Marathon Dreamer

8:10 / mile average pace....

8:57 /mile average pace for this run... felt really good!! The weather was awesome on the malecon!!  Nice and cool, cloudy with a gentle breeze.  Just perfect!!!

OUCHIE... I am sore and I took this run nice and slow.  8:52/mile average pace.

Another lung busting, butt kicking, quad burning workout! Alan and I cranked out those hills & scooted up the lighthouse stairs this morning- ran the dirt trail part x2! We've decided to do a "mock" 1/2 marathon race this Saturday to see where I am at on my time. Mini-taper over the next few days to rest and prepare. Carb loading to fuel up- aiming for 1 hr., 45 mins.- don't know if I can do it, but I will sure try!

Very sore, slow, and tired 6 miles completed.  My hill workout yesterday kicked my rear.  Doing a bit of a mini-taper to race a "mock" half marathon on Saturday just to see where I am at with my time.  Then a killer 6 weeks of training ahead for my marathon on June 27th.

Still resting....ugh!!  Taper sucks.  Did my upper body weight routine.  Still quite sore since tuesday's hills.  Legs  are burning a bit and heavy.  Tomorrow planning more rest.... eek. Boring!!!!  Saturday... racing 13.1 miles.... I am hoping to be refreshed and ready to go by then!!!

Yet another day of REST. Blah... Still feel a bit tuckered.  I hope tomorrow will be awesome for me...

Alan and I hit the malecon at 5:15AM for our "Mock 1/2 Marathon!" We set up 2 water stations by parking our cars spaced apart on the malecon. We started our run down by the Best Western, ran down the malecon, went by the El Cid Hotel by the marina, turned around and headed back down to the malecon to finish our run where we started. My 1/2 marathon time was 1 hour, 48 minutes flat. May have lost a little time due to us dodging some buses and hopping curbs when we ran by Dairy Queen and the hotel zone.  We really did treat this like a real race.  We learned however, that we should have parked one vehicle a little closer to the Dairy Queen, although we had changed our route from our original plan.  Back in December - it was 2 hours, 1 minute. I guess I've made some good progress. Feel pretty good right now and really proud of that time!! Alan really helped me stay on pace. Overall, the run went pretty smoothly. The last 2 miles were probably the toughest part, but with Alan's encouragement- I made it!!! This was an important run because it will serve as a baseline for me in my upcoming marathon... lots of work to do in the next 6 weeks. Training for a 42k is by far the hardest thing I've ever done physically in my life.

OUCH.  That's all I can say.  Slow and steady.

This was a very slow run... I could feel my left knee and my right foot for about 3 miles and then finally, the aches went away.  It felt moderately hard - it's getting warmer and more humid here.  The runner's knee and plantar fasciitis are kind-of come and go for me.  Seems to be the worst after my long runs and takes me several days to get rid of some of the pain.  I didn't wear my garmin because I just wanted to run for me and feel no pressure.  Stopped a few times on the run to stretch and just breath.  I wanted to look out on the beauty of the ocean and enjoy where I was today.  I felt very weak today and a bit down emotionally.  Don't know what it is or why.... I can only figure that I have pre-marathon worries.  I seriously doubt holding pace of 8:12-8:15 this coming Saturday for 16 miles.  I shared this with Alan my running partner and I am reconsidering my game plan for the upcoming marathon....

Ran the lighthouse and hills today with my husband.  When I woke up this morning, I could feel my left knee aching.  The right foot felt better (the one with PF).  Wasn't sure how I was going to do with the run since yesterday's run felt lousy.  Last night, I had some pain in one of my toes on my right foot and sure enough, the toe nail is starting to grow back, but I formed another blister under the nail.  I clipped the skin and thankfully... it relieved the pressure.  I am going to lose that nail again.  Today, I formed another blister under that toe nail.... ouchie.  Will have to clip it again!!  At this point, I want the nail off!!!

My husband did quite well today on the hills leading to the lighthouse.  I was surprised that I was a ways ahead of him.  I also beat him to the top... :-)  It is starting to get a little easier breathing on the way up.  My legs felt ok once I got going.  I still feel emotionally strange.  I am questioning all of the training that I have done since December and before I met Alan (my running partner).  I wonder if I've done enough to prepare for my marathon - won't be long before I see...

Ran at the marina this morning.  Felt like I needed a change of scenery.  Going through something weird this week mentally.  That run last Saturday just mentally exhausted me.  This week I have felt spent and tired, but I'm hanging in there.  Decided to do a little tempo/interval work for 5 miles worth of the run.  I wanted to feel that pace with tired legs just so I will be prepared for it on marathon day.  The rest of the run was slow - stop and go at times, but got the mileage done.  No running again Thursday and Friday to rest for Saturdays' 16 miler.  We will be pushing the pace again to 8:15-8:20.... I am indeed in hell month!!!

Resting the next 2 days ..... trust me, not willingly.

RESTING again!!  UHG!!

5 slow miles on the malecon with the Mazatlan Running Group.... ouchie.  My hamstrings are tight this morning and kept me up a bit last night.  

Decided to run at the marina this morning just to change my scenery.  I wanted to run down towards the beach just to see what distance it was as Alan and I are planning to run 20 miles this coming Saturday.  We are trying to figure out a route that would be out and back.  I am still not quite recovered from this past Saturday.  I am hoping that I didn't make a mistake by racing that half 2 weeks ago.  I have been so beat up ever since. The legs are sore and my breathing was labored today.  It is getting very warm here and don't even get me started about the humidity!!  I think I lost 2 pounds of fluid on my run this morning.  It was 8 miles worth of fartlek/interval work.  I could feel the heat slowing me down big time.   This makes me worry about my training for the next few weeks before I taper for my marathon on June 27th....  I may be kissing the 7:30 am runs goodbye and opting to run at 4am before I get the boys ready to go to school.

