This last week was not so easy to get through, mostly because I've just been in a mood lately. A mood where I just want to be lazy. I don't know if I am just burned out from running, or what is up with me, but it's been really difficult for me to convince myself to get out the door. I put off this week's training a few times, Monday turned into Tuesday, Tuesday turned into Wednesday, and finally I decided I needed to get on the ball. I set out for a 5 mile speed work run on Wednesday at the track on base, but it was so hot and I just was not feeling it. It ended up turning into a 2 mile short run with a lot of walking. Which I guess is okay, considering I skipped my 2 miler on Monday. Then Thursday I moved back indoors to the treadmill and was able to get in the speed work. I felt so much better after it. I felt like I was back. Saturday I set out for 6 miles on base, but those 6 miles quickly turned into 3 miles with a lot of walking. It just seems like this is becoming a pattern, and I don't know how to get out of my funk. I just want to run and feel good about running again. Alas, I still got in 10 miles this week, 3 shy of the 13 I was supposed to get in. Hopefully this week I can find my motivation again!
Week 2, Day 1: 2.04 miles, 23:24, av pace 11:28 min/mi
Week 2, Day 2: 5.28 miles, 54:00, av pace: 10:13 min/mi
Week 2, Day 3: 3.02 miles, 34:11, av pace: 11:18 min/mi
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
A New Training Plan Commences
With the Navy Ten Nautical Miler 8 weeks away, I decided to start a new training plan last week. My goal is to run the 11.5 miles in 2 hours or less. I'm really hoping I am able to do it. So with my new determination, I made up my new training plan with the help of Runner's World Smart Coach and set off. I'm really hoping the weather on this race day is better than the day of the half and that I am able to run more of the race with less walk breaks.
This first week was fairly easy. It was a nice change compared to my half training, especially in that my longest run for this plan will only be 9 miles as opposed to the 12 my last plan had me do. I also like that it has me doing some really short "easy" runs, even though I usually don't like doing anything less than 3 miles, I think this will keep me on track and make me realize that not every run has to be fast and hard. Last Monday I did the 2 miler around our neighborhood loop, which meant I got a bunch of hill training in there too! I made the mistake of doing it at about 11 am in 78 degree weather, which wasn't the best idea, but alas, I refuse to wake up early just to run in the "cooler" morning temps. Wednesday's tempo run I ended up doing on the treadmill at the gym, it was a little cooler out and it was still pretty early, so I just bit the bullet and survived the dreadmill. Saturday I did my 6 miler on base at the park, it was a nice 74 degrees and sunny, a beautiful day for a run! It was great and really felt good!
I've moved my schedule back a day this week given that I didn't do today's 2 miler, but I will be doing it tomorrow and then doing my speed work on Thursday and the long run on Saturday, I'm looking forward to another great week!
Week 1, Day 1: 2.01 miles, 20:29, av pace: 10:10 min/mi
Week 1, Day 2: 5 miles, 48:47, av pace: 9:45 min/mi
Week 1, Day 3: 6.01 miles, 1:00:29, av pace: 10:03 min/mi
This first week was fairly easy. It was a nice change compared to my half training, especially in that my longest run for this plan will only be 9 miles as opposed to the 12 my last plan had me do. I also like that it has me doing some really short "easy" runs, even though I usually don't like doing anything less than 3 miles, I think this will keep me on track and make me realize that not every run has to be fast and hard. Last Monday I did the 2 miler around our neighborhood loop, which meant I got a bunch of hill training in there too! I made the mistake of doing it at about 11 am in 78 degree weather, which wasn't the best idea, but alas, I refuse to wake up early just to run in the "cooler" morning temps. Wednesday's tempo run I ended up doing on the treadmill at the gym, it was a little cooler out and it was still pretty early, so I just bit the bullet and survived the dreadmill. Saturday I did my 6 miler on base at the park, it was a nice 74 degrees and sunny, a beautiful day for a run! It was great and really felt good!
I've moved my schedule back a day this week given that I didn't do today's 2 miler, but I will be doing it tomorrow and then doing my speed work on Thursday and the long run on Saturday, I'm looking forward to another great week!
Week 1, Day 1: 2.01 miles, 20:29, av pace: 10:10 min/mi
Week 1, Day 2: 5 miles, 48:47, av pace: 9:45 min/mi
Week 1, Day 3: 6.01 miles, 1:00:29, av pace: 10:03 min/mi
Sunday, April 04, 2010
My First Tiered Cake
Well, Course 3 has now ended and I am on a cake decorating class hiatus until Michael's will offer Course 4, which I am told will most likely be sometime this summer. Course 3 however, did not go out without a bang. For our final project, we had to make a tiered cake, basically a small wedding cake. Let me just preface this by saying, I now understand why wedding cakes cost so much money, they are so very time consuming!
