tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75472027568430941682024-03-13T16:01:49.020-07:00Chariots of Beer: Training for the Horsetooth Half MarathonA short, out of shape veterinary student decides that she wants to run a half marathon. Witness the insanity, tears, triumphs, disasters, and (hopefully) success as she trains for the Horsetooth Half Marathon in Fort Collins, CO.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-83612296648249116332009-03-10T18:21:00.000-07:002009-03-10T18:35:13.125-07:00Finally, NEW SHOES!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tHGMrqn9gMY/SbcU7kNb2lI/AAAAAAAAAAc/u-q2Tl7wnLM/s1600-h/T961N_0132L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 182px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tHGMrqn9gMY/SbcU7kNb2lI/AAAAAAAAAAc/u-q2Tl7wnLM/s320/T961N_0132L.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311737299071654482" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I finally got new shoes!!!! Sunday I finally had to motivation to pull Davey and I off the couch to Runner's Roost. Actually, let me back up because their is a little back story:<br /><br />You see, I have been batteling a cold/flu for the last week and a half and haven't been running in at least that long. The race is almost a month away and I am starting to freak out about training since there have been so many "bumps" in the road over the last couple of months (Little Miss, foot hurting, and a cold). Since our last long run, my left heel has been giving me some trouble and hurting pretty bad. I am pretty sure this is due to the lack of cushening left in my worn out shoes. If I was to get back to training, and I mean TRAINING, I definitely needed new shoes.<br /><br />So like I said, I finally got the motivation to go get new shoes. I brought my old shoes with me since they were pretty good until the got worn out. The sales girl took a good look at them and brought me out a "comprable" shoe by the same company. Low and behold, they fit great! The shoes I get are Asics Gel-Landreth 5 (see the attached picture). So after only trying on one pair of shoes, I was out of the store and ready to run!<br /><br />Today I was able to try my new shoes out and they are GREAT!!! I LOVE THEM!!! I did 45min on the treadmill and it felt so good to run again. Plus, I could feel a real difference with the new shoes. My feet didn't hurt like they normally do when I run on the treadmill, and my heel doesn't hurt any more than it did before my run. So now I am super pumped for my last month of training! Horsetooth Half here I come!<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-47142209807688682592009-02-24T16:19:00.000-08:002009-02-24T16:40:02.894-08:00Longest Run Yet: The Old Horsetooth Half<span style="font-size:130%;">It has been really hard to get back to my old routine after Little Miss' mishap, so this Sunday Davey and I got things going again! We are both pretty weak on hills, so we drove to Hughe's Stadium where the half-marathon starts to train on the huge hills the race has to offer. Basically, the first 2 miles of the race are uphill at a 6% and 9% grade (aka Monster Mountain), which is killer for any runner, let alone the two of us that aren't used to hills like that. It was pretty brutal, and I kept</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> having to tell myself "You're almost there" in order to get up the hill. Once we were up the first big hill we were able to chug along pretty well and jut had one more hill (Dam Hill) along the dam. Then we came to a cross-road; either we could turn around and to all the hills in reverse (ugg!) or continue north and loop back around down Overland trail. The latter is what we decided to do and which put us following the <a href="http://traininglog.runnersworld.com/maps/b7ed716653c94a2fa621931b8de801a4">path of what used to be the Horsetooth Half</a>. In otherwords, we ran a half-marathon! Bingham Hill along the way was pretty hard, and so was the long straight run down Overland, but we did it! We clocked 2hrs 10min or running (we took some walk breaks) over what my car's odometer said to be 14 mil</span><span style="font-size:130%;">es. It is good to train on the same hills that we will be running on race day. And if we keep running like this, we might not actually do too bad come race day! <br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-79771371534019823052009-02-05T17:06:00.000-08:002009-02-05T17:13:27.009-08:00Getting Back to Normal<span style="font-size:130%;">I ran Tuesday and today and I feel like I am finally getting back into the swing of running again. Tuesday I ran for 45 minutes and did alright. I am still recovering a bit from a cold and my breathing was tight, but I had a pretty good pace considering I hadn't ran in over a week. I took Wednesday off because I didn't want to push my self too much too soon. I think the rest was worth it because today's run went much better! I ran down to the park on Overland, ran around it, and back home through Rolland Moore park in about 54 minutes. The first time I ran that path it took me 60 minutes, so I am definitely approving and didn't lose too much ground. The plan for the rest of the week is to run tomorrow and maybe again on Sunday (I work Saturday and I'm on-call that night and on Sunday). By next week I want to get back to my normal training schedule and do a 2 hour run that weekend.