Posts Tagged ‘RunKeeper’
I’m so woefully behind on my blogging that I’m almost embarrassed to put up this catch-up post, but I’m also behind on my running, so it won’t take that long. I’ve been struggling to take the time to post because I seem to be doing most of my runs after the kids go to bed in the evenings, not leaving me much time to post before I need to get to bed. I promise to make more of an effort to post more often, but in the meantime, here are a few notes about the last few runs.
Tuesday July 13
Distance: 14.73k
Time: 1:39:38
This run went really well, although it was a bit late. I was originally supposed to do it last week, but it didn’t happen. Then I was to do it on Monday, but after two night shifts, I really wasn’t up to running such a long run the first day off. This now puts me about half a week behind my training schedule, and with doing 6 shifts in 8 days, I’ll likely get even further behind. I was actually tired enough the afternoon before this run that I fell asleep on the couch, which made me think that maybe I should just do the half in October. I really wasn’t sure if I would be up to doing the whole 15k. Fortunately, the nap gave me enough energy that I got it done, and even felt good afterwards.
My right foot got a bit twingey after the 11k mark, but it was gone by the time I went to bed that night. It only seems to happen after I do the longer distances, so I suspect that I just need new shoes. I can’t remember how long ago I started using these shoes but I’m sure the marathon did a number on them.
Thursday July 15
Distance: 5.67k
Time: 36:55
I almost didn’t do this run. I brought all my gear to work to go afterwards, but this day was absolutely awful. It was crazy busy and one baby wasn’t doing well. I was tired and cranky and just wanted to go home and have a beer. But I talked myself into going for the run because I knew I would be able to get out all the frustration of the day. And it did. I put on some Linkin Park, and just went. I felt so much better than if I had just gone home, and I got another run under my belt. Because I was so tired, I didn’t even try for speed. I just kept up what felt like a comfortable, relaxed pace, but I ended up less slow than I thought. Bonus!
Monday July 19
Distance: 19.78k
Time: 2:22:32
This one was a challenging run. I was tired. My last set at work was rough, although the last night was blessedly quiet, so I was recovering from that. Also, I didn’t have a great sleep the night before. And just to be crazy, I missed two other runs this week; instead of making them up, I decided to just try for the long run so I could move on in the schedule. So when I started, I really only planned to do the Elk Lake trail once around, which is about 10k. I brought enough water and Gatorade (I thought) to do two laps, but I wasn’t sure if I was up for it. I struggled with the first lap, and I should have listened to my body, but of course I didn’t.
I made two mistakes after I finished that first lap. Firstly, although it was a struggle, I decided to push through and turn around at the 4 k mark and come back, making a total run of just under 17k (I started at about the 0.5k mark). But that wasn’t the mistake; the decision at the 4k mark to just finish the lap was. Secondly, I decided not to take my Gu at the 10k mark, because I was planning to do only 17k. To be fair, I did take the Gu after I decided to finish the lap near the 14k mark, but by then I think it was too late. I also ran out of fluid to drink at the 17k mark. So, the last 3k were not great. I was surprised my splits weren’t worse, to be honest. I felt like crap and wanted to stop, but I still had to get to my car and it was faster to run than to walk. So I ran. Now I feel good that I did it, but at the time I wished I had listened to my body instead of my stupid head. Lesson learned.
Thursday July 22
Distance: 5k
Time: guessing around 32 minutes
Tonight was a naked run. No, not that kind of naked, nobody needs to see that. My son hid my iPhone and when I found it just before my run, the battery was dead. No RunKeeper, no tunes. I thought it was going to be boring, to run with no music, but it wasn’t bad. I also got some new shoes, so I got to test them out. They didn’t have my regular shoes in my size, so I decided to go for something different. I was a bit nervous about that, because my other shoes got me through my marathon. But these seemed comfy in the store and (I hate to admit) they are prettier. They were only $10 more, and I had a $10 coupon, so it evened out, right?
Since I didn’t have music, I got to focus a bit on my form, and I noticed that I don’t really land on my heels when I run; I land on the outside middle of my foot and then roll in. I think that’s good, isn’t it? I did notice that my pinky toes got a bit squished in my new shoes, but I was wearing slide-y socks so maybe that’s it. And they didn’t hurt, they just felt crowded.
