My Running Journal

I've gone 240 miles since I started training on Setember 14!
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S 12/25/2004
Merry Christmas! I've been neglecting the site recently, but I wanted to assure you I have not been neglecting my training! Since I last posted, I have run a total of 26 miles; I'm in "taper mode" before the first of my two big runs coming up. I've got just a couple weeks left before the Disney (Half) Marathon, and just 12 weeks before the Shamrock Marathon!

S 12/11/04
Had a great group run today. Since I'm running a half-marathon in January now, my scheduled run was relatively short, 6-8 miles, and my coach said to decide at the turnaround point for 6 miles whether I wanted to keep going. I decided to run the first three miles slowly instead of relying on intervals, since it was such a short run, and I was able to run with two other Team members who had a similar pace. In the end, I completed 8 miles, all of it running except for a short stretching break at mile 3, a PowerAde stop at mile 4, and a bathroom break and PowerGel stop at mile 6. My pace was rather slow (13 minutes) overall, but I'm excited to have run the whole thing! :)

Th 12/09/04
200+ miles in less than 3 months! Just got back from a quick 5-mile run on the boardwalk, and my knee is feeling fine. :) I ran 5 miles Monday, and after mile 3 it was a bit sore, so yesterday I opted for a 4-mile brisk walk (13-14 minute mile) on the beach instead of a jog. Today my left hamstring feels stiffer than my right, but my knee didn't bother me nearly as much as it did Monday, so I'm totally back in the swing of things. This Saturday at the group run I'll be getting a new training schedule for the full marathon on March 19!

S 12/04/04
Back in action! My coach suggested I take it easy this week to make sure my knee soreness goes away, so I didn't do any running at all this week until today. I also didn't want to run before getting new shoes, so I went to Final Kick and tried on 5 or 6 pairs. I ran on the treadmill in the store in the shoes that felt good, and that was the first time I'd run since last weekend's 14-miler. I didn't feel any discomfort at first, but after a few minutes I did feel the soreness come back, but it was nowhere near the pain I felt last Monday. So I bought my new shoes and brought them home, and I'm planning to get up tomorrow and do a short weekend-run, about 6 miles, to see how it feels. I have decided to cut back in my training and do a half-marathon in January. Since I've already done that distance, I can concentrate on getting better and increasing my pace since last year's Rock & Roll 1/2. And if I need to cut back on some of the running because of my knee, I'll still be in the shape I need to be for 13.1 miles in just a few weeks (Jan. 9!).

The most exciting thing about this change, really, is that I'll continue training after Disney and run my first full marathon here in Virginia Beach in the Shamrock Marathon, and my family and friends can cheer me on like they did when I ran the RNR 1/2! :)