Ummm...is it wrong to pray that the rain will continue just so I can get out of running 5 miles tonight? My husband and I moved furniture last night and my hip bone was screaming with pain at 3AM. No idea what I did...moving furniture isn't exactly an ergonomically safe thing to do. I took some Ibuprofen, which allowed me to get back to sleep approximately 2 minutes before my alarm went off. I feel like a zombie walking around the office this morning. Uggg.
Let's hope for a second wind!!!!
Did I mention that the Parlor City Trot 10 Mile is coming up this Saturday?! Yeah. Let's hope I'm more well rested and prepared for that one!!!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
13 Miles Complete!!!
Sunday has come and gone, and so has our 13 miles!!! So excited that we did it!!
We chose a rather slow interval, but we really enjoyed it. We did a 1:05/3:00 which later we switched to 1:05/2:45 run/walk. We weren't exactly happy with our time, but this was practice and we learned a lot. Here is how it went:
Miles 1-4
Went FAST!!! We talked the entire way. We were high 5ing each other at how fast that long stretch of road past (our last run on that road seemed like an eternity to get through). Love that we could pass areas where we had collapsed in pain on previous runs...and on this one...we just ran by pointing and saying "remember when?...or Remember that time?!" We both felt great, everything was going good.
Miles 5-7
VERY familiar trail for us. It too flew by. When we reached our potty/water station, we realized that we needed to step it up and move a little faster. To make things more interesting, my "aunt flow" decided to visit me a week early (not surprised since I went off birth control recently). My husband had to come to my rescue...poor guy.
Okay, now we were feeling the pain. We were speed walking more and the talking had come to a halt. I had my Iphone to listen to, so that helped. It was starting to get dark by now and I was wondering if we shouldn't cut it short. The last leg of our run was in the country meaning no city lights! I didn't like the sound of that. But we kept on going and the light was minimal, but enough for us to see our feet.
Miles 11-13
There was light at the end of the road! We made our last turn and the city lights could be seen...so glad because it was now pitch dark out. We started pushing through the pain and ran through intervals. How freakin' awesome is that?! That tells me that our interval was a good one...since we could push through at the end with out extreme exhaustion and pain and run through intervals at the end! Everyone wants to see a runner finish hard...not crawl across without an once of energy remaining. When we ended our run, getting to the car was a chore! The stiffness and pain was kicking in now that we had stoped moving.
I went home and stretched on the living room floor. Moving was so painful! I literally crawled up the stairs to take a shower. After the hot shower, I was feeling better. I poped 2 Tylenol PM pills and crawled into bed. As expected, I had a little trouble sleeping. But, this morning, I feel great. Yes, you bet I'm walking funny and there is still some minor pain, but I was shocked at how good I feel.
We can now say that we have done the distance of a half marathon! How freakin' cool is that?! I'm so proud of us. We set out this year to accomplish something that seemed so far out of reach, and here we are...3 weeks away from completing our first 1/2 marathon!!!!!! Where did the time go?! We've noticed how much healthier we are, how simple a little jog down the road is now compared to when we first started.
Thanks for all of the good luck wishes. We survived!
We chose a rather slow interval, but we really enjoyed it. We did a 1:05/3:00 which later we switched to 1:05/2:45 run/walk. We weren't exactly happy with our time, but this was practice and we learned a lot. Here is how it went:
Miles 1-4
Went FAST!!! We talked the entire way. We were high 5ing each other at how fast that long stretch of road past (our last run on that road seemed like an eternity to get through). Love that we could pass areas where we had collapsed in pain on previous runs...and on this one...we just ran by pointing and saying "remember when?...or Remember that time?!" We both felt great, everything was going good.
Just starting off...Mile 1.
Miles 5-7
VERY familiar trail for us. It too flew by. When we reached our potty/water station, we realized that we needed to step it up and move a little faster. To make things more interesting, my "aunt flow" decided to visit me a week early (not surprised since I went off birth control recently). My husband had to come to my rescue...poor guy.
Half way done and still smiling!
Miles 8-10Okay, now we were feeling the pain. We were speed walking more and the talking had come to a halt. I had my Iphone to listen to, so that helped. It was starting to get dark by now and I was wondering if we shouldn't cut it short. The last leg of our run was in the country meaning no city lights! I didn't like the sound of that. But we kept on going and the light was minimal, but enough for us to see our feet.
