Today is oscar sunday.. not that im a big movie person, I actually am not, but its kindof like the superbowl. Even if you're not a sports fan, everyone ends up watching the superbowl. Im actually watching the oscars it right now as I write this. This week was pretty good, and I was actually able to run on the road a little which was nice. Today rained tho and I had to run on the treadmill again... bleh. I havent been able to do a good long run for a couple weeks because every sunday it rains. I guess theoretically I can do a long run on a treadmill, but I just don't have the patience to run 13 miles on a treadmill.
Today I ran 8 miles on the treadmill which was pretty hard. The treadmills at 24hour fitness automatically stop after an hour. Either that or I don't know how to fix the settings, but from what I have been able to tell, the maximum they let you go is one hour. I suppose I could stop after an hour and start it again right away, but that just kills my momentum, and ya.... bad excuse i know. But anyways, it actually is kinda good in a way because it forces me to get in as many miles as I can in 60 mins. Today I ran 8 miles in the 60 minutes, which is 8 miles per hour, or 7:30 mile pace... according to the treadmill (who knows how accurate that thing is), but either way it was hard.
34 miles this week. Again, considering that the long run was only 8 miles, I am pretty happy.
Monday - 5 mile run on treadmill + weights
Tuesday - 4 mile run
Weds - nothing
Thursday - 9 mile run (really good run, I was hurting at like mile 2, and somehow got myself to push through the rest of the run, very mentally challenging run but the mental part is half of what makes a marathon hard!)
Friday - 4 miles on treadmill + weights
Saturday - 4 mile run
Sunday - 8 miles on treadmill + weights
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
2/15/09 - Rain Rain Go Away
This week was pretty good considering everything. I only ran 28 miles, but considering that it was all on a treadmill, I was pretty happy. I hate running on treadmills, but it rained the whole week.
But since I was at the gym running on the treadmill, that meant that I did alot of weight training as well. I just can't go to a gym and only do cardio... i have to lift something heavy while i'm there, so I ended up doing some good weight training and abs this week after I ran. But also, I felt very strong this week. Probably due to last week's low mileage, or maybe i'm just getting in better shape, but i just felt good this week. When I stopped running, it was because I was bored, not because I couldn't go any further. Thats the bad thing about treadmills... they are mentally challenging because you know that you can get off at any time. Where as when you are 4 miles from home, you don't have a choice but to run 4 more miles.
Tomorrow is Monday which is usually a rest day, but I don't have school because of president's day, and since today wasnt a long run like usual, I will probably get a few miles in tomorrow. But rain is in the forecast pretty much all week this week. If i can get over 30 miles for the week again, and have another good weight training week, I will be happy. I still have a ways to go till I am doing a comfortable 40 miles a week, including 13+ mile long runs, but I am building my base, and I can feel my legs getting stronger... plus its still only february.
Heres how this week looked: 28 miles total
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - 7 miles on treadmill + weights
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Saturday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Sunday - 6 miles on treadmill + abs
But since I was at the gym running on the treadmill, that meant that I did alot of weight training as well. I just can't go to a gym and only do cardio... i have to lift something heavy while i'm there, so I ended up doing some good weight training and abs this week after I ran. But also, I felt very strong this week. Probably due to last week's low mileage, or maybe i'm just getting in better shape, but i just felt good this week. When I stopped running, it was because I was bored, not because I couldn't go any further. Thats the bad thing about treadmills... they are mentally challenging because you know that you can get off at any time. Where as when you are 4 miles from home, you don't have a choice but to run 4 more miles.
Tomorrow is Monday which is usually a rest day, but I don't have school because of president's day, and since today wasnt a long run like usual, I will probably get a few miles in tomorrow. But rain is in the forecast pretty much all week this week. If i can get over 30 miles for the week again, and have another good weight training week, I will be happy. I still have a ways to go till I am doing a comfortable 40 miles a week, including 13+ mile long runs, but I am building my base, and I can feel my legs getting stronger... plus its still only february.
Heres how this week looked: 28 miles total
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - 7 miles on treadmill + weights
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Saturday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Sunday - 6 miles on treadmill + abs
Sunday, February 8, 2009
2/8/09 - Garbage..
