Long run woes for nothing

So I postponed my 'long' run since on Sunday my children slept late (what?! They never sleep in!) and I didn't get up; I didn't even set my alarm, my children are so reliable.  It was also A's birthday party day (at gramma and grampa's house...but I still had work to do to get ready for it)  I took my stuff with me, thinking I could run home after the party, but it got a lot hotter than I thought. 
This morning my tummy was all nervous.  I have 7 miles on my plan, and I was nervous for it.  I KNOW I have run further than that, but for the past couple of weeks, all these 3-3.5 mile days were kicking my butt.  I would return to the driveway and just feel such relief- I was sure every time, that I couldn't run another step.  Well, long and slow was not awful, and when I compare it to my pre-15K runs, I realize there's a big difference running long and slow than doing ALL runs long and slow. It was so much easier today...and I even kept it under 12 minute miles.  Sweet.  I also drove to two points on the route I had planned and dropped off water bottles.  I carried one with me and then traded the empty for the full at each point (don't worry, I drove around at the end and picked them up...and also checked my mileage-I had guessed wrong and I didn't trust my runkeeper app.) 

Today: 7.7 (oops, a little over!)
Week: 7.7
Month: 68.8

I've got my homework done!

I feel like such a good student.  Even though my days of the week on the training plan didn't match up, I did all the work outs, including strength and stretching, which I had not been doing well at incorporating.  I am so glad I made it back to the yoga studio.  Did I mention that already?  Well, I am so happy to be back there!

This morning I took the kids and a gazillion cupcakes to summer rec.  It's A's birthday and he wanted to celebrate there, since he's not old enough to realize he actually has a good deal with his birthday always being on summer vacation.  He's always sad when kids at school have birthdays and bring in goodies.  His teachers have always had either a 'half birthday' day for him or a 'summer birthday' day in June, but let's face it.  it's just not the same as celebrating ON your birthday.  I totally get it.  When I left rec, I headed back to the yoga studio.  The sacrifice I make by going there is that I have to run closer to noon, so it's hotter, but I think it's a sacrifice well worth making most days.  There is class Monday, Wednesday and Friday so I'm going to try and get as many of them as I can. 
I returned home, fully intending to run, but ended up eating lunch instead...and tucking into a pint of Ben and Jerry's Greek Yogurt...crap.  And ate potato chips.  A lot of them.  I had meant to only hydrate.  oops.  I puttered around the house until 3, and finally headed out the door for my run.  I felt AWESOME!  Actually, my LEGS felt awesome.  My stomach was a different story.  I am lactose intolerant and it was not a good plan to have a lunch date with Ben and Jerry.  I spent my run trying not to puke every mile or so.  In between heaving though, I was a rock star!  Note to self:  Don't buy any freaking Ben and Jerry's and pretend that it's for the kids.  It's not for the kids.  And 'just a little taste' out of the pint turns into half the pint.  It's not worth it!!! (Well, maybe it was worth it.  It was the peanut butter banana flavor and it's amazing.)  OK.  So I might do it again, but I will try try try to wait until after a run to do it! 

Any other ice cream/fro yo addicts out there?  What about chips?  I can't seem to walk away from an open bag.  Kettle chips.  mmmmmm.

Today:  3.5
Week: 12. 9 (argh!  I should totally do the math before I walk out the door.  I could have run another .1!!!)
Month: 61.1

So I'm down to just using Hal Higdon's half marathon training plan as my training guide, but week to week I'm using it more as a check list, depending on what my schedule allows me time for.  I will continue to try and keep my long runs on Sunday (or Monday if need be) so that in my plan the race is closest to the actual race day.  Yesterday I had decided to use as my strength and stretch day (originally Monday on the plan) so I went to the yoga studio .  I figured a little yoga fit the bill as both strength and stretching, and it was a great class.  It's amazing that no matter how long I've been away from the studio, stepping on my mat feels like coming home.  I was super sore this morning, so I know I got a good work out.  I'm going to go again on Friday.  Turns out I had 5 classes I paid for 6 months ago.  I can't believe it's been so long since I've been there.  I will be making hitting the studio a priority in my training plan from now on.  I feel ridiculous that I didn't start going the moment the kids started rec 3 weeks ago.  Oh well. 

Today's plan simply said easy run.  Or maybe it said strength and easy run...I only got a run in so i'm going with that.  I took the dog with me today, which is usually more trouble than it's worth, but she behaved pretty well.  I only ended up going about 2.5 with her.  It's been a long time since she went with me, so I was afraid to push her too hard.  I also had to go shopping for my birthday boy, so I needed to give myself plenty of time to get back to the house, shower, dress and hit wally world and be back in time to pick them up from their early day.  I had my timing just right, and I pulled into the parking lot just as their field trip bus was getting back.  Phew!

