Why I Run

This is my lovely edited blog post that I wrote for the News & Record. I had asked one of my friends to do her editing magic and this version is much cleaner so I thought it should at least be printed somewhere. Unfortunately, I had to turn in my first edition to the paper in order to stay on deadline. I'm still excited to see the other version show up in print, or at least virtual print. My friend, Elizabeth who edited told me I should expand this and call it Why I Run. So here goes. And a link to the one on the News & Record here.

I've been running off and on since college, but my first running memory is going to watch my mother win her age group at a 10K in Nashville, Tn. I got back into running five years ago, taking a year off during my pregnancy with twin daughters. Now I run to keep up with two 14-month-olds, to set a good example for them, and to help me stay sane on those days when Mommy doesn't get a "time out." The Virginia Beach Rock n' Roll Half Marathon is my fourth half marathon.

After having twin daughters, I wasn't sure if I could run once around the track, let alone run a 5K. That's how I felt when I originally signed up for the Janes on the Run Women's Running Network in January. It was the perfect way to get back into running with a step-by-step plan, along with the support of a running coach and other "Janes." Fast forward to September, and I've now completed one 5K, one 10K, and two half marathons since then. Oh, and let's not forget more than 400 training miles along the way.

Before Janes, I wasa solo runner. Occasionally, I might have gone out with my husband, but we didn't run at the same pace, so I would set out alone, pull down my running cap, listen to favorite songs on my iPod, and just go. I can remember seeing groups of runners talking, laughing, and having a good time. I would roll my eyes — who talks and runs?

Now I am one of those runners, and I can't imagine running without the camaraderie of my friends. My running partners are also working Moms with supportive husbands and busy schedules. Emily is a former cheerleader, and Maria is the best sourdough bread maker I know. I couldn't have chosen the more perfect two if I had tried. I'm still not sure what I bring to the mix — maybe it was my Garmin so I could keep up with our pace. We established a routine early on, meeting twice a week at 5:45 a.m., along with other Janes so we could beat the heat and run before our crazy schedules got in the way. Husbands handled breakfast for the kids, and we ran our weekly training runs, talking about whatever would come to mind. We would meet again on Saturdays with all the Janes for our long runs, enjoying each others’ company, cheering each other on when we needed motivation, laughing over stories of our children, grumbling under our breath up hills, and then collectively breathing a sigh of relief when we were on the downside.

At first, 16 weeks of training seemed a lifetime, but as the big day approached, the time seemed to have flown. I had never felt this prepared for a race before, and I owe it to maintaining a consistent training schedule thanks to my running buddies and the Janes. Short runs, long runs, hill workouts, a little trail running, a week of tapering, and I was finally ready for the big day. The day of the half marathon was nice with a bit of a breeze and what a great feeling to start the race with my friends. We posed for a few photos, adjusted our gear, and we were off. While we didn't cross the finish line together, we had come together as mothers, as friends, and as runners.

Tues. Sept 1 and Thurs. Sept 3

Now I can finally say, VA Beach is almost here! 3 days to go!

The past 16 weeks have been full of memorable runs, some not so memorable runs, great conversation, a couple of blisters, lots of stretching, a few aches and pains, lots of Gu chomps, dirty running hats, squishy shoes, Target $9.99 tanks, my new love of Nike tempo track shorts and so much more!

Our last two runs were 4 miles (Tues) and 2 miles (Thurs.). The 2 miles today didn't even feel like a run - I was just starting to wake up and we were done.

It's exciting and kind of sad that it is all coming to a close this weekend. I'm excited to run (and actually run the whole way) a half marathon this Sunday and do it with all of the Janes. I'm sad because it's going to be over. I think we are all pretty determined to keep running - maybe not quite as organized, but still a couple of times a week. I have loved the camaraderie that I've gained, plus I feel like I'm a better runner from all of this training.

I was thinking today ... how many times have I run up and down the Grease Alley Hill? 16 weeks x 2 times per run x 2 times per week (minimum) = 64. That's it? We were laughing today, because that hill never really gets much easier!

Off for now ... the next post will be from VA Beach!

Saturday, August 29

It has been 3 runs since my last confession, oh I mean post.

Let's see ....

I ran 4 miles on Tuesday and Thursday morning. We actually met at 6:15 on Thursday so we didn't have to run in pitch blackness and that extra sleeping time was bliss.

4 miles now seems easy ... well, at least Tuesday did. Thursday, E and M were way ahead of me and I just couldn't catch back up with them. They promised me that they weren't flying either, but they just. seemed. so. far. ahead.

Today we ran almost 7 at Salem Lake. Plan called for 8, but Liz suggested 7 and no one was opposed. Great run with the exception of dashing through the flooded out dam so our last 1/2 mile was in squishy wet socks and shoes. Gross.

Next week is going to seem like a cake walk. (hopefully - don't want to jinx myself) 4 on Tuesday, 4 on Thursday, 1 on Friday and then .... race day!

Saturday, August 22

So today was "the" day. Not "the the" day, but that one on the training calendar that has brought some dread and "ugggghhhhs" since I received the training guide over some three months ago.

13 miles.

Really? I have to run the half before I run the half? I have always done training programs that ended at 10 miles, so these last few weeks have all been new to me.

As Saturday drew closer, I was actually kind of excited about it and not as nervous as I almost felt like I should be.

I packed up my supplies the night before - tons of Gu chomps in my SPI belt, water bottle, hat, moleskin for my blisters, etc.

We met that morning, chatted, stretched, and were off. Basically our plan was to run to Summerfield and back. (!) We lucked out with overcast skies and shade on this course.

We had a pretty big group that was all sticking together and it started breaking up when we got further into Bur Mil. All of a sudden, M. and I noticed that E. was a little further back then she had been. We knew she wasn't a fan of big packs like we were in, so we didn't think much about it. We looked again and she wasn't there. Liz caught up to us and told us that she wasn't feeling well and they had stopped and called her husband to come and pick her up. This was awful news ... we knew how devastated she would be, but she's also one of our group of three! We've all become so used to running together that it's hard when one of us isn't around. Her son had been sick, so we thought she must have caught this bug. Yuck. We had to keep going, but we both just felt so bad for E.

We made it to our turnaround point and then had to run about a mile or so back to get to the cooler with Gu, bananas, Gatorade, etc. We hit the restroom, fueled up and were back on the Greenway.

It took me a while to get my legs going again ... they felt like they just weren't moving. I ate a couple of Gu's and felt better. It was still hard to believe that we were going to do this!

On the way back, we had some welcome rain. It was really beautiful - not a downpour, but just a nice heavy sprinkle. I was worried that it would get steamy after it finished, but it didn't.

We hit the stoplights and I stopped Garmin for one of them. Bad mistake - I looked down and realized that I never restarted it. Luckily, we figured out that it had been 1/2 mile since we run this course all the time. After some mad math skills, we figured out where we were and what we needed to finish up. We headed to do the "little loop" and then onto Grease Alley.

