Week 10: Run 1

Scheduled: 5
Actual: 5
RPE: 4

This run felt so awesome. I really had a great time on it. And, surprise of all surprises I ran into Louie's dad while I was at the track. He was working in the neighborhood and Louie told him I would be running. So that was nice.

Tonight : 8 miles.

Week 9: Run 4

Scheduled: 16
Actual: 16
RPE: 5

Wow. This was hard. I had to walk for about 5 minutes. I really didn't think my body would be able to continue. And it stresses me out a bit that this is still 10 miles less than what I'll be doing for the marathon. Ten. Miles. Less.

I made it, though. And my body recovered pretty quickly. The key I think was adequate stretching and a real day of rest the following day. A day where I did absolutely nothing physical.

Week 9: Run 3

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 3

I was so not going to run last night. I was dicking around the apartment looking at my cameras. Cleaning up my closet. Trying to digest the Nut-rageous candy bar, bag of chips and Hot and Spicy V8 that I drank on my way home from work. Finally I forced myself out the door.

I ran really slowly, but again really focused on my form. My knees aren't really hurting today but my quads are pretty sore.

I have a 16 mile run to do on Saturday. I'm nervous about it because I didn't do my long run last week...

Week 9: Run 2

Scheduled: 7
Actual: 4
RPE: 4

So, like I said yesterday I switched the distances for run 1 and run 2 this week. Mostly so I could watch Lost. Which ended up being terrible last night.

As for the run, it was pretty good. I worked really hard on my foot falls, because I think if I concentrate on my form more, my knees will suffer less. So far I'm right.

Week 9: Run 1

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 7
RPE: 3

So, last week was quite a bust. I was feeling pretty down about my knees and the distances seemed totally undoable. And my thirtieth birthday had me in Las Vegas, so instead of sucking it up and running I sucked it up and took the week mostly off and 'rested'.

Back and in full effect, I switched Run 1 and Run 2. Tonight I'm scheduled for 7 miles but will only run 4. Tomorrow, I'm scheduled for 4 but will run 5 and Saturday I'm scheduled for 16, but will do 15. I'm altering the training a bit... as I just told you.

My knees feel better, or maybe I'm just getting used to the stiffness? I'm not sure. Either way, I'm continuing with the training until I'm unable to run.

Week 8: Run 4

Scheduled: 14
Actual: 0
RPE: NA

Mmm-hmm. Skipped this one, too.

Week 8: Run 3

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 0
RPE: NA

Yeah. I didn't run.

Week 8: Run 2

Scheduled: 6
Actual: 6
RPE: 4

So, I decided not to puss out on my run last night. I did kind of torture myself though. I ran 6 miles on the track. I wanted to run on a soft surface to protect my knee as much as possible and also I wanted a day without hills. So, the track was pretty much it. That or run in Griffith Park, which, at 7:30pm is kind of terrifyingly dark and spooky and coyote filled. So. Track it was. And bored I got. But I did it. And all 6 miles of it. And my knee is tight, but not unwalkable.

The first 4 miles felt spectacular actually. I was in great form, good pace, and really felt good. Mile 5 and 6 not so much.

Week 8: Run 1

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 0
RPE: NA

So. Last night I was supposed to run 4 miles. And... I just didn't do it. My knee is really bothering me, and I wanted to give it a bit of a rest. I plan on running tonight. But I think I'm only going to do a 4 miler instead of a 6. The big worry on my back is that I'm doing irrepairable damage to my knee and that at some point I'll have to have surgery on it. I know. I'm a total hypochondriac, but seriously... My knee is still swollen two days after my run. That can't be good, can it?

One day at a time.

Week 7: Run 4

Scheduled: 12
Actual: 12
RPE: 4-5

So... I had a long run on Saturday morning. It was misting a bit when I started out, but I've been through this before, I've run in Seattle, so I thought... it'll be fine.

An hour later I was soaking wet and kind of wishing I had a nice treadmill somewhere that I could finish up on. Then I realized, it might very well rain during the marathon. So I kept running. Some guy coming up the huge hill on Los Feliz Blvd. as I was running down it, equally soaked, and totally smiling, wished me a good morning. I did the same to him. I sang my songs out loud to fend off the fear that I would just quit and never think about running again.

