Week 1 Day 3 (Technically training started on Sunday, I just took my two rest days early)

Run like hell and get the agony over with! ~ Clarence DeMar

That about what I felt like this morning while getting through this first day of training! I guess if it was meant to be easy everyone would be doing it :) Honestly, other than not hitting my times, it didn't really go too bad. Lots of things to work on though that is for sure!

Cardio workout for the day was completed this morning.

2 Mile Warmup - 16:23

Then came all the fun! Three 1 mile intervals with a 1 minute rest in between each interval.

Mile 1 Interval - 6:52 (Goal was 6:12 so plus 40 seconds)

Mile 2 Interval - 6:43 (Goal was 6:12 so plus 31 seconds)

Mile 3 Interval - 6:33 (Goal was 6:12 so plus 22 seconds)

2 Mile Cooldown - 16:51

All in all I was satisfied with my first run under the new training plan. Running sometimes can be a very humbling sport. I finished no where near the times I needed, but I was happy to get this first speed work done and get a baseline for where I need to get too. Total of 7 miles completed!

Nutritionally I had an ok day. My daily caloric need is 2,330 calories. Today I earned and additional 1,118 calories from exercise. I am going to be "zigzagging" my calories all throughout training this summer. Some days I am going to eat a ton...other days I am not going to eat as much, regardless of exercise exertion. Today was a reduction day.

Total Calories Needed - 3,448

Total Calories Consumed - 2,542

Calorie Deficit of 906 calories

Percent of calories from Carbs - 64.36%

Percent of calories from Fats - 21.24%

Percent of calories from Protein - 19.83%

72 Ounces of water consumed.

I believe I basically got it right where I wanted it today. Remember when you are training, enough fuel in and of itself is not enough. It has to be the right kind of fuel. You need to ensure you find the right balance. A good mix of carbs and proteins and fats will go a long way in ensuring that you have success at your training. If your body runs out of energy, well, it is just going to make everything that much harder.

So on to tomorrow....

Tomorrow is a NON running day! Again this is something I am going to have to get used to on this training plan. Only running 3 days per week! Tomorrow however is not an off day.

Cardio

Spinning. 20 to 25 miles on the bike.

Strength

Bench Press - 4 Sets

Hanging Leg Raises - 4 Sets

Push-ups - 4 sets of 26

Ab Rollers - 4 sets of 11

Bicep's - 4 Sets

Tricep's - 4 Sets

That is it for now. Should be a great day tomorrow.

Happy Running!

Let the training begin

Frustration is the first step towards improvement. I have no incentive to improve if I'm content with what I can do and if I'm completely satisfied with my pace, distance and form as a runner. It's only when I face frustration and use it to fuel my dedication that I feel myself moving forwards. ~ John Bingham

So tomorrow is the day! Been thinking about it a lot over the last several days. I went out this past Saturday morning for what is seemingly my last "easy" run for a while. Starting tomorrow, the running becomes hard again and that, is a great thing. I feel that over the past few months I have become complacent. I have begun to find myself stuck int he same old same old. Ya, I was still running but I wasn't running with any clear direction, I was just running to run. There have been times where I wasn't even enjoying it. One of the things I often tell people I help train is that if you don't intend on pushing yourself hard, why bother. Well, honestly I have not pushed myself very hard these last few months. After I PR'd in New Orleans in February, I have basically just taken my running for granted. Well, not anymore.

Training Week 1 Day 1 Starts TOMORROW!!!!! I am going to do my very best to keep a daily journal about how my training is going for anyone who actually cares to read about it lol. Even if I am the only one, at least I will be able to go back and reflect. Wish me luck over the next 18 weeks. We shall see in the fall if this new plan is actually worth anything more than the paper it's written on.

Tomorrow's Plan

Cardio

10 to 20 minute warmup

3 x 1600 meter @ 6:12 with a 1 Minute RI (Rest Interval) between each mile

10 to 20 minute cooldown

Strength

4 sets of 25 Push-ups

4 Sets of 10 Squats

4 sets of 10 Lunges

4 sets of 10 one legged lunges

4 sets of 10 Ab Rollers

Happy Running!

Breakfast Cereals

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am cereal lover! I absolutely am a breakfast cereal addict. I don't feel bad about it either! So yesterday while I was doing some reading over my lunch hour I came across an article talking about the best and the worst cereals you can eat. Intrigued, I decided to take a look at the best and worst cereals. Some of these cereals did not surprise me where they were on the list, there were a few however that did surprise me....Lets take a look....this is the list from best to worst.

24. Fiber One Original - 60 Calories, 14 grams of fiber and 0 grams of sugar. (I just bought a box tonight...will see just how "good" this cereal really is.)

