Monday, April 30, 2007

Just a short ditty

I only have six days (!!!) until my 10K, so I am taking it easy this week. I plan to run one more day to give my legs time to rest before the race.

Today was a short run. Well, short compared with what I've been doing lately. I think I might do a bike workout tomorrow and then the last run Wednesday. I'm not sure if I'll do anything on Thursday, and I think Friday and Saturday will be rest days.

I have been having weird dreams about the race already. Nothing like having the worrier in me come out when I'm asleep. In one dream, I stopped about three miles in, went into some building, sat down and talked to some folks, then went back out and ran another mile to the finish line. I guess I cheated, LOL! And instead of medals (which each finisher of this 10K receives), they ended up giving me a little piggy bank with my name on it. Strange......

I had another race dream, but in that one I didn't even finish. I don't remember the details, but I woke up a little freaked out.

I hope the race goes off smoother than it does in my dreams!

Today's stats:
Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 29:23
Pace: 11:46 minute/mile

Friday, April 27, 2007

Talk about a confidence booster!

I did it! I ran a 10K distance tonight -- and then some!

I was only planning on doing four miles, but just didn't feel like stopping. I kept running and running. Since I ran at a slower pace, I was able to go farther than before and not feel too tired in the end.

So now I know I can cover the 10K distance. And I know I can do it faster than tonight. I'm feeling pretty darn good about my upcoming race now!

Today's stats:
Distance: 6.5 miles!!!!
Time: 1 hour, 19 minutes, 59 seconds
Pace: 12:18 minute/mile

Thursday, April 26, 2007

I'm not training for a triathalon...

...but I'm really starting to dig these bike/running workouts I've started doing.

Tonight was only going to be a bike ride, but after my 30 minutes was done I was itchin' to do a little running. So I hopped on the old treadmill and ran one mile. It felt really good, surprisingly. I think I might just keep doing a ride/run workout once a week from now on.

Tonight's stats:

Bike:
Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 8.70 miles
Pace: 3.27 minute/mile

Run:
Distance: one mile
Time: 11:15

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Bloggity blog blog

So I couldn't come up with a catchy headline. So sue me.

Today was an interval workout at the track. Tim and the kids went along, but they ended up playing basketball and playing on the swings while I ran.

I took Garmin with me this time. I walked the first lap to get warmed up and figure out where I was going to start and finish each interval. Garmin told me it was .11 miles from where I picked to start to the marker around the bend of the track. That is a little less than 200 meters, but I am OK with that.

The first interval felt kinda difficult. Probably because my legs weren't really warmed up yet. I wasn't sure how many I was going to do, but I had a whole 1/2 lap of walking after each interval to recover, so it wasn't that bad.

I ended up doing eight intervals tonight. In all (walking and running) I covered 2 1/4 miles on the track. Not too shabby!

Today's stats:
Running distance: .11 miles x 8

Splits:
Interval 1: 1.01 minute
Interval 2: 56 seconds
Interval 3: 54 seconds
Interval 4: 54 seconds
Interval 5: 56 seconds
Interval 6: 56 seconds
Interval 7: 55 seconds
Interval 8: 55 seconds

Monday, April 23, 2007

Now THAT'S more like it!!

I wish every run could feel like today's.

You know, when your mind and body just "click" and when you push yourself to go faster than before, your legs actually cooperate?

That, along with the spectacular weather, made for one hell of a great run.

I wasn't sure how it was going to go down at first. After feeling like death last week, I didn't really expect much out of myself today. I figured a nice, slow three miles would probably be fine.

But my body didn't know what my mind was thinking and had other plans.

I went out strong from the get-go. And each mile I decided to run a little harder, a little faster.

Once I hit three miles, I opted to jog one more mile. I gave myself permission to slow down. LOL!

Despite slowing down the last mile, I still set a PR for my four-mile distance today. I was quite happy with that.

Now if I could only figure out how to make every run this awesome...

Today's stats:
Distance: four miles
Time: 45:48 (previous best for four miles was 47:22 set during my race in March)
Pace: 11:27 minute/mile

Splits:
Mile 1: 11:33
Mile 2: 11:17
Mile 3: 11:08
Mile 4: 11:48

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Yay for me!!

Ha ha!

I worked out today! And it was a really good one!

I had to do it all indoors because it was a really stormy day. It rained and was windy all day and I knew I did not want to venture out, especially since I have been ill.

