The Aftermath

Hey guys! Well, since we finished the NWM I haven't been doing much running--I took the week after the race off, and since then I have pretty much been sticking to chugging away on the elliptical trainer ~5 times a week. I don't think I'm going to be able to run much anymore until after I have my baber. I'm so glad the race was not any later in the year! I think he had a lot of fun, though--after the race he was doing all kinds of flips inside my belly, and for the first time I was able to see him moving around from outside. Pretty cool!

The race itself was, obviously, spectacular. I was extremely pleased with my time--I think it was about 2:26--especially considering I had been training exclusively on the treadmill, had done zero hill training, and was almost 6 months pregnant. I think it was the hills that really had the biggest impact on my time--I ended up walking a portion of the two largest ones, which definitely cut my time. But I don't think I walked more than 1/4 to 1/2 a mile total, if that, so I still feel like I can say--hey, I RAN A HALF MARATHON! Around mile 12 I actually got that amazing runner's high/flood of euphoria, which lasted until we hit the gnarly inclined track around the soccer field or whatever it was. I do NOT enjoy running on uneven surfaces--I think it really messed up the outside of my left foot! Luckily it was a pretty short track, and as we exited the field they handed us a bunch of delicious Ghirardelli squares. Overall, I found the run remarkably easy except for the hill challenges--and what I hadn't anticipated was that although the uphills were hard, the downhills were freaking KILLER. Me trying to hobble up and down Powell Street later that day was a real spectacle--my knees were audibly clicking, my hips felt like they were grinding in their sockets, and my feet--oh my goodness. My feet are the one part of me that are still not 100% recovered. This is definitely where I noticed the biggest consequence of not training outside more--my body was not well-conditioned enough for the extreme impact of the constant pounding, especially on those downhills. I actually woke up in the middle of the night on the night after the race because my blisters were burning so bad. Yowch!

On a more positive note, what an incredible experience the race was in general. This was my first ever race, and for my first to also be the biggest in the country I think is going to set me up for a real letdown in future races! Just being surrounded by all of these women working toward the same goal--cheerfully!--the energy and camaraderie was unbelievable. Karen and I saw one woman running with her baby in this huge bulky carrier contraption; I saw several women in their 60's to 70's who probably ran the race faster than I did! Even after Karen and I got separated around mile 7, I never felt like I was running alone--there was just a pervading feeling of community and togetherness and support that was really energizing and inspirational. The day after the race, when I got home, I saw a girl come out of the building next door wearing a half-marathon finisher's shirt and I got super excited and yelled HEY, I HAVE THAT SHIRT! She wasn't as excited as I was. Oh well...haha.

With all that said, I'm on the fence about running another half. It is so hard on your body--but after you recover, it sure feels good! And pretty much the next day I was already grumbling that I could have gotten a better time--so who knows. My ultra-self-competitivess may ultimately prevail; just like childbirth, the memory of the pain will probably fade enough that I'll be willing to do it again sometime :) But for the most part, I'm planning to stick to 5-10K "fun runs"--definitely much more doable and enjoyable on a regular basis!

So anyway--like I said, I haven't been able to run much lately because it's just not too comfortable anymore with the baby, which makes it not all that fun. I really do miss it, though, so I'm going to try to run an easy mile or so tomorrow morning just for the fun of it. Now that fall has arrived in Sacramento I can finally get back out on the streets!

Congratulations to everyone who ran on 10/19--what an awesome achievement! All those months of training paid off--we did it!

First Post-Half Run

Date: 3 November 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 27:00

Oy.  I blasted my knee during the race a couple weeks ago.  This morning I did my first run since the race.  Bad news.  My knee was very annoyed.  I guess I'm going to have to take a few more weeks off before I get back on the road.  meh.  Hope everyone is still basking in post-race bliss!

WE DID IT!!!!

THE RACE WAS AMAZING!  

Run well this weekend!

Have a good time running the 13.1 this weekend. Don't take it out too fast. ; -)

Heaven = Eating Pasta Every Day

One of the best things about training for this half marathon is that I get to eat lots of spaghetti.  I've eaten noodles almost every day for the past two weeks.  Anytime Joel complains or gives me the "eye", I explain that it's imperative that we carbo-load  in preparation for the race.  I'm thinking about training for a race every month simply so I can be on a steady diet of spaghetti.

This past weekend I was supposed to run a 6 miler, but I skipped it because Joel and I hiked Mount San Gorgonio, the tallest mountain in Southern California.  At its peak, the mountain is over 11,000 ft.  This was our second attempt at climbing the mountain.  Our first attempt was marred by a very, very violent thunderstorm.  Joel and I hiked a total of 15 miles.  It took us more than 9 hours.  I've never done ANYTHING for 9 straight hours except for sleep.  Unfortunately, because I was suffering from altitude sickness and because it was freezing, we were not able to summit.  We came within 30 minutes of the summit.  It was so cold that it snowed!  It was my first experience with snow on the west coast.  Anyway, I'm sure Joel is going to make us attempt the mountain next year.  

I can't believe the race is this Sunday!  According to our training schedule, we have 3 low-mileage training runs and then we run/walk our 13.1 miles!  Congratulations ladies and Joel!  We done GREAT!!!

My Philly Pre-Run

Took a practice run to the 2nd half of the Philly half-marathon this Sunday morning to make sure my hill training was on par with the course. The Komen Breast Cancer walk/run was also going on that morning on the same last 3 miles of the half-marathon course. It was nice crossing the finish line @ the Philly Art Museum to a round of applause and cheers and gatorade from people who thought I was running the Breast Cancer walk. Everytime I think about the actual race, I get these butterflies and jitters in my stomach. Can't wait!

2 weeks and counting

I am back on the blog!!! Sorry for being such a lame a$$ and not writing on here. My training went to crap since I could not run. I was swimming and taking spin classes but nothing to write about.
Anyway I am back in the game, I ran 7 miles today. I was supposed to do a long run this weekend but I was not feeling well on Sunday. I did the run today instead, I am feeling pretty sore right now. My hip flexers and knees are achy. It is hard to believe that I have to run almost double that for the race. YIKES! I am hoping to walk and run to make it to the finish line. I am getting exicited for the race, it seems like forever since we started this blog. Great job to you guys for staying with it .

T Minus 2 Weeks!

Date: 3 October 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 25:45

Date: 5 October 2008 / Distance: 8.03 mi / Time: 1:12:18

Only two weeks until the half marathon!  I'm just focused on staying healthy and hydrated these next couple weeks.  I'm going to eat the most boring foods on the planet.  The only activity I'm worried about is the hike I'm doing with Joel this weekend.  Joel planned a 9 hour hike of Mount San Gorgonio this Saturday.  It will be our second attempt to scale the 11,000 ft + peak.  Joel and I failed our first attempt several years ago because of a massive thunder and lightening storm.  It was one of the most frightening experiences I've had in my life.  I hate thunder and lightening. Anyway, Joel sweetened the deal for this weekend by planning an apple picking adventure the following day.  We'll see how it goes.  If I get injured on the hike, I will be EXTREMELY annoyed. 

Week 2

This week's recap:

Monday: supposed to be a 4-mile run. My foot was still hurting really badly, though, so I took a 2-hour nap instead.

Tuesday: 35 minutes on the elliptical, strength circuit

Wednesday: my foot felt much improved, so I decided to attempt my 3-miler. It went OK. Still some soreness in the foot, but the cushioning of my shoes was a big help.

Thursday: 35 minutes on the elliptical, another strength circuit

Friday: about 30 minutes of yoga

Saturday: supposed to be an 8-mile run. However, my foot was STILL not fully healed, and I neglected to sufficiently carbo-load on Friday night, so I did a 72-minute, 6.5-mile walk/run. Then I went out and ate a huge pancake breakfast. haha!

My foot is still hurting this morning--blah :( I'm going to continue favoring it up until race day, I guess--meaning, I'm basically going to tweak the remainder of the schedule to however I'm feeling on a particular day. My little bun has started bouncing around a lot in the oven, too, which is making running even more interesting. We'll see how it goes!

Three Miler on the Treadmill

Date: 30 September 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 25:14

I ran my 3 miler on the treadmill yesterday.  Nothing new to report -- just a complaint.  ha ha.  In my gym, one of the treadmills has a personal TV.  That treadmill is one of the most popular pieces of equipment in the gym.  It's the only treadmill I use when I run.  Unfortunately, the audio unit of the personal TV is now broken from extreme use.  According to condo management, it's not going to be fixed or replaced unless the HOA provides the funds.  Given the mortgage mess and some owners struggling to pay their HOA fees, I'd better get used to just watching the tv without any sound.  Rats!  I wish San Diego would cool down and actually experience Autumn so I can run outside again.  I STILL need to set up my running playlist.  Bigbadbooboodaddy, thanks for providing your running music.  Joel was busting on it a little bit.  :)   Although he has little room to talk because he listens to Pantera.

Color Me a Mizuno Convert. Yeah!

Now i know why everyone swears by this brand. Took my new untested Wave Riders out for a 6 mile ride through my hills route yesterday. Unbelievable, airy feeling running in these shoes. Walking in them, they feel a little stiff and unforgiving compared to other brands. But running in them, they're so light and surprisingly soft. No foot, hip, knee pain, or blisters. Felt an extra pep and lift in climbing the hills. Took 1:30 off my 6 mile time as well. Kudos, Mizuno.

Training Week 3: The Longest Distance Ever!

Date: 22 Sept 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 26:01

Date: 23 Sept 2008 / Attempt at Surfing / Time: 60:00

Date: 26 Sept 2008 / Distance: 4 mi & strength / Time: 35:11

Date: 27 Sept 2008 / Tennis Lesson / Time: 60:00

Date: 28 Sept 2008 / Distance: 12.00 mi / Time: 1:54:10

I ran 12 miles!!!!!!  AIYEEE!!!!  

That's the longest distance I've ever run in my entire life!  I ran very comfortably.  It would have felt like a very leisurely run if my knees hadn't started aching at about mile 7.  It was really exciting to run 12 miles - I now feel fully confident that I will be able to complete the half marathon.  When I got home, I drank a bunch of water and ate a big bowl of spaghetti.  This morning, my joints were pretty stiff, but I did not feel sore.  I'll probably feel the soreness tomorrow.    This week, I'm going to work on my iPod playlist for the race.  Do any of you have any good running music to recommend?

