
Thinking it that way from the beginning made it easier, instead on being focused on 16 I had to do only 6.
I added some miles at the beach each lap, what gave me more distance. Around mile 10 I realized I was going greatly on time. That gave me a boost and this kept happening over and over. The truth is that I walked but that helped me to recover and as I was going back to run. I could develop some good pace!
The hardest moments were under the sun, but could overcome them.
I think speed was improved as I am wearing new shoes, if that help!! I bought them specially for the last long runs. At the end my feet were some stiff but I think it should be because they are NEW.
This was a good run, I feel like I am almost where I was before holidays. I could complete a 16 mile long run and just added 10 minutes compared to the same distance 2 weeks ago.
My legs were fine, the breathing was some hard, fitness will come back before the marathon. Bring it on!!
Oh yeah, the spur... The orthotics are working perfectly!! They were made specially for me and seem to be working very well.
I have to use them in both feet. They only have like a ball in the center and that is what avoids the pain on the heel, is perfect. I don't like to use it on the foot that is fine, but it could produce some imbalance. In the other foot I don't even realize that ball is there.

45 days to goooo!!!

2006-07-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

OMG, I just realized about this, but no panic, I just know somehow I will make it.... Despite lack of decent training from last two weeks.
This week I made like this:
Saturday morning, before leaving Spain, I made a hard 3 mile run :O
Sunday afternoon went for 4 miles and ended with 5 feeling good.
Monday afternoon tried to do 8 miles and ended with only 7.3 with lots of walking included. Still no panic, I fell like now I have to go for the distance and I will be back on shape. The only bad part is that this long "walks" grrr take for ever. In fact it was in total about a mile that I walked. Over the 5th mile I felt soooo hungry, incredible hungry and had a gel, but it wasn´t by chance enough and made a stop at home and devored a banana and a peanut butter sandwich, I know it sounds nasty, but it was like that. I headed the road again and for the first moments felt better, but about 15 minutes latter I was dizzy. Now I know this was because I had too much carbs at the time, that made it harder to end and also time was running out my girl was waiting for me and it was already almost 8pm. Time 1hr 30 min.
Tomorrow I will try again. A long run must be done. I will go for 14 trying to reach 16, let´s see how it goes. Today lots of water and carb loading. Wish me luck :D

London 10km
As I said before I could participate in a 10km race in London, I was so lucky.
First I have a friend who received my bib number after hardly trying to contact the organizators. I didn´t read the complete instructions on their web page and the overseas participants had to be suscribed since june to be able to received the packages. Lucky me.
I was there with my family but Luis my husband is not use to be in big cities and prefered to wait for me in the hotel with Abril. It was a shame but at the same time I know how hard is to be with my 8 year old girl only walking around just to ¨maybe¨ watching me pass.
So there I was going to Picadilly Circus station to reach the Waterloo. It was very easy to find, thounds of runners were there. London was under an unexpected heat wave, can you beleive it? Looks like heat follows me. It was the sun who was burning but at least you can breath there the air was not damped as it is here. It took, me about 25 minutes to cross the starting line and I could see from the other side of the street that after me still were coming thousands of participants. It was nice to be next to so many runners, for moments they help you to go faster, and other times when they pass you I could feel that the only person to be defeated is yourself, nobody else.

Of course I wasn´t in my best shape, but form last year 10km in Mexico city my time improved for about 12 minutes!!! Last year was 1hr 15 min and now 1 hr 3min. There wasn´t a chip to record times, but I checked my time with my heart rate monitor. Garmin batteries were off. I think I left it turned on the last time I used it and I turned on until the last moment when on my way to the race... And I wanted to see the nice 10km map in London...
The improvement included some walking that I hated but also forgot about it when saw my time. I wish I can do it better next time.

The experience helped me to learn that starting too fast will be a key for the marathon race, is not the same to know than to have the experience.
If you want to have fun watching my photos from the race on the web check here my bib number was 21942. This photos are terrible, but good to see reality... How fat I am!!! And my legs were the tannest from all the race :D

I´m in a public internet, service at home is not working grrrrr. That´s why I couldn´t comment in you blogs, but thanks for being here you are great part of my motivation.

Wonderful vacations :D

2006-07-10T00:31:00.000-04:00

I'm finally back! This were some great vacations full of experiences, emotions, visiting, learning, food, museums, shopping, walking and even some running!!
We were in Spain with our nice friends Mary Carmen and Antonio, who took us to see around their home town Murcia and then Madrid surroundings. Also we visited London and there I was able to participate in a 10km race (more about this latter).
Being with local people in Spain, made us look in a different way the country, but also made us share some of their habits like going to bed as late as 2am :O.

Going on vacations seem to be even more tired than the marathon training. Incredible, but my supposed to be good fitness level didn't helped at all for all the walking I had to make and that I am not use to. Definitely, walking is not the same as running. At the end of every day my legs were tired and stiff. I was wondering if this was going to affect my training a lot, but what could I do? As the cautious that I always am, (coward) preferred not to run since I was still using A LOT my legs. Hope I can go back running normally soon.
As my friends saw my limping they took me to a podiatrist who made special orthotics for my feet and seem to be working very good with the spur. How nice to be able to visit someone like him often... Well someday.
Share with you some photos, I took about 700 but I am only just in a few that my daughter kindly took. Luis is not a photographer.

In a short resume I will say that I made three easy runs and a 10km race the first week, but didn't run at all the second. I was too tired and felt that it was just too much. Five days with out running was strange, but I was so busy that hardly remembered about it. It was my body who felt it, my mind was quiet.
Saturday morning at the hotel where we were staying went to the treadmill and made a short 4 km who seem that never going to end...
Today I ran 5 miles and felt very good. Running made me feel at home, the hotel is in fact a wonderful place to run. When running in Spain and London I was thinking about how different life is in cities and that maybe for me living in a city will take me apart from running... Still I want to think this is only a feeling and that I would combine it as most people do it. The thing is that the landscape and scenery I have here makes it definitely easier. It was very nice to go back and run, it was like being me again, I love this place to run.

I'll be back

2006-06-23T15:24:00.000-04:00

The recovery run this morning wasn't as glorious as last week and only made 3 miles, but still I bet and can feel how it speeds recovery. I am feeling pretty well after yesterday's run, it is wonderful. I don't feel tired at all. I just want to report that my left knee is some tight, just a little bit.
Today we are leaving on vacations, next to weeks I will be absent in the blogsphere.
I hope I can handle to run and continue with the training at least on some easy runs. It seems like I will be able to watch some races happening where I go, for example in London there is a 10km race on july 2th that I would love to participate, but if not, I will love to see the runners racing, finally. Also I already made a reserch about places to run, the web is a wonderful place for this :)
Ok, I don't know how my life will be with out a computer close all the time, but well, just as life use to be some years ago, see you soon!

Knowing your limits makes you addicted

2006-06-22T12:24:00.000-04:00

This was just an unbelievable workout for me!
16 miles!!
Set the alarm 4:45. Woke up and slowly prepared an oatmeal. I was feeling very sleepy and not precisely motivated or excited.
The starting was slowly and I missed the speed and strength from last Tuesday at the beginning. But it improved fast. I found myself with a 10 and something pace soon. This is too fast for me in a long run. It has to be between 11:30 and 12:30. I slowed down to save energy for the last miles trying to stick to a steady pace. Still it remained around 11:00. Incredible. Garmin could be lying I know but my legs were feeling strong and if for any reason I had to really slow down it was setting immediately a slower pace. I think "better" weather conditions aloud me to see a better performance. It was cloudy again :) The sun is the biggest energy thief.
The air was so damped, incredible. Breathing was forcing my HR to increase but I preferred to ignore this thinking about many facts that increase it and in order to get use to it ANYWAY. Pace was remains good.
Over the 10th mile I realize that my camel backpack was running out of water, it was because I lost some water as it wasn't properly closed. grrrrr :<>
So I made it that way. It was so nice to breath air again indoors.
Yes, still the last miles were some hard. But I thought they were going to be easier, I don't know if it was that this were not in fact 5 miles but miles 11-16. My legs started feeling stiff and it was a shame since they were in a great shape outside.
When I am on the treadmill it is some boring now, but I am like more focus and to end I just imagine on how time goes by so fast when I am wasting it doing anything else but running. Then it is false if I say running the last 20 minutes is too long, 20 minutes during the day go too fast... Better to enjoy this ones that are really well spent.

I feel glad that these are not my first long runs, it is like I know what to expect for and is happening even better. I can tell about differences which certainly mean there is and improvement!! I decided to run a marathon when I found out I like long runs, now that at this stage I'm feeling stronger than ever, and that recovery happens faster too, I want to find out how it feels like going further!

When I finished I even started doubting if in fact it was 16 miles what I did, it seem shorter in time and I was feeling good. Then, when I checked the times it was true, it is like I erased about ten minutes compared to last week time and with no struggle :O!!
14miles 2hr 50:min, 16 miles 3:02 min!! Happy, happy, happy!!

My turn to run with rain.

2006-06-20T22:35:00.000-04:00

It seems like Tuesday's afternoon -when I run- it rains. Last week I didn't report it but I ran under such a heavy rain, that in fact it was more like a swimming session. When I started there were some clouds, I could make it for 3 miles, but over the fourth, I had to go against the rain, which was so so heavy that I even had to squeeze my eyes to take off the water. I felt the "drops" on my skin like stones hitting me. Couldn't breath couldn't see!!! And it was just a lonely tropical cloud...

