A rough week -- not a good start!

I've been slacking, and that's bad when you're on week 2 of a training plan... I'm still learning to balance my new job with the rest of my life. And my teeter-totter was all tottered this week. I got in a 3 mile run on Monday, out of guilt, really. The dog had been home alone for almost 12 hours, and she had energy. So I took her out for a spin. Then I didn't manage another one until Friday. It was rainy, I had meetings most of the day, and had that rainy-day-meeting-day headache, so I put in 3 more on the treadmill. I made it 9.4 for my long run today, but it was slooooooow. I can tell that I'm not putting in the time I should be.

We have a parent at our school who's somehow connected with the Crim, and has started an after-school running club for the kids. So I'm going to run with them on as many Thursdays as I can manage! I don't know how much distance I'll cover (as I missed the first session because I had, you guessed it, a meeting!) but I'm thinking either way, I'll have one weekday run confirmed in my calendar, where I'll be accountable to someone besides myself and the checkmark on my training chart.

The good news about such a slacker week is that my mileage can only improve next week... right?

Yahoo, Julie!

This is gonna be fun.

First long run tomorrow... I'm trying for 8.

Before you decide to follow my training plan, check out Hal Higdon (if you google him, you'll find his stuff). He has training plans for different experience levels and for different length races. I looked at his plans when I wrote my first one, but I haven't in a while, so he might have some ideas that work better for you.

I'll look for the link and post it on the link list if I find it.

I'm glad to be doing this with you!

Just one tiny bump

So the 1/2 marathon last weekend was a bit of a milestone for me. As has been my pattern for the last few races, I was not physically prepared. The difference with this one was that I didn't let that discourage me. I took my time, I listened to my body, and I finished with a time that at one time would have embarrassed me beyond belief. Although I am not running around sharing exactly how many more miles Karen and Mom could have run while waiting for me to finish the 13.1, I have to say that I loved being a part of this race, and I was thrilled to have finished at all!! It made me excited to begin training for the 26.2. Twenty six point two miles! Wow!! Karen sent me a training plan that I am eager to begin. I will start a week behind because I just had my port removed on Tuesday and the doc wants me to take it easy for a week. But that is a tiny bump in the plans. My legs feel good. I feel good. I am excited to get out there again!! 26.2, here we come! :)

We've Got a New Project!

Julie and I are embarking on a new project this week... beginning the training for 26.2 With Donna, the National Breast Cancer Marathon. We're recovering right now from a the Capital City River Run half marathon on Sunday, but will lace up the shoes again soon!

Wish us luck! Anybody want to go to Jacksonville in February?

Inspired by Joey...

So talking to Joey tonight, he mentioned he'd not been on the site lately, and I realized I hadn't either.  So here I am...

I'm trying something new this weekend -- a double long-run (though not that long).  I did 13 today and plan to do about 12 tomorrow.  The theory is, if you run on tired legs, you train your legs to run tired.  So last year, in the marathon, when I had a 14 minute mile on mile 23, and I just wanted to lay down in the grass...  this is supposed to help with things like that.  

We'll see.  It might just make me want to lay down on the grass even more.

Anyway, 5 weeks until the race!  Yahoo!  Summer is almost here!

It's Always Sunny

Just wanted to share that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a really good show to watch when I'm on the treadmill.  It's funny and just a little bit wrong.  It got me to run 5 miles last night instead of 4 because I wanted to watch the entire episode instead of stopping halfway through.

Rain: Better than windy snow?

I set off for my 16 mile run this morning just thrilled about the above-freezing temperatures.  As soon as my car pulled into the park, the rain started.  It dumped harder and harder.  The trail has a loop of just under 8 and a half miles, so I stopped at my car for a rest and warm-up.  Thought I'd use my seat warmers 'cause I love them so.  I made steam in my car.  Seriously.  I wrung my gloves out and decided to leave them behind.  Happily, the rain slowed and, at times, even stopped during the second half.  What a difference from just a few weeks ago, with layers and layers of clothes and frozen hair...

p.s.  I made it, and I don't think I have hypothermia, though I pretty much thought about soup for the last 7 miles.   Mmm...  soup.

The Big Dilemma

I have to run tonight.  I'm hungry.  I just got home from work, Phil's getting ready to head out to bowling, so he made himself a frozen pizza-calzone-type-thing.  Smells fantastic.