Miles 11-13
There was light at the end of the road! We made our last turn and the city lights could be seen...so glad because it was now pitch dark out. We started pushing through the pain and ran through intervals. How freakin' awesome is that?! That tells me that our interval was a good one...since we could push through at the end with out extreme exhaustion and pain and run through intervals at the end! Everyone wants to see a runner finish hard...not crawl across without an once of energy remaining. When we ended our run, getting to the car was a chore! The stiffness and pain was kicking in now that we had stoped moving.
Look how well my partner sticks out in that bright yellow shirt!
I went home and stretched on the living room floor. Moving was so painful! I literally crawled up the stairs to take a shower. After the hot shower, I was feeling better. I poped 2 Tylenol PM pills and crawled into bed. As expected, I had a little trouble sleeping. But, this morning, I feel great. Yes, you bet I'm walking funny and there is still some minor pain, but I was shocked at how good I feel.
We can now say that we have done the distance of a half marathon! How freakin' cool is that?! I'm so proud of us. We set out this year to accomplish something that seemed so far out of reach, and here we are...3 weeks away from completing our first 1/2 marathon!!!!!! Where did the time go?! We've noticed how much healthier we are, how simple a little jog down the road is now compared to when we first started.
Thanks for all of the good luck wishes. We survived!
Friday, August 26, 2011
13 Mile Route
As stated in my previous blog, my partner T and I will be running our first 13 mile training route on Sunday. I have mapped out exactly 13 miles in our home town.
New Gear
So I found this adorable little running skort on ebay. I got it in the mail yesterday and I was thrilled!!! I have some new knee high socks that I'm going to pair with it.
The pink leopard ones obviously match better, but that color of blue is my fav. so I just had to get them. I haven't decided when I'm going to wear this. I'm running 4 miles tomorrow morning, so I might try out my style then. I'll be going solo this time. I had my husband help his technologically inclined wife download music from my old computer from college to my ipod. The music is definitely a help when solo....I'm learning to like it. I must have a partner, but a solo run is always good to clear the head every once in a while.
Sunday, my partner and I will be setting out to do our first 13 mile run. Ugg. I sorta have a bad taste in my mouth about those distances. Our 11 and 12 mile runs weren't great..in fact...they sucked. I know that we CAN go the distance, but my poor partner will have to listen to me complain about my aches and pains for the first half. Eventually, I will get sick of hearing myself and just shut up.....it's our routine sadly enough.
I really want to try to mentally prep myself for this. I'm hoping my partner and I can work out a "rough draft" of a plan. These 13 mile runs are good practice for how our 1/2 is going to go. I'm going to work on mapping out a route today. I hear that the weather is supposed to be cooler....well...cooler than the freakin' 90's we've been so used to.
It was suggested to me that I start listening to books on tape (or however you do it...ipod...CD...I don't know). I love to read and running has really cut in to it. I think I could go longer distances getting caught up in a good story. Do any of you listen to books when running???
Sunday, my partner and I will be setting out to do our first 13 mile run. Ugg. I sorta have a bad taste in my mouth about those distances. Our 11 and 12 mile runs weren't great..in fact...they sucked. I know that we CAN go the distance, but my poor partner will have to listen to me complain about my aches and pains for the first half. Eventually, I will get sick of hearing myself and just shut up.....it's our routine sadly enough.
I really want to try to mentally prep myself for this. I'm hoping my partner and I can work out a "rough draft" of a plan. These 13 mile runs are good practice for how our 1/2 is going to go. I'm going to work on mapping out a route today. I hear that the weather is supposed to be cooler....well...cooler than the freakin' 90's we've been so used to.
It was suggested to me that I start listening to books on tape (or however you do it...ipod...CD...I don't know). I love to read and running has really cut in to it. I think I could go longer distances getting caught up in a good story. Do any of you listen to books when running???
Monday, August 22, 2011
1/2 Marathon prep run
This weekend was non-stop fun! And it ended with my partner, myself, Wells L (click HERE to read her blog), K (click HERE, HERE, or HERE to read K's blog), and little M, running a portion of the Fort 4 Fitness mini marathon route.
I was not mentally preped for this one, so it wasn't as much fun as I had hoped, but that's my own fault. It was awesome to meet K and little M for the first time in the flesh. :) And Wells L was full of advice and wisdom for T and I as we discussed race strategies. Since this 1/2 is our first, we have much to learn on what to expect.