I woke up today at 3am to take my oldest daughter to the airport. School ended and she is going to spend the summer in Mexico. The flight leaves from Santo Domingo so I had to take her there and then come back. A driver took us there so I had the chance to sleep for a while. I arrived around 11am and had a 5 miler to be done. As I am not a pm runner my undisciplined -to run in the afternoon- mind, was trying to sabotage me. It is easier to just go with out even thinking about it like in the morning. And the weather was helping...
The rain came earlier today than last week. I just decided to head the gym and do it there, but the idea wasn't attractive at all, I was feeling unmotivated, but was convinced about doing it. My price for being decided was that as soon as I opened the door the heavy rain stopped. There was only a light rain that made all my motivation come back. Fortunately I didn't miss this chance!! The atmosphere was fresh and there was no sun at all. The run seem to be more like a tempo and with no struggle at all. My legs were feeling stronger than ever!!

I am developing a black toe nail. Also my turn to try it. Now, I am feeling like a real runner :D It hurts, auch!

Tomorrow is rest but then, Thursday is the 16 miler!! I am just ready :)

I invoked your spirits!!!

2006-06-15T13:24:00.000-04:00

Today 14 miles !!!
I was on my legs for over 3 hours or more!! And it was only 14 miles (sigh)... Inserted walks and had to make brief stops. The first one was to do some easy plyometric jumps. The other ones to the bathroom, etc. The last ones were because my HR was too high grrrr, over 160 and going slowly. It should be because of the caffeine from the gels and the damped air that forces me to breath deeper to catch some oxygen. It was hot but cloudy that aloud me to run until around 8:45 from 5:45.
What I enjoyed more of this long run was to feel how important is the mental state to go on. There were many ups and downs, moments of doubt and also confidence. In general my body was ok. It is great to say that the left leg flexors, were fine during all the run. The spur made just some brief perfomances but nothing that bad.
The worst mental moment was during the last mile. I was feeling that it was impossible for me to go on. A shadow of sadness covered me and thought of the marathon... could I do that? I was going under and under, when I remembered the stars I know and ask them for help. Saint Olga, Saint CJ please help!!! and felt their hallucinating presence giving my new strength. They were over 4 meters in front of me smiling and pacing me. The rest of the blogger presences came one by one as I was feeling better and improving again. Rob, Jen, Susan, Miners,2p, Liv, Thomas,Spark... All of you faster for more than me, but helping me nicely. Running next to me. I still have many more of you to run with so I know I will call your names everytime I need help so you do the miracle!! I was so inspired by your strenght and speed that on that moment all the nice words that you have written to me along this months helped me incredibly. I found myself thanking Blogger to aloud me to learn and be in contact with you people of strength!! Ended very excited the last mile smiling and feeling well. Tomorrow a recovery run of 4 miles and next week I'll go for 16!!!!!!

How to combine training and a trip!! or more dreams become true in 2006

2006-06-13T13:24:00.000-04:00

It hasn't been lack of time, I haven't been inspired to write about my training despite it's been going greatly. I find more interesting reading your blogs than writing mine. It should be that my mind is flying some place else. Girls end school this week and we are planning Luis vacations!!!
Yesterday it was confirmed: our tickets to Europe are approved so we are traveling there for about 2 weeks. It is such a great news that I can't hardly believe it. We were in Europe about five years ago and from the day we were back I felt it was like a dream.
But now I will have to combine my dream with my reality: I am training for a marathon :-O !!!

Because I've been training and feeling so well my confidence of-with* doing some changes is fine. What I will do is to increase my mileage this and next week so the next two weeks I won't have to go for hard long runs. I feel fine of doing this as I find that if I go easy I can go and do more. I'll change this week's long run of 13 and do 14 or 15 and plan to enjoy a 10 miles run where I'll stay... Also I will add 1 mile each day thinking of decreasing some miles as I on the trip. I will be able to do some more when I am back.
This is what I am planning, let's see how reality works. I should not be the only one with this kind of problem RW of June has an article talking about this and says that going back in shape takes about three weeks, which means I won't miss or loose condition to the race.
As you see my idea is mainly to make the same scheduled miles but in different dates to complete the training, am I right? Any ideas are welcome, I know how much I can learn from you guys!!!

*help is always welcome :)

Training: weights and core session 50 min, combine with jump rope. When I woke up this morning thought to skip the session as I am planning to run in the afternoon. I woke up at 3am and couldn't go back to sleep 'till about 4.30, it is the excitement of the trip!!! As Luis was going anyway I decided to go. The idea of weight training appear so heavy and hard but 10 minutes after I was finding myself as fish in water. Enjoyed it a lot a felt very well afterwards. Not the first time it happens I know :P

Just a little taste of it

2006-06-08T13:20:00.000-04:00

First more seruious long run!!!

Week 13 - 12 miles.
To start I want to mention how happy I feel since I am feeling great about my running. Last week bad shape I was so wrong blaming my weekness as the guilty of my low energy... it was like if I ignore that the sensations about being tired aren't exactly as that. I need to remember always that sometimes there are other conditions that have influences on the energy levels... not running itself.
I went very easy this morning. The goal, enjoy and to end in good shape. Starting time, 5:35... still to improve!
The first hour went well, second mile at the beach hit me with its damped and hot air, no oxigen available. Hard to run there, the sand was very soft, as I feel my feet going deeper even for a little, the heart rate climbs up immediately. When there are other runners there, it is very sad for me see how easy they pass me, who is the one used to run here??? Well, what I do is to think I don't know how long they will stay there... :-P

I had the chance today off watching how amazing the human body is. Over the first hour I had to go home to give medicine to one of my girls -the yougest is sick, some kind of flu-.
Look, because of the spur, I've mentioned here that my left knee, the back side, the flexors, give me some trouble as a response of my body to the inmbalance produced by the spur. It wasn't nothing serious but it came to my mind the idea of using the knee band as a preventive strategy. Went back running (after about four minutes at home). I could appreciatte, how the band was avoiding to my knee to over flex, it was a nice feeling. But over the minute 5 in the run my right achiles was starting to make its own presentation... I could just feel how my body's response was to create a new way to correct the imbalance!!! As I know very well how bad can be an achilles pain, I took off the band, stretch and the pain disappear :O !!!

Another thing happened today. Over the 8th mile I met for the third time around the hotel, a couple of runners. They've said hello before, but this time they asked me how long was I running. I started running and chatting with them. They are french. He said he has run 20 marathons and she said she ran ten. I was amazed of knowing ALIVE, for the first time, marathoners, I was very excited!! They will stay here for two weeks and just arrived yesterday, I hope I can catch them again. They said they run everyday and that we will met again for sure.

Pace, was my usual slow motion. I have to say that with out Garmin I wouldn't ever know when I am going even slower, since I simplilly can't feel it. It is like I am running but in such a slow motion that I wonder how I look! I had a gel until I saw my speed was decreasing, and it improved again after it. Thanks GU!

Maybe for the excitement, maybe the sun, but my HR at the end was 165, grrrr. But with a great feeling, I almost forget how it feels like to run long, at the end, my legs has this strange sensation, like so tense, I like it!!

Powerful words

2006-06-04T11:45:00.000-04:00

It is incredible but after writing all those complains on Friday I started feeling better. Then as I opened my blog and see your comments, I felt motivated again and not tired at all... This morning's workout went just as well as wish!! Problems from last week should came from a stomach discomfort that I forgot to mention that happened last weekend, so I will watch now that closely. I am feeling happy of having defeated a weakness and have had gone to the training scheduled runs !

Day 1 Week 12: 30 min bike, 3 mile run.
I will have to change again my weights schedule, as at 8 I have to drive my girls to the horse ride lessons, so even I started today Sunday, at 5:45, still not enough time to put on also the weights and abs session.
I went first with the bike trying to taste some of what the tris call a brick session. I tried it before but the feeling of stiff legs made me avoid it. I read now a header on a magazine talking about why it is good to run on stiff legs after plyometrics, and I add, or after riding a bike.
Went easy and enjoying, HR was slow during the bike ride. The run went fine and ended on the top of my energy!! I am happy!

Feeling depleted...

2006-06-02T16:00:00.000-04:00

From last weekend, I've been feeling so tired... I hate it! I should be weaker than the rest of you...
On Sunday I made my scheduled 3 miles, canceled the bike half hour and went to weights and abs session.
Monday was impossible to go, my body was tired just not able to go... I thought sadly that I was going to break my mark of steady training but preferred anything than going to run.
Tuesday decided not to think and went for 4 miles in the gym. For the first time felt that being on the treadmill was too boring and when raising the speed didn't feel save to increase more than 7m/h. It was a speed session still. I made 4 instead of 5 miles but it was a matter of time.
On that day I realize that canceling the cross training was a chance to go running and then that way I won't miss a run on the week. It went well. On Wednesday I went for 4 miles and Thursday rested.
Today's there were 7 miles scheduled. Went easily, slowly, I know I am not winning, then enjoy... Respect the recommended Heart rate. Stay on my legs as long as possible.
Many voices inside me calling that I can't even know which one is me! But my body has no voice and just go. Is like if it couldn't listen, or just don't care and knows what should be done, what we are committed to do. There is no choice since canceling was going to give me even a worst feeling that the only way was to RUN, again.
I am just thinking about myself like an ant next to all the giants that read me.
As before I am finding myself a lot better after the 4th mile.
In fact the problem is not feeling bad while running, but the REST of the day... Nothing particular hurts me. But I have to avoid walking as much as possible. The hot weather makes me just wish to stay indoors, wanting to rise my legs.I have to save energy the whole day to be able to run. I can't even stay standing for long time.Always looking for a chair. I feel tired all day wondering if this is normal, if this is what happens.
It all happened after some days of not sleeping, the weather went VERY hot... About training I increased the intensity on the speed sessions... Could this be enough reasons for this problem? Then what it is?
May ended with 79 miles only. The third part of the marathon training is done 100% at least the runs.... And this last week was the 10th week of steady training, still some things about to celebrate! About the steady training it is the first time EVER that i-n such a long time- I don't cancel running 4 times a week.
Still this is not the first time this happens, just wish I can survive!

