My first 5 weeks of marathon training are going to be in Sri Lanka and India. Average temperatures above 85 degrees with humidity lingering around 85% during monsoon season? I have to get ready for that somehow. In reality, I've already looked into a few gyms and found a few that I'm probably going to join because those conditions just seem unsafe. In the mean time though, I'm trying to prepare. Don't worry, I'm hydrating and I actually felt great on my run this morning.
But I'm not hear to talk about running in Sri Lanka or India. You'll hear enough about that when I get there. See, I'm not a very consistent runner and as I'm starting to think about marathon training, I need to start thinking about how to be a more consistent runner.
You know when you first get your drivers' license and you constantly stare at the speedometer while you're driving to make sure you're not speeding? No? Was that just me? Ok well, I'm the same way with my Garmin. Sometimes I think getting it was a curse. I absolutely love it, but it was really awkward to bend my arm in such a way to stare at my pace on my Nike+ whereas with my Garmin, I find myself constantly looking at it. Sometimes, I play games with myself like: I can't look at my Garmin until this song is over, I can look at my Garmin again when I get to that lamp post. I rarely make it to the lamp post though before I'm peaking down. It's like an addiction!
Despite this, I'm actually all over the place when it comes to running. My mentality is always just to start strong and push through or pull back as needed. Turns out, that's not the best way to approach a marathon when you have a goal in mind.
And I have my sites set on some pretty big goals this training cycle. But first, there's that whole consistency issue, which I thought a lot about on today's run.
I think because I was thinking about it so much, I ran pretty consistently today though!
Mile 1 @ 8:49, Mile 2 @ 9:38, Mile 3 @ 9:44, Mile 4 @ 9:49, Mile 5 @ 9:44
But that was a rarity. Check out this 4 mile run from a few days ago:
Mile 1 @ 9:16, Mile 2 @ 9:04, Mile 3 @ 9:33, Mile 4 @ 9:56.
Now, it was in Texas and it was about 100 degrees outside so ignore the fact that they all start with the number 9. But I was all over the place! I also know that I'm a much faster runner than this and that when I'm not running in Inferno-like temperatures, I can bust out sub-8 miles like it's my job. But regardless of the temperature, I need to start working on consistency in order to be a better runner. You know what else I need to work on? Strength training. Which I don't do. At all. Yea, I know. I'm working on it.
You know what else I'm working on? Eating lots of protein and healthy foods. This is probably going to be challenging in Sri Lanka, but at least I'll be eating good food!
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| "The Power Classic" from Real Girls Eat: Juiced Carrots & Apples. YUM! |
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| Protein packed snack: String Cheese, Apples & PB |
I love the Garmin game too or just in general make it to the end of the song, make it till the next minute etc. Consistency hmm that can be hard, having a pacing friend helps me. Also the treadmill, don't try to go all out, go as "all out" as you can hold that pace for as long as you want to go - the body eventually remembers, make sense?
ReplyDeleteGirl, I am the SAME way with my Garmin! It's so addicting to constantly look at my watch and want to push myself even harder. I've also been working on trying to remain consistent and trying to beat the heat as best as I can.
ReplyDeleteConsistency? What's that? :-P I think it's just running the same route, over and over and over again that gets me to run consistent times. I'm not the best at it, but I try. It's also hard because somedays your body says "go go go" and other days it doesn't...
ReplyDeleteI'm SO not consistent when it comes to running. I wish I were, but in reality, I'm not. And I don't have a Garmin (yet). As it is, I obsess enough while I'm running. I am a creature of habit, so I often listen to the same playlist, and because I know how long the songs are, this is the only way that I can measure my pace. When I'm on the treadmill, I play similar mind games (I can't look at my pace/distance until after a song is over, etc.)...but I wind up doing it anyway. The only time I don't, is when I actually cover the treadmill reads with my towel or post-it notes (I'm a freak...the only person I know who brings post-it notes out on the gym floor).
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading more about your training!
So, I learned that weight training is extremely important this past year when I found out that I was underweight. I knew I couldn't give up running but I was burning more calories and muscle mass than I could afford...so eat right is good. A good system is to indulge every now and again. I mean, no one wants to give up sweets or chips forever! I stick to around 4 cheats a week. Also, try eating small snacks every couple hours. That really helps. Plus, if you start weights, it will help you maintain the muscle.
ReplyDeleteAs for weight training: I hate it. But I finally found a couple machines and weight exercises that I enjoy (and I like the benefits too!) I stick with dumbbell stuff mostly because I'm less afraid I'll get caught under them. You can do squats with them, and work on some arm muscle. I just do this about twice a week and I feel a ton better. Don't know if any of that's helpful...but just thought I'd contribute