Working the Plan

My plan seems to be working out nicely. I ran 5, 5, and 6 miles this week. I'm calling it my intuitive plan. I'll be increasing my long run as I feel ready instead of plowing ahead according to a prescribed plan. I feel like after yesterday's 6 miler that I can pretty easily increase it to 7 miles next Friday. Not sure how it will go after that. I'll just have to wait and see what my body is telling me. I'm starting to see more miles in the 9:35 to 9:45 range. Could it be that before long I'll consistently see miles under 10:00? I sure hope so! I'll just keep plugging away. : )

It was fun to run on Christmas Day. It felt like I had something for just me rather than every bit of my efforts focused on pleasing everyone else. I hope to make it an annual event. Our dinner went very well. We had my Mom and my oldest daughter and her fiance over. Everything tasted good. I still managed to have just one plate of food and one dessert. I liked the more simplified celebration of few gifts we had much better. I suppose even if Christmas isn't a religious observance for myself, I can look at it as a boost to get through the Winter. That was what Yule was about after all. But it's not over yet! Having my Dad over for Christmas on New Year's Day and my Mom's birthday is next week. lol

So next week's plan is to run M, W, F. The mileage will be 5, 5, and 7 as long as my body is willing! I really like having plenty of time to prepare for the half this time!

Maybe Treadmills Aren't So Bad...

First of all I ate sensibly at the family party over the weekend. Yay! I had one plate of food and one dessert. : ) I've really been examining how I've developed a tendency to binge. I think it all started with the Body For Life program. It called for strict eating during the week and one free day each week where you can eat as much of and anything you want. When you only get what you want weekly it's only natural to eat as much as you can since it will be awhile again. lol I developed a habit of binging. But since I am petite, a big splurge can destroy all of my hard work for the week. I just can't get by with what a man or a taller woman can no matter how hard I work out.

So while I believe in structure, small meals, and getting enough protein, I also think too much strictness is a nutritional disaster waiting to happen. At least that's how it works for me. I've made much better progress lately after years of hard work by allowing myself proper portions of treats when I want it and at special occasions. I've found that doing it this way I want less sweets and I don't binge. : )

As far as running goes, it is going very well. My husband organized our extra bedroom and made space to put my treadmill back together again. He's so good to me. : ) A couple of times lately I've used it to warm up and then go directly outside to run instead of walking in the cold weather to warm up. That's been great! But today I decided to actually run my whole five miles on it. If I hadn't had The View to keep me mentally occupied it would have been way too boring. But the nice, flexible deck I have on the treadmill sure felt good on my feet! Ended up being a great run! I feel very confident that my first 6 miler this time around will be great too! I'm actually looking forward to it. : )

Weekly Report and New Personal Record

My plan to run 5 miles on M,W,F worked out as planned! I even broke the 10:00 pace barrier for a 5 mile run yesterday. I managed to do it at an avg. 9:55 pace! That's really good for me! What is even more pleasing to me about it is that is seems to be happening naturally without having to to push really hard. I also continued doing a full body free weight circuit followed by 20 mins of elliptical machine. This week I did my xtraining on Tues, and Sat.

Next week's plan is to run M,W,F and run 5,5, and 6 miles respectively and see how it goes. This will be the beginning of my long run build up. I figure since your long run isn't supposed to exceed 50% of your total weekly mileage that gives me room to work up to a 10 mile long run before I need to increase Monday or Wednesday's run or add a 4th day.

I believe my leg injury is now fully healed! I no longer feel any stiffness or pulling in that area. It's finally gone and feels normal again. : ) I'm very happy about that.

Now for tonight's challenge, an extended family Christmas party. I have been eating so well lately and have allowed myself small treats along the way. This has kept me from any binges. I know these situations with lots of food like a party or buffet are triggers for me to binge. I plan to enjoy a normal sized meal with one dessert. I will NOT go crazy! I always feel so yucky after a binge anyway. That alone SHOULD keep me from it. I'll report about this in my next entry!

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

And to think I almost missed it! I'm not used to the idea of running in cold temps yet. It was 29*. So I considered running in circles at the YMCA instead. lol All the beautiful sunshine I experienced was a super boost to my mood and energy.

I went out on my favorite route and saw lots of bird activity. I love them! I even like the vultures from a distance. lol I'm planning to put up a couple of bluebird houses before Spring. I noticed when we moved back to Cincy that quite a few bluebirds have taken up residence in the area. When they get back here again, they can have their choice of new condo. Noticed lots of deer carcasses along the sides of the road too. I counted 8 in my 6 mile round trip. I'm guessing they are automobile casualties from all the movement during mating season.

The run went very well too. I did my planned 5 miles at an avg. pace of 10: 02! Good for me!!!

Five More Miles in the Bank!

It's a beautiful day here. We're in the mid 50's! Took full advantage of getting out there in shorts and doing my thing. It was a good 5 miles with the exception of the wind picking up some while I was out there. So it ended up that in 2 sections of my route where I was headed south, I was running directly into the wind. Ugh! But I still loved it because I GET to do this. I believe it's a privilege to do this running thing. : )

As a side note, I've noticed recently that my right foot hurts. lol I may have figured it out though. I have huge callouses on the sides of my big toes that I keep trimmed back. Happened to see that the right one is noticeably bigger than the left. I trimmed that baby again and my foot seems all better now. I think that little bit of extra callous was changing my foot strike just enough to bother my foot. It's funny how little things can at times make such a difference.

