Week 7

I just realized my blog posts are getting really boring! Sorry, I'm not very exciting! Maybe I should talk about stuff other than running??? Maybe not :) Well week 7 of my marathon training program is over! 

Monday - Strength training 60 min

Tuesday - 3mi 8:23 pace

Wednesday - Rest

Thursday - 3 mi 8:30 pace

Friday - Final fitness assessment 

Saturday - 12.00 mi 9:45 pace

Sunday - 6 mi recovery run on the dreadmill 10:00 pace

I am so sad my personal training has come to an end :( I was so spoiled to have someone telling me what to do. Friday was my final fitness assessment. I improved a lot!! Overall, I lost a few pounds, about an inch off my waist, hips and chest (humm... good thing or bad thing??), lost body fat (I'm not down to 21%), and gained mass in my arms :) My bench max went up to 80 lbs!! YAY. Also, I can do 30 push ups without stopping. I'm really happy with my results. I am going to continue to workout on my own twice a week, we will see how that goes. 

I had my 12 mile run this Saturday. Overall it went really well. I got started around 6:45 am (my marathon race start time.) I really enjoyed myself, I wasn't concerned with my pace, just running. I used my hydration belt which holds two 10 oz bottles, one with H2O and one with CytoMax (electrolyte drink), and I brought one Strawberry GU. I wish I had brought more actually... I was running on low towards the end. The weather was actually decent! I didn't start getting hot until the end of the run. What the run awesome was that afterwards I got a massage!!! Best thing ever. She told me I have "good muscle tone" hummm... Thanks, I guess? 

Sunday I did a recovery run on the stupid treadmill. I watched Millionaire Matchmaker, so it wasn't as bad as I thought! Doug came with me to try out the elliptical. He's had a calf injury for 3 weeks now :*( it seems to get better but then it will hurt him. I don't know what he should do. I guess rest it until it doesn't hurt. I hope he can still run with me... at least in the half marathon. I miss my running buddy :( 

Week Six

Ahhh this week was sort of depressing, running wise. The week started off with me being sick which is super annoying. I hate being sick :( My week went like this:


Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday: 5 mi, 9:25 pace
Thursday: 
Friday: Strength training for 60 min
Saturday: 10 mi, 9:26 pace
Sunday: 


SOOOO annoying. Oh well! So on Saturday I ran, for the first time ever, with a running club. They were doing 7 mi so I ran with them for 7 and then kept going for another 3 mi to get to my 10 long run. It was a fun experience! At first I was scared because everyone seemed to be way faster than me. I wanted to run around a 9:30ish pace so I found two girls who were around the same. It was a new experience running with total strangers, but I enjoyed the company since Doug has been injured. Although, it was depressing when everyone got in their cars to go home and I kept going. I guess that is how it will feel when the marathoners and the halfers separate... 

Week Five

Week five - done and done. It started in Florida and ended back home. 


Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 3 mi 8:42 pace
Wednesday - 5 mi 9:05 pace
Thursday - 3.1 mi 8:13 pace
Friday - Strength training and 2-3ish mi run NO GARMIN OR IPOD :) 
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Hottest 10K (55:25 min, 8:55 pace)


Overall it was a pretty good week. I was glad to get back into strength training after being on vacation. Tuesday and Wednesday were easy runs and Thursday was a fast run. Friday I ran with Doug to see how his leg felt. I also had a killer weights workout. My trainer was like, "Congrats, this is officially your first upper body workout with plates." Plates are 45 lb each. I was pretty excited! See my previous post for my 10K race report. I'm sick :( I had to miss my workout on Monday and my run today. Booo.. I hope I can run tomorrow! 

