Making Vows, Other "Stuff" - and 9 weeks left!

Running stuff:
Well, I survived the week!!! Another 20 miler done I am really looking forward to a "restful" cutback before the "monster month" of training that lies ahead.

Somehow I have managed to get through 7 weeks of  this training plan without injury *insert HAPPY DANCE here*.

At this point I am higher in MPW (miles/week)  than my peak for my first marathon (last May) was.
Yet, with Eugene training, I was icing Achilles tendons and the fronts of my ankles, etc...and wondering if I should be cutting back mileage.  I am a hard-head and went on through it. I know its a big blessing  not to be injured, and I am so grateful for it.
I am really glad that I slowly starting building my mileage after Eugene last year- so I have already hit the 70 MPW mark back in October. That has to help with the injuries. We shall see how it goes as I continue to increase over the next 5 weeks.

Short race?
I'd really like to do a "formal" speed check sometime soon and might throw in to a short race, if I can find one that doesn't mess up my training too much.

Hill stuff: (addressing some comments)
First off- I love downhills, but can understand not loving downhills. I love MY downhills. I don't know that I will love steep or long downhills on a course that I have never ran.
I hope the hill running and weights will build both my strength and my confidence. I  am still new to the distance and my habits have been to err toward holding back too much. My strategies are starting to change, though.

Here are some VOWS I will make publicly (to hold my bad-self accountable).

I vow to:

• get two more hours of sleep each week
• get intimate with my foam roller at least twice a day, 4 times if I can!!
• keep up on the weights through the first week of April.
• NOT MAKE PIZZA for dinner the night before a long run. It just ain't workin'!!! I will spare you the details, but will just say that I don't want to be inventing a portable TP dispenser for running with. How do people carb load the night before a race? I'll never know!!...It must be without fiber.
• No fiber after 7 PM. I don't care how bad that banana or chocolate roll is calling my name. I am saying NO!
• Carefully consider my training plan each week and make changes as necessary. (I am already considering redesigning the monster month to have a few runs broken into doubles. I will probably do this on interval days, since I don't want to break up any long tempos or medium long/ long runs.)
• Get to my race weight- but not really sure what the bottom line is. I know I am close now and have a lot of miles to put in.  I think things will balance out, as my appetite is really picking up. I made a REAL PIG out of myself Saturday and Sunday. I was famished Saturday night and made cinnamon rolls, without cinnamon- instead I slathered chocolate inside before rolling up and cutting. I ate so much chocolate in the process that I didn't feel like eating the rolls when they were done.
• Try to be nice to those around me who are not training for a marathon and have no idea how much I want to take a nap. =D

Also, special thanks to Jenn and Meg and Jill who continue to give me VERY VALUABLE advice regarding Boston. THANKS, Ladies!!! Any other tips are greatly appreciated.
I am currently wondering about corrals, since I have never been in one.  It will be a whole new concept for me- and I am not sure if I am going to be in the right one. I have a little research to do there.

OM Goodness! 9 weeks left!!!

Other stuff:
You might have noticed a few changes on my blog, like the header.  Nathan, my oldest son (6) took it on a road a few miles from home. Thanks to Tina and Slugo for the comments last post- I have had the hardest time settling on a header I like since I want to be pictured, but not necessarily IN YOUR FACE all the time. I think I am going to stick with the new header for a while. Maybe =D...


Also- I found a new blogger, or rather she found me...Niz at Run, Niz, Run! - Go check her blog out. Great stuff there =D.

For Believers
I also added a Christian blogs section. It's my goal to use my running (and blogging) to glorify God. In time I hope to get my "steps of faith" tab going again, once I can reestablish all the links to the proper places. There is also something else faith-related that I hope I can post soon.

Recently I was listening to a podcast from http://www.marathontalk.com/ where Ryan Hall was interviewed. Listening to him really inspired me to use my gifts more. He talked about all sorts of things marathon related on that episode, but the part where he discussed how he became a runner, and what he hopes to accomplish with his Hall Steps Foundation, was really interesting. In my opinion, here is a man who is humble about his gifts and wants to serve others. He understands that life isn't about running, but about relationships. It was worth listening to during my LR, even if with the "Click and Clack" of the marathoners talking before and after =D

For the ladies: the True Woman blog just started a 30 day husband encouragement challenge. I SO need this. If you are interested in joining me in this challenge, I would be thrilled. I am sure your husband would be too. ;)

And yes...it is VALENTINE'S DAY today! So happy Valentine's Day to you.

