Shamrock Run

Yesterday, I ran the Shamrock 15k for the second time.  It is a challenging course that starts downtown on the Waterfront and heads north to the Burnside bridge.  After running halfway across the bridge, the course does a turn around sending runners back up Burnside.  After turning left at Broadway, the course continues on a slight uphill through the Portland State campus.  After running through campus, the course crosses I-405, turns right and then left to head up Terwilliger.  This is where it gets steep as Terwilliger heads up to OHSU...  then there's a slight reprieve before heading uphill again to the Chart House.  From there, there are a couple more downhill, uphill combos and then the course turns left again to head down the sweet, sweet downhill of Barbur all the way back downtown to the finish line. 

Although it is technically a 15k or 9.3 mile race, it only feels like you're running 5.75 miles because everything past that is a nice, steady, gentle downhill where you can really put it in cruise control and still log some fast miles.  Last year, I averaged 10:21 pace because I was gearing up for Eugene and had run an 18 miler on Friday night.  This year, I'd done a 14 miler on Friday morning but I still knew I'd shatter last year's pace... and I was right.  I clocked in with a 9:46 pace this year. 

Here are my splits according to the good old Garmin:
Mile 1 - 9:49
Mile 2 - 10:12
Mile 3 - 10:13
Mile 4 - 10:05
Mile 5 - 9:59
Mile 6 - 9:13
Mile 7 - 10:02
Mile 8 - 8:37
Mile 9 - 8:34
Mile 9.5 - 6:58 pace

So, according to my Garmin, I actually hit a 9:30 pace.  I'm not sure how the official timing and my Garmin could be off by :16 per mile but who cares.  I'm happy with my time especially considering that I'm only three weeks off of Austin and not feeling quite 100% recovered yet. 

Weekly Summary

Here's the update for last week:

Monday - 4 @ 9:46
Tuesday - 6 @ 9:49, Ab Lab class, 3.5 miles at Fit Training class (no idea on pace)
Wednesday - rest day (CPE)
Thursday - Vinyasa Yoga class
Friday - 14 @ 10:13
Saturday - rest
Sunday - 9.5 @ 9:30 SHAMROCK RUN!!

My schedule got pretty screwy with my work and social committments plus a race on Sunday.  That said, it was a good week.  I was really, really sore all week from getting back into some crosstraining.  That is finally starting to ease up and hopefully my body gets more used to the extra work because I have four yoga and one pilates class pencilled in for this week plus runs of 4, 6, 4, 6 and 16 miles.  Once again, I'll be doing my long run early on Friday morning to accomodate a birthday party and a wedding this weekend. 

Riverplace Athletic Club

Last night, I started by month long Yollar membership at the Riverplace Athletic Club.  The verdict is mixed but, obviously, I'll wait until I've gone a few more times to make the final call.  

I got there half an hour before my class and had a very enjoyable tour of their facilities including the pool, indoor track (16 laps to a mile?!?!??!!), basketball court, workout studios, cardio bays and weight room.  I then headed to the first class on my agenda - Ab Lab.  Upon walking in, the instructor didn't greet me or suggest what equipment I needed to gather.  I spread out my yoga mat and grabbed a ball like everyone else had.  She did start the class promptly on time but didn't vocalize any of the moves so I had to watch her and switch when she did.  That said, it was a good, hard ab workout and I'm definitely feeling it today.


Next up was the Fit Training class.  I decided to take this class because the description on the website made it sound kind of like a boot camp:  

Fit Training - This class is designed to address your
endurance, agility, strength, speed and power. The indoor
track, stairs, push-ups and weights are incorporated into
this intensive workout. You perform a series of drills,
adding challenging, multi-level moves over several weeks.
Improve your ability to burn fat using intervals and cross
training.

First off, I was told that it met at the track...  but then I could see from the track a group of people with the instructor from Ab Lab gathering by the front door.  So I went over and asked if they were meeting for Fit Training.  She said 'yes' but still did not introduce herself or ask my name.  Everyone was excited because class was going to be outside so that sounded good to me.  We headed off to run to the Hawthorne Bridge and then do some exercises on the other side.  Then she decided, no, we'd run on to the Burnside and we'd do the stairs three times and then do some exercises.  Then she decided, no, we'd run back to the club and do some kettle bell stuff there.  Then a couple of the guys said they were going to run back the long way instead so then she decided that everyone would.  At this point, I'd already run 6 miles at lunch and with the out and back was adding another 3 or so miles.  All this coming off a marathon just over two weeks ago.  I'm pretty sure I don't need a running class...  so this class was a total bust (and irritation) for me.  

This instructor clearly isn't for me but there is a yoga class on Tuesday and Thursdays at 5 that I'm going to take instead of the Ab Lab/Fit Training combo.  Things that I really did like include the 2 1/2 hours of free parking and free towel service.  The locker room is nice and I love being able to take a quick shower after a workout.  The locker room is well stocked with shampoo, conditioner, shave gel, body wash, cotton balls, Q-tips, hair spray and body lotion.  Not that I use all those things but it's still nice that they are there.  


I'll let you know how the other classes go and what I think after a few more days of membership. 