The Hottest 10K

Sunday, August 14th I ran the "Hottest 10K" in Dallas. I wasn't actually planning on running this race until about 3 weeks ago. They have this thing called the "Four Seasons Challenge" where you run 4 half marathons (1 in each season) you get a cool medal and recognition. What more do you need!!?? Doug ran the winter half (The Texas Half) in January and signed up to run all 4. I thought there is no way I am going to run a half marathon in August, and I didn't feel ready yet to do 13.1. It's not something you want to rush into. I am trying to be very careful with my milage and not over do it. Since Doug had already signed up to run the Hottest Half, I figured I would do the 10K considering I was going to be there anyway. 


Poor Doug. He hurt his calf a week ago after his 9 mile run. He took the week off but was too stubborn to miss out on this race. I was praying the whole time he would made it through the race! So the day before we drove up to Dallas and checked into our hotel. Then we headed over to the RunOn running store where we picked up our bibs and shirts. The shirts were TINY. For some reason women's technical shirts run sooo small. My one from Austin is a medium and I can't wear it! I got a women's large and it just fits. Humm... I'm usually a S or XS. Way to make us feel great about ourselves the day before a race. GEZZ. 

Why am I so awkward?

Of course, there is no way I am going to make it out of a running store without buying anything!! It's just too exciting.. hydration belts, running clothes, every shoe you could imagine, electrolyte chews... AHHH the awesomeness. We ended up looking at the compression socks and sleeves. You see elite runners wearing them a lot and they look pretty badass. They have compression socks and then the leg sleeves which you can take off during a race if need be. Apparently they support both your shins and your calves. The tightness helps with leg circulation, allowing more blood flow to your legs and aids in recovery. According to Runner's World, they either help (scientifically) or they work as a placebo effect. Regardless, they work! Doug thought they would help him with his calf injury. (Cranial tibial strain.) They cost $40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These things better be AMAZING. I got a pair too. Doug got red and I got neon yellow. (Of course!! I love bright colors!!!) At first I felt super weird running in them because I'm not an elite runner or that fast. However, lots of people where running in them! 


We ate Pei Wei for dinner (our running tradition) and went to bed around 10 pm. I was feeling iffy the whole day. I had a huge headache all day so I assumed I was dehydrated. However, I had been drinking like crazy. Then, I got that feeling of "oh no, I'm getting sick." I know exactly how I feel when I am getting a cold. My sinuses start throbbing, my head hurts and I feel fatigued. GREAT. Just what I need. Who gets a cold in the freaking summer??? This girl.

My pre-race awkwardness

Doug, being Doug, woke up at 4:30 in the morning to have his protein drink, giving him plenty of time to digest, get ready, and research compression socks online. I, on the other hand, wake up around 5:20 (we are supposed to leave at 5:45) and I take forever to get ready for runs. There is so much to think about!! Garmin: check, ipod: check, hair looks semi decent: hummm... not so much. I stressed Doug out (naturally) and we finally left around 5:55. He did the, 'If you're not ready I'm leaving you and you can walk there' routine. Sure, sure. We drove to the park and got a really awesome parking spot. (We were still really early!) 

Doug looking fly

The half started at 7:30. Doug was really nervous about running on his leg. I was so worried about him I totally forgot about getting myself ready for my race, 10 min later. I went back to the car to return his shirt (he got naked as soon as I deemed it was socially appropriate) and I almost forgot my ipod!! Also, I didn't tie my lace tight enough!!! BAHH! 


I got a good spot in the line up for the 10K. Still there were stupid slow people in front of me. I have NOTHING against slow runners. I love the fact that people are getting out there and running , however, people need to line up based on their speed. I hate having to dodge people for the first mile.  

First 10K: success :)

I went out fast. Like too fast. I guess I was going with the whole 'go hard and hang on' technique, which is very unlike me. Part of that was because I had NO idea how to run a 10K. My runs had been around 8:30-9:30 pace so I had no idea how to run 6.2 mi in the sun and heat. I had an awesome 5K at a 8:13 pace the Thursday before so I guess I was feeling confident. I started off at a 8:00 pace. I was going well until I realized my stupid laces were WAY too loose. I had to stop for around 45 sec to tie them :( SOOO annoying. That hurt my time a lot. I would have been top 3 in my age group! NOOOOOOOOoooooOOOO.


