Well. I did it. It was a gorgeous day Saturday (the whole weekend was, actually) so it was really nice to run in the Park and when the sun was still out. I had brunch plans at 10:30 so my alarm went off at 7:45am and I was so confused. I was definitely out of it. Work? Church? Why is an alarm going off?? Ahhh yes, I get to go run. I wasn't too thrilled, but once I was up it was fine.
There's a hill on the east side around 72nd Street that is a b. The first couple times I ran up it I wanted to kill myself. It hasn't been too awful lately, however with the mileage I've had, the hill falls in the first mile of my run. On Saturday it was in my second mile so it was a bit more difficult.
The first mile was mostly downhill or flat. I couldn't believe it when my running app told me I'd run my first mile in 8:11. I know, it's only a mile, but I don't think I've ever run a mile that fast.
At the end of my second mile (after that big hill, followed by a smaller hill) I let myself walk a little. It was only about two minutes though. I felt sort of like a loser but oh well. The rest of the run was pretty uneventful and guess what? Even with that couple of minutes walking I averaged under a ten minute mile for all five miles. This was the first day I could understand caring about pace. Obviously I understand why people who run races all the time are concerned about pace, but for first times? Who cares. But with every check in I realized I was still running under 10/mile. It gave me a goal to keep under that pace. Every mile except the first was over 10 minutes, however with my fast first mile my overall average was still under 10. And my third was quicker than my second, and my fourth was quicker than my third. My last mile ended up being right in the middle in regards to speed. It's ironic that my third mile was my slowest (aside from the mile before which was the actual slowest because of the walking) because that was around the Reservoir which should have been the easiest. It's a dirt path and it's all flat.
Anyway, probably most of that didn't make sense so here's how it broke down:
Mile 1: 8:11 (wahoo!)
Mile 2: 10:40 (a little walking)
Mile 3: 10:28
Mile 4: 10:05
Mile 5: 10:25
Wow, I used to see breakdowns like this on blogs and think, "This is so boring." Interesting how it means so much to the individual but not really anyone else. I guess like parents with their baby's stats. :)
The other good news of the day was I actually passed a handful of joggers during my run. Hurray for not being the biggest loser!
Oh yeah, I need some suggestions on what to eat. I don't really want to run on an empty stomach, but I don't want to eat too much. I grabbed a granola bar before I headed out the door and definitely felt like I was a bit weaker than my evening runs during the week since my stomach was empty.
The last concern was my hip flexor bothering me in my last mile. I thought it was hurting a little but figured it was my imagination. The night before my friend Karli (who's running the half with me) was telling me about last year when she was training for the SLC marathon. She was only three weeks out when she injured her hip flexor and couldn't run the marathon. So sad!! After a while I realized it definitely was not my imagination and it made me worry. I need to keep an eye on it.
(Weekly mileage: 12)
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6 comments:
Well done!
Great job on your 5 miler! You did it!
I like to eat toast or bagel with peanut butter, sometimes with banana, or just a banana/peanut butter. It's quick and easy. Wait til you get to the point of fueling midrun...for that I use gu.
Totally understand the pacing...at first I didn't care, then I got my garmin and now I feel lost if I don't have it!
Congrats for your run!
I am super proud of you just FYI Xoxo
um pretty sure your friend maggie is very wise! :) i was going to say pretty much the exact thing as her! i'm all about the banana and peanut butter. on longer run days like the 5 you just did, i somtimes will eat a power bar. i used gu with my marathon, but with the two half marathons i've done i do Shot Blocks, they are gummy blocks of energy (strawberry and lemon lime i think are best). but gu helps a lot too. usually around mile 4,6 and 8, sometimes at mile 10, i eat them. and while i run, i chew gum too. it kinda gives a good jolt. but dont forget to breath while chewing! :)
and i agree with the pacing, just stay consistant and you are going to be speedy mcspeedy! you can totally do it!
and it is totally ok to stop and walk if you need to! it's almost like a cross-training technique, you use different muscles. so good job! you are totally not the biggest loser! a friend of mine that does full and half marathons, does a training where she walks for 1 minutes after every mile. i guess it's some sort of training, but she does it durning her races too and always feels great!
look at runnersworld.com for streches to do for your hip. stretch stretch stretch!! its super annoying but will totally help you!!
sorry this is long! but way to go on your 5! so awesome!!! 5 miles!
HIGH FIVE!! :) keep it up!!
I wish I can remember where I heard it but recently heard that you should eat something about 30 minutes before running/exercising. That way you're not going on an empty stomach and your body has fuel. Maybe Chaz told me that?
You are awesome!
(and I saw that note about baby stats. Ha!!!)
You are so awesome! I remember back in school, (my major was fitness science and nutrition) eat something like a banana and granola bar about 30 minutes before. Not something heavy, but enough to sustain you. And stretch that hip flexor.
Congrats on your 8 minute mile!
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