<br /><br />I am glad I am back to running. It really does make me feel so much better about myself. It is also very clearing for my mind and is a great way to release some stress. I am so glad I took up this sport!<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-84590209405716926632009-01-31T14:05:00.000-08:002009-01-31T14:20:46.366-08:00Little Miss Trouble<span style="font-size:130%;">So it is Saturday January 31st. I haven't been running since January 22nd. Before you get on my case about not running, I have a very valid reason: Little Miss. <br /><br />So Friday when I came home from school, I found Little Miss (my 7 month old kitten in case you didn't know) batting around a bobbin of thread. Turns out she got into my closet and knocked down my sewing kit. I worried that she ate a needle, but I didn't see any thread unwound like she had been playing with it.<br /><br />The next day I was working when Davey called me letting me know that Little Miss was vomiting and that she vomited up some yarn (the yarn was next to the sewing kit in the closet). I had him bring her in right away to make sure there wasn't a needle in her stomach. Good thing there wasn't, but she was probably obstructed with string. Long story short (too late), we did an abdominal explore on her on Sunday and removed over 64 inches of string and yarn from her GI tract, all the way from her mouth where some was trapped under her tongue, all the way to her colon.<br /><br />Everything seemed to be going well until Monday afternoon when Davey noticed that she was struggling to breath when he came to visit her at the clinic. The doctors agreed and we took a radiograph which showed fluid and air in the space between the lungs and the thorax (called the pleural space, she had a pleural effusion and pneumothorax). We tapped her chest and found fluid and air. The fluid had bacteria and white blood cells in it (also called a pyothorax, which is no beuno).<br /><br />From there we transfered her to the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital where she got cared for in the CCU until. The next morning she got two chest tubes put in to drain the fluid and to help clear the infection. We then did endoscopy down her esophagus to see if there was a perferation (tear) in her esophagus, which was the most likely cause fo the pyothorax. In fact, she did have a small lesion in her esophagus. Appartently this is a very rare complication from string foreign bodies, but of course it would happen to my kitten. She then got a feeding tube put in her stomach so she could be fed while allowing her esophagus to heal on its own. Luckly the tear was small and we didn't have to do thoracic surgery to repair it.<br /><br />She spent the rest of the week in CCU getting her chest drained and being tube fed. I just got her back home this afternoon. I will be tube feeding her here for the next 7-10 days so her esophagus can keep healing.<br /><br />Needless to say with all of this craziness, I haven't had enough time or energy to go running. I have been beyond exhausted with the lack of sleep and the stress. I plan to do a short run tomorrow and slowly work back up to the 2 hours runs. It feels like forever since the last time I ran, but hopefully it won't take me too long to get back to where I started.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-5356292362413604542009-01-20T16:46:00.000-08:002009-01-20T18:50:13.189-08:00Uphill Both Ways in the Wind<span style="font-size:130%;">Sunday I had the great idea of running up Horsetooth Reservoir in order to get used to running up Monster Mountain (a huge hill with 9% grade for the first 2.5 miles of the race). It all started out great until Davey and I got to Overland Trail; the second we turned the corner we were blasted by wind. This wind continued as we started heading up the hill. The worst part about it was that the wind was going straight at our faces at about 30-40mph. It was like running into a wall! As we were heading up, another runner coming down informed us that, "It's worse up there." To which I responded, "Good!" It was rough, I won't lie. On the way down it was hard to stand up since the wind was now pushing up down the hill. We finished our run by going around our normal park by Overland and back home. It was 2 hours in all and quite the work out since we weren't just doing hills, but we were also battling the wind.<br /><br />We got a chance to try out a couple new things during this run. First, Davey got a running belt for his water bottle. He seemed to really enjoy not having to carry a water bottle. I'll have to try it out and see if I should get myself one. Second, we got some sports chews to help us refuel. These are basically hi-tech gummy snacks with more carbs and electrolytes than your normal gummy snacks. Davey really liked them and credited them for how well he felt after the run. I thought they were pretty good, but they made me really thirsty and with my Gatorade it was just too much "sweet" stuff for one run. We have a different brand to try out next week.