Friday, November 30, 2007

Just one of those runs

You ever have a run where everything just seems to go wrong?

That was my run tonight.

I waited until Tim came home from work to run. Matty has been sick the past few days, and it was quite cold here today, so I didn't want to drag the sickie around in the stroller.

Of course it was dark by the time Tim came home, so I figured I'd run on the treadmill.

My warm-up walk went fine. I started running on the 'mill, and it was OK, too.

Until I reached .4 miles. Then the damn thing stopped abruptly and showed some weird error sign on its readout screen. I have never seen this error sign before, so all I could say was " What the hell?!?!".

I turned the treadmill off, and unplugged it from the wall. Plugged it back in and turned it back on. I entered my info again (weight, distance, whatnot) and tried to get it going to 5 mph. The belt started moving. Then it stopped again. Argh!!

I tried once more to get the stupid thing working to no avail. But I was determined to get a run in tonight. So I threw on a sweatshirt, grabbed my Garmin and a flashlight and headed out into the darkness.

Naturally, I didn't put any running pants on, which was really not bright. I was wearing these knee-length spandex shorts and it was freakin' COLD out!! I thought about going back inside to change but realized if I did, I probably wouldn't come back out.

So I started off by the glow of my flashlight. As I ran, I noticed a lot of the street lamps either weren't on or went out just as I reached them. I actually tripped once because the sidewalk changed elevation at a driveway. Ugh. And wouldn't you know, but my effing flashlight died with about a mile left. So I had to run pretty much in the dark for 11 minutes. It's amazing I didn't get hit by a car or fall in an open ditch, because I couldn't see crap.

But I made it home in one piece, happy that I went through with the run. Now I have to figure out just what the heck is wrong with the treadmill. I will be VERY upset if it has died for good.

Tonight's stats:
Run:
Treadmill: .4 miles
Outside: 3 miles
Time (outside): 33:02
Pace: 11 minutes/mile

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Time crunch

No time for a lengthy post. I have to leave for class. But I did run on the treadmill today.

Today's stats:
Treadmill:
Distance: 3 miles
Time: dunno

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Finally did our Christmas cards

Well, it almost took an act of Congress, but I was able to get two decent pics of the kids today for our annual photo Christmas card. I ordered them through Snapfish this year, since Costco didn't have a style I liked, and they should be ready by this week.

I won't post the actual card here, but I guess I can share the pics I selected:






I didn't run today, but I did use the bike for the first time in a couple weeks. I will try to run tomorrow while Kara is in school.

Today's stats:
Bike:
Distance: 10 miles
Time: 38:22

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Today's run -- in pictures!

I didn't realize this was the weekend a bunch of my blogging buddies would be illustrating their blogs via photos. Marcy and Mary come to mind immediately. LOL!

I took pictures during my run today. My parents bought us a new camera for Christmas and I have been using it daily since it arrived on Friday. I love, love, love it!

Now let me share my run with you all. :-)

The view from my driveway (yes, it's a cemetery):



Garmin, taking forever to load:



Kara in her chariot (Matty stayed home with Tim):



Self-portrait before the run began. See the cemetery sign in the background?:



This subdivision is just around the corner from my house:



Going past the community hospital. This is where Matty was born. It is a SMALL hospital compared with the one in Redding where I had Kara:



Guess who fell asleep?:



Here's where we were heading: the local shopping center. We ended up ordering a take-and-bake pizza from Papa Murphy's. It was sooooo good!!!:



We're on the way home now, using a different route. This is to prove Fortuna is finally in the 21st century. We got our first Starbucks just a month or two ago (Lisa, this is for you!):




I would normally run up this hill, but not on days when I'm pushing the stroller:



When I was done running, Kara got out and walked home:




My distance and time, according to Garmin:



Thanks for coming along!

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3.41 miles
Time: 36:42
Pace: 10:46 minute/mile

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Gobble gobble! Turkey Trot race report

I am about ready for a nap, so I will try to make this post quick. I think the turkey is working its sleepy-time magic. ;-)

This morning's Turkey Trot was tons of fun!! I didn't know anyone there, but ended up chatting with a woman who had never been to a race before. Turns out she's almost my age, has a son about the same age as my daughter and works in the field of nursing. We hit it off after she asked me if her race bib was on properly. She told me she would be walking (she did) and I ended up walking the last lap with her after I finished my run.