It was the most difficult run I've done to date, and not just because of the distance, because I ran a lot more hills and it was pouring for a good 30 minutes of the 2 hour and 24 minute run. I was exhausted when I got home, but I survived it. And I can do it again.

Week 7: Run 3

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 3

Not as awesome as Monday's run, but still pretty great.

Saturday - 12 miles

Week 7: Run 2

Scheduled: 6
Actual: 6
RPE: 4

I'm trying a new running schedule, doing Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, rather than Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, for no other reason than I like to watch Lost and Invasion with Louie. And with my 'medium' runs getting longer and thus more time consuming, it was becoming less and less feasible to spend that time with him. So, now I run on Tuesdays. No big deal. I don't know why I just spent a paragraph talking about it. Moving right along.

Last night's run... what to say about it. It wasn't as awesome as Monday's run, but I chalk that up to it being A. longer and B. not following a rest day. I handled it pretty well and each time I finish one of these runs I think to myself, I had never run this far before. Now I can do it without thinking I'm going to die. And that makes me awesome.

I know it sounds like I'm totally getting full of myself, but in this training program, we are forced to be positive and as I get deeper into it, I'm starting to believe all the positive thinking. And believing is right next to being.

Next up - Thursday - 4 miles.

Week 7: Run 1

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 4

So after completely bitching and moaning about how I wanted to quit yesterday. I went for my first Week 7 run. And I have to say it was one of my favorite and best runs yet. I wore my new running socks, I wore my new light arm band, and I ran. Awesomely. I really felt great. I attribute this to the "let it all go" philosophy and the "carbs are awesomely required for runners" diet. I ate so many carbs yesterday. And it felt awesome. Carbs = my favorite foods. So I think I should be a runner. Forever.

Tonight - 6 miles.

Week 6: Run 4

Scheduled: 11
Actual: 11
RPE: 4-5

I don't know if I'm cut out for this. 11 miles almost killed me. My knees are about to give up... but I really want to keep going forward. I don't want to let myself down. One day at a time.

Week 6: Run 3

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 5

Boy did I ever give myself a cramp last night. Eesh. It sucked. I survived. I didn't quit. I ran like a crazy person.

This weekend, 11 miles!

Week 6: Run 2

Scheduled: 5
Actual: 5
RPE: 4

I had a very confusing run last night, I'm not actually sure how far I ran because I lost count somehow of my laps on the track and then sort of figured out that my track is not 1/4 mile and it all became very frustrating so I ran off the track through my neighborhood and that's when the dude in the white serial killer van started following me. I'm not kidding.

I ran up the street and some jack-hole was sitting at the four way stop with his right turn blinker on, but clearly was not going anywhere and fucking up traffic quite nicely. This jack-hole happened to be driving a white serial killer van. As soon as I ran up the street, white serial killer van decided to follow me. Which is exactly my biggest fear. (I've seen Silence of the Lambs way too many times to not worry about shit like this.) Much to my surprise though I was feeling very tough (I think it helped that Catch was playing Eminem). And I kept running, keeping my eye on serial killer. He finally pulled ahead of me and then was stopped at another stupidly traffic blocking spot, again looking like a moron. I'd like to think that he was just some lost asshole contractor looking for an address, but honestly, I'm pretty sure he was up to no good. Thankfully I look pretty tough when I'm running (I have a blood stain on my shirt from where I sort of half pulled off a mole on my back while running, ew, I know) and nothing came of it, but this is why I'm going to need to invest in some pepper spray.

Week 6: Run 1

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 3

I took it really easy on this run, my knees have been really stiff since last Thursday and I wanted to kind of ease back into running after my 10 mile extravaganza. So I gave myself all the time I needed, worked on my form and my visualizations and ran without the iPod. I think I can do the visualizations much better without music distracting me. Something to remember for the future.

Week 5: Run 4

Scheduled: 10
Actual: 10
RPE: 4

I have never run this far before, especially in the pouring rain in LA. When I first started, I was getting a slight mist, then by mile 8 it was straight up pouring. It was an awesome run though, I ran through Griffith Park by the golf course and there were golfers out golfing in the rain, people were out biking and hiking and jogging and this awesome older couple as I was running by on my way home drenching and I'm sure looking pretty bedraggled started clapping and smiling and cheering me on. I was in heaven.

Great run.