I must say, it was the fastest 8.36 miles I've ever done. Talking always helps! I didn't do much of the talking, I'll admit. I was in pain and didn't feel like complaining the entire way. I'm sure a few complaints slipped out here and there. But the rest of the girls chatted away and it was fun to hear the stories.
We started out in Foster park (OMGoodness! SOOO beautiful this time of year!) and made our way through some Fort Wayne streets. I'm directionally challenged and had absolutely no idea where we were...but Wells L is like a navigational beacon that knew the way, so I was just tagging along where ever she lead me.
We decided to walk 2:30 and jog 1:05 intervals. I'm still not sure that I totally love this interval...we constantly change our intervals on runs, so I'd like to find one that feels comfortable enough to do the 1/2 marathon with.
The first half flew by thanks to some new company :). The second half is when the pain really started to kick in. My hip was aching and my entire right leg was in pain. My knee cap protested with every step. But the girls seemed fine, so I just kept on trucking. Finally, we stopped to stretch and Wells L gave me some tips on how to stretch the muscles around the hip. Apparently I have "runner's knee" and will have to ice it repeatedly with a regimen of Motrin. The coarse was not bad at all. Seriously. But, as usual, my body hit that point where it's like "Okay, we've been at this for 2 hours now...can we sit down yet?!". I hadn't run since Tuesday and thought my body would feel well rested and ready to hit the pavement. Instead, I felt like I had weights around my ankles. The running was hard and I just couldn't seem to find my rhythm. The good part about this run was that we got to meet some awesome new peeps (and one little peep :D ) and we got to know part of our actual route for the mini.
I feel better about the running the mini now. I know that we've got this. Now all we have to do is figure out our pace and come up with a game plan. We're on week 18 of 22 of training...meaning the race is only 5 weeks away! It's crazy to think that it's so close...and I DEFINITELY get butterflies every time I think about it. I'm sure the nerves will be killing me the morning of the race...but hopefully my partner will be able to calm me down and convince me that it's just like our training...just another "walk in the park".
I'm so proud of us!! When we started our training, we did 2 miles a week. Now we average 15-20 miles a week! Running and racing is something we can both see ourselves doing for the rest of our lives. What a life changing summer!!!!
Special thanks to Wells L for getting us started and guiding us along the way. YOU ROCK!!! It's been a blast to have you at our side along this amazing journey.
 |
| Pic of my partner T (left), Wells L (center) and me (right). We're nearing the finish line here...still smiling. :D |
I was not mentally preped for this one, so it wasn't as much fun as I had hoped, but that's my own fault. It was awesome to meet K and little M for the first time in the flesh. :) And Wells L was full of advice and wisdom for T and I as we discussed race strategies. Since this 1/2 is our first, we have much to learn on what to expect.
I must say, it was the fastest 8.36 miles I've ever done. Talking always helps! I didn't do much of the talking, I'll admit. I was in pain and didn't feel like complaining the entire way. I'm sure a few complaints slipped out here and there. But the rest of the girls chatted away and it was fun to hear the stories.
We started out in Foster park (OMGoodness! SOOO beautiful this time of year!) and made our way through some Fort Wayne streets. I'm directionally challenged and had absolutely no idea where we were...but Wells L is like a navigational beacon that knew the way, so I was just tagging along where ever she lead me.
We decided to walk 2:30 and jog 1:05 intervals. I'm still not sure that I totally love this interval...we constantly change our intervals on runs, so I'd like to find one that feels comfortable enough to do the 1/2 marathon with.
The first half flew by thanks to some new company :). The second half is when the pain really started to kick in. My hip was aching and my entire right leg was in pain. My knee cap protested with every step. But the girls seemed fine, so I just kept on trucking. Finally, we stopped to stretch and Wells L gave me some tips on how to stretch the muscles around the hip. Apparently I have "runner's knee" and will have to ice it repeatedly with a regimen of Motrin. The coarse was not bad at all. Seriously. But, as usual, my body hit that point where it's like "Okay, we've been at this for 2 hours now...can we sit down yet?!". I hadn't run since Tuesday and thought my body would feel well rested and ready to hit the pavement. Instead, I felt like I had weights around my ankles. The running was hard and I just couldn't seem to find my rhythm. The good part about this run was that we got to meet some awesome new peeps (and one little peep :D ) and we got to know part of our actual route for the mini.
