"What am I even doing with my life?" Comments Welcome!

[disneygpa]

I am still nervous about this "slow down" thing and have to stop myself from speeding up, but I'm trusting the process!
.

I too have slowed down on the training plan!! I gotta say it isn't easy running slower. But, I'm not feeling much fatigue after my runs and I'm getting them all in! Good luck!!

 

[StacyStrong]

I'm doing my magic mile this morning. I'm not feeling very confident. I can't imagine going the speed my 10k predicated as the 1 mile race equivalency. I guess we will see how this goes!

 

[michigandergirl]

How did it go?

 

[DopeyBadger]

Someone knows how to build the suspense...

 

[StacyStrong]

Well, based on my rival run 10k in April, the @DopeyBadger race equivalency chart predicted a 12:10 mile. I was nervous about doing that. I ended up finishing with an 11:44 pace, so in that sense, it went well!

Buuuuuuuuut, not so fast. I accidentally went out WAY too fast for the first 1/4 a mile and it slowed me way down the rest of the 3/4.

I'm so bad at pacing! I didn't even know my body could move as fast as I did in the first 1/4 (at this point).

Total Miles: 1.03
Total Time: 12:03
Overall Min/Mile Pace: 11:44
1/4 Mile: 9:08 (OOPS!!)
1/2 Mile: 12:08
3/4 Mile: 12:53
4/4: Mile: 13:05
Extra: 12:13

So based on this and the quick (for me) 1/4, we are using 11:24 as my mile time. Something about math and numbers etc etc. While I understood the explanation, I'm not going to attempt to repeat it. Hey, I went to law school. Numbers Are a foreign language to me.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Something about math and numbers etc etc.

#Math

 

[StacyStrong]

#Math

Me, reading your emails.

 

[StacyStrong]

I'm currently playing the rain game. There's a break in the weather at 2pm it looks like, so I think I'm going to try and get my run in then.

The benefits of working from home and a job that allows flex time, folks!

To be fair, I'm probably going to be working super late today anyway. Boo.

 

[StacyStrong]

Successfully snuck that run in. It only rained on me during my cool down walk home.

Goal Pace 16:11
Actual Pace: 16:05

It was a rather uneventful run, but glad I got it in.

 

[StacyStrong]

I'm kind of freaking out (understatement) about how soon my 10k is in July!!!!! I didn't realize how few weeks there actually were left. I know I can finish but I really want to beat my April time!!! AHHHHHH.

 

[StacyStrong]

I got my DB training plan today and I am SO EXCITED (after my minor freak out yesterday)!!!! Thanks, coach!

In other news, I'm pretty positive that Jose (my boyfriend) either hates me or treats annoying me as the thing that gives him the most joy in life. If I didn't know better, I would say he has a list of ways to annoy me and he actively tries to cross one or two things off that list per day. But let's be real. He's not that organized.

Last night I was talking to him about how it is supposed to rain all day today except early morning. I told him I wasn't going to shower and that I would wake up early to get my run in before work, come home, and shower before I start work at 8am. He's like "oh good idea".

The earliest Jose gets up is 8:45. I wake up and get ready to run, careful not to wake him. I go for a quick 30 minute run and end my route at the Dunkin by our house. I pick us up both coffee like the sweet and thoughtful girlfriend I am and walk home to go shower/work.

I get home at like 7:50, so I already know I'll be logging on to work a few minutes late. Except wait. No. THIS DUDE IS IN THE SHOWER.

ARE YOU SERIOUS. YOU'RE USUALLY NOT UP FOR ANOTHER HOUR AND YOU DECIDE TODAY IS THE DAY YOU WANT TO RANDOMLY GET UP AND SHOWER WHEN YOU KNOW I'M OUT RUNNING AND NEEDED TO HOP IN RIGHT WHEN I GOT BACK?!?

HE'S LIKE "HEY. I'LL HOP IN 10 MINUTES BEFORE STACY HAS TO START WORK FOR THE HECK OF IT"

Then he had the nerve to say it was "stupid" that I made my route go to Dunkin because then I had to walk back with coffee in my hands.

OKAY THEN DON'T DRINK IT YOU PENDEJO.

Spoiler alert- his coffee was gone when I got out of the shower.

