It's baaa-aaaack!

The rash that is. No surprise given the fact that I ran in BILLION degree temperatures tonight. (OK, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but dammit... it was f'ing HOT!)

I must give a major shout out to my coach, Valerie & thank her for bringing that ice cold water cooler to the parking garage tonight. I swear I wanted to kiss her when I saw it! Just the 1.5 mile run to the parking garage was excruciating. I'd already done 2 rounds up & down the parking garage before she got there w/ the water & I thought I was going to pass out. I grabbed a big cup-ful of ice water, took a big swig, then dumped the rest all over my head. Good GAWD did that ever feel GREAT! After almost every round I'd pour a little more over my head & arms to cool myself down. I wouldn't be surprised if I was steaming after each pour. (One of these days I might just bring a thermometer with me to see how high my temperature gets on days like this. It was awful.) By the time I was done w/ the parking garage, the water was gone. I unscrewed the top & saw it was 1/2 full of ice so I grabbed a big cupful & made my way back to the park. I took a handful of ice & rubbed it all over my arms, face, & neck. Then I took a bunch & stuffed it down my sports bra. WOO! That felt good!!! It helped keep me cool the rest of the way back to the park.

Despite my near heat stroke, the run actually went extremely well. We did a 1.5 mile warm up run to the parking garage, then did 6 runs up & down the parking garage (3.6 miles), then 1.5 mile cool-down run back to the park. Here are my stats:

Temperature: 94º
Heat index: 105º
Humidity: 50%

1.5 mile warm-up - 20:35 - avg. pace/mi. - 13:43
3.6 miles in parking garage - 42:50 - avg. pace/mi. - 11:53 (Holy CRAP! I must really pick up speed on those downhills!)
1.5 mile cool-down - 23:39 - avg. pace/mi. - 15:46 (I started out walking back VERY slow because I was SO overheated, but started running again after about 1/2 mile)

Total: 6.6 miles - 1:27:04 - avg. pace/mi. - 13:11

I like it!! I can only imagine how much I'd kick ass if it were about 30º cooler!

Despite my fast times today, it really was practically unbearable in regards to the heat. As I said in the beginning of this post, the heat rash is back on my legs & worse than before. My clothes were once again dripping wet with sweat & if it weren't for the ice water available to dump over my head, I'm sure I would've eventually passed out. Times like that I start to ask myself why in the world I am out there doing such a crazy thing. I know it's for cancer research but some times I want to say "SCREW IT" & just want to stop. However, every time I start to feel that way I'll come across a stranger who will give me a boost he or she never knew I needed. Tonight it was the business man in a full suit walking to his car in the parking garage with his co-worker. As I rounded the corner onto his level, he said "now THIS girl I've been watching from my office at the top of the parking garage! She's amazing & she deserves a round of applause!" Then he & his co-worker proceeded to clap & cheer for me as I ran past them. It gave me a much needed push & made me feel good. :)

Last week it was the grey haired old man running towards me along Allen Parkway. I was SO hot & feeling SO tired & really just wanted to stop, go home, & crawl into bed. But as soon as I came upon him he said with a big grin on his face, "Lookin' good girl! You're doing a GREAT job! I like your style!" It made me smile & giggle & gave me an extra burst of energy. Funny how a few simple words from a stranger can make such a difference in your attitude, eh?

Reason #42 why I hate the heat

Because I'm allergic to it! And now I have photographic proof! Here are my legs today after running 12 miles in icky, hot, SUPER humid weather:

Sexy, no?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

It's on my chest, too. Hopefully some Benadryl cream will help clear it up. *crosses fingers*

Other than the rash, today's run wasn't too terribly bad. It only rained for a little while (about 45 minutes into the run) but it wasn't a huge downpour. It was more of a soft, gentle rain & the cold drops felt quite nice on my super hot skin & head. I was able to keep up a pretty good pace throughout the whole run. I forgot to restart my stopwatch after one of the water stops, so I don't know what my final time was, but I do know that my pace for the last 2 miles was 14:00/mile, so that made me very happy.

