Last Long Run

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Coco

Today I did my last long run before the Zooma Half Marathon on June 4. (Some people might think that it was my last long run before the rapture, but I doubt it!)

The 6:00 am weather report was good:

Right Now in Alexandria, VA

It’s 57°F, Sunny

Although I have to say that even when it’s only in the 60s I prefer a cloudy sky to bright sunshine.

Afer last week’s 12 mile run, I had no worries about doing 10 today, but I wasn’t expecting a “great” run. Allergies had brought me sneezing fits and a big headache last night, and I wasn’t sure that I was fully recovered.  For dinner last night I just had 1/2 a Kashi pizza that I split with my husband, and I didn’t sleep very well–I fell victim to late afternoon Starbucks again!

I fueled up with a chocolate Muscle Provider protein shake and one Cliff crunchy peanut butter granola bar, and filled my water bottle with water. I got to the bike path at 6:45 and it already was busy. I saw several groups of women who were in the middle of their runs, and a few others like me just starting out.

My first mile was faster than usual (9:37) which always tempts me to reassess my target pace (whatever that was).  My next few miles were in the 9-ish range, so I decided to aim for that.

I’m not used to having so many other runners on the trail when I run. I’m pretty sure it impacted my pace, and got me thinking about one reason why my race pace can be so much faster than my training pace–if our paces are close, I “need” to pass the person in front of me!

The first person I encountered was a woman who was keeping a great pace with nice form.  I probably would have been fine staying a bit behind her, but I wasn’t sure that I really wanted to match her pace.  I pushed mine a bit to pass her.

The next person passed me–but he was talk, dark and shirtless, so I didn’t mind the view for a while. He had an interesting but inefficient gait–lots of up and down motion.

The next memorable person was a very tall guy. I felt like he was twice my size–I probably came up to his elbows! He also had an inefficient gait, but with lots of side to side motion–almost a sashay!

During the last half of my run I had several sub-9:00 miles, and I decided to try to finish strong and keep that pace.  (The last three miles are downhill or flat).  My breathing was still pretty easy, but I had to increase the effort for the last mile. When I reached my stopping point, I was psyched to see that my total time was 1:30!

I walked about 1/3 mile back to my car, stretched a bit, and then headed to the grocery store for ice and to Starbucks for a “grande bold” to get ready for my ice bath. The second bag of ice definitely made it much colder, but it was bearable.

After a hot shower and some breakfast, I made these cookies from Corey’s blog (The Runners Cookie):

If this was my last run ever, I have no regrets!

Garmin Data:
Total Distance: 10.0 miles
Total Time: 1:30
Spilt Times: 9:37, 9:08, 9:03, 9:12, 8:47, 9:09, 8:49, 8:53, 8:55, 8:43

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You Are Beautiful

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Coco

I first learned about Operation Beautiful a few months ago, when some of my friends started “passing notes” and spreading the word. I left a few notes myself and have a picture of one that I texted to a friend:

As explained on the Operation Beautiful website:

The goal of the Operation Beautiful website is to end negative self-talk or “Fat Talk.”  If this little blog only does one productive thing, I hope it helps readers realize how truly toxic negative self-talk is  — it hurts you emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

What’s not to like about that?

I don’t struggle with “fat talk” very much, but I have struggled with similar issues–like judging myself by how closely I stuck with my diet or letting the scale control my mood. It’s been a while since I’ve been “there,” and I hope that my self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem are strong enough so that I will never go back. 

It pains me when I see other women, teenagers and even young girls, struggling with these issues. It’s not hard to figure out why–mainstream media bombards us with messages that thin = good/happy/successful and fat = bad/miserable/failure. We have to fight off unrealistic expectations and resist pressure to try to conform to unhealthy norms.

That’s why we need a village–a blogosphere, a Twitterverse, a WorldWideWeb– to get behind Operation Beautiful. Spread the word. Believe the truth.

You are beautiful.