Ack! I removed dailymile since I can't get that app on my phone and thought I could put the runkeeper widget in here, but I can't figure it out.  Sigh.  Oh well.  So according to runkeeper I ran .52, reset the work out, then added another 2.3 in my easy run.  Not too bad since I had the dog with me.  I had to reset, since I was trying to listen to a podcast, and I for some reason had the app set to tell me every 5th step (or so it seemed) my pace and time and distance.  Anyway, that makes the totals:

Thursday:  2.7
Week:  9.4
Month: 57.6
Also, forgive any spelling...for some reason the spell check button has an error message.  ;)

"Track" Tuesday

Set my app to a 'track' workout.  The local track at the school is being used for summer camp work outs, so I'm too embarrassed to head over there to do a speed work out (I don't like people to see me stop and walk, even if it's part of my plan!)  Hence the 'track'.  I set the app to tell me to run for quarter mile, then walk for 1, six times.  I headed out for the first minute, jogging for a warm up, then heard her ( I should give her a name..she sounds like a Kim maybe...RunKeeper Kim ?) tell me to run for 1/4 mile.  OK, go!  I did that, but missed her telling me to walk.  I knew when I looked at my watch and I had been running for 4 minutes that I missed it.  Also, I was just on the road near my house, and I know approximately where I hit a half mile, mile, etc.  So I walked.  and walked.  and walked.  Finally she told me to walk for one minute.  Crap.  I gave up, reset the work out and made sure the volume was WAY up.  Ta-dah!  It worked!  My phone was on my back in my spibelt and I could still hear it.  The app helped me focus less on how long/far I was running, and more on just running.  I thought I had one more 400 to do, but I wasn't sure, I thought maybe I was done...I was so happy to hear Kim tell me the workout was over.  Not because it was awful, but because it was over so quickly (not really, but much quicker than last time, even though I repeated a shorter distance) and I really felt great!  I walked for a minute then ran slow back to the house...so I calculated I ran 3.2 miles today, with just 6 minutes of it walking. Before I knew it, my second stride workout complete.  I might still run with the running club tonight, and just take it easy.  I'm not sure...we'll see how I feel tonight.  I didn't go last week it was so crazy hot and I missed seeing everyone.

Today: 3.2
This week: 6.7
July: 54.9

Monday Morning, Back on Track

My plan today was to run 3.5, and that's what I did.  I also used Run Keeper for the first time, which was kind of fun for me.  I had the audio turned on so every half mile or so the voice told me how far I had been and my pace.  I have never paid attention to my pace while I was running, as I don't have a GPS watch yet (but I did back bia on kickstarter, so I'm getting one in April hopefully!) but I had a full phone charge so I figured I'd give it a go.  In the beginning my pace was 10 minutes and 5 seconds per mile, in the middle I slowed to 10 minutes 10 seconds, even as I tried to up my pace.  The air was thick with humidity, and I only had shade for half the run, so between that and the up hill on the way out, I was not surprised.  The way back, I knew it was down hill, but the shade was completely gone and I really had to push myself back home.  I ended up hitting a bit of a wall about a mile away and went to my tried and true push, I started counting.  I usually count 1-100 on my left foot, "and" on my right.  1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and so on...then when I get to 100, I count down the same way.  Sometimes in the middle I count with more steps to 'trick' myself: thirty and one and thirty and two and  thirty and three and.... kind of a 4 for 1 with the steps.  I was still feeling the drag after I got back to 1 so I started counting by twos.  I figured I could count by threes if it came to it, and practice my mad math skills, but at some point on the way back down I forgot I was counting and I was through the push.  I concentrated on my form and my foot turn over the last quarter mile or so and as I got back to my driveway, I heard that my average pace was 9 minutes 59 seconds.  Yes!  It might not be a 9 minute mile, but the nine is in the front (barely, but still!) and hearing my pace along the way prodded me to not give up and walk a bit when the going got tough.  I'm going to make sure my phone is charged the next few times I go out.  It was just the push I needed to get me through the hard part of my work out.

I'm also back on track food wise.  I have put on a few pounds this summer, and although I'm fine where I am, I know that it's a slippery slope to be back another 15 lbs heavier.  I know 15 is not a lot, for some people, but it makes such  huge difference in how I feel in my clothes, while I'm running, everything I do, I feel so much better closer to the bottom of my weight range than towards the top.  I've used myfitnesspal since January, and it really helps me make better food choices.

Those are my ramblings on my run today.  I'm glad to be back on track and actually following the plan hanging on my fridge :)

Today: 3.5
This week 3.5
July: 51.7

Foiled Plans Again

Yesterday was not my favorite day.  Both kids were supposed to go to summer rec, and they would be roller skating in the morning, and bowling in the afternoon.  That would mean a day of 9:00-4:00 for me with no kids.  I had grand plans to drop off water bottles along a 7 mile loop and after running,  I was going to go to the sporting goods store to check out hydration belts.  Unfortunately, my older kid freaked out at last minute and just wouldn't go on the field trip.  I am sure if I had forced him to go, he would have had a good time, but then memories of my own childhood came back.  I really was nervous doing things like skating.  I also know what it's like to worry so much about what your peers are going to say about you (he's a crier) that even though I knew he would be fine, I took him back home with me.  My 5 year old got on the bus like it was nothing and had a great day.  My (soon-to-be) 8 year old came home and managed to do nothing but annoy me all day.  I knew it was simply me, being a brat, because my plans had been changed.  I could see myself being unnecessarily annoyed at him for things that were little, nothing annoyances.  I need to work at rolling with the punches.  This will probably happen a lot during training.  My fear yesterday was that if I forced him to go when he didn't want to that I would never get him to go to rec again.  It's hard to balance pushing my sensitive child just enough so he overcomes his fears and worries with allowing him to 'sit it out' until he is more comfortable and enters the activity on his own.  The problem is, that a lot of times he won't 'sit it out' until he is comfortable.  He sits it out permanently. 

