March 31 - 2 miles

After being sick for the past few days and being unable to breathe (and, run) it was time again to attempt the treadmill. I took Sunday off from exercise and had done about 45 minutes on the elliptical Saturday, trying to sweat out the sickness. So I ran 2 miles in less than 20 but got bored quickly and saw an elliptical open up and swapped for 40 minutes, keeping my heart rate around 152-162. Still stuffy and tired but it felt good. Monday afternoon went to personal training session number 3 and was scared since I still wasn't feeling 100%. It went well and it was hard (my knees and legs were sweating by the end). A lot of squat and lunge type exercises and the dreaded quad lift. Some lat pulldowns, some incline chest press, a little decline push up, triceps pulldowns, ahhh! My HR hovered around 160-172 for the most part but I was breathing fine.

March 24 - 1 mile

In an effort to not be too sore from the beat down I endured yesterday, I headed to the gym this morning for some sort of movement. That ended up including 40 minutes on the elliptical (HR to 151) and then a 1 mile jog in 10:30. My legs felt like dead weight. My hamstrings/lower glutes are still pretty stiff/sore from yesterday's workout but I figure something is better than nothing. And now I get eggs with spinach and toast with almond butter, so I guess it's okay...

March 24 - 4 miles

Day number two of personal training. I am fairly certain that I'll be crawling to work tomorrow. After a 5 min. warm up I was straight into squats (20 seconds then hold it for 10 seconds, repeat for 2 minutes), then chest fly, then a step up/running arms maneuver, then I was lifting a bar overhead and squatting then lifting. Then laying on the mat I lifted one leg up, then the other. My heart rate monitor consistently read numbers in the 140s to 160s. Yikes! I did ab pulls with a resistance tube - 25 on each side. After about 18 I thought my world was coming to an end. I did hamstring curls and that was pure torture, even with the 30 pounds. I did the thigh machine (not its official name), some crazy sit ups with a small ball overhead, and then was told to run a mile on the treadmill. No lie, it was the longest mile I have ever run. Ever. I was running at 6.2 mph and it felt like an eternity. After I was stretched I decided to jog outside. I did 3 miles. I hope I can move tomorrow. This could be interesting. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?

March 23 - 6 miles!

Between yesterday and today, I'm not sure which day was worse. I am so sore from Saturday morning's strength training session at the new gym. Wow-oh-wow! My neck muscles hurt, my sit-in-a-chair muscles ache, my shoulders are sore, my legs...tired. I took yesterday off and this morning so after work I climbed onto a treadmill and took off. My new Etonic Praya shoes are tiny wonders! This was my first treadmill run in them and it was like running with two personal clouds strapped to my feet. I ran the first three miles in 28 minutes then walked a minute and ran another mile, wrapping up 6 miles in 56:24. I got up to 7.3 mph and my HR got to 178 at its very highest, hovering mostly around 169. I felt good.

March 21 - 4 miles

After all these months of running and cross training, I finally manned up and went for my first personal training session in the morning. I warmed up then did a series of strength training moves, and they looked easy but did not feel easy. The ab exercises? Brutal. The walking lunges with overhead triceps press. Ow. The step up-and-over the bench? Quads were screaming! The chest press? Not too bad. But at several points I thought I was going to die. Ow ow ow...I have to do 25 reps - seriously? Why not 15? It was hard and I was sweaty, and my heart was beating quickly but I felt accomplished when I got into my car and drove off to meet Blythe and Kelly (of the "Fab 5") for breakfast since Blythe just ran 20 miles. I had two cups of coffee and some of their leftover muffin and omlette. I got home and wanted to try out my new shoes since Kelly raved about her (matching) pair. I laced up and put my Garmin on. It was windy and cool - in the 60s and gusts up to 21 mph. I ran 4 miles in 37:27, including the first mile in 8:32. Not bad. Not sure if was the two cups of coffee/caffeine? Or the new shoes and inserts? I felt like a speed demon.

March 17 - 4.8 miles

Yesterday morning I went to the gym and ran 4 miles on my favorite treadmill, after swearing off running "for awhile" on Saturday. (apparently awhile = 1 day?) It was very humid in the gym. This morning, also humid, I went and did 36 minutes on the elliptical and then ran 1 mile. I could have done more but made myself go lift weights for a bit. The weather (63 degrees, 75% humidity) after work was awesome! A bit grey and dreary but very breezy and slightly cool. I went for a jog - 3.8 miles, rounding out the day - 4.8 miles. Not bad for quitting running for "awhile"!