This week was garbage.. first off I had this weird pain in my lower right calf from mon-weds ish.. it felt like hard and stiff.. i think it was just a build up of scar tissue from the day before, but it hurt to walk let alone run, so that set me back a little. Then, it rained alot this week, which is always bad news because I hate running on treadmills. Friday, I did a good treadmill workout, but overall in terms of mileage, this week wasn't good. Today, I had to stop on the treadmill cuz my shins started acting up, which hasnt happened in months... not a good sign. I made up for it by lifting a little more, but still, 20 miles a week is not gonna cut it
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - 3 miles on treadmill, weight
Wednesday - 4 mile run in morning cuz my morning class was cancelled
Thursday - nothing
Friday - 5.5 on treadmill finishing with hard sprints w/ max incline, weights
Saturday - 5 mile run, ez pace
Sunday - 2 miles on treadmill.. just wasn't feeling it, weights
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - 3 miles on treadmill, weight
Wednesday - 4 mile run in morning cuz my morning class was cancelled
Thursday - nothing
Friday - 5.5 on treadmill finishing with hard sprints w/ max incline, weights
Saturday - 5 mile run, ez pace
Sunday - 2 miles on treadmill.. just wasn't feeling it, weights
Sunday, February 1, 2009
2/1/09 - Weekly Recap
So this is my first running related blog entry, and I suppose it is fitting because I just did my longest training run ever. I ran 16.5 miles, and boy am I paying the price. My glutes are really sore even as I sit here right now, and everything I do seems to be in slow motion. It feels good though, and all the aches and pains are soreness, not injury related, which is a positive sign. I averaged an 8:55 pace, which isn't exactly great, but I was going for distance today, not speed (not to mention there were some intense hills). I am just trying to increase my total mileage before trying to get faster. I want to get the point where I am running about 40 miles a week, before I worry about speed or heart rate at all. Granted my shorter runs will be faster, but I am not going to worry too much about my pace. This is a time to listen to my body and make sure that I don't increase speed or distance too quickly. Last thing I need is an overuse injury over 6 months away... that would be foolish.
It is a little scary to think that I ran 16.5 at 8:55 and it was pretty rough, when my goal is to run 26.2 at a 7:15 pace. But then again I have a long way to go.
This past week was okay as far as training. Mondays and Wednesdays I generally have class all day, so those have become my default rest days until the days become longer and its not dark at 6, or until I suck it up and start doing some running in the morning.
Heres how the past week went:
Mon - Nothing
Tues - 9 miles starting slow, but finished the last 3ish miles probably around 8 min pace
Wed- Nothing
Thurs- No running, but did weight training for about an hour
Fri- 4 miles, and weights again
Sat- 4 miles, with some plyometric work
Sun- 16.5
This puts me at 33.5 for this past week. Not bad for right now. I want to get up to where I am doing 40 miles a week comfortably. But I don't plan on doing such long runs every sunday, so I will have to add some mileage during the week. Thurs/Fri will probably have to be where its at for now.
The best part about doing a LONG Sunday morning run is that I can eat anything for the rest of the day, and I can go tomorrow without running, without feeling guilty. Cya next week!
It is a little scary to think that I ran 16.5 at 8:55 and it was pretty rough, when my goal is to run 26.2 at a 7:15 pace. But then again I have a long way to go.
This past week was okay as far as training. Mondays and Wednesdays I generally have class all day, so those have become my default rest days until the days become longer and its not dark at 6, or until I suck it up and start doing some running in the morning.
Heres how the past week went:
Mon - Nothing
Tues - 9 miles starting slow, but finished the last 3ish miles probably around 8 min pace
Wed- Nothing
Thurs- No running, but did weight training for about an hour
Fri- 4 miles, and weights again
Sat- 4 miles, with some plyometric work
Sun- 16.5
This puts me at 33.5 for this past week. Not bad for right now. I want to get up to where I am doing 40 miles a week comfortably. But I don't plan on doing such long runs every sunday, so I will have to add some mileage during the week. Thurs/Fri will probably have to be where its at for now.
The best part about doing a LONG Sunday morning run is that I can eat anything for the rest of the day, and I can go tomorrow without running, without feeling guilty. Cya next week!
2/1/09 - A little background on me and this blog
February 1, 2009
Welcome to my marathon training blog! If you are at this site, you probably already know a little about me, but just for some background...
My name is Payam Saljoughian and I am a first year law student at Golden Gate University. All my life, I have been involved with swimming. I swam in college, where I was the team captain of the UC Santa Cruz Men's Swim Team. I was the head coach of a recreation swim team at the Moraga Tennis and Swim Club. I have been involved with swimming websites and was at the Olympic Trials as media last summer. Most recently, I swim on and off with the Orinda Aquatics Masters team.
However, after graduating from college, swimming took a back seat, and I looked to pursue some other athletic goals of mine. I always said that i wanted to run a marathon, but it always was more of something that I said rather than something that I did. Last summer, in between college and law school, I decided that I was going to train for a marathon. I took the summer off, and gave my self a well needed break between school and school and was determined to finish my first marathon. I trained all summer, and finished the San Francisco Marathon in 3:14.56. I was extremely happy with my time, seeing that it was not only my first marathon but my first running race of any distance. As excited as I was about my time, I was also a little disappointed because I missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by less that 4 minutes. For my age group, a time of 3:10.59 qualifies for the prestigious Boston Marathon.