So this race course started at the gazebo in old town Eureka, where all the homeless people happen to congregate. I'm not saying that to be mean, but it just so happens that there is a large homeless population that hangs out there, by the waterfront. The course went in a loop that we had to complete 2 1/2 times. So we ran up one street, over and down another, next to the waterfront (which was cool) and then back into old town. More than 350 runners participated, making it the largest Turkey Trot here to date. And it was COLD! But the sun was shining, so the conditions were actually pretty good for a run.

I had no intentions of going for a PR today. I didn't even manage a warm-up, since I spent pre-race time talking to Jordie (the girl I had tons in common with). So once the race actually began, I was surprised to find myself keeping an 8:30 minute mile pace for about a quarter mile. And as I ran, there were pockets of homeless residents who were actually cheering us on! That was pretty cool.

I finished the first mile a lot faster than I wanted to, in a time of 9:33. The next miles were slower, but by the time Mile 3 rolled around, I knew I could set a PR if I wanted to. So I dug in my heels and thought about crossing the finish line with a smile on my face. Of course, the smile didn't actually materialize in the pic they snapped of me, but that's OK.

Here's that pic:



OK, here are my official stats:

5K race
Time: 31:24
Pace: 10:07 minute/mile (so close to the goal pace I have of 10-minute-even miles!)
Finished 152 out of 337
Finished 23 out of 38 in my age division

Coming back to add that I never posted a pic of my new kicks! I got a new pair of Mizuno Wave Alchemys (I heart them!) but didn't snap a photo of them before I started using them. Here is a pic off the Internet. They look identical to these:

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving (a day early) to all my running/blogging buddies!! :-)

We were supposed to have Thanksgiving at Tim's grandma's house tomorrow, but we might not be going after all. The kids are sick and now Tim is feeling punky. I guess we're all just passing the disease, uh, I mean, love, around.

Tomorrow morning is the Turkey Trot! I picked up my race bib and T-shirt today (it's a long-sleeved one made out of that wicking fabric - cool!!!). My number is 75, which is neat because that is the year I was born. Turns out this race is also a benefit for a local middle-schooler named Cameron Smith who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. So I get to race and support another good cause, which I am all for.

So Laurel has tagged me for five facts about myself. I will try not to bore you guys to tears, LOL.

But first, the rules of "tag":

-- link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
-- share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird
-- tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
-- let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.

Ok, so here goes.

1.) I love celebrity gossip. But not because I love celebrities. Quite the contrary, as I can't stand most celebs these days. But I love hearing about how messed up they are because it makes me feel good about myself.

2.) I am about the most straight-laced person I know (besides Tim). I have never tried any illegal drugs or even attempted to smoke. All that stuff is freakin' nasty, in my opinion. I have had a couple alcoholic drinks in my adult years, but I can count how many on my fingers (although I did have a Margarita when I tailgated at the UT game in Austin -- it just made me sleepy, which was no fun). So I guess I am a bit of a prude.

3.) Now that I've said No. 2, I will add that I really, really want some body art (read: tattoo). I have been thinking about it for a couple years and want something that will represent my kids (but not ginormous or anything). I want it somewhere I can hide it easily. (I can just imagine my dad freaking out right now because I admitted this. *sigh* But I am being honest here, folks! Although maybe I shouldn't be....) There's a girl in my bio class who has one on the back of her neck and you can see it when her hair is up. I don't want one that is obvious like hers. I would choose the route my sister-in-law took, where hers are on her lower back.

4.) I secretly enjoy the fact that my old workplace is going to hell in a handbasket. The organization has brought in a new editor and publisher recently (both are young, not local and quite stupid, from what I gather), fired a bunch of people (including the town's most popular local columnist) and is trying to make the news more "sensational." Because of this, subscribers and advertisers are leaving right and left. I still have bitter memories of how I was treated when I worked there, so I want management to suffer a little. But I do feel badly for the "worker bees" who are left to carry the burden. And I am very grateful that I got out when I did.

