New York Half Countdown-8 weeks to go

My friend Natalie keeps tabs of her marathon training with a weekly countdown blog post. Anyway, I liked the format so that's what I'm going to do.

Last week went pretty well. I got all the miles I needed, but I didn't do a lick of cross training and I know I'm going to pay for that if I don't get on track. After my 5 miler on Saturday I was starting to feel shin splint pain coming on. I stretched really well, ice massaged and didn't run the next day. Still, I know I really need to get my cross training in to prevent injuries.

I'm also thinking the shin pain could be a sign that it's time for a new pair of shoes. I'm still running in the same ones I wore for my marathon last June. So yeah, new shoes are a top priority for this week. Anyway, here's how my training went:

Weekly Goals:

Monday: 3.5 miles

Tuesday: 2 miles

Wednesday: 3.5 + Strength

Friday: 40 min cross training

Saturday: 5 miles

What I actually ended up doing:

Monday: 3.5 miles

Tuesday: didn't get my run in

Wednesday: 3.5 miles + wall sits and planks

Friday: 2 miles

Saturday: 5 miles

I did all my running on the treadmill but I played with the speed and incline to make it feel more like an outside run. This week if it gets warmer I'm hoping to at least do my long run outside. My pace is still slower than I'd like, I'm averaging a 9:13 minute mile. (6.5 mph on the treadmill) But I'm trying to not worry about it and just be happy that I'm running again and building my cardio back up.

The one thing I do feel like I need is some fresh music for my playlist. My old songs aren't quite doing it like they used to. If anyone has any great running songs please leave some suggestions in the comments. : )

Happy running!

Boost of Confidence

My first few runs on our treadmill were rough, I'm not gonna lie. I was huffing and puffing and really struggling to finish 3 miles. The second run I did I seriously had to stop 3 times to catch my breath. It left me with some major doubts about tackling a half marathon in 9 weeks. I hung in there though and last week I made myself get on there and run every other day. I slowed up my pace and took it easy and by the end of the week the 3 mile runs weren't so bad.

Then on Saturday I attempted my first "long run" which was only 5 miles, but more than I've run in a very long time. I loaded up my iPod with the soundtrack to Wicked, hopped on the treadmill and steadily jogged along as I listen to the witches of Oz belt it out. I stayed at a nice 10 minute pace for the first 3 1/2 miles then bumped it up to a 9:13 pace to finish off the last mile and a half. It was a really great run! I felt good the whole time and definitely had energy left when I finished. It was a huge boost of confidence to know that I could do that run without any trouble, and it made me realize that if I scale back to the novice training schedule I'm still totally on track for the New York Half Marathon on April 3rd.

So, with my new found confidence and motivation I got online, registered for the race and booked a hotel right where the race headquarters are set up. It's officially ON! and I'm really excited to have something to work towards for the next 2 months.

Fresh Start

After a 3 week unintentional break from running, (what can I say, moving is tough!) I'm starting over and excited to get back in shape. Our treadmill is here! Finally! The first one they sent to our old house was damaged, so we had one shipped to our new place and finally got it all set up on Thursday! It's the NordicTrack 1500 Pro (pictured here) and after two runs I'm already smitten. Nothing beats the convenience of lacing up your shoes and walking downstairs to get a run in. No babysitter, gym pass, or warm gear needed!

That said, I've definitely got my work cut out for me if I want to run a half marathon in less than 12 weeks. My first run on the treadmill was a 3 miler that almost killed me! I couldn't really do much more than a 10 minute mile and I was tired at the end. Still I'm staying positive since last year at this time I was barely running 3 miles and I managed to do just fine for the spring running season. It's hard not being up to speed but I guess that's just more motivation to really hit it hard! And I plan to, thanks to my new friend : )

Getting back on Track

It's been awhile since I posted here, guess I followed through and REALLY enjoyed the holidays : ) Hoping to get back on track soon though. Movers are at my house as we speak loading all my household belongings onto their truck. This next week will be a little crazy as we tie up our lose ends, drive across the country and get settled in our new place. AFTER all that happens though I'm ready to get my work out on!