* Now you know why I didn't blog either....

Run, then limp...

2006-05-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

How not to stay in a high after a long run? After experiencing all sort of feelings from dissapointment, joy, anger, pain, fear, panic, strenght, fullfilment, confidence!!! Being for that time just with myself was perfect, I am my best company.

10 miles GREAT
Started easy. On time, 5:30. I had a banana for snak and have to confess that I combined it with a nutela spoon, mmm not too big. I was just feeling like sweet at 5 am, do you believe it? Ran to the beach and ran there for about 3 miles.

The sunrise happened at about 5:50 and it was just marvelous to be there!

Walked only for taking this pictures. I didn't have to stop for anything. Not even to go to go to the badroom. After 45 minutes took a Gu gel and helped me to continue greatly. I just have to learn to not trying to push too much after taking it.
Over the 8th mile, my left knee was very stiffed for a while. I was scared thinking it could be something really bad, but then just forget about it and desapeared.
Performance? Well not as wish. Funny that on the last mile I push harder, as some techiniques advice, and felt stronger. In fact I was swearing that I was over 9 or something, but it was just a sensation, Garmin said it was just like the rest, over 11. Mentally it was a nice effort achived. Ended feeling very strong.

Headed home and started stretching. The spur started its performance. It will go away.

New Legs

2006-05-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

WO: 1 hr bike and Yoga DVD.
I had a bad night after a steak sandwich dinner. I woke up at 3am with a knot in the stomach. Hard to wake up then at 5:50. Still my apetite is controled I am not that hungry during the day. Even lost some pounds, woow!
Only 5 minutes in to the ride, I am completely into it. Good.
Over the minute 30 I felt down. Nothing serious of course. I was going to make a turn when I saw people both sides. Trying to avoid them I tried to turn before and lost control, then, a black close-open eyes and I am standing up. See that I avoided hitting myself with the bike but that in some moment, I landed with my knee... Grrrrr!
The greatest was that people around was smiling. Didn't know it was funny. I tell you people is weird. Always everyone so serious but now, time to smile...
The incident just happened like that and I continued with my ride in a greater form. Is like I am becoming stronger, I can feel it. The knee is just fine, this is just another stage in my life where I can suffer accidents like this and nothing happens, how great!!
This morning fresh air was blowing, very strange for May, but a good foretell for tomorrow's long run! Not THAT long yet, only 10 but still exciting!
As I was complaining, now I have to say I am feeling great! The spur is so controled, that is incredible, I tell you the strategies are just doing perfect. It has improved so much that I am already walking normally again during the day. Happy, happy.

Running economy on the treadmill

2006-05-23T12:10:00.000-04:00

I have to confess that I left on the side the book "Lore of running", the first part is about anatomical stuff , but now it's talking about running economy which is pretty interesting.

"...When training for marathon distances my style changes naturally, cutting stride length and eliminating the tendency to lift knees. Through miles and miles of training, I honed my leg action to such a degree that I barely lifted my leg of the ground."
"Learn to run in an easy and serene manner without an atom of wasted energy. Use short strides. The longer your stride, the more you bob up and down. You ought to almostslither your feet over the ground, going as near to touchingit without actually doing it."

Running economy is a subject I was pretty interesting about, now it is a good time to practice this tendency.
In fact about the treadmill, it is also a good place to practice about some running economy. Shock impact is decreased as the HR goes down. I could saw nicely how I could run at and easy pace of 12:00 with only 135 -140HR. It is an improvement since before it was around 150 always, don't mention now outside and hot.

WO: 1.5 mile+weight+abs+1.5mile
You can not imagine the way I was sweating... I win to all of you certainly, it was like rain coming from my hair! And I was IN the gym, just imagine outside....
Felt great running, lots of energy and feeling strong. Ended on the top of it!!!

Heat Factor

2006-05-22T12:10:00.001-04:00

Even finding a partner, -which I didn't at least, a real one,- my wonders about running those hills weren't accomplished yet. I depended also with the sun, the report said cloudy... It says that many times but no, not at all. The good news is the treadmill are fixed!!! Just in time.

WO: 5 miles, yoga. GOOD
I know many of you don't like the treadmill, but I find practical the way you can sustain speed or in this case inclined. In fact I practiced a Maximal Treadmill Stress Test which I found here. Consisted in reaching a speed of 5-6 m/h with an elevation of 10% in 18 minutes. That supposed to give your MHR. My highest was 175, disappointing, I know. Hope that can improve with training. Until you find out how to do it, you train it!
Still I wonder if better conditions will give me a better rate. The air conditioned was off in the gym. It turns on automatically until 8. Next time I will do it latter to see how it changes. After the test, completed the 5 miles making three more repeats at 8.5% incline at 5 mph. Again my HR climbed nicely to 175.
When I am outside the speed sessions almost give me this HR but I bet an around off 10-15% of it is because of the heat, so now that the treadmill are fixed I will do them there. For sure that will make worked better. Also it will save me some energy that is wasted with the sun instead in to my muscles.

And I knew why

2006-05-21T20:40:00.000-04:00

This morning it took me ages to wake up. Alarm was set at 5:40 and made it 'till 6:10 hardly.

WO: 3 miles ONLY. GOOD.
Still I feel proud of that "only". Since I woke up I was wishing to stay in bed. Prepared my gear and when I was out ready to run it was already 6:45!! Too late for a runner in this place, well maybe the weak ones.
Started slowly. Immediately knew this was not going to be a 9 something miles. Took it easy.
The reason? Certainly my long run on Friday with that high heart rate made me feel that tired. Today pace was the fine, under the sun and in between 140-150, those sport beans...
So as I knew why no panic. Canceled the bike and weights and abs... What else? Called me a coward but prefer to save energy and at least I am covering the distance. I keep learning from my experience.

In other notes, tomorrow I should be doing hills session. There is a nice hill around this area. It can' t be well appreciated here but just the think of doing it make me feel excited, It will be some challenge for me. The area has lots of cows and animal farms. Hope they are not dangerous, I'm such a coward! Some of you like Bella, for example, going to places where she would find cougars and me, worried for donkeys.... Inside me still lives a cosmopolitan girl.

The thing is that I can't get there early enough and still going there alone doesn't sound to me very attractive. I need a partner. Any volunteers?
Well I have the rest of the day to figure out how to make it. Wish not to end as always in the poor hill in the hotel. The treadmills are broken...

Thanks for all your good wishes for my recovery with the tooth. It is fine now. (After three sessions in a week) Now my whole teeth are very sensitive and my appetite has decreased, I fell lighter and can choose what to eat. That is good for my weight. You see how everything has a positive side?

Also I want to thank you for following the spur updates. Your good wishes seem to be working, pain has decreased enormously thanks to them and the strategies, specially the arch support. I receive all sort of strange sights thanks to them, but how could people figure out how good they are for me !

Can't always win

2006-05-19T13:35:00.000-04:00

After three weeks without a long run, finally today went for one.
Started as early as I could, 5:40 was my best. Set the alarm at 5:00 but couldn't get up until 5:20. It took me 20 minutes to get ready, preparing breakfast for my girls and dressing and well, waking up. Started until 5:40 Another time to improve!
Started as easy as I could, soon I was on the beach, how nice to see the palm trees like this, they seem to be black when the light is behind them. There were many tourist there to see the sunrise, sorry for them, it was cloudy and we saw nothing, but still the landscape was lovely.
As I soon as I put a step on the beach I could see it is a great day to be there to run. It was like the sand was saying, come, run.... Steady, firm and cloudy.

Breathing is the problem. Between my for sure low VO2 and and damped air, well I was sucking. Not so bad to make me feel weak, but the HR was all the time over 165. Another fact to report about this, is that I was eating sport beans and I bet that increased it also. Over the end of the third mile they also made me sick. I didn't even had half of the pack but they are too sweet for me, well I tried them and now know they aren't for me. I'll stick to Gu or Power Gel. I know this wasn't such a long run but still I wanted to try them today. Besides it ended being very helpful. At the end of the third mile I was feeling like I was done. I thought this short runs were going to make me be ready to run long with out problems. Anyway I went on. The last mile I was just crap, but made it.I had to insert some walks, not exactly for feeling tired, but when moving from the beach to the hotel, a phone call to my girls, etc. At least I didn't stop for nothing, I liked that. The good news is that for most of the time I even forgot I am a spur girl!!!Luis tells me, just forget about it... I am not complaining, just want to report. Total time 1:45. It was a bad end. In my mind was saying, this is not nice at all, how can I continue like this? Am I the person running a marathon in a couple months??

Well I can't win every day. After the run put some ice, took a bath, well the usual, but I still have a smile in my face. After a long run even if it wasn't the best one, there is nothing that could shadow my happiness.

The arch support is here. Look how I have to use it. Under the heel there is a path also to absorb the shock on the spur. I will use them as much as possible, many times I will want to look nice, but doesn't matter in the name of running!

Happy running weekend!!

Inconvenients in a speed session...

2006-05-16T12:35:00.000-04:00

Sunday afternoon I had an emergency appointment with the dentist, the pain was so bad... Fortunately they just took the right steps to finish with the problem, well with the pain. The canal treatment they practiced me a month ago, seems to have an infection now. I will have to invest more of my time there at that terrible sofa where you can't do nothing but try to keep your mouth open for hours... I hate it!

Monday morning I was so tired that just decided to move the running session to the afternoon.
The desicion wasn't that bad. What was bad was that:
I had too much protein for a speed session, again, yes, sorry.
Atmosphere was sooooo damped again, believe me, there was no oxigen available to breath!!
My girls joined my with their bycicles and that didn't helped at all, the seven year old one was asking me to stop as she wanted to drink from my camel pack, or just because she wanted me to watch her.
Note to remember, don't do a speed session with all this incovenients, never again!! Be a mother or a runner.

