Week 5: Race to the CIM Finish Recap

Week 5: Total Miles: 10.51

Monday: Rest
I am exhausted from our late night return.  I spent most of the day sleeping.  I plan on getting a 15 minute strength training routine in.

Tuesday: 3.01 miles

I was a tad bit tired this morning, so the 5:45 am alarm did not make me happy.  I quickly hit snooze, and I feel back to sleep.  I have not been sleeping well at night, so I didn’t want to push it.  I must have needed the sleep because I fell quickly back to sleep.  By the time I woke up, I was trying to figure out how I was going to get my run in.  My seven and four year old has made some of my training runs a challenging.  We have a treadmill in the garage, so I decided today would be a treadmill day while the boys played in the garage or outside. 

For whatever reason, I started calling this guy Ted once I finished running.  I decided I was going to work on my speed while at a 1% incline.  In the end, I felt strong.  It isn’t my favorite way to run, but I am glad I got it done.  I realized after this run, I could have split my run two.  Lesson learned. J

Wednesday: 3.5 miles planned/XT actually

Again, I slept in this morning.  I didn’t realize how tired I am.  I had 3.5 miles on the schedule for today, but the day got away from me.  The boys had a t-ball celebration this evening, so I knew going running afterwards was not in the cards.  Instead of doing a run, I did a leg sculpting work out from Nike Training Club.

In the most basic sense, this workout is great.  I can do it in the backyard while the boys swim.  I started with 15 minutes because strengthwise, I am not in very good shape.  I hope eventually I will work up to a more strenuous workout.  I am also excited to report my friends, Sheila and Aaron will be running the California International Marathon with me.  I cannot wait.  This will be their first marathon. 

  They will be amazing!  I am so glad they are joining me on this journey!

Thursday: 3 miles planned/3.5 miles actually

I made an adjustment to my training plan because yesterday got away from me.  I woke up sore this morning, so I knew a run would help shake out the stiffness.  Most of the day, I spent weeding the backyard.  I didn’t realize how much sun I was getting, or how little water I was drinking.  When I set out for the run, I knew I was doomed.  My calves began cramping around a mile into my run.  I decided I would adjust my form, and push through.  I knew I would feel better if I got through this run.  Before I could focus too much on my calves, I was concerned more with my headphones.  I needed to get use to training with them because going without was not going to be a possibility.  I did not want to annoy the people around me, so it was time to make a few adjustments.  The first few walk breaks I focused on readjusting the headphones.  By the time I settled into a groove, I was two miles into my run.  No problem calves, I run one and a half miles all the time.  I’ve got this in the bag.  By the time I returned home, I began rehydrating again.  My body began thanking me for the water.  I am glad I got out there and ran.   Without bad training runs, I would not be able to have good runs. 

Friday: Rest

Given all of the activities I did yesterday, I was really sore.  I realized I had been working on the backyard for as long as the boys were in the pool.  Doing the simple math, it was four hours.  Four hours of weeding.  Holy Cow!  I stretched in the pool and on land today, but that was about it.

Saturday: 4 miles

I struggled to get out and go this morning.  If it hadn’t been for my promise to Sheila to text when I got up and left, I probably wouldn’t have run today.  I know some weeks are easier than others.  All that matters in the end is the days we get out and run when our mind is telling us to stay at home.  While I was running, I realized about two miles in I wouldn’t make the four miles by the time I returned home.  I decided it would be better to add a mile on to the middle versus the end.  I am really glad I did.  In the end, I was thankful I got up and ran this morning.

 It wasn’t my fastest time, but it was my time.  J

Sunday: Rest/XT
I spent most of today running around with my family.  Nothing too exciting, but walking around Costco and Sam’s club.  After a warm day, I decided to dip in the pool for a bit.  I didn’t want to do too much because I have a 5k run tomorrow morning.  I am excited to get out there with other runners tomorrow.  My goal is to run the 5k between 30-35 minutes.  Doable! 

Are you Prepared?

Today's blog is compliments of my baby sister Sam in the 'Stan.  In the 21 days she was home, I learned a lot of things about me.  It is funny how and when life teaches you her lessons, but I am greatful when I am paying attention.  Thanks Sam for teaching me! 

Sam is the one on the right.  Don't forget life is about having fun and enjoying the moment!

Think of the scariest movie you’ve ever seen or the most adventurous book you’ve ever read. Whether it’s Jaws by Steven Spielberg, or Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. Now as you think of it, imagine yourself as the character swimming away from the giant shark or the hobbit that must walk his way through the mountains and caves. You know you’ve done it; imagined yourself as that character, as the hero. If you were in that position, would you have made the same decisions? In your physical state at this very moment, would you even be able to swim fast enough to get away or last 20 minutes hiking up a hill?