I've been doing some research looking for my next race and think I found a winner. The New York City 13.1 Half Marathon. I've never been to New York and thought an awesome way to check out the city would be to run through it! It's only 4 hours away from our new place so we can just drive over and make it a fun weekend for the family. The race is on April 3rd so even if my running legs are a bit rusty from the holidays it gives me the perfect amount of time to train and get ready. I've already downloaded my training schedule from the Hal Higdon website. Last year I followed the novice schedule but this year I'm stepping it up and going to intermediate. It includes more speed work and tempo runs and has you running 5 days a week. Hopefully if I stick with it I'll be able to improve my time. I finished the Maple Grove half in 1:59:10. I'd like to be able to shave at least 5 minutes off that.

So that's the plan. When we get to NH I have shiny new treadmill waiting to start logging some serious mileage. Happy running!!

Enjoying the Season

Last week I had kind of a freak out moment when I stepped on the scale and realized that I had gained 5 lbs in the last 5 weeks. I know that might not sound like that big of a deal but when you're 5 ft 1, believe me, 5 lbs makes a difference. I guess I really didn't need the scale to tell me I've been gaining weight. I mean, it's pretty obvious when I put on my jeans and my "Christmas rolls" are spilling out over the sides. Still, seeing that number really got to me. I started getting down on myself and feeling like all my hard work was quickly going to waste. It's been busy lately with traveling, moving preparations, and getting things ready for the holidays. We have family coming into town this week and next week. With everything that's been going on I've barely been able to fit in two runs a week. (Down quite a bit from the 5 I was doing during the summer) Add to that the decadent plates of goodies we've been getting on our doorstep and well, it's been an uphill battle.

So like I said, I was moping around and beating myself up and ended up venting to a friend about my holiday weight gain. Later that night she sent me an email with this line, "by the way, I don't think you need to worry about 5 lbs...you look amazing, seriously! You are truly my inspiriation as far as exercising and being healthy. Just enjoy the holidays!"

I don't think she realizes how much that little email has helped me. I felt like reading that email somehow gave me permission to do what it said, ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS! It's a busy time but a wonderful time. I might not get a work out in everyday but I'm still working out. I might be eating an unusually large quantity of sugary baked goods but it's not like I eat this way all year round. It's the holiday season and I'm enjoying it, Chritmas rolls and all : ) And the good news is, Taber and I are getting a treadmill this year as our gift to each other. So when all the holiday celebrations are said and done, we'll have a great motivator to get us back on track.

Turkey Trot Success!!!

On turkey trot morning I had my strategy all planned out on how I was going to set a PR and finish a 5K under 27 minutes. I wanted to go out at around a 9 minute pace for half a mile, then 8:30 for a half a mile, 8 for a mile and half and then push hard for anything under 8 till I finished. Only problem was, I forgot to bring a watch so I had no way of knowing what my pace was. So much for strategy! : ) Still, I've run the 5k distance so many times in training that I thought I'd have a pretty good idea of how fast I was going.

Taber and I did an easy 15 minute jog to warm up. It was actually the first time I've ever warmed up before a race. I should probably do that more often. We stretched for a bit and then headed toward the starting line and waited with nervous anticipation.

The horn blew and we took off. I meant to start out slower but with all the race day adrenaline I kicked it up and when we passed the first mile I hadn't even finished two songs on my iPod. most songs are around 4 minutes long so I figured I must be doing around an 8 minute mile. The second mile was tough because we went from being on the road to this little forest trail that was lose, rocky, twisty, and thin. We had to run in single file and Taber pulled ahead but I got stuck behind this slow guy. Finally we came out of the forest trail and I sprinted ahead of the guy and passed Taber in the process. I exerted way too much energy doing that though and at the higher altitude my lungs were burning. Taber easily caught up to me and passed me.

With one mile to go I was getting tired and depressed as I realized I wasn't going to be able to catch up to Taber. He was probably about 50 yards ahead of me when the temptation came to just stop running and catch my breath. That's when I noticed a girl who looked about my age about 10 yards ahead of me. I knew I couldn't catch Taber but I vowed I would catch her. I kicked it up and steadily started closing the gap between us. I could see the finish line and gave it everything I had left. I passed her about 20 feet before we crossed the finish line and finished just 2 people (and 9 seconds) behind Taber.

