Roxymama's 5k to Marathon, Time to Collect Another Castle

[dancingtodisney]

Oh that hot run.. I think we've all been there!

I've no idea what the wu's and ri's are but sounds like super smart running!

Hope the resy of your week is going well lovely x

 

[roxymama]

Small tip: For summer long runs, try dressing as if it's 5-10 degrees warmer than it actually is. That way, if it warms up 5-10 degrees during your run, you're still comfy. Better to be a little underdressed early than super overdressed later in the run when you're already hot and sweaty. (I say this from personal experience)

Also ... I'm thinking of looking for a new route (I'm starting to get a little bored of some of my shorter running routes), but I'm a little nervous about doing it during the summer due to the potential for too much sun/no shade. You're braver than I am for trying.

Good luck to Roxyhubby on the tri this weekend!

This is great advise...and one I have to get better about following. I should just hide anything that's not shorts for the next two months minimum.

I think I need to figure out how to wear <0 clothes and still be appropriate. Sometimes no clothes is still too hot!

bwahahaha! Well guys get away with going topless all the time.

Loved the update. It sounds like you had an awesome weekend with your cute family- that water park sounded so fun! I can definitely relate to hot and humid runs sapping the life out of me. I HATE running in the winter when it's cold and snowy, but summer running is super hard in its own way.

When it's freezing out we wish for summer and then when its hot out we wish for winter....actually strike that...we all wish for the brief couple of weeks where it's like 50-60 but breezy and not raining.

Oh that hot run.. I think we've all been there!

I've no idea what the wu's and ri's are but sounds like super smart running!

Hope the resy of your week is going well lovely x

You win the internet today. OMG that gif!

WU is warmup pace = slooooow dooooown
RI is resting interval = it means I get to run at WU pace in between going hard.
Ack and it's tonight. I'll be right back while I go grab another cup of water.

My schedule of events will be pick up kiddo from kiddo-school, return library books and get new ones, paint each others nails because we forgot to on Tuesday (Tuesday is fingernail night and kiddo was horrified this morning that she still had the same color as last week) and then cook and eat and run. Phew

 

[roxymama]

Just checking in briefly (I could type a novel about this week so far and probably will on Monday.).
So some things to look forward to.... I had a bad week trying to hit paces and had some heat and body issues. But I think today turned it around a little on the more positive side. There was a total mental breakdown with tears on the back porch yesterday until I realized how silly I was being for crying over not hitting paces (thanks to my hubbymentalhealthcoach for the pep talk). I'll have Garmin data on Monday and some questions/request for psychoanalysis
Buuuuut the roxyfamily is in the middle of an overnight adventure in Lake Zurich for @roxyhubby Olympic distance tri tomorrow morning. It's been a lovely day. I feel better. And I'm glad I packed my sneaks for the nice air conditioned fitness room here.


And I may have treated myself

 

[roxymama]

Oh yeah and since I swam today, I also had to bike . Am I a triathlete yet? (And by swam I mean floated around a hotel pool)

 

[SarahDisney]

During the summer, I tend to look at paces as more of a suggestion than a requirement. Some days it's just not gonna happen. I'm sure Coach @DopeyBadger will have some thoughts once you post the data, but if you want a non-Coach's opinion, it's nothing to worry about (although I do have a jacket that says "Coach" on it, but that's a story for another time).

 

[dancingtodisney]

Delighted to hear that you're feeling better! Everyone has their ups and downs and with the extra heat this week it's not surprising you didn't hit your expected pace. I'm glad you had someone there to give you a pep talk!

That Starbucks looks yummy!!

Well done getting your *float* and bike in lol

 

[roxymama]

Im about to do my long run. It says 7 miles. Im staying in the shady parts and going to run what feels like long run and not get sad if my pace is slower than 10:52. So we shall just see. Im supposed to lap by the house at 3 miles to throw a thumbs up or down at hubby do he knows I'm doing ok and I've got water out and ready to grab. Im hopeful I'll be posting that I did ok. And away I go.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Im staying in the shady parts and going to run what feels like long run and not get sad if my pace is slower than 10:52.