I think by this point, I just wanted it to be through. We caught up with some of the girls going 12 and made it back to the cars. It was hard not to want to really push it on GA, but we had a little further to go than usual. When we made it back, we asked others what their distance had been and we realized we should do a little parking lot loop. M. and I looked at each other and we were off. Crazy, but I didn't want to have run that far to end up at 12.5. So, we did a little loop and were back to enjoy some much needed Gatorade.

M. had also brought along some ice cold water that was wonderful. E. had left me her bottle of Gatorade that had been chilling in her car. So, so nice.

While the run wasn't easy, it definitely gave me the motivation to know that I can do this in a couple of weeks. I am still worried about heat, humidity, and lack of shade in VB, but what can I do? I do hope I can quicken my time by a little, but if I can finish and feel good, I'll be happy with that as well.

DISTANCE / TIME: 13.09 Miles 2:28:36
FUEL: Pre: Nutrigrain waffle with peanut butter and banana, 1/2 cup of coffee, During: Gu chomps, 1/2 banana at turnaround

Wed. August 19 & Thurs. August 20

I didn't run on Tuesday morning (Maddy up all night long = Mommy with no sleep = Mommy too tired to drag her ass out of bed at 5:00AM to run).

So, I decided I would go on Wed. night with the scheduled pace run / show & go.

Wednesday -

First, it was hot.
Second, I hadn't eaten a lot that day.
Third, I kept up with Liz, Susan L., and Abbie for the first mile.

Needless to say, this wasn't one of my better runs and I couldn't really run a faster pace, because I had already been running a faster pace. I ended up doing 4.25 which was still respectable I guess, but I just didn't feel good doing it.

I just hate having bad runs this late in the game and it makes me worry about the heat & humidity for Va Beach. Oh well ... I will happily stay in denial that at 7AM on race day we're somehow going to have cool temps and overcast skies. A girl can dream, right?

DISTANCE / TIME: 4.29 miles / 45:31


Thursday -

So I met our small group of ladies on Thursday and this time, it went better. It was still humid, hot, and muggy. I don't think I had a dry spot of clothing when we were done. We were a much smaller group than normal. I think everyone is over training at this point and just trying to get through it. This was our last "long" run for the weekdays, so it's nice to look forward to an easy 4 miles next week.

We ended up going 5.5 of our scheduled 6. We made it back to the parking lot and we could have run circles in the parking lot or gone to GA. Neither sounded good and no one was dying to do another half mile, so it all worked out well.

I received my confirmation for the race last night, so that is always exciting to see it in print. I put my finishing time at 2:20. Not so sure about that anymore, but I don't think it's too far off to switch it either. I'm still debating about signing up for one of the pacing groups ... need to ask the other girls.

Now, to stay positive for the big 13 on Saturday! It is crazy to think that I'm running a half marathon (give or take a tenth of mile) in 2 days! And then another one in two weeks!

DISTANCE / TIME: 5.51 miles/ 1:00:53
FUEL: Pre-run: waffle with peanut butter and 1/2 banana, water. During: 1/2 pack of GU chomps.

Saturday, August 15

Our plan on Saturday was 12 miles. It just doesn't seem possible that we are already there.

It was a little overwhelming to think about the number, but also kind of exciting. I knew if we could do this distance on Saturday, then there was no doubt that we could do the half. Not that there really has been any doubt, but I really just want to be able to feel good during the race, have fun, and hopefully finish strong.

We were doing a 7 mile and then a 5 mile loop. I wasn't too thrilled about the course at first, but it ended up being great because after the 7 miles, we took a short break, ran to the bathroom, ate 1/2 banana, and kept on going.

This was honestly one of those runs that I really don't remember. There were some hard parts, some easier parts, some parts that I thought felt looooong, but honestly I remember looking down to see our distance and we were already at 10 miles. That felt wonderful and I knew we could get through the rest fairly easy. Maybe it was my caffeine in my Gu Chomps, but I felt pretty good as we were coming into Country Park and that is normally the part that I hate.

I tried to push it at the end, but didn't feel like I had that much left. My right hip was hurting and my feet were a little sore, but all in all, I felt pretty good. Surprisingly, I wasn't as exhausted as I expected to be when it was all over.

I really stretched out when I got home, rolled on the foam roller, and even used some of my topical ibuprofen on my hip. It all seemed to help, because I really wasn't that sore today (Sunday).

I hope I'm not being "that girl" and blabbing the entire time. Some days I feel like I am, so I hope my fellow running buddies will speak up and tell me to shut my pie hole if needed! : ) We did see "that guy" i.e., biker who basically buzzed Liz and also "that guy" who was flopping his feet so hard that it made us all hurt for him. We also saw barefoot guy again and he just really amazes me. It *almost* makes me want to try it once just to see what it feels like, but I think I'll just imagine that one instead.

Oh, and a little coffee with breakfast may = breakfast of champions for me and no tummy issues.

DISTANCE / TIME: 12 miles / 2:14:12
FUEL: Pre-run: Whole Grain waffle with peanut butter and 1/2 banana, water, some coffee, during: Gu Chomps and 1/2 banana.

Thursday, August 13

How is it that our training almost over!?!

We set out this morning fully expecting rain. Lucky (if you ask me), we had a cooler morning, but no rain. It was probably the coolest morning since our training started. We set off for 6 miles and there ended up being 5 of us that stayed together.

Luckily, we all remembered Gu and we decided to do a few hills, but take the more scenic route.

We were all pretty quiet the entire run, but it was nice to be out there and feel good.

Garmin must have been a little bit off, because we ended up going 6.55 instead of 6. Whooops. I hadn't checked our time, but everyone else was freaking out that they were going at a snail's pace based on their time. Luckily, it all worked out.

Nice run today ... still a bit nervous for Saturday's 12 miler. And I have to go out and celebrate a friend's birthday that evening. Not that it won't be fun, but I'll probably need to dress up, wear cute shoes, and try not to hobble around like an old lady!

DISTANCE / TIME: 6.55 miles / 1:12:19
FUEL: Whole wheat bread with peanut butter & banana, water. 1/2 pack of Gu Chomps during run.
ACHES & PAINS: Right hip. Did some stretching this morning and also this evening, but it feels like I have a big knot in my hip. Blisters are OK. They flare up a little in the mornings, but are generally under control.

Tuesday, August 11

I forgot to post after our run on Tuesday. Now I really don't remember anything about it, so here goes.

It was our first mid-week run to do 6 and we all forgot to bring Gu. That was a mistake. I felt fine on the first 3 miles or so, but really could have used a little fuel by mile 4.

It was a good run - I felt pretty strong and I honestly can't remember a lot of the details. It was muggy and I felt like my breathing was a bit wheezy, but other than that, it was good. So weird to say "Oh yeah, I ran 6 miles before work this morning." You would think it wouldn't be strange to say that, but it still does ... even after 13 weeks of training!

DISTANCE / TIME: 6:03 / 1:06:44
FUEL: Whole grain waffle with peanut butter, banana? Geez, I can't remember! Water

Saturday, August 8

Wowee, 10 miles. I think I should start posting about our long runs earlier in the day because by the time it gets to be evening, I can't remember all the details. So, here goes nothing.

