Week 51: Day 4 - December 21, 2017 (Training Week 8)

• semi-long run = 6.64 miles; time = 1:26:40; average pace @ 13:02
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

This morning was so nice and cold, but not so cold that my hands were frozen (my hands got really cold and stiff yesterday during the run). I think I should look for my gloves, just in case. I'll still wear shorts and a t-shirt though. I just need my hands covered up when it gets below 40 degrees. My next run is on Sunday, but I checked the weather forecast and it will be 38 tomorrow and Saturday morning...

Week 51: Day 3 - December 20, 2017 (Training Week 8)

• easy run = 5.14 miles; time = 1:06:28; average pace @ 12:55
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

I felt better running this morning. I must have really needed the extra rest yesterday. I wore my almost soon to be retired shoes this morning. My feet were achy, but not as bad as yesterday. I am going to do one, maybe two, more runs (next week) in the shoes before I officially retire them.

Week 51: Day 2 - December 19, 2017 (Training Week 8)

• hilly trail run = 3.55 miles; time = 51:05; average pace @ 14:27
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

I really feel like I need to retire one of my shoes...the older pair. I ran in this pair this morning. My feet were more achy than usual. My legs felt heavy and I also felt unmotivated. I had the opportunity to go to bed early (or at a normal hour) last night, but I went to bed late. I did take a nap this afternoon, but whether I slept well or not last night or got a nap, it probably wouldn't have matter. Maybe I will try another run in the pair tomorrow. It'll be a little longer, but much easier (less hilly). I was able to nap this afternoon even though there weren't any quality to my sleep/nap. If taking a nap didn't help, then I am really going to retire my shoes even though I don't want to.

Week 50: Day 7 - December 17, 2017 (Training Week 7)

• long run = 9.42 miles; time = 2:09:24; average pace @ 13:44
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

Running: 

Total Weekly Mileage: 24.12

Total Monthly Mileage: 62.30

Total Yearly Mileage: 975.13

Cycling: 

Total Weekly Mileage: 27.01

Total Monthly Mileage: 216.24

Total Yearly Mileage: 1531.63

I had some peanut butter on one slice of bread before my run. It wasn't enough and I "ran" out of energy near the end of my run. Time to go shopping for some oatmeal and banana (pre-runs) and some snacks for during my runs.

Also, there were light to no winds during my runs. It was very windy by late morning, so I was glad that the winds held out long enough for me to finish my run, but the winds had died down by early afternoon

Week 50: Day 6 - December 16, 2017 (Training Week 7)

• cycling (easy ride) = 11.72 miles; time = 57:25; average speed @ 12.3 mph
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

I wanted to do a ride (27 miles) with a group this morning, but I left work very late last night and I felt very tired when I woke up at 6am this morning (the ride started at 8am). I had wanted to do a 22 mile ride on my own, but it is/was quite windy outside and I didn't want to deal with the wind for a ride of that length. So, I did a shorter ride because it is better than nothing. Drivers were better today during my ride, but not so good when I was walking my dogs.

Week 50: Day 5 - December 15, 2017 (Training Week 7)

• cycling (easy ride) =15.29 miles; time = 1:14:30; average pace @ 12.3 mph
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

So many bad driver out there? Why? Why are people in such a hurry to go home or to the store or wherever??? I almost got hit twice by two different drivers during today's ride. They cut me off while they were making their turns. I had to completely stop for one and I almost fell off my bike because he clearly didn't see me. He also had his passenger window opened. I yelled loudly at him and I got NO reaction from him. I wonder if I had actually thrown an egg at his door, would he stop and pull over when he heard something hit his car? Would he get out of his car to investigate? Would he yell at me for throwing an egg at his car? Or would he just ignore the sound of something hitting his door and keep driving? I thought about just letting bad drivers hit me, but I don't want to get so injured that I can't go to work.

Week 50: Day 4 - December 14, 2017 (Training Week 7)

• semi-long run = 6.24 miles; time = 1:23:51; average pace @ 13:26
• easy walk with dogs = 2.7 miles total

Currently I am alternating between two pairs of running shoes. One pair is a little older with more mileage than the other pair. I was running in the older pair this morning. My feet were aching in them. They barely have done 200 miles and my feet act like it's time to retire the shoes. My feet only aches in shoes when it's almost time to retire the shoes. I was really hoping that they would last until Sunday, December 31 before I retire them, but it seems like my feet are not having it. My legs also felt heavy and struggled to run this morning. I am not sure if this has anything to do with the shoes or if I'm feeling a little unmotivated/bored. After two miles into my run this morning, my feet and legs felt a little better. I ran in my newer shoes yesterday and my feet felt fine. No aching.

Week 50: Day 3 - December 13, 2017 (Training Week 7)

• easy run = 4.91 miles; time = 1:04:34; average pace @ 13:09
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

I need a way to get into the habit of riding more regularly. It was easy to ride to work in the morning at a previous job (and in the dark) because it would help me wake up and start the day. Now these days, it seems harder to ride home after work when I get off late (around midnight). I just want to get home as quickly as possible, so I can possible go for a run in the morning on five or six hours of sleep....even though it only takes ten minutes to go home by car and 20 minutes by bike. My mind doesn't and shouldn't know the difference, right? It's only ten minutes between the two.

Week 50: Day 2 - December 12, 2017 (Training Week 7)

• hilly trail run = 3.55 miles; time = 48:41; average pace @ 13:43
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

I was able to make it up the hill most of the way until I got to the last .1 mile. It got steep. I guess in due time, I will be able to make to run the whole hill to the very top without stopping after enough "practice". I have two months to practice.

