Turnips Running Amok

I have just been plain depressed lately. At first it was worrying me, and then as usual, my therapeutic hobby helped me out. During a quick speed workout on the track on Monday, I came to the conclusion that with the stress I have been under lately, I would be crazy NOT to be depresed.
First, RCIA (initiation into the Catholic Church) which went on for a year, is over. I am LOVING being Catholic, but nonetheless it is a transition to make and a small chapter of my life is over.
Second, the accident. Totalling your car is stressful no matter what, buying a new car, insurance, rentals BLECH!
Thirdly, the accident made me behind at work with the time I had to take off. Wonderful.
Fourthly, one of my projects, the major one, is finally completed, and I have to make a transition to new projects which is both exciting but is leaving me with my wheels spinning at the moment. Two people being let go this past month is not making it easier for me to catch up, especially since I am taking over the duties of one of them.
Fifthly, my roomate got accepted to graduate school (Yay!) but that does mean she will be moving to Charleston in August. (boo).
Sixthly (is that a word?) My half marathon that I have trained so hard for is over. Although the results were understandable, my time was not what I hoped for.
And if that's not enough, I got a hubby 6 hours away and trying to make my way to see him in all this.
So I am NOT going crazy, I am a normal human being that is just going through a butt-ton of crap right now! In that regard, I have decided that the best therapy is to create a new challenge to meet and to get back some routine into my life.
After much research, thought, and the need for a new challenge after my half, I have decided on two things:

1.) I would like to do one or two more half marathons before I tackle the full marathons. I think I need to get used to these distances and spending all that time on my feet.

2.) I need to SPEED UP!

After much research, I have decided that I have been running my recovery runs WAY to slow, like an 11:00 mile. Considering that my goal race pace for a 5K is between an 8:00 and 8:15 min mile and my 10K pace is an 8:30 mile I should be running these long runs and recovery runs at about 9:30 or 9:45 pace (at least according to my research, Yay for Running Times article on the 4 Major Mistakes runners make that can hold them back, I highly reccommend checking it out).
I am also going to return to Interval training too. The TEMPO runs were good and helped my endurance, but I think I really need to build some SPEED and am thus returning to interval and track workouts once a week. I banged one out on Monday (short but sweet) doing 4 x 800m at slightly under 8:00 mile pace with 2 mile warm up and cool down....It felt GREAT! I need to remember that I actually DO enjoy these workouts, they are very stress relieving and it is rewarding to see those pace numbers.
I even got a hard copy Training Log which is already very helpful and can help me keep track of my pace, weight, eating, pulse, on paper right after I run.
Of course I will also be kicking it into high gear at work and getting more involved at church in the mean time, but at least that is the story with running...and I already feel better.

Posted by Turnip at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I have been a very bad blogger lately. I have barely kept up my own and left everyone hanging until Wedensday about the half results. I haven't been commenting or visiting other blogs much. I have been a bad bad blogger, forgive me! It has just been crazy at work and at home but I will be good I promise! Of course I haven't been a very good runner lately either, but I'll forgive myself for that since I am still recovering from the half. With that, I now give you some lessons learned from that awesome (and insane) half marathon!

1.) I am a trail runner. Road races are fun, but my heart and soul is all trails!

2.) I enjoy longer distances - I can go slower and It gives me a release for that adventure/explorer part of me.

3.) If you are going to run a trail race, even a short one, TRAIN ON TRAILS. It is SOOOO different from a road race. I am so happy I trained on trails because it really gave me what small edge I did have on the whopping 56 people I beat (I came in 100th out of 156). I didn't shy away from the obstacles, I had a bit more finesse on rocks and roots, and I was mentally prepared for the challenge.

4.) Trail shoes are key. SO glad I brought my trail shoes. Other people that were in sight of me even commented on them said I seemed to be slipping and sliding a lot less than they were in their road shoes. I agree! However, I think I am due for a new pair...oh darn, have to go shopping :)

5.) I think I need to MOVE! I honestly love it here in South Carolina but there are VERY few trail races! I think wherever I consider moving to when I graduate, I am going to check out the trail running scene!

On that note, I think for the first time I am going to run across the Blossom St Bridge (a very short bridge with pedestrians on it all the time) and hit the trails that are just over the river for my 8 miler! Happy running..

