Marathon training, week 2

Monday:
Goal: 3 miles @11:22
Actual: 3 miles @10:35

I set my alarm to get up early on Monday morning so I could run before work, but I wasn't committed to getting up bc we didn't have plans for the evening and I knew I could run after work, if necessary. Sure enough, when my alarm went off, I thought Screw it, hit snooze, and rolled over. And then laid there, wide awake. After a couple minutes of that stupidity, I checked the weather on my phone. The temp was a bearable 28 degrees/20 wind chill, so I ended up running after all. Nothing too exciting to report about the run itself.

Tuesday:
Cross train
I had the tv to myself, so I stuck in a DVD (P.S. I Love You. Incidentally, I'd kill to have the body Hilary Swank is sporting in that movie) and pedalled away on the stationary bike for an hour. 16.8 miles.

Wednesday:
Goal: 1 mi w/u, 2x1600 @ 9:12 with 800 jogs, 1 mi C/d
Actual: 1 mi w/u (11:32), speedwork intervals of 8:18 and 8:52, and recovery jogs + .46 of the c/d mile. Total time was 45 min.

We got a few inches of snow Monday night,and by Wednesday the roads were a bit icy, so I took my run to the treadmill at the Y. Now that I've semi figured out how to dress in the cold, I dress all wrong for the gym. In pants and a short-sleeved tech top, I was boiling. The only thing that kept me from pulling off my clothes was concern that my fellow gym-goers would hurt themselves in the mad dash to get away from the sight. Well, that and the fact that I like our Y and would be sad to be banned for life. But I digress.

This run kicked my butt. :)

Saturday:
Goal: 9 mi @ 11:22.
Actual: Dirty Girls bike ride 

On Saturday's ride

Monday: (long run, take 2)
Goal: 9 mi @ 11:22
Actual: 8 miles @ 12:00

I missed my long run on Saturday because of the bike ride and my son's tournament.  I missed making it up on Sunday because of my son's tournament and getting together with friends.  That left today.  I had planned to run 11 miles and then just have two of today's three miles to make up later, but that wasn't happening. 

Snowy trail

We still have some of last week's snow on the ground.  Not enough that to have to trudge through snow, just enough that it made me a little nervous about my footing.  I had planned to run five laps.  My first two laps weren't bad.  I always start off feeling rough and then the good feeling I get from running on the trails and just appreciating the scenery kicks in after a few minutes.  That's how this one went.  The third lap, though, I was really dragging.  I felt worn out, and I was all sweaty, which was uncomfortable when the wind kicked up.  In fact, I decided after the third lap that I was finished, but the thought of making up two additional miles on the treadmill convinced me to go around one more time.  On that lap, I tried pushing myself a little harder.  If I caught myself dragging on the flats, I made myself speed up.  Honestly, the different in time for the whole lap wasn't that impressive, but I think that's a sign of how much I was dragging overall.

It's a little frustrating to not see more progress on my trail runs, but I'm just going to chalk it up to an off day.  There were a couple of positives: I made it up my nemesis hill all three times I ran that direction, and I'm feeling more confident going downhill.  When I first started running out on these trails, I walked down every hill; now, I'm not very fast, but I'm at least jogging downhill.  Sometimes, I even enjoy it. :)