December 31 - 1 mile & Happy Old Year!

Uusally I just blog when I've run, and today I just ran 1 mile but that's still running, so I'm going to count it. I did 10 min on the bike, 10 min (1 mile) on treadmill, 10 min on elliptical, and then 10 on the other elliptical. I promptly ate a Godiva chocolate and a Butterfinger mini at work, thereby defeating the purpose of the morning workout. Oh well! This is my 99th blog posting, so post 100 will be in the new year - 2009. I'd like to wish everyone a happy old year, as I look back and reflect on the past 365 days, along with a great new year filled with possibility. This past year I began training for my first marathon, completed two half marathons, ran my fastest Gate River Run 15k, traveled to Boston, Charleston (SC) and Savannah for the first time, lost my dog of 14 years, moved into the marketing department at work, saw one of my two cousins get married, reconnected with my middle school friend and old doubles tennis partner Kristen, made amazing new friends, joined Rotaract (young professionals volunteer organization), split with my boyfriend of 2 1/2 years, and in the meantime have learned a lot about life and myself. I've learned a lot about who my true friends are - those who inspire me and are bring positive influence to my life, and those who really are not true friends, who have proven to be two-faced, or insincere. Nothing stands in the way of my goals, and if you want something and work towards it, you can have it. The funniest thing I heard all year relating to my marathon training (aside from the ever-so-popular "are you crazy!?) time and time again was "Oh, I'm not a runner. I could never do that!" The amazing thing is - neither was I. 

December 30 - 5 miles

I usually do not run two days in a row by my favorite treadmill was open at the gym after work, so I figured I should reconnect with it seeing as how it had been weeks since it was available. I ran 1 mile, walked 1 minute, ran to two miles, etc. to 5 miles in 49 minutes. I felt fairly good and maintained at least a 6.2 pace for the  most part, and worked my way up to 7.5 mph at the end. High HR of 179. In the final two minutes my right calf was hurting a little. Tomorrow I shall rest. Happy Old Year!

Special post - be careful!

One of the "fasties" (the fastest group in our Jacksonville Galloway training program), Kuris, posts a video each week on his 26.2 With Donna Marathon training/running blog. I saw Kurtis at the Rail Trail Saturday for the 23 miles and he appeared to be fine when we passed the Fasties around the halfway mark. Apparently the 23 miles were not good to him, and several others in the program. He ended up in the hospital with crutches due to his shoes being tied too tight (runners - beware!) and the high dew point and humidity proved to be an issue as well. Here's his video post:

http://twentysixgulp.blogspot.com/2008/12/dew-point-laces-and-lessons-learned.html

December 29 - 4 miles

So two days after the big 23 miles I was able to pull off four miles non-stop on the treadmill (in 39 minutes) after work. Nothing fancy, started at 6.0 mph and worked my way up to 6.8 for the final two minutes. My feet were fine, legs were fine, lungs were fine. Right above my left hip hurts so I am icing.

December 27 - TWENTY THREE MILES!

Twenty three miles...this one deserves a sit.

Up at 3:50 on very little sleep (I hate you upstairs neighbors!), downed two pieces of peanut butter toast w/ a banana and 16.9 oz of water. I usually am able to "go" (sorry.) before these runs, but today I wasn't and I was scared if that would adversely effect my run. When Laura picked me up at 5, we both looked at each other and were not really into the idea of embarking on a 23 mile journey. Oh well. We got to the Rail Trail early, and I was lucky enough to borrow someone's flashlight and squat quickly in the port-o-potty. We were off at 6 a.m. and it was foggy and humid, around 65 degrees. Headlamps and blinking red and blue lights led the way. The first few miles you couldn't see the mile markings which was actually nice. By the time it was light enough to see we'd gotten to mile 4, and at mile 6 the group stopped to use the restroom. I made it all five hours with no bathroom stops. Around mile 7 my IT band just outside my right knee began to twinge. I stopped to stretch it and it got better. I had a banana Hammergel at mile 8 with some Powerade. I had tried a new way of carrying my fuel today. I pinned one gel to the outside of my shorts and one to the other. It worked really well. I only carried one in my trusty plastic bag which also contained kleenex ("just in case"), band-aids, vaseline, and an extra hair tie. At mile 10 I knew we had just 1.5 more to go before we'd turn around. The half mark came, we turned, and headed back - smiles all around. Around mile 15 my left upper calf just below my knee was stiff and sore. The bottom outside of my left foot was also beginning to hurt. Laura wasn't having a good run and was mentally trying to push past it. I kept telling her...9 more miles...then it became 7 more miles...then soon it was 4...and 3 ("anyone can do THREE!") then two ("TWO! TWO MORE!") and finally 1.5 then 1. It's amazing how slow it feels sometimes but yet you just keep moving and keep those legs going. Tried a new flavor Hammergel - raspberry - around mile 16. The walk breaks are nice but it's hard to get moving again. Our group was smaller since some people did the Jacksonville Bank Marathon last Sunday. Everyone is friendly and chatty, we exchange humorous stories and make the best of the time outdoors we spend together. We even spotted a crazy red and yellow snake today. And towards the end I just kept telling myself we were almost there..almost. Finally after the last water and Powerade station at mile 21 it was the homestretch. We got to the end and I jogged the rest, then had two cups of cold orange flavored Endurox and sat and stretched. Rachel, who ran with group 2, limped over and joined Laura and I on the grass. It felt so nice to sit and be done.

December 27 - Off to run 23 miles

As I sit here at 4:10 a.m. eating my nicely peanut buttered toast and banana with bottle of water, I wonder if I am crazy. It's foggy out (65 degrees, 100% humidity...bleh), the rest of the world's sleeping, and I slept horrendously - partially due to the upstairs neighbors, and partially due to the racing thoughts known as the "23-miler." I know I can do it. Laura's picking me up at 5 and we're off to the Rail Trail. I just can't believe it's almost January, and the race is just around the corner. Time flies when you're...having fun?

December 24 - 4 miles

Maybe running yesterday afternoon and again this morning at 8 a.m. wasn't the brightest idea. I felt fine for the first few miles but then had a bizarre painful twinge in my right knee - a first. I took it easy and walked the last half mile, finishing with 4 miles total. It didn't hurt at all when walking but even starting to jog triggered a pain. I stretched well and am hoping for the best.

December 23 - 7 miles

After yesterday's feeble attempt to run outside, I needed to deliver today. As I drove to the gym, I told myself I'd aim for 4, or 5 miles. Since I'm in Sarasota for Christmas, the "gym" is really my old stomping grounds...the Evalyn Sadlier Jones YMCA...home to my first job at 16, and where I worked throughout high school and in the summer during college. I use to coach basketball (11-13 year olds) and spend hours shooting hoops - which paid off when I earned several trophies in the boys' league. So, I had to pencil myself in for a treadmill and since the limit was 30 minutes, I knew I'd need to crank out 3 miles and then re-pencil. I did 3.1 miles in 30 minutes (no walk breaks) and then changed treadmills and continued on for 4 miles. I felt good, listened to my iPod for most of it, and was happy to have done more than I intended. The 23-miler is just around the corner.

December 19 - 7 miles on vacation!

I only did 3 miles yesterday morning and I didn't have time this morning to run so once we got to Tampa today (after driving 4 1/2 hours) and settled into our hotel, I chose between a nap (much needed/wanted) and running the 7 miles I need to do since I'm missing tomorrow's group run. I hammered out the 7 on the hotel treadmill in about 72 minutes. I watched the national semifinal volleyball championships - Sanford v. Texas - to keep occupied, and listened to my iPod, which I don't usually do. So I am done. I had a huge dinner the past two nights for work so I doubt this workout even put a dent into my consumed calories.