Well again I say, at least the 4 miles were covered and handled to made a 9.35 minutes mile for the first time. Performance was very poor the rest of the session. No speed accomplished yesterday at all: 2.30 minutes intervals for 0.25 miles, well that was what I could do... I don't learn to do the right things to have a good afternoon session.

We had a dinner last night and had 3 glasses of wine. (We went on Monday because the school is closed for three days as the elections process is on at this country) It was a different wine than what I usually have and about 30 minutes after dinner I had a headache. Had it the whole night, mmmm. At six just woke up because I couldn't stay longer in bed like that. At seven decided and remembered days off are Wednesdays and Saturdays not Tuesdays. I didn't wanted to spend the whole day regreting from a weakness in the morning.

WO: 1.5 miles, Weight session, 1.5 miles. GOOD.
It took me about 10 minutes to get in to it, but definitely was the best thing I could do. Time wasn't enough to do the abs session, but I will insert it some other day. Made the session this time at the treadmil to breath, it was already late to try to run outside. Inserted the weights in the middle of the session as reccomended in The complete Book of Running. It was a recovery run.

Running... Away from a tooth pain

2006-05-14T08:40:00.000-04:00

From yesterday afternoon I had a terrible bad tooth pain. I had a canal treatment and last Monday the tooth was reduced. Until yesterday it started hurting worst. At night the doctor recommended me a higher doses of ibuprofen, and it worked. Took it again at 3 am and when I woke up at 5:30 the was no pain so I went to train! Now the pain is back, I was very fortunate that pain left me for a while!!

WO: 3 miles, 40 minutes bike.
Sundays are becoming so wonderful to run. There is a reason on this type of training for running 3 miles at the beginning. Is like to learn to run faster in this complete brief period. Despite the damped air I accomplished a great pace, again improved and made a 9:41 mile. It was the third one. The second was at the beach.
Last week I started with the bike, but my legs were very stiff to run after the ride, so today I started again running to take advantage of the accumulated energy after yesterday's rest day.
Headed home and my youngest daughter, Abril, said she wanted to come for the bike ride. It was great to have her for company, in fact she has come with me on Sundays.
She follows the road I tell her and I come and go. I developed great moments, and enjoyed it a lot.
The weights are canceled for today, don't want to get over tired today, first let's see what happens with this tooth.
S report.- As I was sedated with ibuprofen there was no complains or problems at all.
Yesterday Luis found out about a non-runners guy who had a spur operation in the local hospital. He is from Spain and said he recovered so well and his problem is gone. Now I have another option, but won't take it until after the marathon. I don't believe in coincidences. Things happen for a reason. We never knew about anyone with a spur until now. And he wasn't finding out, he just commented it to him. Will see...

HAPPY RUNNER'S MOTHER'S DAY!!

Beach, sun

2006-05-12T11:55:00.000-04:00

...And HOT!! In fact it is been a strange season. It hasn't been that hot until now, that's why you haven't read about complaining about that... :) Last week we had cloudy days but warm. Even I take advantage of this and haven't started that early to run. I started today at 6:30 and was too late, won't happen again, I should not risk my runs and will have to start as early as possible specially on Fridays when, since next week I will run long again!!

WO: plyometrics and 5 miles. FAIR.
Went to bed last night more tired than usual, don't think it was the bike at all, but just tired from some new errands done. The S pain was present but ignore it. After a half mile I made the plyometrics and then headed to the beach to run for a couple miles there. It was hot and the sand was soft, that made it harder. Had some brief good moments but still not good enough... At least I covered the distance and with a not so bad pace for me.

The spur used to hurts me "only" during the day, I mean not while running! Since last week session with the physio, it hurts while running and is much better during the day. It is just like a small stepback today, hope it recovers.
Thanks Thomas, you give me much more hope, I needed it!!

Resting days are long

2006-05-11T14:30:00.000-04:00

There will be plenty of long runs just in a brief time, be patient... At the moment

WO: 1 hr bike- 10 miles, yoga session (dvd)
This was some nice morning for a bike ride, enjoyed it a lot. I think I will start finding out more about it....
Yoga left me with a great energy sensation. This is definitely the best time of the day!

About weight lost issues, I am lost, but not the weight, just me. At this point is not vanity, at all. But as much as I don't do something about it, I will find myself in point of no return! But I am such a gluttony that I try to convince myself of not eating that much and repeat it to my self, but then when I realize, I already had a bunch of something...
Writing this comes to my mind the idea of writing a list of options to do instead of eating, like drinking water, and... Well what else can I do to defeat hunger...

"S" is doing incredible better I am very happy and positive, the recommendations are working fine!!

The strategies

2006-05-09T12:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday found a great site... heelspur.com, can you believe it? Now I am into that great...
Reading the recommendations there, has made a great difference in just a few time! I believe this could be the beginning of the end of this problem, well following the right steps.

*losing weight, it will be the hardest...
*Using an arch support and heel pads all the time.
*Massage on the heel as first thing before standing up in the morning, as is the time when it hurts more.
*Using a frozen can as ice treatment three times a day and after exercise for 5 minutes. It recommends a can saying metal transmits cold better than plastic.
*Taping the foot. I still have to get that kind of tape

From yesterday to today the main difference is the left hamstring which is the real potential injury on sight. It has been very comfortable. It hasn't been too bad, only like stiff, but not today, great!!
I don't want to continue with the spur's biography, so for now is enough and will talk about it unless it is giving me terrible trouble, which certainly won't happen... I wish! I don't want to make you tired reading about it, but still I want to tell everybody that having a spur is not a good enough reason to stop running, in case you know someone who has this problem... Wish no!

WO: Plyometrics, weight training, abs, yoga posses.
I forgot to do the plyometrics yesterday so moved them to today. Energy was wonderful. Later I am going for a 3 miles recovery run... I am just wondering when will I do a long run again, well I will have plenty of them in just a few weeks!

Running is about enlightenment!!

2006-05-08T15:00:00.000-04:00

About happiness, overcoming... Great ideas!!! Pity it just last so short as 45 minutes about today....
Yes !! I had a great run and is with you who I want to share this, the ones who understand how wonderful it can be!!! My family "know" when I have great runs, but understand it? No way...

WO: 4 miles hill repeats.
There is always before and after running. This time, before I was very sad. The spur is now giving problems to my left hamstring and facing the future of this problem didn't leave during the night. In the morning it wasn't that different but still that strength that comes from nowhere made me stay ready to go for a run. The beginning was easy, with my great new pace. The spur was some discomfort but I just remembered how many of you still have problems with running and despite of it you still go on. That inspired me to continue no matter what.
Ideas started coming to my mind and finally put them all together while running. What I need to do it to take care of the heel not only while running but the whole day I have to use the gel insoles on the heel, no matter if I have to use them pasted with glue since most of my daily shoes are sandals....Still I already have heel supports which will work perfectly. Also I am getting arch support bands which I will always use.(I'll post some photos of my feet so you see how funny I look!!
My mind needed this idea for some relief, as a possible help to be able to go on.
Elevation is not great but still the work feels harder, the best is the pace was steady and felt very strong. Is there a better time during the day as this?? Not for me. Ended completely happy!

It is 1:30pm I've been using the gel insole and the improvement is remarkable. This is not an injury, is now a condition that I have to learn to deal with, there should be many ways to help it, but I still have to find out about them. Now I am in the search and will find them!!

Computer problems

2006-05-07T17:30:00.001-04:00

What a week without using my computer. Between the technical problems and my ignorance I've lost a week blogging, which definitely is a great part of my moho!
The good part is that anything can stop but the training. Today I start the 16th week of training and completed the sixth week of steady training. That of course makes me happy, but that definitely is not only because of knowing but because I can feel the difference, as I said before this slow down at the beginning of the training is working like a taper, like to start over and I am watching improvements!

Details to remember from last week:
*The speed work was running 400m instead of 800 and that aloud me to increase and concentrate the energy. I could reach a better pace despite the shorter periods but I will try to make them to last longer with time.
*I had a session with a physiotherapist looking for some relief and help to prevent injuries spur-related. The session was painful. But the worst was that as I told him all about my running plans, he didn't stop telling me to avoid running and try some walking, that health is about balance and this problem produces this imbalance that stresses my body, bla bla bla. He said like having fun that I was going to remember him the day after if I try to run which I definitely made. My legs were completely new as he say, but new because I couldn't recognize them as they were so damaged from the shiautsu massage!!
I don't need that at all. I am not coming back.

Week 16
WO: 30 minutes bike, 30 minutes run, weight training, abs session, stretching.
Riding before than running made my legs gave me this new sensation while running, it was fine.
My energy levels are great and my average pace is increasing with no effort. My before easy pace of 11:15 has moved to 10:30!!!

Well, enough for today , I want to know about you, I go to the blogshpere now!

We took some holidays!

2006-05-01T21:40:00.000-04:00

We went to Santo Domingo to make our residential papers, we are Mexican and have to be residents in the Dominican Republic! We've been in this country for almost four years and until now we had time... Well we are not good to take steps to obtain documents....

Still making those papers wasn't that long, but as Luis finally was able to take free days from Thursday to Sunday, we stayed there to enjoy the city and rest from jungle and beach!! The truth is that I took with me my laptop but I wasn't inspired to even turn it on. That was fine to enjoy quality time with Luis and my girls.

Of course training can't be stop. On Thursday I went to the gym's hotel and went to the stationary bike for 30 minutes. Then on Friday I made 10km = 6 miles on a treadmill, well, I guess better than nothing. Still it was fine to rest from regular road stress on my heel. The spur is being calling.

We came back on Saturday night and felt some disappointed of being here again. I am such an ungrateful with this place that has this marvelous surroundings that had made me spend the best times of my life running. Still what we need is to move to a better apartment, still there is not much available and we enjoy many things by staying "in" the hotel....