Weekly Summary

It was a challenging week as I felt like I was still recovering from Austin.  On my first two runs, I was incredibly unmotivated but that definitely changed on Friday.  I'm glad I made myself do those runs that I didn't want to - having a great run is definitely a good payoff for slogging through those tough days.  Saturday, I was supposed to run 12 miles but the Waterfront Loop is actually on 10.35 (I was thinking it was 11.5) and we were in a hurry to start Ty's birthday festivities so I called it close enough.  Plus, my legs were really tired...

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 6 @ 9:52
Wednesday - 3 @ 9:16
Thursday - rest
Friday - 6 @ 9:43
Saturday - 10.35 @ 10:05

For this week, my training plan calls for runs of 4, 6, 4, 6 and 14 miles.  We have the Shamrock run on Sunday so I'm going to have to adjust everything around that.  I'm running the 15k which, at 9 miles, will take the place of one of my 6 milers.  I have CPE on Wednesday so I think I'll have a family run around the lake that night which will cover the other 6 miler.  On Friday, I'll take a very long lunch and run the 14 miler which leaves me with today and tomorrow to get in the 4 milers.  Sounds like a plan!! 

Crosstraining!

Like a lot of runners, I really tend to fail at getting adequate crosstraining worked into my schedule.  I don't maintain a gym membership and, despite my best intentions, I find that it's really hard for me to do a video or on demand workout when I get home after work.  What I have found that works for me is Groupons!  Most of them last for 30 days and it's a great way for me to incorporate something new but it doesn't last so long that I get totally bored.  In the past, I've done them to Diva Den and RDFT Bootcamp.  I've also taken advantage when ADAPT Training has offered a free week here or there. 

I just bought a Yollar deal for 30 days at the River Place Athletic Club and I'm super excited to use it.  It is less than a mile from my work so I can even incorporate some of their lunchtime offerings into my schedule.  This is extra great because it means fewer nights away from home and fewer nights of dumping all the puppy and chores duty on my ever patient husband.  Here's my tentative weekly schedule:

Monday - 12:00 pm Yoga Fusion
Tuesday - 5:30 pm Ab Lab
Tuesday - 6:00 pm Fit Training
Wednesday - 6:30 am Yoga Fusion
Thursday - 5:30 pm Ab Lab
Thursday - 6:00 pm Fit Training
Friday - 10:35 am Mat Pilates

This will be on top of my running schedule.  I know from past months like this that it will be super, duper exhausting.  But, the results will be worth it.  I've had a couple of niggles on my last couple of runs and I know that it is my body telling me that I need to do some strengthening or else I'll be getting an injury.  Plus, we have a vacation in the Bahamas in April.  If that can't keep a girl motivated to crosstrain her butt off, I don't know what will!!! 

Mileage

Like a lot of runners, I keep track of my miles.  I run with a Garmin so it is pretty easy for me to sit down in front of the computer and plop my daily miles into a quick and easy spreadsheet.  During 2010, I ran 1,111 miles which was short of both my original goal of 1,500 miles and my revised goal of 1,200 miles.  For 2011, I've left my goal a little more flexible - I'd like to run between 1,200 and 1,500 miles.  This should be totally doable if I do end up running Vernonia and the McKenzie River 50k in addition to already completing Austin. 

So far, I ran 176 miles in January.  While this is very impressive, it is somewhat tempered by the fact that there were FIVE Saturdays in January.  An extra long run is always going to skew those numbers upward.  In February, I only ran 73.3 miles including a marathon...  so that's clearly not cutting the mustard!  My total YTD for 2011 is 249.50 miles.  To hit 1,500 miles for the year, I need to average 125 a month - which is exactly my rate through two months so we'll see if I can keep that up! 

Exercise and temperature

Here is a really interesting tidbit on the correlation between average annual temperature and levels of physical activty - http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/03/exercise_and_temperature_us_states.  I can't decide if I'm shocked or not that a quarter of Americans get no exercise outside of the workplace. 

Austin Splits

It has been over a week and I'm finally ready to take a look at my splits:

1 - 10:33
2 - 9:59
3 - 10:06
4 - 9:53
5 - 9:47
6 - 9:58
7 - 8:45
8 - 9:22
9 - 9:44
10 - 10:03
11 - 9:59
12 - 10:13
13 - 10:16
14 - 10:14
15 - 10:17
16 - 10:08
17 - 10:23
18 - 10:21
19 - 10:26
20 - 13:04
21 - 15:10
22 - 16:15
23 - 17:02
24 - 17:14
25 - 17:33
26 - 14:47
.52 (according to my Garmin) - 11:56

6 miles and it felt so good!

I ran six miles today - my first run since Austin!!  I had thought going into Austin that I'd be running again right away but I actually think that taking a full week off was a good idea.  Today's run was refreshing...  if slightly painful.  I am running in new Fingers and they were rubbing a lot on both achilles and I feel like I might have a blister on the arch of my right foot.  I think I'll take a few weeks to switch over and use my old Fingers on alternating days until the new ones don't hurt. 

Here's my tentative plan for Vernonia:

2/28 - R, 6, 3, 6, R, 12, R
3/7 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 14, R
3/14 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 16, R
3/21 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 20, R
3/28 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 10, R
4/4 - 2, 3, R, 2, R, 2, MARATHON!!!

Any comments or thoughts?