I feel better about the running the mini now. I know that we've got this. Now all we have to do is figure out our pace and come up with a game plan. We're on week 18 of 22 of training...meaning the race is only 5 weeks away! It's crazy to think that it's so close...and I DEFINITELY get butterflies every time I think about it. I'm sure the nerves will be killing me the morning of the race...but hopefully my partner will be able to calm me down and convince me that it's just like our training...just another "walk in the park".
I'm so proud of us!! When we started our training, we did 2 miles a week. Now we average 15-20 miles a week! Running and racing is something we can both see ourselves doing for the rest of our lives. What a life changing summer!!!!
Special thanks to Wells L for getting us started and guiding us along the way. YOU ROCK!!! It's been a blast to have you at our side along this amazing journey.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Another Mile Stone...
Parlor City Trot
T and I are officially registered to do our FIRST 10 mile race! We will be competing in the Parlor City Trot in Bluffton. This event is only 2 weeks before our Fort 4 Fitness mini that we have been training for for the past 17 weeks. It freaks me out to know that our BIG event is just around the corner. Hopefully the 10 mile race will give us a taste of what it will be like.
Run in the evening light...
Okay, so I realize that I haven't blogged for about a week...but that just means that I get to catch everyone up on what's been going on!
We'll start with the most recent and I'll back track later in another blog post.
So last night, my running partner T and her little girl A, we all went for a run. We took this picture on the last leg of our run. At the last minute, we decided to change our route to one that we used when we first started running. It's a loop around the country that's a little over 3 miles long. We ran a lot of it. It's amazing to see how much easier the running is now compared to when we first began. Another thing we noticed, the mile long stretch of straight road seemed to go by a lot faster this time. It helps that we were running for the most part of it. We didn't really stick to our intervals, we just kept pushing ourselves to run as far and for as long as we could. They weren't particularly long strides...baby jogs would be more accurate...but we were moving and our hearts were pumping. Please little A's heart, she screamed at us "GUYS!!! RUN FAST!!!" to which her mom, T, replied between breaths..."We ARE baby! We're trying!" Hahaha...oh how I wanted to make that child run the rest of the way just to see how she liked it. lol She DID run the last 1/4 mile with us. It was cute. Also a very good way to poop your kids out before bed time! It was very nice weather and we didn't do too bad on our time either. Even if we hadn't, I would still be proud of how long we were able to run. If we can keep up with that "baby jog" pace, we might be able to knock a few minutes off of our time.
This morning we did another 3 miles. I opted for the 1:35/2 run/walk interval. We walked through some, but we did pretty awesome on the first half. Now we're both wincing in pain every time we go to get up from our desk chairs. So, maybe a recovery walk would have been more fitting for this morning's work out. : /
Now, to celebrate an accomplishment of my partner….she did her very FIRST 10K this past weekend and KICKED some serious BOOTY!!! Luckily, our cousins that were doing the race with her (and are much more advanced runners than either of us are) they stayed with her through out the event. T was nervous that she would finish the event in last place, which is just silly! She has always done well, and she always has a better time when she's not running with me. She did a 13 min./mile pace! Soooo proud of her!! She said it was hard at times, but we gutted it through and finished with a smile on her face! GO T!!!
We'll start with the most recent and I'll back track later in another blog post.
This morning we did another 3 miles. I opted for the 1:35/2 run/walk interval. We walked through some, but we did pretty awesome on the first half. Now we're both wincing in pain every time we go to get up from our desk chairs. So, maybe a recovery walk would have been more fitting for this morning's work out. : /
Now, to celebrate an accomplishment of my partner….she did her very FIRST 10K this past weekend and KICKED some serious BOOTY!!! Luckily, our cousins that were doing the race with her (and are much more advanced runners than either of us are) they stayed with her through out the event. T was nervous that she would finish the event in last place, which is just silly! She has always done well, and she always has a better time when she's not running with me. She did a 13 min./mile pace! Soooo proud of her!! She said it was hard at times, but we gutted it through and finished with a smile on her face! GO T!!!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Almost there!
We have almost hit our mini-marathon distance! Sunday night, we did 12 miles in 3 hrs and 24 mins. I'm so proud of us! I won't lie, after the first 6 mile loop, I asked my partner if she REALLY wanted to do the rest....because I didn't want to. But we did....we finished it...and with a decent time too!!
