Day 30: Walk......Don't Run

As kids your parents always said that to you to keep you out of trouble, well today I took the advice. I was pretty sore from my 5 miler with Running Girl, and I do not want to hurt myself and ruin my training progress. I walked 3 miles around Ocean Beach today, it was nice and my legs feel better. Great job Erin on the 8 miles that is so impressive!! I love how the kids were cheering you on as you past the house. Maybe Running Girl and I should do that and have Joel sitting in a lawn chair infront of thier place with water and a megaphone, that might keep me running further then 5 miles!!!

I didn't fall off the face of the planet....

Drove home to MD with the kids for Easter. We left TN on Friday morning and then came back yesterday. While I was up there, it was difficult to get workouts in and remain motivated. So here's a little synopsis of what I DID accomplish:

3/21: 11 1/2 hours in a car with a 6-yr-old and 3-yr-old (AGH!)
3/22: 2.75 mile hill run
3/23: rousing Easter egg hunt
3/24: off
3/25: 2.75 mile hill run
3/26: awesome manicure, arm workout with stability ball
3/27: 2.75 mile hill run (sensing a pattern here?
3/28: 8.25 mile run
3/29: recovery!
3/30: 12 hours (!) in the car home
3/31: .25 walk, 3 mile run, .25 walk

Yep, that's right. Eight miles. I wasn't watching the clock for any of these runs, which I actually enjoy. It's about the endurance for me. I just want to get the base of mileage before I start working on speed. The 8-miler was fun -- I did 2.75 mile laps around my parents' neighborhood and each time I came around the bend to their house, my parents and the kids would be on the front porch waving colored dishtowels and cheering me on. My dad would come to the street with some water... it was kind of cool. Oh, and thank God for iPods!!!

Day 31

Today my legs were still sore from the long run 2 days ago--my calves in particular--I feel like I cannot stretch those babies enough! Yesterday I just felt like having a lazy day, so I did some crunches and then laid in bed watching Weeds and snacking for about 3 hours. Today I felt a little more energetic so I stretched a bunch and then headed to the gym for my 2-4 mile run.

• Warm-up: 15:00 elliptical "cardio" session
• Run: 4 miles, about 37:20
• Mile 1 was somewhat slower than the others; I ran this one with the incline set at 3 and if I'm remembering correctly had climbed about 120 feet by the end of the mile--a lot better than the whopping 23 feet I climbed during my outdoor run. Wah. The girl on the treadmill next to me kept humming discordantly and jarring me out of my zone--I found it difficult to keep my mind on the article I was reading in US Weekly.
  
• Cooldown: 1/2-mile walk
• Strength circuit
• Stretch

I saw an article in the paper today about "The Runner's High"--have you guys ever experienced this? Extreme euphoria, etc, upon completion of a run. I know I felt pretty elated after completing 5 miles on Saturday, and I spent the remainder of the day telling people about it and asking "Can you believe I did that?" and "Don't you think I'm awesome?" The article mentioned one woman who completed a marathon and then a little while later burst into tears at the sight of a puppy--she was just so emotionally overwhelmed.

Back to school for me tomorrow. Only 6 short weeks 'til I'm officially a Cal alum!

Day 29: Over the hills and through La Jolla, now I need a hot tub!!

Running girl and I hit the road running today for 5.07 miles! It was a gorgeous route, beautiful million dollar homes, crashing waves and big hills. Although I have not incorporated hills into my training yet, BIG MISTAKE! Running girl and I were chit chatting, but once we hit those hills I became totally silent and started huffing and puffing, trying to keep up. At the top of the hills Running Girl would shout we did it, we did it , which helped keep me motivated for the next hill we had to run up! It is 8pm and I just got off the couch and OUCHIE my knees and legs are so sore. I wish I had a hot tub to sit in, my legs could really use one, or a tube of Ben Gay!
It was a great accomplishment but I will definitely need to practice running hills before I hit the streets of La Jolla again!

Training Day 29: 5 miles! Go Team!

Date: 30 March 2008 / Distance: 5.07 mi / Time: 52:46

921OB and I hit the streets of La Jolla today! We kicked over trash cans, karate chopped mailboxes and threw rotten oranges everywhere. It was great! Just kidding!! 921OB and I ran 5 miles and tackled a bunch of hills today! It was amazing! Plus, we weren't totally wiped out after the run. We ran for close to an hour, yet we looked so relaxed and unwearied, I thought we could go to high tea or something. It was great to end the week on such a high note. Next week, we have a 2 mile run followed by a 3 mile walk. I think we felt so good about our run this week, we may try for a solid 5 mile run instead! yay!
Joel bought a couple used beach cruisers this afternoon. We're looking forward to riding them around the neighborhood. I'm going to try to include beach cruising into my cross training regimen. ha ha!

Training Day 29: 5.03 miles, 48:01

A little slower than I would have liked, but what a great milestone to end the first month of training on! I can't believe I ran 5 miles!!!

Training Day 27: Elliptical Trainer Blues

Date: 28 March 2008 / 45 min on Elliptical & Strength

Ugh - I tried to procrastinate today.  I was not looking forward to my date with the elliptical trainer.  Well, I purposely timed my date to coincide with the Jon Stewart Show and the Colbert Report.   I completed 45 minutes on the elliptical -- Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert made it a little more bearable.  After the elliptical, I did my regular bosu workout.  

Day 27: Friday Fun Day

Yesterday I walked because my knees were hurting from my previous days run. Today I got home from work and ran 5.01 kilometers, so my Nike pedometer said. Apparently I need to adjust the setting to miles. OOPS. When I got home I did the conversion on Google and found out I ran 3.1 miles. Not bad, I didn't want to do a long run today since I am going to do a long one on Sunday with Running Girl! I am thinking of doing surfers yoga for my cross training day, does anyone know if that would qualify as a cross training cardio activity?
I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Training Day 26: No Cramps! Hurray!

Date: 27 March 2008 / Distance: 4.05 mi / Time: 35:13

Hurray! 4 mile run, cramp free! It was glorious!

Day 27

Crosstraining!

• 40:00 on "cross-train" setting on the Precor (inclined) elliptical. This was a KILLER workout--at a couple points the resistance was so high I could barely move.
• 15:00, 1-mile walk on the treadmill with the incline set at "5"--still don't exactly know what that means, but my mom told me the hill near our house in Damascus (Preakness--not Kings Valley) would be a 5. It didn't seem super steep or anything, but then I was only walking it.
• Strength circuit and stretch

Afterwards Dave and I went out for happy hour and then to an open house that one of Dave's co-workers was holding in his new condo. The condo was awesome--I'd never seen Sacramento from that high up! Today I'm going to do a bit of yoga and otherwise take it easy and get ready for tomorrow's long run. Happy Friday!