Working Things Out

Not ready to dive into a "real" long run yet. I'm really being cautious. I keep feeling a twinge here and there in my leg which alarms me. But they are just twinges. They're not pain and not lasting. I'm hoping before long that I won't think about it anymore and just go on with things. I think right now I'm being hyper vigilant and I notice everything! lol

Last week I ran M-W-F with 4, 4, and 5 miles respectively. They were all fairly easy runs and having a day or two of recovery in between has kept me pain free. I xtrained on the days in between with weight training and elliptical or spinning. This week I'm planning on the same but doing 5, 5, and 5 miles. If that works out, I'll start building again for a long run, going for 6 in the week after that on the 3rd day. Maybe if I'm feeling VERY good, I'll just go ahead and do that this week! lol

So the key words for me right now are caution, balance, and experimentation!

Back in the Saddle Again

November has been a rough month of false starts and hopes and skinned knees. The last time I ran at the beginning of the month, I fell and banged up my knees pretty good. And my injury never got better until I rested it. But today seems to be a new turning point for me in my running. I ended up having to take off two weeks to heal this injury while cross training. I still wasn't sure that I was OK at the beginning of this week and thought I may need more time but it looks like I'll be fine.

I did two 3 mile runs earlier in the week and topped it off with a 4 mile "long" run today. This is what Hal Higdon's 1st week of the novice half marathon plan required. I'm starting over so as not to injure myself again and get a good base going . I wanted to use the Run Less, Run Faster plan but it requires that you are all ready running 15 miles/wk. I also don't think I'm in a position to push too hard with the speed work it requires at this time.

This injury has been very frustrating and has opened my eyes. I really didn't think I would ever get injured. With the exception of a past back strain from doing yoga, I've been able to abuse/overuse my body and do pretty much whatever I wanted until now. I really hated not having the luxury of doing whatever type of exercise I pleased on any given day. It has made me deeply appreciate the gift of a healthy body. I plan to be much more kind to it from here on out!

Steady Improvement

It's been about a week since my last post and things are looking up. I'm really trying to be careful about training and not overdoing it. I really put my legs through a lot the past four days:

Sun- I cycled to my destination and ran 3 miles

Mon- Did a killer leg workout of bb squats, db walking lunges, ball curls, and single leg squats. Lunges always make me super sore.

Tues- Killer spinning class. There were times I felt like I might have to stop!

Weds- Warmed up with the elliptical and then ran 4 miles. My longest run in a month! Also had a great pace at for me at 9:41. I plan to stay at 4 miles for a week or two. I'd love to do the 100th Cincy Thanksgiving Day Run 10k. But we'll see. It always seems like I need a few more weeks to get ready than what I have.

I had to take a break today. My hamstrings are so sore (especially just above the knee behind the leg which has been bothering me) and I had plans to run tomorrow. Now I'm thinking of opting for some upper body weight training instead and do the run on Saturday. I was a little worried about my soreness last night and this morning. I've iced a lot! I have found bags of frozen corn to be miraculous for this purpose. I feel much better tonight. If I wake up feeling perfect, I'll run. But if not, I'll wait and take another day for recovery. Not sure if I'm needing so much recovery time due to injury, running less over the last month because of injury, or just need more time to heal due to age. Maybe it's all the above! lol

Well, all I can do is keep on keepin' on! Hopefully I'll be able to work through this. Just have to take my time with it. "Slow and steady wins the race" Right?

I Wanna Run

I'm so thankful that I have so many other activities I CAN do. BUT... I'm so tired of being injured and it has only been 3 weeks. I do realize it could be much worse.

I've come to the conclusion that I have a calf strain/tear at the very top where the gastrocnemius inserts behind the knee. A level 1 requires 2 wks off, level 2 could require up to 6 wks off, level 3 requires surgery and is accompanied by swelling and bruising. I estimate mine is somewhere between a 1 & 2. I gave it 2 wks semi rest and tried running again but running over 3 miles only makes the pain return. I've determined to only cross train for the next 2 wks and see what happens. If it takes longer it takes longer. So my plan is to do elliptical or arc trainer on running days and a combo of rowing and cycling on the opposite days with 3x/wk of weight training until this thing heals. The good news for now is that it feels fine during cross training and walking. It is specifically the impact and motion of running that sets it off.

I've also decided to follow the Run Less, Run Faster training plan once I am able. It alternates 3 running days with 3 xtraining days. Each run has a purpose rather than just logging miles. It should result in better quality runs and less injury. My friend Lori's husband is a marathon runner and swears by it. He has qualified and run in the Boston Marathon and it has helped even him to improve. He ran Columbus in 3:04!

Enough about me. Lori finished the Columbus 1/2 Marathon. She says she is disappointed with her time. I say she was out there and she finished it. It was hard for her but she endured. That's more than most people can say! She has even signed up for another 1/2 in May! Lori is someone to emulate. I'm proud of her.

Thank Goodness for the YMCA

We rejoined the Clermont Y this week and the timing couldn't have been better. I feel as though the kids have productive things to do again such as swim team and volleyball for Paige. There's swimming for Jesse too. James could also participate in those things but now being 14, he wants to do weight training. I signed him up for the teen orientation for the fitness center. Once he completes that, he can lift with me and Jim. He should be up and running (I mean lifting) by next weekend. When the kids were little, I often envisioned the time when our boys would start to become young men. Well, now we're there!

The timing was also perfect for me. Since I slightly injured my leg, I have access to cardio equipment and weights again! I've been having some great workouts this week. I'm so sore but I LOVE it! I didn't realize how much I missed lifting. I'm all ready missing my runs though. I hope this healing break is short lived. The combo of running with everything else we have available to us makes me very happy.

Now I'm Sure...It's an Injury

Went to the Y today. Paige played volleyball. My plan was to do lower body; squats, leg exts, and curls. While I warmed up on the treadmill some silly guy started doing bicep curls in the squat rack. So I decided to go outside for a 4 mile run. I just did 3.1 miles of treadmill intervals the night before and my leg felt pretty good. I thought it would be fine. The run did start out fine. I felt that twinge a little but not enough to stop. I had a really good pace going too! Then all of a sudden at 2.94 miles the pain was bad. I tried to walk it out and start back up a few times but it was a no go. Before this it felt like a pain behind my knee but now it actually feels like the very top of my calf muscle behind the knee. It's painful when I roll off the ball of my foot or when I flex my foot. I think the treadmill felt OK because you more or less are keeping up with the belt where on the ground you have to push off the ball of the foot more.