Week 3 Part 2

Thursday: 40 minutes on the elliptical; strength circuit

Friday: about 45 minutes of yoga

Saturday: 12-mile run! I ran the first 6 nonstop, which was awesome. Then I took a walk/water break, which really screwed me. I think I drank too much water too quickly, because I went back into my run and my stomach felt very weird and I had to slow to a walk again. I spent the next 3 miles in a run/walk; finally for miles 10-12 I was able to kick it back up. I have to say, Mile 12 was brutal, I was counting down the tenths of a mile and realllllly dragging. I know I could have done one more, particularly if the actual finish line was in sight, but I was pretty darn tired. I finished the run in 125 minutes, or 2:05, which means I ended up walking about a mile total out of the 12. I can't imagine the marathon itself going any more poorly than that middle section, so it looks like I should still be able to finish in 2:15 at the outside. HOWEVER, waking up Sunday I discovered that the top of my left foot was really tender, and icing it for most of the afternoon/evening had no effect. Now it's Monday morning and it seems to be hurting worse. I sort of remember a weird popping feeling in that foot during Saturday's run, and I'm a little worried. I'm probably going to skip today's run and keep icing it for another day or so and see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Keeping Shoelaces Snug...wow.

Unbelievable. I always wondered why those two upper lace openings were right next to each other. 

Week 3 Part 1

It's been a pretty eventful week so far! Monday I was still having stomach issues, so instead of my scheduled 4-miler I did a 3.5-mile walk/run. Tuesday I was planning to do some yoga; instead, I freaking SLIPPED in my SHOWER and FELL BACKWARDS onto my BUTT on my bathroom floor! Agggggghh!!! My back and tailbone killed all evening; this morning they felt a bit better but were still rather sore. I was skeptical about my workout, but went to the gym to at least do some cross-training. After a half-mile warm-up walk, I realized that my increased body temperature was actually making my muscles feel a lot better, so I went into my run, and was able to complete the whole scheduled 3 miles. What a relief! Then I walked another half mile to cool down. I was feeling really negative and jinxed this morning, so it felt really good to overcome yet another stupid obstacle, even if it was just for a short 3-miler. I hope this weekend's ~12-miler~ goes as smoothly!

Running Shoes

Does anyone here swear by a particular running shoe? I've been asking my running friends, and Mizuno seems to have the most loyal following, followed by Brooks, then Asics. Stopped by Roadrunner sports this weekend to get videotaped and fitted. I'm biomechanically efficient (thank god), neutral, with normal arches. I was itching to buy a pair of Mizuno Wave Riders, but they didn't fit me right. Apparently, I have stubby and short but wide feet, and Mizunos are cut narrow, as are Brooks. Ah, settled for a pair of Asics 2130's - even though they are stability kicks, with Kids size memory foam insoles (again, stubby feet). Hope they do the trick.

The Ten Miler!

Date: 21 September 2008 / Distance: 10.01 mi / Time: 1:30:38

Joel and I ran the 10 miler yesterday morning.  It was a great day for a run because the temperature was in the mid-to-high 60s, the sun was blocked by clouds and the air was much less humid.  Strangely enough, I'm not sore from the run, even a day later.  I did have a nasty headache though.  I had one minor snag during the run -- I had to use the restroom at mile 2.  I ran by a disgusting port-o-potty and seriously considered using it but I had to pass because the toilet paper was missing.  Luckily, my condo was along my running route so at mile 3.84 I peeled off for a couple minutes, took a quick swig of gatorade, and continued on my run.  There were A LOT of runners out yesterday.  It must be marathon training season.  After completing the 10 miler in one-piece, Joel and I are both pretty confident we'll be able to finish the 1/2 marathon.  Hurray!  Next week, we have a 12 miler.  Phew!

Week 4 Part 2

Friday: 15-minute warm-up on the elliptical; 3-mile run; 1/4-mile walk. I think I may be having a relapse of the issues Running Girl and I suffered in Mexico; in any case, this was a pretty sketchy run. I had to slow to a walk at around Mile 2 and give my stomach a chance to relax. I did finally complete the run, but it wasn't the most enjoyable time.

Saturday: 1/2-mile walk, 4-mile run, 1/2-mile walk. I somehow completed this 4-miler without walking at all--things were VERY touch-and-go, especially around the last half mile. I know, this is probably way too much information. I pushed through, however, with no embarrassing mishaps. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the weekend resting and hopefully recovering so that I'm fresh on Monday!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Week 4 Part 1

Monday: Today's 4-miler was HARD. I had two false starts before I was able to hit my stride and the cramps in my side subsided. I think I ran about a total of 3.25, and walked the other .75. Later, I went for a walk around the neighborhood before heading off to school. I have class from 4:30-9:20 on Mondays--by the end of the second class I was barely able to stifle my yawns.

Tuesday: nothin'!

Wednesday: supposed to be a 3-mile run. Instead--I took a stinking hour and a half nap!

Thursday: 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical; 3-mile run; 1/2-mile walk, plus two sets on one weight machine :)

I guess sometimes it pays to take a day off. I felt GREAT during today's run and have felt great ever since. Life is good!

The Race is Only a Month Away!

Date: 18 September 2008 / Distance: 4.03 mi / Time: 34:58

I can't believe the race is only 4 weeks away!  I read a couple of the yelp reviews and I'm getting more and more excited for race day.  Check this out:  http://www.yelp.com/biz/nike-womens-marathon-san-francisco and http://www.yelp.com/biz/nike-womens-marathon-san-francisco-2.  Sorry bigbadbooboodaddy, I was not able to find any yelp reviews on the Philadelphia marathon.  You should be the first to review it.  ha ha!

I ran my 4 miler today and listened to Madonna.  I made sure to drink 64 oz of water yesterday.  I must have really needed the hydration because even though I drank a ton of water, I only peed 2 times.  That seems a little unnatural and disgusting.  Anyway, I'll keep running 4 miles each day until my long 10 miler this weekend.

Hi. New Blogger Here. Karen's friend from the East Coast

Great running blog you all have here. I've been training too for a 13.1. The link below is helpful to measure your distances & elevations.

http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/

Starting from Scratch: Very Frustrating

Date: 16 September 2008 / Distance: 4 mi / Time: 36:22

I checked my records.  Today's run goes down in training history as the slowest 4 miler on record.  I ran a faster 4 miler back in 1999 when I first started running in my cheap, ill-fitting, JC Penney shoes.  I have to admit, I'm feeling a little depressed.  I've spent MONTHS training only to be fouled up by a food poisoning incident in Mexico.  I'm really trying to get re-motivated this week.  I'm going to run every day so I can make up all the days I've lost and to gain my normal stride back.  We'll see how it goes.  For now, I feel like I'm sitting under a storm cloud.

The 3 miler that stunk

Date: 15 September 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 26:14

After about a week and half hiatus I finally put on my running shoes and ran 3 miles this morning.  I had a rough run.  My breathing was ok for the first 1.5 miles, however, after that, my breathing became labored and I began wheezing.  I thought I was having a mild asthma attack.  Joel finished the run FAR, FAR, ahead of me.  I was annoyed.  I need to drink more water and start eating more nutritious foods.  I've eaten out almost every meal for the last 1.5 weeks.  Gross!

Week 5

Amazingly, I didn't suffer for days after last week's 10-miler, as I did last time around. My only issue has been that my right hip feels a little sore--I only really notice it if I sleep on it for too long. I'm going to try some Icy/Hot and some hot baths. Otherwise, feeling good! Here's what I did last week:

Monday: 4-mile run, a few weight machines
Tuesday: um...nothing? Oh--I think I stretched my legs and hips for about 5 minutes.
Wednesday: 4-mile run, 1/2-mile walk; went for another walk later with a friend
Thursday: about 35 minutes on the elliptical while reading Hamlet. I was feeling VERY lazy. Went for another walk later in the afternoon, though.
Friday: this was an optional 3-mile run day, but I went for it anyway. However, I only ran about 1 of the 3 miles, and walked 1.5. I don't remember what the issue was. Just feeling tired/heavy overall? I did hit the weights afterwards, though.
Saturday: 15-minute warm-up on the elliptical, 4-mile run, 1-mile walk.

Still working on perfecting my playlist in case we're allowed to wear our ipods during the marathon. Right now, Jimmy Eat World's "Middle" and Phil Collins's "Don't Lose my Number" are totally working for me. "Middle" is basically my perfect running song--the beat is exactly right.

Welcome back to the blog, (non-) Running Girl!!! :)

Missing in Action!

Don't worry! I'll be back soon! It has been a difficult few weeks, but I promise to be back on the blog this week! It has been a full week since I've gone running. I'm going to try for 3 or 4 tomorrow. :)

Week 6!

Well guys--what a week! Mine started out pretty badly, workout-wise; on Monday I was still feeling the aftereffects of the 8-miler, and couldn't even complete that day's 3 miles. I think I ran one and walked the other two and just felt like crap about myself. However, I know I'm not really the one to blame; I think this guy is actually the reason running has been getting a bit harder for me:


hee hee! So, it seems like my running success just depends on his mood from day to day. I'm now about 19 weeks pregnant and am still hoping to be able to run, rather than walk, the race, but at this point I'm just playing everything by ear.

Anyway, by Wednesday I was feeling good again and completed my 4-mile run with no problem. Thursday was about 50 minutes on the elliptical, and some weights; Friday I did about 30 minutes of yoga. And then Saturday--dun dun dun!--the much anticipated 10-miler!

Friday night I ate a pretty normal dinner but ate a plate of french fries and a chocolate milkshake on top of it, and I think it really helped me out! I started out my run extremely strong, feeling really, really good. At mile 4.25, though, I started having a little pain in my lower back, so I slowed for a brief walk/water break--probably an eighth of a mile or less. I felt better and started running again, and then at about mile 5.20 my shoelace came untied! Aggggh!!! That hadn't happened to me in so long. I stopped quickly to retie it and kept running. At mile 6 I took another water break, and accidentally hit the stupid emergency shutoff button on the arm of the treadmill! I was really mad and had to wait for the machine to totally reset, and I lost my time and distance count and everything. I know that at mile 6 I was at about 57-58 minutes though--I was sticking pretty solidly to a 10-minute mile by this point. Anyways--thankfully the last 4 miles were uneventful, and I ran them in just under 40 minutes, so probably completed the whole run in just under 1:40. By the final mile my left knee and right hip were beginning to feel a bit sour, as Running Girl would say, but I cranked up some Phil Collins and powered through to the end. And by that point I knew I could keep going almost indefinitely. It was certainly easier than the first 10-miler, both mentally and physically. Stoked!