Day 26: No more Birthday Excuses

Well since this weekend we had a party for my birthday and I had a friend in town, I decided to take off running for the weekend. Then Monday was my real birthday so I figured since it was my real birthday I should definitely not run! Then Tuesday came along and I got my highlights done and by the time I was done it was dark so no work out AGAIN! Today I put my foot down, and hit the streets running! I got an ipod pedometer as a gift so now I can accurately track my distance instead of using the google pedometer. Today I went 5.62 miles..... farthest run yet! I felt good and motivated, towards the end my knee joints were getting a little sore so I figured I should go home and stretch. I do not want to hurt myself and then have to take another day off this week. I am very excited that our group ID was selected and this run is a GO!!!!!

Training Day 26: 4.1 miles

ahh--what a lovely day! I went out for my run at around 11am, when all the lunchtime walkers were emerging from their cubicles, so there was plenty of good people-watching to be had. I ran a 2-mile loop twice around the neighborhood--my longest outside run ever! Unfortunately I did something dumb with my stopwatch, so yet again I was unable to get the exact time, but I know at mile 2 I was at about 18:00, and at about mile 3.1 I was at about 28:00. Now I just have to do a TON of stretching. I can already feel the effects of today's run in my legs. So yeah--I'm stoked that I completed this run, and am no longer dreading this week's 5-miler quite so much :)

Training Day 24: A Bad Day

Date: 25 March 2008 / Distance: 1.5 mi (it was supposed to be a 3 mi day) / Time: ??

Today was a bad day. Joel and I ran south toward the Pacific Beach pier. At mile 1, my cramps said, "hello." At mile 1.5, my cramps decided to yell "HELLO!!! GIVE ME ATTENTION!!!! LA LA LA!!!!" I had to completely stop my run. I couldn't even walk. In fact, I dropped into a semi fetal position on the boardwalk. Joel felt extremely sorry for me and stopped his run. I sat down for a few minutes with my knees tucked into my chest. Then I stood up and tried to walk a block. I was hunched over and moving at a sloth's pace. At that point, Joel asked if he should race back to the house to grab the truck to pick me up and drive me the rest of the way home. At first, I refused. But after about 2 steps, I relented. Joel RACED home. UGH! I felt so defeated. This is the 2nd day in a row I have not been able to finish my run. I've never experienced anything like this. I hung out on a bench on the boardwalk (knees tucked into my chest) and listened to U2. I was very happy to see Joel roll up in the truck about 10 minutes later. I thought about popping an Advil when I got home and then trying again. However, I chickened out. I didn't want to end up stranded at mile 1.5 again. Joel wouldn't be around to give me a ride home. Instead, I took the day easy. In the evening, I played a tennis with Joel and a couple of his colleagues from work.

Day 24

Yesterday for my strength, flexibility and/or walk day I played an hour and a half of tennis. I hadn't played in almost 6 months I think--and yow! Today I was totally sore, my sides and left arm in particular. But, what was awesome was that my arm felt a lot stronger and my swings felt a lot more powerful than they did even 6 months ago. I hit some sweet shots and made Dave run all over the court :) This summer I'm planning to take an "Advanced Beginning Tennis" class with my same instructor from last summer; I have a lot of fun playing right now but really need some work with body positioning, etc. Anyway--I'm really looking forward to it--though tennis classes from 11:00-1:00 in Sacramento in August can be pretty stinking brutal!

Today was just the usual 1-to-3-mile Monday. I warmed up on the elliptical for 15 minutes and then ran 3 miles on the treadmill--again forgetting to watch the time, but I think it was around 28:00. Then I walked half a mile to cool down and did my regular strength circuit and stretches. I also just walked around a whole bunch today for other stuff--phew. I'm totally exhausted...I'm going to get my second bit of stretching and situps out of the way and then go enjoy the long-awaited premiere of The Hills! oh yeah! Tomorrow is an off day but I'll probably go for at least a short walk or run with the pup. The weather is too beautiful to not take advantage of.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Day 22 and 23: Combo Day

Date: 24 March 2008 / Distance: 4 mi run + 1 mi walk / Time: 40:13 (run)

I was busy making an Easter feast with Joel yesterday so I skipped my long run. I decided to combine my long run and my strength workout today. I woke up bright and early this morning to go for my run with Joel. I was feeling GREAT until around mile 1. My stomach cramped up. I actually pride myself on being able to run through cramps – I magically make my cramps subside within minutes by willing the cramp to get lost. I’m not joking! However, my magical powers did not work for me today. This cramp was not an ordinary running cramp. Ahem. At mile 2, the cramp was unbearable and for the first time in a LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG time (like YEARS), I stopped to walk for 7-8 minutes. The 7-8 minutes were filled with curses directed at my cramp, as well as paranoid thoughts of all the ailments I might be suffering such as appendicitis, food poisoning, an ulcer, and extreme gas. Thankfully, after the 7-8 minutes, my cramp subsided. Unfortunately, I had to rev up my legs for the remainder of the run. I hate walking in the middle of a training run (or any run for that matter) because it’s very difficult for me to ramp back up to my normal running pace. My muscles feel very strange, my breathing is off and my movements feel awkward. It’s not the same as starting a run cold. It feels worse. I was able to finish the run. Technically, I’m probably supposed to walk 1 mile immediately after my run. I completed my 1 mile walk about 10 hours later. Between my run and walk, I did my normal strength workout.

Training Day 22: Run, Interrupted

Today was a bit of a bummer. I went to the park for my long run--4 miles--and I hadn't even gone an eighth of a mile before I realized I needed to pee. I kept going, but by about 1.25 miles in I knew I was in trouble, and at 2.1 miles I had to declare a state of emergency and head home. I think there may be restrooms in the park but I have no idea where they are. Anyway, I was pretty bummed out and was just going to call the day a wash and try again tomorrow, but Dave convinced me to give it another shot. Instead of going back to the park, though, I went to the gym and ran 4 miles on the treadmill, with some hill intervals, for about 38:00. So not a total loss, but still kind of a bummer. Lesson learned for next week! :)

Training Day 21: Tennis Lesson

Date: 22 March 2008 / Tennis Lesson / Time: 1 hr

I completed my "strength" training for the day with my one hour tennis lesson. Ha ha - I use the term "strength" pretty loosely I guess. In any case, it was a great work out because our coach had us running all over the court. Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Training Day 20: A Day at the Beach!

