Monday, March 30, 2009

Don't puke on me or we can't be friends

A little while back I was boasting (to B-rabbit) that I have never had a workout where I felt like I was going to throw up. Ok so I wasn't actually boasting, more like I was just saying/commenting/talking to myself.

Well I can no longer say that...not sure if this is really a good or bad thing but I am going to tell this story anyway!

It was quite chilly this afternoon so practice was inside at the indoor track (thank goodness - I am sick of cold weather! Where is Summer??)

This was the workout -
Warm up
6x200m with decreasing rest (aka 5,4,3,2,1 minutes)
2x150m strides
Cool Down

The last time I did this workout, it was my last indoor track season workout before having to sit out for my hip flexor injury. This time I actually ran it with Abby and Alison and the rest of the girls. I was a little nervous but the hip felt pretty good.

The first 200m we took it easy and didn't push. We rested for 5 minutes and then ran the second 200m much faster. Rested for 4 minutes then ran the 3rd 200m. Rested 3 minutes and ran our fourth 200m. Rested 2 minutes and ran the fifth 200m. We rested extra for the final 200m - only three of us ran that last one. It was intense!!

After the 5th repeat my butt hurt so much. It hurt more than after racing the 400m in the 4x4 relay! I was like waddling around and my legs felt like bricks on the 6th repeat! The funny/best part of this whole thing is that I actually ran all these repeats at a really good pace.*

Following the 6th repeat, I sat down on the bench on the outside of the track to try and recover before going on to finish the rest of the workout. My stomach did not feel good at all and I was burping a bit. One of the freshman, Lauren, who cannot stand to see someone throw up, was sitting next to me.

Me - "I don't feel well at all, I feel like I am going to throw up"
Lauren - (backing away) "Don't. Don't puke on me or we can't be friends"

I had to laugh at the way she said it. Her comment at least helped me to stop thinking about throwing up! I did not throw up. Just wanted to make that clear!! Overall it was a good day at the track - I pushed hard and have a little more confidence in myself that I can run fast even with this darn hip!



*for the 6x200m repeats -> times in seconds = 33, 30, 32, 31, 34, 35

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Spring Rain

My training schedule called for a run and some hills yesterday and although it was a super fabulous day outside I decided to put off the run until today.

I had looked at the weather so I knew it was supposed to rain today and that kind of excited me.

I wanted a rain run, I was craving a rain run!!

The only problem facing me before this run was that my hip was aching and kind of hurt. I set out for a nice long warm up and followed a 3 mile loop. At around 2 miles it started to sprinkle and at the 2.5 mile mark I got to "the hill".

I did 7 hills and it was raining up a storm!! I was completely drenched before I even had two hills done! But it was totally awesome - I was all by myself, just me and the rain!

Funny thing - the hips feels better now that I went for a run. I feel like my hip has its own personality! Or I just needed to stretch and get the muscles going in my hip! I hope everyone had a great weekend!


**I finished my book - For Women Only and it was really good. Not everything applied to me but it did help me understand men better and how men sometimes perceive things differently than women!!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Photo Friday

This is the sunrise when I went to California a few years ago for a basketball tournament.

Update on workouts - The hip has been hurting so I am taking it slow for a few days. Next Saturday is our first meet and I would like to be able to run without any pain.

Nothing special planned for the weekend except watching the NCAA tournament games!! Have a good weekend!!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

TIART: The Need for Speed

Ok so I made a reference to Top Gun - I am not going to hide it! I just got out of psychology class (yes I am a 5th year student in a freshman class - it is sooo easy!) and today we learned about subliminal messages so that is all I can think about now!

My Top Gun reference has to do with Take it and Run Thursday at Runners' Lounge and the topic for this week being tips to satisfy the need for speed!

I am a firm believer that all of us have some type speed inside of us. The key is to find a way to bring it out. Here are a few ways to make sure that you increase your speed and don't injury yourself.

First - Set a pace you want to run at, a pace that you know you can run at.
example - 5k pace of 8 minutes per mile
Then run a set of repeats at that pace.
example - 3x400m repeats at 2 minutes each for above pace

This will set a base for you as a runner - the key is to not do too much at one time. When I started track back in October we did 3x400m repeats on the first day. Each week we added one more repeat.