Now it's time to take a nice LONG nap. This is my favorite part of the Saturday long run. :)

Back on track

or "What a difference 50% makes!"

Tonight's run was, in a word: FANTASTIC!

I am still in disbelief at how great this run was. I went into it sort of dreading it because it was going to be one of the toughest speed workouts we've done so far. Here's the workout:

Memorial Park

• 1/2 mile warm-up from the picnic table by the pool to the track near the tennis center.
• 5 ea. 1/2 mile sprints on the track.
  
• 2.5 mile cool down back to the picnic table (long way in)

Temperature: 88 degrees
Humidity: 42% (Can you believe that??? Three days ago the humidity was 93%. Tonight was HEAVEN!!)

I took my time getting to the track. Last time I'd gone out too fast & petered out way too quickly during the sprints. I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. I strolled in at just under 9 minutes, then immediately started my sprints as soon as I stepped on the track. Here are my times:

#1 - 7:05:70 (All right! Very nice!)
#2 - 7:06:50 (Very good! Less than a second slower.)
#3 - 7:09:41 (Uh-oh. That should be better.)
#4 - 7:05:65 (Now that's more like it! Wait... it's actually FASTER than the 1st one. Sweet!)
#5 - 7:04:50 (AW YEAH!! Way to go! I never would've imagined my last sprint would've been the fastest!)

Total mileage: 2.5 miles
Total time: 35:29:76
Avg. pace per mile: 14:11 (Very nice indeed! Fastest 1/2 mile sprints yet! I was VERY pleased!)

I only rested for about a minute before I started the 2.5 mile cool down run. I felt fantastic. My muscles were loose, my breathing was steady, & my energy was high. I started out at what I felt was a much slower pace than my sprints. I kept the pace the entire time, never slowing down except to quickly remove a pebble from my shoe. By the time I was almost done, I thought it felt like I was going a bit faster. I still felt fantastic, my breathing was still slow & steady, & my energy was still sky high. I kept telling myself how great it would be if I could finish in 38 minutes, which would be a pace of about 15:00 per mile. I felt confident I could do it, but I refused to look at my watch until I was done, lest I be disappointed. Imagine my shock when I saw my final time:

34:41

I almost fell over from the shock! That calculates to a pace per mile of 13:52! AFTER doing sprints!! Color me ecstatic!

Now if only I can repeat this kind of run on Saturday when we do 12 miles. Hey, it could happen. :)

Have I ever mentioned my complete & utter hatred of humidity?

I had a totally CRAPPY run today. The worst! The humidity was unbearable for me (93% at the start, with a "real feel" temp of 90 degrees, according to accuweather.com, which increased as the day went on). I have never sweated so much in my life. By the time I was done, my clothes were dripping wet. My shorts were stuck to my legs. NOT a comfortable feeling at all, especially when you're trying to run.

Our route was the same as last week (down to Sabine & back, stopping along the way to do hills & the parking garage), only we went out of the park long, making the total run 11 miles. I was doing ok for the 1st half of the run, but by the time I got back to the water stop @ Memorial & Waugh, my energy was quickly dwindling. I was SO overheated. I had my fuel belt & kept pouring the cold water over my head & neck during the entire run, trying to try to cool myself down, but it just wasn't working. I was also drinking a lot but I just couldn't seem to stay hydrated enough. I toughed it out & made it to the parking garage & did 2 runs there, which wasn't that bad at all, but once I got back on Memorial & was almost back to the park, I started feeling very light-headed & dizzy. When I got to the entrance to the park at Memorial & Crestwood, I felt like I was going to pass out so I completely stopped running. I thought I was going to just burp, but it turned out I needed to puke instead (just a teeny bit, but still... ew). I stopped my stopwatch & very sloooowwwwly walked the 1/2 mile back to the picnic table. As soon as I got there, I grabbed a pack of peanut butter crackers & wolfed them down, followed by a sweet & salty granola bar. I was STARVING! Having the food in me made me feel a little better.