Date: 21 March 2008 / Distance: Approx. 2.75 mi walk / Time: Approx 40:00

Today was an aerobic cross training day. I was dreading my usual 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Instead, I decided to take a brisk walk. I felt a twinge of guilt because I sweat a lot (and possibly exert more energy) on the elliptical trainer but it passed as soon as I stepped outside to walk. I was initially planning to walk my normal running route, but when I got outside, it was so sunny and nice I decided to walk on the beach. I thought it might be a better work out for me too. Walking on sand is a little tougher. It was a very windy day so there were about 20 kite boarders zipping around in the water. I finally hit the sand and noticed that it was still pretty wet and firm. I must've gotten there a little after high tide. I walked down to the pier and turned around. As soon as I turned around, I was hit with a wind punch. I felt like I was walking through a wind tunnel. I actually had to pump my arms to plow through the wind! I saw a kite boarder getting ready to launch into the ocean. The kite was going bonkers and he was struggling to keep the kite under control. I didn't think he would make a smooth entrance into the water. I thought he was going to fly to the moon. Luckily, the wind shifted and he was able to sail into the water safely. Once I got off the beach, the wind subsided and I finished the walk without any problems. I'm no longer feeling guilty about walking today. Toward the pier, the sand was pretty dry and soft so I got a nice sand workout. My muscles are feeling a little sour. Next week I'll probably go back to the elliptical, but I'm going to include beach walking or running in my workouts too.

Day 20: Equinoctial Elliptical

I stayed home today, slept in late and had a super-lazy morning, which really hit the spot. I was feeling much, much better than yesterday, so I went ahead and hit the gym for cross-training and strength. I didn't really feel like running on the treadmill so I just did the entire 60 minutes (plus a 5-minute cooldown) on the elliptical. It got kind of exhausting toward the end just because it felt like it went on forEVER and I couldn't find any US magazines, only stinky People. Next time I think I'll try the cross-country skiing machine--I'm just a little afraid of the big belt you have to buckle yourself into. Anyway--I also did my strength circuit today so that I wouldn't have to go back to the gym tomorrow just for that. Tomorrow I plan to do some yoga and then max and relax and enjoy the beginning of Spring Break!

Training Day 19: 4 miles

Date: 20 March 2008 / Distance: 4.03 mi / Time: 34:52

I saw a new Charmin commercial today. The catch phrase is: "No one likes a bath tissue that leaves pieces behind". The commercial has a little bear with small toilet paper pieces stuck all over his rear end. What a strange commercial! I didn't realize disintegrating toilet paper was such a huge problem. Do we really need to create a commercial around it!

Well, I ran north, toward downtown La Jolla today. I was able to enjoy nice ocean views and I was also able to run right next to the ocean around mile 1.5. I felt ok during the run. After the run, I felt light headed. I wonder if I feel light headed because I breath through my nose rather than my mouth while I run? Or maybe I was just really warm. When I looked in the mirror, my face was beet red. Anyway, Joel's birthday is today so I'm off to purchase some ingredients for his special dinner!

Happy First Day of Spring, Ladies!

Day 20: Swapped in Crosstraining

Because this week is so weird, my schedule is really off. I swapped my 6-mile run that was supposed to be Friday for yesterday, when I was supposed to be crosstraining. So, instead of the short run I was supposed to do today, I caught up on the crosstraining and gave my knees a chance for a break. Tomorrow, I'll try and squeeze in a short run, but I'll be in the car with a 6-yr-old and a 3-yr-old for 12 hours, so I'm not promising anything! I'f I'm reeeeeeally motivated, I'll get up at 5:30 and run on my treadmill before we hit the road. Seriously, though, don't hold your collective breath.

1 hr Cardio Kickboxing
45 min Pilates
1 hr shopping (ok, it's not a workout, but I found the cutest pair of navy patent leather peep toe wedges)

Happy First Day of Spring -- the sun is actually shining in Tennessee!

Training Day 18: Core Strength

Date: 19 March 2008 / Core Strength

Today is officially an OFF day for me. I skipped my core strength workout yesterday and I was planning on making it up today. I wasn't feeling especially motivated though. I wanted to skip the workout, but Ssssaffron would not let me get away with that. ha ha! I did another workout prepared by my old bootcamp coach. The workout included: butt kicks, tricep extension (french press), high knees, reverse grip biceps curls, j&j, reverse flyes, jumping jacks, straight arm pullovers, lunges, step ups w/ weights, mountain climbers, crossover crunches, pop squats, crunch and punch, and skaters. Boy - crunches are the worst!

Training Day 19: Running with Germs

I haven't skipped the gym in about 2 years, but this cold has totally wiped me out. After calling in sick to work and lying around all day feeling like a balloonhead, I finally peeled myself out of bed around 3pm. I knew that if I didn't at least try to run today then I would have to make it up tomorrow, and I couldn't relax thinking about it. Even as I pulled on my workout clothes I wasn't sure if I was going to make it out the door, but I'm very glad I did--the weather was beautiful and otherwise I would have missed the entire day. So I walked over to the neighborhood park with the plan that I would just see how far I could get, and not even try for a good time or anything. Somehow I ran (well, jogged) 14 times around the park and then ran back home and mapped it on the USATF site. I've been a little too generous with my mapping up until today, and what I thought would be 4+ miles was actually 3.67. Still a pretty good run for a sick day. Tomorrow I may or may not go to school so that will determine whether I do cross-training or just some afternoon yoga. But next week is Spring Break so hopefully I'll be over my cold and ready to run!

Day 17- Running and Mulching

I bought all this mulch for our patio area and I had to lay it all down before my run. It has been on my to-do list for a while now. Lugging those big bags was a good arm work out though. Since it took longer then planned I could only run a mile and walk a mile, sorta lame I know but the sun was setting and there was not enough time to go further. Is there way to share Itunes songs? I would like to get some of your Madonna and U2 hits Mrs. Running girl!
Next weekend do you want to do a long run together?

Day 19: 6-mile run

Hills, hills and more hills. I just added on to my route from last week, and there was a KILLER hill I wasn't expecting. But I made it and felt pretty good, even though it's cold and raining. I worked pretty hard, but around mile 4, I really got into a good groove. Next week is 8 miles. Ugh.

Stretch
6.3 miles (64:08)
.25 walk
Stretch

I think it may be time for new shoes because I got a weird ouchie on the inside of my right shin/ankle. I ran through it and it's fine now... I think it's the shoes. Oh, and as I got in sight of my house (.5 mile), I was greeted by a waft of distinctly bovine odor. And the cows stared at me like I was the problem. Yeah. "Hey! Welcome home. Here's a little extra methane for ya!" Stinky cows.
: )

Training Day 17: 3 mile run

Date: 18 March 2008 / Distance: 3.05 mi / Time: 26.34

I decided to change it up today. I ran south, toward downtown San Diego, and I listened to U2. I didn't enjoy it as much as my normal route and my normal Madonna. There were fewer ocean views and I had to run on concrete sidewalks. I normally try to run on the street. I think it's easier on my knees. Tomorrow is an OFF day, but I'll probably do the Core Strength workout I skipped today. My lower body muscles are STILL sore!

