Day 21 to Day 28 - The Holidays and Hills

Happy holidays to everyone. From resting and spending time with family week 4 never got off the ground! I did manage to do my 7 hills though which amounted to a little over 3miles as I did a warm loop around and felt really good afterwards!
The plan is to redo week 4 as of Monday and enjoy my holiday week off!

Day 15-20! Fatigue and Motivation

Monday morning and it took all of my energy to get up and run! I was seriously sore from my long run on Sunday and just wanted to power through.  Yet by my second loop I just could not go anymore and had to call it a morning and only ended up running a little over a mile.

Tuesday through Wednesday I just rested missing my 3 miles and yes my HILLS! Yesterday I actually felt better and made it to gym to do 3 miles on the treadmill.

Fatigue sucks and I just know that rest is the best thing though my mind wants to power through.  Today is Saturday and I am feeling definitely better and more motivated yet body is still sore and my timing is off as I was not able to wake up in the early mornings this week to run.  With a combination of fatigue, timing, the holidays, and dreading my first day back at work soon and having to leave baby Enzo for the first time....this week was not my best.  My plan is to do my 7 hills in the morning, breakfast then head out for my 6 mile run as scheduled. Continued consistency is what I am fighting for now until it becomes habit...taking it day by day.





In Transformation,

Yvonne

	Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. Jim Ryun, the first high-schooler to break the four-minute mile

Days 13 and 14 - Fartlek and Long Run:7 miles!

So don't kill me but I still owe you 3 speeds hills.....whathadhappenwas....well the weather was frightful on Saturday and I just could not make out before the wet snow hit the ground.  Hill training on wet ground was just not happening.  So what I have decided is to do 7 hills on Wednesday instead of the scheduled 4 to make up for my missed 3 hills this week.  I love/hate hills yet really need to get them under my belt.

Fartlek training is basically a speed workout where on a run you decided to break out and run full speed from one point to another and then return back to your normal pace!  Another training run where mileage is not focused on yet your pace. This can be done on the treadmill and I did it for 30 minuted under the option of "speed interval".  On the treadmill under this option you pick your jog speed and your "full blown" speed.  I chose 5.2 as jog which is about 11:30 min/mile and 6.2 as my "full blown speed" which is about a 9:40 min/mile and ran for 30 minutes.  I felt really comfortable at both speeds and felt around 15 minutes within the run that I could go faster on my "full blown" pace and by the end of the run put the pace up from 6.2 to about 7.0 at a 8:30 min/mile.

Today - Sunday - was my long run of 7 miles. I spend the morning however watching at 14 videos that Beyonce put out....for motivation to run of course!  Love Queen Bey and she looked absolutely amazing in her videos.  Her body is to die for so after watching that I was pumped to getting out there and getting by body into shape!

The plan today was to go out 3.5 miles and come back in 3.5 miles totaling 7 miles.  There is a great park about a mile and a half away from my house - Matthew Henson Park - which worked out perfect for my run.  I started out comfortable and planned on picking up the pace gradually through the run.  One great thing about running outside during the winter is that you have run a good pace because if you do slow down, you will get cold. What I have learned on long urns is that downhills our breaks so I regroup on downhills.  Also if I have to walk, I wait for an uphill and speed walk so my heart rate does not go down to much and I stay warm.

So ofcourse my ipod died at mile 4! Time for a new one :) yet I did complete all 7 miles and felt really good and sore.  With a little half of my run done in silence, it made me focus on breathing and cadence of my steps to my breath.  Though I would not chose to run without my music, when it does happen, it allows me to focus harder on my run. 

In tranformation,

Yvonne

Day 11 and 12 - 3 miles and ... IOU hills - promise!

Today I completed Wednesdays 3 miles! I meant to do a combo day and complete the Wednesdays hills after my 3 miles tonight yet knew that would be to much to soon. Thursdays total body conditioning class are to valuable to give up yet I know I must complete the 3 miles meant for Thursday. With the crazy weather this week, I am off a day. I plan on doing my hills tomorrow morning before the snow and my fartleks on the treadmill at the gym tomorrow night! I know training is important and keeping on schedule will always be front of mind and success will always be completing a training session - one workout at a time!
 
Happy that I had clear grounds tonight for my outdoor run as snow and ice melted nicely. Happy to break 34 minutes and complete my run tonight in a little over 32 minutes…progress is happening!


