8 miles with the Garmin Forerunner 405 – Silvia August 2, 2008

When I got home from Columbus I was greeted with a present from my loving husband.  It was a Garmin Forerunner 405.  What is that, you ask?  Well, its a GPS-enabled sports watch with wireless sync.  At first, I thought it would show me little maps where I could run and avoid nasty stuff like hills, but it’s not like that.  You can go for a run and then it can take you back home using a compass like feature.  I didn’t use that feature.  I don’t even know how to use that feature yet.  I just used the Training mode to show how far I ran and what pace.  It was like running with my treadmill!  I could see how far I still have to go and the time.

This run I took Barclay, my border collie.  I am happy to report that when I untangled him from the leash at around mile 5, he did’t stand there to wait, he actually lied down!  I was gleefully delighted.  Tired, are we, little doggie?  At mile 6.77 I was dying.  I wanted it to be over already.  I looked at my pace and it said 14:48 minute miles. No kidding!  I was practically walking!  What is more shocking I felt I was running!  At mile 7.9 0 sprinted the last bit and I only reached a 9:34 min/mile pace.  I did the 8 miles in 1 hour and 24 minutes, which is about a 11/mile pace.  I am not upset.  That’s why I am training for this marathon.  I realize that it is hard work and it may not look pretty but I can do it!

Right now I am going to download the software for the Garmin.  A new tech toy!  I’m in heaven!

Exhausted-Kirsten July 16, 2008

Have you ever had one of those runs where even before you started you knew it was going to be a struggle the entire run? I knew the minute I woke up that todays run was not going to be fun. Well my mental prediction fell nother short of my physical state. I ran in the worst heat I have ever run in. I came home almost as wet as I did after running 5 miles in the rain. It was a struggle the entire run. I think today (or maybe I am just hoping) that I am just all around exhausted, and thus my running wasn’t the best it can be. I realize in this training you will have good runs and bad, you will love it and then hate it, you will feel you are progressing and then the next day you feel struggle. The bottom line is, you keep going no matter what, because the end will be worth it all.

I also realized I am not giving my body enough of the right energy it needs for my running. So I am really going to make more of an effort to be aware of what I am eating. The last run I felt sick because of the salad I ate (which while salad is healthy, it is not easy for the body to digest) and today I ate a hotdog and chips and my body was rejecting that food too. I am asking a lot of my body; in return I need to give it the right things.

Well, it’s over and I finished it. You just never know what a run will bring…it is so dependent on your mood, your environment, the day you had, the weather, the food you ate, the song you are listening to, the distance you have until the finish line, the elevation…the list could go on.

Pedometers aren’t for runners-Kirsten July 15, 2008

I just talked with a friend of mine Jen, who trained for the Boston marathon. I wanted to know what to do about this lovely crapdometer I had just purchased…well they are not intended for runners. They are not accurate. So it was not worth the money to buy one. Oh well. She also gave me great advice about our training schedule, so we are in fact changing our schedule. It is not a good idea to hold the training at a certain week, so we are following a 20 week training course instead. Silvia will post it on here Today is my off day, so I am heading to the beach. Happy running Silvia!