We started out at what felt like a very slow pace this morning. I'm not saying that we should be bustin' it out of the gate, but I just felt like I was barely moving. My legs felt a little heavy and I was wishing that I could just have a sip of coffee to get a little caffeine.

We got on the greenway and spread out and before I knew it, we were on the rolling hills and heading toward the park. There was a little snafu once we got to the park ... do we stay? Do we turn around? What do we do? Luckily, E said ... let's go do a loop in the Visitor's Center and everyone followed. Liz made it over there and we actually ended up going back for one more loop. It was a little confusing, but it was fine. No hills. We did our Gu's - somewhere around 3.6, I think.

I think the Gu must have given me the little boost that I needed and before I knew it, we were back in BMP. E and I chatted the whole way, we saw some interesting runners (the barefoot guy, the guy that shouted out that we were a better looking group than his running group, walkers, baby Braxton, etc.)

We had decided that we were going to try to finish on the greenway and avoid the slow and painful hill by the driving range. We were at 7.25 miles and I wasn't 100% sure that we had enough greenway to do this, but then we realized we did. I swear, don't give me math and running combined with early morning. I just can't do it. It's awful - I feel like an idiot, but it just doesn't work in my head!

We were moving right along, good conversation, we got to the turnaround point and were heading back. I started having some pretty bad cramps and was pretty worried that I needed to stop and run for the bushes. Ugh. I debated to E if I should stop and walk and she said no. In retrospect, that was the right thing to do. Walking would have made it 100 times worse. We hauled booty, E. told me some inspiring stories about her college Volleyball coach and before we knew it, the Garmin finally rolled to 10.00.

And we stopped.

Whoo-hoo! 10 miles done.

I'm a little sore in my right hip. Just finished some stretches for that and both of my blisters acted up a little bit. I did use my moleskin today, but something must still be rubbing.
I'm a little worried that they may act up on all of my long runs, but hopefully they either won't be too bad or maybe they could possibly heal up before then.

DISTANCE: 10.00 / 1:52:26. Best long run time so far! Whoo hoo!
FUEL: Pre-run: Whole wheat tortilla, peanut butter, banana and water. During: Gu chomps, water. And we don't want to talk about after, but there was a yummy burger from Natty Greene's and a little chocolate mint ice cream!

Wed. August 5 & Thurs. August 6

Tuesday

We had a hill workout last night that was actually sprints, drills, and hills! The drills were ok - things like we used to in boot camp. We then did the sprints that were actually up a hill, so we really almost did 8 hill repeats.

The first sprint was great - I had a burst of energy and really pushed it. I'm sure you can guess how the other three turned out! Yep, not so good. We then moved onto the hill repeats. They are just hard. No way around it, I always feel like I'm struggling.

We did a 5 minute jog afterward and seeing the lightning strike in the distance made us all hustle to get done. Luckily, we were in our cars when the drops starting falling.

Total distance: 2.39 miles. I was surprised we actually did that much.
FUEL: Handful of Annie's bunnies and 1/2 pack of GU Chomps. Not one of my finer nutritious meals!

Wednesday

We met this morning for 5 miles. Oh, I was about 2 seconds away from texting E. and going back to bed. But that required walking down stairs to get my phone and I knew by then, I should just get up and do it. I just feel like I'm trying to get a cold and I keep trying to tell myself that exercise will blast it out. It totally sounds like something my Mom would have told me as a kid, so we'll see if it works.

Today's run was OK. I felt pretty steady the whole way and we kicked it up a bit at the very end. Just not one of those runs that I loved, but I didn't hate it either. I think I was talking the entire time, but it just seemed to get me down the path a little quicker. I hope I'm not becoming "that girl." I guess I'll take the hint if everyone starts wearing their iPods again!

DISTANCE / TIME: 5.01 miles / 55:31
FUEL: Trying out Liz's idea of a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter and 1/2 banana. Water.

Tuesday, August 4

I woke up this morning really not wanting to run. Maddy was up at 2AM and then it took me a while to fall back asleep. I was also just in a funk and knew that I needed to run, but it was the last thing that I wanted to do. I knew if I could just get my ass dressed and out of the door, then I would have no choice so that's what I did.

We talked about routes for a bit, waited for M., our nearly arrested runner that morning, and we were off. In our weekly email from Liz yesterday, it noted how she wanted us to try some pacing once this week. The schedule was 1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile pace (hard, but still comfortable), 1 mile regular/cool down a little, 1/2 mile pace again, then the last 2 regular (I guess).

I think we could have all analyzed the hell out of what to do, and how to do it, but luckily M. said, "let's just run faster" and we were off. The first time really felt good - I think we all looked strong and it was fun. Really ... it was fun. It does feel good to push it from time to time. I think I just let the mental side and those little voices in the back of my head tell me that I can't do it.

Well, trying to get back to a level where I felt like I could breathe was a bit harder. Perhaps I went out a little faster than I should, but I just felt like I needed to run.

We went out to our turnaround point and I tried not to get too worked up that I was in the back. We headed back into the park and E. suggested that we do the 1/2 mile pacing a little earlier so we wouldn't hit the big hill when we were still in fast mode. That is why I love my running buddies ... they are still smart at 6AM!

We started running fast again, but I don't know if I was really pushing it as hard this time. I still had a hard time getting back to normal breathing when we were done. I think all I could think about was that the hard part was done. The thing about pacing / running faster that I struggle with is that I feel like I'm so much slower after I've pushed it. I know it has to be good to break it up and do something different, but I have to wonder if it's better to just stay at a consistent level.

GA is also feeling very loooooong lately. Always on the return run. It did today. I finally got to a place where I felt like I had more energy, so I just went for it. Saw my friend, L. and talked with her for a bit. We were at a totally different pace, so I had to move on. It was awkward because I was kind of turned back towards her.

So, I finished and I was faster than our usual runs. Whoo-hoo!

I think more than anything, I think I need to just run and keep my head out of it. I can sit there and tell myself that I'm tired, I need to go to the bathroom, I think my blister hurts, but it does no one any good.

Just run.

TIME / DISTANCE: 56:13 / 5.19 miles / 10:49 pace
FUEL: A few PB on whole wheat crackers, 1/2 banana, water

Saturday, August 1

How the heck did it get to be August and how the heck did we get to this point in our training? I hate to worry about what's to come, but next week is 10! Eeek! Scary! It's not like I haven't done it before, but it just seems like a long way to go ... plus, I'm going up to 13 miles and I know there's no talking E into doing that with me! Or is there!?!!?? E, what can I bribe you with? Starbucks? Target c9 running tanks? : )

We ventured out to a new place - SL, about 30 minutes away ... not new to the me, but new to the group for our long runs. It was also somewhat new to me, because I had only been 5 miles on this trail before and never done the whole loop.

I started out by forgetting the Garmin which made me feel a bit out of whack. But, if I were going to ever forget it, this was the run to do it on. There are mile markers every mile, with the exception of the 7th mile. What's up with that ... everyone knows that I like to know where I am in the run.