I know these may seem like odd questions, but when I read a book, I always imagine myself as the character, and I always wonder, would I be able to do it better or last longer. The book that I always think about in moments when I question my physique is World War Z by Max Brooks. I read this book two and half years ago. It’s a story about the world being at war with zombies. No, I don’t believe in zombies, nor do I even like reading Sci-Fi books about zombies. But even for my dislike of such a genre, I have to say this book really captured my attention. The main reason is because the book is written through the eyes of the interviewees from around the world. Some of the stories were about people fighting off the zombies, while others spoke of running miles to get away, climbing down the outside of buildings, or hiking for hours just to avoid catching the “disease”.

And that is what intrigued me so much. If there was another World War and the attack happened in my hometown, would I be physically fit to fight back, to climb out windows, to run 5 miles fast enough not to be caught? Two and a half years ago, the answer would have been no. I’m nothing if not honest with myself and I knew I couldn’t even run a half mile without being winded. This book was so well written that it made me question, minus the zombies, if a war happened at any moment, would I be ready? I suddenly knew that I was not. And for some reason, that really pushed me to get off my bed and start being active.

Ironically, a year and a half later, I found myself in a war zone, Afghanistan to be exact. Here, I have to train wearing forty pounds of body armor. I run up four flights of stairs in this stuff at 2am, for training. We practice running from one car to another in our gear, pretending we are under attack. We practice climbing up tiny ladders to a secure point wearing the body armor. And in one region, I’m not going to lie, in case of an emergency, we had to jump from one roof top to another, exactly four and a half feet apart, with our body armor. All as part of our training!

Fortunately, I have never had to use any of this under a real attack, but that hasn’t stopped us from being prepared. And that is why I often think about this book. About how it was my catalyst to get me off the bed and start working out. Because you never know what life may bring or where it might take you. So when you read this, or watch your scary movie or read your adventure book, ask yourself, in this moment, right now while I’m reading this, would I be physically able to do what this person is doing or has done? And if you are honest with yourself, you may be encouraged to get up and do something!

From Sam in the 'Stan ;)

Struggles

Every once in a while runs don't come so easily.  Today was one of those days.  Thank goodness Sheila asked me to send her a text when I got up to get ready to run.  I had planned on getting up at 6 this morning to get my four miler done before the temperature heated up.  For whatever reason, I woke up slightly at 5:30.  I wasn't awake at all.  My head was pounding.  I decided I would sleep for another hour in hopes my head would stop hurting, and the run would not be a disaster.  When my alarm went off at 7, I was strongly considering blowing off the run.  Knowing Sheila was waiting for my text, I got up.  I sent her text apologizing for sleeping in an extra hour.  I was thankful when she said she slept too. 



Sheila (and her husband Aaron) definitely was what I needed to get out the door.  We are training partners without being able to train together.  We both managed to get out the door.  We got our long run in before the heat of the day, and before we met up to watch a movie with our families. 

Instead of stopping when I hit the four mile marker, I pushed through to finish at the stop sign about .25 miles from my house.  I was so excited about this run in an odd way.  Sheila pushed me out the door.  I made sure I completed the mileage I had on the books.  It was a great day.  This run, and all of the struggles of week five, made me really thankful I can mentally push through any issues during the marathon.

Training Runs = Learning Experiences

As I struggled to get out the door, I realized I needed to figure out what to do with my headphones.  I have been running without them which means my music has been playing.  Knowing I had a race coming up, I needed to figure out how I was going to handle the music otherwise I need to go without.  I set out today in hopes of a nice easy 3.5 mile run.  Unfortunately, I was not having an easy go of it.  My legs were cramping (thank you gardening for four hours and not drinking much water).  After about half a mile, my headphones were annoying me.  During my first walk break, I adjusted my headphones.  I ran the next four minutes being continously annoyed.  Then the next walk break occurred, I made another adjustment.  It was better, but it was not going to make it through 3 miles.  Finally, I made one more tweak.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing.  I am going to need to get use to running with these new headphones otherwise I will need to run without music or "coaching".  I also need to constantly remind myself to drink water.  Hydration is important.  Without proper hydration, my legs cramp up like crazy!!

Strength Training and Friends

Instead of doing a run today, I decided to incorporate some strength training exercises into my day.  I downloaded the Nike Training Club app which allows me to have strength training moves at my fingertips.  It also allows me the opportunity to start small and work my way into strength training.  I truly believe strength traininging has added to my running speed and endurance.  Lately I have been doing my strength training workouts in the backyard with my kettleball while my boys are swimming.   They get to do a fun activity while I am doing a fun activity.  A win-win situation. 

As of today, another friend will be running the CIM with me.  Sheila's husband Aaron.  Neither of them have run a marathong, but I know they will be awesome.  They are great athletes, and they very supportive and encouraging.  Our goals are different for this race, and I know in the end we will all achieve them.  I am so excited they are joining me!!