So now, I’m only about one run behind on my schedule, and I’m still not sure if I will upgrade to the marathon. I’ve now done almost half that distance only 4 weeks into my schedule, but my biggest challenge has been making the time, while still having time with my kids. Sometimes I find I have to choose between running and spending time with my 3 year-old, especially for the longer runs, since I can’t wait until after the kids go to bed. I’m considering instead just staying with the half marathon, and making it a goal to (1) run the whole thing, and (2) finish in less than 2 hours. I’m giving myself until the 6 week mark to decide for sure, but I’m surprised I really don’t know what I’m going to do yet. The suspense!
Posted in Running Marathon | 
Tags: iPhone, long run, marathon, music, RunKeeper, runners, Running | 
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I can’t believe a week has gone by since my last post! It’s been hard to post after my runs, because I’m going out after the kids go to bed, so I don’t have a lot of time afterwards before I go to bed. My nights off from running have been busy with work or other stuff, so I haven’t really had a chance to post earlier. Because I’ve actually managed to get in 4 runs this week, I thought I’d do a mini post on each one.
Sunday July 4
Distance: 9.98k
Time: 1:05:19
I actually sucked it up and did a 10k run after my 12-hour day shift! I felt so hardcore, but really it was a nice run. I would never have had the energy to do this after a day shift at my old job, but my new job is much less physically demanding. It was cloudy all morning, and I was worried that it might even rain, but it was sunny and still warm when I left work. I got off a couple minutes early, so I could get changed into my running gear, stopped at the car to drop off my work stuff, and I was off!
Fortunately the Galloping Goose trail goes right by the hospital so I didn’t have to go far to hit the trail. I basically just turned right at the trail and kept going until my RunKeeper said I did 5k, and then I turned around and headed back. This was the first 10k I’ve done since the marathon, and it went well, except my right foot started to hurt a bit at the 7k mark. It’s the same pain I had after the marathon, only not nearly as bad and it stopped right after my run, making me think the problem is that I need new shoes.
This part of the Goose is actually quite pretty, with a bit of gravelly trail, a corridor blasted between rock, and two bridges. It actually worked out well for my run because I hit the 5k mark right at the Colwood strip, so I would have had to cross that busy intersection to go further. Instead, I got to turn around. It did start to get dark by the end of my run, so I think 10k is probably the furthest distance I would want to go after work, but it’s good to know it’s an option if I need to make up a shorter run.
Tuesday July 6
Distance: 5.13k
Time: 32:41
I started off way too fast for this run, and I paid for it at the end. I could feel that I was going fast at the beginning, but I hoped to keep it up for the rest of the run, and maybe even come in under 32 minutes. I managed to keep up the pace until I finished the hill near Spinnaker’s and then I could feel myself slowing down. I used it all up at the beginning, and didn’t have enough left at the end. It’s definitely one of the things I need to work on, starting slower so I have something left at the end, but not going so slowly at the the beginning that I ruin my time. I guess that’s probably the “secret” of doing shorter distances like a 5k.
Friday July 9
Distance: 5.07k
Time: 32:05
So close to that 32 minute goal! I started slower this time, maybe a bit too slow, but I burned through the rest of the run. We had a bit of a “heat wave” here in Victoria Wednesday and Thursday, but it ended rather abruptly this afternoon when the clouds rolled in. It made for a better run because I was worried about running in the evening when the high for the day was 30 degrees Celsius. I even left a bit earlier than I planned, partly because the kids were driving me crazy, and partly because I knew it wouldn’t be too hot. It was still warm, and it felt muggy; by the time I was done, the sweat was dripping down my face. And there were a lot of bugs out there. I felt a few land on my forehead and I narrowly avoided having one land in my eye. Yuck.
Saturday July 10
Distance: 6.82k
Time: 47:18
I was supposed to do this hills run earlier in the week, but my life got in the way. It was my husband’s birthday on Wednesday, which was a run day, so I planned to get up early on Thursday make up for missing it. That night I could not get to sleep, and the baby kept waking up, so when my alarm went off at 6 am, I turned it off. I didn’t go that evening because I went to the movies instead. So after looking at my schedule, I initially decided to skip the hill run this week. Today should have been a 15k run, but I had to work tonight, which meant an afternoon run. I’ve done longer runs before work before, but as the afternoon progressed, it started to get warmer and warmer. I then decided to do the hill run I skipped and put off the 15k till Monday.
