Another Wednesday Long Run!

I don't know how I've gotten into this schedule, but my long runs keep migrating from Sunday to Wednesday...which turns out to be fine because I had a FANTASTIC run today!

I'm sorry to go all capitalized on you, but it was a really, really good run. The best and longest one I've had since the marathon. I explored a new area (scoping out a course for the 5K...I'll update you on that soon), had a Chocolate Outrage GU and water at mile 5, and finished the last three miles in the rain and the last two in the dark. (I almost ate the sidewalk once about a half mile from home on a particularly unlit block.)

I just felt great, though. I had energy all the way through and my legs didn't get sore at all. Maybe I've actually been building some muscles with all this Jillian Michaels Shredding!

Help me Plan a 5K

Okay, I need y'all's help. (And not just the normal motivation to get my lazy self in my running shoes and out the door.)

This week, my county was ranked the least healthy county in the state. Out of 100 counties. This was not exactly a shocker to me. (Have you ever heard me whine about being desperate for a YMCA, indoor pool, road races, or long distance running partners?) The official ranking, however, is initiative enough though to jolt me into action.

Running is not a big sport here. There is one 5K and 8K in the fall, but there were only about 20 participants. I won the 8K, for crying out loud! Obviously, there are not that many people running here. (We did have a larger, informal running, biking, and swimming event over Labor Day weekend, but the scale of Take the Lake doesn't really appeal to beginner fitness participants. And it wasn't timed.)

So, I am going to organize a 5K. I'd love for it to be an certified, age-group awarded, online registration event, but even more so than that I just want a lot of local participants. And I think that will mean a no registration fee, no t-shirt (although I REALLY want to have a t-shirt), fairly casual run/walk event. (It WILL be timed though and I want to have some awards.)

I've talked to a local organization about pairing it with an event in May, but it will about a week before I hear back from them. If it doesn't work out with that organization, I'm just "going rogue" and going to plan it myself. We spoke about a short (half mile or so) kids run too.

I know I'll need (in no particiular order)...

• volunteers
  
• sponsors (because pretty much everything that follows on this list depends on their support, especially without a registration fee)
• advertising (including a web presence, even if it's just a facebook event)
• a permit for a possible lane closure on one road without a sidewalk
• a water station at the halfway point (maybe another...we'll need all the help we can get)
• registrations forms (I need to have a waiver on there, right?)
• race bibs and safety pins
• water and snacks at the finish line
• timers and recorders (I've seen this done many different ways at small races, suggestions on best method, anyone?)
• registration table
• signs and volunteers along the route
• some kind of loud speaker for the race start
• prizes for top 3 male and female finishers in the 5K (just overall, not age-group) and some kind of little award for all the kids participating

That's just off the top of my head and definitely not an all-inclusive list, but what other things can you think of and what advice do you have to offer? I need your expertise! : )

Between Now and March 21st

(I wish they had a logo for the Half-Marathon, because I'm definitely going for 13.2 this time, just to make that clear.)

...I want to:

• Get in my all "long" runs. (I think I might only train up to 10 miles this time so it shouldn't be all that ridiculous to get these in.)
• Run at least 2 other times during school week. (Hey, it's an improvement from nothing.)
• Drink more water!
• Work through all three levels of The Shred. I've done Level 1 at least 5 times now and it doesn't feel much easier. I'm not really sore, however, so I know I'm getting stronger.
  
• Drop a few pounds. I lost about 7 pounds in the marathon training and then gained it all back. I'm down a few now, but not where I need to be.
  

I think that's pretty reasonable. Then it will be time to choose the next race!

7 Miles: Check!

Thanks for the encouragement and accountability! I literally would not have done it without you.

I got a late start, so I was only able to get in 4 miles outside. The last one was definitely in the dark, but I really wanted to get more than half my run finished before I submitted to the dreadmill.

When I came in, I only had 3 miles left, but that was daunting enough on the treadmill. I HATE the treadmill. I haven't used it in months and today was kind of ugly (there was walking involved), but I finished it!