5.) I am a teacher's pet. LOL! I am doing everything possible to be the "perfect" student for my teacher because A.) I want her to know I am serious about learning, and B.) I want her to like me (she does, so no worries). I am really loving school so far now that I've been back, and I know I am more dedicated to it this time around than the first time. One of my friends/classmates called me "a machine" after she found out I aced the third test. LOL! So I guess that makes me a dork. I am cool with that.

So now I have to tag a couple people (I don't think I can find five who haven't been tagged yet. So I choose Mary, Randy and Nikki (I'm hoping it will get her to blog again!)

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Night running

Tonight was my final run before the Turkey Trot on Thursday. I am getting really excited about it! The weather is supposed to be sunny, although cold, for the race. But at least it won't be raining! This will be my seventh race for 2007. My last race will be the virtual "8 on the 8th" that I will be doing on December 8.

This was an evening run, which meant it was done in the dark. Considering I have crummy night vision, it wasn't too bad. I kept a nice, relaxed pace throughout and felt really good when I was done. Of course, it's hard to run fast when you can't see the ground well and are afraid of tripping. But at least no one can see you in the dark if you indeed trip and fall! (I didn't, for the record.)

I missed mentioning a rather important anniversary last week. November 15 marked one year since I had my gallbladder removed. Having that surgery paved the way for me to start running again after years of inactivity. My first run was two weeks after the surgery, on November 29. So I am almost officially through the first year of running!! I have made such big strides so far, and I hope to make even bigger ones next year. My main goal right now is to run the Avenue of the Giants Half Marathon in early May. And maybe, if I like it enough, I will attempt a full marathon down the road. ;-)

Tonight's stats:
Night run:
Distance: 3.01 miles
Time: 34:19
Pace: 11:23 minute/mile

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Fastest three miles to date??

I don't know if I set a PR for three miles today, but if I didn't, I came mighty close.

I headed to the school track for my run, as I was already in town doing my bio lab for the week. I am not 100 percent well yet, but the legs were aching to run and I felt well enough to attempt it.

The first mile was pretty good. Around 1.25 miles, another runner hit the track and was running in front of me. She was quite a bit younger than myself and looked more like a "runner," but I digress. She was running 9-minute miles, according to my Garmin. How do I know? Because I kept up with her for 3/4 of a mile. Yes, I couldn't believe it myself. Had she run the whole second mile with me, I would have recorded my fastest mile ever (9 minutes). I still finished Mile 2 well under 10 minutes, which was awesome.

I told myself earlier that I was only going to do two miles and be done today, but when I looked at my Garmin after and realized I ran two miles in 20:05 (second fastest time ever), I decided that 20 minutes was not long enough for my workout. So I added another mile on for good measure. It was about a minute slower than the second mile, but I didn't care. I was just glad to be able to run and not feel like I was going to die.

Switching gears for a second: I just found out what my grade is for the third biology test I took last week. Out of 100 points, I earned 100! Again! I can't believe it! And I got 49 points out of 50 on my project rough draft! The average score for the class on that was 38.9 points. Woo hoo!!!! Out of a possible 590 points in the class to date, I have 614.5. This is not a typo! I have 24.5 more points than are even possible at this point! (Remember that extra credit?) Barring some awful unforeseeable disaster, it looks like I will easily earn the A that I was seeking in this class, since we only have about three weeks left. Woo hoo!!!! *happy dance*

Today's stats:
Run (track):
Distance: three miles
Time: 30:49 (might be a PR; I will check later)
Pace: 10:16 minute/mile
Note: My second mile was 9:45. Boo yeah!

Friday, November 16, 2007

Good and bad

Good things:

*I know I did really well on my bio test on Wednesday. I don't know my score yet, but I will be very surprised if I don't score at least 95 out of 100 points. It was SO much easier than the second test, which I got 92.5 points on before our teach added 10 points to everyone's score.

*It's the start of the weekend. Hallelujah.

*Thanksgiving is next week. I love this time of year.

*My family. It rocks.

Bad things:

*I am sick -- AGAIN!!! Or maybe still. I never really felt 100 percent after the first sinus infection, and now I have some lame cold that is making my throat hurt like heck.