December 18 - 3 miles

Ran 3 miles on the treadmill this morning (with walk breaks) in 30:08. Felt fine. Wish I could have done a few more but time was limited.

December 17 - 6 miles

Blythe and me


Summer, Jessica, me, Blythe

With a slight scratchy throat, I knew I "needed" to run at least 3 or 4 today since I took the past two days off completely since my foot was still bothering me slightly - it's better to rest than to injure myself, right? After work I went to the gym and jogged about a mile on the treadmill at 6 mph, then a painful cramp arrived in my right side. I never get cramps. Ugh. I realized I really hadn't had more than 1 bottle of water today, and that was probably the culprit. Walked for a few, then jogged again. Did 6 miles in about 65 minutes. Felt great, and that I could do another 6 easily at that point if time permitted. Went to my Rotaract holiday party after showering. A few of the girls from my running group were there - Blythe, Summer, and Jessica. We posed for a picture of us "running." And we actually clean up quite nicely - don't we?

December 13 - 9 miles

Me, Sonia and Kristy after 9 miles

The Hart Bridge (trademark of the annual Gate River Run 15k) at sunrise

Yes...the moon is still out when we began..and the rest of the world is sleeping!

After Ale House cheese fries w/ ranch (fried, cheese, bacon, ranch - that's healthy, right? right!) last night and a Larabar, I woke up, scarfed some PB toast and headed to meet the group for 7 miles. It was 42 degrees "feels like 32" with light wind. I dressed accordingly - gloves, pants, dri-fit shirt and long sleeve cotton shirt, and was comfortable. On the way I stopped to get gas, and as I'm filling up the tank a state trooper (getting coffee) drove up, rolled his window down and said "I know you are not going running in this weather!" and I laughed, "Oh yes. And there are about 150 of us, so I can't be the only crazy one!" It was a good way to start the morning. The run began over the River Walk, (my least favorite)...it's wooden planks for about a mile and you have to watch your every step since they are slippery and aren't very even. We ran up and over the Main Street Bridge, then came back over the Acosta Bridge, and went into San Marco and back. The half marathoners were running more than us - 9 miles - so most of us hung around for the extra 2. It would allow me to have an extra (insert favorite dessert item here) so I was game. I neglected to stretch after, as I sped off to the new Whole Foods store that opened Wednesday. My shins and tops of my feet are a bit sore. Great run, beautiful clear skies and light wind. Blythe and I were able to chat, as were Sonia, Kristy and I.

December 9 - 3 short miles

Yesterday I skipped the gym and Monday my left foot was hurting on the leftmost side, so I did a mile and a half then biked. This morning I did a little more than 3 miles, and nothing fancy or fast. I lifted (arms) after, and did the same on Monday. My muscle mass is diminishing it seems, so in an effort to salvage what's left of it, I have reintroduced a bit of light weight training. We only do 7 this weekend, so I'm not too concerned - the 20 is over and out of the way!

December 5 - 20 MILES

             
Audra. And the final part of the Rail Trail.

Laura, my running "rock" and I - post "20"! Happy to be done.

Alarm went off at 3:55 a.m. and after about 6 hours of so-so sleep and Carabba's spaghetti & bread in my stomach, (breakfast - toast/PB/banana/water) Laura, Audra and I carpooled out to the "Rail Trail" at 5 a.m. The run started at 6, and was dark for the first 3 miles. The sun never made a full appearance, and the temperature was perfect - around 60. A few people wearing headlamps and holding small flashlights helped illuminate the trail. It was a 10-mile down and back course, with a bathroom stop at mile 6 and 14. It was peaceful, quiet, and a few golden leaves were still on the trees, but a lot of the asphalt trail was littered with fallen leaves. We ran by a few houses, scattered about with horses, cows, and roosters. Around the half-way point took a banana Hammerfuel. Felt good until about mile 11. My right top of foot began hurting where I'd experienced pain awhile back on my left foot due to weird lacing. So I kept trying to adjust it but it persisted all the way back. When we got to mile 15 it seemed to drag on FOREVER. After the bathroom break at mile 16, I had some Sport Beans, and began feeling ready to be done. A brief drizzle lagged for about a mile. The final 4 miles dragged on but Laura and I chatted and made the best of it. Seeing the finish in sight was amazing, since we'd been running in a straight line for hours. It took us about 4 hrs and 20 minutes. We had some Endurox and then came home. Took an ice bath (magical!) and warm shower. Feel fine now. 20 miles...DONE!

December 5 - Part 1: Mission to run 20 miles

I ran 6 miles on the treadmill Sunday, and since then I did about 2.25 a day M/T/W, each outside. I've been playing basketball with a co-worker and some other friends at the gym, which is a great workout but different type of running for me. Today is the day for 20 miles, and my first visit to the Rail Trail. More on this to come in a few hours.... 

Yesterday's official time...

...2:12:38!! 10:13 pace. 86th in age group out of 155. My October 4 marathon was 2:16:36...so I shaved a little less than F-O-U-R minutes off my time. Not too shabby. Now, to get to 2:10...then 2:05..then under 2.

November 27 - Outback 1/2 Marathon

Galloway Girls - Rachel, me, Laura

Me and Will, pre-prace


Katrine (1:41!!!) and myself and Laura (2:13)

Carabba's pasta dinner & sourdough bread last night, lots of water and orange Gatorade, and then peanut butter toast and banana this morning. It was about 46 degrees, clear skies for the start of the race. After much deliberation I decided on a long sleeve dri-fit shirt, running shorts, and gloves (ditched those after about 1/2 a mile). After Katrine, Laura and I waited in a long line for the port-o-pottys (and we were in the leftmost line...however no one mentioned the second one was "out of commission" b/c someone had "gone" all over the...floor?! Who does that, seriously?), we warmed up, stretched a little and got into line. Some 4,000 runners took their mark for the half marathon, meeting those doing the 6k race. We ran past some huge houses and the whole course was shaded and beautiful. Laura ran off to use the bathroom around mile 4, but met back up a few miles later. We ran until 6 miles in, then took a one-minute break every mile. I had some Sport Beans, and then my trusty banana Hammerfuel at mile 9, and water and Powerade along the course. Around mile 8 1/2 we saw a huge horse...wearing a plaid dress. Not sure if it weirder to see a horse in a dress, or the fact that it was plaid. Not sure. It was very bizarre, and I made sure to check with Laura. Yup, she saw it too. My other favorite sight of the day was around mile 2, we saw a much older man that was poured/packed/stuffed (you choose) into the tiniest black shorts ever. He'll need the Jaws of Life to get out of those later! The course took a one-mile loop at mile 10-11, then we zig-zagged our way out of neighborhoods. At mile 12 was Jennifer, my co-worker, yelling and cheered me on. It was so great to see a familiar face. And Laura and I knew we were really almost there. (or so we hoped!) We turned a corner and into the sun we went, it was warm but nice on our faces. A bit further, a group of small kids yelled "one more turn!" around mile 12 1/2, and after that turn, was indeed, one more turn and into the finish we went. Laura and I sprinted, Katrine snapped a photo from the finish line, and we finished somewhere around 2:13 - beating my previous time of 2:16! Will came over and gave me a huge hug and "congrats" but I needed water more than anything. As I took my chip off my shoe and got my medal I was lightheaded and felt like I may faint. That passed and we crossed the street (who puts the Gatorade and fruit/bagels/beer across from the race???) and I secured some orange slices and was good to go. It was wonderful weather. Rachel, from our Galloway group, beat us - 2:08, running the Galloway method (see, it works!). But we had fun and pushed ourselves. Now...time for some pumpkin pie!! Happy Thanksgiving.