When I finally got back to the Y, I finished up on the arc trainer without discomfort. It's just impact on the ball of my foot and flexing the foot that makes the top of my calf hurt. So I think I can get by with cross training on the elliptical, arc trainer, and lifting weights for the next week and then see what happens. If it's still there next Wednesday, then I don't think I'll be able to run the half marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday. I think what happened was my training got behind around the time we moved by missing my long runs. Then I tried to pick up the training schedule as if I hadn't missed. So I ran 9 miles the week before we moved, missed 3 weeks of long runs, ran 8 miles on the 4th week and then 10 miles the week after that. it's been since the 10 miler, I've had this pain. I was probably a bit too ambitious and needed more time. Too much too fast!

Hmmm... Maybe an Injury?

I really pushed myself hard to finish 10 miles on Wednesday and really felt the effects of it afterward. I'm not usually affected so dramatically. It could mean that I have reached my max for right now. I keep wondering if I can finish 13.1 in just 2 weeks? But still didn't think it was any big deal. Rest and ibuprofen usually takes care of that sort of thing.

Did a 6 mile run Saturday and started out feeling recovered but about 4 miles into it felt some pain behind my left knee. All in all it was a very pleasant run full of insightful solitude. But that spot really felt sore still this morning (Sunday). I hope it isn't anything big and that I wake up feeling my usual Monday morning. I only have 4 miles scheduled for tomorrow. So I guess that could be considered taking it easy compared to last Wednesday. lol

My hope for Monday is to get my 4 miles in and then take Paige to volleyball at our local YMCA. At that time I plan to rejoin the Y now that we are permanently living in Cincinnati again. At that time I am going to get in a good upper body workout. It's so funny that I am excited about it since I was so burned out on weight training a couple of months ago when I started training for this 1/2 marathon with Lori. Now I miss it. I say a good upper body workout but should probably take it easy since I do want to be able to move my arms the next day! lol

I'm kind of looking forward to this half being completed so I can find some balance again in my fitness routine. I will continue running as I have been bitten with the running bug. I know I at least have the first rule in Zombieland covered and that's cardio! That's all I'll say about that just in case you go see the movie. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. lol

Big Milestone - My First 10 Mile Run!

Yep! I did it! I did my first 10 mile run. : ) I managed it in 1 hr. 47 mins. at a 10:43 avg. pace. That was better than I expected! It was a beautiful, crisp, fall like day too. It was definitely a lovely day to run.

I ran out and back for 6 miles on my favorite country route. Then I made a hydration and fuel stop at my in laws house and proceeded around town for another 4 miles. The first 6 were great! The last 4, especially miles 9 & 10, were grueling for me. Mile 10 was somewhat painful. Makes me wonder about the viability of actually running 13.1 miles in 2 short weeks. But I'm going to go with the saying of "where there is a will there is a way!" I know I have the will.

I got to wear some new running clothes today. One of my new items was a running skirt. It proved to be very comfortable. I've read a few people comment about being bothered by the skirt flopping up and down while they run. But that was NOT my experience at all. I had all the comfort of spandex shorts without the self consciousness I would have wearing them in public. lol

Good news on Jim's job! We thought he was finished this week but now we have a 3 month reprieve. If the market improves, maybe they will continue even after that! What a relief.

Everything is working out! It always does.

The Running Rollercoaster (the highs and lows of running)

I'm feeling up and encouraged right now. I got an 8 miler in on Saturday (my longest has been 9 miles) without too much trouble and I was actually ready for the challenge. I did it in 1hr 25 mins. I think my running blues were due to a couple of things. First I was having a lot of foot and ankle discomfort, I believe now, was due to dying shoes. A fresh pair has totally changed my perspective and improved my comfort. I also took two days rest before my long run this time. I'm thinking this 40 something body just needs an extra day of recovery before I do my long run. Although that may not work out now as I try to push up my mileage the next 2 weeks. I'll experiment and see what happens. I'm still a little behind on my half training. I'll be going for a 10 mile long run later this week. I may get to 11 miles next week which would be great. The week after will be minimal running to prepare/rest for the half that weekend. I really wish I had gotten closer to or surpassed 13 miles just so I KNOW I can do it. I'll just have to believe in myself!

Today's run was 4 miles in the most extreme wind I have ever attempted. It was challenging and exhilarating. My new shoes were even better this time, since I loosened the laces a bit. I think I had them a little too tight on Saturday. lol Today they were just right! It was a fun run in spite of all the wind. I got used to it and armed up quickly. I ran it as a tempo run and had an avg pace of 9:55!

Cross your fingers that I can hang onto my rediscovered enthusiasm!

Pepper Spray Practice and the IRS

I went out for 6 miles this evening. Couldn't go this morning since I went to the IRS building/offices with my Mom which are located downtown. We had to tie up some loose ends on my Grandmother's affairs. She died 2 yrs ago. NOW they want more information and a tax return! She was on Medicaid and hadn't had enough income to file a return for years. The 800# we called had informed us that they do not make appointments for tax return help unless you are disabled. Anyone else must walk in/first come first served. So my Mom took off a day from work, we navigated our way around the city, and found a parking garage. Upon entering we had to show IDs and go through the metal detector. As I walked through the halls and used the elevator, I rediscovered that I don't like the confinement of the city and office buildings. I sure wouldn't want to be stuck in that building or in the city if the zombie apocalypse or other emergency occurred. Finally we entered the office and the receptionist informed us that they were shorthanded today and only had enough staff to take their appointments. Lucky us! Should I really be surprised?