In Transformation,
Yvonne

	Running taught me valuable lessons. In cross-country competition, training counted more than intrinsic ability, and I could compensate for a lack of natural aptitude with diligence and discipline. I applied this in everything I did. Nelson Mandela

 

Day 9 and 10 - Rest and 3 miles!

Yesterday was a forced rest day due to the fact that after the icy snow on Monday, a full blow snow storm hit yesterday which at the end of it all put layers of ice, snow then ice on the ground!  I also did not want to risk driving on ice so I caved in....happily as I was pretty sore after my first long run on Monday.

So after a well needed rest yesterday I ran the 3 miles for yesterday today and will do my "Wednesday Hills" on Friday.  I will continue to try and keep on schedule however ad in the past I did make Wednesdays rest days yet I am truly going to follow Mr. Higdon's schedule as best as I can...though missing the first two week of being exact, I am happy to just get through each session.

Today, I ran the 3 miles outdoor and though there were still patches of ice and snow on the ground, it was a beautiful winter day.  my ipod lost battery however at mile 2.70 at 32 minutes.  I believe that I would have completed the 3 miles under 34mins 20 secs by a couple of seconds! So hopefully slowing inching my way down in pace time every workout!

In Transformation,

Yvonne

Day 8 - 6 miles Long Run Done! Back to Schedule

So the icy rain ended about 1pm and I figured why NOT go outdoor to run 6 miles instead of hopping on the treadmill!  Though I have done long runs on the treadmill before, it is probably wisest to concentrate more of my long runs outdoors this training season.  Though icicles where falling from the trees, I managed around my neighborhood and enjoyed my winter wonderland.

Luckily I found a loop that is about 1 mile around starting and ending from my house! So basically six times around would do it. With loops, what I have found to be enjoyable so that it does not get boring and is challenging at the same time is that at the half way point, (which in this instance would be 3miles) I reverse and run the loop essentially the other way; so downhills become uphills and uphills become downhills.  This first changes things up scenery wise and also does not let my legs get to comfortable when running loops to train!


In Transformation,

Yvonne

Day 7 - Long Run vs. Icy Snow Storm

I tolled with the idea of waking up at 5am to do 6 miles outdoor for my long run today and beat out the snow storm that was due to hit my area of Maryland by 9am. Yet the idea turned to dust when by 5am the most sleep I got was about 2 hours...Time came and went and the snow which was now ice looked backed and me and said "what are you waiting for"!

After all was said and done, I got out the house about 7pm to begin my long run.  I have run in bad weather before and was happy to run.  Yet one time around the block in the dark I knew I had waited to long to do a long run tonight as the icy condition of the road would stop me at the 3 mile mark and with my ipod sensor zonking out I called it a night.

Happy to run the 3 miles tonight though and I have decided to "swap" my training days - meaning I will do 6 miles tomorrow at the gym instead and use today's run and tomorrow's Monday 3 miles - confusing I know.  My pace suffered due to the ice on the ground yet I am happy to get anytime running outside to get my running outdoor legs back.


So motto for today is that any training is better than no training. 

In Transformation,

Yvonne

Day 6 - 30 minute Tempo - Keep the Pace!

I love tempo training as it is the one day where I am not counting my mileage.  The goal here is to keep my pace for the allotted amount of time. It is suppose to be a "comfortable hard" run.
Today I trained on the treadmill as its the best way to stay steady on my pace for now. I decided to stick to a 10:30 min/mile pace for 30 minutes. It was comfortable and a bit hard. I like breaking up tempo runs as it can be a bit daunting at the beginning to start out at a certain pace and know you have to keep that pace for a certain amount of time and you can't lower the pace if tired or increase the pace if a power song comes on like I usually do.
It is training that is meant to condition your body to sort of go into auto-pilot during a race, usually a long race so that you keep a pace and not give into fatigue or push the pace to soon!
For today's 30 minute tempo I warmed up on the elliptical for 20 minutes then hopped on treadmill. The first ten minutes for me are the hardest as my body is getting adjusted to pace. I give myself a couple of seconds mental breaks by allow myself a swig of water at the 10 minute mark and again at the 20 minute mark. I also step onto the sides of treadmill and stretch out any tight body parts.
It was a good first tempo run and I got through the whole 30 mins at 10:30min/mile.  Looking forward to bringing that pace down next tempo run!
In transformation,
Yvonne

Day 4 and 5 - Achieving Rest Day!