So I actually thanked my lucky stars that I had my stationary bike and treadmill. Who would've thought that? ;)

I started on the bike. I figured I could crank out a speedy 30 minutes and then my legs would be nice and ready for a treadmill run. It worked like a charm! I busted out almost 8.5 miles in that half-hour. I was nice and warmed up (and really sweaty) for the run. I decided to start with a slow mile and see how I felt, since the treadmill usually zaps my energy quickly and leaves me disappointed with my runs.

The first mile went well. I stopped to write my time town on a piece of paper (didn't use ol' Garmin tonight; just a stopwatch). I drank some Gatorade and figured I'd go on. I upped the pace a bit for mile 2. Stopped again, wrote down the time, got back on and ran some more. It felt really great, despite the fact it was a treadmill run. I think not running for six days really made me antsy to start again. I again upped the pace for another 1/2 mile. In all, it was a wonderful workout tonight. No aches, pains, or anything.

I will try for an outdoor run tomorrow if it's not still storming outside.

Tonight's stats:

Bike:
Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 8.44 miles
Pace: 3.33 mile/minute

Running:
Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 30:44
Pace: 12:17 mile/minute

Splits:
Mile 1: 12:56
Mile 2: 12:02
.5 miles: 5:46 (11:32 pace)

Total time on treadmill: 40 minutes (3 miles even, including cool-down)

Total exercise time today: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Friday, April 20, 2007

I am going to try...

...to do a run this weekend.

I am starting to feel better from my flare-up (I think the crappy meds are FINALLY starting to work!) and if I continue on the path I am on now, I think I will be able to manage a three-to-four-miler this weekend. It's a bit of a let-down though, because I had my heart all set on doing six miles. But I am not going to make myself do it if my body doesn't feel good.

I have my 10K in a little more than two weeks and I will be damned if I let this frickin' disease keep me on the sidelines. I have worked so hard for this race and I will have to be dead and cold before I miss it. I may not run as fast as I want, and I may feel sick along the way, but damn it, I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS MO-FO!!!

As you might be able to tell, I am a bit pissed at my body, which seems to betray me whenever the mood strikes. If it's not the Crohn's, it's the effing pinched nerve in my back. Those two things alone give me enough grief to last a lifetime. But I am lucky because I have an appointment with my gastro specialist a week before the race and I will be getting on some much more effective medicine then, so I know I will be at the starting line on race day!! And I'll be seeing my chiropractor before the race to keep the nerve in check, too.

Oh, and I now know that I can indeed drop pounds really fast -- if I don't eat for three days in the middle of a flare-up (I will spare the details of what a flare really entails, but it is not pleasant). I've lost eight pounds since Tuesday. I had to go on the dreaded liquid diet (water, juice, broth, Jello, etc.) to let my intestines heal. It is awful, but for a while I wasn't really missing food because I was such a wreck and couldn't keep anything down anyway. So the weight (mostly water weight, I am sure) slid off. While I want to lose weight, I really don't want to do it this way. I actually managed to keep some food down tonight, so I'm sure some -- if not all -- of those eight pounds are headed right back.

So I will take tomorrow off to make sure I am on the rebound, then plan for a short-ish run on Saturday. Please wish me luck!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Just another day...

...on the stationary bike.

I felt like crap most of the day yesterday, so Tim and I scrapped our planned interval run on the track. I could barely get off the couch when he got home from work. I am still not feeling great today, but I felt well enough to brave a 30-minute bike ride.

I am *thinking* about trying the intervals this evening. It has been raining on and off all day, but if it lets up, and my body doesn't feel too wretched, then I might just go for it.

I have to get ready now to take Matty to his 12-month well-baby check up. He'll probably be getting some shots, which is always fun (not). If I do decide to run, I'll update this later.

Today's stats:
Time: 30-minute bike ride
Distance: 7.44 miles
Pace: approx. 4.02 minute/mile (I'd be AWESOME if I could run that fast!!! LOL!!!)

**UPDATE**

I am soooo not doing a run tonight! I am sick, sick, sick, and I think I know the reason why. I think I am having a flare of my Crohn's Disease. It's a digestive tract ailment with no cure that irritates and scars the insides of the intestines. Mine is located in my colon, and when I get a flare-up I get sick. I have to do a liquid diet for a few days now and take my meds to see if it calms down. I don't think I will be doing any running until I feel better. :(

****Note to my dad: I will be OK, I just need to rest and not eat solids for a few days and wait for the inflammation to die down. It sucks, but I will live.