Enough about my parenting.  That's fodder for another blog.  I spent the day being grouchy and basically getting nothing done.  I also wasn't super nice to my son, even though I knew it wasn't his fault.  I'm the one who let him stay home.  I made myself take a nap, and by the time my husband got home from work I had decided that I was going to go right out the door for a run.  Mama needed an attitude adjustment.  I got out there and contemplated just going to the end of the road and back, which would be 3 miles, despite my lack of training this week.  I got to the end of the road and realized that I felt good, great even!  My first mile was a little rusty, and achy, but as I moved along I felt better and better.  I took a right and ran to the road that intersects in that direction, turned around ran back past my own road, up to the next intersection, came back and turned down my own road...the loop was like a T.  I have never done it before, and I couldn't guess how far I ran.  I was hoping for 6 miles based on how long it took me, but I'm getting worse and worse and judging my pace when I run longer distances.  I came home, stretched, made dinner, cleaned up and went to bed.  This morning I had hoped to run in my hometown's 5K, but the husband had already made plans for a golf tournament that apparently is always held this weekend, but I always forget (it's the weekend of our anniversary and the only year he hasn't played is the year we got married.  He thinks I remember, but every year I forget)  Anyway, I figure I will run a bit tonight, even if it is in the heat, and just go with it.  I'm feeling much better for getting that run in.  This morning I mapped my run on the usatf website and it was just a touch over 6 miles.  Success!

Yesterday: 6.1
This week 16.6
July: 48.2

It looks like I won't break 100 for the month, but that's okay.  It's not really one of my goals, but I thought it would be neat!

Another rest day...not on purpose

I didn't sleep well last night.  Our house is filled with flies (the joys of country living) even though I have cleaned and scrubbed.  I have no idea what they are after, but between the one that was trapped in my room last night dive-bombing my ear while I tried to sleep and the fact that I didn't realize/remember that green tea has caffeine in it (whoops!  I drank about 4 glasses of the stuff iced with my dinner last night) I was up half the night.  I went back to bed after the husband left at 5:15 for work.  Normally I stay up and have my coffee and generally enjoy the peace and quiet before the boys come tearing out of their rooms around 6:30, or 7 if I am lucky.  Today though, I climbed back in bed and conked out.  My oldest came in around 7:30 to ask if he could watch TV.  "Sure" I mumbled and went back to sleep.  Then at 8:30 my alarm went off reminding me it was time to take them to summer rec.  I dragged myself out of bed to find both boys sitting on the couch in underwear, complaining about being hungry and whining about not wanting to go to rec.  Sigh.  I couldn't very well get them there looking like that and starving.  I fed them, made them get dressed and let them stay home.  It was a short day at rec anyway, and they weren't missing much, but I usually make them go when they want to stay home.  They end up having a great time, and are so much more well behaved when they get home.  Usually somewhere around lunch they are at each other's throats and they have had enough of each other.  I'm afraid if I let them 'skip' rec, they will skip it more and more and 1) I will have paid for it for nothing and 2)I wont have any more time to run in the summer.  Today was not the best day for me to do this because the husband had golf again tonight, which meant no evening run either.  Tomorrow I will make up for it by dropping them off, then placing strategic water bottles along a 7 mile route so I'm good to go when I get home.  I really meant to have them skip rec tomorrow as they are going roller skating (really?!  I love it, but who skates anymore?  please don't let my babies break any bones) and then to the bowling alley after lunch (wow.  Long long day)  I really hope they want to go.  If they are scared, I'm sure my heart will break tomorrow and I will let them stay home and I'll be forced to run in the afternoon heat when my husband gets home from work.  which sucks also because I'm thinking about running a 5K in my childhood home town I just found out about on Saturday.  It would be a good race for the family to go with me to, since the field days are going on there too.  They could hang out with my dad and then we could go get fried food and ride rides. 
I COULD have hit the treadmill today instead, but I really really was tired, and I decided I just didn't want to.  Not a good plan, but I will pick it back up tomorrow.  I have to.  The last time I let it get to me I was in a running funk for a week.  I don't have that kind of time in my training schedule to be in a funk!

Today: 0

Cancelled Plans = Success on the Hill

I still don’t have an exact training plan.  I know I know.  I’m doing okay otherwise.  Today I had to stay home until a delivery showed up.  The narrowest window they could give me was sometime before 11.  This was at 8:00.  Not a big wait time, but I really wanted to get my run done before it got too hot again.  The thermometer in my car read 95 for the outside temperature when I drove my kids to the pool….between the projected high over 100, and the air quality advisory, I knew I wasn’t going to go for a run.  I half thought about going to the running club and walking the 5K, but I decided it wasn’t going to kill me to take ‘another’ rest day.  I took the kids to the pool at my in-laws house.  They’re new swimmers, so I’m not super comfortable letting them be while I get my work out in (not that I would leave them, but I thought I might swim laps-  or my version of them since, as I’ve said before, I’m not much of a swimmer.)  After we got in the water and I realized that their lessons really are making them better swimmers, I swam mini-laps the short way across the in ground pool just on the other side of the shallow end rope.  The boys were right on the other side and both can touch so it worked.  I did try to ‘crawl’ but I suck.  Really.  So I did the side stroke for a few minutes.  It takes a LOT more of my leg and stomach muscles than I thought it would.  My quads were a little sore this morning, and between that and just the general cleaning I did yesterday; I am counting it that it wasn’t a rest day. 

