Tag Archives: training

Sniffles, Wind, and Other Training Woes

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Check out this dreary weather from the Route 66 Half Marathon! It’s really hard to get motivated to run in less than perfect conditions.

This girl is back in the training saddle again! I’m training for my second Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon, and I am surprisingly not having that hard of a time with it. I can definitely tell that I have lost less fitness between this half and the Rt. 66 half than I did between last year’s OKC and Rt. 66. Taking an entire summer off of long distance running really takes a toll on the mileage base I had built up, but I really don’t have the motivation to run outside in 90 degree weather.

Which leads us to today’s topic… running in less than ideal conditions.

Two weeks ago, the wind was really proving why it was featured so prominently in the song “Oklahoma”. It was not only sweeping down the plain, but was also sweeping up the leaves, rustling up the dirt, and knocking over several skinny bicyclists.

I did not want to go run in 25 mile per hour winds. Already dressed in my running clothes, I spent 15 minutes Googling “skip windy run” to see if someone on the Internet could justify my laziness. Alas, every blogger told me to suck it up and run. So I did. While I was a bit slower than usual due to the extra effort it took to run into the wind for half the run, I was really glad that I sucked it up and ran.

But let’s consider another, more challenging situation…

Currently, I have some kind of allergy/cold mess hanging out in my nostril area. Last week, I really did not want to go hit the pavement for 7 miles with the sniffles. The sun was shining, however, and there was scarcely any wind. So, I compromised with myself and did 4 miles at a pretty quick clip. I know it was definitely better than nothing, but a teeny part of me feels guilty that I didn’t finish the run (even though I really did feel like poop).

What do you guys do in less-than-perfect running conditions? Do you reschedule your training run for a different day? Skip it altogether? Compromise and do less mileage for the day? Help me out (and also console my guilt).

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Short, sweet, and to the point running post today since its Valentines Day and my Mac has bit the dust (blogging from an iPad is hard, y’all. Ultimate first world problem).

I’m running a 10k in March! My first ever 10k through one of my favorite cities (what up, RVA!) should be magical. Look for me at the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10k this spring!

I Said, Brrr, It’s Cold Out There: Running in Cold Weather

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(Hope you guys all got my sweet Bring it On reference in the post title.)

The above picture was the view outside my window this morning. As you can see, we’ve had a little snow lately. I live in Norman, Oklahoma, which has experienced sub-freezing temperatures for what seems like forever (but has probably only been a week or so). Usually I’m a big fan of snow days, but I’ve been trying to train for my third half-marathon and it has not been going according to plan.

Every training cycle I studiously mark each run in my planner, scaling up to 10 miles two weeks before the race. Basically all of my scheduled outdoor long runs have not occurred, thanks to this lovely snow and ice that coats my sidewalks. I’ve been trying to catch up on the treadmill, but it’s so difficult both mentally and physically to do these long, slow runs on a treadmill. Can you imagine running for two hours basically in place?! I’m not sure if TLC has enough episodes of trash TV to get me through that kind of struggle.

Do you have any tips for training in cold weather? I’m sure runners who experience this kind of weather all of the time are laughing at me, but it’s a real challenge for this Texas born runner!

Fun Training Montage!

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There’s less than a month until the Route 66 Half Marathon, and I have not blogged as much about training as I did last time (obviously). Turns out that training during the fall is extremely hard for a college student who enjoys football games, sleep, and going to Whataburger at 11pm.

Midweek runs: They suck. They make my calves hurt toooooo much. I had a breakthrough a few weeks ago where I loosened my laces a bunch and my calves felt better, but now they feel worse. I don’t have this problem on long runs, which is confusing. I’m beginning a regimen of calf exercises to help combat the pain before the race. So, progress!

Long runs: Sporadic, but great! I’ve had a really odd schedule this semester (see: football on long run days), and combine that with all of the free 5ks floating around, and my long runs have been all over the place.  A couple of times I’ve done two-a-days or 3 miles at night (5k) and 5 miles in the morning to meet my total if I’m especially busy (or, you know, registered for a 5k). This weekend, I’m running 9 miles for the first time in a loooong while, but I’m excited. I’ve felt pretty good during most of my long runs, which is extremely calming when I look at the calendar and think “LESS THAN A MONTH!!”.

Overall: This training cycle has made me nervous. I keep thinking I am way farther behind than I was for the OKC half, but when I look back on my training posts, I’m definitely not. I keep forgetting that I also had a busted long run during that cycle, and that I got sick and missed a week of training during that cycle (last week I didn’t train at all due to B family fun). I’m going to be just fine. (I think.) Trying to adapt my attitude from “MUST PR” to “I’m going to do the best I can on this course”. It wouldn’t be fair to my hard work if I beat myself up over a non-PR on a course that I’ve literally never even seen before. Hills? Who knows!

Bust, part 2

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Tips and what I learned from my horrible, truly epic busted run today:

  • You should probably eat before you run.
  • Also, drinking water is important. Do that occasionally.
  • Don’t try and cry while you’re still running. You won’t have enough breath.
  • When you’ve cooled down a bit, then call your mom and cry. Moms are good at listening to people sob incoherently on the phone.
  • I’m really, really thankful and lucky that the worst thing that will happen to me today is that I can’t finish a run. Holy perspective, Batman!
  • Friends are really good at cheering you up when you’re in the deep dark cave of failure, be that running failure or just general all-around epic failure.
  • Go read some running blogs when you’re sad. While you might think it would make you feel worse, I promise that someone is there struggling like you are. It felt good to see that I wasn’t the only one who got all torn up about not completing a training run.
  • Always attempt a long run with more free time ahead of you so that you have time to try, try again. Hopefully in cooler weather with more hydration.

Remember when I busted last time?

http://thecuppycakes.tumblr.com/post/41847006588/bust

Maybe I’m just jinxed. I messed up my 7 miler last training cycle, too….

Nine Miles and a Sunburn

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Saturday, I got a sunburn.

If you’re currently in the OKC area, you will find this unconscionable due to the mass flooding going on. The OUProblems Twitter aptly described it as “our sidewalks being at high tide”. 

I got a sunburn because I was out pounding pavement with my flat feet for 2 hours. 120 minutes. It’s hard to imagine what running for 2 hours is like. I’m not even sure I can give you an accurate description because I took approximately double the number of walking breaks I usually do, due to the whole heat-so-blistering-I-have-a-sunburn phenomenon.

After mile 3, my legs felt great. I felt like I had a great run in me, but my heart rate was like “No, thank you, too hot, try again next time”. My heart rate reached 180 at one point when I pushed myself particularly hard.

I wanted to run 10 miles in 2 hours, and I still think I can do that. Just on a different day. One with more water stops and more sunscreen.

For now, my sunburn and my umbrella are going on a really awkward date.