So back to running: It was lightly raining when I left but I got lucky and it stopped not too far out. This run felt a little difficult. I think because it was later in the day than I am accustomed to running and it was very humid.

In the 4th mile a farm dog came out so fast with its teeth fully bared. It was really scary! Usually I meet with aggressive barking. This dog never even barked. It was going to get me for sure. I could tell it was serious. I have practiced this scenario in my mind. I believe you have to decide ahead of time what you will do if you are threatened. In this case, I had decided I would stand my ground and shoot. And that's exactly what I did. I was really impressed with the range and spread of this little container of pepper spray. This dog never stopped baring its teeth and was smart. He stayed just on the edge of the range of the spray. A man in a mini van pulled up and started honking and yelling at the dog. That made him back off a little. Then he came after me again! I sprayed again and still couldn't quite get him. The man honked some more and the dog finally took off. I was really grateful he stopped to help me. I'm not sure what would have happened if he hadn't. I didn't want to turn my back and run. And I wasn't having much luck spraying the dog. Maybe I would have eventually got him. The container holds 38 sprays! lol Who knows?

I'm not sure if it would make difference but I am tempted to drive there and nicely let the farmer know what his dog did. I love dogs and would hate to see the dog confined and they are out in the country where you kind of expect to live as you wish. But man that was dangerous!

Decisions, Decisions...

I've been progressing steadily with my running up to this point. To be honest though, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and in a funk today. I decided to blog about it because if I only blog about the bright and shiny, then my blog isn't very authentic. Now is it? I hate it when Jim goes back to Indiana. That makes me blue. Instead of living in the NOW, I am living weekend to weekend. At least I am aware of this. Today is supposed to be long run day (10 miles, overwhelming). At the moment, I am feeling incredibly unmotivated to do anything (house, running, etc.). When I get like this, I just don't do anything and want to eat. I really need to get out for my run. It's great for mental health. I know I would feel better afterward. Unfortunately it is now late morning and the temperature has risen. So my choice is to do it now anyway (hot and uncomfortable) or take my chances and wait until this evening when it might be cooler. But if I wait, I might not do it at all. 10 miles is a long way and it takes so long. We shall see!

I like to run, but I'm thinking long distance running isn't my thing. After the 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles), I'd like to scale it back to 6-7 mile long runs. I'll work on my speed and participate in 5ks and 10ks. Actually I would like to do that now! I think I am on to something here. I don't REALLY want to do the 1/2 now that I've experienced what it is to run longer distances. How is that for stream of consciousness writing? If I could go to the nature center trails and run in the shade amidst nature for about 5 miles today, I would get up and go now. I won't make myself do 10 miles today and I can't keep sitting here doing nothing either. lol So nature center it is!

5 Mile Trail Run - Bring On the Hills

I love the Cincinnati Nature Center! It is such a beautiful place and has so many trails with varied terrain. It has a few flat, paved trails near the buildings and parking lot. Get a little farther out and you have roots, rocks, mulch, gravel, stone steps, and wood steps, and creek crossings. There's so much, I can't list it all! And if you want hills, they have them.There is one hill in particular that takes me about 8 mins. to just walk up. I haven't attempted to run this one yet, but it is in my sight. That accomplishment would be a Rocky moment for sure!

Gena L got me thinking about my resistance training again. I've been so focused on training for the half marathon what was once a mainstay of my routine has been ignored for awhile. Since the move, my weight set is in pieces until further notice/unpacking. I figured the best way to get lower body resistance in the meantime without weights is HILLS! So I will purposely incorporate a hill run once a week. I started this yesterday with a 5 mile trail run focusing on a course with hills. Loved it! It really slowed down my time but it was worth it. Good workout!

Next I need to dig out the adjustable dumb bell set and exercise ball for upper body conditioning. I think between hills, pushups, dips, and the dumb bells, I can get in an efficient yet simple routine without interfering with my 1/2 training schedule. I got behind a bit during the time around our move. So from now until the race on Oct. 18, every single run is important and has a purpose.

Hill running will pay off for me in the Spring if I decide to do the Flying Pig 1/2 so I have been advised. I've been told it is a challenging course with hills. I can't even believe I'm all ready thinking of another 1/2 when I haven't completed this one! lol

A 9 Mile Potty Run (My First 9 Miler)

I'll do my best in this account to get the comedic aspects across about this run without crossing the line into "too much information". Wow! Was this one a doozy!

I knew when I got up that I would need to "go" sometime soon but couldn't quite pull it off. I couldn't wait any longer and let it get any later since I had 9 miles planned. Considering these circumstances, I decided to put 2 different routes together which would bring me by the house about midway without having to run the same scenery twice. That way I could use the bathroom if needed and was a comfy place to refuel and hydrate.

So this is how it went... I ran 3 miles out on my favorite, most isolated route. About that time I knew I could probably "go". That meant I would have to hold it until 6 miles. Yeah, right. lol I got to 4 miles and it was go or the run would be ruined. I found a little farmer's turn off and a little spot between rows of corn and took care of things. Corn stalk leaves are a great sub for tp, btw. Figured I would be good to go the rest of the way and felt very relieved. But, OH NO! Around mile 5 I had to go again. Not much luck of finding a pit stop on a hwy, so I would have to wait for mile 6 and home. Finally the house was in sight and it was so good to see it! Refueled with raisins, drank water, and took care of business again. I DID know at this point I was probably ill, but I all ready had 6 miles in. Did I really want to cut it short when I only had 3 to go? I'd only have to go out 1.5 miles and turn around. I had to do this. I was so close! So off I went again.

