Running from my problems

Allison. 24. Canada. Working on a master's degree in teaching and running a whole lot. Marathon: 4:36:02, Half marathon: 1:44:58, 10k: 45:44, 5k: 21:58

[runningwhilenotdying]

So uh, hi I guess? It's been a WHILE. I've been lurking occasionally but my life has been so nom-stop that I completely got out of the habit of posting. But now I'm socially distancing myself, I have nothing BUT time, and I figured I'd try to pick back up here.

For a very quick update, since I lasted posted I have: gone to Greece, run a half marathon PB (1:44:58), gone long-distance with my fiance while he goes to school in another city, and finished my last teaching placement literally the day before the provincial government closed all the schools. I am a few assignments and two weeks of online classes away from finishing my master of teaching!

So anyway, I am currently socially distancing myself alone in my apartment, and the decision I came up with is to romanticize the HELL out of this enforced downtime. I'm lucky enough to be in an okay financial place in spite of my restaurant job shutting down, so I have the privilege to do schoolwork from home and honestly just relax a bit. So, some scenes from today's run, study session, and lunch.

I'm hoping to post more regularly again for a while, so see y'all soon!

[runningwhilenotdying]

Popping in from my semi-hiatus to say: I'm getting goddamn married!

[runningwhilenotdying]

Idk if you guys are aware, but the Toronto Raptors got their first NBA title last night. As a very casual basketball fan who has gotten VERY INTO the finals, I was at a bar last night screaming myself hoarse with pretty much everyone else in the city.

So anyway, slept in super late today and didn't get out to run until after 11. I planned a totally new route, and it ended up being incredibly hilly, but gorgeous and totally different from my usual running routes. Almost died on the hills, but I think it was worth it for the change of scenery.

[runningwhilenotdying]

Hello friends! Mini-update, I guess:

- I'm still alive

- I'm still running 4ish times a week, although I'm not training for anything and am still dealing with super low motivation

- I've been insanely busy with working 5 days a week at my waitressing job, going to school 2 days a week, and tutoring on the side

- Life should be quieting down a bit though, since tutoring ends in the next few weeks and I've gone down to 4 waitressing shifts a week

- Last but definitely not least, my boyfriend and I just bought tickets to Greece! We'll be in Athens and Santorini for 12 days at the end of August!

[runningwhilenotdying]

24 minute tempo run for my 24th birthday!

This was my first speed workout since my 10k and it actually felt so good to work hard again. My only goal was to hit 5 km in the 24 minutes, and I managed to go a bit beyond that! Plus look at my super-consistent splits!

Anyway, no real birthday plans for today other than class and work. But tomorrow I'm going back to my hometown to celebrate with my mom, sister, and some friends!

[runningwhilenotdying]

I love how 6 days after my race, I can run another 10k in an additional 12 minutes, 56 seconds and feel almost as bad! I have not been enjoying running at all this week, praying the joy comes back soon.

[runningwhilenotdying]

The Sporting Life 10k this past Sunday was honestly one of my best racing experiences ever. I didn't have high hopes going in, considering I didn't get home from work until midnight and I had to leave for the start line at 6:15 am. I woke up feeling pretty good for four hours of sleep, and made my way to the start line absolutely buzzing with nerves.

This was a huge race, so the start line was insane. I got there pretty close to the gun time, so ended up having to start towards the end of the 2nd wave despite wanting to be near the front of it. After taking longer than I wanted to cross the line I didn't really have anymore problems, though. It was crowded, but the road was wide so I had lots of room to pass people.

My A Goal going in was to beat my 47:32 PB, and my goal pace based on my workouts was 4:40/km. I ran the first kilometre in 4:41 without even feeling like I was running fast, so that was a great confidence booster. I stayed on pace the next few kilometres, and while I started feeling like I was working, it was still easier than I thought it would be up to the halfway point.

The sixth kilometre was definitely the lowest point of the race mentally. It was my slowest split at 4:47 and the only time I really considered the possibility of not reaching my goal.

Things turned around at the 7 km mark when I realized I could run 5:00 minute pace for the rest and still finish well under my goal. Ironically, this led me to speed up considerably and revise my A Goal to sub 47:00.