Training Week 7: The Rest of the Week

Date: 28 August 2008 / Distance: 4 mi / Time: 34:42

Date: 30 August 2008 / Tennis and Surfing / Time: 2 hr

Date: 31 August 2008 / Distance: 4.05 mi / Time: 34:52

Date: 1 September 2007 / Distance: 7.97 / Time: 1:13:27

After training week 7, I'm moving about as quickly as a slug.  My entire body is sore.  I can't believe the race is only 6 weeks away!  When we started training in February or March, the race seemed so far away.  I ran my 8 miler yesterday and for the first time in weeks, I felt like a normal person.  I didn't have any dizzy spells, headaches or stomach cramps.  My knees started feeling a little sour at the 7 mile mark, but overall, I felt very strong.  Now that we have 6 weeks left, I'm going to concentrate on pounding water and eating enough carbs.

Week 7 Part 2

Thursday: either 35 or 40 minutes on the elliptical--can't remember now. And I think I did a whole two sets on a single weight machine.

Friday: 45 minutes of yoga

Saturday: 8-mile run! Though I had one walk break I am extremely pleased with how this run went. I ran 1.25, and then had to stop to walk because of the weird uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. I walked .25, drank some water, and then went back into my run--and ran the entire remaining 6.5 miles! I did slow down briefly at both miles 4 and 6, to grab a quick drink, but both times were literally for only about .02 miles. So I don't really count those as breaks. And the last quarter mile I kicked up the speed and finished super strong. I spent over an hour yesterday culling my running playlist and adding new songs and I think the fresh content made a huge difference on this run--every time I was feeling tired a new song would come on that was just right to run to and I was able to convince myself to just run through this one song, and by the time the song was over the desire to stop had passed. And again--this run didn't feel inordinately long, as I know it did last time around. So overall I feel really good about my progress and preparedness!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Only 6 weeks to race time! :)

Week 7 Part 1: Running is Hard!

I've been struggling through my runs lately. My stomach feels, not exactly crampy, but not exactly right whenever I run. It's just not comfortable and makes it hard to enjoy running at all. I'm doing my best, but my recent runs have been more liberally peppered with walk breaks than I'd like...

Monday: 3-mile run. I can't remember now if I ran the whole 3 miles at once. I think I did a half-mile walk afterwards too. Watched one of Nadal's US Open matches--his service seemed off but he hit some killer shots!

Tuesday: nada.

Wednesday: supposed to be a 4-mile run. What I did instead: 1/2-mile walk, 1-mile run, 1/2-mile walk, 1.5-mile run, 1/2-mile walk. Pretty lame. I almost didn't run at all, though, so it could have been worse.

Training Day Uh-Oh!

Oops.

So, I played tennis this evening.  I was goofing around and I threw out my back.

I'm not feeling so well.

Training Day ??: Feeling Poopy and Drained

26 August 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: Approx 26:20

I think the trip to Mexico blasted my running progress.  My most recent runs have been slow and extremely laborious.  My times have been at least a minute slower than prior to the Mexico trip.  This morning, I was supposed to do 4 miles, but I was barely able to muster a 3 miler.  Joel suggested that I cut the run short after glancing at me at the halfway mark.  Yikes - I must have looked like I was struggling.  I came home so sweaty and exhausted it looked like I jumped into the ocean.  I just want to get back to the way things were -- I guess I just have to be patient and start from scratch.

Week 8: Part 2

Thursday: about 45 minutes of yoga
Friday: 30 minutes on the inclined elliptical, 2.5-mile run, .5-mile walk, strength circuit
Saturday: 5-mile run, 1-mile walk

Today's "long" run felt long indeed. I felt really, really tired by about Mile 4.5 and started thinking about how Mile 6 of the half marathon is at about a 45-degree angle. Zoinks! I've still got the fear of 13.1 in me for sure. But as soon as I start walking, as I did after the 5 miles today, I start thinking I'd rather be running than walking--it's harder, but it's so much faster! So, I'm hoping that if nothing else the sheer boredom of walking will keep me from doing too much of it during the actual race.

Week 8: Part 1

Scheduled workout for Monday: 4-mile run; strength circuit
Actual workout on Monday: 1.75-mile run, .25-mile walk, 2.25-mile run, .25-mile walk; 2 sets each on 3 weight machines

Scheduled workout for Tuesday: yoga
Actual workout on Tuesday: cleaned out my desk drawers; read a book

Scheduled workout for Wednesday: 4-mile run
Actual workout on Wednesday: 4-mile run! yeah! I was not feeling well at all before this run and went to the gym planning to walk the whole thing. Once I got there I figured I'd just start out running and see how far I could go; being the contrary person that I am, the total lack of pressure to run resulted in a perverse boost of confidence and the smoothest run I'd had in a while. I listened to Fleetwood Mac and watched Olympic Men's Volleyball while I ran. The volleyball was pretty entertaining. The team invariably gathers for a huddle/group butt-pat/squeeze after every point. I know the women's team doesn't do this--a round of high-fives seems to suffice for them. But for the men it's apparently an integral part of the action. Honestly I think if I'd done a second-by-second breakdown of the match, there would have been more seconds of huddling and butt squeezing aired than actual game play. At one point two of the dudes even appeared to be executing an elaborate waltz. In the end, the U.S. team lost. Too many butt pats? Too few???

Weeks 9 and 10: Training? What Training?

Date: 17 August 2008 / Distance: 7 mi / Time: 62:00

My training schedule has been screwed up since returning from Mexico.  I spent most of my time recuperating from food poisoning.  I was in the Outer Banks a couple weeks ago and ran a couple times on the beach.  Everything was great until I was hit with Food Poisoning Part II in North Carolina.  Just in case you didn't know, spoiled shrimp is bad for the GI tract.  Oh - wait, and then I was hit with Food Poisoning Part III the following week because I ate moldy bread.  Luckily, I was able to do my long 6 mile run before the worst of the food poisoning hit.  Yesterday was my first day back running after Food Poisoning Part III.  I hope everyone else is having more luck with their training schedule.  I know a few of us have been plagued with injuries.  My best advice to you is to steer clear of dirty shrimp and moldy bread.

Week 9

Busy, busy day! A quick recap of my workouts this week:

Monday: 3-mile run, half of my strength circuit (I've been feeling extremely lazy about strength training the past couple of weeks).

Tuesday: a halfhearted 30 minutes of yoga

Wednesday: 4-mile run

Thursday: 40 minutes of cross-training on the elliptical; a glance into the weight room on my way out the door

Friday: another halfhearted 45 minutes of yoga

Saturday: 7-mile run. Oh lordie lou--this was a toughie. I woke up at 6am thanks to the prowling cat and headed out to the gym around 8:00, feeling a little skeptical because my stomach was rumbling pretty badly. Got to the gym, stretched a bit, switched on the old ipod--and it promptly died. My spirits sank. 7 miles with my huffing and puffing and gurgling stomach as the only accompaniments? I ran 2 miles, then started getting twinges of cramps in my sides. I slowed down and walked about 1/8 mile, then went back into a run, feeling pretty pessimistic. At mile 3, the cramps were back, so I walked another 1/8 mile, at this point almost certain I would not be able to finish. By mile 3.5 I hit something of a groove and ran through to Mile 5.5; at that point the cramps were nagging me again so I walked one more 1/8 mile, then finished up the run. I can't say I finished strong, but I finished, and with all my issues only ended up walking about 3/8 of a mile, so it could have been worse. Still--I MUST make sure the ipod is charged for next time--I really needed the distraction!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Recap: Weeks 12-10

Our Mexican vacation was everything Running Girl described and more. Our exercise for the week consisted of one walk on the beach, one 16-mile bike ride, and one 24-minute run, followed by a whole lot of stumbling to and from the bathroom, with intermittent periods of lying down and groaning. Good stuff.

So Week 12 was a bit of a wash. I missed that week's middle (4-mile) and long (5-mile) run and instead watched a lot of movies, ate mashed potatoes and swilled Gatorade.

Week 11, thankfully, was slated as a recovery week anyway, and I really needed it. I don't remember what I did on Monday, but it wasn't much. Possibly a 2-mile run. Tuesday I either stretched a bit or did nothing. Wednesday I ran 2 miles and walked a bit. Thursday I did nothing again. Friday I was feeling about 80% better, though still really fatigued, and I did 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, ran 3 miles, and did my weight circuit. Saturday was a lovely 2 mile run + 3 mile walk, which I happily completed. My legs were actually pretty sore after all that walking!

Week 10 dawned much brighter than the previous two and I was able to stop dreading the prospect of exercise quite so much. Plus it was a pretty easy week, with only 3 runs:

• Monday: 15-minute elliptical warm-up, 3-mile run, strength circuit
• Tuesday: 40 minutes of yoga
• Wednesday: some sort of warm-up I don't remember, 2-mile run
• Thursday: 35-minute cross-train on the elliptical, strength circuit
• Friday: 1 hour of yoga
• Saturday: 6-mile run, 1/2-mile walk

Today is the first day I've actually felt ~great~ since we got back from Mexico, which was pretty helpful for this morning's run. The 6 miles felt really easy, especially considering I hadn't run that long of a distance in quite a while! I felt tired at the end but not wiped out, and I didn't have the feeling I'd just completed a major run or anything; it felt like a pretty average-length, reasonable run, which was awesome.

I can't believe summer's almost over. 4 weeks 'til school starts again; and only 9 weeks to marathon time! :)

Training Day 33: Back in the Saddle Again

Date: 30 July 2008 / Distance: 4.00 mi / Time: Didn't time it

Well, the Mexican vacation was a complete disaster, to say the least.  Ssssaffron and I did have an opportunity to run about 2 - 2.5 miles in Playa del Carmen though.  Unfortunately, the joy of the trip plummeted off a cliff after that run.  We spent most of our vacation on an antibiotic/intravenous drip in a Mexican medical clinic.  There was no more running after that!  Naturally, the doctor advised us to ease back into a fitness regimen.  I was planning on skipping the entire week, however, I was getting REALLY bored in the house and I didn't feel like driving to the mall (I know, I was shocked too).  I ran for the first time in a little more than a week this morning.  I did a very easy, slow four mile jog.  I ran so slowly, I barely broke a sweat and  a lot of other runners were passing me.  My head felt a little heavy, but I didn't feel like I was going to faint.  For the next week or two, I'm planning on slowing my pace way down until my head is fully healed.  Hope everyone else is doing well!

