I've really been slacking on writing about my experiences here, but with school and other things going on it hasn't been easy.
The past month I've really increased my distance. I've run 15 miles three times now, 17 once, and I made an attempt today to run 20, but I just didn't have it in me. I'll try next Saturday to make it happen. I made it 12 miles somehow, and I was forcing myself to run every single mile after 5. All my experiences with 15+ miles have been different. Some runs I've felt awesome, while others I wanted to stop after a couple miles. On my 17 mile run, I cruised through the first 10 miles like it was a 5 mile run. I guess I was on a mission that day. Eventually I slowed down, but that was a fun/awful run. I couldn't walk up or down the stairs without bracing myself on the stairwell.
I think a valuable lesson for anyone, is know when to give up. Your body tells you a lot more than you think it does. I'm not happy that I couldn't finish my long run, but I'll live to run another day. My goal was not to run 20 miles on April 23, 2011, it is definitely to run the Cleveland Marathon on May 15, 2011. I've got time.
Also, I thought running a marathon would help me get into better shape, but there's a lot of grey area there. What a lot of people don't think about, is that you have to fuel your body to run long distance. It's true that I've gone out of 15-17 mile runs and burned between 2500 and 3000 calories, but it takes a lot of calories just to be able to run that far. It's a hard concept to get behind, as most people don't need to eat a lot in order to do most things in their lives.
I'm getting close. Run Jimmy, Run.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Weeks #5, 6, and 7
So I've fallen a little behind on writing about my experiences. Worse things have happened.
Since the last time I wrote, I have had a pretty big increase in mileage. Some longer runs between 8-10 miles, with a nice long run of 11 miles this Saturday. I'm in the mid to upper 20's for weekly miles at this point, and I can honestly say that running 6 days a week is a lot of work. I'm sore a lot and the weather has also been pretty terrible. All that being said, running on an indoor track is awful. As much as I love it here (Cleveland is now and will always be my home), if I continue running, I'm going to need a new location. Somewhere warm and snow-free.
Like I said previously, I have an 11 miler today (Saturday), and a 13 miler in a week. Fingers crossed that the weather works in my favor. 13 miles on my rec indoor track is exactly 81 and 1/4 laps. Sounds like a blasty blast. Not.
Wish me luck.
Since the last time I wrote, I have had a pretty big increase in mileage. Some longer runs between 8-10 miles, with a nice long run of 11 miles this Saturday. I'm in the mid to upper 20's for weekly miles at this point, and I can honestly say that running 6 days a week is a lot of work. I'm sore a lot and the weather has also been pretty terrible. All that being said, running on an indoor track is awful. As much as I love it here (Cleveland is now and will always be my home), if I continue running, I'm going to need a new location. Somewhere warm and snow-free.
Like I said previously, I have an 11 miler today (Saturday), and a 13 miler in a week. Fingers crossed that the weather works in my favor. 13 miles on my rec indoor track is exactly 81 and 1/4 laps. Sounds like a blasty blast. Not.
Wish me luck.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Week#4
This week I've been trying really hard to balance my running with other issues. You would think that things unrelated to your physical self, would not bother you. Wrong. I had to run 7-8 miles today, and all I could do is push myself hard. When you can't take your mind off something, it seems only right to turn it into something positive.
Next week I have to run 8-9 miles on Saturday, so let's hope I have something to think about when that comes around.
Next week I have to run 8-9 miles on Saturday, so let's hope I have something to think about when that comes around.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Week#3
I find myself in week 3, and I can't help but feel a little behind with my running. It probably has something to do with the fact that I haven't seen grass in WEEKS. I miss that green stuff. I've been running between 2-5 miles, and let me tell you, running on a 200+m indoor track is the most boring thing in the world.
Like a lot of other people who are running their first marathon, I'm doing this for a few reasons. 1.) I'm young and I have 2 half marathons under my belt. I can do it. 2.) Selfish as it may be, I want to say that I ran a marathon. Nobody can take that away from me. 3.) I've been trying to get into shape for like 5 years. This seems like a step in the right direction.