Skip running and just eat instead?

Arrrgh!

Hey Joey

Isn't there a Running Fit in TC?  I bet they have running groups -- maybe that meet once a week or so -- and you might be able to find out about some new (winter-friendly) routes...

Just a thought.  If I lived closer to a running store, I'd sign up for a training group.  But it's just me and my treadmill and DVDs of Mad Men.

Can I just say

I ran 15 miles yesterday, burned over 1800 calories (according to my Garmin) and gained 3 pounds.  Ugh.

Getting back into it

I have been really bad about running. I ran 3 times 2 weeks ago and only once last week. I am heading out in a few minutes for the first time this week. I haven't made it past 2 miles yet. It definitely helps that we had a thaw. We are supposed to get 8 inches in by Thursday though :( Hopefully they plow the sidewalks this time.

Tired, tired, tired

I did my first 15 mile run today and as I was running/shuffling, I realized that I haven't run this far since the marathon last spring...

The weather was sunny and nice, which was good.  It's amazing, though, how quickly I can go from "This doesn't feel too bad!  I think I can make it!" to "Oh my god, I want to lay down in the snow right now!"

I get to ease off a bit for the next few weekends before I increase mileage again.  Can't decide if it's good or scary to know that my longest training run will only be 5 miles more than my run today...

14 and a half weeks!

Spring is here!

As I sit here looking out my office window at the melting snow and sunny sky, I find myself thinking that this is great weather to go for a run in. Then I wonder how difficult it is to run in galoshes . . . Really, though, this little burst of spring makes me excited to get back into the swing of physical activity. I think about the Bayshore all the time. I am excited. I just need to get past the "thinking about it" part, and get to the "I'm actually doing it!!" part.

I walked again this week, and feel more and more energy every day. I think I might be able to venture out soon and try a run/walk. Karen - sorry you're in a league of your own with your training. Just know that your dedication is inspirational. I have even removed the Running World magazines from their hiding spot. Now they sit in plain view just begging to be read. It won't be long now . . .

How are our other "up and running" participants?

Another story about ice

My hair froze today.  I had my fleece face mask on, and a fleece hat, and my hair got sweaty underneath, and at some point it moved outside the confines of the fleece.  And at the end of my run I had two vaguely ponytail-shaped chunks of hair.  Frozen.  Eew.

Good note...  made it 13 miles today.  It about killed me, but I'm halfway to where I need to be.  Ugh.

How's it going?

How's it going, guys?

I've never had ice there before!

I went for a run this morning.  Still not back up to my planned mileage, but I went out, so bonus points for me (bonus points = french fries).  Anyway, as I was crossing a road and looking both ways, I noticed that the far corners of my eyes were gunky.  Pinkeye again?  I investigated.  Took off my gloves and discovered that ice had formed on my eyelashes.  My eyelashes.  Pulled it off, but they froze up again before I got home.

I was wearing my fleece face mask.  My breath must blow up towards my eyes, 'cause I definitely wasn't crying, and I'm not sure how else my eyes could have gotten so moist.  Apparently the 4 square inches of skin that were exposed to the air was just too much.

Happy training!  Stay warm!

Skipper

I've decided this is just an "off" week...  I only made it 3 instead of 5 yesterday, and I just didn't run today.  Field trip today, crazy working-late week...  I'm letting this week go.  I'll try again next week.

Sigh.  Rest is good too, right?

Walking a mile in my shoes, er boots . . .

As my sister is contemplating the route for her 11 mile run, I must confess (with a combination of embarrassment and pride) that I actually walked a mile yesterday!! Yes, walked a mile. My first in months. I kicked off my heels, put on my boots and walked the halls of the high school. Exhausting! :) I plan to do it again tomorrow . . . .

Karen - check the schools around you. Many open up their halls for community members who want to walk or run in the evening.

Joey - have you been able to get out with all that snow?

Changing Plans

I was supposed to do an 11 mile run this weekend.  Yesterday was out, as it was negative degrees with big wind and then big snow.  So today I trucked down to Kensington Metropark -- they have 8 miles of paved trail and it's well-populated on weekends.  I don't know why I thought they'd have the trails plowed at 10:00 -- they were still busy plowing the roads then.  So, after about 1/4 mile running on the several inches of snow on the trail, I moved over to the road.  Better, but I learned that, as hilly as the running trail is, it's like a pancake compared to the road.   Sooooooooo hilly!  I had my Yaktraks, but it was still really slippery.  Needless to say, my 11 mile run turned into 8.25.  And it still took me an hour and 40 minutes (though much of that time was spent diving into snowbanks to avoid speedy SUVs and plows).