At this point I decided to turn on my shuffle for some distraction. I will be ever grateful to KISS and Rob Zombie for helping me through. Close to mile 7 I had the urge to go again but KISS persuaded me that I wanted to Rock and Roll All Night and Party Everyday! Next up was Rob Zombie's Creeper. Well how appropriate! LOL Not what he was referring to but Meet the Creeper Digging Deeper seemed appropriate for me at the time. Although I wasn't going as slow as it seemed according to the Garmin in hindsight. Mile 8, I REALLY had to go. Unfortunately you cannot get a lot of privacy in a soybean field. I had to wait. The plants aren't high enough. But Rob Zombie started making fun of me with his song, Living Dead Girl. lol I had to keep going. I had no idea I had it left in me, but I sprinted the last 1/2 mile at about a 8-8:30/min pace. I felt as though I was doing a huge, continuous kegel to keep everything under control, but I did it! I got there. 9 miles!

I look back on this with humor. Today I feel much better. And my legs and feet actually feel pretty good. But Boy, Oh, Boy, I don't want to go through THAT again. Next week's 10 mile long run will seem easy in comparison. : )

A Not So Easy 3 Miles

I would have thought that after a day's rest that today's 3 miles would have been pretty easy. But nope! It was doable and went OK but lacked the aliveness and excitement it usually holds for me. Can't quite put my finger on exactly what was lacking. Did it in 30:38 at an avg pace of 10:13. Seems I'm stuck at around around a 10 min. mile (anywhere from 9:50-10:30 depending on the distance). I'll have to wait and work on speed after the 1/2 though. I'm working as hard as I can right now to log miles and long runs in order to finish this thing with my dignity intact. lol

I wasn't going to eat any junk today and started out really well. But I just ate some chex mix and a brownie left over from the weekend. I can't figure out what is the matter with me. I did well for months and now I can't seem to make it through a day without sweets since we moved. I'm happy to be back home but something is out of kilter with me regarding food. All I can do now is start over and eat balanced meals the rest of the day. I need to figure this out. Hopefully tomorrow I'll do better.

I'm planning my route for tomorrow's 9 mile long run. At first I was going to do a double loop so I could hydrate and refuel at the house but that puts me on US 50 (busy traffic) double the norm. So I'm now leaning toward stashing water and fuel at the halfway point. I'll have to go pick up my water bottle afterward but I'd rather do that than run a double loop. I really dislike those in races also. The kids will have to get started on school on their own tomorrow morning. I have to get an early start while it's cool or I'll just be making things much more difficult for myself.

Well cross your fingers for me on the 9 miles. This will be my longest run yet!

An OK 3 Miles

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

I really dislike running on US 50 (busy 2 lane hwy), even though it's only a short distance to less busy roads. So this time I drove the van to a nice place where I could pull off and ran from there. I liked that much better. It was much more safe for sure.

Had to shorten my planned 5 miles to 3 miles today. I did it in 30:11 at an avg pace of 9:59. Not too bad since my legs were kind of tired. I noticed yesterday that my right calf is really sore and my left pinky toe is also giving me fits. They are still bothering me today. My feet always have some sore/rubbed spot after my long run (which was Weds) but this one is especially sore. I covered the sore spot today with the tape from a band aid which worked pretty well during the run. Only problem is now that I took it off it's sticking to the toe next to it! lol Oh, well! I can fix that easily enough.

I had some cute, little , yellow butterflies as an escort during one part of my run. They flew with and around me for about 1/4 mile. There was a nice breeze and plenty of sunshine this morning and only a few cars. It was very enjoyable!

Today's Tempo Went Well

I knew before I started that I was not fully recovered from Weds. long run. But I figured what the heck! I'll try for a tempo run and see how it goes. It went better than I expected but I didn't realize that until I got home. The effort seemed pretty intense at times. I felt slow. I ran 4 miles in 39:15 for an avg pace of 9:50. Makes me wonder what it might have been if I were more rested?

As usual the beauty and animal activity on my favorite route didn't let me down. I have been noticing a lot of scat along the roadside lately. Wonder why they are doing it on the road. Are they sending we humans a message? lol Summer and Fall are definitely my favorite seasons although Spring and even Winter have their own unique offerings of beauty. I've never run outside through the winter months as I am planning. Whe it turns cold, I turn wimpy. It's almost a certainty though that I will find more to appreciate about winter as I experience it first hand rather than through a pane of glass or from an automobile.

Still a lot to do today. Paige has volleyball. We have cleaning and grocery shopping to do. And I need to finish my school work! The kids are mostly finished. : ) Catch up with you again after tomorrow's run!

I'm Back!

We are moved and pretty well settled into our old, familiar surroundings. I'm very happy to be back! Now I need some structure, accountability, and a new routine. I feel like my life has gotten way out of control in the past 3 wks. Nutrition and training have been haphazard and I've found it difficult to get in all of my running. One week I only got in 2 runs. : ( My best weeks have been 3 runs. Forget about any long runs since the wheels were set into motion to move. WELL, the buck stops here! That's my confession and YOU/this blog will help keep me accountable. : )

I've had to change my training program for the 1/2 marathon since I got behind on my long runs. I may only be up to 9 or 10 miles before the 1/2. I'm running out of time. I may just have to gut it out at the race! lol

This week has felt better to me. This is the plan:

Mon. 4 miles (40:36, avg pace 10:04)
Weds. 7 miles (1:12, avg pace 10:28)
Fri. 4 miles
Sat. 5 miles

Last night's run was productive but scary. Traffic is adding to the scary factor. Even though we are in the country, most of the roads I must use to access the quiet roads are busy 2 lane highways. I usually run in the morning but that didn't work out because we just got back to our morning homeschool routine. I left later than I should have. It didn't occur to me since it was a long run, that it might get dark. lol I also didn't see any sign of rain when I left. Well guess what? It got dark AND it rained! Regardless since we are back in school and it is getting a bit cooler outside, I am thinking evening runs may be best for our new routine. I have so much adjusting/trial and error to do. Did I mention I'm thinking about getting a part time job?