It was a pretty tough corse. Obviously it was hot and sunny, but I didn't expect the hills. Eventually I found my comfortable 8:45ish pace and finished strong. However, the last mile I felt dizzy. I was like, "Great, I am going to be that person that faints at the Hottest Half and gives runners a bad imagine because people think we are all crazy people." (Which is true.) 

My time was 55:25. I was 83rd overall and 5th in my age group. Not bad for my first 10K. I really liked the distance!! It was long enough where you had to have good endurance but its short enough were you have to be fast to do well. I want to run more of them in the future! 

Running in the rain makes you feel like a badass

Have you ever ran in the rain? (I think it's funny that I am asking a question like people actually read this... so really I should be asking Doug this question, which I already know his answer...) Anyway, it rains a lot in Florida. When I was there this past week I wanted to run in the rain so bad. However, my first 3 runs in Orlando were as sunny as can be. Well, not as hot and sunny as College Station but pretty darn hot. However, my last run there, on Wednesday morning it poured!!! I was so excited. I haven't seen rain in like a year. (Texas is in it's second worst drought right now.) It's funny because people don't tend to run when it's raining. All of a sudden everyone runs into the stores. I was literally the only person outside. (Except for the ducks, which I guess technically aren't people. Trust me, I'm 1/2 a veterinarian.) It was POURING. Like my shoes were full of water and my hair went into ultimate frizz mode. As a went on my marry way during my easy 5 miler a few things crossed my mind:


1. Oops, I forgot to wear spandex shorts under my super short running shorts. I hope my butt isn't showing. At least I'm in shape ;)
2. I really hope my shirt isn't see through. (Only the ducks would see anyways.)
3. I hope my ipod and Garmin are water resistent. Surely, the Apple and Garmin people anticipated than people much like my self would, at some point, run in the rain. 
4. I really hope my running shoes will dry before I have to pack my suitcase. (They didn't.) 
5. I really wish it would rain in Texas. This heat is getting ridiculous. 
6. I hope the song "Umbrella" comes on my playlist. That would be awesome. 


Rihanna didn't come on my playlist. However, the next best thing did: Eminem. The ultimate running songs! There is just something about running in the rain. You feel like an instant bad ass. When people drive past you and stare you're thinking, "Yeah, that's right, I'm such an awesome and dedicated runner, not only am I running on my vacation to DISNEY WORLD but I am running in the pouring rain." You feel invincible, like you should be on a Nike Running ad. Pretty awesome. You should try it. (Doug.) Highly unlikely considering Doug also lives in Texas, the driest place on earth. I was sad to leave Orlando yesterday, but it's good to be back home. 

On another note, I ran a 5K this morning in 25:30. (8:13 min/mi.) This is officially my fastest pace for a run, so far. YAY. I felt really good! I can't wait for it to be cold outside, I am going to run so much faster. I am running the "Hottest 10K" this Sunday in Dallas. I am not sure what pace I should run it. It seems a bit over zealous but I would love to run it at a 8:00 pace. I think it's doable considering it's a race. I guess I will aim for 8:30 but see how I feel. 

I can't find any pictures of rain so rain clouds will have to do!

Week Four

Week four is complete! It's taken me a while to update because I have been in Florida since Thursday, at Disney World! Here is my week 4 recap: 

Just outside the hotel

Disney Yacht Club

Monday - Strength training: 60 min


Upper body workout. 


Tuesday - 3 mi 8:36 min/mi


My attempt at an early morning run turned into a late morning run that was very hot!!! Pretty happy with my pace considering the heat! 


Wednesday - Strength training: 60 min 


Legs day. Pretty tough. He made me do lots of annoying stuff in between sets like box jumps. We also did some killer abs sets. 