Another key thing to remember when running repeats for speed is that you should either increase the number of repeats or increase the speed at which they are run.
NEVER increase both because this puts too much strain on your body and muscles and actually is more detrimental.

I usually try to include my speed workouts from track (see Labels for Track workouts on the side bar). Before starting track I wasn't such a huge fan of speed workouts but over the past six months I have seen how much they have helped me to become a better runner! I encourage anyone to include them into their workouts because I am sure that you will see a difference in your running!!

Keep running!!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Annoying Roommate, Running in Groups and Books

It's a Wednesday morning and I am already annoyed with my roommate. We don't technically share a room, just the bathroom, kitchen and living room but this girl is the most inconsiderate person I have ever lived with.

She has class at 10am but every morning she wakes up at about 7am and proceeds to bang around the apartment waking me up. She takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R to get ready and always leaves a mess behind. I am trying not to be passive aggressive but it is really hard. Currently if she leaves something out in a place where it doesn't belong I proceed to hide it! I can't wait for April Fools day - this is going to be good!

Now that I got my rant out of the way, on to running - Current workouts have included lots of running!

Monday -
warm up 1/2 mile
1x350m FAST (58 seconds)
2x200m FAST ( 30-32 seconds each)
cool down 1 mile

Tuesday -
warm up 1/2 mile
8x400m at 70% (about 90 seconds for each 400m with 3 minutes rest)
cool down 1/2 mile

The hip flexor was tender after yesterdays 400s, so I am going to go light today.

So I promised to talk about my running experience with a group yesterday but I got side tracked so here it is today.

Recently I have been trying to coordinate with my coach a way to train for Heptathlon. It is really difficult trying to fit in 7 different events. I was feeling discouraged as my coach told me that I would have to do the running workouts on my own. I never want to go back to doing sprint workouts with a group or partner. The decrease of intensity that results from running alone is very discouraging. (Thankfully my coach and I worked things out so I can still run with the sprinter girls).

This is why I have been contemplating joining a local running/track club after I graduate. The guy who runs the club is a neighbor of my parents and I am really looking forward to having people to run with. I even considered coming back to my college next year just to run with Abby and Jill and Alison (my track teammates). I am not sure exactly what the future holds but I cannot say enough about running with a group. Not only is there a social aspect and great friends to be made but having others to run with for track workouts helps to keep me honest and to push me to become a better runner.

I really could go on and on about this but I have to get ready for school. Happy Running!


Current Book I am reading -
For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn
A friend recommended this book and so far it is pretty interesting -

From amazon.com -

What’s going on in a man’s mind? From their early days, every woman has struggled to understand why males behave the way they do. Even long-married women who think they understand men have only scratched the surface. Beneath a man’s rugged exterior is an even more rugged, unmapped terrain. What bestselling author Shaunti Feldhahn’s research reveals about the inner lives of men will open women’s eyes to what the men in their life—boyfriends, brothers, husbands, and sons—are really thinking and feeling. Men want to be understood, but they’re afraid to “freak out” the women they love by confessing what is happening inside their heads. This book will guide women in how to provide the loving support that modern men want and need.

(they also have a For Men Only book too!!)

Monday, March 23, 2009

Hills

I sit now at my desk, in front of my computer enjoying a cup of coffee and my regular oatmeal and raisins breakfast. I love oatmeal.

This weekend B-Rabbit and I took a little trip and visited his sister and brother in-law and also saw some of my relatives. We arrived mid-afternoon Friday and proceeded to watch basketball all night long. I started watching the Siena vs. Ohio State game, then took a little nap in the second half. It was as if I knew I would need my strength - when the game went into overtime I was full of energy!

Saturday morning I woke up and went for a cold run. The sun was out but the air was quite chilly. I ran for a warm up of about 0.7 miles then started doing some hills. When I run hills with the girls team we sprint up the hill then walk down it and rest until we are fully recovered before starting the next hill.

For running hills on my own I sprinted up the hill then proceeded to jog down. Once I reached the bottom I would rest about 2 seconds then start the hill again (this way my hip or muscles didn't tighten up). I did about 6 hills before cooling down for about 0.7 miles. I felt like I could have done more (last week I did 4 hills with slight hip pain) but I didn't want to push it.