I drove straight home & immediately took a LONG ice bath. I fell asleep right there in the tub & woke up freezing my ass off. I ate a big bowl of cereal & then tried to nap but I was too tired (don't you hate that?) so I ended up just laying there on the couch for 2 hours. By then I was feeling somewhat human again.

I don't know what the hell I'm going to do if/when the sun ever decideds to shine during my long runs. If I'm already getting this overheated on cloudy days w/ no sun, what's going to happen to me when the sun is beating down on me? I'm a bit worried, especially since all my runs from now on will be in double digits. I have to figure out some way to keep myself cooler. Any suggestions?

Go ahead... make my day! :)

Today during work I went downstairs to the clinic to donate a pint of blood. MDA had sent out a mass email to all employees saying they were at a critical shortage of whole blood & they were asking us to donate. My blood type is O- which is universal donor, so I thought I'd do my good deed for the day & donate a pint.

I filled out all the paperwork, answered the ever expanding questionnaire, had my blood pressure checked, my temperature taken, & got the little pin prick on my finger so they could test my iron levels. Then the nurse asked me "how much do you weigh?"

"Ummm... I really don't know."

"Well there's the scale, please weigh yourself."

Now, I've never been excited to step on a scale before in my life, but today I was. I gladly hopped on that scale, looked down & saw my weight was most definitely less than the last time I weighed myself. Sweet! I told her the # & then she said some of the most wonderful words I've ever heard... "OK then, and minus 5 lbs equals *** lbs."

"Excuse me? Minus 5?"

"Yes. The scale is off by 5 lbs. so we have to subtract an additional 5 lbs from what it reads."

SWEET!!!!

So, dear friends, as of today I have officially lost...

16 pounds!!!

I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a lot to me! That's in just about 2 months. Imagine where I'll be in 3 months on race day! If I can keep up that rate of weight loss, I could be a whole 40 pounds lighter by race day! This inspires me even more to keep up with the working out & eating right. I don't think I've ever been this determined. I like it!

Oh yeah! I almost forgot! When I got back to my office, I told my co-worker about the weightloss & she said she'd noticed I'd been losing weight. She said it's very noticeable in my face & even more IN MY HIPS & STOMACH!! I can't tell you how happy that made me! Just the other day I was thinking that I hadn't lost anything in that area. I only noticed my face & upper body looked slimmer. I swore my hips & belly looked bigger. But she swears that my hip/stomach area is the most noticeable difference. Talk about making my day! :)

*side note* I wasn't able to donate blood because my iron levels were too low. I wasn't technically anemic, just below the levels allowable for blood donation (minimum reading is 12.5 & I was at 12). So they said to come back in a few days & try again. I never should've had that Diet Coke right before I left for the clinic. D'oh!

Happy

Today was good day. I got the paperwork about my corporate sponsorship from MD Anderson. All that's left is for them to cut the check, which I will hopefully get in the next week or so. I can't tell you how relieved I am. Recommitment is coming up in 3 weeks & having half of the money I need is a HUGE weight off my shoulders.

Pratice tonight went really well. I got my wish & there was no sun. In fact, it was still raining a little when I started my run. Since it poured down rain earlier, we skipped the hills at Shepherd (too slippery/muddy) & just did the parking garage. I made good time getting to the garage & while I was definitely slower doing the garage, I still kicked butt. I did it 4 times & not once did I stop to walk. In fact, I swear it was almost easier by the time I was on my 3rd round. I really got into a good groove. As soon as I got to the bottom of the garage on the 4th round, I never stopped to rest. I just kept on running right back to the park. My pace on the way back was a flat 14:00 min/mile. I was ecstatic! Now if only my long runs could be so good! I've got 3 months to go before the marathon, so there's still time for improvement in that area.