I've been having a couple of blister issues and they weren't awful, but I could feel them on this run. Especially any downhill bits or when I landed on a rock or other bump in the road. I had applied Body Glide to both feet, and put band aids over my left foot. My right foot now looks worse than my left. Ugh. I don't know if to try to pop them today and give them a rest before Tuesday. I just don't want to be worrying about this when we are only getting into longer distances from here on out.

We Gu'ed at almost 3.5 and I tried the new Gu blocks with caffeine and I do think they gave me a nice little boost of energy. But, by about mile 6, I was just ready to be finished.

The last part went by pretty quickly until we came to a huge downhill and then a huge uphill. They were both so steep and not fun. At least they were short. We ended up going through the parking lot & not finishing on the trail, so we aren't sure if we shaved a bit off of our distance by not staying on the trail.

I would definitely like to run there again ... nice change of pace and I felt better that I have now run the entire loop. It would be great for long distances ... there are bathrooms, water fountains, even a place to buy Gatorade.

DISTANCE / TIME: 6.67 miles / 1:16
FUEL: Pre race, whole wheat bread with PB, water, banana. During: half pack of Gu blocks. After: Yummy Herby Turkey bagel and I'm still starving!
WHAT I WORE: C9 tank, Nike shorts (love), Old Brooks. Note to self ... go back to new Brooks. Liz thought these might be too old and could be making the blisters worse.

Thursday, July 30

Where has the month gone? It has flown by ... probably because I am running 3-4 days a week!

We met today at o dark thirty ... fifteen minutes earlier to accommodate my scheduling. Thank you, E & M! E & M wore headlamps so we could see our way down GA. I think I would have been in a state of panic had they not had them. There was a funny moment when we thought there was a fallen tree ....

We did 5 miles and how do I say this without sounding like a weird-o? It was easy, but it also seemed long. We made it to our turnaround point and back towards the park (that seemed quick), but heading back down GA seemed to take forever. Never ending almost. We made it up the dreaded hill, and then we were done. Whoo-hoo!

The one thing that has me perplexed is that I feel like I may be getting a blister on both feet! Argh. I have 2 calluses (normally), but they seem pretty tender and puffier ... like they are possibly going to blister. I knew I felt something on the run. I don't know if my shoes were damp from last night's somewhat rainy run or if my socks somehow twisted. I wore the same shoes and same kind of socks that I always do. Oh, I hope that I'm not going to get blisters ... I've made it this far without them and really don't want any now.

DISTANCE / TIME: 5.01 miles / 56:28
FUEL: 1 piece whole wheat bread w/ PB, water

Tues. July 28 & Wed. July 29

Whooops. I forgot to post yesterday.

We did five miles on Tuesday and I was running a bit late, so as soon as I pulled in the parking lot, off we went. It was dark. It's so surprising how much darker it's been lately. There had been some pretty bad storms the night before, so we were all a little paranoid about tripping over fallen branches, debris, etc.

I don't even really remember the run other than I was definitely missing that extra rest day since we had run on Sunday instead of Saturday.

DISTANCE / TIME: 5:18 miles / 58:22

Tonight, we met the Show & Go group and decided on 2 miles. It was raining when we did our warm up and we were a little worried that it may really start storming. Luckily, it held off, but it made for a steamy run. Yuck. We were all literally soaking wet when we finished. Nice. Two miles felt strange ... it's probably the shortest distance we've done in quite some time.

DISTANCE / TIME: 2:11 / 22:26

Sunday, July 26

Yesterday was the first Saturday in quite some time - 10 weeks maybe? - that I haven't gone on a run.  All morning and into afternoon just didn't feel "right" and I think it was because I hadn't gone out for a morning run.

Long story short ... my friend, K. was supposed to come and visit and would be leaving on Saturday morning, so I asked Charlie if we could trade running days (my Saturday for his Sunday).  He agreed, then our entire plan went downhill.  Unrelated to running, but K's daughter got sick and they didn't come, Charlie's car window was shattered with a BB gun, so he spent Saturday morning talking to the police instead of running with his marathon group.  I digress.

I met E. and M. today at 6AM to do our 9 mile run.  I actually felt better than I normally do most early mornings and was really looking forward to a good, long run.  

We set out to do an out & back course.  I felt a little stiff at first and I blamed it on my massage. I'm still a little more sore than I think I normally am, so I think that is what is has to be.  My feet are very sore ... no idea why.  It was a nice, quiet morning and the scenery is nice.  There were a handful of other people out on the greenway.

I got into my groove and felt good.  Luckily, E. asked if it was time to Gu and it was.  I had my Gu Chomps pinned to my shorts which actually worked out OK.  It almost seemed like as soon as we had Gu'ed that it was our turn-around point.

We headed back and when we got to the "hills", I really think I walked up them.  I was "technically" still running, but oh was I feeling slow.  I was tired and I think we all were by then, but we knew we didn't have that much further to go.

When we made it to GA, we heard a Whoo-hoo and Liz and Kari were behind us.  As E. said, nothing like your coach running up behind you to give you some motivation to not stop!  Liz said that we looked great as she effortlessly ran past us.  

We hit the 9 mile mark, and finished up at 9.07 miles.  Overall all, I felt really good.  A few aches and pains - mainly knees, hips, and feet.

DISTANCE / TIME:  1.43:55 / 9.07 miles

FUEL:  Pre:  Whole wheat mini bagel with PB and banana, water.  During:  Gu chomps at 3.5 ish and 6.5 ish miles.

WHAT I WORE:  Nike shorts, C9 top, new Brooks.

Thursday, July 23

Met the girls at 5:45 AM for a 4.5 mile run. It was pretty humid this morning and after doing the hill repeats last night, I was a little tired. We opted to go straight on LB Rd. and that made it nice to avoid any unnecessary hills!

So tired that I accidentally wore my shirt inside out this morning and we didn't notice until after our run!

DISTANCE / TIME: 4.52 miles / 49:28
FUEL: Mini whole wheat bagel with PB, water

Wednesday, July 22

Hill repeats tonight and I had to do 6. This hill to me was harder than the other because you got up the big crest of the hill to a straight away that was a still a gradual hill. Once I hit the flatter part, I felt like my legs were so heavy.

I have a hard time trying to figure out how much to push, how much to pull back and still get some benefit from it all. The last one I did, I was really pushing it and could tell. I don't think I could have kept that the same pace the entire time. Ugh.

Anyway ... they didn't become easy tonight, so I guess I can chalk it up to a good workout.

DISTANCE / TIME: 2.84 / 40:14 (Garmin was running the entire time ... I'm not that slow.)

Saturday, July 18

Nine miles! Whoo-hoo! I'm still kinda impressed with myself because not only did we run 9 miles today, but we didn't walk at all. Even through Gu, and having issues getting mine open, and up CP hills, and seeing other Janes stopped for Gatorade for a few seconds, but we kept going. Whoo-hoo!

I'm also pretty impressed that my distance is over 21 miles this week. I'm sure that is where it's right supposed to be, but it just sounds like a lot to me.

I felt good today - it seemed a bit hard to get in a zone at first and we were trying not to go too fast, but I felt like once we got over to GMP that I felt more in our usual mode.