(By the way, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" turns out not to be such a great treadmill movie. It's been on my list of "movies everyone in the world has seen but me because I didn't grow up with a TV and it's causing me to miss pop culture references" for a while now, but it just moved up the Netflix Queue. I had run half a mile before the opening credits were even finished. I'm pretty sure I missed half the jokes because I couldn't hear them over the rickety mess that is our treadmill. I think I'll pick it up another time though.)

Convince me.

So, things have been a little hectic lately, in school, grad school, and outside of school. And until today, my workouts have been zero to nil. I went through periods like this during the marathon training, but I knew I had to get in those long runs.

Even the long runs have been falling by the wayside lately. I could blame it on many factors, but the reality is, I gotta get in these runs. I kinda skipped over the whole training process last February when I ran the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon and I was able to finish, but barely. I was practically limping by the end.

I want to actually finish the Wrightsville Half Marathon with a little pride in tact. And the very next step in that process is the 7 mile run that was supposed to happen Sunday. And didn't.

Even though after school on Wednesday is traditionally not a ideal time for a long run for me, it's gotta happen. Unless emergency or injury strikes, the iPod and I are hitting the road for approximately 70 minutes tomorrow.

Convince me I can do it.

Cheating through The Shred

So I had to take 2 days off of The Shred before my muscles felt recovered enough to run without giving out. I put off this week's "long run," which was only 4 miles until today after school.

(Please don't judge me for using a Beginner's Half Marathon Plan even though this is my fourth 13.1...and for choosing the minimum mileages on each day.)

I had a really good run though and (due to heading out too late and trying to get back before it was completely pitch dark) it felt pretty speedy for me. I even decided to go ahead and forge through with Day 4 of The Shred afterwards.

Confession: I completely cheated and fast-forwarded through the warm-up (I figured I was plenty warm already), cardio (since I just got in about 40 minutes of running, I didn't feel that guilty skipping those 6 minutes), and cool-down (I'm on the floor now in a v-sit stretching out my arms to reach my laptop).

I doubt Jillian would approve. : )

Ouch.

The Shred is already working. You know I can tell? I hurt. As in, barely being able to pick up the groceries sore. As in, walking sideways down the porch steps sore. As in, feeling pain when I laugh sore.

I was a little surprised to realize all of the sudden that the last time I was this sore was after the marathon. (Okay, two days after the marathon. That first day after the race, I could barely get out of bed. I was sore in my bones.)

So, kudos, Jillian. In 2 twenty minute workouts, you've produced almost the same pain results as almost 5 hours of running.

I decided to take today off because I want to actually be able to run tomorrow. Next week, the two plans (half marathon and The Shred) will merge!

I thought I loved you then...

No, this isn't an early Valentine's Day post. It's something much more pathetic.

For years (really, wow...it has been 4 years), I have been watching the Biggest Loser and knew Jillian Michaels was my kind of trainer. I bought one of her books and I have been poking around with some of her workouts for months. I already thought she was pretty much tops.

Tonight though, I finally got around to my first day of "The Shred." My first video workout led by Jillian. And it was fantastic. I've got a whole new respect for her.

I know it's really weird to wax poetic about a DVD workout, but I'd dabbled in many over the years and this one is the first that I'm really wild over. Most of the leaders in these videos encourage you "not to push it," "take a break anytime you need it," and "follow Jessica if you're not quite ready for the full workout." (Jessica being the girl in the back of the video who is just kinda scooting around with 1 pound weights.)

With most of these DVDs, I either get bored about 5 minutes in or just kinda wimp out on the hard parts (read: lunges, push-ups, etc) and bounce through the cardio. Jillian kept me going through the whole workout though. Every time my arms started feeling wimpy and I thought about putting down the weights, Jillian would start going on about "change hurts" or "don't wimp out now...the pain means it's working."

So, I'm really excited about keeping it up through the 3 levels! Oh, and I guess it's about time to run again...