Ice bath, post-race. Nothing like getting into a cold bathtub when it's 60 degrees out. Burrrr.

A special treat - Nov. 23 edition

This is my blister. I know you don't want to be so up close and personal with it, but it's not cool. And it really needs to go away. It's been here for 8 days nows and has outstayed its welcome.

November 22 - Burrrrrrrr! - 6 miles

Laura, Blythe, Hannah, Me, Kelly, Melissa

"38 degrees - feels like 30 degrees" is what was staring back at me on weather.com this morning before braving the elements and tackling a 6 miler downtown with group 3. I departed, after toast and PB, in Nike yoga pants, a Northface fleece, kid's mittens, ear coverers. We started off and ran over one bridge, then into a neighborhood, and back over another bridge. I met Kelly, from NY, and her friend (Melissa?) who just joined the group and are doing the half marathon. Blythe, Laura and I chatted about Blythe's big blind date tonight which was humorous enough to make us forget how chilly it was outside. The run went well, and I played doubles tennis for an hour and a half afterwards but it seemed much colder during that. Burrr!

 

November 21 - 2.5 miles

Slept in this morning, went to work. Had a celebratory lunch at Cantina Laredo (yum) for completing a big project - indulged in chips, salsa,  more chips and salsa and then an amazing enchilada and rice and beans. After work went to the gym with a co-worker and ran 2.5 miles (in 24 minutes) then played basketball. Blisters on big toes are growing in size -- I think there may be a small nation forming in the right one...but only 6 miles to deal with in the morning. And it is cold out there. Burrr.

Nov. 18 & 20 - a combined 12 miles

Tuesday I went to the gym after work, after a very busy day, and ran 7 miles in about 70 minutes, including walk breaks. Felt good, HR was low, got up to 8 MPH at the end. Hadn't been to the gym in the afternoon to run in months. Enjoyed the change of scenery, and was also able to secure my "favorite" end treadmill. This morning (Thursday), after taking yesterday off, I ran 5 miles in about 51 minutes, including walk breaks. HR was higher but felt considerably fine despite that. Could be from less than 7 hours of sleep, or from a small dinner last night. So, that's 12 for this week so far and not even up to Saturday's 18 yet!

November 17 - "Run faster!"

The two blisters on my big toes from Saturday's run aren't much fun. The perks of running I guess. I went to the gym and did the bike for 15 minutes then was going to jog, but the blisters weren't really having it. I did a bit more than a mile. An older man came up to me and smiled, "Run faster!" I laughed and said "well, I ran 18 miles Saturday so this is as fast as I'm going to go today." (and I was running 6.0 mph - that's not exactly a crawl  is it?) I explained it was more about endurance rather than speed, when training for a marathon. He paused and said ...."oh, you're one of those." And walked away. A few minutes later he was there again and informed me that his daughter had run 19 marathons. I told him I was training for my first, and that I'd gauge if I was up for another 18 marathons after I finish this one....

November 15 - 18 MILES!

      

Donna Deegan (it's her marathon) and then me post-18 miles!

I did it! After a not-so-substantial dinner and certainly not enough shuteye, I was able to pull out 18 glorious miles. I was up at 4, but managed to eat some toast/pb/banana at 5:30 and met up with the group at 7. The first four miles it rained, and appeared to put a damper (no pun intended) on my already worn down mood. Thankfully it stopped by mile 5, and the temperature was perfect (mid-70s) where we dropped off the half marathon group to their cars and were told "Okay, it's time for your 13-mile cool-down." Oh, fun. We ran up and over two bridges, and then into San Marco all the way to Epping Forrest Yacht Club and back to the starting point. (for those not in Jax...this is f-a-r) Thankfully the water stops and Powerade stops were plentiful. I had some Sport Beans at about an hour and then my trusted banana Hammerfuel 2 hours in. I wasn't hungry but knew I needed to have something. Summer was there and kept me company for most of the run, and Laura and Sarah joined the group too from our old group. We all chatted and kept each other's hopes up. The sun came out around mile 13 and was warm, beating down on our already soaked bodies. It was long (4 hours and 4 minutes for Group 4 - fitting!), and my feet are tired (wore the newer 1223s for the first long run), but the accomplishment is very satisfying: 18 miles...over and done like that. 

Voices

The schedule reads "18 miles" for this morning. I haven't slept a combined 18 minutes all night. I'm hungry, but I'm not. I'm tired, but awake. Part anxiety, part complication. I still haven't made up my mind about these 18 miles. One side says...you're jittery, tired, beat down from a week to end all weeks. Another says...what if all those people you told you were running 18 miles ask how it went? One says....you have to go, but maybe you can just do the five miles with the half marathon group and then worry about the other 13 (13!?) later. And yet another says...you can do this, you've been through tougher things lately, this will be a good time to clear your mind - you can give 18 miles. I don't know how to respond; which voice to listen to. And since I don't run with headphones or an iPod or MP3 player, it's just me out there. Me and my thoughts for 18 long miles. That is harder than the physical act of running 18 miles. I really don't want to make deals with myself, I know I need to honor the commitment. The commitment is just proving to be harder than I would have ever imagined. Amongst other things.

November 13 - 5.85 miles

After taking yesterday off to sleep in, today was the last run before the looming 18 miler coming up on Saturday. I did 5.85 miles in an hour, and average HR was 168 and average speed was 5.8 m.p.h. Since I do no wear headphones while running (whether inside, or out) and occasionally instead of watching the treadmill's "odometer," I'll watch the morning news. Since there's also no closed captioning, so it can be boring sometimes to watch (i.e. today's segment on the largest ball of twine), or even depressing (crime, murder, car accidents, etc.). Today I decided I'd make up my own stories for each segment. A SWAT standoff - well, that would end peacefully. Two ladies and their Christmas bazaar - well, they're selling stuffed reindeers of course. Whatever makes the time go by faster, I guess...right?

Nov. 11 - 5.8 miles

With about 7 1/2 hours of sleep under my belt, I braced myself for the dreadmill this morning. Since I only ran 1 mile yesterday before doing weights, I knew I had to step it up a notch today. Warmed up for a few, then ran 1 mile, walked 1 minute, then walked every now and again intermittently - finishing 5.8 miles in 60 minutes. Lisa joined me around mile 2.5 for 20 minutes, so that made the middle mileage go by a bit quicker.

Awesomness.

Check it. This Nike commercial is well done...

"I have a headache...shin splints...homework. It's too dark...too cold...too dangerous...not in my genes. My dog is sick. I ate too much for breakfast. I'm bloated. I got a case of the Mondays. Tuesdays. Wednesdays. My blister hurts." 

8 miles on the 8th

Peanut butter toast and banana, and out the door to an 8-miler back at one of the locations we visited in the first weeks of the program for 4 miles. My buds from group 3, Laura and Rachel, were M.I.A. this morning so I decided to try group 4 instead. I was happy to see my friend Blythe, who just started in the half marathon program, and she also joined group 4. About half a mile into the run, all groups were about to cross over a small bridge when the sirens sounded and down came the arms - we were all stopped for a few minutes. Then later, when were heading back we heard those same sirens but a brave Blythe yelled "let's go - just go!" and we all hesitantly sprinted across the drawbridge towards safe ground. At the four-mile mark we got water and turned around and did it again. Kurtis was videotaping our group in action today for his blog. Aside from his urging us to tell jokes, at one point we were told to participate in a symphony and play make believe instruments - first the violin, then a flute, then a cello and eventually a  clarinet. (yes, he has this on film...) That'll be one interesting video. But today was fun, the girls in group 4 - Hannah, Helen, Megan, Blythe, etc. - were chatty, and the weather was great - 62 degrees with 90% humidity with an overcast sky.