Remember:

Effort trumps pace.

So if the effort feels like the pace should be slower, then it should be slower. The paces laid out are merely a max (as in don't go faster than). You can certainly go slower when the conditions dictate it is necessary.

 

[Ariel484]

Summer running is a total mindf*ck. That is my psychoanalysis.

What kind of frapp is that?

 

[FredtheDuck]

There was a total mental breakdown with tears on the back porch yesterday until I realized how silly I was being for crying over not hitting paces

Hitting paces can be so tough! You feel like you're trying so hard to get it right, and then you look at your stats and... you didn't. @DopeyBadger warned me when he redid my paces that I would have to be really careful about them, and I try (really, I do!), but I always miss them. Always. Then I come home and @MoanasPapa asks how my run went and I have to tell him that I missed my paces and then I feel extra bad.

So, I have no advice, other than to say that I feel ya, and that you're still improving and building every day that you get out there, so don't kick yourself too hard.

 

[roxymama]

Remember:

Effort trumps pace.

So if the effort feels like the pace should be slower, then it should be slower. The paces laid out are merely a max (as in don't go faster than). You can certainly go slower when the conditions dictate it is necessary.

You were definitely in my head even though I had not read this note until I was out running. Kept saying "if it feels like long run it's ok" over and over. I was trying to run blind as much as I could so as not to let the pace-gremlin that lives in my brain get on my case. This morning I finally synced my watch to my phone after a full week of not doing that so I've got all my numbers here in my face and will put them in my actual monday recap. I think it's pretty clear that I'm the opposite of a solar panel and I don't get energy from the sun.

Summer running is a total mindf*ck. That is my psychoanalysis.

What kind of frapp is that?

YAS! How true. Especially when coming off a spring training that had you feeling all kinds of superheroey (is that a word?) in more ideal weather.

So the frapp was a happy "accident". I already had a little ice cream (ahem...a medium dairy queen soft serve cone dipped in a butterscotch shell) earlier that day so I didn't want to get anything super rich or ice creamy and I didn't want to get anything over-caffeine because we had the early triathlon the next morning. But I was "bored" and there was a starbucks by the hotel. So I decided to get like a tea chiller type thing, but I misread the sign and somehow ended up with this green tea frapp situation. It looked too good to say anything; and I'm sure I ordered incorrectly (I do the whole menu panic thing at times.) I had to google it and it's green tea creme. It was SO GOOD! 10/10 would recommend. Tasted like white chocolate more than tea. Like if it was white I wouldn't have even known there was tea in there. At least it was a small.

Hitting paces can be so tough! You feel like you're trying so hard to get it right, and then you look at your stats and... you didn't. @DopeyBadger warned me when he redid my paces that I would have to be really careful about them, and I try (really, I do!), but I always miss them. Always. Then I come home and @MoanasPapa asks how my run went and I have to tell him that I missed my paces and then I feel extra bad.

So, I have no advice, other than to say that I feel ya, and that you're still improving and building every day that you get out there, so don't kick yourself too hard.

I'm trying not to kick myself over it. "Trying" being the optimum word there. I think I have to work on the "giving up mentally" when things aren't perfect that seems to be infiltrating my brain all of a sudden. That attitude comes and goes with me and I'm in a down period. I'll talk about it in my monday update but I think a whole week of controlled environment in the gym is going to help me turn this ship around. Especially since it's gonna be both hot and stormy all week. (Hot and stormy is a cocktail I need to invent.)

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Summer running is a total mindf*ck. That is my psychoanalysis.

What kind of frapp is that?

YES. This. #Amen

So the frapp was a happy "accident". I already had a little ice cream (ahem...a medium dairy queen soft serve cone dipped in a butterscotch shell)

Umm.. YUM. I love dipped cones and (of course!) Starbucks!

That attitude comes and goes with me and I'm in a down period.

I am in a similar phase. Thanks for being honest about it, it makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one. Misery loves company?

 

[Ariel484]

DQ soft serve is what dreams are made of - I approve (had myself a small Blizzard this weekend!). I'm not a big tea person but you saying it tasted more like chocolate is intriguing...