<br /><br />Today's run was great! The weather was at beautiful 70 degrees and sunny (and in the middle of January!). I did 45 minutes and I got further than I have yet. I'm glad I am increasing both my speed and distance.<br /><br />I still need new shoes. Maybe before our 2.5 hour run Sunday.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-15005519325012973612009-01-15T09:41:00.000-08:002009-01-15T09:59:50.133-08:00Playing Catch-Up<span style="font-size:100%;">I don't know why I get behind on the blog, especially since I have been doing nothing this week. Anyways, here's some catch-up from the week:<br /><br />Saturday Davey and I did a long run of 2.25 hours. Davey ran 2 hours a couple weeks prior and messed up his ankle in the process (I keep telling him he needs new running shoes, but does he listen? No.). Since his ankle was still a little weird we ran at a slower pace than what I ran my 2 hour run the week prior. Funny thing is that we ran the same distance in 2.25 hours as what I did in 2 hours the week before. It would have been nice to go a little faster, but I have to tell myself that going slow is okay because the purpose of these runs isn't to go fast, but to just run for a very long time. I was still exhausted at the end, even though we were going slow.<br /><br />This week I finally got some new running clothes since I only had one nice tech shirt and my running capris were starting to wear out. At first Davey and I checked out the Nike outlet shop in Loveland just to kill some time while having lunch. I found some awesome capris that ending above the knee (the length that I like the best), but they were still $35! Even a shirt that was on "clearance" was $15. Stupid Nike...We did pick up a running belt for long runs which I am excited to try out. After that I finally did what I had been meaning to do: go to Savers. This was such a great move! I was about to get a new tech shirt, tech capris, shorts, and a jacket (hurray! I no longer have to wear Davey's!) for only $25! Rock! I got to try out the new stuff yesterday and it was great! The jacket kept we warm, but not too warm, and stopped the wind which was great.<br /><br />Today is an 80min, a couple short runs on Friday and Saturday, then a 2 hour run Sunday. The training right now is at a "plateau" where the schedule is consistant week to week with the long runs getting longer every other week. Now is the time for me to get comfortable with running for 13 miles or more and trying to increase my speed. Three more months to go!<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-10733400712816076272009-01-07T13:54:00.000-08:002009-01-07T14:06:33.871-08:00Once Again, I Hate the Gym<span style="font-size:130%;">It is very windy here in Fort Collins with wind gusts up to 60mph, so there was no way I was going to do my 80min run outside today. This is a shame since it would have been a beautiful day outside if it weren't for the wind. So I once again found myself at the gym (which is finally back open after being closed for 2 weeks). I did the gym thing on Monday and did some weights after my run and did some more arm and abs work yesterday. All of that had already left me a little sore and tired. So today's 80min run at the gym didn't go too well. I partially blame my soreness, but I also blame the damn gym for being so dang hot inside. Basically, 50 minutes into my run after doing some hill work I felt myself becoming overheated (not necessarily out of breath) and was loosing energy. I ended up having to do some walking for about 5 minutes and then slowly upped the speed. I just want to tell the people at the gym to turn down the heat in there! It's like the keep it at a temperature comfortably for them, not comfortable for the people actually breaking a sweat. Thank you for listening to me vent.<br /><br />Like I said earlier, I've been doing some weight lifting. I've decided that I need to do some more cross training and lifting to increase my overall fitness and to improve my running. I'm hoping that this will help to increase my speed and endurance during the race. I'll let you all know how it goes. <br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-91659328234329128572009-01-02T13:30:00.000-08:002009-01-02T13:34:06.352-08:00First Run of the New YearI didn't go running on New Year's Day due to a slight hangover and hanging out with Heather and Kelly, but I did make it out today for a 2 hour run. My new pedometer from Tristan says that I went 10.1 miles. I'm not sure the accuracy, but I do know that I went further today than during my last 2 hours run, which means progress in my speed. I won't lie, though, it was still a tough run. The final 30 minutes were killer and I wasn't running very fast. I did get it done, though! I'm finally getting back to my running routine after the holidays, so I hope to keep getting faster.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-88388566748611942982008-12-28T14:41:00.001-08:002008-12-28T14:55:38.313-08:00Finals, Work, and Christmas<span style="font-size:130%;">Life has been busy since my last entry, to say the least. I had finals, been working a lot, and Christmas has come and gone. Here is a little catch up from the last couple of weeks:<br /><br />It has been SUPER cold in Colorado, which provided quite a challenge for running outside. The Sunday before finals the high outside was 10 degrees; not suitable for wimpy Brittany. So I did the unthinkable and did my 1hr 45min run on a treadmill at the gym. At first I thought I would just do an hour, but by that time I felt really good and just kept on going. I would have to say that listening to loud music helped as opposed to just watching the TV at the gym.