Watch out for that CAT.......

So I have been on top of the training schedule and was ready to do my 4 mile run on Saturday. Friday night we were biking home from dinner in Ocean Beach and a cat ran out in front of me. I swerved to miss it and it went the same way I did so I swerved again and still it was in my way. I started to hit the cat and couldn't bear to plow into him so I crashed my bike over to stop from going forward. I tore up whole right side, and fractured my foot. I can barely walk on it. Not only am I upset I hit the cat but my training is totally thrown off now. I have been icing my foot but I think my recovery is going to take a while. So frustrating! Hope you guys had a great time in Mexico, can't wait to hear about it and see pictures.

Training Day 19: 4 Miles with Joel

Date: 17 July 2008 / Distance: 4.00 mi / Time: 35:04

I ran with Joel in the evening yesterday. Wow, it's one hundred times more comfortable running in the evening. I still sweat a lot, but I don't feel quite so miserable. ha ha! The running route was full of car traffic because the "Taste of Birdrock" event was kicking off. No one gave us any trouble though. Joel told me he ran into a few tween-aged hooligans on the PB boardwalk the other night. They attempted to scare him. Luckily, he ran by un-fazed because he spotted and prepared for the trouble about a mile away. HAHAHAHAA!
Well, ssssaffron and I are in for a long airplane ride down to Mexico tonight. We're both taking red eye flights. I'm not sure what we were thinking.

Day 21

I missed my workout yesterday--I spent all morning taking a glucose tolerance test and felt like absolute crap afterwards. I was still planning to go to the gym after I ate some lunch but ended up taking a nap instead. So today I tried to make up for it:

Cross-train: 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer
Run: 4 miles @ ~40:00
Cooldown: 1/4-mile walk
Strength circuit

I'm pretty beat, and not looking forward to the looooooooooong flight ahead of me tonight. I'm going to do some serious stretching before I leave so I don't get all stiff on the plane!

Running Girl and I will do our best to keep on runnin' in the Mexican heat. Wish us luck!

Progresss.... finally!

I was able to run today with out any knee pain. I don't want to jump the gun and say I am heeled but I was able to run 2 miles and feel ok. I hope I can ramp up now without anymore discomfort. I have been using alot of ben gay, I smell like an old person but it helps my knee feel better! People will just have to deal with the scent!!
I hope you guys have a great time in Mexico!!!

Day 19

Quick & easy workout today:

Warm-up: 15 minutes on the elliptical
Run: 4 miles @ ~40:00
Cooldown: 1/4-mile walk

Standard Wednesday. I'm pretty much set on sticking with the 10-minute mile for the remainder of the training schedule. Slower than I'd hoped for, but with the way I've been feeling it seems like it's for the best. I'd rather run the marathon slowly than not run it at all!

Training Day 18: Sweat and Tourists

Date: 16 July 2008 / Distance: 4.00 mi / Time: 34:28

I ran around 11 am this morning. The sun was out in full force...so were the tourists. I ran outside along the boardwalk and weaved through walkers, bikers, and skateboarders. Normally, I enjoy people watching during my runs, but it was hard to concentrate because I was feeling so sweaty and steamy. Gross! Hope everyone else is having a good week!

Training Day 17: 3 Miles of Soaps

Date: 13 July 2008 / Distance: 2.00 mi / Time: 17:17

Date: 15 July 2008 / Distance: 3.00 mi / Time: 24:21

Today, I ran on the treadmill and watched 3 different soap operas (for 5 minutes each).  I couldn't find any funny shows on at 1 pm.  Ugh - I have no idea how I watched soap operas religiously when I was younger.  The story lines are ridiculous!  The characters don't even wear cool clothes.  hee hee!  Anyway, I finished my run and did a quick core strength workout.  This Friday, ssssaffron and I are heading to Playa del Carmen for a one week vacation.  We're going to stick to our running schedule while on vacation.  Humph.  Well, it'll be nice to check out a new running route.  Maybe we'll take a few pics!

Day 17

My bellyache was a little less obnoxious today, but I was still feeling apprehensive about running. Still, I hit the gym just to do what I could. I warmed up for 15 minutes on the elliptical and then hopped on the treadmill--and to my surprise and delight, felt great and was able to run the whole 3 miles very comfortably. Phew! Then I did my strength training and rode home. I still feel kinda off but it feels great to have completed my workout. Hurray!

TD 15-16

I haven't been feeling very well for the last few days and my training has suffered a bit. I went to the gym for a 2-mile run on Saturday and could not even complete that--I walked .75, ran .75, walked .25, ran another .75, and then walked .50. That was seriously ALL my body could handle. Sunday I did about 45 minutes of yoga and then laid on the couch like a slug for about 8 hours. Blah. I hope this week isn't more of the same!

Training Day 13: 921OB Sighting on TV!

Date: 11 July 2008 / Cross-train on the Elliptical / Time: 30 min

I haven't learned how to surf yet so I'm still having to do my cross-training on the elliptical trainer.  To make the time a little more bearable, I made sure to schedule my exercise when the Ellen Show was on.  So, I'm annoyed about sweating profusely and watching Ellen when.....I see 921OB ON TV!!  I saw 921OB sitting and dancing in the audience!  I was so surprised to actually see her on tv that my elliptical training time flew by.  She got a lot of face time!  I rushed back home to keep watching the show, but I had to change the channel during the Bindi Irwin animal segment.  She has got to be the most shrill, overzealous child I've ever observed.  Her mannerisms and the way she speaks are "deliberately affected".  I tried to find a word in the dictionary to describe her.  I found the word: "histrionic". 

Anyway, thanks 921OB for making my cross-training more bearable today!

Training Day 11: What's With the Zits?!

Date: 10 July 2008 / Distance: 2 mi / Time: 17:19

I decided to run on the treadmill today, partly because it's a little muggy and very sunny outside and partly because I'm convinced that either my hat or my sunscreen is giving me a bunch of zits. Right now I suspect that the sunscreen is the pimple causing culprit.  I'm so annoyed!  I don't like running outside without my hat so I'm forced indoors.  I'm going to put all of my baseball caps in the washer this week.  The run itself was not as painful as I thought it was going to be.  If anything, I feel less sore.  Hope everyone else is having a great, zit-free week!

Training Day 10: I Can Barely Move!

Date: 8 July 2008 / Distance: 2.10 mi / Time: 17:08

I did squats and lunges for the first time in a couple months. Holy cow, I'm feeling the pain. Walking has proven to be a challenge. It's pathetic because I only did about 20 squats and lunges. HA HA! I'm supposed to do 2 miles and possibly play tennis today. I'm going to take it very slow.
Unlike the hellish heat in Sacramento, San Diego has been pretty pleasant. The local news keeps broadcasting the "Be a Good Neighbor to Our Neighbors in the North" initiative. We're supposed to conserve energy by resetting our thermostats to 78 degrees. That's pretty warm. Right now, I'm sitting in darkness at my computer so I can save the precious energy for my running friend, ssssaffron.

Training Days 11-13

Sacramento is basically the most inhospitable place on Earth this week. 110-degree heat, thick nasty wildfire smoke blanketing the city. Definitely not a runner's paradise. So as usual, I hit the gym:

Day 11: 30-min yoga session
Day 12: 20-minute elliptical workout, 2-mile run, 1/4-mile walk
Day 13 (today): 60-minute cross-train on the elliptical, strength circuit; I haven't actually done this yet, but it's my plan as of now... :)

Tomorrow's an off day that I definitely plan to take advantage of. This weekend we're planning to drive up into the hills to go berry-picking and try to escape the heat a bit, although that may just bring us closer to the smoke--so we'll see! Hope everyone's doing well!

Knee Problems

I have been out for the week. I ran 4 miles and walked one and the next day my tband area of my knee was killing me. I ran again today for the first time in a week, I could only go 1.6 miles. I hope this goes away, it is completely killing my training. Any recomendations on what I can do to get better?

Epic Update

Wow--that was a long vacation. Lots to catch up on--glad to see everyone is keeping up with their training! I did my best to stick to the schedule while in OBX/OC, though the heat and humidity were real killers. Here's (roughly) what I did:

Week 1 (last week of old schedule; basically a repeat/freebie week):

• Saturday, 6/21: after flying into MD late Friday night and hardly getting any sleep, I forced myself to jump on the treadmill at 6am before we left to begin our drive to NC. I was feeling less than energetic; I think I ran about 1.5, walked about .5, and said good enough.
• Sunday: went for a long and surprisingly arduous bike ride down the beach, about 8 miles; walked around the beach a ton.
• Monday: went for a run while my mom rode her bike along with me; I thought I was running to the halfway point in the road, which would have been two miles each way, but instead only hit about 1.6 something (or was it 1.3-something? not sure)--so ended up with about a 3-miler. My face was extremely hot and flushed; the humidity totally killed me, and it was only about 9am. After that, I walked and swam a lot.
• Tuesday: regular beach stuff and a couple of 8-mile bike rides. Ate a big fat waffle cone full of ice cream.
  
• Wednesday: this time I actually made it to the 2-mile mark on the beach road, so I did run 4 full miles, but I had to stop at the halfway point and walk in a circle and chug some water. I was getting seriously overheated and fatigued.
• Thursday: went kayaking with my sis in a semi-strong current; no idea of the distance, maybe 2-3 miles? Stopped at an island populated by thousands of fiddler crabs. Walked around a bunch and swam a bunch, yadda yadda.
• Friday: went for a 12-mile bike ride to explore more of the island. Did some body surfing.

Week Two: First week of new training schedule!

• Day 1: I didn't document anything for this day, and I think that means I skipped my kick-off mile. We spent most of the day driving from NC to Ocean City. Later I went for a walk with the husb and my sister, and my sister and I played some frisbee. Then we rode bikes around for a while.
• Day 2: Went and bought some cheap tennis rackets and played tennis with my sis for a while. Swam in the pool for a bit. Gorged ourselves on all-you-can-eat crabs. Played some putt-putt and then went for Jimmie Cone-style soft serve. Went back to the beach house and watched a show about the girl who was born with 8 limbs.
• Day 3: I forgot to print out my running route for Ocean City, so I decided to just run based on time. I went for an early 20-minute run, then hit the beach with my sis and did some reading and sun-soaking. Later we all went down to the boardwalk and walked along there for a while; we got home just as a humongous thunderstorm came rolling in.
• Day 4: Went kayaking again, with Dave and his dad. Played some tennis and chilled out.
• Day 5: 30-minute run in the morning before we left OC. Drove up to Frederick to visit an old friend of Dave's, and walked around Old Town a bunch. Ate at a delicious practically-vegan stir-fry and noodle place.
  