School is getting off to a good start! I enjoy learning/relearning the things I need to teach. So I am back in Algebra, Biology, and World History too! lol I just have to stay a few steps ahead of the kids. : ) My son makes that a challenge since he often likes to do extra work and get ahead.

Well, if you read all of this, you ARE a friend! I'll catch up with you again after my next run. Any advice/encouragement is welcome.

Got 5 Miles Today!

I wasn't sure if I'd get to run outside today. When I woke up, it was raining. But I had to get my miles in to somewhat stay on schedule for 1/2 training during the move this weekend. So I started on the treadmill and lo and behold within 5 mins. I could see a bit of sunlight through the basement window. Finished up that mile on the treadmill and headed directly outside to run 4 more. So happy not to run the whole thing on the treadmill!

Today's run was a bit hard for whatever reason. Still managed a 10:36 pace though. On the last mile my knee started to bother me. I've never had that happen before. It hasn't bothered me anymore today after that, so I hope it's nothing to be concerned about. I suppose I'll find out in the morning.

Tomorrow's plan is to get up early and get in 4 miles in enough time to pick up the moving truck by 8:00. Then pack and load the truck all day. We're taking a break later in the day for Paige's birthday party with my inlaws. She's turning 16! We're having another party with my family after we get back HOME/move!

Lots to do....

Catching Up

Life has been a bit hectic lately! I didn't get my 4 miles in Saturday like I had planned. We're getting ready to move and made a trip to our house in another state to clean and make repairs. We had plumbing leaks everywhere! We are very fortunate that my husband can handle these things. But it put us behind because we didn't have water until late on the second day.

I ran 3 miles yesterday. It was quite enjoyable. Ran it in 28:25 mins. at a 9:27 avg. pace. That's about 30 secs slower than race pace which I think qualifies as a tempo run.

Today's run was a 7 miler and not quite as enjoyable. The culprit was my own mind. All I could think of was how long this was going to take. I was able to literally talk myself into liking what I was doing and it turned out just fine. I'm always glad I did it when I'm finished. lol Ran today's 7 miles in 1:14:38 at a 10:39 avg. pace. That's the same pace as last week's 8 mile long run. Next week's long run is 9 miles. eeeek! I wonder how that will go? Anyone have a magic 8 ball?

The rest of the week's running schedule may get tricky. Just found out that if I can change our moving truck reservation we are going to move a week earlier than expected. I'll see how I feel in the morning but I'm tempted to sneak in Friday's 2 miles tomorrow instead of a rest day. Then do the scheduled 4 miles on Thurs. Off Friday. Then it will be up in the air as to whether I get in Saturday's 5 miles. Maybe I'll get it in Sunday. After that I should be back to a more normal life again. Cross your fingers that this all comes together!

I've Got the Tempo in Me...

Did my 4 miles this morning at tempo pace. Ran it in 39:07 at an avg pace of 9:46! That's only 30 secs slower than my best avg. 5K pace. Legs felt great and were pretty much on auto pilot except for a few little hills and inclines. I'm so thankful when that happens. : ) I tried to get the negative split thing going but didn't quite make it happen on mile 2. But the other miles were progressively faster. Really tried to pick it up on the last .25! I read on the RW forums that is a good practice to get into the habit of doing during your training runs to prepare for finishing races.

Caught a glimpse of Mr./Ms. Muskrat again today! He/she refuses to let me get more than that. Lots of Lake County Hwy. Dept. trucks going back and forth on my normally quiet route. I need to find out what they are up to all the way out there.

I have a lot going on this weekend. But I do plan to get another 4 mile run in this weekend! I'll most likely be away from the computer until Monday. I'll catch up with you then!

Taking It Easy Today

Today is a scheduled rest day and it couldn't be more well timed after yesterday's 8 miler. My legs ARE fatigued this morning. But I know they'll be ready to go again tomorrow! My husband knows me so well. He said if this is a rest day then rest. He knows I usually get a little bored and feel lazy when I rest and then say to myself well I'll just do a little. lol I am taking this increase in running seriously though (life experience and wisdom) and don't want to make the rest of the week's training miserable. Thank goodness I have to pack and get ready for our trip. That will keep me busy. But I might just have time to squeeze in an upper body workout! lol

I'm so proud of Lori! She is doing everything she possibly can to get ready for the 1/2 AND she works full time. It is refreshing to finally get to know someone that means what she says and backs it up with action and wisdom. So many say they want to accomplish something but then don't go all out. And then they wonder why it/whatever didn't happen for them.

I figure there's no time to waste! If I'm going to get in the rest of the things I want to do in this lifetime, I better get a move on. Time waits for no wo/man! No regrets for me. : )

First 8 Miler + New Hydration Belt = Oh Boy!

The new belt felt great until I put water in the bottle and actually ran with it. lol The water made the belt noticeably heavier. I really felt like this 20 0z. bottle of water was slowing me down. I know that sounds silly! Just past the first mile I stopped to take off the belt and hide it in the weeds. I really did feel much more free and lighter without it. I knew I was coming back the same way and would drink and pick it back up around the 4 mile mark. Once I drank the water the belt felt fine again. I believe the water made a positive difference in this run. I felt refreshed and had a surge of energy right afterward. I was very hot and I felt once again after the water that I could do this!

I also fueled with raisins along with the water. I'm not a big fan of gummies but at first thought I would use them. I think the raisins chewed up much more quickly and were easier to swallow than gummies would have been.

I proceeded to run through town and since there wasn't any water left in the bottle, I ran past the house and dropped off the belt. I'm going to either have to get used to the belt or start driving my route ahead of time to stash water bottles and fuel.

