Saturday nights and Sunday mornings

Yesterday was a scheduled run day but I stupidly let the wife talk me into breakfast before I went running...and then there was no running. Instead we went to the Guinness Premiership final (Leicester 10 London Irish 9) and drank too many beers (pints 6) but miraculously I was awake at 9 today anyway and went for a (very stiff) run in the pathetic Couch to 5K version 2 thing I'm doing, finishing week 1 of this and 100 pushups/200 situps, only 2 weeks after starting. But it's time to get going, otherwise JogBlog and everyone else will laugh at me when I can't run the 3.5 miles of the Crisis Square Mile run at the beginning of June and I'll feel silly for having asked if anyone wants to donate to help end homelessness. And now I'm going to take my annoying morning-person-self to the grocery so I can make ricotta pancakes and also spinach lasagne (I seem to have ricotta on the brain today).

Week 7, Day 3: Mama said there'd be days like this

Forgot to charge Big G. Got the "battery low" beep as I headed out. Looked down when I went to cross the street and it had turned off. (That's one of my biggest gripes - there's basically no warning between low battery and no battery...Garmin, are you listening?) OK, whatever, just run. Think maybe I've turned down the wrong street and won't be getting to the park I'm aiming at, so turn up a decent looking street. Check out my location on a bus map, discover my north/south has gotten screwed up but I'm still headed in the right direction. Turn towards home. Come upstairs. Check out the map. Discover I was actually almost to the park when I turned. Calculate that I cheated myself (AGAIN!) out of my total distance. In the end, though, it's what you do every day that matters, not what you do on any one day. I am a marathoner. 3.5 miles, unknown time.

Week 6, Day 3: Saturday night on the roads

I live an exciting life, clearly, when Saturday night at 6 finds me running up the "hip" street in my neighborhood instead of visiting the bars on said hip street. (Full disclosure - I'm going to go out for wine shortly.) But I really wanted to run and get back on schedule. I've got something of a superstition about filling every box in the book's journal to prepare for the marathon. I don't know why, and I know it's irrational.

After yesterday, I decided to pick up the pace a bit on this "easy" run. Which was good, but then I got it into my head that I should always be under 11 min/mile, so I welcomed the opportunity to catch my breath every time I crossed the street. I'm looking forward to next week when I can try to do this run more smoothly.

4.5 miles, 49:14.

Week 5, Day 3: Getting it together (and a bit of celebration)

Ha ha ha. Yesterday I was all gloating about how I have been so motivated lately, and I was working from home to make sure I could run today, and on and on and on. I should know better. I spent the better part of an hour reading blogs and saying "I'll run in 15 minutes." Finally I was reading Marathon Moon, and she was talking about the blahs, and I was all set to write her a "hang in there, girl" comment, and I realized I didn't feel good commenting on runners blogs if I hadn't run my scheduled run for the day. So I gave myself a stern "get your shit together" talking to, put the dog in his crate, and set out for an easy 3 miles.

Pretty good run, I felt really relaxed and had to keep reminding myself to slow down so I'd be able to run the whole way. I was thinking about all the runner-bloggers, and how I don't do anything half-way (hence: Couch to 5K 18 months ago, marathon less than 3 months away) and whether that's a good thing or not (still no conclusion), and how excited I am to see my sister this weekend. I got irrationally annoyed at the smoker who blew her smoke right into my path just as I needed a big breath of air, and at the school kids who took up the whole pavement (aka sidewalk) and made me run into traffic (though I guess it serves me right for running when non-runners are awake).

I cheated a bit and stopped the timer and walked just a little, but then I was thinking about how in The NonRunners Marathon Trainer they talk about building up successes, and that when the marathon comes you'll be able to keep going even when you think you can't because of all the times you've kept going when you thought you couldn't in the past, and I ran the last quarter mile instead of saying "I've already done my 3 miles" and walking home.