Lots of chatting today definitely helped. E and I both laughed that it's amazing what a good conversation about baby names will do for a run. I think I may have looked at my Garmin only 4 times today and I used to check it every half mile!

I did trip (?) on a little stick (???) and kind of rolled my ankle, when we were almost on the home stretch. Luckily, any pain went away while we were running and I don't feel anything at all now. My knees still feel a little tender, but I'm hoping that will go away as well. I plan to stretch out better this afternoon

It's nice to have long runs where you feel accomplished, tired at the end, but not quite ready to quit. I really think if someone would have told me that I had to go ahead and finish a Half today, that I could have done it. I think I would have been tired and have sore knees, and would have needed one more Gu, and probably needed a running buddy, but I think I could have finished.

DISTANCE / TIME: 9.10 miles / 1:45:09
HOW I FELT: This was a good run. I felt like I kept a good, consistent pace and felt good throughout the run. Even my evil hills at CP didn't seem as bad as usual.
WHAT I WORE: Brooks shorts, blue c9 shirts, OLD C9 bra = bad idea because I forgot that this one rubs. Note to self - throw it away!
FUEL: Pre-run: 1 piece whole wheat bread with PB, banana, water. During: Gu chomp blocks at around 3.5 miles and 6 miles, I think.

Thursday, July 16

Met my group of crazy running girls at 5:45 for our 4.5 mile run. I was expecting to have cool air hit my face this morning, but no such luck. It was humid right from the start.

I'm not feeling as blah about my run on Tuesday, but it still wasn't my most favorite run ever.

It's strange ... if you would have asked me last year at this time to run 4.5 miles, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. I also had two babies in the NICU, and a big ol' twin skin pregnant looking tummy, but that's for another post. Now it almost seems somewhat normal. That part makes me proud, but I wish that I could get that runners high that everyone talks about.

One woman did comment about how clear your head feels when you run and I guess that is true. Sometimes during the run I don't notice it as much, but I do think that I am overall a less stressed person when I am running. I think during the run, sometimes my mind is all over the place. True ADD at it's finest, but after I probably am a little more clear.

TIME / DISTANCE: 4.5 miles / 49:58
WHAT I WORE: I had to try out my new Nike shorts again since this run was a little different than the trail run. Love them! I may get a little thigh-rubbage because they are a little shorter than my usual shorts, but I love that they don't ride or move around. I may need to invest in some of that body glide stuff so I don't get chaffed on a long run.

Wednesday, July 15

And the 3 short miles that would never end ...

I met Debbie and Emily for an easy trail run tonight that seemed to take us forever. The trail part was fun ... even though there were some pretty steep inclines and a few real root-y places, I still think trails are fun. I am slow as Grandma these days, but it definitely brings me back to my days at Yellowstone.

When we finished up the trail, we were only at 1.6 or 1.8 miles ... I can't remember, so we headed down by the golf practice range and back up toward the pool. I think we all felt like we were running in circles and we probably were!

Nice to mix it up a little and I do think I'm spoiled to run in the mornings when it's cool versus in the heat and humidity.

DISTANCE / TIME: 3.05 miles / 36:55
HOW I FELT: I felt good on this run, a little slow after the trail portion, and then just a little mental that we were running in circles to finish out our three miles.
WHAT I WORE: I tried out my new Nike shorts and I loved them. I was a little worried that they would be too short, but they were great. Charlie had picked them up for me on one of his Off N Running visits, so I was worried that they wouldn't fit right. I may definitely be getting more. Just wish they had a bigger pocket(s) for Gu.

Tuesday, July 14

We had 4.5 miles to do today ... our 1st bump in a while on the weekday training. We had a pretty large group this morning, but everyone broke off into their own separate groups after a while.

The run itself was good, but I just don't think I was there mentally. I guess that's nice for me sometimes and just be able to zone out, but probably not as nice for my running buddies.

DISTANCE / TIME: 4.5 miles / 50:17
FUEL: Banana, 1 fig newton bar, water
HOW I FELT: Comme ci, comme ca.

Saturday, July 11

8 miles today ... whoo-hoo! This is my 2nd week at the 8-mile distance and I'm glad to have conquered what is normally a big mental hurdle, not once but twice. We had an overcast, but humid morning and I was very thankful for the lack of sun ... especially on one stretch where the sun normally beats down and can make things very miserable.

I felt really good for the 1st four miles or so. We Gu'ed a little before 4 miles, then turned around to make our way back. I think it was around 7 miles or so when I felt a little tired and excuse me for what I need to say here, but I was having some stomach issues. To the point that I really thought about trying to figure out where a bathroom would be on the last mile. In the apartment complex by the pool? I knew I wasn't stealthy enough to find a tree on this route, but I was honestly a bit worried that I would have to run past everyone and jump in my car to speed away to a restroom.

Luckily for me (and for everyone else!), that feeling subsided and I was able to finish the run, get back to the car, drink some Gatorade and stretch. Whew! By the way, a blowout during the race is my #1 fear because I used to have a co-worker tease me about it AND one of my friends witnessed it happen at a marathon and the guy finished the race in poopy shorts. I am sorry to say, unless I could find a sink, soap, and a new pair of shorts on the race, I'm stopping and someone can bring my humiliated self to the finish.

Anyway, enough about my poop-paranoia ...

I felt good today. My knees were a little tender at around 6 miles or so, but overall it was a good run.

I heard some of the girls talking about goal times and while that is something that I am normally all about, I really haven't been thinking about it much. I have a time in my head that I would like to beat, but I really need to see if it's feasible with the pace I've been running. I hope that I can finish this race and really not walk with the exception of water stops, and most importantly, feel good while doing so. My husband has been talking to me about using pacing bracelets to stay on pace, but it scares me that it will just freak me out if I'm off pace. I don't know if I'm really at a point in my running to start really worrying about my time or if I should just stay in my "happy place" and just run to finish and not worry about it. Part of me feels like the whole point of running is to be faster, more efficient (thank you Liz for the buzz word), and a better runner. Not sure if I'm doing a lot to be a better, faster runner. But, most importantly ... I'm out there running a minimum of three times a week which is something that I haven't been able to say in a long time. Plus, I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed with myself to have two young children and do this too. I feel that most of us in our class are in the same boat as me to balance career, family, and all the other obligations and I think that we are all doing a stellar job.

Whew ... what ramblings are going on this morning. As I type, I just noticed that one of my twins has taken off her PJ pants and is swinging them around. Obviously, it's time to wrap this up!

DISTANCE / TIME: 8 miles, 1:31:40 / 11:27 pace
FUEL: 1 slice whole wheat bread, peanut butter, banana and water. 1 Gu on the run
WHAT I WORE: Brooks shorts, Moving Comfort top, new Brooks shoes, Nike hat.
HOW I FELT: See above

Thursday, July 9

I met the girls at 5:45 for our run.  My alarm woke me up at 5:12 so I quickly got dressed and ready and out of the house.  I did have time to scarf down a banana and piece of bread, but I just didn't feel quite awake when I got there or when we started.