And I'm exhausted!

Maybe double digits again next weekend?

cold cold cold

Joey, how freezing is it up in TC?  I have no idea what I'll do about my run tomorrow.  11 miles is way too long to do on the treadmill.  

So, I made myself a 20 week plan to train for the race, and that's so fun because it's also counting down how long until memorial weekend.  So, as of tomorrow, exactly 18 weeks.  So I can say, "In 18 weeks, it definitely won't be 9 below 0."

Two hundred dollars!

I found out this week that my favorite shoes, Saucony triumph 5s, are being discontinued.  Last time this happened I had quite a search before finding something new, and I'm not ready to do that again.  So I hunted down some online sales, and ended up spending two hundred bucks.  Who said this is a cheap sport?  Ha!  But I got a pretty green bra (actual color:  Mojito!)

Can you believe the Bayshore is almost full? It's the beginning of January!  Although it is kind of nice to look at my training plan and know there are 19 weeks left until Memorial Day weekend.  That sounds quick, doesn't it?  

Spelling trouble

Maybe you're having trouble spelling the word because it's anyHOW.  

Just sayin'.

Rock on, my running siblings!

Congrats to both of you on your "firsts" of 2009! Making it through 1.5 hours of cheer practice these last couple of days makes me want to curl up and take a nap, so I will just have to live vicariously through your blogs for the next little bit!! :) Karen - consider one of those little portable DVD players for when you are on the treadmill. They are great! That, or we have approximately 12 million televisions (give or take a couple) if you would like to try a replacement.

Anyhoo (how odd that Joey and I spell that differently), keep up the great work!!

I'm here, I'm here......

Take it easy Karen, I've only been home for a day since you started the blog. Anywho, I ran for the first time of '09 tonight. I'm not sure exactly how far it was because the sidewalk is only plowed part of the way. My normal "road loop" is 2.6 miles and about 1/2 mile wasn't plowed. I'll call it 2 miles. To be honest, I'm pretty tired from running that far. I haven't run a whole lot lately. I am planning to keep the distance around 2 miles for a while, probably until the ice melts and I can get back to running the Boardman Lake Trail.

First official training run and Joey, where the heck are you?

Did my first official run today -- I have a chart on my fridge with my 20-week marathon plan, and I got to check off the first (of many) treadmill runs.  I think the tv I watch is dying and the sound is getting softer, or my treadmill is about to bite the dust and is getting louder, because I could hardly hear the 1 1/2 episodes of Weeds I was watching on DVD...

But I got to make a check mark, so that's cool.

Joey, I know you're signed on.  Say something!

Baby Steps!

Just so you know, this is my first blog ever . . . how exciting! :)

Not sure when the training will begin, but I did register for the 10k today. Wish I was able to sign up for the half, but don't want to get too ahead of myself since I don't know when I will be able to go for that first run . . . or walk! All I know is that I look forward to this being the first opportunity to finish a race with my brother by my side (how is that for pressure, Joe?)

So there it is. Let the fun begin!

First run of 2009!

Just got back from my first 2009 run.  Had to try out my Garmin and new gloves (okay, and I bought myself some running pants yesterday -- couldn't stomach the idea of squeezing into the fleece-lined tights just now).  I went 3.55 miles...  felt slow, but it was sunny and lovely.  And the fun part about the garmin is that I just zigged and zagged through neighborhoods and didn't have to keep track of where I was or how far I'd gone.

I "officially" start my training plan on Monday...

It's January 3... Have you been for a run yet?

So I've set up this blog for us to help us keep in touch during our training for the Bayshore Marathon/Half-Marathon/10k.  Please post often and let us know how it's going, what's going well, what isn't, if you buy new shoes, anything.  I think we can build a good support system for each other and also keep ourselves accountable if we commit to posting to each other on a regular basis.  

And also, I want to have a chance to brag about the new running gear I buy.

Happy running!  4 months and 20 days to go...

Bayshore Marathon link