Thursday - Wasn't able to fit in a run :( :( :(


Today I traveled to Orlando. My flight was early and I arrived around noon. I took an awesome nap before the rest of my group arrived. We hung out at the pool. The resort pool is AMAZING. However, I am really bummed I missed a run. I'm very angry with myself because I didn't have a good reason, I was just too lazy to wake up at 5 am and I was busy drinking beer in the resort pool at night to go run on the torture mill, the treadmill. Oh well. I will get over it.


Friday - 4 mi 9:12 min/mi


I ran around the Disney Boardwalk this morning. It's such a beautiful hotel. I ran loops in between Disney Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Surprisingly there were a lot of people out running. I guess just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you can slack off! I had to dodge a few large families that like to walk 10 abreast.... other than that, it was a good run! Florida is so pretty. The weather is pretty similar to College Station right now (hot and humid) except for the whole constant rain thing. In CS, we haven't gotten rain in so long! :( I wish I could bottle some on the Florida rain and bring it back with me. 


Saturday - Day Off 


Rest day... Rebecca (my sister) arrived in Orlando today. I was busy doing research conference stuff all day. 


Sunday - 9 mi 10:03 min/mi


Today was my long run. Because I messed up my week I did this run on Sunday instead of the usual Saturday. I ran around the Disney Boardwalk again. I ran around all the resorts checking out all of the pools. It was a pretty slow run but it went pretty well. I keep reading that you need to do your long runs slow (60-90 min/mi slower than your race pace) so thats what I did. I tried to get up early which meant I ran from 8-9:30am. I hate waking up early! I haven't ran 9 mi in a lonnng time. I was glad to get a long run under my belt. My hips hurt a little bit but I felt pretty good. One of the perks of pretty around a resort is that there are water fountains everywhere! I didn't bring my water belt because I didn't want to look too intense on vacation. ;) 

Upcoming Races

So Doug is officially crazy. He is running the "Hottest Half" on August 14th in Dallas. It's at 7:30 am and we do most of our runs at night so it's probably going go be cooler for his race than it normally is but still, the concept of a half marathon in August in Texas is crazy. Since 9 mi will be the furthest we've ran this go around I don't feel ready to run 13.1 miles. Also, I don't want to have a slow half on my record ;) There is a "Hottest 10K" that same day so I'm going to do that instead. Should be fun! That way I can get more race experience without rushing into things.


Speaking of half marathons... I just registered for the Tyler Rose Half, on October 9th this year! This race is pretty tough (lots of hills) but it's beautiful scenery. You finish in a giant rose garden!! This will be Doug and my first race together!! I love my running buddy.

Week Three

This looks like a mug shot

Woah. Week 3 is over! Overall, this was a pretty good week. Time to recap: 


Monday - Strength training for 60 min
Tuesday - 3 mi run 8:56 min/mi


Ugg.. this run was horrible. I was starving when I got home from work so I ate a HUGE amount of spaghetti. BAD IDEA. What's annoying is that I ate dinner around 5:45 pm and then went running around 8:15 but my stomach was still soooo full. I had to run pretty slow. I contemplated stopping and walking because I was cramping so bad but I pushed through it because I figure I will cramp up at some point during my marathon. 


Wednesday - 4mi run 8:47 min/mi


I took the hilly route for this 4 miler. This was the first time we ran 4 mi during the M-F week. It went pretty well... very hot though. I'm not sure if running my faster runs on the hills is a bad idea or not. We shall see. 


Thursday - 3mi run 8:33


I don't remember anything too special about this run except, obviously it was ridiculously hot. I really need to start running in the mornings. August is Texas is sooooo hot... I am not looking forward to it.


Friday - Strength training for 60 min
Saturday - 5 mi run 8:48 min/mi

"Time to hit the pavement"

This was officially our shortest "long run" of the entire 18 week program. I really like our training program because we do "two steps forward, one step back." So our long runs start with 6mi --> 7 mi --> then we go back down to 5 mi. That way you prevent getting burnt out. 