Anyway, I thought I might run long and slow this morning after taking the kids to summer recreation.  They have a long day there today, so I thought that I could run for an hour or so, shower (again, I HAD to shower first thing after the sweaty sleep I had) and head to the sports store to check out hydration belts.  I got a phone call that I had to be home for a delivery, so getting a run in right at 9:00 just wasn’t going to happen, even though I suspected that “before 11” would end up meaning 11:00.  But I couldn’t take the chance of leaving the house, since my husband needs the delivery.  Guess it’s a good day for hill repeats.  There’s a nice little (so I thought) hill in front of my house, so I consulted all of the training plans can’t seem to make a decision on, as well as my ‘competitive runner’s handbook’ on my kindle to read about repeating a hill, and it seemed like the one in front of the house would fit the bill.  I left a note on the door for the delivery person to please wait for 5 minutes that I would be right back (since I figured I would see the truck show up if I was staying in front of the house) and I headed out at 9:30.  I ran 5 minutes out and 5 minutes back for a warm up…it ended up being about a mile.  Then I started right in on that hill.  The top was further up the road than I imagined.  It’s actually a bit of a double hill…a rather good incline right past my driveway, then a short flat stretch, then another incline.  I passed the second crest, jogged a few steps, and jogged back down, past my driveway, a bit more on the flat, turn around and repeat.  I tried to keep my 5K race pace while going up the hill.  I’m not sure I did, since I didn’t time myself and I have no idea what the time should be for that anyway, but I definitely was at race pace effort.  I repeated for 3 times total, paused, drank a bunch of my nuun laced water.  Psyched myself up by telling myself that I was half way done.  Sigh.  Started again and thought about bailing at the 5^th one.  I could have, I think, since the handbook suggested 3-4 for my level of running, but I had decided on six before I headed out the door and I decided I should push through since I wasn’t puking or passed out and just do it or I would feel like I sold myself short.  And I did it.  And it felt great!  Then I finished out by jogging five minutes down the road (flat) and five minutes back.  I think I probably covered 2.5 miles today, but more importantly, I quit procrastinating on hill repeats, and all in all I didn’t hate them as much as I remember.  When I was in high school our coach would send us to a monster hill to do suicide repeats (the last person in line sprints to the front…on the hill.), and I was never any good at passing the line of girls in front of me, and even though there were other girls it was hard for, I FELT like I should be able to pass the line of girls, and I always felt a sense of defeat when were done.  Today though, I feel exhilarated!  I will do them again; just like I’ll do the strides again I did last week.  My plan is to definitely do speed work at least once a week.  Probably just once a week I suspect.  Today’s wasn’t exactly planned, but it definitely fit into what I needed to get done.  I also think that since I’m so close to home (I can see my house the whole time except the warm up and cool down) I think I could modify the work out to do while the kids are home as well, by warming up a mile on the treadmill, hill for repeats then cool down on the mill again.  I know I could do repeats on the treadmill, but I don’t want to use it while the weather is nice.  I know I will be using it from probably October through at least March…that’s a long stretch indoors.

Today: 2.5

This week: 10.5

July: 42.1

Most importantly:  I’m happy!!

Planning Hyrdation Stations

The last time I ran in major heat and humidity with out adequate hydration was the day I went with my friend and kept going and going and going.  My list of things I want to try include a hydration belt so I am not with out water.  I really slumped on that run.  Part of it was from thirst.  Part of it was that it was probably just too early to run 7 miles after doing the Boilermaker. 

Anyway, the forecast called for not super high temps (85 or so) but high humidity, and I wanted to make sure I didn't bail on my run today, so I dropped the kids at summer recreation and then drove into town to run in the park.  The park has a mile and a half loop, and lots of places I could stash water.  Also, it has two bathrooms.  It seems like I can't step out the door to run with out having to pee in the first ten minutes.  This is why I love running skirts...much more modest to stop and 'tie my shoe' in a skirt than in shorts.  Anyway, I took the 10 minute drive and went in knowing I would run at least two laps.  The first lap I stowed a gatorade bottle (my husbands, yuck, I hate the stuff) with ice, water and nuun in the planter by the enterance.  My first trip around was nice and quiet, pretty cool temperatures and few bugs.  I stopped and peed at the first bathroom (it was inevitable) got back to the start and drank half the bottle of nuun.  I felt so good, I imagined doing 2 or 3 more loops.  Next loop:  Started out good, but I crapped out somewhere on the last half mile.  I ended up finishing my drink at the end, walking through the small 'off road' trail and headed back to the car.  What happened?!

I think I should have gone in with a clear game plan.  None of this "I might run 3.  I might run 4.  Let's see!" crap.  I know unless my limits are set for me ahead of time, 3 miles is about my sweet spot.  I can comfortably run 3 with no effort or desire to stop, but if I know I have to keep going I hit my wall later.  Also, I'm getting really really comfortable with taking short walk breaks.  Too comfortable.  I'm not trying to Galloway it.  Not that that's a bad thing to do, and I plan on incorporating walks into my half marathon at water stations (or maybe every 3 miles)?  I need to figure it out, but I'm not figuring it out very well by taking a walk break every time I kind of sort of feel like it!   Hopefully, lesson learned. 

Tonight's homework:  Actually map out the rest of my plan for this week.  Maybe not which work out which days, but a checklist of sorts. 