There wasn't a clock at the finish line and I was dying to find out my time. I knew I ran hard so I felt good about that, but I wanted to know if I had met my goal. Finally the results came out. I grabbed my card and a huge smile broke across my face as I read: Becca Rigg, female, age 29, finish time 25:46, average pace, 8:17 min/mile.

It was such an awesome feeling to set a PR! That's one of the things I love about running. I know I'll never be the fastest girl out there but it's fun to race against myself and improve. Last year when I started running I was doing 11 minute miles on the treadmill and that was tough. Kind of cool to see what a difference a year makes.

The next day when the official results came up online I found out that I also placed 10th out of 77 in my age division of 20-29 year old women. I wouldn't have made it into the top 10 if I hadn't passed that girl. Glad I didn't give into the urge to walk and finished strong instead!

I'll take what I can get

So, my last post was about combating the holiday bulge...hmmmm....Can't say I've done too fabulously with that one. As I predicted, my birthday and trip to Boston were both delicious and a little high on calories if you know what I mean. Also, with the travel and busyness of getting ready to travel again tomorrow I haven't done much working out. Ooops!

Still, I signed up for a Turkey Trot in Grand Junction, CO, where we're staying for Thanksgiving, And I made a goal to get a PR. My best 5K time in an actual race is 29:41. Shouldn't be too hard to beat that. My best 5K in training is 25 flat. Odds of me getting that are slim to none. Still, I'll take what I can get. Any improvement will be great. I think I'm shooting for around 27 minutes, right between my best and my previous. I ran on the track yesterday and finished in just over 26, but I only ran 3 miles, didn't do the .1 that is part of the 5K.

I hope I can run again tomorrow night or Monday morning while I'm in Utah so I can at least have few training runs at altitude. Even though it's just a 5K I'm still a little nervous because I actually want to do it kind of fast. So yeah, here are my main worries:
1) running at altitude could slow me down
2) I haven't run outside in a long time so not sure if my treadmill and track training will help or hinder.
3) I haven't exactly been sticking to a great nutrition plan. Not sure if all the cake and desserts I've eaten lately will affect my speed.

On a positive note, here are the things I've got going for me:
1) The few times I have run lately I've been trying to go for speed and I'm getting pretty comfortable in the 8:15-8:30 minute mile range, which is definitely fast enough to beat my last time.
2) I totally get serious adrenaline on race day so I think that will help.
3) Taber gave me a gift certificate to iTunes for my birthday so I'm going to have a sweet new playlist to push me.
4) I've done a little cross training lately so I'm hoping that will help too!

Anyway, wish me luck and I'll keep you posted on how it goes next week!

Keeping the holiday bulge in check

Halloween kicked off the beginning of the holiday gluttony season for me. It's tough because my kids don't like chocolate! They go out and collect all this awesome candy and then all they want to eat are starbursts and smarties. What I SHOULD do is throw the other stuff out, but I was always taught, "waste not, want not," so unfortunately, none of their chocolate has been "wasted" this year.

Combine that predicament with the fact that my birthday is tomorrow and we've been celebrating it it for the past week and will continue to do so through the weekend. It's a funny tradition we have, but anyway, I already had two cakes last week, I'm probably gonna have cake tomorrow, and then we're going on a weekend getaway that promises many fine desserts and dining experiences.

Long story short, I'm starting to get the holiday bulge. Similar to the baby bump, just with more sugar and no baby. This is not good considering that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner and all the calorie laden goodness that comes with those holidays will not be passed over by these taste buds.

So, to keep this unwelcome expansion in check, I'm trying to step it up at the gym. I'm spinning every Wednesday, swimming twice a week, and running 3 times a week. Sounds like a lot but it's either that or give up my holiday food and I just don't think I'm strong enough to do that. Anyway, today was great. I ran on the track instead of the treadmill and was actually able to break the 25 minute barrier on my 3 miler. I also found a Turkey Trot 5K to run on Thanksgiving and am looking forward to seeing if I can PR on this one. It's in two weeks, I'll let you know how it goes.