It was Doug's birthday so we went to Academy to pick out some new running clothes. :) Pretty exciting. We also tried a new running route. I am OK running my same old path but when Doug is in town he gets annoyed and he keeps telling me I need to run somewhere else. We ran around the University, it was an awesome run. So earlier in the morning we mapped out the run online and agreed on it. THEN... I told Doug, "Hey, since we are running through campus and on very busy roads you might want to wear your shirt." Doug was like, "Yeah, yeah.. OK." THEN.... I come into my living room and Doug is online again. He had a little hissy fit because he didn't want to run in his shirt... so he decided to map a completely different run that involved tiny country roads with no sidewalks so people don't see him running shirtless... Obviously Doug didn't read my blog about him not being allowed to pick out routes anymore because country roads and pitch darkness don't go well together. So, we ran the original  route. Doug ended up being glad he ran in his shirt because there was a middle school aged cheerleading camp going on at the Rec so we had to run past like 100 screaming girls. It was a good run! I felt pretty good and it wasn't too hot. 


Sunday - Rest :) 

Yay for a pretty good week. On a side note, Doug and I have been rethinking our marathon goal. Originally we just wanted to finish under 4 hours. However, now we are thinking more like 3:50 hours, which is a 8:45 min/mi pace.

Here is San Antonio Marathon metal.  YAY!!

Week Two

Well... week 2 is over! It has gone by fast, only 16 more weeks to go before race day. My training went pretty well this week. 3 out of my 4 runs I was able to run with my awesome running buddy, Doug. 


Monday - strength training for 60 min
Tuesday - 3 mi run 8:21 min/mi
Wednesday - 3 mi 8:26 min/mi
Thursday - 3 mi 9:00 min/mi
Friday - strength training for 60 min
Saturday - 7 mi 9:08 min/mi
Sunday - LAZY :)

Tuesday and Wednesday were really fast runs! Thursday I was a lot slower. The weather was been unbearable even at 8:00 at night. My runs have been around 95 degrees. TOO HOT!!!! Saturday was an interesting run. We got a late start, around 8:30 pm. We have safety lights but I don't enjoy running that late at night. It's scary :( We had to run 3/4mi on the side of a really busy road, which totally freaks me out. Then, we ran on this little country road that didn't have a side walk or street lights... NOT COOL. It was pitch black and I was scared I was going to get attacked by something or someone... that's the last time Doug gets to pick our route. To make matters worse I had a hydration belt malfunction. It was too big, and kept riding up my waist. Doug had a little hissy fit that he had to stop for me to adjust it... Please!! Our Garmins have stop buttons!!! (Doug things he is trying out for the Olympic team.... ) But I still love him ;) 

Doug and I bought new shoes on Roadrunnersports.com this week. How exciting!!! Doug got this Nikes and I went with a new pair of Asics gel-DS trainer 16s. They are really light and look awesome because they are pink! I really like them so far. Bring on week 3!!!!

Week One

This past week was the first week of our official 18-wk marathon training program. I felt pretty good! 


Monday - Strength training for 60 min
Tuesday - Morning 3mi run (My Garmin was dead... )
Wednesday - Mid day 3mi run around the indoor track (Garmin doesn't work inside)
Thursday - Evening 3mi run with Doug (8:30min/mi) Felt strong!
Friday - Strength training for 60 min
Saturday - Long run 6mi (9:54 pace) Considering it was 96 degrees when I ran this, I'm pretty happy with my pace... I try to stay under 9:00 but it was super hot!
Sunday: REST :) :) :) 

Overall it was a good week of training. Especially because I got to run with my running buddy (and future husband), Doug. During my runs with Doug I find myself getting very frustrated but in a good way. And this is why.... Doug is SUPER competitive. He is constantly looking down at in Garmin and obsessing over keeping a good pace and finishing strong. He insists on sprinting the last 1/10th mile of the run. What's frustrating is that before our runs we decide which route we are going to take and what pace we want to run at. So our typical conversation goes like this:


Tess: "So, you want to run 3 mi around the golf course today?"
Doug: "Sure. It's the first week of training so I don't want to go too crazy. How about we just keep an easy 9:00min/mile pace?"
Tess: "Sure, sounds great."