And then there were three....

Kim, Carey & Caron

For our quarterly marketing newsletter at work, this photo was snapped of the "three marketeers" that completed the Oct. 4 Marine Corps. Three out of 130 people....not bad.

November 5 - 3.8 miles

I woke up at 5, snoozed for a few, got up, got my gym clothes on - then decided I was not going to the gym and not in the mood to run (seems to be the trend, as of late). So I showered and went to work early, swearing to run after work instead. Thankfully I was able to accomplish my goal and headed out for a 3.8 mile jaunt. I walked 3 times for a minute each time and finished in under 40 minutes. Another day.

November 3 - 5 miles

Up at 5:10 today and on the treadmill at 5:30. Jogged/walked about every mile or half mile. Finished 5 miles in 52 minutes. It was humid in the gym, but the run was good. At about 6.2 for most of the run. 

November 1 - 7 miles

7 miles = piece of cake compared to 16.

Publix turkey sub and Kashi whole grain rice for dinner last night and a slice of toast and water for breakfast pre-run today. The Galloway groups got a slight reprieve this morning as we started an hour later, at 7. It was 60 degrees and 90% humidity, with a chance of rain. I opted for dri-fit long sleeves - my first of the running season. We met at a beaches location for a "magic mile" (times mile) and 7 miles total. Our group, which was seemingly much smaller this week, jogged 1 mile then we did the magic mile - Rachel and I ran together and didn't really care to go all out, and we finished in 8:30. We then ran 5 more. One of the ladies in the group, an older lady named George, shared a few of  her past racing experiences (including last year's breast cancer marathon - "it was HOT out.") with me. She said there's a great book by the University of Iowa on the mental side of running. She also said she lives by the saying..."It doesn't matter." So if she doesn't feel like running, she thinks "it doesn't matter" and goes out and does it anyways. All in all, today was good. Not sure if it was the shorter distance, the fact that gas is down to 2.24$ (I filled up after!) or that I have a warm cup of coffee in hand.

October 30 - Sealed the proverbial deal.

So, I signed up for the marathon tonight online. It's a done deal. I had checked my e-mail, and noticed that today was the last day to save $30 on the race entry (even though 100% of the race entry goes to breast cancer research which is AWESOME)...so I took the plunge and signed up. It'll be my first marathon ever, and hopefully not my last! And we are experiencing a rough economy, so $30 is $30. Wish me luck. See you February 15, 2009!

Oct. 29 - Beer & Fried Foods = Key to Running Success?

I think I've found my secret to getting back into the swing of things: Guinness & fried zucchini and calamari (from Magianno's). That's what I had for dinner last night at a happy hour, and it proved to be a success during my run this morning at the gym. Between that and the fact that it's finally chilly (and by chilly, I'm talking about 37 degrees!) outside in the morning, I was up and on the treadmill at 5:45. After a five min. warm-up I jogged 1 mile in 9:30, then walked 1 min, then ran to two miles in 19:30, then walked 1 minute, and continued the 1 mile run then walk about a minute and a half for the last three. I finished the six miles in 58:24 and walked a few at the end to round out at 6.5 miles. I don't think I run this well when I eat whole grain pasta and vegetables prior to a run!

October 27 - 5.5 miles

After feeling fine yesterday from Saturday morning's run (and lots of sleep after going to bed at 9:15 Sat. evening), I played tennis and shot hoops yesterday morning (taking advantage of the excellent weather) and went for a 2 mile walk. Got a fantastic massage yesterday afternoon which had me practically screaming bloody murder during certain parts of the massage targeting my beloved IT band and piraformis. But I felt fine this morning, sides of shins a little tired, and aimed for 3-4 miles on the treadmill. Was greeted by slightly cooler temps as I walked outside - about 65 this morning! At the gym, I warmed up for 5 minutes then jogged a leisurely 6.1 to 1 mile, then walked 1 min, then another mile, walked 1 min, then jogged on and off to 5 miles in about 54 minutes and totaling 5.5 miles with the warm-up. My friend Katrine, who is an awesome runner and tri-athlete, joined me at about mile 4 and I tossed around the idea of bribing her to run the last part of the marathon with me. She hasn't decided between running the full and the half, and of course I'm hoping she does the half. 

October 25 - (Un)Sweet 16

That's Laura and me, somehow managing to smile, after running our 16 miles.

So last night before a pasta & pesto dinner, I pretty much swore off going to the 16 mile group run this morning. I was over it, not interested, not going, no way, no how, no thanks. It had been a tiring week, my running didn't go too well during the week and I was not feeling up to a distance of 16 miles. But I got up at 4:05, ate my toast/peanut butter/banana/water combo, then went back to sleep until 5:15. And at 5:40, off I went. And by no means did I "enjoy" it but it's done and over with. There were several moments of doubt, mostly early on, throughout the run, several in which I was trying to figure out an escape route and figuring out how to call someone to come pick me up. (I am not kidding.) But I trucked on. When I arrived (2 minutes before we were set to take off) I had the urge to go #1. With no bathrooms in sight I had my first "squat" experience. Most of it ended up on my leg, so I ran back to the car, wiped my leg off with another shirt and headed down the hill to meet the group. Around mile 5 1/2 I asked one of my group members how far we'd gone, and that was my answer. Not even 1/3 done. Reaching the halfway point was golden, turning around was like saying there's hope! We went a bit too far, but still turned around. At mile 9 I had my banana Hammer gel and some water and tried a few of Laura's Sharkies (note to self: don't do that again). The weather was humid and gloomy the entire time but around mile 9 the mist kicked in and it was misty the entire way back for the most part. My new Dri-Fit visor worked well, blocking the mist. Most of the run I chatted with Laura. She had a rough week too. At about mile 14 we turned past the school board (boring!) and onto the Riverwalk - running on the wooden planks until we reached the Main Street bridge. Up and over the bridge we went (slowly) and after getting part way through the Riverwalk someone informed us we'd already hit 16 miles. Music to my ears! A few of us walked the remaining half mile back to the Y. So glad to be done. Hips, hip flexors, knees...they all were aching. It took about 3 1/2 hours. Came home, sat in the ice bath for 10 minutes, took a warm shower, and am now contemplating what's for lunch. Honestly I'm not so sure about this whole marathon "thing." It's a good challenge but am I supposed to "enjoy" these super long runs? Because honestly, I'm not.

October 23 - Squeaking By (5 miles)

UGH. Not a good running morning. I was greeted by Lisa at the gym asking if I was going to run today (as she finished up on the bike) and I said, "sure, why not." If she wants to, I'll keep her company and visa versa. The theme of my run today was a. it's very humid in this gym b. why is my heart rate SO high? Even around 6.2 mph my HR was soaring up near 180. What the heck? I ran the first mile then walked 1 min, then ran about 5 minutes and walked another, but it wasn't coming down quickly like it typically does. It hovered in the high 170s for most of the run. I finished 5 miles in about 54:10, Lisa finished her 6 miles in less time. She was thankful I was there or she wouldn't have done the 6, and I was just as thankful because I would have probably stopped after mile 1. Hydrating with some Gatorade G2 (orange, if you must know!) right now, just checked and the weather outside is 71 degrees/83% humidity. I don't get it. Bleh. It's almost November, where are the colder temperatures?

October 22 - Hmm, maybe I should write a blog entry??

     

Birthday goodies from my co-workers!