Posted by Turnip at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

2:28
Not what I was hoping for but considering the course for this TRAIL half got 3 or 4 inches of rain the night before, I am not that dissappointed. Nonetheless I had a BLAST! That was probably the most fun race I have done.
The first mile had us wading waist-deep (you read that right) through a creek (FUN!) and the rest of the course was fairly precarious, especially the last 4 miles. I have NEVER seen so much mud in my life! There were some places you could barely walk through, let alone run because you would lose your shoe or fall on your face! You had to grab onto roots and trees to slither up some of the hills. (Yes, I really do think this is FUN!) The course also included some rickety bridges that you were required to walk on because they were only held by wires (imagine 6 runners at a time on one of these things, a little scary!) Anyways, I am not TOTALLY addicted to trail race and am going to do my best to find some more! Of course my friends think I am insane and concluded that I willfully PAID to go through boot camp, (but nonetheless, I am in way better shape then they are, TTTHHBBTHH!!!)
Going to ease off training for a couple weeks to recover, I am going to then start upping the ante a little bit. I really would like to train faster this time and pursue another half marathon. In the meantime, Happy Trails!

p.s.-sorry for the delay in the race report, work is really busy and I had a kitten get her ass kicked resulting in a trip to the vet! She is fine though and has hopefully learned her lesson that at a whopping 6 lbs, she shouldn't be picking fights with the 12 lb. cat next door!

Posted by Turnip at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

My first Half Marathon is finally here! Tomorrow is the big day!

Event: Fort Mill Ramble Trail Half Marathon
Location : Fort Mill,SC
Start Time : 9:00

Wahoo! Here is to willingly waking up at the butt crack of dawn, on a Saturday to go and PAY to torture myself for 13 miles. Yay!

Posted by Turnip at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I finally got a chance to go up to Norfolk and visit my boy this weekend. I got to relax, (and work on my paper we are trying to publish) and of course, RUN! Had a nice easy 5 miler on Saturday and Monday I had a GREAT 10 mile run. I couldn't get out to the area trails but ran around the flat neighborhoods near his apartment. This made it probably the fastest 10 miles I have done (relatively speaking of course!) at about a 9:48/mile . I must say I am a bit sore today but the rest of the week is short easy runs in prep for the big HALF on Saturday! I am getting pretty excited. I was nervous about it since getting sick and all the crap with my car really screwed with my training, but after that 10 miler yesterday I am feeling very confident and excited! Happy running...

Posted by Turnip at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Finally, the ordeal seems to be over! Last weekend we finally got the insurance, new car and all that crap straightened out and my life is back to some sort of normalcy. (I don't do well without some sort of routine!) Anyways, I am now the proud owner of a bright red 2004 Dodge Neon! I miss my Jeep but I like this new car a lot. Its nice having something that doesn't shake and rattle when it goes over 70 and to not have to wrestle with a stick.
On that note, my training is back on schedule to some extent. I can't go out too hard this week with the Half coming up on May 20th (getting nervous!) but I did a 4 mile easy run, a 5 mile TEMPO (eight miles total) so far this week and plan to do two more 5 mile runs and a 10 mile trail run this weekend.
Nonetheless, it finally feels as though I can get back to normal. It has been really stressful dealing with all this and I hope that this will finally be the end of it!
Work however is back in full swing - especially with a fired post-doc who left a MESS behind that we are still trying to sort through. The more we look, the more we discover he had no idea what he was doing. Sigh....hopefully I can salvage something.

Posted by Turnip at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Had a nice and easy 5 mile run yesterday, even picked up the pace (a tad) and felt great to be out there again on a regular basis. However the last half mile - mile turned into an unexpected speed workout! Let's just say the bean burrito with jalapenos may have been to blame....i'll spare you the details. Suffice to say, I had to get home quick! Not planning on much this weekend. I hope to get in a good 6 or 7 miler though.

Posted by Turnip at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I think it was possibly the WORST cold I have EVER had. I spent 1 day at home praying my roomate would come home so she could put me out of my misery and the next two days I only lasted a couple of hours at work. I finally started feeling normal on sunday but yesterday was the first day I felt like I could actually run. - it was only 4 miles, and definitely not by best 4 but it still felt good to get out there again after more than a week!
I am still trying to buy a new car. The Jeep is totalled so I have picked out a new one, just wating on getting approved for the loan which is nerve-wracking. I just want this ordeal to be over with! Hopefully by next week I can finally get back to some form of normalcy....I just hope I am really ready for this half. It worries me missing a whole week of training :(

Posted by Turnip at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)