All in all, it probably took us 4 hours with potty breaks, water breaks, stretching, and the pop cycle break we took at mile 6. :)
The first 6 miles were awful. I got a tan line from wearing my Ipod on my arm. The sun was torturous. It was a new route for us, so we were unaware of how little shade there was on miles 4 and 5. We walked through one interval and backed 20 seconds off our running time.
My house was the 6 mile mark, so we got refilled on water, took potty breaks, and sat down to enjoy an ice cold fruit pop cycle. Then we lifted ourselves back up and carried on down the road for 6 more miles. The second time around the loop was infinitely better. The sun was going down and the heat was no longer as bothersome. We actually had to stop after our first mile and refill on water...judging by how much we went through on the first run and we had both ran out about 2 miles before our half way mark. All in all, I drank somewhere around 100 fl. oz. that day! But I'm telling you, I'm pretty certain that I sweated around the same amount.
My partner wanted to go one more mile, just to see how we'd feel. I assured her that we'd feel pretty much as bad as we did after the twelve or worse. lol So we called it quits. 12 miles was our goal, and we achieved it. :D
Saturday, T and I drove up to the 3 Rivers Running Company, and I must say, I was very disappointed. If you are bigger than a size medium...you had better shop else where for running clothes. The shoes were pretty pricey too. Soooo...we both bought our Body Glide and BLOKS and went to Target to shop for some "Big Girl" running clothes and had much more success. :) And, to my surprise...I have a new favorite flavor of BLOKS....ORANGE!!!
________________________________
This morning my partner must have slept through the alarm and my text...so I did some weight lifting while catching up on Shark Week...now that's my kind of exercising!!!
All in all, it probably took us 4 hours with potty breaks, water breaks, stretching, and the pop cycle break we took at mile 6. :)
The first 6 miles were awful. I got a tan line from wearing my Ipod on my arm. The sun was torturous. It was a new route for us, so we were unaware of how little shade there was on miles 4 and 5. We walked through one interval and backed 20 seconds off our running time.
My house was the 6 mile mark, so we got refilled on water, took potty breaks, and sat down to enjoy an ice cold fruit pop cycle. Then we lifted ourselves back up and carried on down the road for 6 more miles. The second time around the loop was infinitely better. The sun was going down and the heat was no longer as bothersome. We actually had to stop after our first mile and refill on water...judging by how much we went through on the first run and we had both ran out about 2 miles before our half way mark. All in all, I drank somewhere around 100 fl. oz. that day! But I'm telling you, I'm pretty certain that I sweated around the same amount.
My partner wanted to go one more mile, just to see how we'd feel. I assured her that we'd feel pretty much as bad as we did after the twelve or worse. lol So we called it quits. 12 miles was our goal, and we achieved it. :D
Big sweaty blob on the floor after our 12 miles.
________________________________Saturday, T and I drove up to the 3 Rivers Running Company, and I must say, I was very disappointed. If you are bigger than a size medium...you had better shop else where for running clothes. The shoes were pretty pricey too. Soooo...we both bought our Body Glide and BLOKS and went to Target to shop for some "Big Girl" running clothes and had much more success. :) And, to my surprise...I have a new favorite flavor of BLOKS....ORANGE!!!
This morning my partner must have slept through the alarm and my text...so I did some weight lifting while catching up on Shark Week...now that's my kind of exercising!!!
Friday, August 5, 2011
DOUBLE WOW!!!
Today, I am on top of the world. Last night, my partner and I set out to RUN an entire mile. Something we have NEVER attempted to do before. We mapped out a mile on familiar ground and set off with my hubs on his bike bringing up the rear with words of encouragement. We simply wanted to challenge our selves and see what we were capable of.
What did we find out?
We FREAKIN' ROCK!!!!
It was just like Forest Gump's run..well..sorta.
We started out saying "let's just try to make it to the end of the road". Then, when we got there, we decided to make it to the next road, and then the next. Eventually, I needed to walk to catch my breath...my lungs still hurt from the chest cold that I have been fighting (but glad to say I'm almost over). In the entire mile, we only stopped twice for 30 seconds! Our time you ask?
Drum roll please....
DRrrrrruuuuummmmmmm.....
