It's time for a mid year check. Wow! Where did the year go? There were five things I wanted to achieve this year. Let's see how it's coming along...
1) Run My First Marathon -- IN PROGRESS. I've just started training for the Chicago Marathon in October. I was delighted to be selected through their lottery system.
2) Run a Half in a New State -- COMPLETE. I ran the Viking Half Marathon in Mississippi. It was a chilly but sunny March morning in the quaint city of Greenwood. The route was nice and flat but the portions on the brick streets were quite challenging. The movie The Help was filmed there in 2010.
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| On the brick streets of Greenwood |
4) Run A Double or A Series of Half Marathons -- COMPLETE. I ran 4 half marathons within 21 days this winter. While not technically a multi-day series, it allowed me to move up a moon level in Half Fanatics, which was the end goal. Call me Jupiter.
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| Requirements for Jupiter |
5) Run a Sub 2:00 Half -- NOT YET. I have not trained to do this. The 8 halves I ran early this year were so close together I didn't work on speed. Maybe I can pull a rabbit out of the hat toward the end of the year, but my focus is now on distance. Unfortunately, I may have to put this one on hold until 2016. I'm busy ticking off marathon training miles in the challenging heat and humidity of summertime in Dixie. It's my life for the next 14 weeks or so.
How are you coming with your 2015 goals?
What would you do about strength training?
What would you do about strength training?
I'm joining the Tuesdays on the Run link up!
Thanks to our hosts:
Ericka @ MCM Mama Runs,
April @ Run the great wide somewhere
Patty @ My no-guilt life!
Yikes on the elbow pain! What do you think it is from?
ReplyDeleteI'm clueless. There was no accident or anything. Doc says tendon is pulling away from the elbow bone from my wrist movements.
DeleteI got that kind of elbow pain when I did unassisted pullups regularly. It's unbelievable how painful it is. I think you may surprise yourself with a half PR once you have the endurance of full marathon training under your belt. I ran my half PR 6 days after I ran a marathon.
ReplyDeleteI would love to surprise myself. A half PR 6 days after a marathon? WOW. You obviously trained very well.
DeleteGreat job on reaching your goals. Soon enough you will be able to call yourself a marathoner. Goodluck in your training this summer in the heat.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to say that! Thanks, I'll need all the luck I can get in this heat.
DeleteSorry to hear about the elbow tendonitis. Way to go on finishing 4 half marathons in 21 days and gaining Jupiter status with Half Fanatics! That is great! Looking forward to following your marathon training progress. I still have yet to do a full marathon, too many things going on right now to train for it, but maybe next year I'll finally sign up.
ReplyDeleteI had put it off long enough -- I'm not getting any younger either.
DeleteTendonitis is a bugger, I have been dealing with it for 2 1/2 years, no fun! Hope you can get rid of yours for good!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your goals, they are all so awesome and I am very much looking forward to your first marathon!!!
I hope mine will go away eventually without any surgery. But if that's the only option I'll do it. It's so painful because you use it constantly. When it's at the worst, it hurts to pick up my cell phone. I can't to hear about your next marathon.
DeleteDid the orthopedist give you exercises or refer you to a PT? I've had elbow tendinitis in both elbows - very painful! - which thankfully rarely flares up anymore. And thing that makes it go away for me when it does flare up is strength training. How about KT Tape? I have to assume you tried that, but you know about assuming. You could still do leg exercises, of course. I'm always really mad when I have a flare up - good luck with it & all your goals!
ReplyDeleteThe doc gave me a brace for my wrist (where my problem originates) and about 20 pages of exercises. So which do I do -- rest it or exercise it? It's very confusing to me. I do a few leg exercises but not at the gym.
DeleteGreat goals for the year! I ran 2 races out of state this year, both in Maryland, and it was great to break up the monotony in a new location! Congrats on your fanatics upgrade!
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to go somewhere completely new. I enjoyed that race, even though I felt really tired. I was going to run in AZ this year too but that didn't work out.