<br /><br />The rest of finals weeks I was able to get most of my runs in, but I had to do some fanagaling to get my 2hr run in. The gym was to close Friday night, and then it was supposed to be super cold again through the weekend, plus I was on-call on Sunday. So instead of running Thursday, I took the day off and visited Heather in Denver and then did my 2hr run on Friday .<br /><br />I would have to say that my run that day was the most peaceful and serene run that I have had yet. It was chilly in the morning and all of the trees were perfectly frosted and there was a low lying fog. I wish I had a camera with me to take a picture! The great scenery kept me going for those long 2hrs. I think I did around 10 miles that run, putting me a a pretty good pace! I was super tired and sore after the run and was feeling it for the next couple of days (but no new blisters, hurray!).<br /><br />Since then it has been hard to get my running in. I have been working a lot more and it was still very cold. Having to either run very early, very late, in the freezing cold, or during my lunch breaks, made it hard to run. I will just write off this week to Christmas craziness. I hope to get back at it this week and do a long run next weekend since I have several days off after New Years. I will get to try out my new pedometer from Tristan and (hopefully) get some new shoes this week (final!).<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-1384296850715622402008-12-08T15:26:00.000-08:002008-12-08T15:33:39.662-08:00First Big Blister<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tHGMrqn9gMY/ST2uqzKrGhI/AAAAAAAAAAM/HeEyzbCtnC0/s1600-h/DSC02513.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 243px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tHGMrqn9gMY/ST2uqzKrGhI/AAAAAAAAAAM/HeEyzbCtnC0/s320/DSC02513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277566388660804114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I got my first big blister yesterday on our long run for the week, which was for an hour and a half. I had been getting sore spots on my feet with my normal runs that had never developed into mcuh. But yesterday we were running through snow more and my feet got wet pretty early, which added to the blister making. I was able to keep running through it, though! I popped it with a needle that evening to drain the fluid, which definitely made it feel better. It still feels fine now, but today is on off day with no running. Hopefully it doesn't start acting up tomorrow for my 45min run.<br /><br />Here is the plan for week 7(!!!): Tuesday 45min, Wednesday 30min, Thursday 70min, Friday 30min, Sunday 1.75hrs.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-33588872807967887992008-12-04T06:44:00.000-08:002008-12-04T06:46:19.996-08:00The Snow<span style="font-size:130%;">The first snow has finally come to Fort Collins, thus pushing me inside to run. I am just not hard core enough to run in 20 degree weather, let alone 20 degree weather while it was snowing. I did the treadmill at the gym yesterday for 30 minutes and will be doing it today for an hour. Bummer to have to run at the gym, but I would rather do that than run in the freezing snow.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-7432887341899014092008-11-30T13:49:00.001-08:002008-11-30T13:51:31.604-08:00Another Cold Windy Run<span style="font-size:130%;">Yep, it was super coldy and windy again on our long Sunday run, which was 1 hour and 20 minutes today. Davey and I are once again exhausted from our riduculously long run. We are now trying to stay awake and study, though we will see how long this will last. <br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-16644670297509051112008-11-27T20:59:00.000-08:002008-11-27T21:05:40.630-08:00Thanksgiving Doesn't Stop This Turkey From Woddling!<span style="font-size:130%;">Yes, yes, it's Thanksgiving, but that doesn't stop my training! This morning I was up early to start some food in order to get a 55 minute run in before the rest of the family showed up. Since The Boy (aka Tristan) arrived last night, Davey and I made him do our 55 minute run with us. Keep in mind that The Boy has much longer legs than us, and our turkey woddle was, in the end, too slow for him. He ending up running backward as has as we ran forwards, walked for a while, and then ran to catch up to us. Silly, I know...Anyways, great run with Davey and The Boy!!! We were able to burn off some of the calories we were to eat today and to get our metabilism going. Also, we ran the same disance that we ran with our first 1 hour run as we did today in 54 minutes. In other words, we took 6 minutes off a run today!!! Hurray for a day off tomorrw!!! Word...