It's Race Day!

Back in HM training....

And it has been an adventure.

I am in the middle of the Runner's World's "Run Less - Run Faster" program. I am running three days a  week. One day is a speed workout. One day is a tempo workout. The last day is the big long run. My body has really taken to the program very well, but wiped out after my tempo and long run days. Those days require a lot of careful planning afterwards. I learned last Sunday that rest is very important after when I went to the Chicago Auto Show afterwards (BIG mistake!!). I am in the 5th week out of the 16 week program.

I also have registered (*gasp*) for the Twin Cities Marathon in October.  My game plan this year to focus on just two big races and some little races in between. Thank GOD that I have a 4 week break between training programs.  I am going to seriously need it!!

School has an adventure. I have been learning a lot. I am looking forward to my first EVER Spring Break week off from school.  Yes, kids, in the years of undergrad and my first graduate degree, I did NOT have a Spring Break or a summer break or a break between semester period. I am surprised that I did not go coo-coo during the previous programs.

Anyways, I really need to seriously blog more. This will be a big help during the course of my training plan.

Laters!

Bring on 2013!!

I know that I have not posted in a while. Things have been a bit busy in my life....or I have just allowed life to get that way.

Anyway, I have had some changes in my life at the end of 2012.  A lot of them have been positive.  I finally started a new job - a permanent one and one in my industry.

I also have been accepted into a 2nd Master's program towards a degree in Counseling. I will graduate in approximately in May 2016 or sooner if my transfers go through like I want to.

I am also making positive changes with my running. I will be starting a new HM training program next Monday. I am training for the Diva HM in San Francisco. I can not wait!! I have not decided on any other races, but will keep an open mind once my HM training is done.

I am also making positive changes in my diet as well. Since I already on the GF diet for my gluten sensitivities, I decided to take it the next step forward by starting the Paleo diet.  I am still learning more about it, but slowly making the changes daily. I have done my share of reading a lot about it.

Here's to 2013!

Breaking out

Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.  - David Frost

In the last 7 years, I have had the love and hate relationship with running. In the first year, I had no structure within my training and ended up taking risks. Some of those risk were successful and some were...uh...not proud moments.

Of all of those moments, I learned a lot very quickly. I ended up doing much better during my 2nd year of running. I set a lot of PR's and slowly increased my running speed as I made attempts to get faster. Some of those moments ended up with injuries, but I remained strong to push through.

I am finishing up my first full year of running again in 2012 after my 2nd knee surgery. I ended up coming back slowly. I was slower than I wanted to do. I had to learn to accept it. It was quite difficult. There were times where I lost my running mojo. Then I slowly found it coming back again.

I have also found myself being more cautious in my running - mostly so I can avoid injury again. I have put together a strong plan for myself. I focused on half-marathons this year along with quite a few 5K's. I took some risks and paid the price when things did not go so well. But I also found some of the risks went very well.

I have found through the lack of running after my surgery that I have found my love for running again. I found that it came back stronger. I have learned to appreciate it my accomplishments more. I do not take running for granted at all.

I also found that I felt the same way when Josh and I had to place our gym membership on hold. I found that I appreciate the comforts of the gym more especially because I was forced to run outside. Unfortuately, when you depend on the weather being cooperative outside, it does not always work out the way that you wanted it to be. I had to learn to more patient and flexible in my training schedule. I also learned to get the hell of work quicker during the midweek so I could get my short 3 mile runs in before dusk so I can run in my favorite path in the Forest Preserve before the police started ticketing my car or just finishing with total darkness.

I appreciate the comforts of the treadmill. After only a month away from the gym, my legs are forced reacclimate to the treadmill. It is strange that they need to do this, but it is amazing how my legs felt comfortable on the treadmill getting a 3 mile run in.

Now as the month of October hits its middleway point, I am starting to shift my training plan slowly to my off-season. I have two more 5K's left before the weather turns cold here in Chicago. I am starting to think about what races that I want to do in 2013. I am also thinking of goals that I want to accomplish during this important period in my training.

Here's some of the off-season goals that I have come up with.:

1. Maintain my endurance level during the off-season with running 4 days a week.
2. Increase my "slow" speed on the treadmill towards 5.8 MPH on the treadmill by January.
3. Return back into the weight room slowly and work on building a lean muscle.
4. Incorporate some hill work on the treadmill and learn to love the hill (Gag!)

I have also thought about what type of races that I want to do in 2013. I have learned from last year that I do not do well in summer racing.....period. There's no point of fighting it. I do much better in the Spring and Fall. I do plan to do a couple of half-marathons, but I want to spread them out more this time. I also want to throw in some of 10K on top of the 5K's that I am doing already. I want to break my 10K PR. It is way overdue.

I want to break out in 2013 with a stronger attitude and a stronger body. I am determined to do that.

What I did this summer....

or how I got my running groove back.

This past summer since the start my blogging hiatus, I have been extremely busy as I stated in the last post. Here's what I did in a short and sweet versions:

I graduated with (and completed) my Master's Degree in June.

I did not make the trek to Duluth to run the HM during Grandma's marathon weekend because of ankle injury. It was not worth the trip and expense.

I started my battle with fighting back from gluten's destructive (and painful) powers. I currently have non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance even though I have 8 out of 10 symptoms for Celiac Disease. This included a recent diagnosis with iron-definency anemia with very low iron levels.

As a result of my "tummy issues", my running really sucked....badly. I struggled to make two attempts at smashing my 5K and HM PR's. I did not have my running mojo at all. I was not being the speedy MNFirefly that I should be. I was frustrated, angry, and sad that I was not doing as well as I wanted to. My long runs really sucked when I could barely run a mile or two without catching my breath and constantly losing my steam.

I have been on a gluten-free diet since June. I added a dairy-free diet to the mix in addition to my already pescatarian diet (which is really "fun" to explain at family functions). I have had some bumps in the road with my diet...mostly painful ones. But I am getting a hang of it.

But I have noticed now that my running has improved since adding a combo of the GF diet and iron/B12 supplements. I ran with a fellow runner blogger, Kurt the week after my Chicago marathon finish and a very bad week with my GF issues. I was completely intimated with his 8:30/mi pace and did not think I could handle it. I surprised myself during the first half of my 6 mile run when I was running sub-9:00 splits and a couple of 8:45 splits. That's how I got my confidence and mojo back.

I finally smashed my 5K PR two weeks ago in a very hilly course. I was completely estatic.

That's all for now. I hope to get back to writing full time. I need to get back into it. Just like riding a bicycle.

Sorry for the hiatus...

...but I have been extremely busy.

Very busy!

I have been finally working again. And running. Running fast.

But I have not forgotten about this blog. I promise in the next post to try to explain everything.

I am feeling more motivation to write. Writing about running.

Right now, I am in the process of applying for my 2nd Master's degree. (Yes, I am crazy!) But I also have been writing some great articles on Sports, etc. I am almost finished with my first full year of running again and I am getting faster.

I have another 5K this weekend. I am hoping that the weather cooperates with rain and thunder predicted. Boo!

Well, off to bed.

Until next time.

Introducing Denise Nathan, M.A.

I know this is a little late, but I have GRADUATED!!