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Training Log – Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon (Week 5)

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Coco

This is my training log for the Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon. (You can read my training log for week one here, week two here, week three here, and week four here.)

I can’t believe the Zooma Half is less than three weeks away! I am doing well with training without getting injured (knock-on-wood) and am a new convert to ice baths, which should help even more with that.  I am still on track with training for a sub-9:00 min/mile pace, but I am still wary of the weather on race day.  I just don’t do well in the heat, and think even the 60s is hot for a long run!

Less than one week after the Zooma Half, I am running the Lawyer’s Have Heart 10K. For the first time, and in honor of my Dad, I am fundraising for the American Heart Association, so please visit my donation page.

May 16
21 min elliptical
free weights:
deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
wall squats with fitball/lateral raises/front raises
bent-over rows/hamstring curls/leg extensions (Bowflex)
chest flies/crunches/tuck & pile (on fitball)
side-lying leg lifts/crunches (on mat)

May 17 (4 mile tempo run)
Treadmill workout:
5 min walking warm-up
15 min running warm-up
4 miles @ 7.0 mph
3 min running cool-down
5 min walking cool-down

May 18
21 min elliptical
free weights:
single-leg deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
forward + reverse lunges/bicep curls
step-ups/lateral raises/front raises
bent-over rows/hamstring curls/leg extensions (Bowflex)
crunches/tuck & pike (on fitball)
side-lying leg lifts/crunches (on mat)
Notes: My right leg felt “weak” after yesterday’s tempo run, so I decided to add in some single-leg strength moves (deadlifts, step-ups) and did reverse lunges for 2 of my 3 sets of lunges.

May 19 (speed intervals at track)
warm-up: 3 laps @ 9:30 pace
8 X 400:
2:14 (8:34): 2:12 (8:32); 2:12 (8:32); 2:09 (8:13);
2:11 (8:34); 2:06 (8:13): 2:09 (8:31); 2:07 (8:07)
cool-down: 3 laps @ 9:24

May 20
20 min yoga (Rodney Yee “twists” program)
free weights:
single-leg deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
forward + reverse lunges/bicep curls
bent-over rows/lateral raises/front raises
crunches/tuck & pike (on fitball)
side-lying leg lifts/crunches (on mat)

May 21 (last long run before Zooma!)
10 miles, 1:30 total time

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Three Things (To Read About Running) Thursday

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Coco

Looking for a good book–or three–to inspire your running? Here are three running books my Mom gave to me to encourage my passion for running. The titles are Amazon Affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase I will earn a small commission. Thanks for your support!

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (Vintage International)

I have a hard time reading more than a few pages before falling asleep at night, so it make take me a while to read all of these books, but I can’t wait to get started.

Have you read any of these books?

Do you have any other favorite running-related books?

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Help Me Support The American Heart Association

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Coco

As I wrote here, I’ve run the Lawyers Have Heart 10K many times, but this year is the first year that I am doing fundraising for this event. While I’ve always thought that the American Heart Association was a “good cause,” since losing my Dad to heart failure this year, it is more meaningful to me now.

If you’ve already donated–THANK YOU! You can stop reading now, or read on to feel even better about your donation!

If you are interested in donating, please go to my my fundraising page.  Here’s why you might want to: 

The mission of the American Heart Association is “building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.” The American Heart Association is the largest source of non-governmental funding for cardiovascular research in the country. Funds raised go to research, education, and community programs.  For example:

  • A $25 contribution funds 15 family fitness kits.
  • A $100 donation equips a hospital or health department with American Stroke Association resources.
  • A $300 contribution trains six people to perform CPR and use an AED
  • $500 provides 83 stroke survivors with a one-year subscription to Stroke Connection Magazine
  • $1,000 reaches 500 women with their Go for Women movement resources to help them take charge of their own health.

According to the Lawyers Have Heart website, for every $1 raised through Lawyers Have Heart, 88 cents is used to fund the American Heart Association’s mission.

Thanks for your support!

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