11:42.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's 3 minutes faster than we have EVER done!!! Our goal now is to train twice a week with these runs pushing the distance each time. We'd eventually like to run an entire 5K. What an awesome goal!!! We were both so shocked at ourselves and how well we did! But after 15 weeks of training, we SHOULD be able to do that. And now that we know that we can run a mile....things will only get easier....I hope. :)
_________
For the second story of my "double wow" is that we did 3 INTENSE miles this morning. Our aunt joined us and she is a SERIOUS power walker. I started to jog along side them to just get my heart rate up, and they decided to join me. CRAP...what was I thinking?? Now we were running AND power walking. Most people do this anyway...but I can't power walk...it's not in me. My body says, "well if you are going to go this fast, you might as well jog or die". I kept up...sorta. We finished the three miles, but I can't imagine doing more than 3 at that pace. It was a good experience and is definitely what I need. It just goes to show that I am NOT the pace setter....AT ALL. It would be beneficial to train with her at that pace...it would definitely take me a while to get used to it though. Keep in mind, my aunt has been power walking for years...so she has a speed that I've never worked with before.
Anyway...pat on the back for us today!!!
Dreaded 12 miles is coming up Saturday. Tonight....we're hitting the 3 Rivers Running Company to shop around a little. We have both ran the bottoms off our shoes. If I find any awesome deals or learn something while I'm there...I might be inclined to blog about it ;).
Question for the day....What brand of shoes are YOUR favorite?
What did we find out?
We FREAKIN' ROCK!!!!
It was just like Forest Gump's run..well..sorta.
We started out saying "let's just try to make it to the end of the road". Then, when we got there, we decided to make it to the next road, and then the next. Eventually, I needed to walk to catch my breath...my lungs still hurt from the chest cold that I have been fighting (but glad to say I'm almost over). In the entire mile, we only stopped twice for 30 seconds! Our time you ask?
Drum roll please....
DRrrrrruuuuummmmmmm.....
11:42.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's 3 minutes faster than we have EVER done!!! Our goal now is to train twice a week with these runs pushing the distance each time. We'd eventually like to run an entire 5K. What an awesome goal!!! We were both so shocked at ourselves and how well we did! But after 15 weeks of training, we SHOULD be able to do that. And now that we know that we can run a mile....things will only get easier....I hope. :)
_________
For the second story of my "double wow" is that we did 3 INTENSE miles this morning. Our aunt joined us and she is a SERIOUS power walker. I started to jog along side them to just get my heart rate up, and they decided to join me. CRAP...what was I thinking?? Now we were running AND power walking. Most people do this anyway...but I can't power walk...it's not in me. My body says, "well if you are going to go this fast, you might as well jog or die". I kept up...sorta. We finished the three miles, but I can't imagine doing more than 3 at that pace. It was a good experience and is definitely what I need. It just goes to show that I am NOT the pace setter....AT ALL. It would be beneficial to train with her at that pace...it would definitely take me a while to get used to it though. Keep in mind, my aunt has been power walking for years...so she has a speed that I've never worked with before.
Anyway...pat on the back for us today!!!
Dreaded 12 miles is coming up Saturday. Tonight....we're hitting the 3 Rivers Running Company to shop around a little. We have both ran the bottoms off our shoes. If I find any awesome deals or learn something while I'm there...I might be inclined to blog about it ;).
Question for the day....What brand of shoes are YOUR favorite?
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Back at it...
First off...Thanks to everyone that has given me support through out this journey! It has truly helped!
Last night, my husband and I shoveled dirt for 2 hours. Both of us were soaked with sweat and getting very tired. I still felt pretty good though, so I asked my hubs if he wanted to go for a run with me. (You should have seen his face!) He's not a runner, so he offered to ride his bike while I ran. I said "I'll take it!"
Now, keep in mind that I have ALWAYS ran intervals. Only once or twice in training have I tried to push it and see just how far I could run until I had to stop. Mostly, my partner and I have just stuck to the plan, using intervals. So...we set off down our road and something occured to me...I've never tried to run to the end of my road before. So now I had a goal! Yes, there were several times that I wanted to stop and walk, catch my breath, but my hubs was on a bike peddling so slow he was struggling to stay on!!! lol So I kept the pace up. When I reached the end of our road, I stopped to catch my breath. My husband said that he was impressed with my speed. :) *Such a good hubby!* I took off running again and went the entire way around our addition. Having my hubs on the bike next to me pushed me. I didn't want him to have to stop or start circling me because I wasn't going fast enough. I couldn't believe how far I RAN.
So, last night I was dreaming about my AWESOME run and decided, that's something I need to practice.