<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-1391026370847718222008-11-23T16:37:00.000-08:002008-11-23T16:45:19.693-08:00Against the Wind<span style="font-size:130%;">I'm still breaking records, well, my own records at least. Today was a 70 minute run that went very well. It was very windy and Davey and I were running into the wind a good portion of the run. It definitely added a lot of resistance to the run and slowed us down a little bit. None the less, we did very well and ran around two different parks! We estimate that we ran almost 6 miles (we took the GPS, but it wasn't tracking the whole time).<br /><br />This week is Thanksgiving so I have to kind of play around with my running schedule to get everything in. Here is the basic plan: Tuesday 45min, Wednesday 30min, Thursday (Thanksgiving) 55min, Saturday 30min, Sunday 80min. Tuesday I have an eye appointment in Denver in the morning, so I have to figure out if I am going to run early in the morning or when I get home. Only problem will be if I don't get home until after dark. Then on Thanksgiving, I might be able to get a run in after preparing some food and before everyone show up. I might just push that run back to Friday, though.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-58708524746533287802008-11-18T11:37:00.000-08:002008-11-18T11:41:53.598-08:00Beautiful Day!<span style="font-size:130%;">It is supposed to get close to 80 degrees outside today! I love this weather! My fun this morning was also beautiful and the perfect temperature. Actually, I started off wearing a jacket because it was a little chilly, but I took it off ony 10 minutes into my run and was fine from then on our in just a t-shirt. My 40 minute run was great thanks to the perfect temperature! I wish the weather could stay like this for the rest of the winter! But alas, it is supposed to get cold again on Thursday :(. <br /><br />Plan for Week 4: Today 40min run (done!), Thursday 50min, Friday 30min, and Sunday 70min. No new shoes yet. I'm actually feeling better running in the shoes I have, so I might hold off on getting new ones for a while. <br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-30661461528176887822008-11-16T14:51:00.000-08:002008-11-16T14:57:29.940-08:0060 minutes<span style="font-size:130%;">60 minutes...That's how long Davey and I ran for this morning non-stop. We are exhausted, to say the least. It went pretty well. Our pacing was good and we didn't have to take any walk breaks. I just can't believe I actually made it. The first 30 minutes I kept thinking, "Do I get to turn around yet?" Then once I finally hit 30 minutes all I could think was, "I'm ONLY half way done." One hour was a lot for me considering my "normal" runs in the past were only 30 minutes. This was twice of that. In about a month, though, I'm supposed to be running 2 hours at a time. That would mean that my hour run would only be half way. I must really be crazy to be doing this. Sorry about the rambling, my brain hasn't quite recovered yet.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-55330309270275933832008-11-11T09:03:00.000-08:002008-11-11T09:10:30.116-08:00Burr!!!<span style="font-size:130%;">I have always stayed away from running in the cold because I HATE being cold. But like I said before, I hate the gym even more and would much rather run outside, so I am starting to force myself to run when it is cold. This morning it was about 35 degrees, by far the coldest temperature that I have run in. I bundled up (but not too much so I didn't overheat) and went ahead and did my 35 minute run for the day. Surprise, surprise, I actually survived the cold.<br /><br />Plan for this week: 35 minute run today (check!), Wednesday 20min, Thursday 45min, Saturday 20min, Sunday 60min. That's right, I am running 5 days this week and ending it all with an hour run! My 45min run last Sunday went well, but I have to admit, 60min seems like a big jump from 45min. I also want to get some new running shoes this week because my ankles are starting to hurt. I will post again when I get new shoes:).<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-35585563686497029842008-11-07T09:34:00.001-08:002008-11-07T09:40:31.172-08:00The Coming of Winter<span style="font-size:130%;">I hate the cold. The only thing I hate more than the cold is the wind. Yesterday was both cold and windy, thus forcing me inside to run at the gym. I gave up on the tract. It is too mind numbing to run a round in a circle for 40 minutes. So I ran on the treadmill for the first time EVER. It was actually pretty good. I could set my pace and mph so I knew how fast I was going. My biggest complaint is that it is way to warm in the gym and I was seating like a pig (nice visual, I know). I am so used to running outside that I hardly sweat during my run, and anything sweat quickly evaporates. In the gym, though, I had sweat dripping down my face, which not only was gross, but very distracting to my run. I also still prefer looking at the scenery and running in silence as opposed to watching the gym TV and having noise all around me. My outdoor runs are much more clearing to my head.<br /><br />So as winter comes, I am going to try to run outside as much as a can. There really is no substitute for it. I'm just going to have to get over the cold and run.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-12035330809994427492008-11-04T09:42:00.000-08:002008-11-04T09:54:14.127-08:00I'm not trying to make excuses...