 

[roxymama]

DQ soft serve is what dreams are made of - I approve (had myself a small Blizzard this weekend!). I'm not a big tea person but you saying it tasted more like chocolate is intriguing...

I haven't had DQ in years....I'm thinking it was pre-baby so maybe 6-7 years!!!! Ack, crazy now to think about that. But it was also by our hotel so.......

 

[DopeyBadger]

You were definitely in my head even though I had not read this note until I was out running. Kept saying "if it feels like long run it's ok" over and over. I was trying to run blind as much as I could so as not to let the pace-gremlin that lives in my brain get on my case. This morning I finally synced my watch to my phone after a full week of not doing that so I've got all my numbers here in my face and will put them in my actual monday recap. I think it's pretty clear that I'm the opposite of a solar panel and I don't get energy from the sun.

That pace-gremlin is real.

Spoiler: Pace-Gremlins

Just keep running be effort and don't get too hung up on it.

 

[FredtheDuck]

I legit thought you were posting a snip from a running article about pacing mentality. Was NOT expecting what you actually did post : )

 

[roxymama]

Do pace gremlins have the same rules about not feeding them after midnight etc?

To which I always ask...is 2am before midnight or after midnight? Like when does it become technically before midnight?

I should stop stalling and write my monday update.

 

[McNs]

Every now and then, and only before midnight, you get a pace mogwai. One of those runs where it feels so easy, you are gliding along, and check out your pace and can't believe how fast you are running! Those are the great runs!

 

[roxymama]

Monday Training update: in which I get so excited that it's summer because I can spend so much time outside both having fun and running but in reality...

So y'all already know (if you've been reading along a little bit) that I had a rough go of things this past week. I had good intentions and good will power when it came to getting out the door to attack all my runs. But in almost every instance...the runs attacked back.

Yes, I am coping with humor. It's what I do. To give you a rough idea of how things went let's take a look at the numbers...once I stop sweating from yesterday's run.

Ok, I think I've finally stopped sweating now.

July 4th run I wrote about briefly already. I meant for it to be a LR pace for 5 miles. And while I completed my 5 miles (5.23 to be exact because I got a little lost) it wasn't exactly at LR pace (10:52 is LR, btw) and the hot, brutal sun got me in a case of the dehydrated dizzies and well...I ended the thing walking.
My miles were:
11:16
10:58
12:40
14:59
18:35
4:19 (which equates to 19:11)
Can you just feel me breaking down while reading this? To be honest I looked at my watch on mile 1 and saw where I was at. And I pushed beyond my effort to get close to LR pace (not effort) on mile 2 and I think that was my main problem. That and the sun. The sun is still not off the hook.

So I chalked that one up to being dumb about my choice of non-shady route and my over-dressed too hot outfit and not drinking enough. And then I brushed myself off and was ready for my Thur strength workout. Except Thursday didn't happen because of how hubby and I were scheduling workouts this week. So friday it was. I didn't mind the extra rest day...I was in a rough spot on Tues afterall.
So I was supposed to do 1 mi WU (12:49) with 4 miles of strength pace (9:29) with .25 mile resting intervals back at WU pace in between and a full mile of WU for my last one. I did this one later at night. It was still almost 80 degrees just "shadier."

Let's see the numbers...
WU mile 1 12:52 HUZZAH...I did something right!
Strength mile 9:42 (looking back I can't believe I started getting mad at myself on this one. that's tempo pace during a very hot evening...should have been like HELL YEAH, I'M AWESOME.)
.25 RI 3:12 (equates to 12:56)
Strength mile 10:01 (still not bad right, but I was getting frustrated here)
.25 RI 3:12 (I'm a RI robot)
Strength mile 9:49 (again, in hindsight this seems fine but alas...here's where the tears started because I wasn't even hitting my tempo pace hitting the 9:49 felt like a race effort so race brain + frustration + a day filled with headaches to begin with....)
.25 RI 3:13 (still an RI robot...PS I like RI's...they felt too short the farther I went...makes sense though)
final strength mile...I went .34 miles at the equivalent of 11:45 pace. I was being a baby and near my house and so stopped and cried on my back porch and texted my hubby that I was on the back porch letting the bugs eat me. Then I came in a blubbered some more and was talked down from my emo-place.