Hope to see you guys around soon!!!!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Today was a weird one

I don't know if I'm just feeling run down because of a lack of sleep (which happens a lot when you have two young kids) or if I am getting sick. But whatever it is, today was a weird day.

It actually started last night. Yesterday was Matty's birthday party. We had a barbecue with family. I ate way too much cake, which is a big no-no, since I had my gall bladder removed in November (two weeks before I started running) and I cannot digest fatty foods the way people with gall bladders can. Maybe the cake is to blame for all. By 9 p.m. I was feeling really tired. I was getting dizzy and sick to my stomach around 10, and was sound asleep by 11 p.m., which is very early for me (yes, I'm a night owl).

Matty woke up around 2 a.m., and Tim was still awake playing on the computer. I got up to feed and change Matty, and I prayed he would go back to sleep soon because I was one step away from delirium. Well, he didn't. He wanted to play. Tim came in the room when he realized I was still up with the little guy, and he finally offered to take him so I could collapse back in bed. So I did. I didn't get up until around 10 a.m., when Kara started moving around in her room.

I felt OK for a couple hours, but then I got dog tired again. In the afternoon, while Matty was napping, I lied down and slept on the couch. I woke up around 4:30, thought "Crap, I'd better get my rear in gear if I'm gonna run," and got ready. I can tell you I was not looking forward to it and I wasn't feeling like myself.

But still I got myself ready and headed out the door. I had no idea where I was heading or how long I thought I would run. Luckily Garmin was all charged and ready, so that was great.

The first mile or so, I almost threw in the towel. I was feeling so strange, my stomach was all sorts of yucky (Chad can probably relate to that!) and I just wasn't feeling inspired to keep running. Partly because the wind was pushing me all around (and I am not a tiny person, so it was a very strong wind). But I told myself that I would give it another mile or so and see how things were going. Around 1.70 miles, I did walk up a hill (stopped the Garmin, though) and felt like I could keep going, so I did. I then figured I'd run three miles and call it a day. I got to three miles, but then I realized it wouldn't be much farther to four. So I kept going. Around 3.75 miles, I walked up yet another hill (again, stopped the Garmin because I only wanted to track distance and time I actually ran) and started running again. Once I hit four miles, I made one last decision to run another 1/2 mile. I eventually stopped at 4.5 miles and walked home. My stomach was protesting too much and I didn't want to push it.

I originally had today set aside for a six-miler, since my 10K is in three weeks. But I am glad I got as far as I did, considering I could have just stayed on the couch. Next weekend I will aim for the big six!

Today's stats:
Distance: 4.5 miles
Time: 54:23
Pace: 12:05 minute/mile

Friday, April 13, 2007

????

There were lots of questions following today's run.

How fast did I run? What were my splits? Exactly how far was it?

Well, I have a good idea on the last question, but the others will forever go unanswered.

That's because my buddy Garmin stopped working right before I started running.

I guess I forgot to charge it, and the silly thing just ran out of juice. Of course, it was working during my warm-up walk. Oh well.

That's all for today. My parents just got here following a six-hour drive and I need to hop in the shower so we can go out to dinner.

Today's stats:
Distance: 2.63 miles
Time: ???
Pace: ???

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Everything was working against me today

Man, it was one of *those* runs today.

It was the first time in a month that I ran with the kids in the stroller. What a huge difference it makes! It's like pushing a gigantic wheeled boulder up a never-ending hill. It just wiped me out! And it was raining. And cold. And windy. Oh, and my body didn't feel that great, although I don't really know why.

Anyway, I did it and I am glad, even though it royally sucked to be me at the time.

Off to make dinner for the birthday boy and family.

Today's stats:
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 42:34
Pace: 12:09 minute/mile (not bad since I had the stroller in tow!)

How's this for consistency!

Splits:
Mile 1: 12:11
Mile 2: 12:12
Mile 3: 12:10
.5 mile: 6:00 (11:55 pace, according to Garmin. I think I was almost to .51 miles and that's why)

My little bitty baby boy...

...is a year old today!!!

It is bittersweet for me. I am happy Matty is growing into a wonderful, loving, healthy little boy. But part of me is sad that we will never have an infant in the house again, as we've decided two children is enough.

Here's a picture of me with my sweet Matty, taken last week:

Monday, April 9, 2007

Late night bike ride

Just finished a late, late workout tonight.

Yes, it's 11:30 p.m. here. And I just rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes.

I was only going to do five miles, but I finished in less than 20 minutes and that didn't feel long enough. So I stretched it out, despite the fact it's getting close to bedtime.