As I was running I was wondering what you all do for hills. My hill distance was just over 0.1 mile. How far do you usually run up a hill? Do you stop at the bottom and rest or just keep going? How many repeats do you do??

Anyway, the rest of the weekend was filled with family fun! I took Sunday off because it had been about 9 consecutive days of running or "active-ness" and I felt the hip needed a break.

I mentioned in my last post that I feel there are real advantages to having a group or partner for speed workouts. Stay-tuned I plan on talking about this tomorrow with gory details from my experiences!!

Happy Monday!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Friday Fun

I woke up this morning and met up with my teammate Jill to do the workout. I am heading out soon to visit family for the weekend and I wanted to make sure I got my workout in.

I am so glad that Jill ran with me - It just re-emphasizes why running speed workouts with a partner or group is an AWESOME idea! More on this subject later ;)

We did the usual warm up and then did 2x300m at 90%.

#1 - 50.35 seconds then rest 12 minutes
#2 - 51.54 seconds

When we did this workout a few months ago I wasn't able to run my second one as fast. I can't seem to find the post where I mentioned it so I will have to check my running log later.

B-Rabbit is getting impatient with me cause we were suppose to be on the road at noon and it is 12:04 now! opps!!

Have a good weekend and enjoy the warm weather!!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

TIART: Spring Training

Tomorrow marks the first day of Spring! When I think of spring I think of TULIPS! They are one of my favorite flowers!!


With tulips and spring comes, running outdoors which I have been taking advantage of the last few days.

It is Thursday and that means TIART and this weeks theme from Runner's Lounge is Spring Training tips!

#1 - Its lighter in the morning so take advantage of it and get out for a morning run! (I did name this blog "Morning Runner" because I like to run in the mornings!!)

#2 - Wear less clothing because if you don't then you will get really warm while running and then you will sweat alot!!

#3 - Sign up for a spring race (most of you have done this already - I add this for myself because once track ends I want to jump right into training for a race!!)

I am actually more excited to hear everyone else's training tips!

Yesterdays practice was good - it was a speed day. I recently have been wondering how many calories I actually eat a day. I never really keep track but my friend recommended the website The Daily Plate. It is a good site but doesn't seem to be user friendly. I want something simple that I can just add in what I eat. Any ideas?

Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Outdoor Track

Hello OUTDOOR TRACK!!

Yesterday was the second day I ran with my new shoes. Sunday I went to the track with B-Rabbit and we did some 400m repeats. He didn't like running that much so he decided that he was going to be my "Sprinting Coach"! He may know how to sprint in swimming but he still has a few things to learn about sprinting in running!! He made me do a bunch of drills to work on my speed though which was a really good idea!

Monday I went to practice and I must say that I looked SUPER cute in my target capri running pants and white T and dark maroon running jacket. Usually I just throw clothes on for practice but this time I just wanted to look cute. Maybe it is just a girl thing - some days we just want to look good!! It was a bit windy but the sun shone and I was just so happy to be running with my girls again!

We did a intense workout -
500m, rest 2 minutes
120m all out, rest 10 minutes
400m, rest 2 minutes
120m all out, rest 8 minutes
300m, rest 2 minutes
120m all out, rest 6 minutes
200m, rest 2 minutes
200 all out

I felt great! The hip was "uncomfortable" at times and I talked to my friend who had the same injury over Christmas and she said that it was common and lasted a few weeks but got better!

We ROCKED the intervals!
500m in 99 seconds
400m in 76 seconds (insane - didn't even feel that fast!)
300m in 53.5 seconds (2 seconds faster than I ran during an indoor workout!)
(the 120m were just run, we didn't time them)

I did not run the 2x200m sprints because I could feel my hip getting tired. I don't want to get injured again.

Ok heres the pictures of my new shoes! I have a surprise - I bought new sprinting spikes!!! I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them!


My new lovely Asics! Aren't they pretty!!

My NEW pink Sprinting Spikes! Holy Hot PINK!! They are bright!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!! Today it supposed to be almost 60 degrees! How about that for Spring?

Friday, March 13, 2009

Ice vs. Heat

We have all heard that ice is good. It makes the soreness in the muscles go away BUT is it really a cure for everything??