Day 18: Short Run

Cleaned house and babied my knee.... it felt better at nap time, so I hit the treadmill.

Stretch
30 mins Pilates
Free weights
.5 walk
2 run (18:04!)
.5 walk

My week is crazy and appointment-filled, so I'm going to try and squeeze in my long run tomorrow. I've got a follow up with my doctor (finally!) to get the results of my bloodwork and echo cardiogram. Rob's on a flight tonight from Kyrgyzstan to the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, so please keep him in your thoughts. Thanks.

Training Day 16: Flexibility

Date: St. Patrick's Day / Stretching on my Purple Mat /

My stomach is stuffed full of corned beef and cabbage right now. Happy St. Patty's day! Funny story: Joel doesn't own any green shirts so he wore a little Ireland flag pin instead. Joel said he was asked the same questions by a bunch of people today: 1) Why are you wearing a flag pin? 2) Is that the flag of Mexico? 3) Hey, where is your green? Oh - it's on your pin. Is that the reason you wore that pin? For the green?

Yikes!

ANYWAY, back to the half marathon training! The strength workout I did on Saturday was very effective. I'm definitely feeling the squats and the lunges. The muscles in my lower body are SORE. I feel a dull pain when I try to sit down, to walk and to stand up from a seated position. I decided to skip the strength training option today and just focus on stretching. I also tried to follow along with the bonus dvd that came with my Bosu. However, it was a half-hearted effort, at best. Can anyone recommend any good yoga dvds or any new stretching exercises?

Day 17: Core & Short Run

....and I did neither. Miles has been sick all weekend and I got him an appointment to see the doctor and couldn't take him to the gym to workout. We stayed home and I cleaned all morning until the appointment. He's got a sinus infection (Emma goes in tomorrow a.m.) and will probably have to have his tonsils out soon. Fun, fun. So, went to the Walgreen's drive thru, picked up the meds, came home. Got out of the car and OUCH! Something is wrong with my knee. It's on the left inner knee -- definitely something tendon/ligament related. I tried to walk it off, that only made it worse. Motrin has done nothing. I wore a brace for the rest of the afternoon and will put heat on it... I just walked down the front steps to walk my dog and OH MY G! Something, I don't know, snapped and it was NOT a good feeling. Of course, knowing me, I'll wake up tomorrow and it'll be fine. But I laid off the treadmill regardless. I was really hoping to work hard this week because on Friday, I'm driving home with the kids for Easter. It'll be hell trying to fit workouts in while visiting!

Day 17- Back in the Swing of Things!

I finally got back on track today and did a 3 mile run today. I put some new Brittney songs on my Ipod shuffle, although she is a terrible mother and not that great of an artist her songs seemed to keep me motivated to keep on running when I was dying to stop and walk home. I am going to try to keep on track with the Nike schedule and you motivated ladies from now on! No more letting work get in the way.

Happy St. Patrick's Day !!!

Training Day 17: 1-3 mile run

I didn't make it to the yoga/pilates class yesterday; Dave and I were supposed to go over to the gym at 10:30, but he slept until 1pm! So I did about an hour of yoga at home. I was thinking about going to play tennis afterwards but then opted for a bath instead. I'm pretty into my lazy Sundays :) Also, I just felt super tired and run down! Toward the end of the night I started developing a sore throat, and as a result I had a really restless night of sleep where I kept waking myself up to swallow and see if my throat was still sore, better or worse, etc. I knew I was being psycho but it was like a reflex. Pretty lame. So this morning I felt very, very tired, and yes, my throat was still sore.

However, I still was able to muster the motivation to head to the gym for today's run--telling myself it was technically only a 1-3 mile run and I didn't have to do all 3 miles.

Warm-up: 24-minute "fat burn" workout on the elliptical
Run: 3 miles @ 27:33
Cooldown: 1/2-mile walk
strength circuit
stretch
no situps--I was DONE. maybe I'll do them later.

So yeah--I did all 3 miles anyway. This is probably the first time I've kept a consistent pace throughout the whole run--often what I'll do is adjust the speed and run half a mile at like a 10:00 pace and then half a mile at an 8:30 pace, and just toggle back and forth. This time I ran the whole three miles at 9:13/mile (except for the last 1/2 mile when I put an REO Speedwagon ballad on my ipod and upped the pace to 8:43--haha) and it was a bit harder than the back-and-forth method. It may have also been that I'm just tired. Anyway--I was pretty shocked that I completed the whole thing. Now I've earned my nap.

Training Day 15: Stupid GPS Ruins Everything!

Date: 16 March 2008 / Distance: 3.92 mi (per USA TF) / Time: ??!!

Before I started my long run today, I noticed a prompt on my GPS watch that stated, "Battery Low". I shrugged it off. The battery should last me another 40 minutes, right? I was anxious to get my run started because I had limited daylight left in the day and I had to get home in time to cook moussaka for friends I invited over for dinner. Well, 1.62 miles into my run, the GPS battery went dead. As a result, I had to guess my distance during the run and I had no idea how quickly I ran. When I got home, I was able to map my distance on the US ATF website. I tried to obtain my running time by adding up the times of all the Madonna songs I listened to on my iPod. Unfortunately, my iPod shuffled the album songs (rather than playing the songs in the proper album order) so after about 15 minutes of trying to remember which songs I listened to, I started getting mixed up and more and more frustrated. UGH! When it comes to running, I really like to track my progress. I want to do a little analysis on my running pace over the course of this training. Now, I'm missing a data point and it's really vexing. I spent so much time trying to figure out my running distance and time tonight that I had to delay dinner with friends by an hour. Joel was able to calm my numbers obsession by redirecting my attention to cooking. I made moussaka and hummus for dinner. I think it turned out pretty well!

Day 16: Off!!

It was a day off, which is a good thing. Miles was up last night screaming in pain from his MASSIVELY enlarged tonsil. I have never, in 6+ years of motherhood, called the doctor in the middle of the night. I did last night. They said I could either wait until Monday or take him to the emergency room at Ft. Campbell (which is a 30 minute drive and usually involves at LEAST a 4-hour wait). The doctor didn't seem to think the ER was necessary, so we're waiting it out and dosing with Tylenol. Emma was up at 4:00 with her cough, so it was NOT a good night for sleep at the Brown house. My body would have staged a freaking revolt if I had tried to work out today!

Training Day 14: Hear the Roar of the Tiger!