*The kids are sick now, too. Matty has it worse than Kara, but I kept Kara home from school today just to be safe.

*I haven't been able to work out since Tuesday due to being sick. I hope to remedy that problem this weekend if my body will let me.

*I have homework to do this weekend. Major suckage.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

It's tired out

Man, I am just dragging tonight. And it's only 8 p.m.!

I babysat Garrett for about five hours today, and the kids ran around like crazies the whole time. Then I ran four miles to the bank and back to deposit a couple checks I had. I got to try out my new shoes, which was exciting, but I think I wore the wrong socks because I got rubbed a little on the sole of my foot near the arch. Oh, and I bought myself another pair of Mizuno Wave Alchemys because I have found they work best with my overpronation issue. I will wear better socks next time out, though.

But now my throat is getting sore on the right side, and I am freakin' tired! Great, just in time for my test tomorrow evening. Grrrr....

On a happier note, I will be participating in an eight-mile race on December 8. This race is different than the others I have done, however. I found it through and is being organized by a couple of my fellow runners/bloggers. I think they're calling it a virtual race because we will all be running eight miles, but we'll be doing it by ourselves, in our own towns, on our own route of our choosing. After it's over, we'll share our "race" stories and finish time. It sounds like fun! And it gives me a reason to push past the distances I have become accustomed to recently. :-)

Today's stats:
Run (with loaded jogging stroller):
Distance: four miles
Time: 44:17
Pace: 11:03 minute/mile

Monday, November 12, 2007

Rain and studying

So I didn't run today, either. It was rainy and windy here, but that wasn't the main reason I stayed indoors. No, it was because I spent all afternoon at Kristen's house, studying for our next bio test. We were joined by fellow student and mommy Kim for this study session. In all, there were eight kids age seven and under in Kristen's house today. Made me glad I don't have eight children. Ha ha.

I did ride the stationary bike this evening just to get some sort of workout done. Tomorrow I will be babysitting, but I hope to go running (and try out my new shoes!!) when Garrett goes home. :-)

Today's stats:
Stationary bike:
Distance: 10 miles
Time: 37:02

Sunday, November 11, 2007

So much to do, so little time

Geez, the weekend came and went and Matty still doesn't have a bedroom.

Tim and I worked our heineys off this weekend, moving furniture, installing a ceiling fan and wiring our living room for cable in order to get the living room put together. It is mostly finished now, but we still have to move our old futon out and put our DVDs on the shelves we purchased. The room looks really nice, but now it will be an uphill battle to keep the kids from messing it up.

Meanwhile, our family room, which will soon be the office/playroom, is not even close to being done. We just didn't have time to do any more this weekend. So it looks like next weekend we'll have to do some more work to get that room set up and get Matty's room ready.

Of course, our projects didn't all turn out to be as easy as we'd planned. Take the cable wiring, for example. We had to run a cable from the outside box to our living room. It meant we'd have to drill a hole in two walls to run the wire through. Not a difficult task, right? It shouldn't have been, but we didn't know there was a cable in the wall right where we ended up drilling a hole to the outside. So we accidentally severed the entire cable that hooked up in the family room. So half our day was spent fixing that and running the new wire to the living room.

The second half of the day was spent installing the ceiling fan. Why do ceiling fan companies have to make installing their fans such a huge pain in the ass? Seriously, after screwing the 1,104th screw in place and getting frustrated after one fell in the casing, I told Tim that I was glad we didn't do this for a living. He laughed and said if we did, we wouldn't be married. So true. Installing fans for a living is way too stressful. But after what seemed like forever, the fan is up and looks beautiful.

Of course, all this work meant my study date with Kristen was called off and so was our run. But have no fear, as Kristen and I will meet tomorrow afternoon to study and run. I can't wait to try out my new running shoes. :-)

I am taking my tired, sore butt to bed. Night, everyone.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Gonna be busy this weekend

So not only am I going to get my new running kicks this weekend, but Tim and I will also be working on moving a few of our rooms around to create a bedroom for Matty. Finally!!! He has been in our room since his birth more than 18 months ago. I want my room back!