Oh yes, about running! Sunday morning ran 3 miles, surprised me as I could run easily with out rising my HR higher than 150 and accomplish again a great pace. It was early, cloudy and fresh. I am thinking this should be also about the slower weeks at this time and this new way of training three days in a row and then almost isolated the long run. Also made 30 minutes bike, and weight training.

Yesterday we had a Mexican lunch with other Mexican families. It was the a celebration for the children's day in Mexico. It included a delicious Mexican dish called "Cochinita Pibil".With tacos. It was sooo delicious that only by naming it again, I am feeling hungry! I better not say how it is... Then believe it or not I had for dinner, here at home, beef burritos. I say all this because today's workout was awful but I could recognize it was about this low quality fuel from yesterday, too much protein. So, I didn't make the planned intervals today, but I will make them tomorrow in the afternoon. I am not worry for today's bad run, I know the reason of it.No wonder why I keep putting on ponds and kilos and tons... I am starting to post my total calories intake here, let's see if shame works!

Calories 2095, so far, still 9:40!

Note: I've been trying to publish this post from about an hour ago, yes, it is blogger failing again!

Another bike!

2006-04-24T19:30:00.000-04:00

The normal is that is the kids who want a bike, in this family mother comes first and now my girl wants hers too, of course!!
How guilty I felt when she asked me for one. Hers was broken a long time ago and didn't replaced her until now!!

Spur update: It was bothering me yesterday I even was very concerned about today's training. At least this morning it was much better and as soon as my feet fell my running shoes on, all pain goes away. I took some anti-inflammatory and the problem was gone!
Then I went for my scheduled run.

WO: 3 miles hills, stretch, yoga poses.
In fact is not that high but after some repetitions there I could fell the effort. Still the pace was fine. The treadmill at the gym are not working properly but as soon as they get fixed (someday) I wish to make this training in one of them since there is not real high places to train at... Well you know, safe enough.
My legs were some tired this morning, still my HR didn't raised so much and ended in good shape. This week will be somehow like an easy one, which will fit fine with the spur call from yesterday.
I will move the plyometric jumps for Mondays when I will do speed work and Fridays when I will do long runs, hope that works better, thanks a lot Olga. I hope there will be more days on the week to put on some more!!

Things to do on a 3 mile run!

2006-04-23T09:50:00.000-04:00

WO: plyometrics, 3 mile, 30 minutes bike, weights and jump rope, stretching.
How lazy I was this morning. Then when arrived to the hotel in my car I heard tiny rain and just thought how wonderful it would be to sleep so more even there at the car... Just 15 minutes latter I was running and enjoying so much!! As thinking about a short run I practiced my form trying to keep my shoulders low and my chest high. Also tried to let me arms looser. That helped incredible, in fact I even set a PR doing this 3 miles in only 30 minutes with a HR around 150 only!! Very pleased.
The bike was fine with a 130 HR, some hard at the beginning, but ended great!
The truth is that finished all some tired, but I will do this WO only while I am running 3 miles or depending how I feel, the important is to have a great run!
Today is the first day of my marathon training!! 124 days to go. My story is about to start. I just wish to complete all my workouts and the goal will be to end it in less than 5 hours. Yes, my mark has to be there, breaking the 5 hours mark. Funny maybe but I know I will have to work hard to accomplish it!! I know I can!!!

As I am posting I am cooking breakfast, have to go the family is complaining...

Flow and dizziness

2006-04-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Woke up at 5. 5:30 I'm ready. But it is still dark, mmmm ah! It is a cloudy day, how to know this is going to happen so I can stay longer in bed? Anyway this force that comes from I don't know where, -maybe is the love for running- wakes me up and even let me overcome my deepest fears like running in the dark!

WO: 10 miles
How smooth I felt this morning, so good that I can not explain. I was already on the flow over the first mile!! My body was there bouncing softly and nicely!! Is it the workout from yesterday on the bike that is giving me this sensation? Is it paying of so quickly?
Then the bad part, grrrr. I don't know if it was the damped air, which wasn't letting me breath enough that I started feeling some dizzy. Remembered this is a training not any sort of race, so walk for some periods and stopped to drink orange juice. Over the sixth mile I was better again.
hit the beach and as I had to catch my breath slowed down. Some niggles over my ball feet started to complain. With a funny sensation remembered 2p's recommendation of not socializing with this and thought: "Hey you body parts, shot up and remember we are a team and at this moment we have to run, there will be time latter to complain and bother me..." That was it. I ended in great shape.

I want to say how happy I am every time I open my blog and read your comments guys. It makes me feel so happy of being in touch with you real wise runners!! THANK YOU!!!

A new sensation!

2006-04-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

This is what I like about doing something new. How the body behaves and its answer. There is a different response for every singly type of sport and is great to enjoy it.

WO: bike 10 miles 1 hour
The beginning of this relationship was fine. Of course I was excited about it. In general started and finished with no struggle and felt fine; of course nothing like running but much better than indoors at the gym moving on different machines like last week.
My heart rate strayed around 130 which is the 70%. Enjoyed to feel the breeze and the speed over my face.
As when I run, the end was the best part, I felt steady, comfortable and enjoying! I definitely can stick to it!

Now I am wondering how often could I practice this safely.
Next Monday I will start my marathon training. Finally I choose which one to follow. It is "The Chicago Program" which I found in the book "Marathon" by Hal Higdon. It is a 18 weeks program and liked that it includes 1 day of cross training, that's why I seriously thought of buying the bike. What I don't like is that the first 8 weeks it schedules 2 only 3 miles runs a week. Could I combine it with some ride? Maybe it will depend on the way I feel.
Any suggestions will be highly appreciated!!

Forgot the music!

2006-04-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

But still I could run!
Tuesday pm.
WO: 4 mile, 6.5 km Recovery run.
Left my girl in the classroom. All set ready, go. Where's my mp3? This time I am not at home, but still I never, never forget it. I wasn't going to cancel the run because of the music, right? Then go.
The new route helped, the sand is so firm on that area, in fact the waters were very calm, incredible. It was a very pleasant run for that. My inner calves were some sore, it might be the intervals from yesterday, but over the second mile the pain was gone.
From time to time I wanted to skip the song, but there was no song to move the pace!
After I finish running stretched some and about 10 minutes after I was feeling like I didn't run at all, it was a strange feeling. For the first time felt like that because of running after a tough interval session, running had helped me to recover, to wake up again, to rise up. Unfortunately at 7:30pm that feeling doesn't help to end the day slowing down. It was 11:30 and couldn't sleep, then woke up at 3. At least today is a day off.
Oh! And the other mothers sights, from head to feet they were watching me, one even told me don't go stay and chat with us, still who know this could inspire them, will see. Still I only have to run on Tuesday's afternoon.
Tomorrow the bike and photos, yes! Looking forward how the session goes, as it will be easy I bet I should stay there at least for an hour. I'll move Garmin to bike session, now to keep those workouts!

I want to learn more about running economy and also to burn more fat. Wish I can learn some with Ewen's recommendations about Training and physiology the look really interesting. This is something else I love about running, learning. There is so much information about it, that it keeps my hope about improving as I study.

I bought the bicycle!!

2006-04-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

Is not any special kind surely, but I hope it works. I traveled two hours this morning to look for it in La Romana a city about 70 miles from here. (yes, to get there it takes two hours... And then two hours the way back)
It was a nice trip, I went alone. Enjoyed the trip so much!! Driving, singing, watching the lovely landscape of sugar ca fields, hills. A lovely day.

WO: weights with jump rope, abs.
I always feel full of energy after this workout, love it.
As Wobbly recommended I am doing my third run in a row in the afternoon to have about 12 extra hours of rest and because I am taking one of my daughters to a flamenco class and instead of being there chatting with moms, which desperate me I will try this new route at the beach at that area. The report tomorrow. It is cloudy and it rained already... Let's see how it goes.

As fast as I can...

2006-04-17T17:45:00.000-04:00

which in fact is slow, but I am hopeless slow.

Monday
WO: Intervals, 5 miles.
Started with 1.5 easy miles. The intervals were like follows 8:43, 8:35, 8:34, 9:02. I know this is the easiest pace for many runners, for me is the best and can be sustain only for brief intervals of half miles. Still I feel happy I was able to make them, I was somehow avoiding speed work, resting to avoid injuries, but felt it was the time and felt well while doing them. My problem is breathing, I couldn't catch my breath and was breathing strongly. I wish to be able to continue doing this sessions, maybe I could get use to breath better, as when I started running, at the beginning.

Sunday
WO: Plyometric jumps, easy run 4 miles, stretching, weights.

Luna llena y sol

2006-04-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

A full moon and the sun were present while I was running!!

Friday
WO: 9.5 miles, stretching, 7 yoga posses.
The session started at 5:40. It was dark for the first time!! A great sensation of accomplishment joined me starting at this time on a holiday, while most people are sleeping, or some others arriving at this time from their parties.
Started easy. My body wasn't heavy, great!
At the end of the first mile my legs were some stiff. Took a brief walk, start over, again stiff... Stretch says DGC, ok I'll try.
I could start over and after this slow beginning everything started going so well!! It was so fine that as many of you have recommended instead of following my HR I use the RPE, trying to keep a pace as comfortable and steady as possible. There I was feeling ME back again!
I was going for "maybe" 8 miles. Ended with 9.5 feeling on the top!
With this workout I completed my fourth week of steady training, doing 4 runs a week. Bravo!!!

Thursday
WO: 45 minutes cross training.
It was so boring! I tried kickboxing this time. But chose a slow DVD for not forcing me too much. It just didn't work. It even made some niggles appear again, thanks God it was only for a while... I had no clue of them while running on Friday.

About cross training what I want is to buy a bicycle. I didn't do it before because I can't develop high speeds nowhere around. Still I haven't try it even slowly for an hour. That might work better.
Even getting a good bicycle is difficult here, I wonder what kind I should buy against what I can find... Still I will use it only once a week.