We did the 4 mile route that we did on Tuesday and this run seemed much better than the other day.  I was a little worried about feeling some after effects of the hills repeats last night, but I didn't notice a change.  That will probably come tomorrow when I can't walk down the stairs without grimacing.

TIME / DISTANCE:  4.10 miles / 45:44

HOW I FELT:  This run felt pretty good ... we chatted the whole way and I never felt entirely out of breath which is always a good thing.

Wednesday, July 8

I went to the hill repeats tonight. I had been thinking about them all day long and probably not in a good way!

There was a small group of ladies there, so we did a loop of walking to warm up, then came back and did our stretching and a short run to warm up. We met Liz at the HILL.

She told us that for the ones of us who had done them two weeks ago that we would be doing 5 repeats tonight. Great. I wish Liz didn't have such a good memory.

We all ran one up to the speed limit sign and then back down to warm up and then we were ready to go. None of this 10 second, 20 second, etc. Liz ran with us carrying her clipboard and stop watch and made it look so easy.

It was kind of nice to have our times and I did get faster each time. My last hill I managed to do in 55 seconds with all the rest being over 1 minute, so that felt pretty good. Didn't feel good at the time, but I felt accomplished.

I do think they are helpful, but they still hurt in the process. Mainly my breathing is what is hard ... my legs don't hurt while I'm doing them, but my lungs do. Oh, and the next time we do repeats, it's 6 times up the hill!

DISTANCE: 2.13 miles
HOW I FELT: Breathing was hard, but that was to be expected. The last two really felt like I had a weight pulling me backward. I feel OK now, but I bet on Friday I'll be sore.

Tuesday, July 7

Today was my first time running since last Thursday.  Whoops.  Every time I thought about running over the weekend, it just seemed like something else got in the way.  I think that since I had already run my 8 mile run, maybe I was just needing a little break.  

So, I met the group this morning for our 5:45 AM run.  We decided to go a different route this morning, which was nice to change it up a bit.  Plus, we avoided some of our normal hills so I think that may have been why everyone wholeheartedly agreed.

I was feeling OK today.  It's really amazing to me how every run is so different.  You would think that after training for a while, the way you felt would be similar, but not so much.  While our course was easier, it felt a bit harder ... or maybe I was just feeling slow today.

I'm hoping to possibly make it to the hill workout on Wednesday.  Not that I really want to, but I know it will be good for my training.  Plus, I'm feeling a little guilty about missing my weekend run.

DISTANCE  / TIME:  4.14 MILES / 45:16

HOW I FELT:  OK.  Not my best run ever ... not my worst either!

FUEL:  2 Fig Newtons bars, water

Thursday, July 2

Today some of us had decided to do our long runs since this weekend is the 4th of July.  Not that I'm going anywhere or have any particular plans, but it just sounded like a better plan to run with the group then to risk running 8 miles on my own.

There was a pretty large group who all stayed together, but some split off to run a shorter route, so Maria, Emily, and I ran  together.  The weather was nice and cool, low humidity, made it a perfect morning for running.  We won't mention scary homeless guy that we saw in the woods near GA having a little "me" time this morning.  Oh, I hope he's not there the next time we go.  Probably harmless, but still a little unnerving.

We made it over to the Greenway and into Bur Mil park in what seemed like no time.  I think all of the good conversation made it easier and we were keeping a good, steady pace.  The lake was so pretty this morning when we were crossing it ... even a bit of fog on top.  Ahhh, so nice to have a great view and some inspiration.

We did have the few hills that are pretty steep, but they didn't seem so bad.  We got to 3.5 miles where we were going to turn around, but we all made the decision to keep going up the path since it was coming to an end anyway.

We worked our way back toward Lewis Rec, took our Gu and that was nice to have a bit of energy.  One of the hills did seem a bit harder than the first time, but we were OK.  

Before I knew it, we were back on GA and Emily asked me for the distance and we were already near 7.  I forgot to look to tell them when we hit 7, and then we were past it.  I had to do 8, so I was just planning to run around the parking lot to make up the difference and jokingly asked them if they wanted to keep going.

Best running partners ever and they said yes ... so we kept going which was beyond wonderful so I didn't have to do the last bit by myself.  I was still feeling good, but it's so much easier with someone else.  We had to go right to the cemetery gate to make it to 8.0 and that is exactly where we stopped.

I could feel a little bit of pain in my knee by then, so I was glad to have made it to 8 miles.  I really didn't feel winded today, or wheezy and it was just one of those good runs that I think we all needed and I know I needed after my fight with my water belt on Tuesday night.  My back was pretty stiff when we finished, so I think I'll try to do a little extra stretching tonight.

8 miles has always been a huge mental hurdle for me, but today I felt like I breezed by it.  I can remember training for another half and when I had gotten to 8, I barely could get out of bed to do it and I hated every minute of that run.  I think I always mentally dread it, but today it was so enjoyable.

TIME / DISTANCE:  1:30:46 / 8.0 MILES and didn't walk!  Whoo-hoo!

HOW I FELT:  Good ... this has probably been my best long run to date so far this training.

FUEL:  Mini whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, 1/2 of a large banana, water.  I had pizza late last night for dinner and I swear that gave me some extra fuel.

WHAT I WORE:  White c9 tank, Brooks shorts, Nike running hat, new Brooks shoes.

 

Tuesday, June 30

I missed my early morning run with the crazy girls so I went to the Tuesday night show & go. I ran into a girl who I had met earlier this Spring, so she and I ran together with another woman.

We did four miles and while it wasn't has humid, it was still hot. Oh, and I finally tried out my FuelBelt waist belt thingy. If I wasn't so cheap, I would have thrown it in the woods and never looked back. It bugged me the entire way, so that was $30 down the drain. Hubby told me that it would take some getting used to, but I don't think any amount of time would help. Awful. I'll stick to my other one that I can hold in my hand.

The run was OK ... not great, not bad. I really think I've gotten used to how I feel in the mornings and even though I'm sleepy tired to start, I'm not tired from working/baby wrangling all day long.

I have to get ready for my long run (8 miles) on Thursday. Yikes ... I'm a little nervous about getting up and prepared in time, but I would much rather run with my usual group. I think I'll still try to go out on Saturday and do my 4 miles with a few of the others who will be in town.

DISTANCE / TIME: 4.07 miles / 44:37
HOW I FELT: I felt a little wheezy on this run which always bothers me. I was surprised to feel that way, especially since the humidity was pretty low tonight. Strength wise I felt OK. A little stiff coming up some of the hills.

Saturday, June 27

Today I ran in the Freedom Run 10K. We had several from our VB 1/2 group who were running, so we were all able to meet up at the start.

The race didn't start until 8AM (never thought I would be saying that), but with really high temps, I would have loved a 7AM start or even earlier. Someone told me that it was already 77 degrees when we started the race. HOT.

I ran with ET and MM, so it was nice to be with my "regulars." We actually had started out pretty fast (or pretty fast for me) ... I looked down at the Garmin to see a 9:49 pace. Whoops! We slowed down to a more manageable 10:30ish mile.

