Friday, August 24, 2012

The Super Duper Hotel Treadmill

Last week Don and I went to a Blues Festival for the weekend which we've been doing for the past 3 years.  We usually stay in a hotel one night and at my brother's one night.  We were going to skip staying in a hotel this year but at the last minute we decided to go for it.  Friday afternoon I got a hotel deal email and by the time I got home from work Don had it booked.  It was spontaneous and exciting except when would I do my long run??  I was scheduled to do a 22K Saturday.  Oh well I'll figure that out later. 

We love hotel gyms.  They are so sparkly and new.  We walked in the great smelling gym and it was like a candy store.  I didnt know what to try first.  I went on a couple machines but got very frustrated.  I didnt know how to work them and some of them looked like transformers that would chew me up.  I decided to stick with my tried and true treadmill.  But these were oh so amazing treadmills!  Treadmills bascially all work the same so I was excited.  They were massive with all the bells and whistles, a huge dashboard and TV and there were so many lined up in front of a wall mirror. 

I usually dont like working out in front of a mirror.  When I used to go to group classes I would purposely stay outside of the mirror view.   Simply because it was shocking to see how much taller I was than everyone else and my King Kong arms would be flinging every where.  I preferred to imagine myself fitting in with everyone else. 

Anyways this treadmill was amazing!  I climbed up onto it and felt like I was up on a stage.  It wasnt hard to figure out so I started running and relunctanly watched myself in the mirror.  I kind of looked cool.  My hair was hanging in my face and I looked tough.  My King Kong arms looked tanned and musclely.  Look at me go, Im a running machine! 

In my gym at home I usually work up to speed 6 / 6.5 and put it up to 7  a few times for a couple minute fartleks.  Its amazing how your environment  and a little competition can make you run faster!  A few ladies around my age came in the gym with their fancy Lululemon (although I was wearing Lululemon but I only have one) and my speed went up some more.  The treadmills were filling up with more richy hotel people (although I was staying at the hotel but mine was a deal) and up went my speed again.  I stayed at speed 7 the whole time and did some 8/9 fartleks.  What a great workout!

So I switched my scheduled runs around a bit.  I did a 5K tempo on Saturday at the hotel and then did my 22K long run Monday night after work.  It was tough and a little crazy but I had to get it in and it felt so good to git r done.  See I can be spontaneous AND stick to a schedule!  With a little help from an awesome transformer mega hotel treadmill that turned me into a running machine!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Hubby Helps Me With Speed Work

Last week I did my first speed training session.  I dragged my hubby Don with cuz its just too hard to do speed work by yourself.  He does 10K runs with me but doesnt love it. He's a mountain biker and wants to get back into racing so thats why he agreed to go with me.  I didnt really give him too much detail about what he was getting into. I knew he would complain at first but then get really into it cuz he's very competitive and thats exactly how it went.

We are supposed to do 1K slow and then 1K fast and then repeat 3 times.  We drove to a local highschool and did 2 laps instead which is 800 meters I think, close enough.  It was super hot and humid and when we did our first 2 fast laps Don said, this is retarded but by the last 2 fast laps he was getting into it.  It was really hard to do 2 laps fast. I wanted to stop so bad but I imagined being at the marathon clinic during speed training.  There was no way I was stopping then, I would get way too far behind.  So I imagined big scary, fast Ironmen coming behind me.

When we were done Don raved about what a good workout it was which made me very happy knowing I would have someone to train with.  It was a great feeling when we were done and high fived each other, although we didnt make a slap sound because we were too sweaty and slimy.  There were sprinklers going at the highschool so we ran through them and cooled off but what a sight we were!

Yesterday we did our second speed training session.  I actually brought my watch with this time.  Im just new to this caring about time thing.  My first 2 laps I did in 3 min 40 sec, 2nd was 3:47 and the third was 3:42.  You are supposed to do each one faster but I dont know how you are supposed to do that?!  I guess if you have one of those fancy shmancy Garmins you know your pace at all times. 

Speed work hurts so much but it feels so great when you are done.  The Olympics is definately giving me inspiration!  When it hurts so bad I just have an imaginary commentary going on in my head. "And Cyndie A. is picking up the pace in the last 100 meters.  You can sure tell she has been training hard.  Look at her go!"  And then the crowd cheers. 

It also helps that Don runs with me and frustratingly talks about how fast I am.  But I know it wont be long before he is beating me.  Which is alright because then it will be a challenge to chase him...and Im sure he wont mind that at all.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Im Going For It!

When I was doing the marathon I had a secret unspoken goal.  I didnt want to tell anyone because it was enough just to think about it and it just seemed too far out of reach.  I wanted to get a PR and beat 4:32 but secretly I was hoping for somewhere around 4:20 and I told myself if I did that I would try to qualify for the Boston Marathon. There...I just said it out loud.  Well my time was 4:14 and I was so excited but was not ready to go for it yet. 

Then last week I did a 1/4 marathon and got 55:13 and won first place in my age class!  This made it easier to figure out if Boston was doable.  If I did 55 minutes four times my marathon time would be approx 3:40 Wow! My qualifying time is to get under 4 hours.  I would never be able to keep that pace up for 42K though. But... I would have 4 extra minutes per quarter and still qualify.  Im starting to think this is maybe possibly possible that just maybe I can qualify for Boston??? 

Im going for it! 

(Several moments later.........)

I just registered for the Scotiabank Waterfront Toronto Marathon October 14 and Im scared to death!  I'm doing another marathon...am I nuts.  Im going to chase a BQ!  No thats not Dairy Queen but a Boston Qualifier.

Im going for it!  There's no time like the present to chase your dreams.  Whats the worst that can happen?  I dont qualify....dont finish....waste registration money.....drive my husband nuts and he leaves me......at least I get will get another cool race shirt.

I will have to train by myself this time though.  The marathon clinics have started up over a month ago.  I wont have the embarrasment of being last running with the Ironmen from the Running Free store pushing me to go faster.  I found out later that my marathon clinic leader Matt had the fastest Canadian Boston Marathon time!  I didnt realize who I was running with!  He was very encouraging and I learned alot from him. 

My Boston Ready Plan:

Monday - 10K Tempo Run

Tuesday - Gym/Weights and Speed Work - 1k slow / 1K fast 3 or 4 times

Wednesday - Gym - 1/2 hr Bike & 1/2 hr Weights

Thursday - Easy 10K

Friday - Off

Saturday - Long Run

Sunday - Off



Woohoo!  Just hope my 50 year old legs hold out.