Week 49: Day 7 - December 10, 2017 (Training Week 6)

• Holiday Fun Run = 15K (9.35 miles); time = 1:38:29; average pace @ 10:32
• easy walk with dogs = 2.5 miles total

Running:
Total Weekly Mileage: 23.87
Total Monthly Mileage: 38.18
Total Yearly Mileage: 951.01

Cycling:
Total Weekly Mileage: 35.66
Total Monthly Mileage: 189.23
Total Yearly Mileage: 1504.62

I did the Holiday Fun Run (15k)this morning. Upon checking the race results for the 15k distance, there were seven total runners. One male and six females. I guess the male runner got first, second and third place. I did not come in last, but almost (second to last). I also think that the 15k distance is really not a popular distance. I did a 15k last year for A Better World Running and there were seven runners at that time as well.

Anyway, my next event is The Great Chocolate Race (10 MILE) on Sunday, January 28, 2018.

Week 49: Day 5 - December 08, 2017 (Training Week 6)

• cycling ("long" ride) = 20.37 miles; time = 2:01:42; average pace @ 10 mph
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

My ride was slow. I guess that is what happens when I don't drink enough water or eat enough food. I did eat before my ride, but I think it wasn't enough for the distance and level of difficulty (it was hilly). Then near the end of the ride (about four miles from home), I went over a storm drain that had uneven asphalt. In trying to be mindful of the traffic behind me, the unevenness made me clumsy and I fell off my bike. There was actually a car right behind me and even though she was driving slow because she could only go so fast with me in front of her (the lane was narrow with no bike lane and she couldn't easily pass me), she still had to break pretty hard. If I'm going to keep riding alone, I have to be more careful and stop being clumsy. Perhaps next time I will get hit by a car and it wouldn't be their fault (unless they left the scene, leaving me there to die). I joked to a previous boss that I was a pro at falling off my bike. Time to reverse that. Not that I want to get hit by an angry, bicycle hating driver or a distracted driver, but it seems worse to get hit by a car because of my clumsiness.

I was actually thinking about riding tomorrow and I couldn't decide on the distance. I think I should take a break from riding. I guess it's a good thing that I have a birthday party to go to at 11:30am for my niece. I'll use this reason/excuse not to ride tomorrow.

Week 49: Day 4 - December 07, 2017 (Training Week 6)

• easy-ish run (training) = 6.1 miles; time = 1:20:09; average pace @ 13:08
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

This morning felt/was warmer than yesterday...by ten degrees! I was so excited for cold mornings that I was telling myself that I needed to bring out my gloves for morning runs.

Anyway, my next run will be on Sunday, December 10, and I am doing a "Holiday Fun Run" (15k distance).

Week 49: Day 3 - December 06, 2017 (Training Week 6)

• easy run = 4.87 miles; time = 1:04:48; average pace @ 13:18
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total
• cycling = 15.29 miles; time = 1:12:33; average speed @ 12.7 mph

I did a ride today...the first half of it was a route that I hadn't done in a long time. The last time was maybe in 2014. At the time, the hills that were part of the ride seemed hard. They didn't look like mountains, but they felt like mountains to me. I was using all lowest gears on my bike and I was slow. Today was good. The hills definitely felt like hills, but they don't feel or seem like mountains to me anymore and I'm not angry at them. I think I am getting better because I wasn't using the lowest gears and I felt like I was riding faster. Must be from riding all those tough hills and long distance riding! I could look up what my time was in 2014, but I'm being a little lazy right now. I'll attempt this ride again soon.

Week 49: Day 2 - December 05, 2017 (Training Week 6)

• hilly trail run = 3.55 miles; time = 46:37 miles; average pace @ 13:08
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

I did a run on a trail that I hadn't done since May. It had a .9 mile incline. I don't know why I stopped doing this run. I made three rest stops during my run this morning...the first one was to take a quick picture of the sunrise. The second stop, I had to tie my laces. The third time had a steep incline and my legs felt like rubber. I guess I'll find out next week if I can run most of the way up hill without stopping.

Week 48: Day 7 - December 03, 2017 (Training Week 5)

• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

Running:

Total Weekly Mileage: 23.67
Total Monthly Mileage (November): 92.49
Total Monthly (December) Mileage: 14.31
Total Yearly Mileage: 927.14

Cycling:
Total Weekly Mileage: 20.55
Total Monthly Mileage: 153.57
Total Yearly Mileage: 1468.96

This post is more as an update and to track mileage for running and cycling. I was going to do a ride with a cycling group from meetup, hence why I did my long run yesterday (Saturday). Normally, I would do long runs on Sundays. I did have to work last night (Saturday), but not too late. I woke up feeling tired. I walked my dogs and was able (very easily) to go back to sleep. I wish I could easily go back to sleep for a nap after a run.

Week 48: Day 6 - December 02, 2017 (Training Week 5)

• long run = 8.24 miles; time = 1:49:22; average pace @13:16
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

I didn't get much sleep after work last night. Surprisingly, I did perfectly fine during my run this morning. I did started to feel it this afternoon. My head kept nodding off and it was hard to keep my eyes open while sitting, so I attempted to take a nap. It felt like I did take a nap, but not really at the same time. I don't know what is it with me and nap. I don't know why I can't take naps anymore when I need it.

I had wanted to go for a ride today as well, but never got around to it. I actually felt sore after my run. Should have, could have gone yesterday....

Week 48: Day 5 - December 01, 2017 (Training Week 5)

• morning run = 6.07 miles; time = 1:19:59; average pace @ 13:11
• easy walk with dogs = 2.6 miles total

I had planned to ride this morning after my run, but laziness kicked so I didn't ride. Perhaps tomorrow after my eight mile run, but we'll see about that.