<span style="font-size:130%;">Today was probably my worst run yest. I'm not trying to make excuses for myself, but I am trying to analyse why I had such a bad run.<br /><br />First, I was supposed to go for a 45 minute run on Sunday. The night before, though, Davey and I went to a Halloween party at Beth and Bryan's (I was Hunter S. Thompson and he was Oscar Zeta Acosta from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"). We partied a little too much to say the least and I was out of commision for my run on Sunday. Then I had to decide if I would do my 45 minute run on Monday, but that would me I wouldn't have a rest day until Friday and I felt that it would be just too hard of a week if I did that. So I decided to take Monday off and repeat Week 2 of the training schedule. I have a couple weeks to spare with the training, and I thought it wouldn't hurt to repeat these early weeks in order to build-up to these super long runs. Anyways, three days off from running was way, WAY too many days off. I could definitely feel the fact that I hadn't run since Friday. My legs got really tired and I had to take several walk breaks, when normally I wouldn't have to take any breaks at all. Bummer...Second, I wore warm running pants since it was cold out, which was also a bad idea. I got way too warm and I felt like I couldn't get rid of any of the heat I was building it. Third...I thought I had a third reason, but appartenly I don't.<br /><br />Hopefully the rest of the week goes better. Tomorrow is a rest day, but I might do the stationary bike at the guy to repent for my non-running sins this weekend. I guess no one said this would be easy.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-64024352574393190502008-10-28T09:03:00.000-07:002008-10-28T17:06:41.280-07:00No Turning Back Now<span style="font-size:130%;">So I just finished registering for the Horsetooth Half Marathon at Active.com. Registration was $50, so I better follow through with this or else that money is going to waste. It's just a little bit more motivation for me to do this :)<br /><br />This afternoon was a 35 minute run. I've been trying to do these "shorter" runs faster than my "long" run. Today I actually almost made it as far as I did on my 40 minute run on Sunday. What does that mean? I don't know. I just like the idea that when I try to run faster, I can actually go further. Hopefully in the end these short-fast runs will help improve my overall speed come race day.<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-89156436319923577282008-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:002008-10-26T11:10:45.181-07:00Week 1: Done!Davey and I went for a 40 minute run this morning and I feel great! I've never run 40 minutes without stopping before, and I even had energy to spare! This training actually seems to be doing me some good. I think the important part about doing the long runs is making sure that I pace myself and to not try to run too fast. I definitely found a good pace for myself today. Then on short run days, I try to run faster that I normally do to help increase my speed. It feels really good to actually feel myself become a better runner. Now I just need to keep the energy up for the rest of the week. Training schedule for Week 2: Tuesday 35min, Thursday 40min, Friday 30min (this run is really supposed to be on Saturday, but I work that day), Sunday 45min.<br /><br />Registration opened up this week for the Horsetooth Half Marathon, I'm going to register once I get enough money. The sooner I register the better so I can't back out of this thing.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-10686395088778726182008-10-21T07:25:00.000-07:002008-10-21T07:30:53.440-07:00Mucous Making Machine<span style="font-size:130%;">So I hit my first bump in training this weekend when I got a pretty bad cold which made me miss class on Friday and work on Saturday. Obviously, I wasn't able to go running. I am almost better today, so training will resume this afternoon. Unfortunatly, I am going to have to start my running program over since I missed a couple days and don't think my body is quite ready to start off where I left off. So here is the plan for this week: 30min run today, 35min Thursday, 30min Friday, and 40min Sunday. <br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-46757496563256820592008-10-16T16:24:00.000-07:002008-10-16T16:41:41.432-07:00Running in Circles<span style="font-size:130%;">I ran the track at the gym today for the first time in years, which wasn't nearly as fun as running outside. Not only that, but it was really hot in there making my run a lot harder. My legs are definitely feeling it! Two positives about my run today:<br />-While I kept getting lapped by people that were running really fast, they weren't running for nearly as long as I was. That made me feel a lot better about my slow pace.<br />-I ran 35 minutes without a break! While I have run for that long before, I usually have to take a break. Not this time!<br /><br />Even with that, I keep thinking of all those those things that I have going against me with my new goal:<br />-I'm fairly short, so my strides aren't very long, thus I have to take more steps than taller people.