23. Organic Smart Bran - 90 Calories, 13 grams of fiber and 6 grams of sugar. 52% of your daily fiber needs right in one bowl. WOW!!!!

22. Shredded Wheat Original - 170 Calories, 6 grams of fiber and 0 grams of sugar.

21. Kashi GoLean - 80 Calories, 6 grams of fiber and 3 grams of sugar.

20. Grape-Nuts - 103 Calories, 4 grams of fiber and 2 grams of sugar.

19. Cheerios - 107 Calories, 3 grams of fiber and 1 gram of sugar.

18. Kix - 110 Calories, 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of sugar.

17. Kashi Autumn Wheat - 105 Calories, 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar.

16. Wheaties - 111 Calories, 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar.

15. Kashi Honey Almond Flax - 113 Calories, 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of sugar. (I was hooked on this stuff for a bit, not anymore though)

14. Corn Flakes - 107 Calories, 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of sugar. This is the first cereal that kind of surprised me. Turns out the second ingredient is sugar and there is practically no fiber at all.

13. Life - 112.5 Calories, 2 grams of fiber and 6 grams of sugar. Another little surprise here.

12. Raison Bran - 96 Calories, 3.5 grams of fiber and 10 grams of sugar.

11. Maple and Brown Sugar Frosted Mini Wheats - 109 Calories, 3 grams of fiber and 7.5 grams of sugar.

10. Rice Krispies - 118 Calories, ZERO grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar.

9. Kellogg's Smart Start - 114 Calories, 2 grams of fiber and 8 grams of sugar. Maybe NOT the best way to start your day.

8. Quaker Natural Granola with Oats, Honey and Raisons - 123.5 Calories, 2 grams of fiber and 9 grams of sugar.

7. EnviroKidz Oranic Koala Crisp - 110 Calories, 2 grams of fiber and 11 grams of sugar. I have never even heard of this one before..kinda glad I haven't...did you see how much sugar is in one serving. Yikes!

6. Reduced Sugar Frosted Flakes - 116 Calories, Less than 1 gram of fiber and 8 grams of sugar.

5. Trix - 112 Calories, Less than 1 gram of fiber and 11 grams of sugar. Turns out Trix really shouldn't be for kids at all!

4. Froot Loops - 113 Calories, Where is the FIBER!!!! and 12 grams of sugar.

3. Lucky Charms - 122 Calories, 1 gram of fiber and 12 grams of sugar. Not so lucky if this is what you have to eat!

2. Honey Smacks - 111 Calories, 1 gram of fiber and ready for this...17 grams of sugar. This cereal is essentially a bowlful of pure sugar.

And the winner of the absolute worst cereal is.................

1. Golden Crisp - 122 Calories, No Fiber and 15.5 grams of sugar. Oh, sugar happens to be the very first ingredient listed!!!

So the cereal that I partake the most of was NOT on this list....I didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. So when I got home I took a look.

My current favorite cereal is Honey Bunches of Oats with Peaches...LOVE IT!!!! Anyways, this cereal has 120 Calories, 2 grams of fiber and 7 grams of sugar. Uh oh, not really so good. Looking back at the list if this cereal was included it would probably be ranked between Life and Raison Bran :( Sugar happens to be the 3rd ingredient listed too....

Anyways...that is pretty much all I have for now...until next time.

Happy Running!

Progress

It is very rewarding to feel and see progress. I am going to put my head down and keep plugging away. I believe the best is yet to come. ~ Shalane Flanagan

How does one measure progress? Is it the ability to run a faster mile or a faster 5K or 10K? Or is it the ability to go from the "couch" to running at all? Progress is defined as "a forward or onward movement" or a "gradual betterment." So how are you able to determine your own progress?

In my opinion the very first thing you need to have is consistency. You will never be able to gauge your progress if you let your training "get away from you." We all lead extremely busy lives, some more so than others. Make no mistake about it, if the choice comes to run or take care of my family, the family wins every time. We are all human and being human allows us the opportunity to make choices. There are times when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I want to do is go run or cross train. I would be willing to put my money where my mouth is and say that the Elite runners of the world feel the same way at various times. What separates them from us is that even when they don't "want" to train they still do because their lively hood depends on it. I often explain to people who are trying to lose weight that they need to eat when they are NOT hungry and drink when they are NOT thirsty. The same can and should be said about your training. On those mornings when the last thing you want to do is lace up your running shoes and head out for a 7 mile Tempo run, these are the mornings when running a 7 mile Tempo run is exactly what you NEED to do!