Apparently it's story time because that was a novel!!! Also yes, I realize how insanely measured and appropriate my reaction was

 

[StacyStrong]

Day 1 - DB Training Plan (Well, technically Day 3, but Day 1 since getting the full schedule)

Plan:
1 mile @ Easy + 1 mile @ 60/30 sec @ 12:49/18:00 paces + 0.5 mile @ Easy
Easy = 16:15
12:49/18:00 pace = 14:11

I've said it once, I'm so bad at pacing. I know that effort based training is more of the point here, but I'm still learning what different effort levels feel like.

I did my mile @ easy and it actually ended up averaging a 16:15 pace. The individual intervals were definitely off, though.

The second mile was a hot mess. I accidentally forgot to set the intervals, so I ended up doing .13 miles at a 12:25 pace before resetting my watch.

I reset my watch and restarted the mile. I came in at 1.05 miles at a 13:24 pace. Significantly faster than I intended. I would do an interval too slow, so I would try to go a little faster, but then I would be WAY too fast. I just can't seem to get a feel for how fast I am going! I'll figure it out eventually.

The last half mile came in at 16:18 pace, so that was pretty close.


I ran this morning. Now I am working (boooooooo). I have dinner plans later this evening. Being an adult sucks. Obligations suck. Can I go back to college now? lol

 

[StacyStrong]

Monday, 5/6
Weather: 47 degrees, 95% humidity, 40% chance of rain, Feels like 42.
I wore a long sleeve 3/4 zip and a hat just in case it rained on me. It didn't and I felt a little too warm.

Goal: 2.5 miles @ 60/30 sec @ 15:30/18:00 paces
Pace Goal: 16:15

Actual: 2.51
Average Pace: 16:11

Mile 1: 16:11
Mile 2: 16:26
.5: 16:16

During mile 2, I had to stop during one of my run intervals because flock of geese wanted to ATTACK me. I very carefully tiptoed around them.

I made a concerted effort to not look at my watch as much. I'd say that was a success, but I still checked it too much.

 

[SheHulk]

Canada geese are the literal worst animals. Especially when they have a nest. The fun of an outdoor sport!

 

[KSellers88]

Canada geese are the literal worst animals. Especially when they have a nest. The fun of an outdoor sport!

They are so mean! We have them around my building at work and it is like a battlefield to get in the building!

 

[StacyStrong]

My plan was to run slowly around them because they were on the grass. As I approached, they decided to stare me down instead and squak angrily. They took up residence in the middle of the path.

Pretty sure if I looked at my heart rate data, it would show a huge spike.

 

[StacyStrong]

@DopeyBadger

Back when I was doing treadmill runs last year and early this year, I would do some weight lifting after my runs. Mainly arms, back, and core with some legs (on days where I had two days off from running).

Once I started running outdoors, I stopped making it to the gym. However, I would like to start back up again. Would you advise against it during the training cycle? Or am I okay to do some weight lifting on off days?

 

[AntimonyER]

Haha, we had a nesting pair at my work where I run, and the male FLEW at me from a long way off when he saw me coming, I literally played chicken with a flying goose. Goose won.

Figured I would stop by your journal, since you were so kind to post in mine! Good luck with the training plan!

 

[DopeyBadger]

@DopeyBadger

Back when I was doing treadmill runs last year and early this year, I would do some weight lifting after my runs. Mainly arms, back, and core with some legs (on days where I had two days off from running).

Once I started running outdoors, I stopped making it to the gym. However, I would like to start back up again. Would you advise against it during the training cycle? Or am I okay to do some weight lifting on off days?

I'd say you're free to add it, as long as it isn't something new. If the strength work is considered hard, then make sure it falls on a hard run day. We don't necessarily want your easy days made harder. Keep in mind that the strength training should be seen as supplemental training. So let's keep a watchful eye on being able to hit the paces we came up with in the plan, and if need be pull back on the difficulty of the strength work so that the running is negatively effected. Does that seem reasonable?

 

[StacyStrong]

I'd say you're free to add it, as long as it isn't something new. If the strength work is considered hard, then make sure it falls on a hard run day. We don't necessarily want your easy days made harder. Keep in mind that the strength training should be seen as supplemental training. So let's keep a watchful eye on being able to hit the paces we came up with in the plan, and if need be pull back on the difficulty of the strength work so that the running is negatively effected. Does that seem reasonable?

So you would say I should do it on the days that I run and not days that are "off"?

I don't do anything crazy when I lift, it more to make sure I stay moving and gain a little more muscle since I have such a sedentary job.