I have found out that for me it is not. Sure I ice my hamstrings, I go in the ice bath and stuff but this past week I found out that icing a hip flexor is not the best option for me.

I have finished my 4th week here with this injury. I didn't ice at all during the third week and I felt great! I was in Florida running in the sun and warm weather.

The next week I got back to school and continued with my rehab and started back icing. Well I started to have pain in my hip again. I was depressed and upset because I felt like I was taking a step backwards for no reason at all!

Last Thursday I went back to the trainers and they told me to stop icing. By icing my hip I was causing the muscle to tighten up and then I would try to walk it would be painful because the muscle was stretching. So I am off ice now and I just use heat for prewarm - up stuff. I am hoping next week I will be back in action!

Interesting how things work!!

In other exciting news I got new shoes! Ill post pictures tomorrow! Today marks the first day of OUTDOOR track practices!! We will probably be outside as it is supposed to be very nice out!!

Happy Monday!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

TIART: Only in Running

This week went by fast! Ok So its Thursday. TIART time!

Only in Running?? Hmmmm...I really had to think about this one because it seems that everyone else has posted my ideas!!

Only in running would I have so many different pairs of shoes! Seriously people here's the list of shoes I have right now. And this list could get longer! I just found another pair I might go and buy!

1. Regular training/running sneakers (asics)
2. Long distance spikes
3. Sprinting spikes
4. Throwing shoes (for shot put)


I loved all your comments about underwear or no underwear!! I am a underwear girl and I will probably remain that way!

Its almost Friday! I hope everyone has a good day and this cold weather needs to leave town ASAP!! I want spring!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Shorts

I just finished catching up on my blogs - the last one I read was TFH's latest post about what she endorses!

The third thing on her list was "Going commando beneath your running shorts/tights"!

Now I have never tried it but most of the women's distance runners on my team run without underwear on. I feel like TFH and I have are on similar brain waves - here is the process that seems to happen for me -

1. I daydream throughout the day
2. I read TFH's blog and I am surprised because she has written a post that relates to my random thoughts!!

Anyway, so I was thinking about this - maybe it would be easier to just run without underwear? I mean the shorts already have that built in underwear thing in them. So what is the verdict???


*Running? I gave that up for Lent....Just kidding. I took today off. And yesterday too. Tomorrow morning I have javelin practice...The days of Pentathlon are over and now training for Heptathlon starts. (Pentathlon is only run in Indoor track. Heptathlon (7 events) is run for outdoor track.) I will try running/sprinting tomorrow and we will see how it goes.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Back home

Florida was really nice but now I am back home and back to school. I ran a few times in Florida and my hip felt good! The track team went to regionals on March 6th and 7th and ran the 4x400m relay and actually broke the school record!! I am so happy for them but a part of me is sad because I wanted to be a part of that and break the record.

My birthday in Florida was amazing, we went to this restaurant where they made the food right in front of me! I also got sushi for an appetizer and let me tell you I just love sushi!! Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!

We went to the beach and just lounged the whole week but it was perfect. I got a little tan but you can't even tell because I have such a light completion already!!

I went to the trainers today for a "check up" and they said that I need to continue my rehab exercises but increase the reps to work on endurance of my hip flexor muscles. I can run now and today I started doing some sprints. I just sprinted on the curves and jogged curves (my sprints were accerlerations into 70% of top speed). It felt ok - my hip just flet tight, no real pain just weird. Its hard to explain.

Anyway, sorry for the long absense - I woke up with a cold last Wednesday morning and still have it! It was weird being on the beach and blowing my nose!!

Birthday Dinner with B-Rabbit

Sushi for my Birthday!!

On the Beach!!

Thats about it from me for now! No real team practices this week so I am just nursing the hip and getting back into running!!

*Notice B-Rabbit now has a shaved head - he went to states for swimming and did great!! He does look so different without hair though!!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Hello From Florida!

We arrived in Florida and it is beautiful here!  

Today it about 60 degrees out and I got out for a little 15 minute run.  The hip felt ok.

Today it is supposed to be about 65 degrees and after today it will get warmer!!

I am headed out for another run, nothing too fast or too long!


In other news...

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!! 

I am pretty excited!  This has be to be one of my best birthdays because I am with B-Rabbit and in Florida!!