Week 12 - Running Music

This week was a step back week, so I had "only" a 12 mile run. Unfortunately, it was one of those runs that I just wasn't feeling it and it was slow and long. One of the ways I get through my long runs is listening to  music. I have a running playlist called, wait for it, Running 1.

This play list ran out last week right as I was finishing my 16 miles. So I need to add some more - probably about 2 hours more of music to be on the safe side. Let me know your suggestions.

1. Dance This Mess Around - B-52's
2. Back in the USSR - The Beatles
3. Helter Skelter - The Beatles
4. Heart of Glass - Blondie
5. Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
6. Speed of Sound - Coldplay
7. You Spin Me Round - Dead or Alive
8. Behind the Wheel - Depeche Mode
9. Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
10. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John
11. Freedom 90 - George Michael 
12. Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
13. The Safety Dance - Men WIthout Hats
14. Blue Monday - New Order
15. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
16. Common People - Pulp
17. Nobody Does it Better - cover by Radiohead
18. Take me to the River - Talking Heads
19. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
20. Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
21. American Pie - Don McLean
22. Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
23. Atomic - Blondie
24. Black Coffee In Bed - Squeeze
25. Chocolate Cake - Crowded House
26. Creep - Radiohead
27. A Day in the Life - The Beatles
28. Faith - George Michael
29. I Believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness
30. I Drove All Night - cover by Cyndi Lauper
31. Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
32. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
33. Ray of Light - Madonna
34. The Reflex - Duran Duran
35. Take on Me - A-Ha
36. Here It Goes Again - OK Go
37. Hit Me Baby One More Time - cover by Travis
38. Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler
39. I've Got a Secret Miniature Camera - Peter Murphy
40. Is She Weird - Pixies
41. Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
42. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
43. Call Me Maybe - Carlie Rae Jepsen
44. Sexy and I Know IT - LMFAO

Running stats for week ending August 26

 

Miles run this week: 17

Training miles to date: 284.11

Miles left to run (including the marathon):194.2

Week 11 - Happy Anniversary

A better way to celebrate an anniversary.

Mr. H. and I celebrated six years of marriage on Sunday, August 19, by getting up around 5:30 and going for a quick jog. Except it wasn't that quick. I completed 16 miles and Mr. H. ran the first of three 20 mile runs his training calls for. It was a fairly long and grueling run for me and when he passed me as I had a little more than three miles to go, I was pretty sure that I was going to stop, but I didn't. Even with my hip hurting, I managed to finish my longest run to date. I just have to add 10 miles on top of that and then I'll only have two tenths of a mile to go before I've completed the marathon. 

I haven't had very much movement on the fundraising front lately, neither has Mr. H. With just less than 7 weeks to go, not only are we going to have to really find the strength in us to keep up with the training, but we're also raising money to help send kids with cancer to camp for a week. Of course, this is where you can help out. Any amount gets us closer to our goal. You can give to me here: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/melaniehiggins/chicago-marathon-2012 or if you want, please help out Mr. H. with his fundraising efforts here: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/johnpaulhiggins/chicago-marathon-2012

Running stats for week ending August 19

 

Miles run this week:25

Training miles to date: 267.11

Number of times I said I'd never be doing this again while on a 16 mile run: too many to count

Week 10 - A New Frontier

My super power = running faster.

Each Sunday I wake up as Mr. H. practically bounds out of bed and I dread the next few hours. Actually, I usually start dreading it the night before. And to make it even better, I've been waking up around 3:30 a.m. on Sundays just so I can remind myself that in a few short hours I have to get up and do my long run. Can you tell how excited I am to do this?

As I drag myself out of bed, Mr. H. is careful not to meet my eye or get in my way. I can be somewhat surely in the early mornings, especially when I'm about to torture myself. The odd thing is, once it gets going, it's really not that tortuous. Even this week when I somehow managed to run 15 miles (the longest I have ever gone) averaging a pace of about 10:45 minutes per mile. Even though my left hip start to hurt around mile 7, I kept going - I attribute this to the Gatorade supplied by Fleet Feet near Navy Pier. Even though Mr. H. passed me with about 5 miles to go (as I predicted he would), I kept going. And even though I wasn't wearing my favorite socks, shirt or shorts and that I was getting a bit of a blister on the back of my right heel due to disintegrating socks, I kept going. 

And so it goes. Next week I have a 16 mile run and then I get the wonderful step back week before pushing myself to 18. So even though each week I'm trying to figure out how I'm ever going to do this, somehow I do.

Running stats for week ending August12

 

Miles run this week: 21

Training miles to date: 242.11

Number of songs on my long run playing list: 44

Week 9 - Half Way (one more time with feeling)

I am officially half way through with this 18 week training. Unfortunately, I don't think it's all downhill from here. Just more running more miles. 

I was all set to get back on to the training horse this week after my back injury last week and then I caught a cold. It was mostly in my throat so I managed to run on Tuesday. But I felt awful on Wednesday and  skipped my 7 mile run. Then I felt better on Thursday, so did 4 miles. I had plans to make up my 7 miles on Friday or Saturday, but that never happened. I ended the week with a 10 mile run on Sunday.

It was actually cool outside on Sunday morning at 6 a.m., like it's supposed to be. Cool being anything less than 80 degrees at this point. It may have actually been in the low 70s when we started running. Before going out I looked up my previous 10-mile time. It took me 1:49 to run 10 miles in hot steamy weather in Cleveland. I knew I should be able to do better, and I did, clocking in 7 minutes faster for a total time of 1:43. If I can keep up this pace (about 10:20 minute miles) for the marathon, I would be over the moon happy. 

Things are starting to get real as this upcoming Sunday I have a 15 mile run. This will be the first time I go into a new distance. This week is also the last of my 3 mile training runs. After today, my Tuesday runs will go up to 4 miles. I won't see anything as short as three miles until my final week of training.

Running stats for week ending August 5

 

Miles run this week: 17

Training miles to date: 221.11

Approximate calories burned this week: 13,277