Date: 15 March 2008 / Strength Training / Time: N/A

Hear the roar of the Tiger! Tiger Balm! As I stepped forward to perform a lunge, I felt a little explosion in my left quad. I think I heard it too. It went "pwooosh". Not a good feeling; not a good sound. Especially since I'm hoping to run 3-4 miles tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. I popped an Advil and I rubbed Tiger Balm all over my quad. I smell like menthol and my leg feels tingly. I was able to finish my strength workout. Holy cow - the workout was tough. I felt like a weakling the whole time. The workout included: dips, butt kicks, squats, high knees, bicycles, j & j, Lunge with weights, jumping jacks, lateral side raises, mountain climbers, hammer curls, pop squats, modified pushups, skaters and rows with weights. Wish me luck tomorrow!

Day 15: Long Run

The rain that was predicted for most of this week never really materialized, and it was a gorgeous morning for a run. Dave and I walked over to the park with Mickey, and Dave sat on a bench and read a book while Mickey watched squirrels and I ran. After 2.2 miles I really needed to shed my sweatshirt, so I stopped for about 30 seconds to turn ipod, sweatshirt, etc, over to Dave, and then I grabbed Mickey and we ran another 1.1 miles. I love running with my pup--he looks so happy while we run that it makes me laugh out loud--plus paying attention to what he's doing takes my mind off of what I'm doing and makes time seem to go by a little faster :) Anyway, I felt kind of ashamed about my brief stop, so next time I guess I just won't wear a sweatshirt, even though it felt really stinking cold out before I got moving!

Warm-up: 1-mile walk
Run: 3.3 miles, about 29:00
Cool-down: semi-brisk 1-mile walk home
Stretch & situps!

Day 15: Strength and Flexibility

I slept in this morning and decided to skip yoga at the gym. I did some laundry yoga instead.
: )
long stretch
free weights (arms)
.25 walk
2 run (17:52)
.5 walk
stretch

It was an uneventful workout on a dreary day. Tomorrow's a day off, and I think my body will be very happy with me.
OH -- I've kept a pair of pants I wore before I was pregnant with Emma just so I can have a benchmark to judge myself by. Well, today I got up the nerve to try them on and they were a little looooooose!!! Yeah, baby!

Training Day 14

• 40-minute elliptical "cardio" workout
• This elliptical was totally mental and gave me a variety of heart rate readings ranging from 103 to 196. Thanks, elliptical. I know I can count on you in the event of serious heart trauma.
• 2-mile run (just under 20 minutes--first half on 3% incline)
• I wonder how steep the hills we'll be running in SF will be? Karen, do you have a approximate idea? I don't remember seeing that info on the map.
  
• 1/2-mile cooldown walk
• strength circuit
• stretch

I rushed through my weights a bit because my boss showed up at the gym and totally harshed my mellow, but otherwise it was a nice workout and I feel a lot less stressed than I did yesterday. Tomorrow's my long run (2 run + 2 walk) but I'm going to stretch the run as far as I can. Unfortunately (though very nice for me as a biker) Sacramento is flat as my future stomach, so I'm going to have to do any hill training at the gym.

It started raining on my way home--weird spring rain with huge puffy clouds and lots of blue sky and sun but pouring rain nonetheless. It only lasted for a few minutes and I'm hoping I'm safe for my outdoor run tomorrow morning.

Cheers, ladies!

Training Day 13: Am I Done Yet?!

Date: 14 March 2008 / Cross-training on the Elliptical Trainer / Time: 45 min

I spent 47 minutes (I had a 2 minute cool down) on the elliptical trainer. It was boring. I watched The Ellen Show to get through the workout. The End.

Epilogue: I'm really liking the fan on the cardio equipment. GREAT invention!

Coming Soon: A picture of my farmer's tan! This is riveting stuff, people!

for the beach this summer...

I wish I had time to photoshop our heads onto these...


I'll be the one on the right :)

Day 14: Long Run

stretch
4.08 run with hills (just under 39:00)
1 mile cool down walk
stretch
Wow. I'm really proud of myself today. I drove the car around my run route to clock it (just to double check the USAT&F distance) and it came out to 4.08 miles. What I DIDN'T pay attention to, however, were the number and SIZE of the hills. Yeah. There were many and they were large. So it's raining and a little chilly and I set out up the first hill (right off the bat). Huffing and puffing, I made it and my thighs and booty were SCREAMING at me. I pushed on and hit a groove and finished the full 4.08 in just under 39:00 (I didn't put my stopwatch on, but I did watch the clock so I'm probably off by about 10 seconds one way or the other). I was really worried about running outside at all -- this is the first time I really have since I got out of the Army more than 6 years ago. But I did it, and when I as done, I felt like I could have gone around again... well, maybe walking a few of the hills, but hey! I'll take what I can get! I am een-veence-eeble!

Unlucky Day 13

The double jinx of the 13th day of the month and the 13th day of training combined into a crappy day of midterms, high winds and train delays. I did about 45 min of yoga when I got home and am feeling marginally less grumpy. Also, Dave came home from his workout with the news that the gym was shut down early due to a mysterious sewage problem. Nothing else to report.

Training Day 12: Better Booty and a Farmer Tan

Date: 13 March 2008 / Distance: 2.16 mi / Time: 19:29

I was feeling ambitious or maybe I was tired of my same old running route. I decided to do some hill work today. I ran up and down hills for the entire 2 mile distance. The neighborhood gardeners probably thought I had two left feet because I was running around in circles. I highly recommend hill workouts because the Nike Half Marathon Course has a couple loooooong hills. I think one of the hills is a mile long. Plus, running up and down hills is good for the booty. That's a fact! More hills = better booty. I think it will be good for building endurance too -- my endurance currently sucks. After the run, I did all of my stretches and jumped into the shower. While in the shower, I looked down at my legs and recoiled in horror as I caught sight of my frightening farmer's tan. It looks like I'm wearing white shorts - even though I'm not any wearing shorts! Gah! The farmer's tan is extremely inconvenient if you live in San Diego because as much as it sucks, the uniform of the San Diego resident is a bathing suit. I'm dreading the day when I have to head out to the beach this summer, take off my shorts, only to reveal a 2nd pair of pasty skin shorts. Shield your eyes! I guess I'll have to invest in a self tanner or in one of those full body bathing suits from the 1920's. Although, now that I'm thinking about it, perhaps the farmer's tan will draw the eye away from my pot belly. On second thought, maybe I'll further cultivate my farmer's tan. Ha!

Don't forget to STRETCH after each run!!!