I'm frustrated that I didn't just finish my last WU mile at least since I know I could do that. Oh well...it happens.

But then I was determined to not let that happen again. Which I felt great on Saturday. I loved being at the hotel for hubbies triathlon (that'll get a whole other recap eventually soon) and their fitness room was cold, and brand new, and no one was in it. And I looked cute which helps when there are mirrors (let's be honest)
So I'm thinking maybe treadmill is my friend at this point in the summer even though I hate to admit that.

So Sunday I was feeling a little bit confident I could completely right this ship and so against my better judgement I decided to run outside when it was 84 out instead of waiting for the darker evening or going to the gym. Because I watched a bunch of triathletes and that was inspiring and also pizza was coming and I wanted to be done running before it was delivered. And I am dumb.

So I was supposed to do 7 miles at LR (10:52). I told myself I'd learned my lesson and to just go with what LR would feel like even if it meant slower times. Just not to push it and just complete it. Easy right?
Let's see the numbers...
Mile 1: 11:27 ok kinda slower than usual
Mile 2: 11:02 hey not bad...I finish an entire water bottle by 1.5 miles. And then I started pushing because I'm dumb
Mile 3: 10:57 wahoo, closer but now I feel like garbage. Hit pause on my watch at home...Start drining water bottle #2. Gesture to hubby I'm doing ok and then throw up 2 fingers like he knows that I mean I'm gonna do a 2 mile lap back to our porch again.
Mile 4: 11:42 ooooph
Mile 5...DNF because I walked
sigh....
I could have finished it at WU pace at least but my face was beat red, I was started to get a pounding in the front of my head and the sweat was just coming full stop.

So I think with the forecast as stormy and disgusting as it is this week, everything is treadmill...can't run too fast on it...will use the decrease arrows to put me slower if I feel I need it.

Training week #5 OMG IT'S RACE WEEK!
Monday 7/10: OFF (hubby is off all week because he earned it, spoiler alert, he finished an olympic distance triathlon!!!)
Tuesday 7/11: 4 mi @ EA Literally a run I can do in my sleep on the treadmill...I will try to stay awake for it though.
Wed 7/12: OFF, stirrup
Thur 7/13: 3 mi @ EB with strides. I've been enjoying strides because they make the pace after you are done feel so much more manageable.
Fri 7/14: EXPO DAY!!!!!!!!! And I took the whole day off work. Hubby is going to join me in Expo-ing and I need to pick a fun thing to have for lunch or fun other place to go on my day off. I do plan to look for another pair of the shorts I like and eyeball shoe sales for no good reason
Sat 7/15: Rock N Roll Chicago 5k Race. I've got no goal right now at this moment. I'll check in with you all as the week progresses and after stalking the weather. I haven't decided strategy for 5k vs 10k yet. I'd honestly be fine not even sniffing PRs in either and just having a nice time.
@opusone I'll be in corral 4 and wearing a mint green running skirt with ice cream cones on it. and probably a tank top. And I look like myself. In case you and your daughter spot me. My shoes will be bright orange and my bib will say Bridget.
Sunday 7/16: Rock n Roll Chicago 10k Race. Same thing as above. For sure just gonna see how I feel and how the weather is. I have bigger 10k fish to fry this fall.
I'll be in my new Inknburn "betty" shirt and shorts in corral 9.

I think maybe a race weekend to "have fun" running is just what I need. I won't be running with anyone. Hubby or Father-in-law aren't signed up for these. It's truly just me doing this event because I like it and I like bling. So if anything running on the Chicago riverfront should be just what I need. Now to find a giant umbrella hat in case it gets sunny.

 

[roxymama]

Every now and then, and only before midnight, you get a pace mogwai. One of those runs where it feels so easy, you are gliding along, and check out your pace and can't believe how fast you are running! Those are the great runs!

You just described my Shamrock Shuffle and my Hot Chocolate races so thank you for reminding me that those things are possible. I'm forever using pace-gremlin and pace-mogwai from now on.