Gate River Run Expo '09

Audra and I decided to tackle the GRR expo at lunch. The expo was awesome - it always has been packed with great vendors, free goodies, and lots of good sales and running gear. We did a lap or two around the perimeter of the expo after getting our shirts, race numbers and activating our timing chips. We spun a wheel for free rice, another wheel for a Wendy's prize (we both won kids' meals) and grabbed free chapsticks, Biofreeze packets, Powerbars, bandaids and enough Larabars to make your head spin! I bought a pair of my favorite running shorts for 15$ instead of the usual 28$ price tag, a short sleeve technical shirt and a hand-held pepper spray. We sampled protein powder, chocolate so horrific it had to be followed up with water and fiber water (really?). And to think...this year the Gate, historically Jacksonville's most popular running event, will have nearly 20,000 runners!

March 12 - 3 miles

Yesterday after work I did 40 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes on the bike, where my knees/IT bands began to hurt on level 3. I stretched well and iced them. This morning I headed to the gym to jog. I jogged 3 miles and it was so miserably humid and warm in the gym. I remembered why I always stop running after the Gate River Run each year. For this very reason. So, after a mile I considered getting off the treadmill and as I neared two miles there was a lot of doubt if I'd make it to three. My HR wasn't too high but my chest felt heavy and I was sweating like crazy. I made it to 3, then did 20 minutes on the elliptical before stretching. I am icing now. The annual 9.3-mile Gate is just around the corner, less than 2 days away.

March 10 - 6 (humid) miles

Sunday morning I did 30 minutes on the elliptical then ran for 2 miles on the treadmill and my legs still feel sluggish. (recover, already, would you!?) Yesterday I rested and today, despite not sleeping too well, I was back at it. I secured my favorite treadmill yet again in hopes of running 5 miles. It was so humid and hot in the gym, even with my super dri-fit Reebok T-shirt. It was 58 outside with 93% humidity but it was steamy in that gym. I ran a mile, walked a minute, and so on - until I hit 6 miles in 59:59 (talk about cutting it close!). For the most part I ran at 5.9 to 6.2, and at the end got up to 7.7 mph. I even threw in a 5 minute hill, around mile 4. I felt okay, but obviously very sweaty, and right after I finished and let my heart rate come down from 178 to 145 my left outer knee hurt a bit. I stretched well, finished my 32 oz of water, and headed out.

March 7 - 7 miles & 2 bridges

After Tuesday morning's 6 mile treadmill run, I was feeling a bit blah and tired. I did an hour on the elliptical Wednesday afternoon then took off from gym activities Thursday & Friday. I was in a funk Friday afternoon, possibly due to two days away from my second home (the gym). Last night I had a tasty dinner at Urban Flats - salad, a glass of Australian shiraz, diver scallops with polenta cake and spinach and green tea Yogaberry for dessert. I slept okay. This morning (58 degrees, I was armed in a long-sleeve Under Armour and shorts) Kelly and Rachael were meeting up to do 7 miles downtown, so I joined them, and quite a few others (50?) showed up to run. We did 4 to 1s and ran over both bridges, which was slightly challenging. After the first mile or so I explained that my left knee has been weird, and occasionally it'll pop. I asked the girls if they thought it was common, or if I should go to the eye doctor. "Huh? Why would you do that?" Rachael said. I then realized I wasn't awake (obviously) and that I had been to the eye doctor earlier in the week, so it must have been in my short-term memory. I meant knee/orthopaedic doc! We finished in 1:13, stretched, then went to grab breakfast. Kelly and I then checked out the grand opening of the Jacksonville Running Company store and after testing out several pairs, we both bought a pair of the same running shoes - Etonics. A first for both of us!

March 3 - 6 miles

After taking Sunday and Monday off from all things physical, I dragged myself out of bed this morning in the cold and headed to the gym. My favorite treadmill invited me over for a jog because the gym was empty -- apparently new year's resolutions are dead and gone already? Thankfully Lisa was there and she joined me for the last 5 miles, which helped us both. It was hard, and I got up to 6.5 at the end but stayed around 5.7 to 6.0 mph for the majority of the run. HR to 174 at the end.

February 28 - 5 Miles - Ortega River Run

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