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Feb

12

Negative Splits to beat cancer!

Posted by : Carol Dani Toro | On : February 12, 2012

Category: Training

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Take that cancer!

With this new concept I will be…

Better, Faster, Stronger

This morning I ran my first negative-split in 38 minutes.  Don’t know what a negative-split is? No worries, I didn’t know what it was until this morning.  At first I thought it was something we should never do, especially since it contained the word negative.  After all negativity wont help us find a cancer cure. Little did I know that running negative can have a positive effect. (Yeah, yeah, I had to do that.)

As Coach Shelby explained, a negative-split keeps you from hitting the wall at the end of your run.  The concept is that if you run slower in the first half of your race, your body will be warmed up and it allows your body to conserve precious resources.   This allows you to push yourself a bit harder without much effort. If you’re doing it correctly, you should be able to pick up the pace to finish with speed and strength.

While I’m no expert, I believe I completed my first split today.

I also never thought I would say this, but…. Heyyy, check out my splits.

negative split 1024x409 Negative Splits to beat cancer!

*CORRECTION* The highlighted stat should be under Average Pace. (Sorry I was out of it when making this nice little excel table... which of course I forgot to save.)

My second half was definitely faster AND I didn’t hit any walls! From looking at the Average Pace stats you can definitely notice that as time progressed my average pace got better and better. WOOHOO!

If I’m patient and keep up with my negative splits, I’ll be able to run a full marathon in no time and continue fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society so that one day we may find a cancer cure. Little things like this in my training, give me the motivation to push myself even harder.

 

Jun

20

I’m running for my friends and their loved ones

Posted by : Carol Dani Toro | On : June 20, 2011

Category: Reasons to Run, Training

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Thank you friends for all of the donations you have sent me. Your support and stories are keeping me motivated.  I really wouldn’t be able to do this without your help.

As most of you know, this is the FIRST time I train for a marathon and it is also the FIRST time I have ever run 9.5 miles!

Rick:  Today’s run was for you and your dad.  I know I’ll never be able to understand what you and your family went through, but running in your honor gave me the strength to keep going.  Happy father’s day to you and your dad.

screen shot 2011 06 19 at 5 19 19 pm Im running for my friends and their loved ones

Please help me reach my goals as well as help fund cancer research and patient services by donating to Team Bring It.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/nikesf11/ctorob

Jun

17

Faster or Better?

Posted by : Carol Dani Toro | On : June 17, 2011

Category: Running Progress

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If my pace decreases does that mean I’m getting faster?  Am I still getting faster even if the amount of time I can run at that pace is less than the amount of time I had previously ran?  What if I could run at the slower pace for longer than before? Wouldn’t it be better to run longer and slower?

Those are the questions that run through my head as I literally run down Embarcadero.  To calculate my pace I’m relying on my WP7 app called RunKeeper. How accurate the data is… I could only hope it is accurate.

Training has gotten really difficult. I feel as if I have no direction.

One training plan says to run 5x a week, and another training plan wants me to incorporate cross-training.  Which one do I follow? Do I stay with what I know best or do I take a risk and try something new?  Which plan is better?

All I know is that I’m determined to run this marathon and that somehow, someway I will figure it all out before October.

Jun

15

Running San Francisco

Posted by : Carol Dani Toro | On : June 15, 2011

Category: Running Progress

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As promised, I have kept up with my training, and what better way than to train in the morning before work along San Francisco’s embarcadero.  I’ll probably be doing this run 3 times a week, since it’s so convenient and so close to work and my apartment.

If you’re interested in joining me on this run, or want to do the Golden Gate Bridge run just let me know. =)  I know doing the same course over and over can get boring, but I’m hoping to do this course 5x a week.

WARNING: Do not try to do this run when it’s windy, unless you’re prepared to run twice as hard to get to half the distance you normally would cover.

screen shot 2011 06 10 at 10 06 15 pm Running San Franciscoscreen shot 2011 06 10 at 10 05 48 pm Running San Francisco Running San Francisco

May

16

I conquered the lake!

Posted by : Carol Dani Toro | On : May 16, 2011

Category: Running Progress, Training

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I had my first 50 minute run and it was at Greenlake somewhere in Seattle. I’ve never really gotten out of the Bellevue area and the journey to Greenlake was much easier than I expected. i dont know what I would do without a GPS.

I continued doing intervals but I switched them up a bit. I had been running 6 minutes and walking 2 minutes. At Greenlake I decided to challenge myself and run 8 minutes and walk 1 minute. It went pretty well until about 45 minutes into the run when I ran past the water stop. Just the thought of water tortured my bladder and I had to take a potty break.

greenlake run I conquered the lake!

greenlake graph I conquered the lake!

Apr

24

Watch x2

Posted by : Carol Dani Toro | On : April 24, 2011

Category: Pre-Season

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Today was our last pre-season run and I learned two essential meanings for the word watch.

Watch for running: it’s not only important to ease into running to prevent injuries but it’s also important to carry a watch to keep track of your running time. Having a watch helps beginners like me do intervals to accustom our bodies to running. Since I didn’t have a watch, I relied on a fellow team member, Kimberly. I ran a couple of yards behind her, and as she began to walk, I would also begin to walk. Since she was keeping great track of her intervals, this worked out great for me.

Watch for bicyclists: like many runners, some bicyclists daydream and forget about their surroundings. Our team mentor Cathy shared with us her training experience with a bicyclist. Two months before her marathon in Prague, a bicyclist hit her from behind as she ran along a trail. She sustained several injuries that took months to heal. Despite her injuries, Cathy successfully completed her marathon. icon smile Watch x2

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