So we're going to move our TV room from the back family room to our front living room, move the office to the family room (which will also become a playroom for the kids), and move Matty's stuff into the former office, which is really a third bedroom.

We likely won't get it all done this weekend, since I want to rent a Rug Doctor and clean the carpets. I also have a study date on Sunday because time is ticking away before my next test. My goal this weekend is to get the family room furniture into the front room. If that goes done this weekend, I will be happy.

Today's stats:
Stationary bike:
Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 7.44 miles

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Saturday!

That is the day I am getting my new Mizunos!!! Yeah!!!

Just in time for my Sunday run, which I will be doing with my friend/biology lab partner Kristen. She used to run a few years ago but hasn't in a while. We were talking about it yesterday, and she decided she'd like to run with me. So we're going to study for our test on Sunday and follow that with a run.

I did manage another short run today. It was cold out, so I had to bundle the kids and myself up, but it was otherwise pretty good, albeit slow. I just can't wait to get those new shoes.

Today's stats:
Run (with loaded stroller):
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 35:25
Pace: 11:25 minute/mile

Monday, November 5, 2007

I need new shoes

I ran again today. I couldn't resist the awesome weather! Did a little jaunt with Matty in the jogging stroller to pick Kara up from school. Needless to say, the return trip was a lot more difficult since I had more than double the kiddie weight I had on the way down.

But the run was still good. I have now run five days since last Tuesday. That is pretty good for me! Of course I have been keeping the mileage shorter, but it's still good.

I realized today that I need new running shoes desperately. I've had these since February and they are getting really worn. I am hoping to have a new pair before the new year starts.

I have class tonight, so that's all for now. :-)

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 33:47
Pace: 10:54 minute/mile

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Now I can relax. Sort of.

After several nights of researching, writing and editing, I finally finished my biology semester project paper! It is such a relief to have it done.

But our next test is coming up in 10 days, so I can't really relax yet. Actually, I don't think I'll be able to relax until the semester is over.

I ran again today. The weather was spectacular for November: sunny and warm. Everyone in Fortuna seemed to be outside today, doing yard work or exercising. It was nice.

I am going to try to up my mileage on the weekends slowly, and probably keep my week runs between three and four miles for now. I don't want to burn out again thinking I have to keep up with other runners. I am going to do my own thing and enjoy it.

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: four miles
Time: 44:30
Pace: 11:07 minute/mile

Friday, November 2, 2007

Still chipping away...

...at my semester project. I am about 1/2 through now. Yay! But I won't feel relieved until it is done!

Despite the project, I managed another run this evening as it was getting dark. I like to call them my twilight runs. :-) My mantra right now is quality over quantity (in miles each time, that is), and tonight was another good one. I am so happy that loving feeling is returning to my running. For a while, it felt like the spark was gone. ;-)

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 27:21
Pace: 10:56 minute/mile

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Change of seasons

I love this time of the year. It is getting so cold here now that I wear a sweatshirt when I run in the evenings, like tonight. The only bummer is my evening runs will be coming to an end after this weekend thanks to the end of daylight savings time. I don't like running in the dark (I scare easily, LOL), so I will be sticking to daytime runs until spring.

Tonight's run was very nice. I took it nice and easy, not running as hard as I know I can. It felt like a nice, relaxed pace. Running slower allowed me to enjoy the scenery on my route, which was nice. I noticed the fog rolling in as dusk approached, the smoke wafting from chimneys, people rummaging at a huge yard sale. Things I wouldn't normally pay attention to during a faster run. I think part of the reason I was feeling burned out on running was because it had turned into a chore to just get faster and not enjoy the journey, you know? I want to enjoy the journey again, and if it means running slower more often, then so be it. :-)

Oh, and I want to add one more thing: I am sorry I haven't been posting on my fellow runner's blogs lately. I have been so busy the past few weeks and haven't spent much time on my own blog. I have a semester project rough draft due on Monday for my biology class and that is sucking my time away. Well, that and the kids, chores, sleep, etc. Hope you all understand and I promise to comment on your blogs when I have the chance! :-)

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3.54 miles
Time: 40 minutes
Pace: 11:17 minute/mile