Daily Motivation

KEEP MOVIN'

Pre-Race Tips

Hello All! I thought I would share some pre-race Do's and Don'ts I have found helpful as we head into the weekend of the races in California and Texas!

This week: you last run should be on Thursday. Don't overdue it this week! The goal is to arrive on race day with FRESH LEGS, ready to tackle the challenge. Don't try to go faster or longer this week. Just easy running.

East well. Get your carbs and calories in and then burn 'em off on Sunday. Give your body the best chance to feel the best come race day.

Friday night: get good sleep. This is 2 nights before race day. I don't know the logic behind it, I just know it works. Saturday you need rest too, but Friday night is most important.

Saturday: try no to do too much walking around. need your legs to be fresh as you can on Sunday. Again, eat well.

Saturday NIGHT: get your race stuff together; your clothes, BIB #, shoes, etc...have it all out. You would be surprised how frazzled you might be on race morning trying to get everything together.
Figure out your plan to get to race...i.e.. have all your logistics figured out night before, not in the morning.

HYDRATE ALL WEEK!!

SUNDAY: give yourself enough time to be awake, eat and get to race start. Don't eat anything differently. Don't wear NEW shoes. Basically, don't change any of your normal routines. You don't need to do anything differently. You are ready to meet your challenge.

Get to the starting line and HAVE FUN!! 5 days!! (i promise the race will be more fun and probably easier than all your training!!)

daily motivation

Keep Movin'

quick update

The weekly runs this past week were all short.

Tuesday 3.5 miles with hills. 90 degrees
Wednesday 3.40 miles with hills. + sprints afterwards 90 degrees.
Friday 4.0 miles 96 degrees.

i think the weather in Half Moon Bay will be a tad cooler, eh?

Gotta make it long on Sunday. 17-18 miles is goal

Keep Movin' Everyone. 28 days.

Daily Motivation

update

Month of July Running: approx 134 miles

August should be higher and then final push, then taper to race day on Sept. 25th

Daily Motivation

Daily Motivation

KEEP MOVIN'

Daily Motivation

9 weeks to go

Howdy! Well, we are 9 weeks away from RACE DAY. 62 Days. I'm getting ready, but like every summer training in Atlanta, it has not been easy. I've been running outside and also taking advantage of the treadmill. We are getting into the time that no matter if i start running at 5:30am or 7:30am or 9:00am, it doesn't matter. Still tough conditions to run in. It's very easy to get frustrated by this, but I cannot allow myself to go down that path. I KNOW what the conditions are like this time of year. Deal with it. There's no whining in RUNNING

Looking back at my Running Journal, I see that I basically averaged about 75 miles a MONTH from JANUARY to JUNE. It's July 24th and I am already a little above 100 miles...So I know I am doing something right. My longest run has only been 12 miles, and I gotta get that cranking. Tried to go for 14 this morning, but just could not hack it. Struggled through 9 miles. Legs have been super tired. Otherwise, I feel fine. (knock on wood) I feel like my aerobic capacity is strong, but with my tired legs and the weather, it puts a damper on what i'm able to do. To help with my legs, I came home after the 9 miler and had a 10 min Ice bath. I've done these before and they help. I rested for a good part of the day and then tonight ran another 5.5 miles on treadmill. Felt pretty good.

I think I'm gonna mix up my schedule this week and maybe just do 2 runs during week and try for long run on Saturday, not Sunday. I just want to make sure my runs are QUALITY. A solid 15-16 miles will boost my spirits. Massage tomorrow will help heal the tired places.

All in all, my spirits are ok. What lifts my spirits are reading the other posts on here from y'all. You remind me how hard it is to get out and run 2 miles. Believe me, I have been there. You make me remember and appreciate. You bring me joy by your courage, your enthusiasm, and simply by finding out more about you. THANK YOU.

And, as always....KEEP MOVIN'

Daily Motivation

KEEP MOVIN'

ALEC: Another day of rest...well, kind of

So, I continue to not run (and be envious of those that are) until my leg heals. I believe it's getting better as the muscles didn't quiver at all yesterday as I limped around. I have tried, for the past two days, to stay off my my right leg as much as possible and have been icing it four to five times a day. It seems to be working. But I hate not being active, especially since I'm not working and don't have much to do. Today, I will hobble myself down to the gym to at least work out the upper part of my body. I was thinking that I might try one of the elliptical machines to keep my legs somewhat active, but then heard LW say in my head "don't push it". So, I will not being doing any leg work today. Hopefully by this coming Monday, I will be able to do at least a 35 minute run. Here's to all of you that are pushing and challenging yourselves. Run on, my friends. Run on!!!!

RunKeeper

Hey Runners,

If you join RunKeeper (either via the web or free app), we can track each others activities. It's a pretty cool tool. If you use the app, it tracks your route via GPS and other nifty features.

http://runkeeper.com

Been there...

I remember when I ran 2 miles as part of "training" during my years playing soccer. I played competitively until about age 20. I was living in Santa Rosa and would run from my little studio out and around the neighborhood. I ran through all the quaint streets surrounding the local high school and the Junior College. I was so proud of those 2 miles. So, believe me when I tell you that I understand how challenging it can be sometimes to even "think" of going further. I get it.
Even though I have been running road races for quite some time now, the marathon training is FAR FROM EASY. It's a daily commitment. If I am not running, I am thinking about the next run, planning for it. It's a challenge to get the weekday runs in when i am tired after work and have the choice between ridiculously hot/humid weather or more miles on treadmill. It's tough to get up early on weekends, thereby essentially not having any mornings of sleeping in. Wake up call during week isa bout 5:30am. Same on weekends now so i can beat the heat. And sometimes, I just flat out do not want to run. So, yes, I get it.

