Week Twelve: Status update

Furthest distance ran so far: 12 miles

Newest race time: Lake Union 10k - 53:41 (finished 11 out of 163 in my age group)

Note: This was probably one of the most amazing races that I've ran thus far. The course was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and best of all, my training really proved to be paying off. This course had some killer steep hills, but I blazed up them almost effortlessly. I used to constantly complain about hilly race courses, but this time I was taking the hills on with a vengeance! I've been consistently training on hills for about three weeks now and I'm really starting to notice a vast improvement in my lower body and core strength.

Me after 12 weeks of training.
Lake Union 10K

Height: 5' 4 1/2"
Weight: 116 lbs

Note: I'm honestly not trying to lose weight. Like I'd mentioned before, I'm eating an ungodly amount of calories everyday, sometimes up to 3100. Marathon training is one of the only programs that you can follow where you can truly eat (almost) whatever you want and still lose weight. However, even though I do consume a lot of food, I do try to keep it healthy. Eating lots of junk will cause you to feel lethargic and that's the last thing I need when I'm training to run 26.2 miles. I recently decided to completely eliminate artificial sweeteners and any food or drink that contains any type of corn syrup. I'm also trying to eat more organic and natural foods. As a result, I am no longer hypoglycemic and I have way more energy. So, between the positive food choices and running like a maniac, I've never felt healthier in my whole life. I like it.

Body fat percentage: 18%
BMI: 19.8

Only 13 more weeks until the marathon!

Week Twelve Training
8/24 - Rest day
8/25 - Run 3 miles
8/26 - Run 6 miles on a hilly course
8/27 - Rest day
8/28 - Run 5 miles
8/29 - Run 5 miles
8/30 - Long run - 12 miles

Total miles for the week: 31

Week Eleven: Extreme conditions & True dedication

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!! That's what I was thinking on Monday afternoon when I could barely muster up the strength to run four miles, yes four measly miles! Big problem, BIG PROBLEM. How am I ever going to run 26.2 miles when I suddenly can't even run four?! Ok, calm down, breathe, there must be some kind of reason behind this. I'm not injured, so what could it be? Oh...yeah...it was 88 degrees!! Heat exhaustion clearly got the best of me.
Seattle weather can really be tough on a runner because it varies so often. Last week, although it was raining, it was a comfortable running temperature, which I think my body had adapted to. Therefore, when I went from running in 60 degree weather last week to nearly 90 degree weather this week, I think I shocked my body. I felt like a melting candle forcing myself down the trail. After I had finished that run, I literally felt like I had run a marathon even though I just ran down the street and back. Why didn't anyone who saw me call 911?? (Ok, that's an exaggeration, it wasn't that bad.)
Conclusion: the sun is a fabulous thing that I cannot possibly get enough off...except if I'm training for a marathon in it. The irony: last week I was complaining about the rain, this week I'm complaining about the sun. There's no winning! Or is there?
Since Wednesday was predicted to be another record breaking heat day and also happened to be the day where I was to do my six mile hill run, I had to come up with some kind of solution to beat the heat (other than cheating and running on a treadmill in an air conditioned gym). If I couldn't run four miles on a flat trail in the sun than there's no way in hell I could run six miles up hill in the scorching heat. So what was my solution? Run at 5:00am, yep, that's right, 5 o'clock in the morning. And I thought running in the rain was insane. Ha! Luckily, I am a morning person (even though I still consider 5:00am to be a part of the night), it wasn't overly difficult for me to pull myself out of bed and hit the road running. In fact, it was actually quite surreal. The sun hadn't quite risen yet and the sky was glowing delicate shades of turquoise and pink, and the Seattle air actually smelt fresh. There also weren't many cars on the road, I didn't have to wait at any cross-walks, and it was a perfect 58 degrees out. With these ideal conditions, I just got lost in my thoughts, enjoyed the rarely seen early morning illuminations, and ran my six miler with ease. 5:00am is the perfect time to run, except the fact that it's 5:00am. Although the experience was much more pleasurable than I had anticipated, I probably won't be making 5:00am runs a habit mainly because it's important that I get enough sleep so that I won't burn out. I have sleeping problems to begin with, so I'd imagine that cutting my sleep short on a regular basis can't be a good thing to practice while training. However, getting up and running at 5:00am has proven to me that I am truly dedicated to this sport. I have never before woken up at 5:00am for any other exercise routine, unless you count packing my suitcases to go the Las Vegas as exercise.

Only 14 more weeks until the marathon!

Week Eleven Training
8/17 - Rest day
8/18 - Run 4 miles
8/19 - Run 6 miles on a hilly course
8/20 - Rest day
8/21- Run 5 miles
8/22 - Run 5 miles
8/23 - Long run - 9 miles

Total miles for the week: 29

Week Ten: Where'd the sun go??