Wow - slacking, big time. Yeah, I've ran (jogged?) a few times lately but I think I'm slacking with the jogging and the blogging. Not sure which scenario is worse. I attempted to run about 5 miles today and I think it ended up being closer to 4.5 overall and it was windy and I was not into it. Oh well, we all have our days. I managed to jog the first 3 miles or so but the last 1 1/2 I walked home. On a positive note, the weather's finally shaping up and I went for a nice evening jog on Monday for 4.5 miles in 43 minutes (walked 3 times for 1 min. each) and that went just fine. This weekend I had a volleyball tournament for work and we played six back-to-back games, so that took the place of my Saturday run and forced me to miss Race for the Cure. We ended up in second place in the "B" division. By the final game it was chilly and misty and quite miserable. As a side note, I received some excellent running-related loot for my birthday from colleagues last week - pink Nike Dri-fit hat, assorted flavors of Sport Beans and GUs, two pairs of running socks and a $50 gift card to my favorite local running store, 1st Place Sports. I was both surprised and excited, and everyone else was poking fun at me and making fun of my GU. We'll see how long they last at mile 10! I also got a sweet $10 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods from my runner pal, Summer. Lots of great runnin' stuff.

     

Serving & bumping in Saturday's championship game

October 14 - 5.5 miles

Off to the gym at 5:25 a.m. Jumped on the second treadmill and was warming up when a super sweaty, musty/moldy smelling man started on the one next to me. I am not exaggerating when I say the musty smell was taking over my nostrils. I got off that treadmill and went to the clear other side of the gym and did two mile interval training. I then spotted Lisa and went back to the other side since Musty Man was now M.I.A. I then did 3.5 more miles with intervals and steady, slower running. Nothing fancy. It was very humid. 

Birthday running gear

New Balance 1223s - just for me!

So, I turned the big 2-8 yesterday and like every good runner, was beyond excited to receive a nice, new pair of New Balance 1223s (now on New Balance's "endangered" list - the newer 1224's have made their debut) and six new pairs of my preferred non-cotton NB running socks. These gifts will help to ensure I'll still be running at least until I turn 29!

October 11 - 14 miles on my last day as a 27 year old

That's right - 1-4....fourteen miles. Over and done. And still smiling, despite my first blister.

Last night I photographed a friend's wedding with a friend who owns a photography business, so I was on my feet for 6 1/2 hours, running around snapping photos of about 100 people having a delightfully fun time. I enjoyed the wedding cuisine and wondered how the mini twice baked potatoes, 7-layer Mexican dip and chips, and sinfully good spinach artichoke dip (and the delicious slice of wedding cake) would fare on my run this morning. The open bar glared at me but there was not a bottle of water to be found. I got home, went to sleep and miraculously got up at 5:15. I had a few bites of a Larabar in the car, a swing of water, and I met the group for the first time in three weeks in preparation of either a 7 mile run or  a 14 mile run. Those of us who did the 1/2 marathon last week were not encouraged to do 14 today, and to leave after the first 7 mile loop. But the weather was very overcast, a little windy, a bit humid but consistently nice, so I kept with it and did the whole shebang. I had my hand-held 10 oz water bottle, which worked well because I was able to refill it several times on the course. What a great birthday gift to yourself - accomplishing 14 miles by foot (in just under 3 hours with the run/walk and many water breaks)! I had my banana Hammer Gel at mile 10, on Rachel's recommendation, and I felt like a whole new person. I felt clear, I could see better - it was really weird. But I felt good overall. I think this is what "progress" feels like?

October 8 - 5 miles!

After a few days off it was time to get back on the treadmill. No breakfast, a few minutes walking warm up and then a slow and steady pace of around 6.0. It felt good to run again, but weird, as it had been a week since I'd been on a treadmill. Thankfully Lisa was running so we were able to do about 2 miles together. I finished up with 5 miles in about 55 minutes. Nothing fancy, just trying to ease back into it.

Half Marathon - DONE!

Thumbs up at mile 8 - so far, so good?

Rachel from my Galloway pace group.

My girls - Erica & Nicole.

Will and me, post-race.

Did not sleep a wink last night, got up at 3:30 and downed a bottle of cold water. Felt so chilly when I crawled back into bed. Got up at 4:30 (temperature: 68, humidity 69%), had toast w/ pb and a banana, and prepared for the race. Carpooled downtown with Mark, Nicole and Justice, and got there with time to spare — picked up our chips, waited in line for the portolets (now, apparently pronounced "port-o-lays" which may be the French version?), jogged, and got into line. The first two miles were over two bridges and it wasn't too bad - I passed the 2 mile mark around 18 minutes. I continued running for the better part of the first 6 or 7 miles, seeing the clock hit 1:00 around mile 6. I had water at mile 4 and was super thirsty by the time I was able to get more at mile 8 (mile 6 was Powerade). The run was pretty - very shaded and nice, some onlookers as well. Heading back, around mile 7 Justice and Mark (Nicole's husband) were cheering us on outside of the Fox in Avondale. I spotted Justice in his green shirt right away. I was so happy to see them. A little bit later I felt a tap on my shoulder and heard "Caron!" and it was a friend, Jen, who I knew would be running the race but who I hadn't seen in awhile. So we stayed together for a few. I scarfed some orange and green Sport Beans twice but it's so hard to get the package open then chew and swallow while on the go. I didn't take the GU at mile 10 nor did I eat the Hammer Gel I'd brought with me. Mile 9 to 10 was definitely the hardest — it felt like an eternity.  Mile 11 was at the top of the River Walk and I definitely was walking at that point. I knew what came next. I whizzed down the winding part of the River Walk (my favorite part of the race!) and we were now in the home stretch - the sun glaring in our eyes (thank you, Nike hat). I felt like I was dragging. It was more of a shuffle but I tried to keep going. Mile 12 finally arrived and I knew I had just one more mile to go. I stopped to walk. I picked back up and made it to the end - somewhere around 2:16:30. (official time to come) The finish line was around a corner and I picked up the pace for that last .1 of a mile. I removed  my chip from my shoe, put on my first half marathon medal proudly and looked for my friends. I saw Justice and Mark immediately and needed water badly. I grabbed some, wolfed it down and smiled happily for a photo - so glad to be done. After a banana and another water I was happy. The weather rocked - it was 65 when we started, and probably 75 at most when we finished. All in all, a good day!

First Half Marathon Tomorrow!

This week I've pretty much taken it easy and I decided yesterday afternoon to sign myself up for the Marine Corp Half Marathon that will take place tomorrow morning Downtown. My logic is this: if I have to run 13 miles then I may as well try it in a race setting and I may as well get a medal for doing so. No one runs 13.1 miles in training and tells people they ran a half marathon. That's silly. So, it should be a good run, or so I'm told, and we run up and over two bridges but early on (and not at mile 8 1/2 like the Gate River Run!). I have no idea if I'm "ready" or not. Part of me thinks I am, part of me has no idea. If the weather is good I think I will perform. If it's humid, I can't make promises. It's forecasted to be good weather in the morning. Cross your fingers. (I'm crossing mine) I just looked again and it says 65 degrees for the start! This is music to my ears. More to report...tomorrow.

September 29 - 5.5 miles

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Some days I barely feel as though I can run 2 miles, yet others I can complete 7, or 9, or 12. Weird. So humid, despite it only being 74 degrees and 92%H this morning. I did a 5 min treadmill warm up then jog/walked on and off for an hour - totaling 5.5 miles. Nothing exciting, felt like I was breathing in a suffocating blanket of warm air. Oh, please winter, get here soon, please.