I think I'm getting hooked!

My alarm went off at 5am this morning. I confess, I hesitated for a minute as a considered the two choices ahead of me, stay in cozy warm bed with cute hubby and cuddly puppy dog, or get up and torture my quads in spinning class. I chose torture quads, and do not regret it.

Spinning is hard, harder than running in my opinion. But somehow it's also really really fun. I mean, I came home hopping around like I'd just drank a red bull or something I was so pumped up after my class. Taber was waiting for me and I was bouncing around telling him how we were simulating this 50 mile race and we were divided into teams and half of us would sprint while they others drafted, then we'd switch, and then we'd climb these crazy hills and at the end of the race people were attacking so we'd stand up and sprint every time someone raised their hand to attack and I mean Wow! I felt like I was really in a race and I was pedaling my guts out so we could get our instructor across the finish line in first place. Burning legs aside, you can't tell me that's not fun!

I have a feeling I'm gonna get hooked on this. There's a couple from my church who were in the class and they are big time bikers. They have the fancy clip on shoes and the biker shorts and they don't mess around in the class. We were chatting afterward and I think they might've convinced me to ask for my own fancy clip on shoes and biker shorts for Christmas! It's funny because last year I asked for some nice running gear for Christmas. I had never run more than 2 miles and I think Taber was a little hesitant to spend the big bucks on shoes and performance gear. One marathon and a handful of other good races later and I think he's glad he bought me that stuff. I'm totally gonna work that angle to convince him about this biking gear. I think this could be the beginning of something totally awesome : )

Sometimes I surprise myself

In an effort to spice up the routine today I decided to hit the lap pool and try my hand at swimming. I was dang nervous since my last attempt at swimming 2 years ago was a dismal failure. I could barely make it to one side and back without dying. It was so hard and horrible that I haven't tried it again till today.

Nervous as I was I must say that I did have some extra confidence knowing that at least this time around I've been running, so my heart and lungs are much stronger than last time. Still, I was nervous and called my sister, who has done a triathlon, to get some swimming tips. She talked to me about form and told me to try to swim without stopping for at least 15 minutes. Remembering my last experience I thought there was no way I could swim continuously that long. She assured me that my current state of fitness would help me along and that I could do it. The main thing was to focus on my breathing, 3 strokes then breathe left, 3 strokes then breathe right. Got it, on to the pool!

When I got to the pool I had a great realization as I confidently walked out to the water in nothing but my bathing suit. I remember being in high school and even college and being MORTIFIED of wearing a bathing suit in front of people! If I ever did it was with a t-shirt and board shorts. Sometimes I'd ditch the t-shirt but NEVER swam without board shorts as I felt my legs and thighs were too hideous to be shown to the public. Ha ha!! Guess the whole birthing process, where I had a room full of total strangers not even blink an eye as they stared at me in all my glory, kind of helped me get over that fear. That and just realizing that this is my body and imperfect as it is, it works hard and I'm blessed to have it!

So I found an empty lane, pulled on my goggles, took a deep breath, jumped in and started counting my strokes, "one, two, three, breathe left!, one two three breathe right!" Before I knew it I was at the other side of the pool! Feeling so pleased with myself for making it to the other side without dying, I thought I'd be fancy and try to do that neat little Michael Phelps flippy thing where he turns around. Um, yeah, that was awkward. After doing a few uncontrolled flips in the water that never led to actually turning around, I realized I would need some experienced tutelage before I tried that again. Back to swimming, "1,2,3, breathe left! 1,2,3, breathe right!" Back and forth I went without stopping. My heart was pumping and my arms were burning but I was moving across the water and feeling strong! 15 minutes went by and I knew I had more in me. I pushed hard for 5 more minutes and stopped to catch my breath at the 20 minute mark. "Wow" I thought, "this is kind of fun!" I pushed off the wall again and went at it for 10 more minutes. After half an hour I stopped and started backfloating to cool down. As I floated down my lane, staring up at the ceiling I thought back on how doubtful I was of my ability to swim for 15 minutes. I smiled as I happily realized that sometimes I surprise myself with what I can really do.