• Day 6: Nothin'! I totally sat on my butt and watched As the World Turns!
• Day 7: 2.43 miles, ~24:00. It had rained the night before and it actually felt GREAT to be running outside!
• Day 8: Flew home. My arm muscles were feeling like they were starting to atrophy from disuse; I hadn't done any work with weights in over 2 weeks. I lost a few pounds on vacation, but with the amount I ate, I can only attribute this to the loss of muscle mass in my arms.
• Day 9: Nothing.

And today--Day 10! Went to the gym and had a lovely workout. Rode my bike over there in killer (though thankfully NOT humid) 102-degree heat, did a 15-minute warm-up on the elliptical, and ran two easy-peasy miles on the treadmill. I actually felt great and happy to be running--it felt so FUN for once! Walked half a mile to cool down, and then did my strength circuit.

So there you have it! I feel pretty good about how I did. And I actually feel stoked to be back from vacation and into my old routine!

Hope everyone's had a great past two weeks. Cheers!

Training Day 8: I'm Feeling Lonely, So Loooonely!

Date: 7 July 2008 / Distance: 3.04 mi / Time: 25:47

Where is everybody?  I'm lonely on the bloggy.  I finally ran outside and listened to the new music on my iPod.  The new Madonna album is not as "run motivating" as her old album, but it's ok. Joel created a nice 80's mix for me too.  During the final leg of my 3 miler, I was mouthing the words to an oldie but a goodie, 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' by Tears for Fears.  Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!

Training Day 5: Torrey Pines and 2 Miles

Date: 3 July 2008 / Distance: 2.00 mi / Time: 16:10

Yesterday was an OFF day. I did a 4 mile leisurely walk along the Pacific Beach boardwalk with my dad. Today, I took him to the Torrey Pines State Reserve and hiked about 2.6 miles. I saw a couple lizards on my hike. Even though they are 1 million times smaller than I am, lizards still freak me out. I'm always scared I'm going to squash them with my feet. After returning from the hike, I did my 2 miler on the treadmill. Nothing interesting to report - I watched the NBC Nightly News and pumped my fist when Lester Holt reported that it's going to be an All-American Wimbledon with the Williams sisters playing against each other! Go USA! Ha ha!

Training Day 3: Lions, Tigers and Giraffes, Oh My!

Date: 1 July 2008 / Distance: Walk Around the Wild Animal Park + 2 mi run / Time: 2 hr + 16 min 33 sec

My dad and I braved the dry heat of the Escondido (East San Diego County?) this morning to check out the San Diego Wild Animal Park.  We walked around the park at a very leisurely pace for 2 to 3 hours.  We saw tons of animals, mainly those from the African continent including lions, giraffes, elephants, rhinos and a ba-zillion antelope species.  I saw a big horn sheep do a number 2 on a mountain side.  It was a cascade of little brown pebbles down the mountain side. It was hilarious!!  Anyhoo, my dad and I were planning on doing a 4 mile walk after our day at the park, but my dad was pretty tired and took a nap instead.  I went ahead and did a 2 mile run in addition to a quick strength workout.  I have yet to listen to the new music I've downloaded onto my iPod.  I can't wait to rock out to the new Madonna album!  hoo hoo!

Running by Million Dollar Homes....

I walked a mile up a bunch of hills to increase my endurance. I ran 4 miles after that through Point Loma, the rich side of town. I saw so many beautiful mansions and amazing architecture. I had run almost 2.5 miles before I even realized it because I was so taken away by all these awesome homes. I had never run this way before but I definitely will again because I NEVER not notice that I have run 2.5 miles. I am going to start the official Nike training today like running girl is doing !! Happy Running!!!

Training Day 1: Starting All Over Again!

Date: 30 June 2008 / Distance: 4.12 mi walk + 1 mi run / Time: 1 hr 26 min + 8:11

Today marks the beginning of my official half marathon training! I was supposed to run my 1 mile "Fun Run" yesterday, but I had to delay it by a day. My dad is in town and we went deep sea fishing near the Coronado Islands yesterday. I still had "sea legs" after I got off the boat yesterday evening. I didn't think it would be a good idea to run. I think I would have been zig-zagging all over or possibly running around in circles. Today, I walked my normal running route with my dad and then ran the 1 miler on the treadmill. The weather in SD is breezy today, but running in the sun is still a little too intense for me.

Feeling Good

I went for a run today around 4pm. I decided to take it slow and just run at a slow comfortable pace. I ran 4.6 miles and it felt good the whole way. Today was the OB street festival so I smelled burritos, funnel cake, and hot dogs in the air as I ran. There were lots of people on the sidewalks too, which made for good people watching. I put a new cd on my Ipod, MGMT. Not sure if anyone has heard of them but they have about 4 really good songs. Check them out on youtube.com. I have the cd, so I can make you a copy running girl for your ipod. With the long distance that we are going to be running we will need a lot of good tunes to keep us going.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Goofing Off!

Date: 24 June 2008 / Distance: 4.00 mi / Time: 33:11

Ha ha! I sloppily finished the first training schedule. I've since been on a sabbatical from my training. I've run a couple 4 milers, but otherwise, I've been avoiding running like the plague by playing tennis, beach cruising, doing handstands and canon balls in the pool, and vacuuming my condo. And YES, I do consider all of the aforementioned non-running activities bona-fide, legitimate, sport exercises (thank you very much!). I rediscovered surfing last night. I rediscovered that I stink at surfing too. BUT, I've decided to take some surfing lessons because I think it's a pretty darn good cross-training activity. Yay - if I get good enough at surfing, I'll never have to step on the elliptical trainer ever again! Anyhoo, I start my official training schedule this Saturday! Hope everyone is getting excited for the big race!

Hot Hot Heat

Betsy and I went for a 4 mile run today. We left my house at ten am, about halfway through the run we both felt sick. We had to walk for part of the way to avoid getting heat stroke. It was way to hot out!!Lesson learned, we need to go earlier or later in the day. Since our friend lives in the neighborhood we thought next time we could drop by her house for a water break. She could leave a cooler outside her house so if she is not there we can still grab a drink of water.
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Bellybuster Run......

After gorging myself on hamburgers, hot dogs , and beers at our client summer picnic, I went for my daily run. BAD IDEA!! My stomach was not happy to be running 4.3. miles in the warm SD weather after a feast like that! I kept burping! If Yankee Candle had a scent of my burps it would be called 'Summer's Picnic'. I am sure Running Girl is thankful that she was not next to me during that run.

TD 108-109

hoo hoo! Yesterday I ran 4 miles at the gym. I actually made it the whole way without walking! I think my time was about 38:30. Then I did my strength circuit.

Today I'm planning to do my 60 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, and then go home and finish packing for the beach! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Training Day 105: Freestyle Training! 4 Miles

Date: 18 June 2008 / Distance 4.00 mi / Time: 34:16

The weather has been a little muggy this week.  I decided to run on the treadmill in the nice, air-conditioned gym.  I felt good running - I was sweating profusely though.  I'm glad I was the only person in the gym.  I still have that sweat spraying problem.  Because I was the only person in the gym, I went ahead laughed out loud and made outlandish comments whenever I wanted to while watching Jon Stewart.

921OB WHOOOOOOOOOOO?????????

Hey guys! The super slacker is BACK for good! Sorry I bailed on our TEAM TRAINING. I do feel bad and I am not in shape to run this race. Monday I ran 2 miles, Tuesday I walked 3 miles and Wednesday I rant 2.5 miles. It is not far but its a start to creep back into the swing of things. I definitely missed running and achieving new goals each week when I was not on the training schedule. I have to catch up on the blog and see what you guys have been up to.

Days 106 & 107

Monday was a 3-mile run per the schedule. I was planning to run at least 4, but I barely got through the first quarter mile before I felt this overwhelming sense of fatigue and had to stop and walk for a little bit. I almost thought I would give up on the run altogether and just walk the whole thing, but I forced myself back into a run and completed the 3 miles, though my body felt really awkward and jerky and I did stop to walk again another 2 or 3 times. I probably ran about 2.5 of the 3 miles, and then walked another half mile. Kind of a bummer, but I'm considering the next 2 weeks freebies anyway, so whatever. I'll play lots of tennis at the beach to make up for it :)

Today I've got a bunch of errands to run and a dentist appointment to go to, but will probably do a bit of yoga and maybe take a walk before it gets too hot. Upper 90s all week--yikes!

Training Day 100 - 104: Zip Dee Do!

Date: 14 June 2008 / Distance: 2.01 mi + Tennis + Yoga / Time: 15:17 + 60:00 + 60:00

Date: 16 June 2008 / Distance: 4.04 mi / Time: 34:57

Nothing new to report.

I think I'm enjoying running in the mornings a lot more.  For the last few weeks when I've run around 4 pm, I've felt really sluggish and generally unmotivated.  This morning, I felt GREAT!

Big thanks to ssssaffron for sending me her Yoga for Women video!

Training Day 104: Long Run

My long run this week was supposed to be 3 miles, followed by 2 more on Sunday, so I just combined the two so that I could take Sunday off.

Warm-up: stretch, bike ride to the gym
Run: 5 miles @ just under 50:00
Cooldown: 1/2-mile walk
Finished up my strength circuit from Thursday

For the next two weeks I'm just going to repeat this past week, and then start the beginners' schedule all over on June 28. I'll be at the beach but will do my best to fit in my runs alongside all the maxing and relaxing!

Day 103: Power Yoga

Holy crap. I've been doing "regular" yoga for a while, but power yoga is a whole different animal. Rodney Yee, who led the workout, is a maniac. Swan dive to standing forward bend! Bounce back to downward-facing dog! Now jump to push-up position! He's like a crazy cartoon character who never just steps or walks when he can jump or bounce. I was able, sometimes just barely, to follow most of the routine, but I tried three times and just cannot do upward bow pose. I've never been able to do back-bends like that--something about them scares me and makes me feel like my spine is going to snap. I've never been able to do cartwheels either. Anyway, it was a good workout, I've definitely never sweated so profusely with any other yoga routine, and my legs are really feeling the after-effects of holding "Warrior II" for like 3 minutes at a time. Sheesh!