Keep running!

Inserting a walk... To relax

2006-04-11T12:20:00.000-04:00

WO: 4 miles, stretching, 1 set of my weight training circuit, jump rope.
Started early. Good beginning. 5 minutes walk, try to run. Easy start. After the first mile I take a walk since my body is feeling too heavy. As I start walking, I remember what I've read about walking, first it is not bad. So I take it as a relaxation lap... Watch the green palm trees, the cloudy but red sky as it is the sunrise (forget the camera grrr) even feel a fresh breeze over my skin. Breath and send air to my legs delivering energy...
Start over is easier, I put positive thinking on my mind, I am strong, I CAN do it.
Finished strong. Mental training, here I come again!!

After stretching felt recovered enough and did one set of 14 different exercises, to end jumping rope for about 5 minutes. Ended feeling very happy and with a sense of achievement, feeling strong!

Not the best but still fine and on the way!!

2006-04-10T11:45:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist the temptation and instead of writing my blog first visited some before about this weekend races. It is so exciting to read about those reports, learn about how you people achieve so much about running... Sigh!

WO: 3 miles run, stretching, yoga, 125 abs movements.
Oh how sore I was this morning after yesterday's WO! Well, this shows up how out of shape and weak I am. This still will end soon and in less than a week I will be just fine. The starting of the run went fine, specially b/c I could finally achieve to run at around 10:30 pace at 140 HR. I skipped drinking a supplement that sure is the cause of my high HR... That was the explanation! Also, starting at 6:00 (again) pays off!! Sun light saving campaign. Still, it didn't last that much, I went to the beach and run some there, but the sand was not firm at all... It was HARD, only one mile there. (Tomorrow I hope not to forget to take my camera, the sunrise was awesome!)
Performance decreased over the half of the second mile... Looks like running brief distances is worst than the longer ones... I just want to start doing long runs again! So I just decided to stop after complete only 3.
The great news is that now I can say that my ITB problems are completely gone!!
Stretching and yoga posses, helped me to recover some. Then after made the abs with no problem.

Factors to defeat

2006-04-09T12:30:00.001-04:00

As less as I do, as much tired I feel.
I haven't being feeling at 100% capacity while running. What is happening??
I have had better times and don't analyze how this happened...

If I look back, last year I was doing so fine working out three times harder than what I do now. It is not weakness or lack of energy the problem, but not being strong enough. Then, the way to build up strength for me is weight training, which I haven't been doing as seriously as on that time.
I was talking about consistency the other day, but despite I been running all my scheduled days, that doesn't mean I am doing fine. I would love to understand how it is possible -for the rest of the runners I read-, being strong without doing weights.

Workout: jump rope and plyometric jumps, 5 miles, stretching, 45 minutes weight training. Total time: 2 hours.
The alarm sounded at 5:20, woke up 5:35. It worth it so much!! I was able tu run with out sun and enjoyed so much. The sky was clear from 6 so I was not in darkness.
My body felt some hot still, but of course nothing compared under the sun. I could even run a couple 10:30 miles with a 140 HR. This made me feel so good that at the same time I realize that certainly because of poor performance my mind was feeling disappointed and unmotivated. How important is this factor, which I mentioned made me fail also for stretching. It is important to feel improvements.
Bad feelings invaded my mind and that was also leading me to fail.

The stretching class yesterday was fine, nothing out of series but good enough to feel my abs in pain during the night, wooow! Also at the beginning she made me auto massage my feet with a small massage ball, that felt so great that I already ordered one. The other great thing about it, is that the instructor knows a PHYSIOTHERAPIST, so I will make and appointment and see what kind of advantage I can take of him.

I appreciated a lot all the comments about stretching, I am practicing already some of them, I learn and feel sooo inspired thanks to the blogsphere! It is my main tool to feel motivated, thanks a lot guys!!

Factors to defeat

2006-04-09T12:30:00.000-04:00

Only 6 of 8

2006-04-07T20:00:00.000-04:00

This two last days weren't the best. I had to be in a treatment that had me taking pills that made me feel sleepy the whole day. Thursday I was supposed to do cross training, but as leaving it for latter, I never ended doing it. How bad is not exercising, I was feeling so depleted...
This morning planned an 8 miles run. The started was ok, headed the beach but it wasn't firm enough to run and moved to the hotel area.
Still struggling to be on 140 HR but is impossible, the sun was burning me, so I had to do several walks to avoid being over 165... When I finished 6 I just wanted to stop and go home...
Also have to make a new plan to run in the afternoons, grrr it will be hard. I can't understand how I could run around 10 am in the morning when I arrived here...

I heard about an stretching class and I will be attending it tomorrow morning!

Stretching is failing

2006-04-04T11:30:00.000-04:00

Workout: 30min jump rope and weights + 4 easy miles.

I have to confess that I been doing very bad with the stretching sessions. Maybe I fail them mentally b/c of this facts: 1. while stretching a lot I got injured and 2. in the "Lore of running" book say that stretching was not a difference factor for not being injured.
Still I feel better doing them, so I have to defeat this bad behavior. I stretched yesterday but not today... grrrrr, I will later, but prefer to do them immediately after running, but the time factor!
About the weights today I enjoyed specially the back and abs movements. They are very important and I haven't practiced then enough... I will have to overcome this new situation with weather... Make a new plan.
Over the end of the tirth mile I thought of cutting there, it was so sunny and hot, but completed the planned four thinking that I never cut miles and this was not enough reason for this to be the first time!

This morning Luis was telling me not to run three days in a row, as I was not doing so before, but changed since the marathon training models say that. But I remember I read somewhere: Don't listen to non-runners advise!
Still I was feeling some tired but I bet it was regardless of not sleeping well after a huge dinner with arracheras, fried onions and smashed potatoes... You see why I don't record here my food diary?

Scars

2006-04-03T13:20:00.000-04:00

Sunday 4 miles.
I've been waking up at 5:30 instead at 6 just because I can't sleep anymore. It happened all the week, but not on Sunday. I suspected this was going to happen and set the wake up call. When it sounded I immediately thought how delicious it could be stay in bed longer, but my runner-common sense, remembered me that my goal is consistency and in a Sunday I can't delay a run.
It was late so I had to skip my weight training session, it was 7:38 and already too hot. I went to the beach looking for a softer surface. As I headed there remembered that it's been a long time since I haven't run there.
It was a very good run. I could handled to go for a much better pace than before, I could feel for the first time, an improvement.

Monday 6 miles.
I am feeling how the excitement to train goes back. It is also about consistency. Just when you are into the wheel you can feel the enjoyment.
I planned to run 5 miles and depending how I felt running a sixth mile. The first was in the road, then headed the beach again. This first mile at the beach my left ITB scar made a brief presentation. It wasn't bothering me.
I have to take advantage of days like this when sand is compact and wasn't very hot. It was a wonderful morning! In front of me I had three different landscapes, over the ocean the sky was clear blue, in front of me over a km away it was raining but not on me and then inland on my right side, there were very dark clouds!!!
I was at the beach running 4 miles. At this point I felt strangely tired, but I recovered just immediately as I started the fifth mile at the hotel.
Pace was easy.

Punta Cana running experiment

2006-03-31T16:00:00.000-05:00

Punta Cana is an area 40 minutes from where I live. The school is there and since today my youngest daughter had a presentation, I planned to run there after the event (which lasted about only 10 minutes).
I always run in the hotel area or at the beach. Making a change definitely was something that I needed and a lot!
The hotel and the beach are somehow private areas. You can not access to the beach if you aren't staying in a hotel.
I can't run on the streets since there are not sidewalks, in fact the area is underdeveloped despite the luxury hotels that also you can find.
That makes the area completely unattractive to run outside, in fact even in Punta Cana where the airport is and where Oscar de la Renta and Julio Iglesias have their houses, there are no streets only the highway. Writing this I realized that it is maybe me who is scared of everything, but running on lonely roads where you don't see anybody walking and me there, with shorts, mmm not precisely the perfect scenery to run.
I explain all this so you value how nice it is to feel save running in developed and safe places even while sometimes its spooky...
For all this (I guess)when I was ready to start and saw my HR monitor, it was in 120 and I hadn't even started. This is incredible, looks like this new situation made my heart rate rise that
much!!! My mind immediately traveled to a marathon day, when despite of had been training it could happen and make me fail.
The surface the was another fact to learn. How nice it is to run on which
I think should be similar to a trail surface. From time to time when I reached an entrance and had to climb the road, I felt like if each of my legs were a ton. I thought running on trails should be nice and easy for the legs, but is much more than I imagined. The road is covered with some type of very short grass.
The first miles were fine despite the high Heart rate, which never went down. Over the last miles I was so concentrated on the road and with running as ever. It should be that the road is straight and the landscape is all the same. Some rain join me from time to time, it gave me another fact to rise the HR since breathing moisture makes it harder to catch the oxygen. Time flew!!
Forget the pace, it was low, well, as usual, but not at this HR. Over 11:00 per mile with a 160hr grrr, total 6 miles.

This morning I was at school with my funky shoes and didn't notice any strange looks, I am thinking that here in the tropical weather, in a Latin country, you certainly see many funky persons and nobody cares.
But still when I was using my back pack and cap I felt like an alien, hahaha as I said before, this is not for fancy people. I shouldn't worry to much is them who got scared!!
This was a great morning, my body is feeling great I will have to make one or two of my weekly runs there.

Thanks for reading and visiting me have a nice weekend!!!!!!!!