Now I feel nice and sweaty, so I'll hop in the shower before heading to bed.

Today's stats:
Distance: 7.82 miles on the bike
Time: 30 minutes

Sunday, April 8, 2007

No time...

..for lengthy sentences.

Did a long run. Felt pretty good. Went pretty slow. Nice weather today. Warm.

Gotta go. Gonna eat Easter ham.

Today's stats:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 48:24
pace: 12:05 minute/mile

Saturday, April 7, 2007

Quick workout update

Just for the record, I peddled for 30 minutes on the stationary bike tonight.

I am planning an Easter morning run before heading to Tim's grandmother's house in the afternoon. Oh, and a little yard work. :)

Happy Easter, fellow runners!!

Today's stats:
Time: 30 minutes
Distance: eight miles

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Is it really speed work if you're not speedy??

Ha ha!

Tim and I went to the track this evening to do some speed work. This was the first time ever I have attempted anything like this, and let me tell you I am so not speedy!

Since my hip has been bugging me a little and Tim is just starting running (he's freakin' fast for a guy who hasn't really worked out in years, bah!), we were going to run four 200-meter intervals and walk 200 meters in between.

So we did a 1/4-mile warm-up and then started our first 200-meter "speed" run. Tim blew me away time-wise. And I forgot to turn on my timer for the first sprint, so I had no idea how it went. The second time around, I finished 200 meters in 1.01 minutes. I thought "Damn, that is SLOW!!!" But then Tim and I talked about what the pace was, and it was just a little slower than an 8-minute-mile pace if you do the math. So I guess it wasn't as slow as I had thought! :)

After four intervals, I decided to do two more and call it a day. Tim did another 1/2 of one, and then walked while I did the last one. My hip was really starting to bug me in the end and I was gimping a little, he said. But overall my pace was around 1.01 for each 200-meter running portion. So I am happy with that. Plus, it gives me an idea of where I stand and I *know* I can just get better.

Today's stats:
Distance: 6x200 meters (3/4 mile)
Time: around 1.01 minute for each 200-meter interval
Pace: around 8 minute/mile

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

I must look like a dork when I run

I was thinking about this tonight on my run. I had my iPod strapped on my left arm with an orange armband, my Garmin on my left wrist and my bright yellow amphipod water bottle on my right hand. I must look like a full-on running dork with all my gear. But I don't care. It makes running easier for me.

It was funny, because after I got done with my run and was walking home I passed these two guys who were running. Neither of them had any fancy gear. One of the guys was wearing khaki dress shorts and a leather belt! I thought that was kinda funny because I would never run in anything but approved running pants, usually with the obligatory white stripe down the side. LOL!

Anyway, tonight was three miles again. I left Tim and the kids home this time. I realized I haven't run with the kids in the stroller since daylight savings time started. I've been doing my runs later in the day so I don't have to push the 80-plus-pound stroller. I still use it for walks, though.

There were some interesting characters out tonight. I ran past what appeared to be a prostitute. Either that, or she just has no fashion sense. She had on this skintight black and white outfit with these horribly high heels that were ugly as sin. Her hair was all done up on top of her head. Nice.

Tomorrow Tim and I have a date with the track again. I am planning to do a little speed work (scary thought) while he jogs a little and then we'll play with kids on the swings. I love evenings like that. :)

Tonight's stats:
Distance: three miles
time: 35:32
Pace: 11:50 minute/mile

Monday, April 2, 2007

Back on the run

I did a short run today. On the track at the local elementary school. The weather was really nice, albeit a bit windy and chilly. This time I took Tim and the kids with me. Tim has been wanting to start running too, and he got to test out his new running shoes today.

The run itself was unremarkable. Except for the fact my shins felt really tight. I don't know what the deal is. I never get tight shins when I'm running on the road. I only did 2 miles because I hadn't done a real run in more than a week and I don't want to aggravate my pinched nerve, which has been bugging me again.

Kara ran a little on the track, too. She's going to be running races with mommy someday, she says. :)

After the run, Tim and I tried out the swings with Kara. Tim and I actually swung ourselves. A few months ago my butt wouldn't have fit on the swing. But it does now! Meanwhile, Kara tried to figure out how to pump her legs to make herself go. It didn't work and Tim had to give her a push. Then we played some basketball. Poor Matty had to sit in the stroller and watch while we all ran around and shot baskets. Guess he'll have to start walking soon so he can join in!!

Today's stats:
Distance: two miles
Time: 23:13
Pace: 11:36 minute/mile