From that point on, I was running HARD. My last three splits were 4:25, 4:17, 4:28. By the last kilometre, I was barely hanging on but I knew I wasn't going to slow down so close to the end.

I rounded a corner and the finish line came into sight. I glanced at the message I'd written on my hand as a reminder and sped up as much as I could for the last stretch. I crossed the line with my hands over my head like I was breaking the tape, and almost had a heart attack when I checked my watch and saw 45:49 (45:44 chip time).

Running sub 46:00 was something I vaguely considered before taking two weeks off training for my ankle. After that, it never entered my mind again. I knew my PB was out of date, but crushing it by 1:48 is an accomplishment I'm carrying with me for a long time

[runningwhilenotdying]

Longer post to follow, but guess who just ran a 45:49 10k????!!!!!

[runningwhilenotdying]

10k training W8D5: 5 km

Last run before my 10k! The first kilometre felt like absolute death, but I sped up a bit with each kilometer after that and finished feeling good. Wish me luck on Sunday!

[runningwhilenotdying]

10k training W8D3: 5 minute warmup, 20 minute tempo, 5 minute cooldown

Last speed workout pre-race, and it went super well! I ran hella negative splits for the tempo portion (4:44, 4:51, 4:32, 4:34). And I didn't feel like I was working too hard, considering paces in the 4:30s are really, really fast for my current fitness level. Feeling pretty good about the race, even if I did have a dream last night where it turned out the race was an obstacle course, lol. Ready to run fast in four (!) days!

[runningwhilenotdying]

10k training W8D1

I worked a ton this weekend, so my legs weighed about 200 pounds each during this morning's recovery run. I was supposed to do it yesterday, but I was so exhausted from working late Saturday night that I pushed it to today. Also, apparently my 10k is 6 days away now lol!

[runningwhilenotdying]

10k Training W6D4: 5 minute warmup, 30 minute tempo, 5 minute cooldown

Wow, I did NOT want to do this. Literally lay on my bed for like 30 minutes thinking about whether I actually wanted to run ever again. I definitely brought that mindset into the run, because the first half was TERRIBLE. I felt like I was working ridiculously hard, but my splits were around 4:55 and I just couldn't get them any lower.

But then I turned around at the halfway point and something clicked in my brain. I was still working hard, but I felt a lot stronger. I managed to run 4:39, 4:41, 4:36 for the last three kilometers all while feeling better than I did for the first half. So yeah, I guess I need to remember sometimes how important the mental aspect is in this crazy sport.

[runningwhilenotdying]

10k Training W7D3: 6.5 km

It's ridiculously windy here today, but I slept in wonderfully late today and ran a surprisingly good pace. Happy Wednesday!

[runningwhilenotdying]

Please enjoy this gratuitous wedding selfie

[runningwhilenotdying]

10k Training W6D6: 8 km

God, the weather is absolutely awful today. I'm in my hometown for a wedding, and I didn't think to bring any warm running clothes because, you know, it's the end of goddamn April. But this morning as I was struggling through a wicked headwind on my run, with actual wet SNOW blowing in my face, I was pretty seriously regretting that. Luckily, I realized I was close to my mom's house, so I took a detour and snuck in, stole a jacket, and snuck out without waking her up. The run was significantly better after that, haha.

Anyway, the ceremony doesn't start til 2, so I went for breakfast with my dad and now I'm lounging around my ridiculously nice hotel room.

[runningwhilenotdying]

10k Training W6D4: 13 km

I think that pushing my three hardest runs this week to be back to back was maybe not the best idea. I was exhausted when I woke up this morning and basically stayed that way the entire run. A bunch of random muscles in my feet were hurting too, and I've been feeling generally gross since I finished. Oh well, going to take my originally planned rest day tomorrow and just try to find time to do my last two runs this weekend.

[runningwhilenotdying]

10k Training W6D3: 5 minute warmup, 30 minute tempo, 5 minute cooldown

I messed around with my training schedule this week because I'm going away for a wedding this weekend, so today was my second speed workout in two days. It went a bit better than yesterday's 800s, even if the pace could have been faster.