Then I ran in the opposite direction from before through a subdivision armed with my jogger pepper spray. I haven't run through this neighborhood in a few years because I had a dog scare there. A nice man in a car that happened to be driving by blocked the dogs from getting to me. As I was nearing the end of the run, I realized I had gone out too far. I probably had to walk a mile to get back to the house when the run was over. lol

Oh forgot! I ran my first 8 miler in 1 hr 25 mins. The average pace was 10:38. I did a lot better than I expected!

Interval Training

I took Lori's cue and tried out an interval workout today to mix things up. I found it to be challenging and satisfying at the same time.

1 x 800 warm up (6mph, 10:00 pace)
2 x 800 : (7 mph, 8.34 pace) (7.5mph, 8:00 pace)
3 x 400: (7.5 mph, 8:00 pace) (8mph, 7:30 pace) (8mph, 7:30 pace)
2 x 200: (9mph, 6.40 pace) 2x
1 x 800 cool down (6mph, 10:00 pace)

Intervals = 3 miles

1-1.5 min walk @ 3.7 in between

Followed it with 3x dumb bell circuit:
chest , back, shoulders, bis, tris

I feel energetic and alive! Great workout!

Feeling a bit apprehensive about tomorrow's long run. I'm scheduled for 8 miles. I'll just take my time and see what happens. It's just an unknown for me. My longest run yet! Send good vibes my way. : )

Time to Relax

Taking a break today!

Went shopping and had lunch with my husband this afternoon. Found a great deal on a pair of my favorite running shoes. I'll put them away for when my current shoes are worn out. Also got a small pepper spray that straps to your palm so I can feel more secure. I worry about dogs more than people. But I'll have it for them too if the need arises. lol I actually saw a pepper spray online that sprays your attacker bright green. lol

I saw the division results for yesterday's 5k. Many excellent runners came out for the race. Overall winner ran it in 15:00 flat! First place female was in the 16's. Excellent times all around! There were women in their 40's - 60's running in the low 20's. There were so many youthful looking seniors at the race. They make me hopeful!

Rotary Ramble 5K in Demotte, IN

It was challenging. I felt a little nauseous toward the end but didn't throw up thank goodness!Lots of kids today on their own as well as x country and track teams from the region. There were also a lot of senior citizens out there running that did NOT look like senior citizens! I was so proud of them. Could running be the fountain of youth? This was a big race! This is how the race unfolded for me (my splits):



http://connect.garmin.com/splits/10738720



I'm really happy with the 29:04 time and 9:14 pace. I really am. This is a personal record for me. But (and I know there shouldn't be any but) it bugs me that I didn't place in my age group. I placed the last time I ran this same race with a slower time. I haven't seen the age group results yet, but there must have been some really fast women this time. The female winner in the over 40 group at the x country race a few weeks ago ran my current time. She was there today and didn't place either. I'll just keep working at it! Gotta be able to outrun the zombies in an apocalypse. lol You just never know if they are going to be slow as in Night of the Living Dead ('68, no problem) or fast like in the remake of Dawn of the Dead (run for your life). lol They even had a zombie runner in DOD missing an arm. And he was FAST!



The race was part of the Touch of Dutch Festival. Afterwards we got really nice, lean pork sandwiches at a booth on a big kaiser roll. Really yummy but too much bread. Took the bottom of the roll off and ate it that way. There were quite a few craft booths, lots of food available, and a parade. Nice town! I hear that many of the residents are related and their families have lived there for generations. Almost all have Dutch heritage. An insider told me the saying in their town is: If you're not Dutch, you're not much. lol

I'm really happy that Lori had a successful 8 miles today. She is amazing. Her times are improving too. We are just going to be Mah-velous Dah-ling at the 1/2 marathon!

Now I have to get my head around doing 8 miles myself this coming Tuesday!

Testing My Speed

My original intention was to take the day off to rest up for tomorrow's 5K. But I woke up feeling energetic and went with the 1/2 marathon program's scheduled 2 miles. My purpose today was to see what a sub 9:00 mile feels like. And I did it! I ran the first mile at an 8:40 pace and the second in the 9:00+ range. Average pace for the whole run was 8:59! I'm very happy with that as my goal for tomorrow is to come in under 30 mins. I'm feeling optimistic!

So the plan for the rest of the day is to not skimp on calories and pay attention to my carb consumption. Not talking about overdoing it but including a carb with each meal and eating when hungry.

Well off to the grocery store!

Woohoo! New Watch = Faster Pace

I am ecstatic and in love with my new gps watch! Thank you, Lori!!! I'm looking forward to sharing our workouts. It will also be nice to just start running and let the watch take care of figuring out the distance.

I went out for 4 miles this morning and found out because of the watch that my van's odometer is off. If the satellite is correct. And I would assume it is. : ) I've been running slightly farther than I thought which has made my pace calculate as slower than it really is. So today according to the watch, I ran 4 miles in 38:43 at an avg. pace of 9:40!!!!!!

I'm positive the rest day I had yesterday really helped today's run. I've also been studying through RW mag and their online forums how runners eat, hydrate, and fuel for their runs. I would have never believed that carbs are my friend a few months ago. lol

First I've found that if I eat oatmeal 45-60 mins before a run and then a kashi cookie 15 mins before I go out that I have a constant stream of fuel for 45-50mins. Next I want to experiment with gummi bears for fuel on the long run. Sounds funny doesn't it? I've been told that 10 gummis 45 mins into the run and then every hour after that will do the same job as gels and cliff shots without the stomach distress and expense. I looked at the nutrition info for gummis and calorie wise it's doable and provides about 20g of carbs. Can't hurt anything to try it! I'm getting concerned about next week's 8 mile, long run. That's uncharted territory for me. I think I'll feel better about it if I've done what I can to prepare.

This brings me to the topic of running belts. I want to find a small belt to carry a small amount of fuel, maybe some water, and my phone. It's really a drag to run with my phone in my hand. So I at least want an arm strap for the phone. But a belt would be better if I am thinking of carrying fuel. I'll have to investigate the possibilities.