Last week I took a much needed vacation....or more like just a little break from life; a time to chill out. But of course, it being my usual luck, I picked the only rainy week that we've had all summer to take time off. Summer had completely left Seattle the instant my vacation started (and conveniently started back up as soon as I got back to work). It was rainy and gray almost everyday. This was also the week that I started my more intense marathon training. Instead of upping the miles last week, I upped the intensity of my workouts in order to build muscle while also building endurance....in the rain. Anyone who knows me well knows that I despise the rain, let alone running in it up hill for six miles! It's amazing what I'll do to avoid being rained on so it took an unbelievable amount of will-power to not just go to the gym and hop on the treadmill. (The treadmill doesn't give you the same workout as road running does though). I also had to remind myself that the Seattle Marathon takes place in November when it will most likely be raining...last year it snowed! I've never ran in the rain before, but now would probably be a good time to start getting used to it. As cars were driving by, I was imagining the people looking at me and thinking, "why is that crazy person out there in the rain running up that huge hill?" Well at least that's what I used to wonder when I would see people trudging along in the pouring rain while I was in my nice, warm, DRY car. This was before I was a runner. I now understand the madness. It's all in the name of hardcore fitness and taking any measure to prepare your body to reach the finish line of a 26.2 mile race. Not finishing is not an option with me. However, I must admit, at times when I am at mile 10 and I feel like my knee caps are about to fall off, I wonder why I ever decided that this was a good idea. That thought is merely temporary though. After my runs, I always feel fantastic, tired, but still fantastic no matter how hard the run was. Running releases endorphins; endorphins are what gives off that so-called "runners high." Therefore, exercise is a proven, natural, mood enhancer. No prescription needed. Plus, it makes your body look great, which (to me) is also a natural mood enhancer. :)

Only 15 more weeks until the marathon!

Week Ten Training
8/10 - Rest day
8/11 - Run 4 miles
8/12 - Run 6 miles on a hilly course
8/13 - Rest day
8/14 - Run 4 miles
8/15 - Run 4 miles
8/16 - Long run, 7 miles

Total miles for the week: 25

Week Nine: Pictures speak louder than scales

Sometimes you don't realize how much your body is changing until you see a picture of yourself. This is especially true if you are constantly weighing yourself or looking at your body way too closely in the mirror. The truth is, that scales are not always accurate and can vary up to 3lbs from day to day. Also, you should never look at yourself that closely in the mirror. You are only going to be checking out the tiniest of flaws that nobody, but you is ever going to notice. (Remember, nobody is ever going to be looking at you that closely and if they are, you should probably call the police.) This is why I've decided that pictures are my new mirror because they catch you from the perspective of other people's eyes.

As you know, I ran in the Seattle Torchlight 8k race a couple of weekends ago. Like I had mentioned, it was 80+ degrees outside and there were over 6,000 people racing, so when I got to the starting line, I felt like I was in a sauna! This is not a good feeling when you're about to race a five mile hilly course. So I made the very difficult decision to race just in my sports bra (and shorts, of course - this wasn't Fremont). Even though I know that my body has changed significantly for the better since I improved my eating habits and started a vigorous running program, I still feel a slight bit self-conscious about my body. When they blew the whistle to start the race, I swear, I could feel my tummy giggling with every step I took. Maybe just wearing the sports bra wasn't such as a good idea afterall, but oh well, I was already running and wasn't about to ask the sweaty guy next to me if I could borrow his shirt. However, this whole giggling thing must have been all in my head because I just got my race photos back and this is what I saw. For the first time ever, no love-handles and no thunder thighs!! I was astonished on how in-shape and athletic I looked. I have never been overweight, but I have been really out-of-shape, so seeing this reassured me that I am making great progress toward good health. Please all know, that changes will happen if you work hard enough and have the right mindset.

Week Nine Training
8/3 - Rest day
8/4 - Run 5 miles
8/5 - Speedwork, 8 miles
-One warmup mile
-Four miles sprinting with 1/2 miles in between each interval
-One cooldown mile
8/6 - Run 4 miles
8/7 - Run 4 miles
8/9 - Rest day
8/10 - Long run - 11 miles

Total miles for the week: 32

Week Eight: Status update‏

Furthest distance ran so far: 11 miles

Newest race time:
-7/25/09 - SeaFair Torchlight Run 8K: 42:41 (42 out of 270 in my age group)

Note: I was a little disappointed when I saw my time. After seven weeks of training behind me, I thought that I would be able to beat my first 8K time. However, the course was quite challenging; it was uphill almost the entire way and there were no mile markers, so I couldn't really gauge where I was at in the race. This makes it difficult to know when to conserve your energy and when it's time to pick up the pace. The course also took you through the SeaFair Torchlight Parade route where there were, literally, hundreds of kids trying to give you high-fives as you ran by. I felt like I was suddenly in a pinball machine, dodging kids left and right. Not to mention it was 80+ degrees. So there, all my excuses for my mediocre time.

Me after eight weeks of training.

Note: I recently bought a scale that measures body fat and muscle mass percentages. It's great.

Height: 5' 4 1/2"
Weight: 117 lbs
Body fat percentage: 18.5% (Ideal body fat % for a female competitive runner is 17%)
BMI: 20

*No use in adding a new photo this week. I essentially look the same as in the last photo taken in week four. However, I am happy to say that my thunder thighs have become mini-thunders, but I didn't really want to include a photo just of my legs.

Week Eight Training
7/27 - Rest day
7/28 - Run 4 miles
7/29 - Run 4 miles
7/30 - Tempo run, 7 miles
-One warmup mile
-5 miles at a faster pace
-One cooldown mile
7/31 - Run 4 miles
8/1 - Rest day
8/2 - Long run - 11 miles

Total miles for the week: 30