Then..... we run anywhere from 8:00 to 8:35min/miles. So much for an easy 9:00 pace. I am glad he is like that because it pushes me and makes me work way harder than I would if I ran solo but still it is very annoying. Doug is always like, "Oh yeah, I was feeling really good so I just decided to push myself." Uh huh. 

Still... having a running buddy is awesome. Especially because we are very similar in terms of our ability. We both run at about the same pace and we both push each other to work harder. I can't wait to run the marathon with him by my side... well... he has informed me that if I can't keep up he will have to ditch me. We will have to see about that... I might have to ditch him ;)

Guns of Steel ?

5 weeks ago I started personal training, twice a week. It's been about three years since I have done strength training so I wanted someone there to make sure I didn't hurt myself but also pushed me! After my first 10 training sessions we did another fitness assessment. It's amazing so much stronger I have gotten!! :)

So... before my training:


Weight: 142

Body fat: 22%

Bench max: 58 lbs

Leg press max: 230 lbs

Push ups: 7 :(

Sit ups: 53

Mile: 7:59


then...... after 5 weeks:



Weight: 143

Body fat: 22%

Bench max: 70 lbs

Leg press max: 290 lbs

Push ups: 21 :)

Sit ups: 100

Mile: 7:23


I'm really happy with my results so far!! I signed up for another 10 sessions. My goal is to be able to do a pull up. On another note... I started my marathon training today with a 3 mile run. I forgot to charge my Garmin last night so I had to run without it this morning. It's so hard to know my pace without it. I felt pretty good though!

Blog take 2

So apparently shortly after I started my blog last year I gave up (or forgot about it??)... How disappointing! Tomorrow morning is the official first day of my marathon training program. 

GET EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 26.2 miles!!

This is my excited face

I spent all day yesterday looking at running blogs, training programs and I bought a new pair of my favorite running shoes, the Asics GT-2160. (I wish they came in cooler colors though!) I got really excited reading different people's running blogs (how do people have this much time on their hands??) and I decided I needed to finish what I started! This blog is going to mainly focus on my running training but I will also throw in stuff about being a vet in training because I always seem to have good stories to tell. At least, I think the stories are funny. 


For a little background on my "running career" ... In high school I played soccer and ran track (400m). I would run just to stay in shape. In college I decided I wanted to train for a marathon. It was perfect because I was living in Denver and I would train there for 6 months then run the Houston Marathon in January, at sea level. However, typical rookie mistake.... I didn't stick to my plan and ran too far too fast. I got tendinitis in my left foot. I was so disappointed :( One of the reasons why I wanted to run a marathon was because my Dad ran one (Houston) in the early 90s. He is such an inspiration. My Dad worked long hours but devoted his early mornings and lunch breaks to running. He ran a time of 3:30. I always joked that I wanted to beat his time, which I suppose is possible! 3 years went by after my first attempt at long-distance running and I decided I would be smarter about my training and start with half marathons. I ran the Fort Worth half in Nov. 2010 with a time of 1:57, the Austin half in Feb. 2011 with a time of 2:05 (stupid hills!!!!!!) and the College Station Armadillo Dash half in March 2010 in 1:55. One of the things I love so much about running is that it is so contagious! Right after I finished my first half my boyfriend Doug said to me, "I want to run one!"

 ***Blog addendum...let it be known that Doug has only ran one half marathon and beat my PR by 20 seconds...*** Anyway...

Don't get me wrong, half marathons are great, but my ultimate goal is to run a full. Doug and I picked the Rock n Roll San Antonio Marathon on November 13, 2011. The weather will be nice (for Texas "winter"), it's a large race so we expect good crowds and organization and it's flat and fast. We are doing Hal Higdon's 18 week program starting tomorrow. Pretty excited!!!!!!