Day 102

Cross-training day!

60 minutes of cardio on the elliptical
5-minute cooldown
Strength circuit

This was a loooooooooooong elliptical session. My feet were feeling numb toward the end. I was watching Martha Stewart do something crafty but then some dude changed the channel right in the middle of the show. For some reason I didn't even protest. Then I kind of watched Mandy Moore on the Rachael Ray show on one of the other TVs for a little bit. RR made Mandy slice a shallot and Mandy clumsily complied, almost taking off her own fingers in the process. Kids today!

Training Day 99: 3 Miles - Boooring!

Date: 11 June 2008 / Distance: 3.02 mi / Time: 24:54

I decided to avoid the treadmill today.  I ran my normal flat course outside.  It was a pretty boring run.  I came home, drank water and then stuffed my face with two shrimp tacos, rice and beans.  I don't think I even chewed.  ha ha!

Day 101

4 miles @ 40:00; 1/4-mile walk. Pretty standard. Still have some pain in my left knee; I'm going to ice it for the next couple of days and see how it feels on Friday.

Training Day 100!!!

Wow--100 days of training! I was in pretty good shape before we started training, but I can definitely see a marked improvement just between March and now. I'm the most fit I've ever been in my life and it feels amazing!

My workout today:

Warm-up: 15 minutes on the inclined elliptical
Run: 3 miles @ 28-something
Cooldown: 1/4-mile walk
Strength circuit

I don't think I would have been able to do that run without warming up on the elliptical first; my calves were still feeling super tight from tennis. The run itself was pretty easy/standard, but now I'm feeling pretty tired and sort of nauseated and headache-y. I'm also craving a big fat juicy hamburger.

Today's run is dedicated to Running Girl on the momentous occasion of her 32nd birthday!!! Hope you had a great day!

Training Day 98: I Need a Personal Waterboy

Date: My Barfday / Distance 6.00 mi / Time: 55:35

Whoa.  I wanted to do 6 miles at a 9 or 10 minute/mile pace, perfect for a leisurely run.  No - it was not a leisurely run.  At mile 1.5, I wanted to throw myself off the treadmill.  I felt so fatigued and dehydrated.  At mile 2, I really wanted to stop running.  My entire body felt parched, my head was hurting and dizzy.  I decided I would skip my long run and just to do 4 miles at about mile 2.5.  I couldn't stop thinking about drinking water.  At mile 4, I decided to run 5 miles because I was watching a funny segment on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  I didn't want to miss the punchline.  At mile 5, I decided to run 6 miles because I was watching a funny segment on The Colbert Report and I didn't want to miss the end of it.  At mile 6, I stopped and kicked the treadmill on my way out.  Right now, I am chugging water.

Day 99

After a weekend chock-full of long walks and extreme tennis, I decided I'd earned a break on Monday, especially after getting up at 4:45 am. I should have done a 3-mile run, but instead I did a scant 30 minutes of yoga and then ate my entire box of French Laundry souvenir chocolates. Their deliciousness was worth the splurge. I've definitely got to get back into playing tennis more regularly--my thighs were experiencing soreness in places I'd forgotten even existed. I'll make up for my missed run today; it's another easy week as I'm on the very last week of the beginner's schedule. Starting Sunday, the practice run is over and it's on to the real thing!

Day 96

Instead of getting up super early on Saturday I decided to move my long run to Friday. I had a 4-6 miler and was thinking I'd just run 4 because time was tight and plus my left knee's been hurting a bit this past week. I've really been neglecting my stretching/warm-up and I think the knee's paying the price. Anyway, it's amazing how easy it is to continue to push myself forward by thinking I'll just go one more mile, one more mile. I did the whole 6 and was really glad I did, though my ipod died right around the 5-mile mark and the sound of my ragged breathing and feet pounding on the treadmill wasn't nearly as melodious and motivating as my running playlist. Must...remember...to charge!!!

Training Day 94: 2 Miles

Date: 5 June 2008 / Distance: 2.08 mi / Time: 16:41

I like running 2 miles.  It takes less than 20 minutes.  I wish the half marathon was 2 miles.

This weekend, Mr. Running Girl and I are flying up the Sacramento to see Mr. and Mrs. Ssssaffron.  Ha ha ha ha!  We're going to eat, drink and be merry at the French Laundry! 

Training Day 95

Phew--I'm having an extremely hectic week. We had our floors redone on Tuesday (and part of Wednesday) and as a result my whole household is turned upside down. I intended to do a bit of yoga on Tuesday but ended up starting this crazy belated Spring cleaning project and instead just cleaned for about 48 hours straight. Yesterday I did make it to the gym and just ran an easy 5K (upped from the 2-miler that was on the schedule); today I have a bunch more errands, appointments, etc to deal with, but am planning to head back to the gym for my cross-training and strength circuit. I woke up at 3:30 this morning, however, and couldn't go back to sleep, so if I poop out I hope no one holds it against me. I am SO looking forward to a peaceful and relaxing weekend; this week has really given me a new appreciation for my normally serene and uncluttered schedule!

ETA: I made it to the gym and lumbered through my 45 minutes of cross-training and about 90% of my strength circuit (only did a single set on a couple of the machines). Then I went home and ate an enormous dinner and slept like a baby for the first time in about 4 days. The world sure looks a lot nicer when you've gotten enough sleep!

Training Day 93: 4 Miles without a Timer

Date: 4 June 2008 / Distance: 4.00 mi / Time: ?

It's June Gloom in San Diego.  Gray, drizzly and blah.  Yesterday was Election Day in San Diego - I was busy working as a poll worker all day so I had to push my 4 miler to today.  I decided not to time my run.  I'm not sure why.  I think I just wanted to focus on the act of running today.  I tend to get preoccupied by the numbers.   Tomorrow, I have a 2 miler!  Hurray!

Day 92

Today's workout:

4 miles @ 6.8 mph/8:49 min per mile/35:10 total
Strength circuit

When I got home I happened to look at the training schedule and noticed I was actually only supposed to do 3 miles today. Whoops! I guess that kinda makes up for my shorter-than-expected run on Saturday. I've decided to take it easy on Mrs. and Mr. Running Girl this coming weekend and not turn vacation into boot camp; instead I'm just going to up my weekday runs a little bit and plan for a 4 (or maybe 6) miler this weekend :)

Training Day 91: Night Running

Date: 1 June 2008 / Distance: 4.00 mi / Time: 33:32

Yesterday, I remembered how much I enjoy running at night.  Last night, Joel and I were on the verge of skipping our runs.   However, it was pizza night and we had about an hour to kill before the dough was fully risen and ready to bake.  We decided to run even though it was pretty dark.  We ran 4 miles along the beach.  For the first 10 minutes, we ran at our normal pace.  To spice up the run, we did some speed work or "fartleks" (swedish).  We included a total of 4 speed intervals -- one minute at a full speed and 2 minutes at recovery speed.  After the fourth interval, I was pretty winded.  The final 10 minutes we returned to our normal pace and had the opportunity to relish our night running experience.  The night was cool and quiet and we had the road to ourselves.  I felt a strange strength or energy as I was running in the night.  I felt like a Nike commercial!  It was a fantastic feeling. 

Training Day 90: Great News! No Runners' Diarrhea!

Date: 31 May 2008 / Distance: 6.02 mi plus cross training / Time: 51:26 (run) plus 60:00 (cross train)

I've been a lazy bum this week.  On Thursday, I was supposed to run 3 miles and on Friday, I was supposed to do cross training.  Today, I had an optional 3 miler.  Out of extreme guilt, I made up all the workouts I missed by jamming everything into a single day.  I'm not sure exactly what was prompting my guilt.  I'm not sure if I felt like I was cheating myself or if I felt like I was not being a good team player or if I felt the running gods were frowning down on me.  In any case, feeling guilty stinks and I'm ultimately happy I jammed everything into a single day.  I'm pretty pooped though.  I started with a one hour tennis lesson and then I combined my missed 3 miler with today's 3 miler.  The run today wasn't terrible, I hit my stride at about mile 2.5.

Next weekend, Joel and I are visiting Rachel in Sacramento.  I don't think she's going to let us off the hook -- she's asked us to bring our tennis racquets and workout clothes!

Day 90: Long Run Cut Short

Today was supposed to be a 6-8 mile run. I always just go for the high end of the range that the schedule suggests, so I was planning on an 8-miler. However, this morning I was feeling really dehydrated and just kind of off overall. I went to the gym to run, and right off the bat settled on a 10-minute mile pace, thinking that if I went slow enough I could push through all 8 miles. After 2 miles I had to slow down to a walk and drink some water. After 2 more miles, same thing. After the 5th mile, I actually got off the treadmill and went to refill my water; and after 6.75 miles total I finally decided to call it a day. I finished up by walking about half a mile and then headed home. Still an OK day overall; I don't feel like a total failure because I did still adhere to the schedule, but I'll probably up next week's run (4-6) to an 8-miler to make up for it.

3 months down, 4.5 to go! :)

Day 89

Warm-up: jumprope! 300 reps. I love jumproping!
45 minutes of yoga
1-mile jog with a reluctant pup; sometimes all he wants to do is get home and go back to bed as soon as possible
More stretching

My abs still kind of kill from all the plank poses I've been doing. I was reading this one lady's ab workout plan and she recommended doing two sets each of plank and then side plank on either side for SIXTY SECONDS AT A TIME. Doesn't seem like that long until you actually try it. I did sets of 30 seconds and then my wrists started to hurt really bad and my whole body felt really shaky.

The weather has been gorgeous this past week. I'm seeing more and more runners out and about on the sidewalks, which makes me feel inordinately happy and gives me the urge to run up and forcibly high-five them.

Training Day 88

Today was my cross-training day, so I biked over the gym and climbed aboard the good old elliptical trainer. Serendipitously, there was a brand-new issue of US Weekly waiting just for me on the usually-sparse magazine table. I decided to try the personal trainer/aerobic cross-train setting on the Life Fitness elliptical, and I selected Level 15 (of 25). It was a pretty tough workout--much more intense than my usual elliptical sessions. I was on the machine for 45 minutes but it actually felt a lot shorter because my virtual personal trainer kept giving me different commands like "focus on pushing with your arms" or "maintain a speed of 6.0 or greater" or "pedal backwards using only your lower body." I like that kind of thing because it's not such a monotonous workout. I did skip my strength circuit, however--I just wasn't feeling it today. Tomorrow I have the day off, so I'll probably do some yoga and jump-roping and then take my pup for a short jog. This week really flew by--I hope my whole summer vacation doesn't pass as quickly!