Last but not least... tonight at practice TWO people told me they can tell I've lost weight. WOO-HOO! I was looking in the mirror last night & thought my face looked thinner, but sometimes it's hard to tell when you see your face every day, ya know? So for 2 different people to come up to me & tell me they can tell I've lost weight (without any prompting from me btw) totally made my day. I need to buy a scale so I can see for myself how much I've lost. That's on my to do list for this weekend.

I think I'm finally getting into that "workout groove". I no longer look for ways to get out of a workout & I've noticed that on the days I don't work out, I don't feel as good. And if I don't work out for 2 days, I notice my back bothers me, but as soon as I work out, it feels lots better. Looks like I'm finally doing something right. :)

Love/Hate

Lately I've been working out a lot in the pool & I'm developing a love/hate thing with it. The part I love about it is that I don't sweat & after I'm done, I'm actually quite cold for the rest of the evening (a nice change from feeling like I'm having a heat stroke after a run). The part I don't like is that I actually kinda feel like I'm not really working out, even though I know I am. Take today, for example...

I walked 50 laps (backwards, forwards, & side-to-side) as fast as I could in that friggin' pool & then did about 15 minutes of "noodle resistance" work. (I take 2 of those foam noodle things & use them to work out my arms by pressing them down into the water in front & in back of me, then hook them on my legs & do the same in various positions to strengthen my legs & knees. It's all great stuff to strengthen your core cuz you really have to use those tummy muscles with every single move.) Today's workout lasted a little over an hour, but I didn't really feel any different. I didn't feel tired or sore or anything after I was done. In fact, I felt more energized, which I guess is a good thing, but I'm not used to that. I'm used to being SO friggin' tired after every workout that all I want to do is take a nap.

At least I have proof that, even though I don't feel like I'm doing anything, whatever it is I'm doing is working because the muscles in my legs are finally starting to become visible! Maybe soon I'll get my nice legs back.

I'm kinda dreading tomorrow's workout. It's "hill day" again. We get to do a 4 mile total run & do several hills at Shepherd & several rounds at the parking garage. Here's hoping the sun decides to be a no-show around 6:30 pm. *crosses fingers*

Ups, downs, & lots of hills

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life's been a bit crazy these days. Training is going ok. Still having a lot of ups & downs. My short runs have been great, averaging a pace of about 14:20 per mile, which makes me VERY happy. However, my last 2 long runs sucked. Last week was 10 miles. I made the mistake of not eating anything before the run (I wasn't feeling too good & the idea of eating anything made me want to puke). By the time I got to the park I was starving. Thankfully one of the mentors had some bananas so I grabbed a quick piece (barely 1/2 a banana) right before I started. I was doing pretty good for the 1st 8 miles, keeping up my power walk, going at a good, constant pace (about 15:00-15:15 per mile) Then I hit the wall. The sun started to come out & I felt the energy completely drain from my body. I strolled almost all of the last 2 miles. Once I got back to the park, I forced myself to race walk again. I felt so nauseous when I finished. I didn't feel human again until after I had a big breakfast.

Today was supposed to be 8 miles, but we also did LOTS of hills, so the total mileage ended up being a little more than 9. Thankfully there was no sun today, but good GAWD was it ever humid. The only breeze came from the cars driving by. Ugh! I felt like I was running in quicksand the entire time. I just couldn't seem to find my stride. My time was HORRIBLE! My pace was about 17 minutes per mile. *pukes* That is unacceptable!! I did better the week before when I was going on a practically empty stomach. I'm so mad at myself. Next week HAS to be better.

I worry that I won't be able to improve enough to do the full marathon. I don't want to go all the way to San Francisco & NOT do all 26.2 miles, but right now I worry that even with an early start, I won't make the time cut-off. I really need to step it up in my training & lose more weight. So far I've lost about 10 lbs. & about an inch from my waist & from my chest (I haven't measured any other parts). But it's just not good enough.

I hate it when I get down like this. But maybe it'll be the kick in the pants I need. We'll see.