The Road to Dopey: Week 16 - Running on the Road

April Miles to Date: 11.6
April Average Pace: 14:45
2016 Miles to Date: 106.4
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 2
Streak Day: 2 (Maximum: 9)
The American 200: 32.5 mi/200 (9/16/16 Deadline: 9 miles behind schedule)

I want that April miles number to be higher than it is. I want that April average pace to be higher than it is. But it's not going to be. April will end with a maximum of 17 miles. And there's nothing I can do about that except resolve to be better in May. May will be hotter. May will be more humid. May will be shorter, because I'm not running at Disney (but I'll be walking a lot and still getting miles under my feet, so that counts for something, right?). The good news is, this won't ruin my streak...I've always planned to take Disney week off. A runner I follow on IG just had her 700th streak day...which is remarkable and inspiring. When I commented as much, she offered me this advice:

Just take it one day at a time. It eventually just becomes "the norm" and harder to not do it than to get out the door.

So that's what I'm doing, starting today.

I did something I've never done before this week: I took my workout gear and running shoes on a work trip with me. Wednesday, when I made it to my hotel, I took a towel out of the bathroom and spread it on the floor and did my strength training followed by my yoga before I went out to dinner. The following morning, I put on my workout gear and went down to the hotel gym to run on the treadmill.  I only made it a mile. There wasn't a fan in the gym (seriously?) and I forgot to kick on the a/c unit before I started, so I got really warm, REALLY fast. And even though #summeriscoming in Texas, my body is not ready for it yet. As evidenced by my long run on Saturday. I knew it wasn't going to be that 13 miler I keep putting off. I'm readjusting my training calendar, so it will be the week after I get back from Disney. I was aiming for between 4 and 6 miles; my legs were sore from all the walking I'd done uphill in fancy shoes. I only got 4. It was weirdly cool, but muggy outside and I was starving. But I did 4. That counts for something right?

My workout plan for the coming week:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Yoga/Strength Training
• Tuesday: Run 2.5 miles 
• Thursday: Run 3 miles with Hills
• No Saturday run

Here's hoping I can stick to it. Because running and I aren't done yet. We're just beginning. 

The Road to Dopey: Week 15 - When sickness knocks you flat

April Miles to Date: 6.5
April Average Pace: 14:28
2016 Miles to Date: 101.3
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 0
Streak Day: 1 (Maximum: 9)
The American 200: 27.4 mi/200

Well, then. I didn't blog last week because I didn't think I had much to say. And then I didn't work out all week. On Sunday, I went for an easy 4 mile run that I wound up walking the great majority of because my legs felt like lead. That afternoon I had a terrible headache and went to bed nauseous. Monday morning I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck and went home sick from work (no workout that morning). That evening I still felt nauseous and the next morning I woke up and got sick (no run). Thankfully, this was the last day I felt too sick to work or do anything more than lay on my couch all week, but because I was massively dehydrated for the rest of the week, I didn't do any workouts. Additionally, I only went back to eating real food on Thursday, which meant my fuel reserves for working out were pretty much depleted.

I knew I shouldn't be running or strength training, or even attempting yoga, so I listened to my body and stayed lazy. I'm chomping at the bit to get back to it and since this morning was the fifth straight morning I woke up feeling okay and actually hungry, I am determined to get back to it this week. I'm traveling Wednesday through Friday, but there is a gym at my hotel and I'm toying with the idea of packing my running shoes and using the treadmill. Got to get those miles in before my vacation where I'm not even attempting to run in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS.

I am so very excited to go back to Disney and to get to enjoy more of it than last time. I love running races at Disney and I'm anxious to return and do another one, but the eating schedule, the resting of my legs, and the early bedtimes keep you from doing everything. I'm also really looking forward to some bonding time with my mom.