Day 13: Short Run

Feeling better, which is always good! Took Miles to his tumbling and movement classes (they got to play in the sand of the outdoor volleyball court (which is fenced, so no cats!)) and then went to work.
1 hr Cardio Kickboxing (she started us out with a 1/4 mile run outside -- I finished first, yay me!)
45 min Pilates (OMG, I suck at Pilates... I'm going to say it's because my torso is so long. Yeah, that's it. Long torso. If it's possible, I'm actually getting WORSE at it. Meh.)
.5 walk
2 run (19:06)
.5 walk

It's supposed to start raining tonight... just in time for that long run outside. I'm going to try it in the rain. I'll just wear a hat so it doesn't drip in my eyes. I hate that.

Day 12- Workaholic not Work-out aholic

So now that one of the best people on our team at work has left (Karen Kennedy aka running girl) who was carrying a heavy load, I have been working crazy hours. After work I was ready to go for a run, but knew how much work I had to get done that I chose not to go. Since I have been in a routine, I actually kind of miss going for a run even if it is not that far. I am hoping to go tomorrow after work and get back on track. The mention of Nilla Waffers has me craving them now, thanks!!!!

Day 12: a third of a half!

Yes everyone, you are reading the words of someone who has just run 4 miles for the first time ever! Ahh!!!

I wasn't planning on it, but after the first two miles I figured I'd go to three, and after I hit three I figured I might as well do another lap...and I just kept going. By the end I was extremely tired and didn't feel like I could have gone much further without my legs giving out, but mentally I felt extremely happy and serene as though I'd just finished some hardcore meditation. Anyway--now I know I can do 4 miles--I'm pretty excited :)

My workout today:

Warm-up: 20-minute cardio session on the elliptical
Run: 4 miles @ 36:29

• Mile 1: 8:42
• Mile 2: 8:53
• Mile 3: 9:10
• Mile 4: 9:44 (I slowed down at the beginning to drink some water)

Cool-down: 1-mile walk (14:58)
Stretch & situps

Now I'm going to study for midterms and then watch Big Brother 9 and turn my brain off. It's supposed to rain here this weekend so I may have to do my long run at the gym ~ we'll see. I'm also going to try to get into one of the yoga/pilates classes at the gym this weekend. Roar!

I hope you sickies feel better very soon! :)

Day 12: Crosstrain

Well, I avoided the pool today... swimming and mucus do not mix. Ew.

9 miles on recumbent bike (25:00)
10 minutes on this weird elliptical-type thing... every painful
2000m on the rowing machine (8 minutes)

Had to cut the workout short because of a meeting I had to attend. I'll probably lengthen the run tomorrow to make up for my slackness. I'm feeling pretty good, but my knees are killing me afterward. Going up, but especially DOWN, stairs is starting to hurt and sound a little crunchy. I've never had that before... guess I'll have to watch it.

Training Day 11: Make Up Day

Date: 12 March 2008 / Distance: 2 miles / Time: 17:17

As I'm writing this, I'm gorging myself with reduced fat Nilla wafers. Yum, nyum, cookies! I deserve it because I did a nice long work out today. Today is supposed to be an OFF day for me, but I had to make up my missed workout from yesterday. I did my normal two mile run which actually pretty tough this morning. My shins felt really tight and I felt like I was dragging. Strangely enough, I actually ran one of my faster times. After my run, I did a core strength workout. It's a workout that my old bootcamp instructor (Kristi Dowler of Vyayr) put together for me about 9 months ago. The workout is tailored to someone who is training for a running race. The workout includes: Single leg lunge, Squat lat pulldown, Chest flys bridged off ball, Oblique twist, Plank (with leg movement), Bicycle on bosu, Single leg squat on bosu, Dead lifts on bosu, Straight arm pulldown, Runner bicep, Front raise, Tricep pulldown, Plie squats. The work on the bosu ball is tough on me because it requires so much stability work. I'm literally shaking like a leaf on the ball.

Training Day 10: Core Strength 1-2 miles

OOOPS! I skipped the work out today because I had a migraine. My head still hurts as I'm writing this blog. I need people to feel sorry for me. Please shower me with sympathy.

Why do Erin and Saffron run when they are sick or just short of puking? Weirdos! That's what I say!

-Wimpy Wimpyton

Day 11: R&R

Well I forced myself to take the day off today and it feels awesome. My body is very happy with me. The girl sitting next to me keeps sneezing, though, which is making me uncomfortable. Anyway, still did lots of walking today, and will probably stretch & do crunches this evening, but no morning run. So I'm sure I'll be super fresh and energized for tomorrow!

It's crazy to remember that back in November I could barely run 4 blocks continuously, and now I can run (at least) 3 miles without stopping! go body go! I feel like I've made an amazing amount of progress in the past few months, so I know the next 7 are going to bring about an equally miraculous change. That's what I have to keep remembering when the paralyzing fear of running 13.1 MILES hits me!

Day 11: Short Run

Woke up this morning with a cough and made a doctor's appointment -- but went to the gym anyway. In the Army, they always told us that if you weren't running a fever or puking (and sometimes, even if you were!) that you could run. Clearly, they were sadists, but I did learn that sometimes it makes you feel better afterward. Today was one of those days, thankfully! I'd also like to say, Thank God for Antibiotics!

1 hr. Cardio Kickboxing
30 min. Ab Class (oooooooooouch!)
.5 walk
2 run (19:07)
.5 walk
s-t-r-e-t-c-h

What with all the phlegm (mmmmm), I think I'll skip the pool tomorrow for crosstraining. I haven't been on the bike in a while -- maybe I'll try that.

Day 10

.5-mile warm-up walk
2.5-mile run--forgot to pay attention to the time!
.5-mile cool-down walk
weight circuit
stretch

I felt disappointed in myself today because I really could have kept running and instead I quit after 2.5 miles. I rationalized this by telling myself that the training schedule only said 1-2 miles. But I still felt kind of stupid about it. Tomorrow I'll probably go back on my resolution to take the day off, and run my morning mile to redeem myself.

Day 10

Hidey-ho!
I am joining the blog late in the game, but thanks for inviting me! So I have been running 2.2 miles each morning and every time I am almost home I feel like I am going to pass out. I can hardly breath and feel awful. There has been no progress over the past two weeks. I have felt pretty discouraged and didn't think that I would be able to run with you guys at the half marathon. Well today I had a breakthrough, I decided to run after work since it is lighter longer now with day light savings in effect. I ran my normal route and when I got to my turn around point I was able to keep on running it was great. I ran 3.8 miles which is the farthest I have ever run to date! I am really pumped because I think I might be able to really train for this race now. I am not sure if it is the day light savings, running after work when I have eaten two meals and several snacks, or the fact that I had a dream last night that I ran 7 miles without any problem!!! Whatever it was I am motivated now to do this!!!

