luluorange’s Training Blog

I was notified by Brooks yesterday about winning the random monthly drawing - Brooks Heritage Jacket.  How exciting, this is the way to end the year!!! Thanks Brooks and thanks to Sweat365 team for maintaining this excellent site for all of us to check in on each other and keep ourselves motivated.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The pretty running jacket is now mine!!!

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 12/31/2008
• Time: 15:02:54
• Total Time: 00:50:00.00
• Calories: 1043
• Distance: 18 miles
• Average Speed: 21.6 mph

I have been doing a lot of cross training in the past couple of weeks instead of running.  Trying to save my ankle for the actual race in 09.  Strong run this morning, feeling good the whole way.  I tracked over 1000 miles this year, let’s hope next year is just as good minus the injury.  :)

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 12/30/2008
• Time: 06:30:00
• Total Time: 00:50:41.00
• Calories: 661
• Distance: 5.2 miles
• Average Pace: 9:44.42/mile

We utilized jump rope, resistant band, exercise ball, hand weights and it was 75 minutes of non-stop, heart-pumping actions.  Great class, boy, am I going to be sore tomorrow.  :)

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 12/27/2008
• Time: 08:15:00
• Total Time: 1:25:00.00
• Calories: 623

May you and your family enjoy a peaceful and loving Christmas.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 12/24/2008
• Time: 23:43:04
• Total Time: 00:45:00.00
• Calories: 938
• Distance: 18 miles
• Average Speed: 24 mph

I went the the gym and hopped on the treadmill first, walk/run a mile, still very aware of my left ankle and the nagging dull irritation.  I decided that I wasn’t gonna mess with my ankle.  So I got on a Stairs Master, it is one of those rolling stair case, I grabbed a “OK” magazine, put on my ipod and set the machine a medium speed; and started to climb, next thing I know, sweat was dripping off of me and half an hour has gone by as I was finishing up my gossip magazine.

It was a suprisingly good workout, and no irritation to the ankle is the best part.

Workout:

• Type: General Cardio
• Date: 12/23/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 00:30:00.00
• Calories: 273

I did good in the first 16 miles, my left ankle started to hurt, I took longer walk break and struggle to start running again.  I ended up walking the remainging 4 miles.  

I haven’t done this kind of mileage in a while and to say the soreness in my body is uncomfortible is a understatement.  Parts of my body that haven’t hurt in a while are hurting.  I couldn’t clean up fast enough after I got home, took two Neproxan and went to bed, didn’t even bother to eat.

I don’t really want to think about what this means for the February marathon. Walking to the finish line is a marathon is not something I really want to do.  Not happy with today’s run…

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 12/20/2008
• Time: 06:15:00
• Total Time: 3:52:00.00
• Calories: 2419
• Distance: 20 miles
• Average Pace: 11:36.32/mile

I was waken up by the sound of pouring rain hitting my building at 5:45 am, I laid awake listening to the rain.  Along comes the loud noise from ambulance driving by, I can only imagine the wet, slippery and flooded road from the consistent downpour all night.  I said to myself, “Do I want to go out there today? Nah…”, so I rolled over and went back to sleep.  That was yesterday…

This morning, I was determine to get out of bed and go to the gym, rain or shine.

Spinning class for Tuesday starts too late for me to make it to work on time, so I hop on the treadmill and did a quickie, while breaking in my new running shoes.  I just got this pair a week ago and have walked 4 miles in it and wore it on Friday casual day in the office, it’s definitely not ready to take out for long run yet.  It still need a little seasoning.

The shoes was a little stiff at first, so I slowed down at the beginning, a good run, overall.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 12/16/2008
• Time: 14:33:14
• Total Time: 00:41:00.00
• Calories: 534
• Distance: 4.33 miles
• Average Pace: 9:27.82/mile

I mentioned in my previous post about running in the rain on Saturday and marathonwannabe wants to know how that was pleasurable.  I know I only wrote a very short post due to lack of time.  Now, let me set this up properly for you.

The route was Temescal Canyon, about 4.5 miles of winding hills along some of the most gorgeous homes.  The temperature was about 54 degrees, the wind was calm when we began at 7am.

The hills doesnt’ let up, the elevation goes on and on; it was difficult, I was looking for relief.  We finally get to the top and came out of the private home neighborhood into a commercial areas of shops and restaurants along Sunset Boulevard.  The road flattens a bit until we turn a sharp left into Temescal Canyon Road, the rain started to fall.  At this point, I was soaked in sweat anyways, there was not an inch of my clothing that was dry.  The turn-out on Temescal starts an one-mile down hill run.  Oh, the glory!!!  I picked up the pace and let my legs guide me, the rain is hitting harder and harder, the rain drops were falling off my eyelashes and my nose.  My feet were light and fast, every stride firmly in control.  I was on top of the world.  The glorious one mile down hill lead us right into Pacific Coast Highway where the ocean and the bike path awaited.  My heart is full of gratitude for that I was able to experience this moment.

I wanted to share this with you and be thankful for everyday I am able to go out and hit the pavement pain-free.

After a 60-hour work week, I needed this run more than I realize.

Letting the stress dissolved as I move forward, it rained for about 5 miles of the run and it was AWSOME!!!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 12/13/2008
• Time: 07:30:00
• Total Time: 1:39:00.00
• Calories: 1289
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 9:54.06/mile

We were supposed to do 20 miles, I know this will probably be too many miles for me to bite off. I calculate the miles and figured I will turn around early and do about 16 miles.  The weather was nice and cool, first time in a long time I actually put on a jacket.  With a jacket, I actually have pockets to put stuff in, yeah!!!  I normally don’t carry my phone with me when I run, simply because there’s no place to put it.  I decided to take my phone with me today thinking just in case my injury returns half way, I can call my husband for help.

I enjoyed the run, it has been a stressful week, I desperately needed this release.  I savored every moment of the run.  At mile 12, the pain in my left ankle returned, I took a couple of unscheduled walk-breaks and tried to restart my run.  Every time I picked up my speed, the pains was very pronounced.  I thought it over and decided that I will walk back to my car, even though three miles will take about 50 minutes.  I wasn’t going to risk injuring myself more that I absolutely have to.

Walking motion doesn’t seem to hurt, so I settled in my strides and kept up with a good walking pace.  When you slow down, you get to see a little more of your surrending.  When I finally got back to our starting point, I stretched for a while.  My feet hurts pretty bad, but understandablly so.

Really enjoyable workout.  A bit disappointed that the ankle couldn’t hold up very well after mile 12.  We’ll see how this unfolds in the next few weeks.

For now, RICE - rest, ice, compression and elevate.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 12/06/2008
• Time: 06:15:00
• Total Time: 2:55:00.00
• Calories: 1824
• Distance: 15 miles
• Average Pace: 11:40.39/mile