But then, the moment passes and I am inspired again. I am motivated again. To get out the door and put one foot in front of the other. To see what I've got on the given day. Today, was a scheduled rest day, but after meeting my friend at Piedmont Park after she completed her 1st 10k race, The Peachtree Road Race, i was all pumped up and jumping out of my skin. I was so happy for her and her accomplishment. So, I went to a park about 30 minutes away that I rarely go to anymore cause it is really not convenient to get to, especially during the week. It was about 84 degrees and 66% humidity at the time of 1030am. I ran for about 1 minute and stopped. Whoa, it is hot. Stopped. Reset watch. Started again. 3 miles and then 10 hill sprints. (2 sets of 5) It's hard to tell from the picture, but it's a steep lil "f*#cker!





I think I look kinda mad in the photo...but i wasn't. Just hot and determined! :)

Done with 19+ miles over last 3 days. Tomorrow is rest day.

So, remember. When it gets tough for whatever reason, just put the shoes on. Just go one more block, one more 1/2 mile, one more song on the iPOD.

You can do it.

Double duty

It's easy to think I will get in a second run in the evening.
It's easy to get ready and get on the treadmill after running in the humid conditions in the morning.
It's easy to push the start button.

It's something entirely different to keep going and finish what I started.

Happy to have done so.

8 miles in AM
4.25 miles in PM
A good day

Sunday Morning Humidity

Wanted to go 10. Only ran 8. Will do another 4 tonight on treadmill.

Hump Day Motivation

a great influence

"The difference between a runner and a jogger in an entry blank" - George Sheehan

George Sheehan wrote some of the most inspirational and influential notes on running & life, essentially. I feel like he wrote a lot of what i feel and was able to turn it into beautiful language. Discovering his books years ago was truly an AH-HA moment. I wanted to scream out, "YES, this is what i feel. This is IT."

Here's where you can read more GeorgeSheehan

ALEC: So, here I am....first day of training

Hello Fellow Runners/Walkers/Funners/Bloggers,

Many of you know, and some probably don't, that Angie and I have been friends for almost 20 years now (although she and I always disagree on the year we actually met, but I know I'm right). In addition, Angie, Holly and I lived together for a couple of years back in the mid-90's on Walter Street here in San Francisco. So, I am totally stoked that all three of us are doing this together, even though we are in different levels...I call us the 90 Walter Street Team!!!! (yeah!)

So, here's how I got to this point in my life of wanting to train to run a marathon (albeit, this run will only be a 10K for me). I had been working in a job that consumed my life for 16 months. When that job finally came to an end in April (saddened that it had to come to an end but grateful for the new journey and road), I decided to take some time off and really thought about things that I wanted to do and things I wanted to change in my life. I have followed Angelina's (yes, that's what I call her sometimes or LW - Little Wife) personal blog for quite a while and have always been inspired by her and what she writes about, feels, lives...she is an incredible woman (if you don't know her full story, please ask her or read about it on her blog). One of the constant themes that I get from Angie's life and blog is that we can do anything that we choose to do and that we must step up to the challenge of things that scare us. Now, I exercise 2-4 times a week (now that I'm not working) and usually alternate the days between lifting and aerobics...but training for a run will be something completely different. When I do an aerobic day it's usually 40 minutes of varied machines (3 different types of elliptical machines and the treadmill). But now to train to just run is quite a different thing. When I was a little kid, my mom always said I was a natural born runner...but that was being a sprinter. The idea of running continuously for a long amount of time has always been something that I thought I could never do or would be able to do. But now I am saying...WHATEVER, to that notion. My challenge is to force myself past my old beliefs and fears and jump into the ocean of "I can and I will". So, LW, I take your inspiration with me on this new adventure.

I must also give credit to one other person that has inspired me to do this and that is a friend of mine, Mark Rowe. He just completed his first AIDS/LifeCycle ride this past Saturday. When I met him back in November of 2010 and he was telling me about it, he said that he had never done an organized ride and that the extent of his bike riding was just for pleasure. He didn't know if he could do it but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Plus, he had to raise a minimum of $3,000 to participate in the ride and had never fund raised before...but did he let that stop him...NO WAY! So, I followed his journey of training for the ride and fund raising efforts on Facebook and his blog and have truly been blown away. Every increased challenge that came at him, he took on. And I am happy to say that he raised over $16,000 for the SF AIDS Foundation and Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center (Go Rowe, Go). Because of his commitment and tenacity, he too is an inspiration for me that I will take with me on my journey.

So...these two people have inspired me to take on challenges and that challenge for me, right now, is running the 10K. I hope you will follow us as each of us takes on a different journey but all ending at the same spot: the starting line at 7:00 AM of the Half Moon Bay International Marathon on September 25th. If you would like to just walk it, they have a 5K fun walk that does not cost anything, but you still have to register. I hope to write as often as I can to keep you updated and so you can track my progress.

Peace,

Alec

PS - I have decided to put at the end of each post an update on how I am feeling physically/emotionally right now and what tasks I need to complete.

How I feel physically/emotionally today:
Feel tired. Didn't sleep well. Work things. Legs and feet are still sore from two weeks ago after lifting more than I should have. Tried to stretch them this morning but they still feel tight. But ain't gonna let that stop me.

Tasks to complete:
Today is my first training day (I downloaded an app called Half Coach...you put in the target date, current fitness level and it creates an exercise plan for you). Today is one hour of cross-training. This shouldn't be too difficult for me as I usually cross train on aerobics day any way...but it will be 20 minutes more than what I normally do. Also, need to go to the running store on Haight and get some new shoes - Angelina is now running in K-Swiss...I have never worn K-Swiss running shoes before...only K-Swiss tennis shoes.