Cross training

2006-03-30T00:08:00.000-05:00

Consisted in 20 minutes of what Jillian Michaels calls kickboxing. It is very easy, but the good news is that I could raise my legs to the sides with out any complains!! Maybe soon I will be able to go back to kickboxing.
Then I went to the row machine (is it its name??) for about 10 minutes, the elliptical for 10 minutes, 100 different combination of abs and low back exercises to end with 10 minutes bike ride around the hotel.
It made my HR rise -not too much but enough-, to feel full of energy and good mood for the rest of the day. I felt good this combination, it creates a different type of energy that the body recognizes in a different way.
The weather is back to normal. Sometimes I think that we are so used to have almost a radiator on us, that the lack of it makes all of the locals here feel flat. We can get use to anything.

The funky wicked shoes work

2006-03-29T11:03:00.000-05:00

I had fun reading your comments about the shoes. Now I think maybe I am funky with out knowing it. This lonely live had driven me to do things like this, I guess.

The weather here since Monday has been cloudy, sorry about the tourist. The hotel has some more than 1500 rooms and they are working about 98%. Clients just keep asking when will the sun come back...
For me is great. Fresh breeze is blowing and taking away humid air.
This let me had a nice workout.

Wednesday: 4 miles

I am not already feeling with the joy of running like I used to. I just feel like going but with out excitement. I feel good energy... I wish this goes back with consistency. When you are really involved with something simplilly to continue going is motivating. Right now doing this short runs is boring, but yes, I learned the lesson and I know that going in to long runs just because I like them is not enough reason to do them.

That drives me to push harder, well as much as my own rhythm alouds me. Shoes are responding greatly, now niggles at all. Even the ankle with the spur is doing fine. I will wait until the end of the next week to go in to the small hill area to prove how the ITB is doing.

Building up consistency!! (again???)

2006-03-28T15:50:00.000-05:00

I don't say "again" because I am finally able to run after this flu, but because watching my numbers I can see that inconsistency is what defines my last three weeks. Now I just wish this season is over and that march had passed as the lowest season of the year waiting for better times.

Monday 3 miles.
Tuesday 30 minutes workout and 4 miles.

This first three miles on Monday weren't the best, they were strangely hard. Other fact to take on count is that my new shoes are here and as expected they made my feet feel stiff, that plus the recovery well... I was conservative enough to stop at three miles for the first time ever.
Before running I made plyometric jumps, I include them two times a week.

Today everything was much better. I started with a 30 minutes workout with my new Jillian Michaels dvd. It is funny to workout listening to her. The workout is not that tough so is fine to do before running. I like it because the exercises are mainly cardio and working with the body's weight. So my plan has changed again and now I will do this sometimes and other times I will go with the training with jump rope just two times a week.

I know, I am always changing, that's why Luis stopped training with me, he said I was driving him crazy. Men... So straight!
The part of the plan of going as easy as possible has not been accomplished either. I included some intervals today, just a very short ones, but that I was feeling so good that I couldn't resist it.

Later this afternoon I want to make a yoga session.

This are my new shoes. They were 20us cheaper I think because of the color, anyway I like it. Maybe not the best color for this weather.

Cheaper or not, my feet were still stiff this morning. I will try to use them only with the orthotics the doctor recommended, taking out the insoles.

Running with them this morning was something good.

Thanks a lot for all the support I received. I wasn't even feeling like writing a comment in your blogs, can you believe it? But now I am fine and writing my blog help me a lot on my way to build up!

Jammed with flu

2006-03-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

It started so badly form Monday afternoon and it is not over yet, grrrr.
This will be the first time that I stop for so long, and it is not an injury!!!!
I've already lost 3 runs and I am not completely sure I will run on Sunday. It is like and epidemic and gets worst with the temperature changes that we have here. Burning outside and very fresh with Air conditioned indoors.
My legs feel like two trunks and for moments I feel an inside sensation of running, like hard breathing... Like if I were running.
So as I was trying to avoid stopping, this has definitely hit me... I bet it will end someday... When? Am I the same person able to run at least for an hour anymore? Am I still a runner???

Temptations

2006-03-17T17:10:00.000-05:00

Yes now is time to "follow the plan".

Wednesday 5 miles, Friday weights and 6 miles. Both were easy but as it is becoming hot and hot is very hard to keep my HR low... The sun is stilling my energy with 82 F = 28 C!!!

The thing with plans is that in this era of excess information, there is always something new to try, or just you know the temptation to go farther, specially if I am feeling strong, as I been feeling this days while running.

RW says to run faster to burn more calories specially because runners have to face this frustrating truth: as you become more and more fit you recover faster so the postworkout metabolic rate returns to its resting level sooner, and you don't burn as many calories as an occasional runner... Great news... I haven't lost any weight besides I have my log food, but I am such a gluttony that I record all the desserts and heavy meals I eat... Focus, focus!!!
No more sabotage!!

I am very happy because I continued running, resting is not always the answer!!!

Resting is unacceptable

2006-03-14T18:40:00.000-05:00

Textually Lore of running says:
Furthermore, there is no doubt that rest is "the most unacceptable form of treatment for the serious runner" Chapter 14, page 754.
About this phrase I will just add that it is not saying that you have to be an elite runner to be a serious one...

Of course the book says first that instead of being looking for remedies, stretching, or resting, the main thing that most be done is to look for the cause. If you rest you will feel better but as soon as you go running it will go the same if the cause hasn't been treated.

I found my causes already and I am changing them. Blooger helped me a lot. I read my posts and this is what I've found:

I made several long runs before changing shoes and I had no problem.
After using my new shoes a couple weeks the ITB problem appear. The second new pair I have is not good for improving it either, so I will have to go back to the first model since it never gave me this problem and will stick to it for ever, changing a lot doesn't help at all.
Last Friday ITB appear again AFTER a hill. I was shocked and didn't think of it, so until I am completely recovered I will do hills again.
The Achilles problem comes from the tightness of the ankle, so since I am using the orthotics, stretching and all the rest, it will be fine.
This last month I went for long runs too quickly. I will just continue doing runs no longer than 8 miles until the marathon training that will start next end of April.
My new shoes are on the way.

For all this I went for 5 miles this morning and felt great. I use the best pair of shoes I have and orthotics. I was great. I am so happy, I feel I will definitely be successful to make it to the marathon! Thanks Lore of Running, I am learning so much!

Awake in bed

2006-03-12T07:15:00.000-05:00

It was 6:15 when I woke up, a perfect time to go running, but I'm not.

This spur wasn't the reason for visiting the doctor, it wasn't the heel, it was ITBS. I mentioned the heel to the doctor because of my problems with Achilles Tendon.

I went to run on Friday morning. I went for 8 miles. But first I went to the gym and made the circuit with jump rope. That was another mistake, since I was supposed to be resting on Wednesday and trying this run as a recovery one. Also that is not the way to combine both.

Around mile 4 I was fine, but ITB started complaining. Then disappeared. Achilles tendon started bothering me over the sixth mile.

Now I understand that Achilles is tight because of the heel. So I have a whole collection of problems, but I still fell I will overcome all this.
I am stretching Achilles a lot and resting ITB again. For all this my body is stressed and not in good shape to wish to go running.

I already ordered orthotics which is what the doctor recomended me. And for ITB he gave me some pills, but I still know what to do.

Let's see how this week goes.

Calcareus spur

2006-03-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

This is what has been happening to my heel since last december. That's why the pain in the heel is there and it won't go away.
Antinflammatories, ice, stretching, orthotics are the home therapy recomended. At least I know this won't stop me from running, since I've been able to this months.
Which I don't know but I will keep searching about this calcareus spur is that if I continue running the bone will grow more and more, causing more and more pain...????

I hate pain, not because I'm afraid of suffering, but because it could stop me running. Also, you know stress goes around all the body and triggers a poor performance... now I have the best excuse..........................................

Just feel like resting...

2006-03-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I felt very tired during the day. Energy was depleted. This is my easy week, I am not training for any event, hahahaha, when am I?

I just remember now the days off I took at the end of January and how well I felt when I started running again. At this time I am not injured or anything close, but feel like making a brief stop of two days will go fine. I repeat this again and again to myself, because I am not happy at all of canceling a run. Nothing will happen if I skip one run in a month, in fact it will be the first.

I was looking at my numbers again. January I ran 136 miles. Now, February when I started slowing down and ordering the training in a better way, dropped to 80. That puts me all the way back to September, when after three years of running, I started making numbers and calculating distances, pace, and those numbers. I've done much more, but still I doubt if it was in a better way.

I had breakfast with A, she is the mother of one of my daughter's friends. She is Mexican too. The first thing she saw -I think-, was that I was limping just a little. She said, let's not walk a lot because I can see your foot is hurting. (It happens to me sometimes, after being sitting for a long time, but then it recovers and it's fine, is more like stiff) I told her I was fine.
She knows I like to run but as soon as she could, she started talking me about some yoga positions she found very helpful to loose weight and to feel better. I just thank her and didn't talk about the subject at all, but I think like she and not only her, but some of the people that knows me, should think I am crazy running and training to no where.
Even there was one who told me if I was running a marathon at least I should win it.

I don't look for support from THEM at all of course, but it is always funny the way people, think they know everything about fitness and the things that are good or bad for the body. Even if it is only a theory never practiced. I was one of them, in fact.

I started to read Lore of running, certainly you know which book is that.
(I didn't know it was that big, I bought it in the internet, looks like the runner's bible)
In the first part it starts talking about preconceptions of how the word works. It is like we were already born with some "sort of knowledge" of everything. Thanks to science that is explaining us now the truth.
I will share here about interesting facts I find there...

I will go for 8 miles on friday.

2006-03-06T18:20:00.000-05:00

Finally learned how to go back to the compose mode to upload photos, I am happy, I'll take lots of photos for you again!!!

More about pain...

