Day Two and Going Strong

Last night I decided to run outside. On my walk home Monday night I saw a handful of runners out past 9 so I figured I wouldn’t be the only one. Plus there is just something nice about being able to actually run and not have to stay in one place on a treadmill. I went down the Ben Franklin Parkway then turned around and came back on 22nd street. I think it is going to be a lot of fun running the Distance run. With the flags on the parkway lining both sides of the street and the people cheering you on, it’s going to be a lot of fun. This will be the longest race that I’ve done in Philly. I did the Broad St Run two years ago and I did Back on My Feet’s 20 in 24 (8.4 miles) in July of 08. Both of those races were a lot of fun because I had a sense of where I was and that’s comforting.

I did 4.5 miles last night. I had no idea how far it was until this morning when I mapped it out online. I thought it would be around 5, so I wasn’t too far off. I was supposed to run 3 yesterday and 6 on Monday but I was only able to do 4.5 on Monday so I made up the difference last night. Tonight is conditioning or strength training. I think I am going to check out Franklin Field tonight. I have never gone inside. I used to park in the parking lot behind the field a couple years ago…Each morning I would walk around the side and think how cool it would be to go in. Well apparently anyone can go in, as long as there is not something else going on. I have to do pushups, lunges and things like that tonight so I may just go to the gym. I figure I will make up my mind by 5:25. Wednesday is the only day that I can go after work, because I do not have class.

I am sleepy today.. Ok time for some motivation:
Ohh here’s a good one for summer

"There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people." -Bill Bowerman

Training Schedule 8 Weeks and Counting

OK I made an awesome document with a table and then I came on here and it got messed up. I dont have the patience right now to fix it. Thanks to Maggie :) this is my schedule for the next 8 weeks.

Week 1

July 26
6 miles

July 27
3 miles

July 28
Strength/
Conditioning

July 29
Off

July 30
10 miles

July 31
3 miles

August 1
Off

Week 2

August 2
6 miles

August 3
3 miles

August 4
Strength/
Conditioning

August 5
Off

August 6
12 miles

August 7
2 miles

August 8
Off

Week 3

August 9
6 miles

August 10
3 miles

August 11
Strength/
Conditioning

August 12
Off

August 13
13 miles

August 14
3 miles

August 15
Off

Week 4

August 16
8 miles

August 17
3 miles

August 18
Strength/
Conditioning

August 19
Off

August 20
10 miles

August 21
2 miles

August 22
Off

Week 5

August 23
8 miles

August 24
3 miles

August 25
Strength/
Conditioning

August 26
Off

August 27
15 miles

August 28
2 miles

August 29
Off

Week 6

August 30
8 miles

August 31
4 miles

September 1
Strength/
Conditioning

Sept 2
Off

Sept 3
10 miles

Sept 4
3 miles

Sept 5
Off

Week 7

Sept 6
6 miles

Sept 7
4 miles

Sept 8
Strength/
Conditioning

Sept 9
Off

Sept 10
8 miles

Sept 11
3 miles

Sept 12
Off

Week 8

Sept 13
4 miles

Sept 14
3 miles

Sept 15
Strength/
Conditioning

Sept 16
2 miles

Sept 17
Off

Sept 18
Off

Sept 19
RACE
DAY

Back on the Saddle

Good Morning Blog Peoples!!! I decided to keep my blog, one because I like the name, and two I feel like it holds me accountable to something else. I am not currently raising money for Team in Training, but I am signed up to do the Philadelphia Half Marathon on September 19, 2010. I printed out a schedule fully anticipating following it, and I am technically on Week 3 and have only ran twice, so I will be taking another alternative.

Last night I ran 4.2 miles (Says my Iphone GPS). I ran/walked I should say but def ran the majority. Last week, Monday or Tuesday I ran about 3.5 miles which was the farthest at that point that I have run since the Marathon, over 2 months ago!!
Not that I am trying to make excuses but since the last entry, I have passed an Anatomy & Physiology class.. Ok I was planning on that sentence having a lot more accomplishments in it but if you have ever taken a summer class then you know just how much time and work that was. I was in lecture and lab 3 nights a week (lecture-3 and lab-2). This summer session I have Psychology which does not have a lab so I will be done class by 8pm and therefore, NO EXCUSES!!

Running makes me feel like I am accomplishing something. Even though I am not always in a race or even if no one was watching, I get a sense of victory after every run.
Yesterday after I ran 3.5 miles I start telling myself “just walk, no worries, you did great” which is a good thought to have but I know that I wanted and was fully capable of running a little farther. So then my mind broke it down; “This is just how far you have to run today. Just for today run a little farther before walking.” And that helped.

I tend to always think about the big picture even when I am in training mode. Like when I run three miles, instead of getting the automatic sense of accomplishment I get a little fearful thinking that on September 19 I will run ten more miles after that three mile run. I have to constantly remind my mind that it is all in the preparation. Plus, like I wrote before; the announcer in Nashville said it best when he said “You have trained and can absolutely run this race, now think of it as your victory lap, because you have already won” Or something along those lines.

So this entry is a start to holding myself a little more reliable and just to get the positive/negative thoughts out there so they don’t waste as much time up in my brain. And now an inspiration quote to carry us through the day:

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” -Japanese Proverb