Today: 3
This week:  8
July 39.6  (see?!  IF I had done one more loop I would be in the 40s)

Day 6 and 7: End of week 1

Yesterday I took a rest day.  I hadn't planned on it, but I woke up late when my husband came in to kiss me goodbye before going to play golf, I realized I had missed my small window of opportunity for 3 miles when I failed to set my alarm the night before.  I could have hit the treadmill, but it's so painful to run there anyway, but when it's sunny out?  Insult to injury.  I sucked it up and spent the day organizing/cleaning the kitchen.  It's a little better in there, and I had plenty of room to make a great dinner last night (Husband helped on the grill...he's the master of the charcoal.) so it was all good.  I was still pretty sore yesterday from the strides-or-whatever-you-call-them I did on Thursday.  It was so super hot by mid day yesterday that well before he got home, I had decided that I just wasn't going out to run.  So there.  We did go swimming last night, which is more me hanging around in the pool hawk-eyeing my new swimmers to make sure they don't drown.  I'm not much of a swimmer anyway.  I have a couple friends who are triatheletes, and I really really used to love riding my bike.  (Um.  I don't have it anymore) but I just don't swim.  I took lessons briefly when I was in middle school before my parents took us to Florida for vacation.  They wanted to make sure we had some sort of lessons before we stepped in the ocean.  I can breast stroke.  I can back stroke.  I can swim underwater...but I have an awful time with the crawl.  I feel so awkward and gangly.  One goal at a time, right?

Anyway, last night I set my alarm for 5:30, so I could hit the road by 6.  Good plan.  Except my alarm on my phone was still set to ring at 4:00 from last Sunday's race.  Whoops.  I hit snooze 3 times before I realized what time it was and I still had an hour to sleep...which meant I hardly went back to sleep at all.  Bummer.  I finally dragged my butt out the door after I ate an uber bar (apple turnover!) coated in some chia seed (weird I know...I'm still trying to figure the best way to work them in my diet) and some water.  I fed the dog and shut her in the bedroom with the hubby so she wouldn't bark after me and wake the kids.  Set my Stitcher radio to Run Like a Mother the Podcast and headed out the door.  It's pretty humid out there this morning, but not awful.  I did my 5 mile out and back (I think...for some reason I had a brain fart out there and couldn't remember my exact turn around I measured out and wasn't sure if I should keep running or turn around.  Turn around won:  I started thinking about coffee.)  I'm thinking about it now, and I'm pretty sure it's closer to 5 miles than 4 so that's what I'm recording.  I should probably check it with the usaatf website, but I don't feel like it, just in case it wasn't far enough.  I ran for 55 minutes so it should be pretty close. 

The podcast was good, it was about yoga and running and it reminded me that I should try to fit a yoga class in while the kids are at summer rec, since I can.  Also, I'm pretty sure I have prepaid classes on my card at the studio, and I'm hoping it's been less than 6 months since I've been so I don't have to pay for any more!  I'm heading over to the website to pick a class and make it a me-date this week.  There's not many class-type-things I can get to during the year for myself.  My Tuesday night runs with the club are going by the wayside in August because my fall semester class starts, and it's on Tuesday nights. 

After Run Like a Mother was over, I switched over to NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, which I love.  I used to listen to it in my classroom years ago when my teaching schedule gave me both first and second period off.  That was pretty much the only highlight of that schedule...I had breakfast duty that year and was pregnant, so double breakfast managed to pack 45 lbs on to my body that year. Ugh.  Then I taught straight through to the end of the day, minus my lunch.  Anyway, I found it on stitcher a few weeks ago, and since my regular runs are longer than 25 minutes, I've been using it to keep me going.  Unfortunately this weeks was so funny to me (maybe lack of sleep, maybe it was just funny) I was laughing so hard at a couple points I had to stop running to catch my breath before I could keep going.  I might have to find another sports-related podcast in the future!

Tomorrow's plan is undecided as of yet.  I need to really sit down with my 2 or 3 plans and figure out which elements I want to use from each one and really map out the rest of my training plan.  Also if I'm serious about doing the local half I need to actually determine is it 2 weeks before the one I'm already committed to, or is that my faulty memory....and do I have enough time to be ready to do 13.1 at that point and then recover for the second one.

On a super-happy-but-broke-me note:  The Bia Sport watch was funded.  I had started by pledging 40$ for the shirt, then decided I needed the watch, then upgraded to the watch plus GPS go stick, then added the shirt too, with the second band.  Yikes.  Almost 300$ for something I'm not really going to see until April (oh how I hope it's everything I dream it is!) 

This week's total:  5 miles (give or take...)
July:  36.6

Day 4 and 5: If I make it a solid week, will I feel more like a "Real Runner?"

Day 4 was a rest day, whether I wanted it to be or not.  My kids didn't want to go to summer recreation very much, so I promised them I would come get them before lunch, since the thought of dealing with them while I got the oil changed in my car was not pleasant.  I needed not worry, I arrived to fetch them and they were playing with friends, and barely remembered why I was coming early to get them.  Oh well.  You live and learn!  So besides not having very much free time to myself, it was so HOT again!  I went with a friend and our kids to pick blueberries, and it was fun, but ridiculously hot.  Between all that and the fact that I spent the good part of Day 3 recovering from my crazy-friend run, I was in no shape or mood to hit the road.