September 29 - 3 long miles

So, I slept in this morning. Well, more like I reset my alarm six...yes, six...times. So after a crazy (and very busy) day and thinking it was "nice" outside, I ventured out for a jog at 6 p.m. but found it was humid. Weird. Weather.com said it was 81, feels like 83, and 59% humidity. But it was still gross. I ran the first mile well - in under 10 - then did not want to run anymore. I did the three, but was glad it was over. Sometimes it baffles me how I did 12, or 10, but can barely "want" to do 3 on other days. 

September 27 - 7 Miles

I am so glad I got the week's long run - 12 miles - over on Wednesday. We went to a charity event Thursday and I was up late, and then last night I was up until midnight for two events. But I got up around 7:30 today to run and ended up doing 7. We went to dinner @ Chili's last night and shared chips and salsa and then a big meal, and not much water. So I wasn't sure how this morning would go. It was nice out - 68 degrees and 78% humidity and sunny. The first mile or two weren't overly grand, but I started to get into it around mile 3 and went with it. I stopped once, for a minute at 38 minutes. I finished the 7 in 1:07:59, just under 10 minute per mile pace. 

September 24 - 12 MILES - Flying solo for 8!

Terrible photo, I know, but did you run 12 miles before work on a Wednesday? No? I didn't think so. That's me trying to show my watch, which read 2:27:59 and should have read "DONE."

After much deliberation, I decided to join Summer for a 4 mile loop this morning and gauge how I felt after to determine if I'd continue on for 8 more to get the 12 miler out of the way. (We're supposed to run 12 with the group this weekend but it's at least a 45 minute drive and Summer and Laura aren't going, and I really am not up to driving to uncharted territory for 12 miles at 4:30 a.m. on a Saturday if I don't have to) So, Summer and I met, and ran/walked for 4 miles. As we parted ways at mile 4, I felt fine, grabbed my handheld 10 oz water bottle from my car and kept trucking along. I planned in my head to run to my office which is 3 miles and back and then I'd tack on the rest near home. I kept going past the office a bit and then turned around, figuring it'd be closer to 7 round trip from there then 6. I stopped twice at the same gas station and ran in and refilled my water bottle with cold water and ran out. (weird to see a sweaty girl dash in and out during "rush hour" to refuel, but who cares?) I had a few orange Sport Beans around mile 5 and then I tried a Hammer Gel chocolate gel around mile 8 and it was okay, but hard to get open. Around mile 9 my stomach felt weird for a minute or so then was fine, and I knew I could keep going. Just as I was running past home at mile 10, Justice was pulling out to go to the gym. Wow - what timing...2 hours and 20 minutes into my run and we crossed paths. I said "hi," throwing my handheld water bottle in the car, and told him I had one more mile to get to 12. It sounded so good at that point. I then jogged another mile and finished the 12 glorious miles in 2:27:59. Whew. Great weather - pretty windy, but very cloudy and no direct sun. 76 degrees when starting, with 74% humidity. I am beyond happy fall is finally here. (I think it's here to stay?) Got home, tried a quick ice bath after stretching, and then showered and enjoyed a big breakfast of eggs w/ cheese, spinach and salsa, wheat toast w/ cashew butter, and a big glass of orange juice. Off to work now...

September 20 - 63 DEGREE Run in SC

Thumbs up to finishing 5.3 miles in 63 degree weather!

Vic made tasty post-run Cuban coffee.

My first run out of state ever, and a great one at that - did I mention it was 63 degrees and 79% humidity and breezy? Sixty-three degrees = amazing. Thank you South Carolina. We're in Charleston (well, north of Charleston in Goose Creek) for the weekend visiting Justice's best friend Vic, and his wife, Kristen, for Vic's 27th birthday. Vic and I ran a beautiful path that was recently paved with huge trees and lots of shade...and since it was overcast there was no worries about sun being in our eyes. The change in scenery (and temperature) made it so worthwhile! Overall we probably did a 9 to 9:30 minute pace, chatting the whole time, and it took us 52 minutes as we turned around at 26:30. We later mapped it and it was about 5.3 miles. And typically I write what I ate the night before and last night was a feast...lots of pita chips w/ hummus and homemade roasted eggplant dip, olives, homemade challah bread and excellent "west coast" italian fish/shrimp/scallop/calamari/mussel soup. Mmmm. And we did a beer tasting so I tried just a few sips of each. And I still ran well.

September 17 - 6 miles and 50th Post

Blogger tells me this is my 50th post. Hooray - I've been running for 2 1/2 months. This morning, after not enough sleep and no breakfast, I cranked out 6 miles on the treadmill. I approached it with one of those "I do not want to run today" attitudes too, unfortunately. I got to the gym a bit later and "my" treadmill was taken so I tried one that was a few over from it but there was a sweaty guy that smelled less than pleasant (not cool to run next to for 57 minutes) next to me so I slipped off to the next one and then "mine" opened up and I hopped on. 4 minute warm up, then I ran 1 mile in 9:30, walked 1 min, then ran to 2 miles in 19:02, then walked 1 min, then to three miles, walked 1 min, four miles in 37:30, walked 1.5 min, ran to 5, walked 1 min, and then ran to 6 in 56:48. High HR of 189, average HR 168 and average speed of 6.2 mph. Fastest speed - 8.8 mph.

Some like it hot (yoga)

Several of my friends have been trying to get me to try this "hot" yoga. While I do enjoy yoga 1-2 times a week, I've never had the urge to try yoga in a sauna-type environment. Well, until today. After two friends, Laura and Leona, mentioned it on two separate occasions, I decided - heck, why not. Thankfully both were in attendance. The studio was really nice and the yoga room is fairly large with wood floors and two mirrored walls. I was told to bring a beach towel, which I put over my mat. The room is heated to 85-90 degrees and three heat lamps were at the front of the room. Laura and I joked that we felt like we were in an oven. About 10 minutes in there is sweat everywhere and in every down dog the sweat slides down your arms and streams down your face and steadily drip-drip-drips off the tip of your nose. It was pretty intense, with a lot of triceps work and since mine aren't exactly the strongest, we'll see how that feels tomorrow. I was complete soaked afterwards, but it was more enjoyable than the soaked feeling I experienced after the 10 miles on Saturday morning. I'd give it an A+.

September 15 - 4 miles

Out the door at 5:30, on the treadmill and walking at 5:45. Very humid. Ran to 4 miles with walk breaks and a 5 minute warm-up for 4.3 miles total in 45 minutes. Nothing exciting today, felt tired and wasn't very motivated to run or jog. Blah.

September 13 - TEN MILES!!!

You can't tell from this picture really but I can't believe I'm smiling - after my longest, and most humid run ever, I am 100% drenched. Not a dry spot on that dri-fit tank or shorts.

Holy wow. 10 miles. Over and done. A little over 2 hours and my longest run by about 30 minutes (and .7 miles). I figured I should blog before I take a nap or it'll never happen. Started off fine (toast w/ PB for breakfast at 4:55 a.m.), it was very humid, but around mile 4 I was feeling the impact. Thankfully we had about 5 water stops today. Around miles 6 and 7 I had a few Sport Beans. By mile 7 I was lagging, wondering how in the heck Ill ever run the 26.2 miles. The last mile and a half or so were up a bridge, and I was not having it. I resorted to a walk for 2 or 3 minutes then a shuffle downhill. At the end I was so glad to be done and nothing hurt or ached but I was absolutely soaked. My shorts were dripping, and the built in underwear were hanging off, soaked like a diaper. Ugh. It felt disgusting. We were all pretty much soaked. One lady joked that she felt she'd fallen in a pool. Afterwards I had some water and ate a banana on the way home. Once home, and out of the car, my legs were weird and I walked into the front bumper (didn't feel very good) but after a shower and some icing I just feel tired and ready to take a snooze for a bit. So glad that's over with and so eager for winter to get here....