2006-03-06T17:30:00.000-05:00

I was thinking that not posting about pain would be nice. But that is not the reality for a runner -unfortunately-. Maybe is better to report every single sign of discomfort to maybe learn better about what causes injuries, besides of all we know, or that we are supposed to know.
During Saturday BOTH knees were bothering me... and then left Achilles was pulling!! During the long run on Friday it was the right Achilles who gave me problems, but after that it has remain quiet.
What pain makes is that gives me immediate stress thinking about the worst, which is not running. I don't care about feeling the pain.
I am thinking at this point that I am just such a coward always complaining... but still I would love to know if this random pains are normal... so if you have more to comment about pain, leave a message please.
Now go back to my training report.
Sunday. The weight training before the run is fantastic. It takes me 40 minutes. This time I ran on the treadmill. It is my easy week. Ended the 4 miles and even stretched then, when I went out of the gym the day was stunning, so I ran another mile outside to enjoy it.
Monday abs and yoga session accomplished despite this hasn't been a very energy day.

Electronic high!!

2006-03-03T12:20:00.000-05:00

This is a memorable day. I had a wonderful run. In fact it wasn't perfect but still great. Let me explain why.
Yesterday: In the morning ABS session and Yoga. I only made the suggested positions in RW March. At night I had two red wine glasses with dinner.
Today 16 miles.
I woke up with a little headache. Started to run at 7am. During the night it was raining so the air was humid. At least there was still this nice fresh air, that even for moments I was feeling delightfully cold.
Headed the beach to start. The sand was firm and there was plenty of space to run. Very nice.
From the 4th mile to the 10th I enjoyed the run, as ever. As you people who run just know how it can be. My new electronic music helped a lot. For moments I was listening to it and that was driving me to dream like I was stepping on clouds. The grass was brighter than ever, the blue sky behind the palm trees... that is happiness. It is true.
The one that I was being THERE, was a human being in all plenitude... like the emotions you feel when you are in love. I am in love!! I love running!!

Achilles tendon came to stage over the 11th mile. The pain started growing. More, bothers me... I stop and stretch. I made that several times over a half mile and helped a lot. When I was back to running I was feeling strong, fine, like if doing this 16 miles even with this pain, would be something easy. Energy was latent inside, I could feel it.
But the pain was back again so I stretched again. I couldn't give up running. I was feeling very strong. I was stopped by this inconvenient, but my energy levels were untouched.
Finished my 16 miles in perfect shape. I was "there" for 3hrs 30 minutes. What an adventure!!!

Fresh air gives me hope

2006-03-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

Great run today, after the weight training. Today I added the plyometric jumps at the beginning. I just forgot about them grrrr and didn't do them again. I need my training log... all written.

Lots of energy from the start, so when I started to run, I was in a nice pace this time between 10-11 minutes. First I thought that I was improving too much too soon, but then I realized about this nice fresh air that was cooling my skin and was helping my heart this way.

My mind blew to Mexico, where the mornings are fresh enough for me for this to happen and where I will run the marathon in august, that certainly will help me to achieve the dream of making a good job there. Still sometimes I think if I will really be able to do it...

Total 4 easy miles.

Very poor intervals

2006-02-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

Well not everything was going to be so nice as it was going. At least there's still good news, ITB is quiet!!
Monday Abs and stretching session. Since I will be doing a weight training Sundays and Wednesdays, Mondays and Thursdays, I will be doing abs, and yoga. I will go to the gym for this because I don't handle to workout here at home, even though it is only for abs and yoga... there is a place for everything.
Last night I was excited and motivated for my run this morning, but since I woke up this morning, something wasn't fine on my mood. Energy was fine and there was no pain to report, but even my camel pack was very heavy this morning and my back was hurting some.
My intervals were about 30 seconds slower than last Tuesday. At least the last one was over 4:23 as the best last week. Reasons? Well maybe the weight training starting, or a bad sleep night, which would be just an excuse since it happens lots of times... just a poor day, but still I put on the table all my effort!

Combining

2006-02-26T11:30:00.000-05:00

Chapter 32 on the "Complete book of running", recommends to insert a circuit weight training in the middle of a 4 miles easy run.
That made me remain those days when I was weight training first and then immediately I was hitting the road for running. The days when I was training leg, specially, the run definitely was stronger.
So today I started weight training combination today. I made the recommended circuit today, I don't know if I will stick to it always since it is very short and is an only one set per exercise. Maybe I will put more sets, I definitely can do farther. What I like is the jump rope finishing each set.
My run was great. I had planned to run 4 miles but I was feeling so great that I made one more.
The HR was slow over 140, and the pace was fine. What also helped today was that the wind was blowing such a nice fresh air that made me feel in heaven. I think it was the freshest air we have had during this not yet ended "tropical winter".
That should be one of the reasons why I can't run at slow HR, the heat combined with the humidity.
ITB update. It was some sore yesterday, but after doing that weight training the soreness was gone. During the first 3 miles all the knee area was like stiff, but as I had to make a technical stop on the 3rd mile, the last two it went just fine.
After the run I put ice water into the bathtub and lay there for some minutes.

Saved by written words

2006-02-24T13:20:00.000-05:00

This morning's workout was almost aborted, but some miracle words saved my long run. This is what happened:
I was ready to go but I had to wait 20 minutes... that made me feel some anxious. Finally started to walk to the beach. ITBS was seriously telling me "I am here". When I get there and started to "run" it was getting worst and worst. I just could handle to go for 0.3mile!!!!! I definitely had to stop, went to the hotel and changed my shoes.
While doing this I was thinking that this could be one of the sources and roots of this ITB problem. I use this shoes for the beach, but they are motion control and I really enjoy them there, but I am not a low arch and since I started using them the problem started.... I am not using them again.
I decided to skip the beach run and started slowly at the hotel once again. That was plan #2. But ITB was still pulling, still there bothering me grrrr. I even thought, "I should stop and cancel this", "this is not good", but at the same time, I imagined my day without running and felt the sadness of canceling a workout just at the starting point. Suddenly my mind flew to the blogsphere and remembered 2p's title "Happiness is" 30km.... and just in that very moment, seem like my ITB was agree with that thought, and just STOPPED HURTING ME!!! I was still at the starting point almost, but this time able to go on.
While I was over the 4th mile I thought it was enough happiness, but no!! This was a long run, so I continued.
Today I finally understand and felt how it is to run relying on fat, which of course I have plenty!!!
I was running between 145 and 150HR during the first 10 miles. I avoided to have my gel and thought that I was just going to use it if I felt dieing. The sun also made me slow down some. The speed was slower than a turtle's pace, but still I was feeling that my body was moving still enough to look like not walking. I saw my watch and realized that completing the last 4 miles at this pace was meaning to continue being there for one more hour, and just made it. This source of energy NEVER ENDS.
I finished 14 miles in 2:55, an eternity for that distance but learn more and I wasn't depleted or sore as some other times. I didn't stop at all since I started!!!
Just some stiff to walk but I awarded myself today going to the spa for a pool massage. I am feeling great at this moment.

Delightful words: Recovery Run

2006-02-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

It is fantastic that such a kind of workout exist!! You can run while your body is triggered to recover, then it is not necessary to stop running!! Funny that while my pace remains slow as before, -now that I KNOW that forcing all the time to accomplish a better pace day after day is not the greatest way to train-, I definitely enjoy this slow runs that won't ever go farther than 150HR and that prepare my body to learn to improve the pace, while burning and relaying on fat. I definitely have plenty of it...
Today 4 mile recovery.
I went to the gym before to warm up my legs with some squads, stat lunges and leg press machine, but it was just a brief session.
ITB started pulling some, but it went away over the second mile. Breathing while directing the air to the pain area helped a lot. It is good that my mind is not stress so I can handle it in a better way, of course I am stretching a lot.
We had some rain this morning. When the sun started shining the air was so damp... spring is arriving.

Know-how

2006-02-21T17:45:00.000-05:00

Monday morning I started to prepare my kick-boxing session. I wanted to start again with the group since I cancelled the sessions for two weeks because of my ITB problem. I was training with a video to add new steps for the session. I had been only there for about 5 to 8 minutes, when ITB started hurting me again so badly!! I think maybe the fast movements that have to be made for the legs are still very bad. So I had to cancel definitely the group in order to remain injury free during this two easy months and before to start training for the marathon in april -the marathon is in august-.
I will go back to my weight training session on Mondays and Thursdays to strengthen all the body.

Today: 7 miles intervals.
My numbers from last week to this have improved already some. It is like my body is learning to switch from burning carbs to burn fat again.
During last September I ran at a slow pace, but then as I started adding miles without noting it, I increased the average HR -not the pace grr-, and continued like that, training almost always higher than 150. Now is like if my body was learning again to go over that pace, trying to run.
Could that be one of the reasons of gaining so much weight while running still? Well I know I overindulge and overate anyway...
I made five intervals. Over the third one, I just could felt how the performance improved in the sense that breathing wasn't that hard anymore, which I translate as an anaerobic workout! It is great to read about this facts in books, is like if someone else would be explaining you how does your machine works, but until you feel it, you really comprehend what happens how the marvelous machine called our bodies work while running, while improving.
Definitely training with knowledge is much more fun!!

Easy is becoming enjoyable

2006-02-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday 4 miles.
I had planned to run over an area where there is a small hill and do some hill repeats, but my left quad was pulling some during Saturday so I preferred not to go there for not aggravating it.
This time the pace improved to much. It is making me think -also because all I've been reading and learning lately-, and understand that if I train my body at that pace the capacity of my body to burn fat will improve as my performance. Well I hope. So I will keep combining as it is giving my very good results.
I have to force myself to stop when I reach the planned miles, because I am feeling very well, no matter what the time is. I am even thinking of starting to run five days instead of only four, it is like my body is recovering sooner. But I will do this until I don't have more space to put miles on...
I am writing again my log food. I gain 5 pounds the last three months, which sounds to be impossible, as normal I didn't even noted it, but at this point I just want to imagine how well will I run without this extra pounds... that is encouraging.