DeleteHope your elbow feels better soon! Great job on your goals, and good luck with your marathon training. I've found it's hard to train for full marathons AND work on speed.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Even when training for halves, my 5k time seems to slow down. I want to do some speed work just to help my legs remember how to turn over!
DeleteOh I did not know you ha tendonitis in your elbow. That stinks. I have latteral tendonitis in my knees!
ReplyDeleteRunning in mississippi sounds fun!
If your pain is like mine...I don't see how you can even walk around. Seriously, at it's worst I can't even pick up my cell phone without pain.
DeleteI fail on the strength training too. I just an't get motivated. I bet you get your sub 2 when it cools down in the fall.
ReplyDeleteI don't enjoy it and would probably not be motivated if my elbow was fine. I hope I can have a surprise sub 2 later this year. But, I'm not counting on it. I think staying healthy through this summer is going to be a challenge in itself.
DeleteWith the pain you're enduring, that's a really good reason to skip the push-ups!
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, there is no way I would even attempt to do a push up. No way.
DeleteGood goals laying ahead for you!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm the worst on strength training info. I need more of it in my life.
Tendonitis is the WORST... I have it in my shoulder & its MISERY
This pain in my elbow will radiate up to my shoulder. That makes me really mad. Stay put stupid tendonitis!
DeleteI definitely think 4 half marathons in such a short time counts as a challenge! Wowza!
ReplyDeleteIt was a challenge but I really enjoyed it. I may try for another moon level next year. We'll see.
DeleteI've had some tingly nerve feeling from time to time but I can't imagine pain in the elbow. Here's hoping it gets better.
ReplyDeleteI try not to focus too much on it. (At least I can run.) I hope when this shot wears off, it won't be as excruciating as before.
DeleteOuch!
ReplyDeleteI never cross train or lift weights, no matter how much I try to convince myself to do so LOL.
Good luck with the marathon training. I'm not loving all of the hot weather running I'm doing in prep for Marine Corps. In fact, I'm remembering why I said I wasn't going to do it again LOL.
Now I don't feel so bad about my weight training. Yes, I'm questioning my sanity. Why did I think I could train ALL SUMMER for a marathon?
DeleteOh man, that elbow tendonitis sounds awful!! Sounds like you're doing amazing on your goals though. And Chicago!! Great marathon...good luck with your training. Thanks for linking up with us today!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I am excited about Chicago!
DeleteI'm still in awe that you ran 4 HMs in 21 days! Sounds like you're doing great on your goals so far. For strength, could you do lower body & core until your elbow heals?
ReplyDeleteI do some lower body exercises but not many. I need some core exercises that wouldn't require me to use my arm. Got any ideas?
DeleteThat's an impressive half streak! I'm sorry to hear about your elbow, that stinks to not be able to work towards one of your goals because of a limitation like that. Have you thought about seeing a physical therapist for it maybe?
ReplyDeleteI have not tried the PT route. The orthopedist gave me a bunch of PT exercises to do and a brace. I think that's a contradiction! HA.
DeleteI hope that happens for me but I don't want to get cocky and think it will happen, you know? I believe staying healthy through this nasty summer training will be my main focus. That's challenging enough. I did have a decent run this morning and that always makes me feel good.
ReplyDeleteYour doing great on your marathon training! I enjoy following along seeing what you've done. (I secretly want to do this but know I'm just not ready yet....) I hate your elbow is giving you fits. I have something going on in my shoulder that makes it harder to lift and I'm like you I have no idea what happened or when. Your so close to a sub 2 though I know you'll reach it before long and all this training in the heat and humidity will make you super fast come the fall I just know it! :)
ReplyDeleteYou should take the plunge! Maybe we can do one together next year somewhere around the south. It would be great to get a surprise sub 2, but I'm not counting on it. I hope running in this mess makes will make me a stronger runner. Some good has got to come out of it!
Deleteyay for Chicago and your first marathon. Very excited for you :) Thanks for sharing your goal updates, I'll be posting mine soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited too. I just hope I can stay healthy!
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