Category Archives: September Mileage

Mileage Recap ~ 12 – 24 Sept and My Big Hill Mess

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Fall has arrived!  Only between 0500 and 0800 in Phoenix, but at least its cooler and I try not to worry about the mosquitos ~ which are brutal in the morning and the evening.   All I want to do is sit outside a bit in the cool air and without the gentle buzzing of disease carrying insects.

I have remained steady in my mileage this month.  I’m becoming more confident with my new pedal system and find that when I stop it is easy for me to click in and get going again.  There have been a few teeth sucking events but for the most part so far so good.

My long ride took place on Wednesday 16 Sept.  I wanted to complete at least 15 so I could begin to get back into the groove of longer mileage and join some rides and start looking towards completing a half and a full century for cycling.  So I decided to start on one of the medium routes that I had done during August when I was riding 300 miles for children’s cancer.  This route is hilly with a sizable hill on the route back.  I’m not sure what the elevation is but it is sizeable.  Really, this isn’t a fish story.  I need to take a picture next time.  The first time I road this route I had regular bike pedals and I could only make it up the hill halfway.  Even though I stopped I was able to pick back up and keep riding up the hill.  Fast forward to Wednesday….que music and wavy distortion.

I’m on the first part of the leg and the counter hill is sizeable but not as steep.  The whole time I’m thinking to myself this is going to suck coming back.  Already there was doubt in my mind.  I road to the end and began to make my way back home.  I would say it was a good 7.5 miles in, so about halfway.  The road is flat but I’m still thinking my strategy of attacking this hill.  I mentally psyched myself out and analyzing how and when I might fall.  It didn’t help that the douche bag alert was alive and kicking and at DEFCON 4.  I had already had a close encounter with….a school bus.  I was coming up to a light I would go through – it was green by-the-way and the school bus was hell-bent on turning right.  It cut me off and was so close I could feel the breeze.  You’ll be happy to know no middle finger salute employed.  But really?  Come on, I do believe I had the right-of-way.  So I was already a little frazzled.

The longer I ride I’m thinking that I just need to calm down it’s probably not as bad as I think and that if I have to stop, I’ll just stop.  Pedaling, pedaling and I round the corner I gain a little speed because I’m going down a hill.  I realize great!  This will give me what I need….to….get to the top!  Yes!  You know how you see things from a distance and you think…this isn’t bad at all.  Then there is a sudden clarity that you are full of crap.  Piece of cake.  I am….over-confident.  Pedaling….I am really over-confident in my abilities right now.  Pedaling….damn I am really over…okay I’m not going to make…yes I can!.  Ok I have to stop!  Unclick, unclick…panic I can’t unclick fall towards the curb!  Fall towards the curb!  Sigh I unclicked!

I made it about halfway up then it became hard.  I was beaten…this time.  Luckily I unclicked and was able to stop without falling.  Speeding cars and all.  This stretch of road is heavily traveled by cyclists but is a four to six lane well-traveled road at times.  I gathered myself and rested a bit and thought okay start back up.  Uh no.  Between starting on a hill, trying to click in and regain balance.  Unfortunately, this was a little above my skill set at the moment and I must say a little defeating.  So there I was halfway up the hill and I had to WALK the bike the rest of the way.  What’s going through my mind with my head hung low?  “I wonder if I’m ruining my new shoes?”  Listening to the clack of the metal clips on the road.  Trying to walk on my heels.  My pretty white shoes.  I sounded like I was in tap class.

I made it up the hill with a slightly bruised ego and a few scrapes on my shoes.  Got to the top and kept on rolling to make it home and a little under 15 miles.  Needless to say I will ride that hill until I totally conquer it.

I completed 41.11 miles with 8,597.70 graciously remaining.  No middle finger salute needed.  Take the time to enjoy the change of the seasons.  Each one is beautiful in its own way.  Happy Miles to You.

 

Mileage Recap 22 – 30 September

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Last week was fun.  It took me off my regular training for the marathon but that’s alright.   A few niggles here and there, but feeling pretty good.  I have ended the month  of September completing 95.41 miles.  Happily have 10,513.96 miles remaining.  Hope you are reaching all of your goals, running and otherwise.  A very happy day to you.

Schedule is as follows:

Sunday – 22 Sept – Rest

Monday – Too much motorcycle riding on Sunday 🙂

Tuesday – Yoga 1:15 hrs

Wednesday – 8 miles

Thursday – 5

Friday – Rest

Saturday – 3.1  Warrior Dash!

Sunday – Rest

Monday – 5.02

Mileage Recap 15 – 21 Sept

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Moving right along with marathon training.  I did it!  This weeks long run was 14 miles.  I’ll be brutally honest – I didn’t want to run Saturday.  The body felt fine, but I just wasn’t into it.  I laid in bed until about 6:00 am and finally trudged out of the house around 7:30 am.  It was a nice cool morning.  I love when the weather isn’t too hot or cold.  Fall is the best time to run.  There is a crispness to the air, leaves are beginning to litter the ground and excitement that the holidays are right around the corner is building.  This is my favorite time of the year.