I knew early on that this race was going to be hard. I really think it was the heat, combined with a few hills. I really think the heat was harder to deal with than the hills, but what can you do about the heat? I felt pretty strong until around mile 4 when I walked for a bit. I really didn't want to do it, because I always have a hard time not stopping to walk again and again after that initial break. I should just "allow" myself to take walk breaks, but mentally, I just feel like I'm failing. OK, so maybe that's a little harsh, but after all, I signed up to run the race, not walk it.

So, all in all, I finished in 1:09 and my Garmin said the course was 6.27, so right around a 11:09 pace, which is what I have normally been running, so I was pretty pleased. I did look up some of my old 10K races that I ran in 2006 and 2007 and I ran both of those in 1:05. I Gallowayed both of those, so I was disappointed that I couldn't have done this was faster. But, that race is pretty much flat with only one hill and it's in April, so not nearly as warm. Oh well, I guess a new goal for me!

I can't believe that this coming Saturday, I need to run 8 and I have a feeling a good amount of our group will be celebrating the holiday and not run. What's a girl to do?

DISTANCE / TIME: 6.27 / 1:09
HOW I FELT: HOT and not in a sexy kind of way
WHAT I WORE: Brooks shorts, c9 running top, new Brooks shoes, Nike running hat
FUEL: Mini whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, water


Thank you, Jules for the pictures ... gotta love FB stealing!! : )

We finished! I love that I have a piece of yummy bread in my hand!

Coming in at the finish

Pre-race when we were all clean and happy!

Thursday, June 25

As if hills from last night weren't enough ...

Met up with the Crazy Girls + a few more to do a 2 mile run at 5:45. Some of the girls were going 3 miles, and since I wasn't sore like I expected, I went ahead and did the 3. It was pretty flat the entire way (except for the hill on GA), so not too bad and we could keep it easy.

We started out with temps around 66 and it actually felt chilly, but it sure felt humid when we were finishing up our run. Welcome to North Carolina.

DISTANCE / TIME / PACE: 3.08 MILES / 33:39 / 10:55 average pace

HOW I FELT: This was a good run - mindset was to keep it easy and I even though we were a little faster than normal, I never felt like I was pushing it too hard. It's a lot easier to be a bit faster for 2 or 3 miles, than 4 or 5.

FUEL: Fig Newton bar, water

Wednesday, June 24

First off, I should say that everyone should visit the hair salon before a run because you will feel like a rock star with your shiny hair and everyone telling you how great it looks. Only when I pay someone to make it look that way, people.

So tonight was a hill repeat workout with the group. Chris Justice (need to look him up on FB) led our group with the following schedule.

1 mile warm-up around the parking lot.
Hill repeats
10 seconds
20 seconds
30 seconds
All the way up the hill, then 4 more times all the way up the hill (I think).

Liz kept moving back every time. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky.

The first two I felt great. Easy-peasy. I may have gotten a little cocky.
30 seconds was a little harder, but it still seemed good.

Well, the first time all the way up and I was trying to keep up a good pace and about 3/4 way through, I thought I was going to die. OK, not die but maybe wheeze to death. I really wondered if anyone else could hear my heavy breathing.

By the last one, my legs really felt heavy and it was hard to stay in proper form. All the people in front of me made it look so easy, but I really thought it was hard.

We did another mile run that was at a pretty easy pace, but I was definitely feeling slow.

All in all, I would definitely try them again to get stronger, but it was a hard workout. I also found this article on why to do hill repeats and I think I like the last answer the best!

DISTANCE/TIME: 3.72 MILES, My time 46:26 (with watch left running)
HOW I FELT: Good until that first "all the way up", and then I thought the hills were pretty awful. Legs felt heavy during the mile run in parking lot.

Tuesday, June 23

I met the "crazy girls" for a 5:45 run.  Same bat place, same bat time.  I was running a few minutes late since I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed this morning.  Libby had woken up around 4AM and the days that I need to be up by 5AM, to have that interruption, no matter how short, is still hard.

Anyway, I ate a piece of bread on my way to meet the girls and probably should have eaten a bit more.

I felt pretty wheezy the entire time.  I haven't had to use my inhaler in well over a year (maybe two) and I just hope that I don't have to start it again.  Of course if that is what it takes, then I will.  Just hoping that it was a fluke.

I just felt a little tired this morning and kept focusing on the wheeziness instead of my running.  Ugh.  I guess all runs can't be great, so I'll try to move on from this one today.

DISTANCE / TIME:  4.02 miles / 44:43 11:07 pace

HOW I FELT:  Pretty wheezy - not so bad that I had to stop or cough, but enough to be annoying.  I felt a little tired, but strength-wise, I felt OK.

Saturday, June 20

We met earlier today at 7AM for our seven mile run with Charlie Engle.  He was incredibly nice and just seemed like a down to earth guy.  I really cannot imagine how he trains for what he does, but when it's your full time job, I know you have to be committed.  

So, it was very hot starting off, but we were on the go by 7:30 if not before, so it was nice to go ahead and get started.  I felt good for about the first 4 miles, but when we came back in to do the loop around the pond, I was starting to feel pretty sluggish.  I walked the hill and then started to run again and was able to run the rest of the way in to the SL parking lot.

When I came back in by SL, I needed to visit the bathroom so I went ahead and stopped.  I hated to miss the rest of the group, but nature was calling.  We were supposed to do our Gu then, so I just took an extended break.

So, I Gu'ed and hit GA.  Still feeling slow, but OK.  There was a breeze by then, so that was a welcome relief.  I think I walked for a few seconds on GA, but ended up running the rest.  I finished up right at 6.99 miles (per the Garmin) ... I ran past the rest of the group as they were already enjoying gatorade, but I wanted to make sure I had done by 7 miles.  Oh, I hate the Garmin sometimes!

DISTANCE / TIME:  7 miles, 1:17:21, 11:03 pace  I think I may have started out quicker than I thought I was, because that is a a little quicker than my long runs usually are.

HOW I FELT:  Overall, Pretty good to OK, depending on the time.  Once we were done, I felt fine and recovery wasn't bad.  Just times that it was really hot and I felt like a snail were pretty bad.

FUEL:  Mini whole wheat banana with peanut butter, banana, and some water.  Gu around 5 miles.

WHAT I WORE:  Brooks shorts, Moving Comfort top, old Brooks

 

Thursday, June 18

I met 2 of the "crazy girls" to run 4 miles at 5:45 AM this morning. I woke up a bit late, so I felt a little frazzled and late when I arrived. I hate to be late, but I also just felt like I was on the hunt for everything this morning ... my shoes, hat, etc. Luckily, I found everything and made it out the door.

Today was hard for me and E said it was for her too. Not sure if it was the humidity or just staying up too late last night, or a combination of that along with "Aunt Flo" paying a visit.

Anyway, we pushed through and I enjoyed my talk with E. We actually found out we were a bit quicker than before, so that could have been why we were tired as well!

DISTANCE / TIME: 4.03 / 43:57
HOW I FELT: A little tired today and a bit wheezy. Very humid and muggy.
FUEL: Banana and some water

Tuesday, June 15

So the "crazy girls" as Jules has named us had decided to meet at 5:45 AM to run today. I have no idea, but the 15 minutes seemed like an hour earlier even when we all admitted that we had gotten up around the same time.