Day 10 Core & Short Run

.........and it's official. I have a sinus infection. Fun!
45 min Pilates class
.5 walk
2 run (20:00)
.5 walk
Went to the doctor today and had them measure me -- upper arms, bust, rib cage, natural waist, navel, hips, thighs, lower thighs and calves. I've lost another 7" overall and every measurement has gone down (even the bust woo hoo) except for my lower thighs, which the doctor said is because of gained muscle. So there you go -- a week and a half in and we're toning already! SO nice to see results.

Training Day 9 - Strength/Flexibility/Walk

Date: 10 March 2008 / Distance: 2 mi run + 1 mi walk / Time: 17:45 run + 15:00 walk (?)

I think the runs are getting a little easier. I'm starting my second full week of training today. I hope last week was the "breaking in" period because my body was pretty darn sore. Otherwise, nothing else to report.

Training Day 8 - 2 mile run / 1 mile walk

Date: 8 March 2008 / Distance: 3.5 mile WALK? / Time: Couple hours?

Ha ha. I packed running clothes for my trip to San Francisco. I was fully intending to run, but I decided to explore San Francisco instead. Sowwy! Even though we walked the entire workout, we still tried to make it a little more challenging by tackling the steeper hills. I'll try to make up my missed run today.

Training Day 6 & 7 - Crosstrain/Stretch/Strength

Date: 7 March 2008 / Distance: N/A / Time: N/A

Spent 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer. I had to force myself to finish the full 40 minutes. Ooof. After some stretching exercises, I went ahead and jumped on a few of the weight machines. Because of my San Francisco trip -- I decided to combine Training Day 6 and Training Day 7 together.

Training Day 9!

Happy Daylight Savings Day! Dave and I rode bikes to the farmers' market this morning, and then came home and walked over to the gym. I was planning to just walk on the treadmill while he did his thing, but I ended up getting a little manic. First I did a 25-minute "fat burn" workout on the elliptical; then a 1/4-mile walk/1/2-mile run/1/4-mile walk on the treadmill. Then for some reason I felt like jump-roping so I did 10 sets of 100. heh. Then 200 situps. Then stretching! Now I'm planning to chill for the rest of the day and enjoy finally having the windows open. Tomorrow's another run/strength day, and then Tuesday I am definitely going to follow the schedule and take the day OFF!

~R

Day 9

Supposed to be an off day, but I switched that for Thursday.
30 minutes yoga
.25 walk
2 mile run
.25 walk
situps
The 4" of snow we (supposedly) got is already completely gone. The weather in this place is insane.

Runner's World 1/2 Training Article

Found this and thought the philosphy on racing and training was interesting. Just thought I'd share!
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-258-6851-0,00.html

Day 8

Feeling much better today, although I have no voice. Took the kids to play in the snow... check out the snowy run route. I swear I'll actually get outside to run eventually -- maybe in June.
So I stayed inside and worked out.
1 hr yoga (On Demand is the greatest invention)
Free weights (arms again -- must... keep.... turkey.... arms.... from..... forming)
Crunches
.5 mile walk
4 mile run with incline intervals (39:17)
.5 mile walk
I felt pretty good, actually, but I feel like I've forced the head cold down into my chest, so I may be regretting this tomorrow. Grr.

Day 8: 2 + 1

Today's 2-miler was easier than I expected. Usually when I run outside it's still very early in the morning, and cold, so I find it a lot harder to breathe than when I'm running indoors on the treadmill. This morning, though, Dave and I went to the park at about 10am and it was already 60 degrees and sunny, so my lungs were much happier. I still don't have a stopwatch, but on these longs runs I'm more concerned with endurance than speed anyway. Dave ran the first and last half-miles with me; pretty good considering it was only like his second time running. All in all today was good. I felt strong, but also very glad to see the finish line :) ~R

Day 7

Nothing. At all. Except a 3-hour nap. I'm sick as a dog, as are the kids. You all are lucky not to be living with little germ incubators. Oh, and there's almost an inch of snow on the ground. Hello? It's March!
I think I'll switch my long run to Sunday, instead. Tomorrow, I'm aiming for yoga at the gym, but if the kids are still sick, it's a no-go.
Ick. I hate the flu.

Training Day 7!

Ahh--what a beautiful day! I can't even tell you guys how much I love Fridays and the opportunity to do absolutely nothing for at least a few hours.

Today was cross-training day:

• 40 minutes of cardio on the elliptical--sheesh--so boring! I can't believe I used to do hour-long workouts on that thing on a regular basis.
• 2-mile run: 17:50! my fastest yet. That includes slowing down to tie my shoe since the pause buttons don't work reliably on the junky gym treadmill. heck yes! But, I found this pace pretty intense, and my heart rate was at 173 at the end--a little high for my liking. I'm not going to try to push for speed much more for a while.
• 1/2-mile cool-down walk
• strength circuit and situps
• stretch

I burned about 800 calories just at the gym today--that doesn't even include my bike ride to and from. I'm definitely going to grab a beer or two this evening :)

Also, I probably won't be posting many pictures because I don't want to have to carry my camera. But here's the park where I'll be doing my long runs:



The rose garden is in full bloom in these; right now it's all pruned back. This is an extremely popular running spot for the lunchtime crowd, although I have no idea where they shower. Anyway, it's very peaceful on weekends and should be a great place to run, especially since it's pretty well shaded--nice during the 100-degree heat of July and August...and September and October... :)

Happy Friday buddies!

Day 6

Ran my morning mile again before school--am now very tired but am off to do an hour of yoga before tucking myself into the couch for the rest of the evening. ~R

Day 6

Distance: 4 miles Time: 44:00 (3 mile run in 30:07)

Push ups
Sit ups and evil crunches learned at evil ab class (evil evil evil)
.5 mile walk
3 mile run
.5 mile walk

I told Karen earlier -- I could post a picture of my run route, but it'd just be a picture of my treadmill in the kids' playroom. Ooooh, scenic. Maybe tomorrow on the long outdoor run I'll take a picture of Ferdinan, Benny the Bull and Curly... my odiferous bovine neighbors. Gotta love the south!

Training Day 5: 1-2 miles

Date: 6 March 2008 / Distance 1.96 miles / Time: 17:12

I couldn't figure out how to work the Garmin GPS watch this morning so I had to guess my running distance. After I completed the run, Joel called and told me how to work the dumb thing. Out of crazy curiosity, I went ahead and walked the route to find out the precise distance. I also carried a camera to take some pics of my running route. The picture on the right is one of the little cliffside parks I described in an earlier post. People come here to watch the sunset or, if you're down on your luck, you can also take a nap on the bench (see gentleman on bench). Yea - so nothing really exciting about the run. It was sunny and warm so I was sweating like crazy and really wishing I wore a tank top rather than a long-sleeved dark shirt. One thing I did notice is that the other runners in the neighborhood don't seem especially friendly. None of the runners give me the little acknowledgment "nod". Everyone in MD and DC uses the "nod"! It's that friendly "you run, I run" gesture! All the walkers and dog-walkers gave me the nod though.