Today though...today was a different story.  I have said that I need to start working in "on purpose" speed work outs if I'm going to have any hope of finishing this half marathon in under 3 hours.  Honestly, it would be really really awesome if I could finish it in under 2 and a half but I don't want to push my luck too much!  Anyway, before today, the only speed work I ever incorporated was if a dog chased after me, or if I suddenly looked at my watch while running after work and realized that unless I high-tailed it, there was no way I was going to get to the baby sitter's on time.  In high school, I thought strides and hill repeats were something designed by my track coach to torture us, and also because she couldn't think of anything else to keep us occupied during a 2 1/2 hour practice.  Now, since then, I've read a number of running books, blogs, magazines and websites, and I now know that they're important, but I never thought of them as something I should do.  I always say my goal is to 'just finish the race.'  Secretly, this is not true.  I usually have a kick at the end, I try to pass someone on the way to the finish line...I try to stay ahead of the guy that looks like he should definitely NOT be finishing ahead of me, that sort of thing.  And when I was disappointed by my repeat performance on last weekend's 15K (not because I did terribly, but because I didn't improve since last year) I have started to admit to myself that I don't just want to finish the race.  I want to have a good time.  A significantly good time...and not in the "party" sense...I want to start setting goals for specific races and meeting them.  Who knew that was in me?  Actually, I suspect it's always been there...I mean who doesn't like to win?  But as I've had a hard time "feeling like a runner" I think I hold out on voicing my goals so that when I don't meet them, I can use the "I'm just out there to finish" or "I'm not fast, but I have fun" or even "I lap everyone on the couch!"  Not that there's anything wrong with these sayings, but if it's not REALLY how I feel, why am I saying them?  I have nothing to prove to anyone.  I'm not trying to impress anyone, but I FEEL LIKE I DO.  Who then?  It's me.  I want to impress myself.  I want to prove to myself that I can do it.  So I'm saying it now.  On this blog that no one but me reads (yet.  I'm going to share it one day...) but it's out there for someone to stumble into.

So back to today's work out:  I'm not really sure what I was doing, and I don't know if it was right, because the abbreviations on my combined calendars don't help me remember what I'm supposed to do once I'm out the door.  Anyway, I ran 10 minutes out (about a mile) then set my watch to beep at 30 seconds.  I ran as fast as I thought I could (I'm sure I could go faster...but it's tough to force myself to leave it all out there) until the watch beeped, walked to recover, and did it again for a total of 6 times.  Then I ran slowly the 10 minutes home.  I estimate that I covered around 3 miles, give or take.  I set a mark on the road the first time I ran the stride, then tried to make it further each 30 seconds.  I didn't.  But the 6th time, I did it!  I felt great!  Next time instead of using sticks and my water bottle, I'm going to stick a piece of chalk in my spibelt and mark the road.  I had intended to go to the track, but in the morning it's being used by various summer sports teams and I just am too embarrassed to try to haul ass in front of my students.

All in all, it wasn't as awful as I remember it being in high school (probably because it wasn't followed by push ups or hill repeats or whatever else) and I think I can manage to work in a work out like this once a week.  Next type to conquer will be hill repeats.  :P  One thing at a time I guess.

Week total:  21.4
July: 31.6

Day 3: Holy Hill Holy Hot

Day 3:  I could hardly sleep last night, since I wrote that blog post so late...it got my legs all twitchy again to hit the road.  Weird, since just a few weeks ago I was in such a running funk I seriously considered pulling out of training after the Boilermaker.  I really really really didn't want to run.  At all.  Luckily I recovered, and I'm still here!  Anyway, I stayed up way too late writing the post, then laying there thinking about running, so I was happy to hop in the car and drive to the next town to meet a friend from work for a running date.  The weather is STILL gorgeous around here!  My garden is suffering, and maybe my well (but so far so good, knock on wood).  Either way I was so excited to run a nice easy run.  My friend also ran the Boilermaker on Sunday so I figured she'd want to take it easy.  Maybe it was easy for her.  It was easy for me for the first 2 miles...which is why when she asked if I wanted to take 'this turn' or 'the next one and tack on 2 miles' I said keep going!  We crossed the street and went down a seasonal road I never would have known was there.  It was almost like trail running...for quite a way!  I still was doing good, so we kept going and before I knew it we were clear across town and I was trying to get my bearings.  When I realized that we had more than 2 miles to go before getting back to my car...I kind of freaked.  We went up a HUGE freaking hill and I had to walk a bit at the top.  The view was gorgeous, but I was too beat to enjoy it.  Then we headed down the long steady hill into town, me dreaming of the drinking fountain I knew was waiting for me in the park at the bottom of the hill.  Too bad it's not working right now.  I psyched myself up for the next one, at another park we would pass...but it was on the other side.  I have never gone for a run longer than 5 miles with out either water stops or carrying hydration.  I really really tried, but when I realized the next fountain was a no-go too, I walked.  I tried tried to kick it back in about half a mile from the car, but my quads and my calves were screaming at me to leave them alone.  I really really wanted to make it, but an evening run, followed by morning run was just not a good plan for me.  I also probably under hydrated this morning, especially considering I thought I would do a 3 miler.  I am glad I went, and glad I made it as far as I did, and I have a HUGE respect for my badass running friend!  She just started running about a year ago, and she has come so far!  I hope she wants to run again, even though I bailed! 

Total today:  6 miles and some change (who knows?  I sure could use that bia-sport.com watch with GPS to help me figure out today's run!)