I started my run out with my Aunt Patty heavy on my mind.  This is probably why I was dreading this run.  I feared the mental chatter would be at its peak and that this run would be brutal and undisciplined.  I let the tightness in my shoulders sink down and proceeded to glide along.  Mind over matter.  What’s done is done, there is no changing the past and I know in my heart that she wouldn’t want me to dwell.  So I won’t.

As I made my way down this familiar path I found my footing with little complaints.  The only pain was in my feet.  Funny how running pain seems to migrate from one part of the body to the next.  Just strange.  I’m happy to say the first 4 miles I kept the pace in the 9 minute range and the remainder in the 10 minute range – not bad I think?  Seemed consistent and that’s good.

I could have done without the bloated possum road kill that stunk to high heaven, but what can you do?  Hold your breath and move on…yes it stunk that bad:)

I did see a pack of Kool cigarettes.  Yeah that’s cool with a “K” baby not “C”…woot woot!

Around mile 13.55 a song by Fleetwood Mac streamed across my iPod, Storm sung by Stevie Nicks.  It’s one of my favorite songs.  It’s a passionate song and it drug me back to thinking about my Aunt. All of-a-sudden it was hard to breathe.  Thank goodness the run was almost over.  Running is mental, no doubt about it.

Call someone special today – don’t miss out on the chance to tell them you care.  Life is short.

I have thankfully completed 28.03 miles for the week ~ 10,535.08 remaining.

Sunday = Rest

Monday = 4.01 miles

Tuesday = kettle bell work out and 1:15 hrs of yoga

Wednesday = 6.02 miles

Thursday = 4 miles

Friday = Rest

Saturday = 14 miles!

Mileage Recap 8 – 14 Sept

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Week three of marathon training down!  The beginning of the week started off hot but now we are really feeling some cool weather here in the Midwest.  Perfect for running.  My training week consisted of:

Sunday – Rest

Monday – 4 miles

Tuesday – 30 minutes Kettle bell workout 1:15 yoga

Wednesday – 5 miles

Thursday – 4.01 miles

Friday – Rest

Saturday – 11 miles and 2:00 yoga/meditation.  Total for the week 24.01 miles

Felt good on all the weekly runs.  Saturday’s long run was okay.  Started around 6:30 am with a temperature in the 40’s.  It’s great running weather but now comes the conundrum of layers of clothes.  Start off cold end up hot.  I hate being cold and I hate being hot!  I wasn’t tired on this run at all.  Felt like my breathing was even and consistent.  About 3 miles into the run I felt like I had to….can you guess?  Sigh, go to the bathroom.  Good heavens!  Really?  I try to plan, ah hem, accordingly but this was just one of those days.  I know when I’m eyeing the cornfields, thinking, “ok will that one be safe” I’m in trouble.  But I managed to survive.  The arches of my feet were hurting a bit, but I battled through that too.  Noteworthy items on the side of the road this run you got it – light beer, an inhaler and….drum roll please – a pillow!  Let’s analyze and make this interesting shall we?  Hmmm – a pillow, with pillow case mind you, on the side of the road.  Fell out of the back of a truck?  Sleep-over gone bad?  Angst on the family road trip?  Do tell.

Well my friends, I hope your weekend was pleasant.  Gratefully, 10,563.11 miles remaining for  this gal.  Happy miles to you.

Mileage Recap 1 – 7 Sept

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First week of September and it doesn’t quite feel like Fall.  We had some lovely weather a few weeks ago then it reverted back to hot and sticky.  I’m knocking on wood – the cold damp weather will be here soon enough.

Week two of my marathon training was smooth.  So far feeling good and no injuries.  Some tightness in the back right hamstring, but everything else is functioning as it should:)

I got in some extra mileage on Sunday walking with friends in the morning and the rest of the week was planned running.

My long run consisted of 8 miles this Saturday.  It was a nice steady run.  Elevation was fairly flat with a high amount of road kill.  I did notice a sock on the side of the road.  Have you ever noticed a sock or shoe in the street while running?  That single sock got me thinking.  You can’t help but wonder about it.  How did it get here?  Did it fall out of someone’s car?  Did they just decide “hey, I don’t want this sock” and out it goes?  Was there an accident?  So many things to ponder.

The mileage break-down looked like this:

Sunday 3.02 Walk
Monday 3.05 Run
Tuesday Kettle Bells and 1:15 Yoga
Wednesday 5.00 Run
Thursday 3.16 Run
Friday Rest
Saturday 8.02 Run
Total 22.25 Miles
Remaining    10,587.12

I hope you reached your goals this week.  Until then…happy miles to you.

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St. Louis Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon

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I’m nearing the end of week two of my marathon training and have decided that I will run the St. Louis Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on 27 Oct 2013.

Details are here:  St. Louis Rock and Roll Marathon

St. Louis Marathon

I tried to find a marathon in late November, but it doesn’t look good.  The weather here starts to go south in the Midwest so I imagine that is the issue.  The program I’m using to train is marathon rookie.  Although, I’m farther ahead in my training I thought that I would follow the full program.  Lesson learned when training for a marathon there is some backwards planning involved:)  Not a problem I’m going to shorten the plan and  be ready by Oct 27.

Hope everyone is achieving their running goals this week.  Happy miles to you.