Time to Get Pumped Up - 10 Miles Tomorrow!

In less than 12 hours I'll be completing (hopefully) the longest distance I've ever run - 10 miles. We're dipping into the double digits and I believe that I am ready for action. In a few short months when we're gearing up for 20 miles, I'll probably look back and scoff at the fact that I was worried to run 10...that was pocket change, I'll tell myself. But anyways, I'm anxious and ready to tackle the 10 with the best of them.

September 9 - 5 miles

(Dinner - huge salad w/ black olives, almonds, avocado, tomato, cheese, hard boiled egg, craisins and flax seeds, Kettle dijon chips, muscadine grapes. Also - went to yoga last night since my favorite instructor has finally returned after having her first baby!) No breakfast, on the treadmill at 5:35. Warmed up for 4 minutes. Ran 2 miles (18:48) then walked 1 minute, then ran to 3 miles, then walked 1, then to 4 (37:33), walked 1 and ran to 5 miles to finish in 46:50. Avg. speed and HR - 6.3 mph and 166. Very humid in the gym and outside. Thank goodness for both dri-fit clothing and Lisa today, who joined me at about mile 2.5 for the next 2 miles. So helpful!

September 8 - 6 miles

(Dinner last night: big salad w/ all sorts of stuff in it, some Kashi with peanut butter and honey on top & watermelon.) 6 hours of sleep (stayed up to watch some of the VMAs on MTV - afterall it was the VMAs 25th anniversary!), no toast this morning, two minute warm-up, then on my favorite treadmill at 5:40 a.m. next to Lisa.  Ran two miles in 19:05, walked 1 minute, ran to 3 miles, walked 1, ran to 4 miles, walked 1, ran to 5, walked 2 minutes, then ran to 6 miles in 57:35. Average HR: 167. Average speed: 6.1 mph. Got up to 8 mph. Stayed mostly around 6.3 mph. It was very humid, but legs and lungs were fine. A guy two treadmills over had a loss of balance and began to fall off but thankfully caught himself, which brought me back to that fateful Monday afternoon in May 2006 in which I fell forward on a 8.5 mph treadmill (back when I could run fast) and severely loss skin on both shins and knees. Not fun, and pretty shocking at the time. A visual now, for those who missed seeing these in '06:

An hour or so after it happened

Three days later

Four days later

September 6 - 8 Miles

The group, afterwards, socializing.

My coworker, Audra (she's in the faster group! You go girl!)

My running buddy, Laura

Dinner last night was toast w/ cashew butter and a banana, and some honey dijon Kettle chips (amazing!), watermelon and  few sips of Justice's beer. We went to sleep at 9 but I didn't sleep well/much. Up at 4:50 a.m., piece of peanut butter toast and water, out to Atlantic Beach to meet the group and run 8 miles. We received sad news that "Dr. John," who has been involved in the Galloway program for years, and often comes out to cheer us on, passed away yesterday (Leukemia) - so today we all donned purple ribbons in his honor. The course, which is part of our actual marathon course come February, was really amazing. I've never been back in these neighborhoods - huge houses, gorgeous trees and winding roads! And thankfully Laura was back today and we chatted the whole way, making it go by very quickly. We met Rachel, who is also in Group 3, and pretty much picked her brain since she's run marathons and 1/2's before. She even shared a story of losing four toenails in one race. Yikes. Overall I felt great, no pains, I took water at both water stops, and the weather was great - 77 degrees/75% humidity to start and down to 70% when we finished. Shelby's Coffee House was kind enough to donate water, fruit, coffee and Gatorade for us. Thank you Shelby's.

September 4 - 6 miles & 3 walk breaks

I'm going to include what I ate for dinner as I think there is some sort of weird correlation between certain things I eat and my running performance. (Last night had chicken and sun dried tomato ravioli, salad, frozen vegetables.) Up at 5:35, wolfed down a piece of toast, out the door and off to the treadmill. The one I like was occupied and my friend was on the next one, running. I opted for one on the other end but then saw the one I liked was now available. (I am pretty particular - apparently!) I jumped on, and warmed up for 5. Then as my friend was finishing she chatted with me for the first 8 minutes of my run (made it go by fast!). I ran for 20 minutes, completing 2 miles in 19:03, then took a 1 min walk break. Ran to three miles, then a one minute walk break, then to four miles in 37:57, then a final walk break. Completed 6 miles in 57:05. Walked to 60 min, rounded it out at 6.2 miles for the day. Average heart rate according to the treadmill and my HR monitor was 168. I saw 190 (for the 1st time in a few years!) at the very end, as I sprinted at 8.7 mph for the last minute to so! 

September 2 - Back on the Machine

After attempting to run/jog outside yesterday morning (read: too humid), I needed to get back on board today. No breakfast, headed to the gym. Saw my friend Lisa who wondered why I'd been MIA for a week. That aside, I was back, and hoping to run/walk 4-5 miles. I warmed up walking 5 minutes then alternated running with faster running, then a 1 minute walk break, then more of the same. I felt good overall and really good overall around 40 minutes into the workout. Even stopped midway through to walk for a few. Ended up at 5 miles in 50:50, not bad considering the 5 minute walking warm-up. Did 5.5 miles in 55:35 and then rounded out 60 minutes with 5.9 miles total. Average HR was 157. High HR was 174 I think. Average speed (including the warm-up + cool down walking) was 5.9 mph. Everytime I have sushi for dinner (we tried a new place last night) I do well running the next morning, which makes no sense since all of that sodium from the soy sauce would essentially make me retain water. However my toast w/ cashew butter and three egg omlette w/ spinach, cheese and salsa await me. Ahh the joys of running and refueling!

Interesting facts courtesty of Runner's World & other mags

I check out Runner's World and other magazines at the library. I like the little tidbits-y parts like:
1. For every two-pound gain in weight, the risk of developing arthritis increases nine to 13%
2. A sustained 10 percent weight loss will reduce lifetime medical costs of an overweight person by as much as $5,300
3. To determine how many calories you need, multiply your weight by 10. Add 20% of that number if you sit at a desk all day, 50% if you're moderately active or 70% if you're moving all day. Add the # of calories burned during your workouts. Reduce the total by 15%.
4. A 10-minute post-run ice bath's coldness will decrease swelling and inflammation and has an analgesic effect.
From Men's Health:
1. "Life's like a video game — you have to finish one level before you get to the next." - Adam Yauch, Beasie Boys rapper
2. Massages may add years to your life, according to a new study in th eJournal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. People who went for a single deep-tissue massage showed an average 7-point drop in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressures, as well as an 11 beats-per-minute decrease in their resting heart rates. Over time, these subtractions could add as many as 6 years to a person's life span.
3. Peppermint oil can alleviate IBS symptoms. When IBS sufferers took a dose of peppermint oil three times a day, 79% had a significant decrease in abdominal discomfort.
4. Take your multivitamin after a workout when your body is primed to absorb nutrients.
5. "The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." - Sydney J. Harris
6. "Your job today tells me nothing of your future — your use of your leisure today tells me just what your tomorrow will be." - Robert H. Jackson
7. "There is more to life than increasing its speed." - Mohandas K. Gandhi
8. Facts of Life: "Percentage of Americans who exercise less than 6 minutes every day - 34" Source: Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise

August 30 - 7 Miles & So Humid

Not a bad photo for being completely soaked all the way through (the shirt is usually a very light grey) after 7 miles!