5 miles at 4 am (nice cool air).... 5 miles at 7:45 am.... (not so cool air)!!  The second 5 took me forever.... the heat and humidity here is starting to be a very bad thing!!  I am still sore- I am very frustrated.  I may have to start running at 3 am!!!  WTH??!

I cannot breath.  It is getting too hot and humid for me.  That is one thing that I don't tolerate well.  I am also sick.  It started yesterday with GI issues in the morning... then I had a fever and headache last night.  Slept really well and felt better this morning so I decided I would try to do a short distance.  It was stop and go the second 2.5 miles of the run.... I am in a slump.  I have decided that I will be joining the El Cid gym so that I can take a day or two and run on a treadmill in the airconditioning.  I am worried about losing speed in the next few weeks because I can't sustain my pace outside due to the heat and breathing problems.  I think I have a touch of asthma/emphysema from my many years of smoking.  At least the marathon will be in a cooler location - that should help a lot.  I think getting my legs off the pavement may help me too.  The PF in my right foot would probably benefit from less impact than running on cement like I typically do.  This is my game plan.  I need to change something to give me a feeling of confidence.  I have lost some recently because of the way I feel physically.

Workout #1 - 6am .... 5 miles stop and go in the humidity... average pace 8:28/mile. UGH.... Still recovering from the tummy bug. Heading over to run some treadmill miles at the gym in AC later!!!  I can't wait.... I can't breath here and it sucks!

 Workout #2 - 11am.....5.5 miles on the treadmill.... 8.2 - 8.5 mile per hour x 4 for 4 min. intervals.... the rest at 7 miles per hour.... not bad. 

REST DAY!!!

Well.... I cranked out 22 miles this morning- 17 on the malecon, 5 on the treadmill and no "wall" to speak of!! Just a few bushes and trees outside the gym window... LOL! No real issues breathing- took it slow- 9:17/mile average pace for the duration of the 17 miles. "Guesstimating" a 9:15 pace for the last 5 miles. 

Only stops were to refill my water bottle, to drink sports drink, and one bathroom stop at mile marker 16.25 due to some GI upset. When I finished the 17 miles on the malecon.... I decided to hop in the car and head over to some nice Airconditioning at the El Cid gym and finished off the run there.

Starting real early helped. I was well hydrated. Not that tired right now either! Endurance is building!! Alan and I positioned our cars so we had places to stop and get fluids along the malecon. Although we didn't run together this morning... seeing him run by was reassuring and motivating!!

I can see how a marathon can become total carnage though!! When I take the mileage up to 26.2/42k and add in the faster marathon pace.... it's gonna be a rear kicker!!!

8:53 average pace per mile.... slow moving today... knee caps hurt.

Taking today as my rest day this week.... gearing up for many miles tomorrow and hoping to be rested enough to do some much needed tempo work.

Great workout day!! Workout #1 this am - Outside on the malecon with Alan - 3.6 miles at 8:05 min/mile pace. Workout #2 - Took it indoors at the gym - 3 miles at 8 min/mile pace with incline of 2%, 4.4 miles at 8:34 min/mile pace - with varied incline 1-3% on the treadmill. 11 miles total today!! Brought my fan with me to the gym- it kept me nice and cool!!!

7 miles on the treadmill this morning at 7 miles per hour.... 5 miles on the malecon....nice and easy this pm.

I've got new sneakers and I am not ashamed!!! I am in a men's Nike Pegasus 26.... I've got wide feet and my toes can breath in these- so there! Couldn't wait to buy as my feet were screaming at me! Very pleased with Nike - test run great!! Snug in the heel, I felt the arch support from the moment I put them on and I like the room for my big toes. These are my 1st full marathon shoes and my 1st step to my 1st finish!!

 6 painful miles on the treadmill.... the reality... it's not all fun, and sometimes it's hell!! 1 mile warm up at 2% incline, 2 miles at 10% incline, 2 miles at 15% incline (brisk walk - so sore!!), 1 mile cool down.... OUCHIE!!!! It must have been the weighted squats yesterday.... lesson learned.

I procrastinated this morning.  Really sore still through my rear.  After I dropped the boys off at school, I came home, had breakfast and went back to bed for another hour.  I debated running at all today and questioned if I was going to even be able to pull off 1 mile... never mind 6!!!  Started with a 5 min. warm up on the elliptical and then I hopped on the treadmill. Somehow once I hit mile 3.... the time flew by and a lot of my aches and pains seem to disappear once again.  I did a song countdown and it just passed the time nicely.  I just love endorphins.... feeling less sore now.  Took the run very slow at a 9:30 pace per mile or so....but at least I got the mileage done.  Love my new running shoes!!!

8:44 min/mile pace (marathon goal pace) run on the malecon early this morning.... exhausting.... it's gonna be interesting what happens at the marathon that last 10k or so....

resting.... tired and sore from yesterday!!

10 miles on the treadmill.... varied speeds and inclines, but mostly fast and lung busting!!  I can still feel it when I take a deep breath!!  Wasn't in the mood to do this....but once I got going, it all came together!!!