So I ended up doing my 3 miles today on my rest day! Yesterday after hills and a total body condition class which I ended up doing before attempting to run just took all my energy and the passing of Nelson Mandela saddened my spirit and I could not move.

Today I ended up running the 3 miles on the treadmill within about 34 minutes and 10 seconds.  I am happy with that and short term goal is to hit 11 min/miles on my 3 mile runs.  I am still staying pretty comfortable and pushing it the last could of meters yet will start pushing it the last mile on my future runs.

I am always striving to stick to schedule and hoping to do next week with a real rest day of doing NO activity on Fridays! Rest days are truly important and I am finding out how right now as I still have 2 days of training for the week. First weeks are the most challenging yet it almost over and I am ready for transformation!

In Transformation,


Yvonne

 

Day 3 - HILLS!

So technically I did hills this morning, on my Day 4 day which is today, December 5th - early this morning about 5:30am.  I will do my 3 miles for Day 4 tonight at the gym before my total body conditioning class.  Yesterday was just a tough day to get out and do hills and there will be days like this when as much as I want to, I wont be able to train. I personally don't like to skip a workout and more often finding myself playing catch up. I hope not to play catch up to often yet with such short workouts in the beginning, I feel comfortable doubling on occasion.

I got out this morning and found a great hill near my house.  I ran the first leg at 1 minute and 50 seconds.  When I was in New York I was apart of a great running group called the Wannabees!  We did Cat Hill in Central Park every Tuesday.  These workouts exponentially decreased my pace so I know how invaluable hill workouts are and learned the hard way to not go out with all your might on the first leg and finish hard on your last leg.

For the first leg I went fast yet kept in mind that I had to repeat the same hill 2 more times.  So there is some conservation of energy for the first leg.  The second leg I completed at 1 minute and 44 seconds and last leg at 1 minute and 40 seconds.  For my next hill workout the goal is to beat 1 minute and 44 seconds!

Usually what I do is when I get about 1/3 up the hill, I find a visual,ike a parked car or tree to let me know that I will now "push it" a bit and go a bit faster. Once 3/4 up the hill and I find another visual which represents to go all out until I pass my finish line (top of the hill).  I always try and run pass my finish line so  that when I cross I am still going the fastest I have gone the entire run as I noticed early on that when I saw the finish I tended to slow down just before reaching it so my mantra as I get close to the end of a race is "race past the finish line."

In Transformation,

Yvonne

Day 2 - Three Miles on Treadmill

Just came back from gym and decided to first do a total body condition class and then my 3 mile workout on the treadmill. Though I would rather do cardio first and then weight train to get my heart rate up and body warm; nothing warm up your body faster than weight training.

After the class I felt pretty warm and strong and jumped on the treadmill.  I started of comfortable and decided that I would push myself halfway through  the run. "Pushing" to me means getting out of my comfort zone.  Anytime that I feel I am getting comfortable during a training run, I up my speed a bit so that it is not so comfortable.  This has helped me push through and reach my goals.  For this run I wanted to break 35 minutes -  I finished the run in 34:20 - so I am feeling steady and strong and ready for hills tomorrow.

In Transformation,

Yvonne

Day 1 - Three Miles Outdoor!

Day 2 - 3 miles outside today!  I got it done. So where I live is pretty hilly and that is great because my legs really get an amazing work out.  I ventured out about 6:15am this morning and did 3 loops around my house which made 3 miles feel extremely doable.  The warm up I did yesterday helped as I felt really good and in control of my run.  My pace did not improve much yet for keeping it with 35 minutes was fine as I kept the same pace as I did yesterday on the treadmill and did not lose time due to the hills.

I feel that my running stamina is gaining strength as my breathing was great. I did have to run/walk on my second loop around on a particular hill yet started the run back up again after just a couple of seconds.  I am using the Nike chip and ipod adapter to track my time and progress.  I love it because on the Nike site, you can sync your workouts from your ipod and it gives you a great detailed depiction of your workout.