Advantages of running longer distances:
1. Better lung capacity.
2. Will be more prepped for those runs at the beginning and end of races! Start hard...finish hard!
3. I will learn what I can do!
4. Gives me a new goal to work on.
5. Something my hubs will join me on...well...he'll be on a bike. :)
Disadvantages:
1. There are none!!!
I'm pumped about this. In all reality, I probably only jogged a 1/4 mile...but now I know that I CAN jog a 1/4 mile!!! Sweet!
We have a 12 mile run coming up this Saturday...wish me luck! I'm kinda dreading it since our 11 miles sucked so bad. We'll be trying a new trail that Wells L (you can read her blog HERE) suggested to us. Some of it is familiar ground and we'll be doing a double loop...which can suck mentally...but sometimes you are limited on the long runs when it comes to potty/drink spots. And if there is one thing that I have learned during our training is that you will NEED both of those stations along the way. Before my partner and I started training, I told her that there was no way that I'd ever use a port-a-potty or go in the woods. I have done both. lol
On a side note, I have noticed that I no longer suffer from acid reflux...not since I've started running! I'm beginning to see the health benefits! Always a good feeling...especially when the scale hasn't moved. Call me crazy, but I think I look slimmer even though the scale says I'm the same. So I'm thinking it may be possible that my body is switching fat with muscle. Wouldn't that be nice!!!!
So my question today is....what is your current running goal?!
Last night, my husband and I shoveled dirt for 2 hours. Both of us were soaked with sweat and getting very tired. I still felt pretty good though, so I asked my hubs if he wanted to go for a run with me. (You should have seen his face!) He's not a runner, so he offered to ride his bike while I ran. I said "I'll take it!"
Now, keep in mind that I have ALWAYS ran intervals. Only once or twice in training have I tried to push it and see just how far I could run until I had to stop. Mostly, my partner and I have just stuck to the plan, using intervals. So...we set off down our road and something occured to me...I've never tried to run to the end of my road before. So now I had a goal! Yes, there were several times that I wanted to stop and walk, catch my breath, but my hubs was on a bike peddling so slow he was struggling to stay on!!! lol So I kept the pace up. When I reached the end of our road, I stopped to catch my breath. My husband said that he was impressed with my speed. :) *Such a good hubby!* I took off running again and went the entire way around our addition. Having my hubs on the bike next to me pushed me. I didn't want him to have to stop or start circling me because I wasn't going fast enough. I couldn't believe how far I RAN.
So, last night I was dreaming about my AWESOME run and decided, that's something I need to practice.
Advantages of running longer distances:
1. Better lung capacity.
2. Will be more prepped for those runs at the beginning and end of races! Start hard...finish hard!
3. I will learn what I can do!
4. Gives me a new goal to work on.
5. Something my hubs will join me on...well...he'll be on a bike. :)
Disadvantages:
1. There are none!!!
I'm pumped about this. In all reality, I probably only jogged a 1/4 mile...but now I know that I CAN jog a 1/4 mile!!! Sweet!
We have a 12 mile run coming up this Saturday...wish me luck! I'm kinda dreading it since our 11 miles sucked so bad. We'll be trying a new trail that Wells L (you can read her blog HERE) suggested to us. Some of it is familiar ground and we'll be doing a double loop...which can suck mentally...but sometimes you are limited on the long runs when it comes to potty/drink spots. And if there is one thing that I have learned during our training is that you will NEED both of those stations along the way. Before my partner and I started training, I told her that there was no way that I'd ever use a port-a-potty or go in the woods. I have done both. lol
On a side note, I have noticed that I no longer suffer from acid reflux...not since I've started running! I'm beginning to see the health benefits! Always a good feeling...especially when the scale hasn't moved. Call me crazy, but I think I look slimmer even though the scale says I'm the same. So I'm thinking it may be possible that my body is switching fat with muscle. Wouldn't that be nice!!!!
So my question today is....what is your current running goal?!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Out of it again...
So I've had this aweful cough that has made it impossible to run. During my time off, I really started to HATE our 5 day workout (3 days running, 1 recovery walk, and 1 cross training/rest). It's time consuming and I have a loving husband that I like to spend time with. I'm one of our church's Women's Ministry Leaders, so that takes some time. I have a house to keep clean, I have a full time job...but I'm actively looking for another...which also takes up a lot of time. My husband and I are officially trying to conceive....so that is something that is always on my mind as well.