Why, God, why?!?

oh. my. g.

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?!?!????


and WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?!?!!!!!!!!?? :(

Larger picture is here, be warned it is nast-ay...

I'm not dead, nor have I fallen off the face of the planet

I'm sorry I've been so incredibly slack. Between the floor refinishing and then my neice's wedding, I've been busy and out of the net quite frequently. I've also slacked off on the training, but I'm getting back to it now. I've been on the treadmill a little... seems like I'm freaking starting over from scratch. Plus, now the kids are out of school, which makes everything that much more difficult. But no excuses, I'm getting back on the horse. Congratulations on your consistent training and all the milestones you've reached -- I look forward to reaching a few here soon.

Day 87

Well, the "as fast as I can" part turned out to be not that fast at all:

Mile 1: 8:20
Mile 2: 8:10

I started out too fast and by the end of Mile 1 I was already feeling like I couldn't do another. Basically the whole second mile was utterly miserable, I literally could not go ANY faster, my legs felt awkward, clumsy and heavy, and I couldn't catch my breath--I was practically wheezing by the time I reached my house. This is one of the only times I've felt like barfing after a run.

I may have also made it harder on myself by not warming up, plus that's just the fastest I've ever run, period, so obviously it was going to be a bit harder. But I know it was mostly that I started out too fast; I've been running on the treadmill so much lately that I'm out of practice in pace-setting and just depend on the machine to set my pace for me.

In other news, I found my jumprope! Which I thought I had lent to someone and lost forever. So I'm very excited about that. I did some jumproping and ab work yesterday and my abs totally kill this morning. Love it!

Training Days 85 and 86: Double 4 Milers

Date: 26 May 2008 / Distance: 4.00 mi / Time: Approx 34 or 35 min.

Date 27 May 2008 / Distance: 4.03 mi / Time: 34:58

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend.  The weather has cooled down significantly in San Diego.  It's still sunny, but there is a very cool breeze blowing off the ocean.  Joel and I had friends in town this past weekend so our training schedule was blown off course again.  It wasn't too bad though.  We rode 8 miles on the boardwalk and swam in the pool quite a bit.  At this point, I'm back on track!  Based upon the blogging entries, it looks like a few of us have been blown off of our training courses -- Life is Busy!  :)

Training Day 85

My workout today:

Warm-up: bike ride to the gym--harder than it sounds since it was suuuuuuuuuuuper windy
Run: 4 miles @ 36:09
Cooldown: 1/2-mile walk
Strength circuit

The schedule for Wednesday calls for only a 2-mile run. I'm going to hit the sidewalk and try to run it as fast as I possibly can. Then this Saturday is another 8-miler--I hope I can actually do it again! :)

Days 78-84

Not too much to report from this past week--basically a repeat of the previous week.

Monday: we got home from SF at around 4pm, and I was unable to skip my run--I felt too guilty. Unfortunately I was still pretty hung over from the previous night, so running 4 miles made me even more dehydrated. Probably not the best move. I skipped my strength training.

Tuesday: 30 minutes of yoga. Several hours of sitting around.

Wednesday: 3-mile run, strength circuit. I didn't watch the clock much on any of my runs this week. We had super high winds again this week, so I ran on the treadmill all week.

Thursday: 1 hour of yoga. Getting really bored of my DVD; I think I may have to order a more advanced program. Either that or start going to Pilates at the gym.

Friday: 30 minutes of cross-training, another 3-mile run, strength circuit. I wanted to race myself for the 3-miler but I was just kind of struggling this week--feeling really tired and sluggish most days. I ended up running it in 26-something, so definitely didn't approach my PB of 25:18. Maybe next week.

Saturday: 4-mile run. It was actually nice and cool outside in the morning so I thought I'd run outside. But on emerging from my house I realized it was raining pretty hard, and I just didn't feel that hardcore at the moment. So I headed over to the gym after all and ran around a 37:00 4-miler.

Today I'm taking the day off and planning to watch movies all day. Although I don't feel like I'm pushing myself very hard at all, I'm a little concerned that I'm not eating as much as I should be to compensate for the increased intensity/amount of exercise I've been getting. Not like I'm depriving myself--at all!--but I think I need to incorporate more protein and iron into my diet. I'll work on that this coming week.

That's pretty much it. Hope everyone is having a lovely Memorial Day weekend!

Training Day 81: Sweaty 4 Miler! Sorry Lady!

Date: 22 May 2008 / Distance: 4.00 / Time: 34:13

Sometimes, I actually really love running on the treadmill.  I'm able to set a single pace for the entire run.  After the first mile, I get into a groove and I let it flow for the rest of the run.  Ever since my haircut, I have not been able to put my hair back into a ponytail.  My short hair swings free - to and fro and every which way.  This is a little gross but I've noticed that some of my loose locks will absorb the sweat on my face and my neck.  While I'm running, my sweat-laden hair swings to and fro, propelling small beads of sweat around me.  Imagine a wet dog shaking water out of his fur.  That's what I look like.  (Of course, to a MUCH lesser degree.  I don't have fur all over my body, thank you very much)  Normally, I don't care or notice because no one is running within close proximity to me.  However, today, a lady was running on the treadmill right next to me and I forgot my workout/sweat towel.  I noticed some sweat beads flying in her general direction.  I hope she was not hit.  How embarrassing! 

Training Day 74 - 80: Where Have I Been?

Date: 16 May 2008 / Distance: 4.02 mi / Time: 35:06

Date: 17 May 2008 / Tennis / Time: 60:00

Date: 18 May 2008 / Swimming

Date: 20 May 2008 / Distance: 9.96 mi / Time: 89:14

My training schedule is all bungled up!  Sorry!  I've had to shift the schedule because I've been out of town.  I will try to get back on schedule next week though.  I ran my 10-miler on Tuesday with Joel.  I was excited; I've never run 10 miles before.  We ran along the boardwalk so I had a great view of the ocean.  I saw a pod of dolphins playing around.  They were jumping into the air and surfing waves.  Watching dolphins is always a great diversion.  I started feeling the long run around mile 8 or 9.  My hips started feeling a little sour.  Otherwise, I think the run went very well and I'm confident I'll be able to finish the half marathon (so long as I keep to a 9 - 10 minute mile).  Woo hoo!

Day 77

Since it was a recovery week, my long run was only 4 miles:

Warm-up: bike ride to the gym
Run: 4 miles @ 36:16
Cooldown: 1/2-mile walk

I was supposed to walk 2 miles, but...I didn't. haha! Instead I went swimming.

Tomorrow I'll probably skip my run--I think this will be the first one I've skipped--because I'll be busy celebrating my graduation! But I'll do a lot of walking around Berkeley and SF to make up for it!

Day 76: combooooo

Yesterday I did an hour of yoga. I really needed it--my right hamstring-or-whatever is 98% better, which is a big relief. Today it was already in the mid-90s by noon, so I went to the gym for my combo day:

30 minutes on the inclined elliptical on the cross-training setting
3-mile run--didn't watch the time
1/4-mile or so cooldown
strength circuit

Tomorrow I'm really going to try to get up super early so I can beat the heat and run outdoors. I really miss my outside runs; I feel like I'm cheating somewhat when I run on the treadmill, and it definitely doesn't feel like as intense of a workout. But, the overnight low is only in the 60s, so we'll see how warm it is when I get up.

It's only been 4 days, but I'm already having the best summer ever! *dies of relaxation*

Training Day 74

Yesterday was my first day of ~summer vacation~ and I was feeling super lazy. I ended up doing about 30 minutes of halfhearted yoga. Today I ran 4 miles at the gym at a leisurely ~38:00; then I came home and gardened for about an hour and a half in the afternoon sun. I was so glad to be gardening that the 90+ degree heat hardly bothered me. And my lovely husband brought me home some super-soft dried pluots and fresh and AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS strawberries from the farmer's market, so I'm about to gorge myself on fruit. Hope everyone's having a great week!

Training Day 73: 3 miler and Core

Date: 14 May 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 24:05

I think my post-8 mile recovery regimen of drinking a ton of water and eating bananas worked!! I'm able to move! I don't feel terribly crummy! Thank goodness. For the 10 miler this weekend, I'm going to guzzle a ton of gatorade and eat 100 bananas.
Today, I ran on the treadmill and completed a quick upper body strength workout. The girl that was working out next to me was watching a poker match on her personal cardio-tv. She was really into it -- she was laughing out loud and saying things like, "You've got to be joking!" and "I can't believe it!" and "Oh man!" Whenever I watch my cardio-tv, I usually try to suppress the urge to laugh out loud or make remarks. Next time, I'm going to let it all out.

Training Days 69 - 72: Big Mish Mosh

Date: 10 May 2008 / Tennis / Time: 60:00
Date: 11 May 2008 / Cross-training and Strength / Time: 60:00
Date: 12 May 2008 / OFF /
Date: 13 May 2008 / Distance: 8.25 mi / Time: 75:07

OY! The 8-miler was a tuffy this morning! I ran on the boardwalk with Joel this morning. The route had few inclines. Before we ran, I made Joel promise that he would run a 9-10 minute mile. hee hee. He kept his promise. The run went well, I thought the pace was reasonable. At mile 5.27, my iPod battery went dead. As soon as the music went dead, I started focusing on the aches and pains in my body. My hips felt pretty sour. Based on ssssaffron's experience, I'm dreading the recovery period. I'm just going to drink water and eat bananas like it's going out of style today.

Day 72

Went to the gym for my 4-mile run today. My legs are still a bit tight and sore from Saturday; I'm coming to detest the smell of Icy/Hot. I did my strength circuit after the run, and the lying leg curls in particular were really difficult--the back of my right knee hurts pretty bad. Not sure if it's the hamstring or what. Anyway, we're supposed to hit 100+ degrees this week, so I will be running at the gym until further notice!

Training Day 70: 10-mile run!

