Zenaida Arroyo

18
Mar
2018

Illinois Marathon Training Recap, Week 16

categories: Brooks Running, Illinois Marathon, Marathon Training, Running, Weekly Recap

Week #16, March 12-18

M Rest
T 3.77
W 2.51
TH 5.83
F Rest
S Ran 3.78
S Ran 13.00

I spent all day Tuesday in a meeting. It was a long day and the last thing I wanted to do after school was run. We also got more snow. Not a lot but seriously crazy weather. Oh but at least it isn’t as bad as on the east coast.

I currently have 4 pairs of shoes in rotation. They’re all Brooks Launch 4, except the green shoes on the lower right, those are the Launch 5.

On Wednesday it was warm enough to wear shorts. Spring is so close!

Thursday’s run was fun but also hard! I had to do 15 minute warm up, 5×5 minute @10:02 pace with 400m recovery, and 10 minute cool down. I was nervous but knew I could do it. The first three 5 minute reps felt comfortable. The last two felt hard because of the wind. I tried to keep going but just couldn’t take it anymore. When I saw my splits I realized that I was also running too fast.

I wanted to do these without stopping but with the last two I did stop for a few seconds to catch my breath. I feel like I cheated. 🙂 Overall, I am very pleased with my negative splits!!

I thought Saturday’s run was 45 minutes but instead it was supposed to be 40 minutes. Oh well. It was in the high 30s and I felt great out there. I didn’t realize how tired I was and ended up taking a nap from 3-4pm. Lola was very tired too from running around all day.

Illinois Marathon-157

I have mixed feelings about today’s long run (13 miles-4 warm up, 6 @10:45 pace, 3 cool down). I understand the benefits of tempo runs but I still dislike them. I always have a hard time holding the pace. Today’s run felt hard.

Hanging out with Lola before making myself go out for my run. It was a beautiful and warm afternoon.

Illinois Marathon-158

I took one Huma Gel (affiliate link) before my run. They’re my new favorite gels. The originals are tasty but I also love the plus which have a natural electrolyte. I took 3 extra ones and ended up taking one at mile 4 and then another one at mile 8.

I was smiling at the end of my run because I was done with it. But deep down I was sore and tired. And full of doubt. As you can see, I did hit my target pace but tempo runs are supposed to be run without stopping and I didn’t do that here. There were a few times that the pace felt comfortable, which was surprising, but there were times in which I was barely hanging on and had to stop. A few times I wanted to quit too. The reason I didn’t is because it was a very nice day for a run. I’ve been complaining about how cold it has been and today it was just perfect. So of course I couldn’t stop!

Total mileage for the week: 28.89
Total mileage for this training cycle: 329.93
Total mileage for the year: 251.11

Here’s how training has gone so far:
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8
• Week 9
• Week 10
• Week 11
• Week 12
• Week 13
• Week 14
• Week 15

How was YOUR week?

Link back to the host and let’s support other bloggers linking up as they train for a marathon, half marathon, or any other event.

15
Mar
2018

Random Thoughts Thursday 11

categories: Random Thoughts Thursday

Random Thoughts Thursday

Happy Thursday! It is one of my favorite days of the week because that means Friday and the weekend aren’t too far behind. It has been warming up and Spring is around the corner!

• March Madness! I don’t really follow any of the basketball teams but I do like to be included in this whole madness. I have two brackets with two different teams being the winner. Crossing my fingers I win one of them.

• These crazy drivers are ridiculous! Why are we in a rush to get from one place to the next? Being in a hurry and in a car can be a recipe for disaster. I leave my house around 6:30 am and arrive at school by 7. I take my time and drive the speed limit. Some drivers zigzag to get through faster not really taking in consideration how dangerous that can be.

• What is the purpose of Daylight Savings Time? Monday was tough for me and my students. We were all very tired. Towards the end of the day, I had them put their head down for a few minutes to relax. Then I couldn’t wait to get home but I stayed late to work on lesson plans. Back to DST, I’ve noticed that it is still dark at 6am where before it was a little bit light. I am not liking it. However, I do like that it is still bright at 6:00 pm.

• I am a sucker for Target and Costco. I can never go there and just purchase what’s on my list. I went to Costco on Tuesday for maple syrup and avocados. Then I tried chips and mini tacos and before I knew it, my cart was full of food.

Costo Cart-1.jpg

• Got my second pair of Tieks. Originally I had a brownish color (Chestnut) and exchanged them for Leopard Print. Aren’t they gorgeous?

What are some of your random thoughts today?

11
Mar
2018

Illinois Marathon Training Recap, Week 15

categories: Brooks Running, Illinois Marathon, Marathon Training, Running, Weekly Recap

Week #15, March 5-11

M Rest
T 3.36
W 5.21
TH 3.35
F Rest
S Ran 3.00
S Ran 12.01

Tuesday’s run was fantastic! I received a new pair of the Brooks Launch 5 and ran 40 minutes in them. I know I’ve raved about the Launch 4 but these new ones are so beautiful and makes me want to keep on running.

On Wednesday I had to do 20 minutes warm up, 20 minutes @11:58, and 20 minutes cool down. Not very exciting but did it anyway. It was cold/chilly and windy. I didn’t do my run exactly like I was supposed to.

Illinois Marathon-144

By Thursday I was tired. I didn’t want to run. I got home and stayed in bed for a little bit. I think I just needed a quick break because a few minutes later I got up to run 40 minutes. Cold and windy again. I did see a gorgeous sunset!