 I bought myself chocolate =D ...

Really, I have the best hubby in the world for ME- he fixed the sink and cleaned the garage yesterday (That's way better than candy or flowers) and he gave me three of the most beautiful boys in the world...and he watches them while I spend hours of running each week. Man after my own heart!

Hypothermic LR & TM conversion chart

Rockefeller? No. It's Elkton's city Christmas tree in the center of town!

Hypothermic rain

Saturday's long run wasn't terribly long, but is was LONG ENOUGH to learn a few good lessons. I'm glad it wasn't any longer than the 15 I had scheduled.

When I started out, it was still dark and there was light rain. Rain is sometimes refreshing and usually doesn't bother me. It rains a lot here from Oct- May. Usually, though, I can still leave my shell at home and even remove the long sleeves. Most of the time the rain lets up within 2 miles of home.

Saturday was different. I guess I should have taken a hint by the flashing sky way off in the distance towards Scottsburg. It was still dark. I have been wearing glasses for running lately (had to order new contacts after the sinus infection. Oh joy!) and at first I thought it was just reflections in them, not the lightening that it was. By the time I got to the mailbox, I knew it was really a storm coming from the pacific and I hoped that it was almost over.

About 8 minutes later the rain had all but stopped. It was 34F, but I was warming up, so I took off my long sleeve shirt and tied it to my waist. I had on tights and felt comfortable. The lightening was still going and I prayed that it would remain on the horizon.

As I got into town, I even had time to snap a few pictures with my camera, which I wore inside of a plastic baggie in my snazzy binocular fanny pack.

Could it be that Santa lives in Elkton? No.....all we have are rain-deer.

HAHAHA. I crack myself up! Deer with glowing eyes.

I had no way of knowing that in a few minutes the wind would come, the lightning would comewithin a mile away and that there would be pouring rain mixed with ice in it.

Near my turnaround I seriously wondered about whether I should stay near the tall trees to avoid a lightening strike on the highway, or get away from the trees because they might attract it.  As I crossed the bridge, the wind gusted & pierced (we NEVER have any real wind) and my shoes were filled with water. I had 5.5 miles left.

A mile later a neighbor in her pickup asked if I wanted a ride (thanks Becky!). I said no, but I wondered if I had made a bad decision as she pulled away. In 2.5 years, (and even some 8F runs), this was the coldest I have ever been while running. I had no dry shirt to put on, as my long sleeve top was as soaked as the rest of me and I had left my shell at home.

I had to have Jon help me take my clothes off (he was happy to help!) so I could shower. I skipped the ice bath and took a warm/hot shower as my hands and arms and torso burned during the thawing process.

Since then I did a little hypothermia running research (even though I am sure I was nowhere near that point) and sure enough, a few racers have actually died from it. It can be a real problem with marathon distances, because of the duration of the race and the slower pace (compared with a 5K or 10K). One of the runners who suffered from it had a body temp of 95F (compared with 98.6 normal). Precipitation is a KEY contributing factor in hypothermia.

Two things I might start doing: I think it would be wise to have a dry shirt stashed in a bag somewhere and to always bring my shell and put it in the mailbox for afterwards if it is raining.

Has anyone else ever had a similar situation? What did you do?

Treadmill conversion chart

After I posted Ryan Hall's Boston hill workout, I had a few questions about TM inclines. I still don't have the answers, but my grandpa who reads my blog and is a retired engineer sent this chart to me, which I thought might be useful to one of you readers: (thanks Grandpa!! I love you!

Slope     Angle


%        Degree

1         .75

2         1.15

3         1.71

4         2.29

5         2.86

6         3.93

7         4.00

8         4.57

9         5.14

10       5.17
 
I am very non-mechanical. But I think that there is a construction instrument, or a giant protractor you could use, to figure out your TM's degree relative to the floor, and then check its corresponding road grade if you are training for a specific grade, like 6%.  
 
My TM doesn't have an indicator for what grade or degree it is inclining. I just press up and down! Ha! I could really use the engineer to come to my house and play with my TM...Grandpa? :)
 
Blogging help ?

Is there anyone who could help me post something from the excel program to my blog? I'd like to do it so it's readable as a chart.  I am working on a new training plan and would like to post it when it's done! :)