To help with my training I will do races within the communities of both Maryland/DC and New York.  I am a DC and New York Road Runners member and both groups have great runs throughout the year that will allow me to run at a race day pace!  My first race will be in on March 2; the Washington Heights 5K (3.1 miles) in New York City (where I am originally from.)  Though a short distance race;  it has a wicked hill that you meet twice during the race), it will really help to activate my fast twitch muscles and allow me to gauge my pace progress.  My goal by that time is to be within about a 8:30 min/mile thus shaving about 3 minutes from my current pace!

So looking forward to Spring training and races yet for now easing my way in, gaining confidence and control and feeling really great at the start!   It was kind of depressing not running for the past 9 months yet it has made me even more hungry to get out there and appreciate the run!

	I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. I think about what I'm doing right now, just being lost in the moment. Ryan Hall, U.S. Olympic marathoner

John Hanc, author

Day 0 - Warm-up Day and Cleanse

I used today as a warm up day!  Officially my schedule starts on a Monday.  In the past I have started on a Sunday yet then would have to re-label the schedule to match the corresponding day.  Yet this time I will stick with the schedule and my rest days will be Friday and long runs will be on a Sunday.

Today I did 3 miles on the treadmill at the gym.  It took me about 35 minutes and it was a really easy run for me. I felt really good and was able to run the whole time.  After giving birth to Enzo I waited the allotted 6 weeks before I started jogging.  During my pregnancy I did not run at all as I was just not physically up to it.  My first jog was humbling! Yet I made it around the block of my house ;) So today felt great running the whole 35 minutes.

I am averaging now about 10-12 minutes a  mile which is far from what I was doing a year ago (about 7:30min/mile). Yet I definitely feel my body is ready to get back into the swing of things fast.  I will be weight training as well and have gone to a couple of total body conditioning classes at the gym before starting my own weight training schedule to get back into things.  My motto right now is slow and steady because that is what wins the race!

After all the great food at Thanksgiving I will be cleansing this week with protein shakes for breakfast and fruits, veggies and nuts for all meals for the next 10 days. Want to detox all the sugar, wheat and meat out.  I will be juicing - and will have 3 to 4 juices for meals along with protein shakes for breakfast and snack.  I have a nutriblast machine which is great.

Started the morning at the gym about 10:00am.  With a newborn my morning start times are a far cry from my 4am runs that I use to do. Yet I am sure as Enzo's schedule becomes more predictable, I can get my early morning workout in.  I am a  morning person and feel great running outdoors EARLY in the morning.  Today however, I just wanted to get my legs ready for my morning run tomorrow of 3 miles which officially starts my training.  I do also enjoy running on the treadmill though and find both indoor and outdoor running to be beneficial when it comes to training.

I will be heading to the market now to stock up on fruits and veggies for this week's cleanse and preparing for a 3 miles run outdoors tomorrow morning before hubby goes to work and Enzo wakes up :)

In Transformation,

Yvonne

The Beginning

November 30th! The day before I begin my training for the 2014 Santa Rosa Marathon in California, hereinafter (SRM). This Marathon is a Boston Qualifier which means if I run in a certain amount of time I can enter to run the Boston Marathon. Since I will be 35 when I run SRM I will need to complete the race in 3 hours and 40 minutes! My goal however is to do this race under 3 hours and 35 minutes.

In 2011-2012 I trained diligently to run the New York Marathon to qualify for Boston. Unfortunately due the Super Storm Sandy the marathon was cancelled. I was 33 at the time and would have had to complete that race in 3 hours and 35 minutes. So I still want to meet that goal though 2 years older on SRM race day; I love a Challenge!

I did not run New York this year as I happily became pregnant and gave birth to my first child, Enzo in October! He is truly amazing and my inspiration to document this journey to the Boston Marathon 2015!

So I begin and tomorrow will begin Hal Higdon's Personal Best Training Schedule. As of December 1, I have 44 weeks until the SRM on August 24, 2014. The training schedule which is on my page is a 30 week schedule yet I plan on taking a couple of weeks off and may repeat some weeks as I have 14 weeks of wiggle room in a sense, and will conclude the last 10 weeks to coincide with the SRM.

I will write more about myself in future writings yet will sign off here for now. I also plan to have weekly videos to talk briefly about how my training is going! I look forward to sharing my journey with you!

In Transformation,
Yvonne