Wow--I can't believe I did it! I actually felt awesome almost the entire time--partly, I think, because I ate a big dinner of tofu and veggies over a bunch of brown rice last night, plus a big bowl of cereal for dessert and an apple at like 10pm. It was a carb frenzy. This morning I had two cups of coffee and went to the gym to run. I ran at zero incline which I think also made the run easier, but incline or no incline, 10 miles is a looooooooong way to run! I stayed at a 9:15 mile for most of the run, and completed the run in just under 94 minutes--forgot to check the exact time--which is pretty much right on track for the 2:00-2:10 finish in October! Miles 1-6 were actually pretty easy, I felt really strong and energetic and light on my feet, and drew some extra energy from the superstar softball game that was on one of the TVs. Miles 7 and 8 were relatively easy, too, because I pretended to myself that I was only going to run 8 miles. Mile 9 was pretty hard, but I listened to Nelly's Country Grammar twice during that mile and almost started doing the arm-flail to the beat that Running Girl mentioned in a previous post. Mile 10 I ran at a 10:00 pace and my body was getting very, very tired. Still, I did feel like I could have kept going--so now I know that the half marathon is definitely possible! And I'm going to eat like 5 plates of spaghetti the night before! ♥

Day 69!

Just boring cross-training :| I read an article about The Hills in Rolling Stone and watched Oprah do an expose on sandwiches while I did a 45-minute cross-training workout on the elliptical, a 5-minute cooldown, and my strength circuit. woo woo!

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt my 10-miler. I'm really nervous. Ahhhh!!!!

Have a great weekend all! :)

Training Day 68: A DELIBERATE SNUB! HUMPH!

doot dee doo!  wee wah wee woo.   bee bop do wap!  pffft!  thbtbt!  poo poo!  pee pee!

I skipped my cardio workout today.  la la!  I went shopping instead!

Training Day 67: Back to my Regular Route

Date: 8 May 2008 / Distance: 4.02 / Time: 33:28

After a long break, I decided to run my normal training route with the big houses, beautiful landscaping and the lunching construction workers.  In San Diego, we experience "May Gray" and "June Gloom".  Basically, our mornings start out either cloudy or foggy and then by 1:00 pm, everything burns off and it's back to sunny San Diego again.  The cool mornings make running more bearable, which explains why I saw a ton of runners and walkers out today.  I've decided to run my 8 miler this weekend.  Hope it stays gloomy for my run!  ha!

Day 67

Ran at the gym again today:

15-minute warm-up on the elliptical
Run: 4 miles @ 35:18
1/2-mile walk

Tomorrow's the last day of classes; I have two take-home finals to complete this weekend and then I'll be DONE with school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least, until September. bleh.

But for now--YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Training Day 65: 3 Miles on the Treadmill

Date: 6 May 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 25:46

Training was uneventful today.  Because it was so gray in San Diego, I decided to run on the treadmill and watch the Colbert Report.  After my run I did my normal Bosu core strength workout.  I can't believe we're almost done with our first phase of training!!!

TD65

Warm-up: 30-minute cross-training workout on the inclined elliptical
Run: 3 miles at 25:31! Sweet!
Cooldown: 1/2-mile walk
Strength circuit

I've been slacking on my stretching, I dunno why. I did do an hour of yoga yesterday but today hardly stretched at all. I guess I'll go do that.

Training Days 63 & 64: Tennis and a Race!

Date: 3 May 2008 / Tennis / Time: 60:00

Date: 4 May 2008 / Distance: 8K (or 4.97 mi) / Time: 38:00

Joel and I ran in the Union Tribune 8K Race for Literacy on Sunday.  My body felt pretty wrecked after the race.  I don't think I prepared for it well enough.  I wish I drank more water in the days leading up to the race and I wish I had gone to sleep the night before at 10 pm.  Oh well!  I'm happy I completed the race.  My new shoes felt great!  Because of the race, I was not able to complete the long 8 mile run.  I haven't decided if I'm going to jump straight to the 10 miler scheduled for this weekend yet.  We'll see how my training runs go this week.  Today, I'm just going to take it easy.  Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Training Day 63

I usually do yoga on Thursdays, but instead I went to the movies; Friday I wasn't feeling well, so I skipped my usual cross-training and weights and instead read a book all afternoon and ate two candy bars before bed. This morning I was feeling back to normal for the most part, so I hit the gym ready to make up for my laziness:

Warm-up: 30 minute "cross-training" session on the elliptical trainer
Run: 8 miles @ 74:40
Cooldown: 1-mile walk
Strength circuit & stretch

Yeah--I was at the gym for about 3 freaking hours! I was really dreading this 8-miler, and while it was hard and my body was starting to protest a bit by the 8th mile, it was far easier than I had psyched myself up for. I'm so glad there's only a 10-miler left to go before we can taper and relax a little (and then start all over again, of course!)

Tomorrow I may go to a yoga class at the gym, or just do some yoga at home, and other than that I'm planning to take it pretty easy. Tonight I'm just going to go for a long walk so my legs don't seize up as an after-effect of the run. And I'm going to hydrate like a mother--according to the scale I lost about 3 pounds in sweat from my workout today!

New Shoes! Yippee!

Date: 27 April 2008 / Distance: 4.04 / Time: 35:18

Date: 29 April 2008 / Distance: 3.78 / Time: 32:10

Date: 2 May 2008 / Distance: 4.04 / Time: 34:39 

I screwed up my training schedule during my trip back to Maryland.  This week is pretty much a wash.  I ran twice while back east.  The weather was pretty crummy and I actually had a bunch of people to visit.  I'll jump back onto my schedule beginning next Monday.  I'm supposed to have an 8 mile run this Sunday, but I have to skip it because I'm running in the 8K Race for Literacy in San Diego.  Wish me luck!  Hee hee -- as promised, check out my new shoes!

Donate Your Old Sneakers!

Hey all:

If you have old sneakers you want to get rid of, check out "Nike Let Me Play - Reuse-A-Shoe".  The donated shoes are ground up and used to make sport surfaces all over the world.  You can drop off your shoes at designated store locations or you can mail them in: 

Nike Let Me Play

Nike Recycling Center

c/o Reuse-A-Shoe

26755 SW 95th Ave.

Wilsonville, OR 97070

I'm on my way to the post office now!  

Back to the West Siiiide!

Hey stinkbombs - I'm back in California so I'll report on my training runs tomorrow when I'm a little less bleary eyed.  I bought new sneakers and a new hat from my favorite running/tennis gear store, RnJ Sports -- no tax and free shipping!  Talk to you all tomorrow!  I'll post pics of my new kicks.

9210B -- if I don't talk to you before you begin your Los Cabos Rest & Relaxation vacation -- have a GREAT time and take tons of pictures!  YOU DESERVE A BREAK!!

funny old Adidas ads

From here. This one was my favorite--it's totally me. I will stretch ANYWHERE! :)

Day 60! Hoo haloo!

The best thing I can say about today's run is that I finished it. My legs felt SO tired the entire time; my feet were literally dragging, and I only bothered to pick them up a little when there were people around to see me. Plus the wind was blowing hard the entire time so I had to eat my usual afternoon snack of seed pods as I ran, and running against the wind made me feel like I was running even more slowly than I already was. Anyway, surprisingly I still managed to run 4.23 miles in 39:51. I'm a little bummed on my current course because there are two intersections at which I invariably have to stop and wait, and while I would normally jayrun, today there were cops everywhere I looked. what the heck cops! anyway--my last piece of bad news is that my USB port is broken and I can no longer sync my ipod!!! I'm really mad because I just bought a bunch of new summer jams off itunes to run to. Sucks :(

I think this post is so gloomy because apparently I'm the ONLY ONE STILL TRAINING! HELLO PEOPLE! I'm so ronery and sadry arone :( If you guys don't start posting I'm going to boycott the blog and deprive you all of my scintillating wit!

Oh, and happy 2-month anniversary ♥

52- Waldo is a SLACKER!!!!!

So I was supposed to run on Sunday but it was too hot then it got dark out. I was going to run my five miles according to schedule on Monday but I didn't feel like doing it on Monday. I have not been into running lately. I have to force myself to go now, I hope this phase passes. I remember Running Girl saying she was getting burned out a few weeks ago. I think I have definately hit that point unfortunately. I did five miles today, and it was not bad. My knees are a little sore though. Wierd thing my lower stomach was cold to the touch after my run. It is where my stomach is a little thicker but still if it was burning fat you would think it would be hot not cold. Sorry to have been a slacker on working out and blogging, but if I ain't working out I can't blog. Haha unless I blog about sitting on the couch, eating taquitos, and watching movies!!! Have a great week guys.

Where is Waldo?

Hey! Where is everybody?

I'm on the east coast this week visiting a ton of family AND it rained all weekend so it has been tough to complete my training runs. Sowwy! Where is everybody else? I'm dropping the hammer!

Day 58

Almost two months of training behind us already! Yesterday I did a bit of yoga and otherwise lazed around. Today was a short run:

Warm-up: 15 minutes on the elliptical
Run: 3 miles @ 27:17
Cooldown: 1/2-mile walk
Strength circuit and stretch

It's starting to get super hot out. While this will make running outside a little more uncomfortable, for the most part I'm loving it. I can't wait for summer!!!

Day 56: 5 + 3

Since I woke up at 7:30 today, I decided to go ahead and do my run:

5.1 mile run @ 47:42
1 mile walk

I was supposed to walk 3 miles but just didn't feel like it. I'm not a big fan of walking as exercise; I already do enough of it as transportation. Anyway, even with the extra tenth of a mile I only shaved about 30 seconds off of my last outdoor 5-miler, but it was still a decent time. I'm just glad I got this out of the way today so I can enjoy my lazy Sunday!

Training Days 54 & 55

Yesterday after school I came home and did an hour of yoga, and I'm still feeling a little sore from it--I was doing some seriously deep warrior poses! Today was cross-training:

40 minutes on the elliptical
3-mile run (didn't check the clock--somewhere around 28:00)
1/4-mile cooldown
Strength circuit

I still need to stretch a bunch. My legs were feeling super tired still from Wednesday's run--this 3-miler was a bit of a challenge as a result. I'm thinking of taking tomorrow off and doing my long run on Sunday, instead; we'll see how I feel in the morning.

Before my workout I was perusing the magazines in the women's locker room, and happened upon an issue of AV Magazine. What does the AV stand for, you ask? Anti-Vivisection, of course! Hands down the strangest magazine I've ever seen there. I opted instead for Via, which had a crappy article on Sacramento in it. Slim magazine pickins at the gym today--I should have bought that In Touch when I was at Safeway :( Who will get custody of Suri?!?!!!?!!!!!!

Have a great weekend all! :)