Wish me luck on my workouts this week. I'll be sure to update you about my travels and success or failures next week. Until then, it's BOSTON week, which is a big week for this sport I have come to find myself a part of. Good luck to all the runners. #BostonStrong

The Road to Dopey: Week 13 - Learning the importance of Yoga

April Miles to Date: 0.0

March Average Pace: --

2016 Miles to Date: 94.8

Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 5

Streak Day: 8 (Maximum: 9)

The American 200: 20.9 mi/200

I kept my streak up this week, even if I only ran once. I woke up with a headache on Thursday, and then yesterday, my IT bands made my hips feel like they were on fire. It had been building for days and I foolishly ignored it and now, now I wish I could run. 

This week I learned the importance of my yoga as I increase my mileage. I stopped a week or so ago because I didn't like the routine I was using, and between just my strength training and running, added to the uncomfortable chair I sat in most of the week, I really tightened up my IT bands. So yesterday I found a new yoga routine which is wonderful, and I'm hopeful to be back at it on Tuesday. I think I'm just going to push back everything two weeks since I've skipped my last two Saturday runs. 

Still, my March calendar wound up looking a lot better than my February one. 

So here's to April.

On a personal note, I accepted a job on Friday. Which means no more travel (or less travel at least), and no more interviews, and more consistent training (or at least less excuses). Now I just need to defend. And goodness knows I will need my workouts to keep my sanity in that.

The Road to Dopey: Week 12 - Working on a streak

March Miles to Date: 35.0
March Average Pace: 14:05 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 92.3
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 3
Streak Day: 1 (Maximum: 9)
The American 200: 18.4 mi/200

My streak ended at 9 so we are going to try again. I had to trade a run day Thursday for strength training because I desperately needed to go grocery shopping. I intended to run Friday, but then I woke up not feeling well. Saturday morning, I had to force myself out of bed and this morning I didn't feel well. I feel guilty for not having worked out in 3 days, which is a good sign (I think) but I hope to get back on it this week.

Other than that, it was an uneventful week. I need to find a new yoga sequence, or I may drop it all together for the moment. That's really all I know.

Happy Easter!

The Road to Dopey: Week 11 - A dozen halfs, a PR, and a racing hiatus

March Miles to Date: 33.0
March Average Pace: 14:06 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 90.3
Yoga/Strength Training Sessions this week: 2
Streak Day: 6
The American 200: 16.4 mi/200

Wow, where do I even start with this week? So much happened! Let's start with the stats above this text, since you may notice they've changed from how I've been reporting them for the past weeks. I've changed my workout schedule. My strength training wasn't happening on my run days so I moved it to my yoga days since the yoga routine I do is only 20 minutes and strength training is 10-15. Now both my workout days will be about the same length. "Streak Day" is also something I'm starting. I want to go on a 30 day workout streak, where I follow my workout calendar for 30 straight days. I fell like this will help me stay accountable. I can't excuse my way to Dopey. I have to actually train, because actually training pays off...which I'll get to in a minute.

Now, The American 200 is a virtual challenge I'm doing. Last week I completed The Texas 200, which was a virtual challenge to run 200 miles anywhere in the state of Texas. I barely completed it, thanks to all my training derailments last fall, but I did it. And in an effort to keep the accountability going, I signed up this week for The American 200, which is the same concept as the Texas 200, but I can run the miles anywhere in America, not just Texas. Which is good since there's a good chance I'm moving out of Texas before my 6 months on this challenge are up.

So, training this week. I started my streak on Tuesday, which means I ran all my training runs this week. I did my normal maintenance loop on Tuesday, still focusing on pacing myself, and on Thursday I did my hill routine. My hill routine may not be "hilly" enough, but it's the best I can do where I live right now, since the real hills don't have sidewalks.

Yesterday, I ran my 12th half marathon. It's also the last race I have officially scheduled for the foreseeable future. A bittersweet decision, but I know I have a lot of big things coming up, and focusing on training for Dopey is important. I know that I'll race again before Dopey (I'll need a POT after all), but who knows where or when that will be.