And another thing. I'm scheduled for my first 10-mile run tomorrow. I'd prefer if it wasn't crappy out. So which weather should I believe?
The Google weather widget, that says this:

Today Sat Sun

46° | 33° 44° | 37° 44° | 41°

The weather widget on my computer, that says:
Today Sat Sun
partly cloudy partly cloudy completely rainy and shitty (editorializing mine)
50/31 59/35 56/54
Weather.com, which reports:

Tonight Feb 1 Partly Cloudy N/A/31° 20%			High not valid after 2pm
Sat Feb 2 Partly Cloudy 43°/40° 20%			43°F
Sun Feb 3 Cloudy / Wind 45°/41° 10%			45°F

My partner's reading of an unknown weather source:
Today Sat Sun

Nice Snow or rain Rain, maybe
Windy, but not too cold Freezing Cool

In any case, I'm running tomorrow. Let's hope for Google/Weather.com weather!

And now, the celebration:

If you look closely, really really closely, you will see that my average pace was under 11 min/mile! Not so long ago I was hoping to get under 12!
3.23 miles, 35:01

Week 4, Day 3: Turning the corner

Isn't it funny how all of a sudden you can start making progress really fast? After yesterday's great run, I sort of expected to crash today. Instead, I beat my best time! And felt great doing it, running the whole thing. I really worked hard at going out slow, which left me able to go a little faster each mile. I suddenly feel like a runner. 3.17 miles, 36:29.

Week 3, Day 3, v2: Lazy Friday

I called in "sick" today - I just wasn't feeling my job, even though I'd both decided not to run today, arguing that this was a repeat week so skipping one day wouldn't be so bad, and taken a shower already. I went back to sleep and decided I would run later. We have some friends visiting for the weekend, so when they got here, we ordered lunch and I had a beer. Then I had to let that settle, of course. Finally around 4pm I got off my backside to run a nice easy 3 miles. I really tried to go out slow so that I'd have an easy time finishing it (though I looked at my splits later and I ran this in a 10:30-ish pace - so much for slow!) but I was still taking the occasional walk break. I was also trying to play with my Garmin Virtual Training Partner. I think the combination of a short course and not being substantially faster or slower than the last time I ran this course made it hard to see the little "last course" triangle for a while, but eventually I determined that I was solidly in front of my last time and determined to stay there. Of course, it turns out this is because of the fast first mile. Anyway, I finished the run well ahead of my little guy. So there. 3.2 miles, 38:25.

Week 3, Day 3: off schedule, off pace

Skipping a day earlier in the week seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, 1 day turned into 2, and now I'm a bit off schedule, and since I'm leaving REALLY early on Tuesday I am trying to get my self back on schedule. This translates into 4 runs in 4 days this weekend. Not the best idea, perhaps, but I think it's a bit early in the schedule to be skipping runs. Went out today for the Highbury Fields to Clissold Park run. I think if I hadn't been planning for 7 miles tomorrow, I could have gutted it out, even though I was tired from not eating properly lately and hung over (see not eating properly again). But honestly, tomorrow's run is much more important to me, so I walked about 3/4 to 1 mile in the middle. Not my best run ever, obviously, but also much improved from when I first started running this route, so no complaints here. Since I'm solo this week, maybe I'll even do a little yoga tonight to prepare for tomorrow's long run. 3.08 miles, 38:20.

Week so far: 10.14 miles, 2:09:29.89

Week 2, Day 3: Friday December 7

My life is about to get crazy. I'm traveling to 3 countries, 4 states, in less than 3 weeks. Here's the mark of a budding runner - I'm trying to sort out how I can run in all the places/timezones I'm going to be in. Anyway, to begin the craziness, I'm not in the office today but at an offsite (though still in London). Lucky for me it didn't start until the middle of the day, so I got to sleep in some and still make my run today. Unfortunately, though, this meant that the streets were crowded again. Also, all my regular running clothes were in the wash. It doesn't matter. Off I go. Pretty good run, with a bit more walking than normal - not really sure why. I know we're in the buildup phase of the training, but my joints feel fine, my lungs are keeping up well, but my muscles haven't quite gotten there yet. It doesn't matter. Highbury Fields to Clissold Park route, 3 miles, 37:23 - I might get under 12 min/mile on this route yet! The big drop recently was running with my sister - but I'm proud to say I've sustained it after she left.
Week so far: 10.1 miles, 2:08:38