Day 5: Crosstrain

MASSIVE stretching (thanks, Cardio Kickboxing)
45 minute lap swim (harder than running for me heartrate/breathing-wise)
More stretching (I'm feeling muscles I didn't even know I had!)
Push-ups/sit-ups/light weights (arms/upper body)
....and more stretching....

Training Day 5

Warm-up (elliptical): 20:00
2-mile run: 18:26!
1-mile cool-down run: 10:00
1/2-mile walk
Stretch & crunches

As I rode my bike home afterwards, some dude almost hit me with his car. Then he called me a B for protesting. Fun!

~Rachel

I spent 2 1/2 hours at the gym and then came home and ran on my treadmill for the 2 miles. I hate to admit this, but it's a break from the kids. And even though my body is like, "What the HELL are you DOING to me?" I don't have to be reponsible for anything and it's such a huge break. Plus, while I'm working out, Miles is in a tumbling class and then a "Kids in Motion" class.... what more can I ask for!?

Massage

They have this mat that goes on a high-backed office chair at Sam's club... normally, I hate these things. But I sat in it this evening, and between the heat, the "shiatsu" and the "rolling," it felt sooooo good. (Of course, I'm sore as hell from that Kickboxing From Hell class, so maybe I'm not able to accurately judge it's efficacy... ANYTHING would have felt good!) It's $100, and I'm seriously considering it! Now, if I could just find something that felt as good on my feet...........

Erin--I just read your first post from today--holy crap! Did you spend 4 hours at the gym???

Snow. Are you KIDDING me with this?!?!?!

Yeah. It's snowing. Guess that outdoor run will have to wait a while longer. Stupid winter. This would be SO much easier if I were still on Okinawa.
: )

-- Erin

yawn...Training Day 4

Tuesdays are the most grueling day for me, but the morning run definitely helps me get in gear. This morning I left the house at 5:40 and ran a quick one-mile lap around the neighborhood--at about 10:00 it was a little slower than my indoor runs, but since it's still pretty dark out at 5:40 I have to be careful of all the big cracks in the sidewalks :) Besides the grogginess I really enjoy being out at this hour of rare quiet and calm, in that little window before sunrise when the moon and stars are extra bright and the emptiness makes everything seem a little more wild.

I wore my pedometer to school today too, and it logged 3.88 miles. I know this thing low-balls me, though; I wore it on the treadmill last week and there was about a half-mile discrepancy between the two. But either way--between all that, classes, and commuting, I'm beat! I think we need to take up a collection for weekly massages...

~Raquel

Date: 4 March Distance: 2 miles Time: 20:00
Of course, that's after a 75 min cardio kickboxing class, weights, an ab class and 30 minutes on the eliptical to get the joints moving. So I'm ok with it.
Tomorrow is a swim day and the follow up on my leg surgery.
No idyllic scenery, just smelly, sweaty gym people. It's friggin' cold and raining here. Maybe on Friday for the long run. Of course, I live across the street from 3 bulls and a herd of cows -- no fresh salt breezes in my future, I'm guessing.
Congrats on your early morning acheivemen, Kare Kare.
: )

Training Day 3: 1-2 mile run & The slug wakes up!

Date: 4 March 2008 / Distance: 2 miles / Time: 17:50

I did it! Sluggo woke up at 7am to run! The sun was shining and the sky was bright blue - I guess you can't help but be excited to start the day. It's strange what you notice when you don't have a job anymore. I noticed the smell of sprinklers this morning and that other people don't run in the mornings in San Diego (at least in my neighborhood). I didn't pass a single runner....just a bunch of people walking their dogs. My quads are feeling extremely sore today. I'm having difficulty sitting down...ugh. I actually have to brace myself to sit.
Thank goodness for OFF days.

-Karen

Training Day 2: 0-2 mile run

Date: 3 March 2008 / Distance: 2.57 miles / Time: 23:00

The schedule states 0 miles for day 2 -- but I'm pretty sure that's a typo because even the WALKERS have to do 2 miles today. I went ahead and ran 2 miles. I felt good today - Madonna was my musical companion and she rocked my world. I ran around 5:30 pm, which is around sunset time in San Diego. Sunset is BIG deal in San Diego - families and lovebirds actually gather together to watch the sun go down. My running path is dotted with cliffside parks with picnic tables, benches, and grassy areas. There is an air of intimacy and coziness -- you hear people murmuring, peoples heads are huddled together, it's like they're cuddling in front of a fireplace! I couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy during my run. Plus, for the first time ever, I really appreciated being able to run along the beach and ocean. It was amazing....and it kept my mind off of the fact that I was huffing and puffing up a hill. Sheesh - maybe, just maybe, as a result of this 1/2 marathon training, I will gain a greater appreciation of what San Diego has to offer.

We'll see what happens tomorrow. I'm going to get up at 7 am to run 2 miles with Joel. No warm and fuzzies for sure -- just bed-head and pre-coffee irritability. Meh.

Go team!
-Karen

Training Day 3

Even though I've been working out pretty religiously for about 3 years now, sometimes I'm still surprised by how excited I am about exercise. I never would have thought I'd become such a crazy fitness lover--or a marathon runner!--but I actually find myself wanting to exercise more and more often, rather than burning out and finding excuses to skip workouts. I guess in a way exercising satisfies my constant desire to compete; I chase running milestones or newfound muscles the way I chase A-pluses. Because, holy cow--the feeling of success is SWEET!

Today was a pretty normal workout for me, since we're still in our first week of training:

Stretch
Warm-up: Jump rope--5 sets of 100
Run: 2 miles at 1.5 incline--19:00
Cool down: 1 mile walk at 5 incline--15:00
Strength training--about 30 minutes on a circuit of 8 machines
150 situps
Stretch

Tomorrow is an off day per the schedule, but I usually run a mile before school just to wake myself up, so at this point I'm planning to keep doing that every week. Maybe I'll feel differently once we get into double-digit runs, though :)

Here's to a great week!

--Rachel

3 Miles in 30 minutes

My first official training run (on the treadmill) was pretty good. 3 miles in 30:08. I did a 1/4 mile walk warm up, so not bad all in all. I sweat like a pig (ooh, attractive), but I got it done!
- Erin

Training Day 1 -- 1 mile fun run!

Day 1: 1 March 2008 / Distance: 1.2 miles / Time: 10:35

My feet felt like blocks. Plus, it was cold outside. Probably should have laid off the wine and limoncello last night too. ha ha!

-Karen