And that is where this blog begins (hence the title). My goal is to run a 3:10.59 or faster at the San Francisco Marathon on July 26, 2009 and qualify for the Boston Marathon. You may say that a 4 minute drop is not much, and you may be right, but qualifying for Boston is my current goal. Eventually, I would like to get under 3 hours, but being that I am spending this year doing one of the most academically challenging things you can do, time is also scarce these days. And anyways, running a 3:10 marathon is no walk in the park!!
There are 2 main reasons that I decided to start this blog. First, I plan on running the marathon for a cause. I do not know what charity or organization I will be running for quite yet, but when I make that decision, I will be asking for people to support the charity that I have selected. I feel that in asking for donations, it is only appropriate for people to be able to join me on my journey as well. Second, training for a marathon, like training for any athletic event requires discipline, organization, and hard work. Having a place to log my training will give me the confidence that I need, when I am able to look back on how hard I have worked towards my goal.
One of my favorite things about running is seeing all the familiar faces as I run around town. People constantly wave and give me encouragement, and I see people that I otherwise would never see. Unfortunately, I am usually trying to keep a certain pace, or run a specific distance without stopping, and I am unable to stop and chat. This blog will be a place where people that have seen me on the streets can give me encouraging and supporting messages on my way to SF, and hopefully Boston!
I plan on updating this blog once a week, probably every Sunday afternoon. I generally do my long runs on Sunday, so I figure it will be a good time for me to comment on my week of training, and that last long run. I will also do blogs here and there about anything else that is somewhat related such as nutrition, weight training, swimming, and even school and social stuff. However, I plan on keeping it specific to the purpose of the blog which is my Marathon goal.
Welcome to my marathon training blog! If you are at this site, you probably already know a little about me, but just for some background...
My name is Payam Saljoughian and I am a first year law student at Golden Gate University. All my life, I have been involved with swimming. I swam in college, where I was the team captain of the UC Santa Cruz Men's Swim Team. I was the head coach of a recreation swim team at the Moraga Tennis and Swim Club. I have been involved with swimming websites and was at the Olympic Trials as media last summer. Most recently, I swim on and off with the Orinda Aquatics Masters team.
However, after graduating from college, swimming took a back seat, and I looked to pursue some other athletic goals of mine. I always said that i wanted to run a marathon, but it always was more of something that I said rather than something that I did. Last summer, in between college and law school, I decided that I was going to train for a marathon. I took the summer off, and gave my self a well needed break between school and school and was determined to finish my first marathon. I trained all summer, and finished the San Francisco Marathon in 3:14.56. I was extremely happy with my time, seeing that it was not only my first marathon but my first running race of any distance. As excited as I was about my time, I was also a little disappointed because I missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by less that 4 minutes. For my age group, a time of 3:10.59 qualifies for the prestigious Boston Marathon.
And that is where this blog begins (hence the title). My goal is to run a 3:10.59 or faster at the San Francisco Marathon on July 26, 2009 and qualify for the Boston Marathon. You may say that a 4 minute drop is not much, and you may be right, but qualifying for Boston is my current goal. Eventually, I would like to get under 3 hours, but being that I am spending this year doing one of the most academically challenging things you can do, time is also scarce these days. And anyways, running a 3:10 marathon is no walk in the park!!
There are 2 main reasons that I decided to start this blog. First, I plan on running the marathon for a cause. I do not know what charity or organization I will be running for quite yet, but when I make that decision, I will be asking for people to support the charity that I have selected. I feel that in asking for donations, it is only appropriate for people to be able to join me on my journey as well. Second, training for a marathon, like training for any athletic event requires discipline, organization, and hard work. Having a place to log my training will give me the confidence that I need, when I am able to look back on how hard I have worked towards my goal.
One of my favorite things about running is seeing all the familiar faces as I run around town. People constantly wave and give me encouragement, and I see people that I otherwise would never see. Unfortunately, I am usually trying to keep a certain pace, or run a specific distance without stopping, and I am unable to stop and chat. This blog will be a place where people that have seen me on the streets can give me encouraging and supporting messages on my way to SF, and hopefully Boston!
I plan on updating this blog once a week, probably every Sunday afternoon. I generally do my long runs on Sunday, so I figure it will be a good time for me to comment on my week of training, and that last long run. I will also do blogs here and there about anything else that is somewhat related such as nutrition, weight training, swimming, and even school and social stuff. However, I plan on keeping it specific to the purpose of the blog which is my Marathon goal.
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