Training Schedule for Week of June 27th

June 27th	June 28th	June 29th	June 30th	July 1st	July 2nd	July 3rd
XT	3 miles	3.5 miles	3 miles	Rest	4 miles	Rest

Week 4: Road to CIM Finish

Week 4:  Total Miles: 11.84

Monday: 2 miles

I did this run with the boys today.  It was not quite as successful as I had hoped, but we got out there.  The plan for tomorrow is to go earlier, so it will not be as hot.  J

Tuesday: 3 miles

The Muse family is heading to Disneyland this afternoon.  Because I have two training runs while we are gone, I want to make sure I pack my running clothes.  I didn’t want to have the opportunity to pack my stuff without running.  Considering it is going to be 101 today, I decided to get up early.  I knew I had the opportunity to take a nap later, so I figured it wouldn’t be a problem.  I am so glad I went running.  It was amazing weather (sunny and 70 degrees), and a nice route.  I mapped it out last night.  It was something different, but something doable.  As I ran, I broke up the run in segments.  By the time I finished running, I realized I had eight segments.  Once I finished the first part, I was feeling pretty good.  When I hit number four, I was feeling even more confident.  I didn’t want my walk break to happen more than once on a segment.  As I turned the corner for portion number six, I saw some horse.  I am going to take the boys by to seem the horse.  They will love it!

Wednesday: Rest/XT

Officially on my running schedule, today is considered a rest day.  However, we went to Disneyland which meant plenty of walking.  I really have no idea how far or how long we walked, but we did none-the-less.  This kind of walking is definitely not power walking by any stretch of the imagination, but it is walking.

Thursday: 2.5 miles on schedule/3.21 miles actually

Before I left for Disneyland/San Diego, I mapped out my runs on mapmyrun.com.  I wanted a general idea of where I was running, so I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed and the chances of getting lost while on a family vacation were smaller.  I don’t mind losing myself in a run, but I don’t want my family to have to suffer because of it.  Today was an early morning entrance day, so Jeremy and the boys wanted to be in the park by 7 am.  This means leaving the hotel by 6:30.  I knew I would be able to take a nap later on in the day, so getting up at 5 am was not a problem.  I was also oddly excited by running around Disneyland.  I have only done this type of run during both the half marathon at Disneyland.  Over the last several times I have been to Disneyland, I have talked about running while on vacation but I have never actually run.  This was about to change.  I set out in perfect weather.  The cast members were really nice.  Most of them said hi or waved.  It was friendly and safe.  During my run, I passed a mom (at least I am assuming she was a mom) walking and a dad running.  I apparently was not the only one who needed some mommy time.  I thought about what my family had done the day before, and I was excited to know what we would be doing later that day.  I took a picture on my run.  It is a tad bit blurry, but what do you expect to get when running and taking a picture. 

It was a beautiful run.  Running around the perimeter of Disneyland ended up being further than my projected 2.5 mile run.  I felt great.  My legs and body were strong.  I was pretty hydrated, so I went with how my body felt.  I also ran faster than usual.  All in all, it was an amazing run!  Again, our family did a lot of walking around Disneyland, so I was able to stretch out nicely.

Friday: Rest/Travel Day/XT

As stated early, I adjusted my schedule this week.  I am really glad I did because I was able to take today off because it was our last day at Disneyland, and we would be heading to San Diego.  I was still feeling pretty great after my run yesterday.  At the Padres game, I met an usher (Dave) who lived in Massachusetts as a little boy.  As we got to talking, I found out he has run 75 marathons.  He was the most inspiring man I have met.  We chatted about the CIM, the Boston, and his favorite the Marine Corps marathon.  Dave does not like CIM because of the weather.  I understood completely what he was talking about, but for whatever reason I feel like I have something to conquer here.  He also told me to put in the work, so I would qualify for the Boston.  He said it will be like no other marathon.  Dave is right about putting in the work.  I definitely need to do that.  We exchanged email information, and we promised to keep in touch.  He told me Marine Corps needed to be on my bucketlist which I can say I have definitely added.  Dave rekindled my love/passion for running.     

Saturday: 3.5 miles on schedule/3.63 actually

At first, I was a little worried I wouldn’t get this run in.  We had a late night on Friday from the Padres game, and I was really tired.  My plan was to run early before the family got up, but there were a few other factors I was going to have to factor into my run.  My in laws did not have a spare key, so I was going to have to cater this run around their work schedule or my husband being up.  Originally, we were going to hang out at the beach, so a nap might not happen.  With a late night and early morning, I really did not want to be cranky.  I opted to sleep in.  I ended up waking up at 8 am.  Jeremy told me I could go out running, and we would leave after I returned.  I am so thankful for a supportive husband!  He knew this run was important to me.  I quickly got dressed, and I took off.  I had mapped out this run, but I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out.  I knew the area in which my in laws lived is very hilly.  I have hills around my house, so I was not too worried until I saw the quarter to half mile of uphill I was going to have to run.  I set off with confidence.  The original loop I had planned changed because mapmyrun does not take in account the side of the road I run on, or any other difference.  No big deal.  When I hit the two mile mark, I turned around to make it an out and back course.  It was great.  The run started to get a tad bit warm towards the end because the weather was heating up in San Diego, but it was worth it. 

Sunday: Rest/XT

Our little family ended up back in Disneyland, so I was able to walk around some more.  I didn’t do too much other than that because I was tired.  It was nice to have a rest day in the books.  J