HOW ON EARTH DO YOU MOTHERS OUT THERE DO IT?! How do you find time to do it? Spend time with your family, work a full time job, come home and make dinner for everyone, and then go for a run?! That means that you have no time for anything else?! I'm not sure that I enjoy running THAT much.
I HATE being pressured into things...and I'm starting to feel pressured. Yes, this was my decision. I just feel like the stress of all my schedule conflicts with running is finally throwing me into a wall. So far this year, I have had 3 long term(Well, long term in my definition) activities. I did 2 bible study groups (I hosted both at my house) together lasting 32 weeks....45 minutes of homework 5 days a week. During my second bible study, I had officially started training. Talk about my nights flying by!!! We are now in week 15/22 of training. I'm really just missing my old life....when I had time to spend with my husband, be able to do a load of laundry in one day, cook a nice meal for us after a rough day, go visit family and friends....the list could go on forever.
I'm not talking about going back to a life style of couch potato...I'm talking about going for a run when the mood strikes you. Working out on the elliptical instead of running, doing a work out video instead of running...ANYTHING but running...5 days a week. I will tell you right now, the Fort 4 Fitness mini-marathon will be my first and last mini. It's what I have set out to achieve. When we do have a child, I want my focus to be on the family. I want running to be FUN again, something that I WANT to do, not what's planned on the routine schedule. I want to be one of those mommies that you see pushing little ones in a jogging stroller. 5K's will stay in my future for sure, those are something that I KNOW I can do no matter what...without 22 weeks of training. I do enjoy running, but it's not important enough to me for me to rearrange my entire life for.
My husband works at a tomato factory, which means that their fresh pack season is approaching. When it does, he'll be working mandatory over time 6 days a week for 3 months. These 3 months are SOOO hard. So these past few weeks, I've just really hated running for taking time away from him.
However, I can't avoid the fact that I have 7 more weeks of training. There are several factors out there begging me not to continue (hot weather, loss of time with my hubs, having a cold, it's shark week on the Discovery channel, and so on), but I just have to do this ONE mini-marathon. That was my goal and I intend to see it through. Our time isn't getting much better and I'm worried that we won't finish the mini in under 4 hours...but I guess it is what it is. We'll do our best and finish. And that's okay with me.
HOW ON EARTH DO YOU MOTHERS OUT THERE DO IT?! How do you find time to do it? Spend time with your family, work a full time job, come home and make dinner for everyone, and then go for a run?! That means that you have no time for anything else?! I'm not sure that I enjoy running THAT much.
I HATE being pressured into things...and I'm starting to feel pressured. Yes, this was my decision. I just feel like the stress of all my schedule conflicts with running is finally throwing me into a wall. So far this year, I have had 3 long term(Well, long term in my definition) activities. I did 2 bible study groups (I hosted both at my house) together lasting 32 weeks....45 minutes of homework 5 days a week. During my second bible study, I had officially started training. Talk about my nights flying by!!! We are now in week 15/22 of training. I'm really just missing my old life....when I had time to spend with my husband, be able to do a load of laundry in one day, cook a nice meal for us after a rough day, go visit family and friends....the list could go on forever.
I'm not talking about going back to a life style of couch potato...I'm talking about going for a run when the mood strikes you. Working out on the elliptical instead of running, doing a work out video instead of running...ANYTHING but running...5 days a week. I will tell you right now, the Fort 4 Fitness mini-marathon will be my first and last mini. It's what I have set out to achieve. When we do have a child, I want my focus to be on the family. I want running to be FUN again, something that I WANT to do, not what's planned on the routine schedule. I want to be one of those mommies that you see pushing little ones in a jogging stroller. 5K's will stay in my future for sure, those are something that I KNOW I can do no matter what...without 22 weeks of training. I do enjoy running, but it's not important enough to me for me to rearrange my entire life for.
My husband works at a tomato factory, which means that their fresh pack season is approaching. When it does, he'll be working mandatory over time 6 days a week for 3 months. These 3 months are SOOO hard. So these past few weeks, I've just really hated running for taking time away from him.
However, I can't avoid the fact that I have 7 more weeks of training. There are several factors out there begging me not to continue (hot weather, loss of time with my hubs, having a cold, it's shark week on the Discovery channel, and so on), but I just have to do this ONE mini-marathon. That was my goal and I intend to see it through. Our time isn't getting much better and I'm worried that we won't finish the mini in under 4 hours...but I guess it is what it is. We'll do our best and finish. And that's okay with me.
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