On a personal note, over the last 5 weeks I have had a very busy racing schedule. I ran the Calloway Gardens Marathon in Georgia on January 30th. Very hilly yet very beautiful course. It was a loop course and though I am not a fan of looped courses I did enjoy this race. Finished in 3:47:01 which I felt was a good time with the hills and some serious intestinal problems lol. I was also surprisingly enough able to place 3rd in my age group at that race. Then the following weekend I ran the Pensacola Double Bridge run. This is a 15K over both bridges. If anyone has ever been to Pensacola these are the bridges that take you to Gulf Breeze, Florida and then the 2nd bridge takes you to Pensacola Beach. Great race and hit a pretty big PR by running it in 1:03:03. The following weekend after that I ran the Rock and Roll New Orleans Marathon. By far the best race I have ever run time wise, 3:25:49. Everything just felt "right." And finally this past Saturday I ran the Snickers Energy Bar Marathon in Albany, Georgia. This is a great little race with a ton of support. My official time was 3:36:18. Again, not super fast, however, I was basically running this race on fumes and tired legs so all in all I was very happy with it. I only have a few races left before Fargo in May. I am going to run a few 5K's one more 10K and a couple of half marathons as training runs leading up to Fargo. Over these next two months I am going to go into a sort of "mini training" mode to prepare for Fargo. I would very much like to run a great race there and I know that with some significantly different training (mostly speed work) and a decent taper I will be ready to take on the challenge of Fargo.

That is all I have for now, until next time....

Happy Running!

Race and Rest

Everybody and their mother knows you don't train hard on Friday, the day before a race. But a lot of runners will overtrain on Thursday if left on their own. Thursday is the most dangerous day of the week. ~ Marty Stern

In less than 24 hours I will be running the Snickers Energy Bar Marathon in Albany, Georgia. This is a race that I signed up for last year, but ended up not running due to my legs just being exhausted from running in New Orleans the weekend prior. Needless to say I am extremely excited to finally be running this race for many reasons!!! First and foremost I like the name of the race...I know that is a crazy reason to like a race but I just find it unique. Second, this is a race course that should present a few challenges. A few moderate hills will be fun to tackle after running a 3:25 on a super flat race course two weeks ago in New Orleans. I am curious if I can hold onto my current time or if it will drop back a few minutes. And finally the third reason I am happy to be running this race is that I can get off of this race and rest schedule. Snickers will be my third marathon in the last 33 days and for the most part all I have done is run the race, run a few recovery miles and then rest to prepare for the next race. Normally, I will take the two days prior to a big race off and not do anything. This week I stopped running on Monday. Haven't done a thing all week except eat and work! I am hopeful that these extra rest days don't backfire on me. For all of you that are currently in training right now, your rest days are just as important as your running days. You must give your body time to recover and repair.

The weather looks decent over there for tomorrow...Mid 50's at the start with a little wind, some possible rain showers are likely but nothing too severe. I am not a fan of running in the wind but there are some things that you just can't control.

Happy Running!

Frustration

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. ~ William James

How is your training progressing? With 79 days to go to the start of the Fargo Marathon and Half Marathon, most everyone should now be well into their training. For a great number of people, frustration is or has been starting to set in. Winter is continuing to drag on, the kids are sick, work is never ending! Has frustration set in for you yet? Do you feel like you bit off more than you could handle? Those weekly long runs are starting to get longer and the challenges of life are not slowing down just because you have a marathon or a half marathon to run in 79 days!

Now is a good time to stop and take a breather. Reflect on the training you have already accomplished and look ahead to the training you have left. There are days when even the most elite runners in the world look at their running shoes and say, "not again today"! This is normal and is ok.

I would like you all to think about why it is you are running the marathon or the half marathon. Is it your first? Have you run one before but know you could have done better and want to prove something to yourself? If you are on the brink of quitting and just saying that this is not for me, think about how you will feel in 80 days knowing what could have been. Think about the crowds cheering you on as you finish up that last mile! Think about how you will feel as you enter into the Fargo Dome and see the finish line up ahead! Countless hours spent training all coming to fruition as you cross that line and your finishers medal is hung around your neck! You can at that point in time say that you did it! You overcame all obstacles and challenges and found a way to accomplish the impossible.

Happy Running!

Heart

I've learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible. ~ John Hanc

This past weekend I was lucky enough to have completed my 15th marathon at the Rock and Roll Mardi Gras New Orleans Marathon. The atmosphere was festive as most Rock and Roll races are and there were thousands upon thousands of people all eager to in some cases achieve their dreams. Not everyone can or will run a marathon or half marathon, for those that do, the excitement and nervousness can sometimes be overwhelming! I have witnessed it at the start, at mile 18 and at the finish. Everyday, regular, normal people go from "I can't to "I will" to "I did!" It is an amazing transformation. No matter your training plan, your age, your sex, your height or your weight...the ONLY part of you that matters when you toe that line, preparing to race the toughest distance in road running, is your heart!

Happy Running!