Illinois Marathon-145

Saturday morning I got a massage. The last time I got one was about 5 months ago. It felt so great! I could literally feel the tingling from my toes to my fingertips. I made another appointment for the 24th and cannot wait.

Illinois Marathon-146

After my massage I ran 3 miles. I was supposed to run 35 minutes. At 35 minutes my watch was showing about 2.97 miles or something like that. I knew it would drive me crazy if I stopped at that number so I kept running and finished 3 miles at 35:16. 🙂

Congrats to my coaches, Mary and Rochelle! Mary placed 2nd in the RnR DC 5k and Rochelle placed 1st in the marathon.

Illinois Marathon-147 Illinois Marathon-148

Sunday’s run was 12 miles. I procrastinated as long as I could and finally went out running around 3:30pm. The plan was to run them at an easy pace (11:58-13:06). Usually when I do easy runs I am TIRED and am grateful that it is “just” 30, 40, or 45 minutes. I was nervous about 12 miles. But I can say that I felt GREAT during my run. The sun made it warm and there was a little wind which helped cool me down a bit. Only 2 miles were done over 12:00 and that made me very happy!

Total mileage for the week: 26.93
Total mileage for this training cycle: 301.04
Total mileage for the year: 222.22

How was YOUR week?

Link back to the host and let’s support other bloggers linking up as they train for a marathon, half marathon, or any other event.

08
Mar
2018

Random Thoughts Thursday 10

categories: Random Thoughts Thursday

Random Thoughts Thursday

How is it that it is Thursday again? Today is a short week for me. There was no school on Monday due to Casimir Pulaski. Honestly, I don’t know why we have that day off. But, for now I will not complain and enjoy that day off for as long as we have it off.

• How To Get Away With Murder. Anyone watch it? Did you see it last Thursday (S4 E13 Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)? Wow! Annalise (Viola Davis) was phenomenal! I’ve watched that episode twice and will probably see it again.

• Spring Break is 3 weeks away. I am not planning to go away and am OK with it. I actually like staying home. Work is always crazy so this week gives me a chance to relax and take it easy. I am hoping to meet up with friends for lunch or dinner since during the week it is hard for me to do so.

• My first race is on the 25th and I am excited about it. I will be running the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle on the 25th. This is one of my favorite races. I have my shoes ready for this race. Aren’t they adorable?

Brooks Launch 5 Shamrock Shoes-1

• Have you heard about the $5 Savings Challenge? What you do is save every $5 bill that comes into your possession. Then after 6 months, 1 year, etc., you count it and use it for whatever you want. I rarely carry cash but still plan to save my $5 bills. I have a Brooks shoe box with an opening on the top. I did tape the side so I wouldn’t be easily tempted to count it or use the cash. 🙂 Yesterday I added my first $5 bill.

• I got $10 from Achievement. It is a FREE app that you sync with other apps such as Strava, Garmin Connect, FitBit and earn points for your activities. When you reach 10,000 points, you get $10. Very easy! I’ve been a member since January 4, 2017 and have already earned $30. You have nothing to lose as it doesn’t require doing anything extra than what you’re probably already doing.

What are some of your random thoughts today?

06
Mar
2018

My love relationship with the treadmill.

categories: Running, Tuesdays on the Run

I know many people don’t like the treadmill. In fact, many people HATE it and call it the dreamill.

While I do like my gym and have enjoyed most of my runs outside, there have been times that I wished I had a treadmill at home. On many occasions I have questioned my sanity because it would be freezing or snowing and yet I was outside. Also, the snow and ice makes a run or driving challenging so ideally it would be best to run indoors. Other times it takes me longer to motivate myself and get ready for a run than the actual run (especially for my runs of 30-45 minutes). 🙂

However, I have also done a lot of runs on the treadmill. I think the longest run I’ve done is either 14 or 16 miles. During my summer break I would wake up later than usual and by then it would be too hot to run outside. I remember one day running in the middle of the day and I almost passed out. Not sure what I was thinking. Or I guess I wasn’t thinking at all. 🙂

Here is what helped me make my runs more bearable:

• Listen to fun music. I rarely listen to music while on a run but on the treadmill it is a MUST. I have a variety of Spanish and English music and various playlists. Depending on how I was feeling is the music I would pick. However, my favorites are:

• Watch TV. Sometimes music gets on my nerves so I prefer to watch TV. I’ve watched whatever is playing on the television or a show on my iPad.

• Change incline and/or pace. I did my runs at 0% incline but made sure to change the pace. I would set a timer for 1:30/2:00 minutes or 3:00/4:00 minutes and then change the pace (I would have 3 different paces) at the sound of the buzzer. Or I would change it after each song. This would make the run a bit more exciting and made the time go by faster.

• Reward myself. For me it would be a coffee, food, beer, or a new piece of gear. Of course I wouldn’t do this for every single run but mainly on days when I had ZERO desire to run and needed some motivation.

• Thinking of that wonderful feeling after a run. The most difficult part of a run is starting said run. Once that happens then you get all of these good feelings and the result is a wonderful sense of accomplishment. And then be ready to do it all over again.

• Break up the run into parts. I never did a run without stopping. Who wants to run 10 miles without stopping? Not me. For a run of that distance, I would run 2.5 miles, take a quick break, and run again 2.5 miles. Then I would use the bathroom and/or get more water and repeat for the rest of the 5 miles. Something similar could be done for 12, 14, or 16 miles. The key is to not think of it as a LONG run of 12, 14, 16 miles but instead as short and quick runs with breaks in between.

So yes/no to treadmill? What’s the longest you’ve run on the treadmill?

Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.