I spent 15 hours on this cake, and it wasn't even that big! The top tier is two 6 inch rounds, which I made with a delicious vanilla cake recipe, and then torted and filled with my own creation of raspberry buttercream. The bottom tier is two 9 inch rounds, which I made a dark chocolate marble cake, and torted and filled with a dark chocolate frosting. The white frosting you see seeping out the sides is a bit of regular vanilla buttercream that is used as a "wall" to separate the filling from the outside frosting and also keeps the filling from seeping out the sides of the cake.
The thing that took the most time was the flowers. Fondant roses are a lot of work, each one takes at least 15-20 minutes to do. The Easter Lilies weren't as bad, it took me about 2.5 hours to do, they are made of royal icing, which I already had some royal icing made up and only had to rebeat it to consistency to make the flowers. The border is a ruffle border, which I had some trouble learning how to do, but in the end I really love the way it looks! Enjoy, I know I loved my 2 slices of cake Friday afternoon!
Spring Stampede 5K And A New PR!
Friday Tony and I ran the Spring Stampede "Fun Run" 5K on base. I was a little annoyed getting there because we were almost late to the start because Tony had a meeting at work that ran late. But, when we got there they were still checking people in and the race had not started yet, which I was really happy about. After checking in and putting our new t-shirts in the car, it was time.
Everyone lined up and then we were off. I started off strong and fast at about an 8:30 min/mi pace, until I got about 0.30 miles into the race, I couldn't breathe. It was pretty hot outside, it seems we skipped over Spring and went straight into Summer being that it was 80 degrees out! The only reminder that it is indeed Spring is all the pollen in the air, and then there's me, the girl allergic to just about everything on the allergy test...needless to say, the not breathing was definitely my allergy induced asthma kicking into effect at the very time I needed to perform. I had to walk. Tony stayed with me, even though I told him numerous times that he could go on if he wanted to. This kept happening throughout the race. I'd run a little bit, then I just wouldn't be able to keep going, I'd have to stop and walk. It was really frustrating and that's when the self doubt reared it's ugly head. I was so mad at myself, at my body, at everything. I told myself I was a failure. I wasn't really and runner and who was I trying to kid?! That I would just always be the fat girl. I guess it's true that we always are are own worst critics and enemies. Not to mention this was my first time running since the half marathon, because I ended up with a pretty nasty sprain in my left foot from that race and was told to stay off it for at least 10 days.
Finally, I broke through. I was almost towards the finish line, I could see it in sight, and I knew then that I had to go, and go fast if I had any hope of getting a sub-30 time. And so I gave it my all, I sprinted in to cross the finish line and overtake 3 people in front of me. Final time: 29:05!! Not as fast as I had hoped, I really wanted to be able to get around 27 minutes, but at least it's 58 seconds faster than my last 5K, so it's a new PR!! Hopefully next time I will be better prepared, be able to train before the race, and not let the negative voices come crashing down on me. I start training for the Navy Nautical Ten Miler tomorrow and I am hoping that this will be a good race, and one that I can say I ran the whole thing!
Everyone lined up and then we were off. I started off strong and fast at about an 8:30 min/mi pace, until I got about 0.30 miles into the race, I couldn't breathe. It was pretty hot outside, it seems we skipped over Spring and went straight into Summer being that it was 80 degrees out! The only reminder that it is indeed Spring is all the pollen in the air, and then there's me, the girl allergic to just about everything on the allergy test...needless to say, the not breathing was definitely my allergy induced asthma kicking into effect at the very time I needed to perform. I had to walk. Tony stayed with me, even though I told him numerous times that he could go on if he wanted to. This kept happening throughout the race. I'd run a little bit, then I just wouldn't be able to keep going, I'd have to stop and walk. It was really frustrating and that's when the self doubt reared it's ugly head. I was so mad at myself, at my body, at everything. I told myself I was a failure. I wasn't really and runner and who was I trying to kid?! That I would just always be the fat girl. I guess it's true that we always are are own worst critics and enemies. Not to mention this was my first time running since the half marathon, because I ended up with a pretty nasty sprain in my left foot from that race and was told to stay off it for at least 10 days.
Finally, I broke through. I was almost towards the finish line, I could see it in sight, and I knew then that I had to go, and go fast if I had any hope of getting a sub-30 time. And so I gave it my all, I sprinted in to cross the finish line and overtake 3 people in front of me. Final time: 29:05!! Not as fast as I had hoped, I really wanted to be able to get around 27 minutes, but at least it's 58 seconds faster than my last 5K, so it's a new PR!! Hopefully next time I will be better prepared, be able to train before the race, and not let the negative voices come crashing down on me. I start training for the Navy Nautical Ten Miler tomorrow and I am hoping that this will be a good race, and one that I can say I ran the whole thing!
Friday, April 02, 2010
Half Marathon Photos
I just ordered our "official" ones to put in our shadow boxes, but until then enjoy the proofs!