This week's total:  18.4
July's total:  31.6

Next in the schedule is some speed work.  I have a feeling it will wait for Friday...or maybe at least tomorrow evening. 

Today was Day 2 of my official half-marathon training.  For the first time I actually felt like running after doing the big 15K race!  I actually had a hard time not running yesterday (my first training day, a rest day, haha!)  I felt great, the sun was shining, my kids were not home, I had a ton of work in and out of the house to avoid.  I settled for a brisk 2 mile walk with the dog instead though and I'm glad I did.  Today it was a little harder to motivate to go.  Yesterday I spent some time going over my training plan and figuring out how to stuff a 15 week plan into 10 weeks (if I run the 'trial' half marathon the two weeks before the one I am actually already committed to) and I was stressed out.  My friend recommended a 12 week plan (more on that later) that has a couple of different levels, from novice (as in not really running anything yet) to advanced (done a half before and want to PR).  I found the Intermediate plan to be close to the Train Like a Mother plan I had decided on, so I'm going to use them both as guide lines.  I decided today would be some speed work, since I have a running date tomorrow morning with a friend from work.  Unfortunately, life got in the way, and I was not kid-less this morning as I had planned on.  Today was also horseback riding lessons for my older child and my husband was out of town until this evening, so that limited my options of running time.  (Our regular babysitters now have real jobs and boyfriends so it's tough to get them to agree to watch my two boys if they even have the time.)  I got the idea to take the kids to the playground and run repeats over there while they played, but they were having so much fun showing me all the stuff they can do now I enjoyed the time with them.  Plan B:  I called my in-laws to see if they would be willing to take the boys for a bit after lessons so I could go do the 5K run the local running club has on Tuesday nights then I would come right back for them.  And it worked.  I didn't get my speed work in, but since I've never suffered through it since High School I figured, no loss really.  I got my twitchy legs to relax, and I actually finished under 30 minutes (again!  I did it 3 weeks ago too) so either I'm getting better at my 5K OR the course is not quite right.  I'll believe the former, it makes me feel good.  Especially since I did it just one rest day later than running 9 miles.  Last year and the year before, both times I ran the 15K race I spent at least 3 weeks trying to get motivated to do much more than take a leisurely stroll down the road.  Getting a run in while I was still feeling it was crucial or inertia might set in.  So glad I did!  Day 2 down!  Tomorrow I'll be doing either 3 or 5 or 7 with my friend (depends on what she feels like...I'm hoping for the 5....I don't want to push my luck with 7 and then be too tired to do speed work on Thursday...I know I need to start working those in or I will just never do it.

I also got thinking I want to keep track of my mileage this month to see what I hit.  Since I actually haven't run that much I'm pretty sure I can account for all my runs this far:

So far this week I had Sunday: 9.3, Monday: 0, Today: 3.1 for a total of 12.4
Last week I ran only 2 days, Sunday was 7 miles and Tuesday was the 10K with the club for 13.2 (hey look!  I ran a half marathon last week!)
The week before was June, so I'm not counting it.  So far for July my total is:  25.6
Not too bad.  I've never kept track before.  I wonder if I will hit 100?  maybe?  That would be neat!

Running My Mouth...How it all began

Welcome to my little corner of the blogging world! I'm going to figure this out as I go, which is how I do everything! I've committed to run my first half marathon this year, and after my big 15K race this weekend (which is the longest distance I've ever run) I will officially start training. I'm terrified. I'm excited. And I'm hoping blogging will help me through it so I don't die on the course.
Some background: My BFF has always been a runner. She got me to join the track team in highschool (hey, it looked better for college applications if I did a sport too...and it was one team you didn't have to do try outs to be on; one of my biggest fears in life has always been to try, then be rejected. I'm trying to change this.) I liked it, I ran the 400 and sometimes the 800 if we needed more people. Not distance by any means. I did ok.

I ran to combat stress in college. I ran after college to escape my not so fantastic relationship for a little bit. I ran to celebrate leaving said relationship, I ran to fit into my wedding dress (the result of a new, great, amazing relationship.) I never thought of myself as a runner. I just laced up and headed out the door when I was worried or anxious or excited even. If someone asked me if I ran, I would answer with, "Oh, I just like to jog a little, I'm not really a runner." I don't know why. Maybe because I'm not fast? Maybe because I didn't enter races? Maybe because I ran alone, never with a purpose to train? I'm not sure. I still don't "feel like a runner" a lot of days, and I'm working on this too, since it really is a big part of who I am now.

So, I got married, I had babies. I stopped running. I got depressed. I was miserable. I hated my body, I resented my husband and my family and didn't really want to be at my job. I probably should have gotten help. Instead, I ate too much, bitched a lot, hung out with other like-minded individuals. (Not a good plan, by the way.)

A few years ago, we had a weight loss competition at work. I didn't need to lose a lot, but 20 lbs sure would make a difference in my wardrobe, since more than half of my closet was pre-pregnancy clothes, and I was still wearing my pre-maternity wear-that became post-maternity-wear. (You know the stuff you buy in denial that you should be in maternity clothes ...maybe that was just me) It was 10 weeks long and I started exercising using my wii (I DID NOT want anyone seeing me!). I used Your Shape and I couldn't make it through the first work out. Then I did. Then it got easier and easier. The competition was over and I was 20 lbs lighter. I felt great. I loved my family. I loved my job. I loved me. I couldn't believe I had suffered for so long and all I needed to do was move my body!

