December 30 - Bike + Elliptical + Vball

15 minutes on the upright bike and then 30 minutes on the large elliptical that only goes forward (HR was around 152), then played 1 game of volleyball.

December 29 - 10 miles

Great weather for a late afternoon run - in the 50s and some wind, I set out in long sleeve technical shirt, shorts, and no mittens, and carried my small water bottle. Ran 1.5 miles to the nice neighborhood with the water fountain, running 3 miles throughout the neighborhood, and then continued on, the normal loop, finishing 10 miles in 1:39, even with walk breaks. Stopped to refill the water bottle twice and by the last mile my hand was freezing from being gloveless and holding cold water. I felt great, like I could have easily continued on to 13.1+.

December 27 - 3.5 miles + tennis

Ran 3.5 miles with Kostas without stopping around the UNF campus, then played about an hour of tennis (lost, 3-6, despite winning the first two). It was 55 or so and I was comfortable in long sleeve shirt, shorts, mittens. After the run my knees were stiff and had pain on the knee caps. I stretched before we played then felt okay. Overall feel very worn out, again.

December 26 - 5 miles

Drove 4 hours from Sarasota back to Jacksonville, stopped to see some friends, then unpacked the car and quickly set off in the 55 degree weather in long-sleeve shirt, shorts, mittens and visor. (water in hand) It was windy, again, and I managed to run a slow 5 miles. After mile 2 I was ready to stop and come home but I made myself keep going. I felt completely wiped out after.

December 24 - 7 miles (in Sarasota)

Oh, Sarasota! 77 degrees, 57% humidity and winds ESE 16 mph made for an okay run. The first mile was surprisingly quick (9:15). Carried a bottle of water with me, thankfully, and by the end I was ready for more. Ran by a 6-ft. gator near a golf course, a kid dressed as Buzz Lightyear and three of my friends (from middle school) houses. Picked two kumquats off a tree and ate one, feeling oddly nostalgic as my grandpa and I used to pick them when I was a kid. Overall I felt okay, but stopped often to walk for a minute or less, then get back into the running. Mostly my pace was 9:20. Not bad for 4 days after the half marathon and a few hours after a big lunch (curried chicken salad wrap, kale soup, coffee).

December 20 - Jax Bank 1/2 MARATHON!

Hannah!

Lisa, me, Audra post-race

Today I ran my....4th half marathon!

Burrr, after about 5 hours of sleep I woke up, and checked weather: 43 degrees, feels like 39 - winds NW at 6 mph, 72% humidity. Tights, shorts, dri-fit New Balance shirt, 26.2 with Donna longsleeve technical shirt, Nike hat, kid's gloves, socks, shoes. Wore a light fleece for the first three miles. (got way too warm with it on) Breakfast was the usual: banana, peanut butter, bread, and water, though around mile 2 and 3 I was hungry. Audra, Sarah, Lisa and I started out together and Lisa and Audra went ahead, then I left Sarah and ran with Summer, Hannah, and some other friends on and off. I jogged most of the first 6 to 8 miles. Around mile 4 I felt I needed to go to the bathroom (1) and that persisted throughout most of the race. I stopped for Gatorade (orange, my fav.) twice and took a tri-berry GU w/ caffeine around mile 8. At that point I was just ready to be done. I felt okay overall but was just bored and wanting to be finished. I kept going. Around mile 9.5, some of my favorite Galloway buddies - Dawn, Jennifer, and Hannah - came up behind me and Hannah stayed and ran the rest of the race with me. She wanted 4 to 1 run/walk ratios so we stopped for the minute breaks. This slowed my overall time down a bit but I still finished strong in 2:16:39, four seconds slower than my first half marathon last October. On the way home my stomach hurt - possibly from the Cantina Laredo for dinner last night (chips and guacamole, spinach salad, fajitas w/ shrimp, steak and chicken, 1 Dos Equis Amber - and - I skipped the dessert selection!).

December 16 - 7 miles

Great running weather: 59 degrees, 62% humidity, winds NNE 16 mph - hat, mittens, long sleeve cotton shirt (need to do laundry!), shorts, new New Balances. Did 2.6 down and back and added another loop for 7 miles. The first mile my legs and shins and calves seemed tight but after that it was smooth sailing. I stopped about 5 or 6 times for a minute walk break, finishing the 7 miles in 71 minutes.

December 14 - 8 miles

So humid in the gym. Got up early and was at the gym, on my favorite treadmill, and somehow/someway made it 8 miles. Lisa only joined me for 2 miles, which helped a little, and then an older man ran about 3 next to me. When he exited the treadmill I was at mile 6 and he said "you win!" and I replied, "I don't want to win, I just want to be done!"

December 10 - 11 miles

Another chilly run (my favorite!) in tights, long sleeve shirt, shorts, visor, and mittens. Not as windy as Sunday's 8-miler, and not nearly as tough. I ran a different route (out to the right, instead of left) to mix it up, and stopped for water a few times to fill the 8 oz bottle I was carrying. Overall I felt good, and the first mile was sub-9. Around mile 4 my inner knee bothered me a little but it went away. Finished the 11 miles in 1:52. This was my longest run since the Marine Corp Half Marathon in early October!

December 9 - 3 miles

72 degrees, 84% humidity. In December! Ugh. I tried to run at least 3 outside but my inner left knee was bothering me a bit and my outer left ankle. I jogged/walked 3 miles. and felt blah. Not sure why I am so out of it this season.

December 6 - 8 miles

Burrr, it was chilly and windy - high 40s. I started out and it was light, finished when it was getting dark, and ran a 2.5-mile down-and-back and then added parts on. The first mile was fast - under 9 minutes. I walked every mile in the beginning, for a minute, then started taking minute walk breaks as needed. At the end of 8 (1 hr, 24 minutes) my right foot hurt a little and I was wiped out and thirsty. My first run in tights, mittens, shorts, and long sleeve shirt in almost a year!

December 3 - 4 miles

Wow. An extremely challenging morning treadmill run for Lisa and me. It was beyond humid in the gym, despite being in the upper 60s outside. We both really struggled and I'm surprised I made it to 4 miles, and she made it to 5. One of our toughest runs yet.