Tim (green shorts) & Donna Deegan (the race founder and our local news anchors)

Up at 3 a.m. to down a piece of toast, some PB, and water, then back to sleep til 4:50 a.m. As anticipated, I was tired and unprepared for the run since I'd been MIA from running since Monday. My stomach was a little rumbly and weird, as it was last night too. I brought along some paper napkins in a plastic baggie, thanks to my friend Katie's recommendation ("just in case you have to go"). Summer and I carpooled and arrived at the parking lot around 5:35, and the humidity hanging in the air was gross. Group 3 headed out shortly after 6, in the dark, and I ran with Jennifer, an ER nurse, for the first few miles, making small talk and aiming to ignore the impeding humidity. At our second water station around the 3 1/2 mile mark, I anxiously drank my cup of water. From then to the finish I was ready to call it a day. Somewhere between mile 4 and 5 I was starting to fall back and hang with the back part of the group instead of the front. I took another small cup of water and three blueberry Luna Moons about 48 minutes in. I had goosebumps. I was so sweaty - my dri-fit shirt was completely soaked as were my shorts and dri-fit (ha!) hat (Bad call on the hat. Note to self: do not wear hat again unless raining). Mile 6 couldn't come fast enough. I was struggling, though nothing was hurting and my lungs seemed okay. I knew where we were and that the parking lot was right around the corner so I trucked along (slowly), and finished the 7 miles (watch time: 1:20), and grabbed water and a new orange Gatorade G2 which was quite tasty much to my surprise (not usually a Gatorade fan). So glad to be home eating oatmeal & Chia Goodness now and I am contemplating a nap!

A brief intermission

After a crazy draining week, I am gearing up for seven miles tomorrow at 6 a.m. I haven't run since I attempted to Wednesday morning when I was was sleep deprived and it was 75 degrees with 100% humidity (according to trusty weather.com). I literally felt like someone poured concrete into my body, let it harden, and then said "Okay, now go run!" I somehow managed to jog for a mere 7 minutes at a snail's pace, then walked to the mile point, uttered a few minor expletives under my breath, and then I proceeded to walk back a mile. Horrendous. I played volleyball after work Wednesday but that's not running. So, I did 6 last Saturday and 5 on Monday but that was it for the week. So yeah, it's been a long week with some unforeseen circumstances. Hopefully things will go well tomorrow morning...we shall see.

August 25 - 5 mile Monday

Did not sleep well last night at all. Got up at 5:25, ate a piece of toast, and off to run 4 or 5 miles on the treadmill. Wasn't looking forward to running, would have preferred to go back to sleep. Ran the first three miles without stopping - in 29 minutes. Walked a minute, then ran. Finished in 49:06, HR of 184! HR stayed mostly around 176-180 throughout the entire run. Mostly ran 6.1-6.5 pace with occasional sprints up to 7.5 m.p.h.

August 23 - 6 Miles (Treadmill Style)

After being cooped up inside for days due to Tropical Storm Fay, part of me hoped for a cancellation e-mail last night and part of me was ready to meet with my group and hammer out the 6 mile run at 6 a.m. Well, the cancellation e-mail came, and due to flooding in the area we were supposed to meet in, it was the first-ever cancellation of the Jacksonville Jeff Galloway program. Usually it's rain or shine, no excuses (except lightening). That meant 6 miles on the treadmill (borrring!) but that I could sleep in past 6 a.m. (excellent!) And I did exactly that. In bed at 10 last night, up at 8:15, popped in a piece of toast and quickly headed to the gym to put a thick line through the "6 mi" that glared at me on my Galloway calendar. I tried the shoe lacing "trick" my friend and former UNF runner, Jo, told me about so that the top of my left foot wouldn't hurt - and it worked. I skipped the part that typically presses across my bone, and laced it up the rest of the way. The first mile was good - didn't take a walk break until minute 9. About the 2 mile point I felt the..uh... "I need to GO now" urge. But I pushed through, telling myself I could have been halfway up a bridge and there's no place for an urgent "GO" to happen up there. I told myself to get to mile 3 and reassess. Mile 3 ended at 29 minutes, and I kept going until mile 4. I ran off the treadmill and quickly went to the restroom, then hopped back on to complete the 6 miles in 57:59. My heart rate even saw 184 today. For the most part it hovered around 176-181. But everything was good - got the treadmill I like, tried the new shoe lacing, wore my new New Balance dri-fit shirt, microfiber socks. I also find it funny how I ate literally any and everything in the house yesterday in a fit of boredom. Somehow I managed to get through 6 miles with all sorts of stuff sloshing around - chocolate, a Morningstar Farms chicken patty, watermelon, an entire BAG of soy crisps, cereal with peanut butter and honey, a Larabar, oatmeal, etc. But - six long treadmill miles - over and done!

August 19 - The calm after (and before) the storm

Long day, grr. After spending far too many hours indoors (10 hour day, meetings galore, lunch @ desk, e-mail crashing) I needed to be outside. Unfortunately, Hurricane Faye is on her way to us. Fortunately, I took the last bit of daylight to jog out the day's frustrations. Two miles in 19:11, no stopping. Nothing extravagant but I needed to sweat. (and it was humid, ugh, even at 8:15 p.m.) But it was the calm before the "real" storm and the calm after the proverbial work storm. Four miles today. 

August 19

After attempting cross training at the gym on sore legs and being unsuccessful, I jogged 2 miles - but later - around 7:25. I *thought* it seemed nice out, when I left the gym, but upon the 3/4 of a mile mark I realized...nope...humid again. Though at the gym I chatted with Amy, the new wife to the gym's old fitness director, Anthony, who I used to play basketball with. She's my age and mentioned she'd done ELEVEN marathons. Yes, 11! Aside from the compartment syndrome she experienced that put her in a wheelchair for 6 months (caused by overtraining), she's enjoyed her marathon experiences and is looking to do a marathon in each state. Her best advice: don't warm up, you're going to run 26.2 miles so there's no point in running a warm up but just use the first 3 miles of the race as one.

Paying Sunday's consequences

Apparently working out - even lightly - was not a good idea yesterday. At all. I'm soooooooo tired and worn out today, and my poor thighs and legs are sore. Note to self: don't do that until after the marathon is o-v-e-r.

August 18 - 89% humidity

Bleh. Weather.com told me it was going to be 75 degrees with 79 percent humidity as I'd set out to run this morning. And I felt each and every percent of that 79 percent. I did 3 miles, and was a bit sore from trying to work out yesterday for the first time in a month, instead of the usual 4. My left calf was also weird for the first half mile or so. I ran the first mile in 10 minutes, then walked a minute, then ran to the mile and a half mark, walked a minute, ran to the two mile mark, walked a minute, then ran the rest of the way back - 30:35 total. I walked to cool down for 10 minutes, stretched, showered, then iced both calves and shins for 10 minutes on each side.

Olympic Marathon Glory

We watched the women's marathon last night and these ladies are CRAZY fast. Romania's Constantina Tomescu-Dita (left) finished the marathon in 2:26:44!? Congrats! And did I mention she's 38 years old? It led me to ask J what he thought the "toughest" Olympic sport is. We watched the men's 100 meter swim and it's over in, well, seconds. A marathon spans 26.2 miles but you can see your competition approaching, and know when to pick it up. Swimming for 9 seconds — that's all about precision and they just have to go as fast as they can because it's over in a few blinks of an eye. The difference between gold and silver in that event was separated by 1/100th of a second. That's insane. I think gymnastics is tough too, with precision/balance prevailing. Regardless, I'm impressed by it all, and all the mental toughness and preparation that goes into these Olympians.