For this week, I have a long run of 6 miles (today actually). I'm starting to get nervous, as this feels beyond my abilities at this point. What sucks even more, is that this running schedule moves so fast. By week#6 I'll be putting in 10 mile runs. That's scary.
At least when I pass out at the rec center, I won't just end up in a ditch on the side of the road. Sounds like a win to me :)
Like a lot of other people who are running their first marathon, I'm doing this for a few reasons. 1.) I'm young and I have 2 half marathons under my belt. I can do it. 2.) Selfish as it may be, I want to say that I ran a marathon. Nobody can take that away from me. 3.) I've been trying to get into shape for like 5 years. This seems like a step in the right direction.
For this week, I have a long run of 6 miles (today actually). I'm starting to get nervous, as this feels beyond my abilities at this point. What sucks even more, is that this running schedule moves so fast. By week#6 I'll be putting in 10 mile runs. That's scary.
At least when I pass out at the rec center, I won't just end up in a ditch on the side of the road. Sounds like a win to me :)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Week#2
I am Jim, hear me roar. I am writing this blog to document my first (and maybe last) marathon. I'll be providing pictures, times, mileage, and how I feel on a weekly basis.
What the hell have I gotten myself into? Well, to be exact, about 26.2 miles of punishment on the body. I've run half that distance twice before (Cleveland and Akron), but I'm honestly really nervous about how things are going to play out. My feet will hit the ground roughly 26,000 times each, with every step bringing me closer to a longtime personal victory. I've had a few people tell me that I'm crazy for doing this, but I think they're selling themselves short for not. Some of us are just not satisfied with what comes easy all the time. I'm not saying this is my lifestyle, because I live low-maintenance with a lot of things. This will definitely be the hardest thing I've ever done. Running or not. I'm going to have to overcome myself, if I want to come out on top of this bold undertaking.
Week#2: This week I've been super sick, as my roommates decided to go out of town and bring something back with them. I had to skip Tuesday and Wednesday due to sickness, weather, being lazy, and my local rec center's indoor track closing early. I did manage to swim Monday morning, and run about 2 miles today (Thursday). I'm definitely not looking forward to this 5 mile run I have to put in on Saturday. I haven't gone more than 3 miles in months. I hope I don't vom on my new shoes. They still smell nice. At this point, I feel like I'm staring at the peak of a mountain from the very bottom.
"Run Jimmy, Run!" - something my dad used to always say to me when I passed him at a track or cross country meet. It was a play on "Run Forrest, Run!" Still makes me laugh thinking about it :)
What the hell have I gotten myself into? Well, to be exact, about 26.2 miles of punishment on the body. I've run half that distance twice before (Cleveland and Akron), but I'm honestly really nervous about how things are going to play out. My feet will hit the ground roughly 26,000 times each, with every step bringing me closer to a longtime personal victory. I've had a few people tell me that I'm crazy for doing this, but I think they're selling themselves short for not. Some of us are just not satisfied with what comes easy all the time. I'm not saying this is my lifestyle, because I live low-maintenance with a lot of things. This will definitely be the hardest thing I've ever done. Running or not. I'm going to have to overcome myself, if I want to come out on top of this bold undertaking.
Week#2: This week I've been super sick, as my roommates decided to go out of town and bring something back with them. I had to skip Tuesday and Wednesday due to sickness, weather, being lazy, and my local rec center's indoor track closing early. I did manage to swim Monday morning, and run about 2 miles today (Thursday). I'm definitely not looking forward to this 5 mile run I have to put in on Saturday. I haven't gone more than 3 miles in months. I hope I don't vom on my new shoes. They still smell nice. At this point, I feel like I'm staring at the peak of a mountain from the very bottom.
"Run Jimmy, Run!" - something my dad used to always say to me when I passed him at a track or cross country meet. It was a play on "Run Forrest, Run!" Still makes me laugh thinking about it :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)