I was forced to sign up for my first 5K since high school. I off-handedly mentioned I might like to run in one and a guy I work with heard me running my mouth and got on active.com and signed me up for a local 5K that was a month out. It was done. So I trained, and I did it, and it didn't suck. I signed up for another. I loved it. I signed up for a big race, a 15K that has thousands and thousands of runners. And I was hooked. I had planned to run it that year, so I could say I did it, the WHOLE thing (they have a 5K option, and I didn't want to be the girl who says she ran it, then have to qualify that I did the short one) but it was so amazing, I can't imagine ever NOT running it.

So it was a year and a half later...I was still running here and there. I definitely get running better when I have a race I have forked over the money for in the future. I went to my BFFs baby shower. We don't see each other a lot any more. She's not REALLY my BFF anymore, although I still call her that. We are friendly. We have a lot of great memories from middle school and high school. I said one day I want to try a half marathon. She was all hugely preggers and was not running. She said, after I have this baby, we'll do one together. I agreed with her, running my mouth as usual. (I mean, she was HUGE!! There was no way I'd have to go through with this!) I got the fateful call this past January. Registration was open for the half marathon she thought would be a good one for a first timer like me. Crap. I had to do this. So I did...but that was 7 months ago! Now training looms on the horizon (truth be told I should have started last week) and I'm scared, excited, anxious...good things those are the feelings that get me to lace up and get out the door!

That's a long post to explain why I'm blogging, but I guess that's what I do. I run my mouth.

Trying to Stay Psyched for Training

I ran my big 15K race yesterday, and despite beginning to run this year well before it stopped snowing (my hubby finally got me a treadmill for Christmas like I wanted, after 3 years of convincing...he believes I will actually use it now that I have been consitantly running/racing for 3 years straight) and entering 5Ks and the occasional 10K at least once a month since February (try as I might, I couldn't find a January event close enough for me to get to), my time was STILL THE SAME as the last two years! 

Two years ago I started running to train for this particular race.  I ran consistantly from March (it was a super mild winter!) through the race in July, and ran it in 1:45 and some change.  My strategy was simple:  increase my weekly milage so the week before the race I was running 8 miles, then hit the 9.3 on race day.  Easy peasy.  Well....not EASY.  But I didn't look up training plans or anything.  Speed was not my concern, simply crossing the finish line.  And I did.  And it was AWESOME!  So awesome, infact that I truly believe I will run this race for the rest of my running life.  I can't imagine not being at the starting line (or, you know, 10 minutes behind the starting line!!) if it's race weekend.

Last year, I ran it for the second time.  The experience was just as awesome, but I had trained more sporadically.  I was doing more yoga then (wish I still were...that's a different story) and my schedule was more full, as was my husband's and I just didn't have time to put in the training.  I hit the start line anyway, despite my longest run that spring being 5 miles and it was a couple WEEK before race day.  Turns out, I hit 1:45 and some change again.  Go figure.  That said, my recovery sucked, including a migraine once I got home, and not really being able to walk or sit or get up from sitting for a couple days.  But timing...SameSame.

So yesterday, I wasn't expecting anything great...but I was thinking I would maybe be in the 1:30s.  It was mild, but a little humid.  Not my FAVORITE racing weather, but not awful either.  Mile one saw me at 11 minutes...What???  I was running harder than that.  Must be the other 11,000 people out there.  Mile two, another 11 minutes.  Oh come on now!  Mile 3, Oh, this is the hill...I didn't lose any time here, and got a great boost since I was passing people right and left, and again on the down hill, but seriously another 11 minutes.  Then I just got slower.  And slower.  And slower.  I definitely enjoyed the race, looked around, listened to the bands and the crowds....but I just had no get up and go.  I started to think I would have a worse time...since on mile 8 I felt like I was moving in slow motion- a lot like that dream where you are running as hard as you can but just not getting anywhere. (hopefully that's not just me).  Final results: 1:45 and some change.  WTF?!

Not that I'm complaining, because I'm not.  I'm super proud I did it!  I ran 9.3 miles yesterday.  I feel great today.  I'm even contemplating skipping my rest day I had planned, since my kids are at day camp starting today.  I have time.  I feel good.  No migraine in sight.  No cramping.  No soreness (minus the sunburn from sweating off my sunscreen: ouch!).  So in that regard, I feel awesome!  But I'm kind of bummed that despite training consistantly, I still did the same.  I wasn't trying specifically though, and maybe that was the problem.  I will have to decide what I want from the race next year, and go with it.

Which leads me to my topic, after the looooong sideline above.  I officially begin half-marathon training today.  (Yeah, with my rest day.  That's how I roll!)  I'm trying to be psyched to start training...but honestly, I'm a little bit not into it.  I'm not as excited as I think I should be.  But also, I'm scared.  I'm terrified.  My husband is all like "That's just 4 miles more than you ran Sunday."   Which doesn't sound that awful, like that...but then I think, "Ugh...at 12 mile minutes that's another 45 minutes of running on tip of the 1:45 I did."  Which is what puts me in a funk.  And that's only if I can keep up the glacial pace I had yesterday.  But begin I will.  I'm using the "Finish It" plan from "Train Like a Mother" even though it's a 15 week program, and I only have 12...and that's only if I don't run the local half marathon two weeks before the one I'm registered for...then I have 10. 

I have no answers....only questions...but I'm going to dive in anyway, and I'll fill you in along the way.  Thanks for reading!