Lori just had her best run in long while last night. She's burning up the roads in Columbus! There's no stopping her now. : ) She just needed a cut back week for recovery and to gather her thoughts. She's doing great!

We are thinking about a team name for the 1/2 marathon. So far we like Team OM. Any ideas or suggestion are welcome! Make a comment and cheer us on!

Rest Day - Listening to My Body

Originally I planned for this to be a weight training day with no running. But if I am truly honest about this, my body is tired this morning. It's really good that I acknowledge this. It's progress! My past history is to push anyway. And that has led to injury. I'm not going to do that this time. Besides I weight trained Sunday. I may have to settle for weights once a week during this 1/2 marathon training or at least until my endurance acclimates to the new demands of running so much.

Tomorrow's 4 miles should be much easier after some rest! And I am ALL in for Saturday's 5K regardless of the heat. I''ll have rested today (not scheduled) and Friday (scheduled day off). I can deal with it. lol

Tomorrow is Another Day! : )

The plan for today was to run 4 miles but, but my legs are tired. I wouldn't say they are sore just fatigued. Should I take a day off? HA! Gotcha! I did it anyway. : )

It's a little warmer today and I hear it's going to be blazing this weekend. I can't say we've had any really hot weather yet this summer. So here it comes...finally. I may reconsider the 5K on Sat. I could get up early while it's more cool and do my own thing. It just wouldn't be as fun. I did this same race last year and it was burning hot that time. It made me a little sick afterward. I say that now but I know in the back of my mind I'll probably do it anyway. lol

Today's run was a little rough. As I mentioned, my legs are really tired from yesterday's 6 miles. Once I got going I was fine up to the 2 mile mark. The 3rd mile was hard. Then by 3.5, I decided to walk. Did that in 40 mins. After .25 of walking, I started running again to my 4 mile mark. By then 48 mins. had elapsed. I wonder if I ate enough yesterday? I exerted myself more yesterday but didn't eat any more than usual. I just wasn't any more hungry than normal. I may have to experiment with my food on long run day. Hmmmm. Oh well! After all, tomorrow's another day. : )

I experienced blue skies and sunshine. Saw some jewel weed along the way as well as chicory, queen annes lace, and daisies. The woodpeckers were hard at work. And yesterday's road kill stunk to high heaven today. lol Saw a huge ball of black tadpoles in the creek and stopped for just few seconds to watch a muskrat. I would have watched longer but he didn't oblige me. He took off lickety split!

Now I AM hungry. I'm thinking egg whites with chopped mushrooms, spinach, and onions with cottage cheese and whole wheat toast. Yum!

My 6 Mile Victory

When I got up this morning, I KNEW I was going to run. But I didn't know how far I would run. I was scheduled to run 4 miles but the 6 miles scheduled for tomorrow was really on my mind. Could I do it? It's been so long since I've gone that far. At first I thought I would go out 2 miles and come home, take a drink, then go back out a mile and come back to make six miles. Sounds good. But was I REALLY going to go back out once I got home? I think NOT! I know myself. lol So the next plan was just do the scheduled 4 miles. Then I had the dilemma of whether I needed to go to the bathroom or not. lol I felt like I did, but then I didn't. So I waited about 30 mins. Still had that feeling. Nope! It was getting late and I needed to leave.

Out the door I went! Ran through town and then finally I was on my favorite country road still wondering if I needed to go. lol It's beautiful out there with lots of trees and even more corn, soybeans and wide open spaces. I had a friendly breeze from the S-SW to keep me cool. And it made the best white noise rustling through the trees and the corn. I never even turned on my shuffle it was so nice. At one point, a great big hawk flew out of a tree right over my head. I love hawks!

Once I got to the 2 mile point, I knew I wasn't turning back. I would keep going. I knew where the 2.5 mile mark was but would have to estimate the extra .5 mile it would take to make the 6 mile round trip. And do you know what? I got it right! I went back out in the van afterward to make sure. I was just a tad over. I continuously ran 6 miles in 1hr 9mins 48 secs! And now THAT long run is behind me. I feel really good. My pace was 11:37 which is OK considering that I know it will improve. I can't wait to see how the extra mileage over the last few weeks is going to affect my 5K time this coming Sat. at the Rotary Ramble/Dutchfest in Demotte! I think it's going to be a "good for me" time!

Just a funny side note: During the last few miles I started thinking about a Christmas song from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Put one foot in front of the other and soon you'll be walking out the door.... I replaced out the door with in the door. lol

My friend Lori is doing speed work at the track tonight! She's carbing up today. That's some rough work. But I just know she is going to do well. : )

The Journey Begins

Having been a health and fitness enthusiast most of my adult life, I think I've tried most commonly known forms of cardiovascular exercise including running. AND for the record I still love Billy Blanks and Tae Bo. Billy and I have spent many a winter workout together in my living room over the years.

But even before Billy there was weight training! Deep in my heart I love the gym even though at times it may not seem that way. Things can get a little dull sometimes. I've been in that place for awhile now and had to find something to keep me interested. My friend Lori from Columbus has been training hard for the Columbus Marathon. Her courage and determination sparked my interest in running once again! She is a joy and an inspiration!

Lori in the meantime has decided through much soul searching that the marathon is not the right fit for her at this time and is going to do the half marathon instead. So even though my longest run in many years is 5 miles, I'm going for 13.1 WITH Lori! We're going to encourage and support each other through the miles ahead. Why do 13.1? Because I CAN! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..... We are going to rock this race. Look Out!

Lori's husband Abiy (2x Boston qualifer) said a really cool and insightful thing. That each run should have a purpose whether it be a long run for mileage, track work for speed, etc. Anything else is just "junk miles." I like that and intend to make each run purposeful.

I am so excited to do something new. To do it with a good friend is a wonderful bonus beyond my expectations!