My iPhone said the temperature was 15 degrees, but that must have been in the shade. It was a hot run, and I’m glad I didn’t try for my long run today. I felt fine for the first half, but I started to get thirsty during the second half. I stopped at the water fountain a couple of times, but it wasn’t enough (It probably didn’t help that I had 3 beers last night!). If you look at my RunKeeper for this run, you can see when I started to slow down, right at the end for the last two hills.
At the end of the second to last hill, I had to stop at the light to cross the street. I normally try to keep moving a bit while I wait but I was tired and took a quick rest. This was the first time I ever thought I might be sick during a run, including during the marathon. I managed to finish but I learned to bring some water if I run on warmer days, even if it’s a short run.
So I managed to get in all my runs this week, although I think next week will be a challenge. I only have 1 1/2 days off, and I somehow have to fit in at least 4 runs. I also need to find the time to get new shoes, before I start getting into the longer distances. Wish me luck!
Related Reading:
Posted in Running Marathon |
Tags: hills, iPhone, marathon, RunKeeper, runners, Running |
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Distance: 4.92k
Time: 33:05
Yesterday’s run was the first one where my right foot did not hurt at all. And it hasn’t hurt since. So, now I feel like I’ve finished my recovery, and back into training. I know that if I want to run the marathon faster, I have to run faster. I actually thought I was running faster with this one, and was a bit disappointed in my time. But, it was the first run since the marathon where I felt strong, so I know that’s at least as important as being fast.
Now that I no longer feel like I’m recovering, I have re-examined my training plan. I still like it, but I think I can increase the long runs more quickly that a first-timer, because I already have a good base. So, I bumped up the long runs, to get to the distances I did before more quickly, so I can spend more time with the higher mileage. I think this will help me be more used to these distances when the race comes, so that it’s not such a stretch. I also plan to use the shorter runs as “speed” runs, after a fashion. I want to keep this fun, and fun for me is not doing laps on a track. Instead, I think I will try setting a goal pace on my RunKeeper, for faster than my marathon pace. I also plan to continue to do races, although I’m not sure yet if I will get one in for July. The only race I know of is July 25, and I have to work a night that night. Also, I have 20k on the plan, and it’s only an 8k.
In the meantime, I need to find some good hilly areas. I have one good 8k route near my house, but I suspect that I’ll need some tougher hills before too long. Any suggestions?
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Posted in Running Marathon |
Tags: hills, marathon, racing, RunKeeper, runners, Running |
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Distance: 4.75ish k Tuesday, 4.91k today
Time: 45:00ish Tuesday, 32:24 today
So I’ve done two runs now since the marathon. On Tuesday, I met my friend Erika and we went for a nice, easy run on the Walkway (I don’t think it was as easy for Erika, though!). She hasn’t been running much lately, although she did the TC10K last April. It was a good pace for me, since it was my first run since the marathon, my right foot was not 100%, and it had been a week since my last run. It was a lovely evening to be out, still sunny and warm, but without the heat of the day. I’m hoping that Erika and I can go running together on a regular basis. It’s great to have the company, and maybe it’ll help keep some runs relaxing, instead of always trying to beat my last time. That being said, I have put up a tentative training schedule, to prepare for the Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon (formerly the Royal Victoria Marathon) in October. It’s pretty tight, because I had to work around my work schedule. You can see the new schedule by clicking the tab above.
Today was supposed to be a 6.5k hill run, but I was too tired, and it was 7:45 pm by the time I left the house! So I switched it to a short run, and I plan to do the hill run tomorrow. I was pretty grumpy when I left, and actually kicked the car when the RunKeeper pro app wasn’t able to find a GPS signal (I also forgot my armband so I had to carry my phone the whole run). I needed some Linkin Park music, and it helped get me motivated. I finished in 32:24, which isn’t my fastest time, but it’s pretty good. Too bad I don’t know what my splits were. When I got home, I reinstalled the RunKeeper pro app and synced it to my iPhone, so it seems to work now.