<br />-I had pneumonia a couple years ago and my lungs have never been the same since then. Hopefully by the end of the journey my lungs will no longer be an issue.<br />-I have predominantly fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are the type that are better for sprinters and strength training. What I really need is long-twitch muscle fibers, the type found in long distance runners. Once again, I hope this training can help change my predominant muscle type.<br />-I really should lose some weight so I am carrying less on my runs.<br /><br />I can't really think of anything I have going for me beside the fact that I am so stubborn and don't like to give up. If any body knows of any other positives please let me know, because I could really need them!<br /></span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7547202756843094168.post-26611100607096281842008-10-15T15:09:00.000-07:002008-10-15T15:38:46.037-07:00WTF??? What and Why<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">Lets face it, I am a goal oriented freak. But not that normal type of goal oriented freak, that special type of freak. I don't just need a goal, I need dates, times, and schedules. </span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />For the last several years I have started to run outside with Davey. Yes, I wanted to lose weight and become a faster running, but these goals were too vague for me to really stick to them. I would run a lot for a couple weeks and feel really good about it, but would eventually get busy and get out of shape again. The closest I got to staying in shape was running the Fast and the Furriest 5K for the vet school (which was my very first race) and trying to get in shape for the weeding. I have also entertained ideas of "someday" running a marathon ever since watching a </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/marathon/program.html">Nova episode</a></span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"> about everyday people running the Boston Marathon. Until now, I never really thought too seriously about it.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />What really prompted this delusion was when Davey started receiving a runner's magazine (we didn't order it and not really sure where it came from). I started reading it and though, "Hey! I could do this!" So being one of those special goal oriented freaks, I got on the computer and started searching for a race that I could start training for. I needed something sufficiently out of my league where I had to actually train for it and not just half ass it until a month before the race. A marathon, though, just seemed like too much too fast. Now, a half marathon, that was more up my league! </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.horsetoothhalfmarathon.com/">The Horsetooth Marathon</a></span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"> stuck out to me right away. It's in Fort Collins, happening in April (plenty of time to train but also not too far away), and sponsored by my favorite brewery, </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.newbelgium.com/">New Belgium</a></span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">! </span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />So here are the details:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br />When</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">: April 19, 2009, 8:30am</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br />Where</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">: Fort Collins, CO</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br />Distance</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">: 13 miles</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br />Course</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">: Staring at Hughes Stadium, goes north along Horsetooth Resevoir to the Poudre River, then east along the river ending at the New Belium Brewery in Old Town</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br />Why</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">: Because I need a goal to help me lose some of the vet school pudge. Plus, I think I've finally lost my mind!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br />How</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">: A training program for beginning runners starting yesterday. It is a 20 week program for a beginner training for a marathon, so if I can get through this I should be good! </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.thecoloradomarathon.com/training_beginning.html">See the schedule for yourself!</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br />Website</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">: </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.horsetoothhalfmarathon.com/">http://www.horsetoothhalfmarathon.com</a></span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Heck, you never know, if I get through this maybe I'll do the </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.thecoloradomarathon.com/"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Colorado Ma</span>rathon</a> in May!</span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11147934747118010111noreply@blogger.com2