When I was on my way to the park, it was drizzling, but didn't seem too bad. Once I pulled in the parking lot, it was starting to rain pretty steady. We all set out in the rain for our 4-mile route and it honestly wasn't that bad. With the trees, we received a bit of relief and the temperatures were fairly cool so it felt pretty good.

I ran with E and we got into our groove chatting and I was wondering about all the other crazy people out there running in the rain. I have to admit, you pretty much feel like a bad ass to be out there that early and running in the rain.

My Garmin didn't work right this morning, but we ended up a little bit faster than last week. I'm sure that rain made us speed up a bit. We also think that we may speed up on the final leg of the route on GA ... I know we're supposed to maintain our normal tempo, but I think we may have sped up a little.

All in all, it was a good run. I felt good throughout, but I was happy to get into the shower and enjoy a hot cup of coffee when I got home!

DISTANCE / TIME: 4 miles, 44:15
HOW I FELT: Good and soaked when through.
FEUL: Banana and water

Saturday, June 13

Today was our long run with the class with a distance of 7 miles. We actually did about half of our mileage on trails at BMP. I had never been on them and I will say, it brought me back to days of working at Yellowstone and trail running. Sadly there were no bison at the end of the trail. I really enjoyed it and I have to wonder if my short legs / stride are better suited to trail running ... it's definitely a different "feel" than pavement, but it was nice to break it up. I did feel like I had lead weights in my shoes once we got back on the Greenway, but it didn't last that long and I could get back in a groove.

I felt good today ... it was warm, but OK. Towards the end, I ran up the hill by the education center and then walked for a bit before finishing up running the home stretch. Not too bad, since I had run pretty much the entire way.

DISTANCE / TIME: 7.04 miles, per the Garmin and 1:22:46, an average of 11:45 per mile. Not too bad, considering some of the trails were slower.

HOW I FELT: I felt good today. The trails were a nice break to change it up a bit, enough hills to keep me honest, and a fair amount in the shade which was very welcome today.

FUEL: Pre-run, I had a mini whole wheat bagel, a banana and some water. I need to pick up some peanut butter to have a little more protein ... we are out and I didn't want to use the almond butter, due to a tummy "issue" that I had the last time I ate it pre-run.

CLOTHES: I wore my C9 short and tank from Target, and old Brooks. I need to start wearing my new Brooks so I can have them broken in for the race.

Alright, it's definitely shower time to clean up my muddy calves!

Thursday, June 11

I met a group of Janes this morning for another o dark early run. It is so nice to beat the heat (or thunderstorms). I did hit snooze an extra time today, so I was rushing a little bit to get out of the house.

E and I ran together again and had a good run, using the same route that we did on Tuesday.

I felt a little tired in the beginning, but it seemed like once we made it into the park, that loop went by fast - even the 3 hills. Before I knew it, we were back to GA for one more hill and then finished.

DISTANCE/TIME: 4.04 miles, 45:06

Tuesday, June 9

I got up this morning and met several ladies from the Janes class to run. At 6 AM. JN scared me into being very early because she was going to "leave our a**es" if we were late. Ha!

While it was hard to get out of bed at 5:15 after Maddy was up at 2AM for a misplaced pacifier, it felt so good to have the run out of the way early.

The weather was relatively cool and we chatted the entire way, even up a few of the hills. We made sure that the rest of the group had no cobwebs since we felt like we ran into every single one of them! Kind of gross, but not too bad.

My plan called for 3.5 miles, but the rest of the group was doing 4. Since I knew I wasn't going to sprint it, I figured it would be OK to do the extra .5 miles.

TIME / DISTANCE: 4.02 MILES, 44:48

HOW I FELT: I felt pretty strong throughout this run. We must have picked up our pace the last mile because I found it a little bit harder, but not unbearable. All in all, a good run.

Saturday, June 6

I decided to do my journal as a blog instead of typing it up on Word. This is easier for me and hopefully, I'll do a better job at my journaling.

DISTANCE /TIME: 7 miles (I think) and my time was 1:19, around an 11:19 minute mile. I'm not 100% sure about my distance because the Garmin didn't pick up my pace or distance. Apparently I ran further than the rest of the 6 mile group did because they turned off on the road instead of staying on the greenway. So, somewhere from 6-7 miles for sure.

I felt pretty good today ... While I was with a large group, I wasn't really running with anyone today and it would have been nice to have had the distraction. It's funny to me because I normally don't like running with anyone, but it's been so nice to have someone to chat with, I miss it when I'm alone. Still nice to get a little "me" time and enjoy the park and our relatively cool temps this morning.

I really need to work on cross training during the week. It just seems hard to fit it in the day, but maybe the P90X would be the way to go or even to do some of the workout TV shows that I love to make fun of. Maybe Body by Jake can be my exercise when Maddy and Libby are napping.

Older entries

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
DISTANCE / TIME: Ran 3 miles on treadmill, 33:33 time.
HOW I FELT: Not a good run – no iPod, shorts were riding up, and couldn’t get into it. Finally grabbed a magazine to try to read while I ran. Felt wheezy afterward and coughed for a bit when I was finished.

Thursday, May 21, 2009
DISTANCE / TIME: Ran 3 miles at Country Park, total distance was 3.65 and total time was 42:56. 3 mile time was around 32 minutes.
HOW I FELT: Good – ran with 3 other Janes. It was warm, but not too bad. My shirt rode up the entire time and that bugged me. I would feel like I was running faster than what the Garmin said I was doing.

Saturday, May 23, 2009
DISTANCE / TIME: 5 miles / 55:25. With the Janes Group at Country Park.
HOW I FELT: Ran with four other ladies and Liz kept us right at an 11 minute mile. I felt good on this run, at times I felt like I fell back from the others a bit, but was able to keep up with them.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
DISTANCE / TIME: 3.68 miles 35:31. With two other ladies at Bur Mil Park.
HOW I FELT: I felt good tonight. Finally, no clothing problems. Ran with Colette and Tina (?) and we were a bit faster than my normal, but it was good to know I could do it. Warm and humid.

Thursday, May 28, 2009
DISTANCE / TIME: 3 miles / 31:59
HOW I FELT: Treadmill. Run was OK, but my shorts rode up the entire time. They only do it on a treadmill and I have no idea why.

Monday, June 1, 2009
DISTANCE / TIME: 5 miles / 56:48
HOW I FELT: I had to work on Saturday and Sunday, so I didn’t get a chance to run until Monday. Should have gone 6 miles, but decided to do the 5 mile loop that I had done with the Janes Group before. I did not feel like running, but once I was out there, I felt pretty good. Tried to stay slow and consistent.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
DISTANCE / TIME: 3.09 miles / 31:15
HOW I FELT: Ran at Bur Mil with Colette from the Janes group. It was HOT and we were both struggling a bit, but being with one another, we kept going and didn’t walk. A little wheezy afterward, but not bad. It only lasted a few minutes.