Anyway, as I already mentioned, I’m planning to run another marathon in October. It may seem crazy, or even too soon, but I really want to try for it. In fact, once I got home and was able to lift my leg up high enough to get into the car, I knew I wanted to do another marathon. Only this time, I want to be faster. I’m pretty sure I could finish another one in 5:15:00, but my goal is under 5 hours. I realize that while my heart may want to run another 42.2k in only 16 weeks, my legs may not be up for it. So, as part of my plan, I will evaluate how I’m doing at the 6 week mark. Far enough in that the long runs are getting long, but not so far in that feel like I’m in too deep. If, at the 6 week mark I’m having trouble fitting in the runs, or if I’m struggling with the distances, I will cut back and train to do the half marathon instead.
Related Reading:
Posted in Running Marathon |
Tags: armband, iPhone, RunKeeper, runners, Running, Times Colonist 10k |
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Distance: 4.96k
Time: 31:44
I finally broke the 32 minute barrier! I tried a new feature on RunKeeper where you input a goal pace and the program lets you know how close you are. I ambitiously entered 6:15 minutes per kilometer, and I almost did it. I was really pleased to see that I got under 32 minutes. I think I would have averaged less than 6:15 if I had been faster for the first kilometer. I’m not sure that I would use this goal pace thing all the time; I already have it set up to get my average pace at each kilometer, and I hate hearing the computer voice saying “You are behind your goal pace by x seconds”. Although maybe she shamed me into a faster time…
There was not much else exciting about today’s run. I didn’t get rained on and the wind wasn’t too bad. Really, the only interesting thing besides my awesome time was that I actually saw a guy running shirtless who should be running shirtless. I remember a while ago, the Gomers were talking about how men who should be shirtless aren’t, and those that shouldn’t, are. It must have been my lucky day, because it wasn’t really shirt-off kind of weather, but there he was. It was a nice couple of seconds of eye candy, and maybe if he had been going the same way as me I might have run even faster!
Road Tested: Ta Ta Tamer by lululemon
The only downside of this run was that I tried my new lululemon sports bra, called the Ta Ta Tamer (no, I’m not kidding). I have a couple of cheaper running bras, but one consistently chafes my shoulders with every run longer than 5k. This is very uncomfortable, not to mention unattractive, so I decided to invest in a quality run bra. I did my research on this bra for running, and it said on the website that it was made for bigger women to run comfortably. Since I’m still breastfeeding, I’m still on the larger side, so I need a supportive bra. I tried this one in the store and it seemed to fit the bill. It was comfortable and kept everything in place. I tried on two different sizes, one with a larger band size and one with a larger cup size. The smaller cup size seemed to fit better and the band didn’t dig as much as the other one. I didn’t do as vigorous a “jump test” as I did with the cheaper ones, partly because it looked nice, and partly because lululemon has never let me down before. Well, there’s a first for everything…
This bra chafed me even worse than my other one in the shoulders. To be fair, I didn’t wash it first, I removed the inserts, and I didn’t have the band done up on the tightest hook, like I did in the store. Initially, the straps were sliding all over the place, which started to chafe right away. I tightened them on the fly (which is a plus, because most bras won’t let you do this), and the straps did not slide as much. They still dug in, though and my shoulders were both rubbed raw after my run, especially my right one. I was pretty disappointed because I was hoping this could become my long distance bra, and it looks like it won’t. Now that I’ve washed it, I’m going to give it another try, with the band hooked tighter and the inserts back in. But if it still chafes, I may have to keep it for shorter runs only. Maybe it’ll fit better when I’m not nursing and I’m not quite so buxom (I hope).
Practicality: It pains me to give it 3/5, but maybe next time will be better. I’ll be slathering my shoulders in BodyGlide just in case, though.
Cuteness: 4.5/5 It is by far the cutest bra I have. Period. It’s aqua blue, it lifts, it separates, you get the picture. It loses half a point because hardly anyone will see it, even if it looks great.
Overall: 3.5/5 As cute as it is, if it’s not comfortable, it’s not wearable. I’m going to give it another go, and if it’s not better, it’ll be a non-running bra. I may relegate it to work bra once I’m not nursing anymore.
Posted in Running Marathon |
Tags: Body Glide, lululemon, RunKeeper, runners, Running, Two Gomers |
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