Originally, I had wanted to go sub-3 on my half yesterday, but I was concerned that wasn't going to happen since my training in February hadn't been as on point as January had been and March is shaping up to be. But like I told Catie, if I could have a well-paced race, I would be happy. So when I went to the starting line yesterday morning, that was all I hoped for: a well-paced race.

Well I got it, with the exception of the middle of the race, where I slowed significantly taking the hills, I ran a pretty consistent mile (~14 min). As my running app told me the time on mile 12, I started to cry a little and I texted Catie: I think I'm going to PR. When I made it to the bridge (on the other side of which was my finish line) I dug in deep and headed up and over. As I reached the crest of the bridge, I could see the clock and I could see that my PR was mine! I ran to the finish and crossed in 3:11:27, shaving 6 minutes off my PR for a half! Again, not sub-3 and still a long way to go to where I want to be...but it's a big deal for several reasons:

1. It's a PR...by quite a bit! YAY!
2. I ran my intervals for all 13 miles. This is the first time this has happened EVER. Normally by mile 11 at least I have to start walking, but I kept pushing forward and was running even at the end. 
3. I only skipped a few on my running intervals, most of which were on the steeper parts of hills.
4. I managed to pace myself so that I could make it to the finish, a first.

It may have taken 12 half marathons, but I finally figured out how to race.

And now we train.

The Road to Dopey: Week 10 - Training time, Travel time, Time changes

March Miles to Date: 14.0
March Average Pace: 13:45 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 71.3
Yoga Sessions this week: 0

I intended to run 4 miles this morning. But the time changes have thrown off my schedule. Not just daylight savings, but the time zones I've been traveling between. And since I still have one trip left to take, I thought it wise to get my sleep and rehydrate rather than run.

I did get my 9 miler in from last weekend on Wednesday. It took a lot of determination to get it done, but I knew it was important to to my half next weekend. I get back from my last trip Monday night, so Tuesday and Thursday morning, I'll do my maintenance runs and hopefully that will be enough.

The best part of my 9 miler on Wednesday was how consistent I kept my pace. I started at 13:30 and wound up at 14:00 min/mi, which is a lot closer together than my pacing normally is. And I ran every interval the whole time. It gives me hope for a well paced half on Saturday.

runDisney announced a new challenge as part of Wine and Dine weekend and I WANT TO DO IT SO BADLY, but unfortunately it looks like it will be in 2018 after Dopey before I'm able. Sad face.

My travels will be over (for now) after Monday and hopefully that means I can focus on my training again. While it hasn't suffered as much as last semester, it has suffered a little bit and I don't want it to anymore.

Until then, keep running.

The Road to Dopey: Week 9(?) - finding the time for training

March Miles to Date: 5
March Average Pace: 13:06 min/mi
2016 Miles to Date: 62.3
Yoga Sessions this week: 0

What up? (Good grief Addie, you can't start a blog that way). Today's post is going to be short because, well, in a shocking turn of events I find myself in an airport. I board in like 20 minutes but I want to give you a Sunday blog.

This week I did my weekly training, bringing my March to date miles to 5 and my year to date to 50-something (blogging on mobile has several limitations, but I'm doing my best). I ran them back to back on Tuesday and Wednesday because I am doing a whole lot of traveling in the next little bit, but I am determined that, unlike last semester when this happened, my training won't suffer the consequences. 

Because of my schedule, my Saturday long run didn't happen. There was no time for 9 miles, but I plan to make it up on Wednesday, which is my next no travel day. That will be my last long run before I run the Bearathon on March 19. Im looking forward to it because on both my runs this week I worked really hard on focusing on pacing (which is something I am terrible at) and I was Doug a pretty good job. Im anxious and excited to try this over a longer distance in hopes of doing a good job on it at the race.

That's really it. Good thoughts while traveling are appreciated. Hopefully I won't have to do this again for a long time (if all goes well). Keep on running.