Too Busy, Too Tired, 3 miles

When life gets busy, I get tired. It is my natural way of dealing with everything going on. Unfortunately for me, life is about to get busy so I’m exhausted. By no means am I as busy as most, but we have a pretty relaxed life around here so to have so much going on in the next couple weeks is throwing me for a loop. This busy schedule is affecting my home work (it isn’t getting done), my sleeping (I’m not sleeping great), my planning (making a list sounds taxing to me), and now my running.

I was supposed to run 5 miles this morning and I couldn’t even finish it. I managed to get three miles in before throwing in the towel. Even then, I didn’t throw the towel in completely because I walked for a mile before getting off the treadmill. Now, it is 6 a.m. and all I want to do is go back to bed. Going to sleep isn’t in the plans until 10:30 tonight – today is the beginning of my busy couple of weeks. Oh, I hope I find my energy again soon…

Today: 3 miles
Weekly total: 16 miles

Pajama Days, 8 miles

It felt good to get up this morning and hit the treadmill. Yes, my legs are still a little tired and I’m generally a little tired but it still felt good. Yesterday the kids did not have school (closed for Yom Kippur) so we had a pajama day. I got up in the morning, ran, showered, and then put on a clean pair of pj’s and didn’t get out of them until my run this morning. It was great! I did play a few too many games of Chutes and Ladders, but I’m no worse off for it.

This morning’s run seemed to be another run. I’m beginning to feel like a broken record so I thought about it this morning. I’m ready for the race and I feel like I’m spinning my wheels and will be for the next 11 days. Thankfully I’ll be busy with birthday happenings for the next week to keep me from having the time or energy to do much whining about waiting for the race.

Today: 8 miles
Weekly total: 13 miles

A Sore Day, 5 miles

I am still sore from Saturday’s run so I took it easy. It was good to force myself to go slower (this is easier on a treadmill, without a doubt). Yes, my run took longer but my legs are feeling better now that I am done running. I can only hope that some good stretching today will help my legs get back to normal before tomorrow’s run.

On tap for this week:
Monday: 5 miles (done!)
Tuesday: 8 miles
Wednesday: 5 miles
Thursday: REST!!
Friday: 3 miles
Saturday: 8 miles
Sunday: Rest in the form of throwing a birthday party for my (soon-to-be) 6 year old!!

Today: 5 miles
Weekly total: 5 miles

Swag Already

I am so proud of Bugs and Punky. We signed them up for the community Fitness Counts fall program and they did awesome. The program was twice a week for three weeks. They did some hikes, running, and fun exercise games. Last year Bugs participated in the same program and got a medal. This year they upped the ante and the kids got swag. They both got medals, Frisbees and beach balls!

Punky and Bugs with their medals (Punky wasn't into getting her picture taken, so here's the best of the worst):

I Am Ready, 12.2 miles

I have a lot to say about today’s run. Most important is the fact that I did it! The rest is not as important and has a lot to do with the weather (40F) and my need of warmer clothes for these cooler temperatures.

I ran a new route this morning. I tried to map out 12 miles through and around the close subdivisions and it looked like I took a really long piece of spaghetti and dropped it. There was no way I would remember what direction I was supposed to be going at any given time so I ventured farther from the house this morning. It went well, there were more hills but they didn’t do me in completely. I also “cheated” and took music along. I have been very good about running without music since I started this training but like I said earlier this week I couldn’t wrap my head around the number 12 so I took my mp3 player along. I didn’t turn it on until I was half done with my run. I don’t know that it helped much, but it was there in the background just in case.

Now, onto the weather… It was a balmy 40.2F this morning when I headed out on my run according to our house thermometer. ADP informed me when I got home that the radio was reporting 37F. I’ll take 40F for good measure. I do not have winter running gear because I’ve always retreated indoors by now. My wish list has expanded after this morning’s run: gloves, running pants, another long sleeve shirt, and probably something to keep my ears warm. First up is going to be gloves! My hands froze even though they were wrapped up in my long sleeves.

If you saw me this morning I was not a model of color coordination! I had red sunglasses, a bright pink long sleeve shirt, a black running skirt, all topped with a bright yellow vest. I was a sight for sore eyes, but you couldn’t miss me even if you tried.

I know I can run 13.1 miles after this morning’s 12.2 mile run!! I’m ready.

Today: 12.2 miles
Weekly total: 35.6 miles
Training total: 242.3 miles

Repeat Performance, 6 miles

This morning’s run was a repeat performance of Wednesday’s challenging run. I’m tired so I took the run a little slower than normal; it didn’t help. I put a new movie in; it did not capture my attention. I finally turned the move (Adventureland) off and went back to watching Numb3rs season 4. Changing the ‘channel’ helped a little – at least the run did not seem like a chore, it was just an unmotivated run. I need to find my motivation before tomorrow morning when I have a 12 milers planned.

I am beginning to more fully understand why people run together. Two weeks ago I had no problem getting through 10 miles by myself. For some unknown reason I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around 12 miles. I know I can physically run 12 miles, but I think it would be a lot easier if I took some music along or had someone to keep me company. All food for thought because someday I want to run a marathon, I won’t be training alone if I have a mentally hard time conceptualizing 12 solo miles.

Today: 6 miles
Weekly total: 23.4 miles
Countdown: 16 days to go!!

Trying Out New Sunglasses

I finished shoveling the snow last winter and needed to go inside for a moment to get something and I did something I never should have: I set my sunglasses on the car. When I went back outside I needed to go get the kids from preschool so I got in the car, put on the sunglasses I keep in the car and drove away. Needless to say I never saw those sunglasses again. The worst part is the sunglasses I put on the car were my running sunglasses. I’ve been without ever since.

I don’t buy expensive sunglasses. I may have bought a pair or two in the past, but my kids liked going through my purse and trying on my sunglasses when they were younger so I tried to not buy anything that I couldn’t easily replace. The same held true with my running sunglasses. I usually had to clean little fingerprints off them before I could wear them on a run. I’m just surprised the kids didn’t break them before I lost them.

I finally bought a replacement pair. Well, I bought two replacement pair because the first broke the first time I wore them so I took them back and got a new style. I’ll be trying them out this weekend. I hope it is sunny so I can figure out if they work for me and the sun will help me stay warm.
You can find these sunglasses at Target.

A Walk Through the Orchard, 7 miles

Last night the kids had their fitness club at one of the local apple orchards. Normally we go to the orchard for the purpose of picking apples and eating cider donuts (if you’ve never had them, you need to!!). Some explanation was in order as to why we weren’t eating the apples on our walk; thankfully both kids listened and didn’t pick any apples. We had a leisurely 40 minute walk through the orchard and then headed home. The walk felt good and nothing hurt but by the time we got home I was feeling my run in every stair I walked up. My legs were all worn out!

This morning I still woke up and ran seven miles this morning. I didn’t have much desire to do all seven, nor did my tired legs. When the desire isn’t there is when I shouldn’t run on a treadmill. Treadmills, while convenient and easy to use, also make it extremely easy to take a break. I took a couple extra breaks this morning during my run. I’m not happy to admit I took the breaks, but I did. I don’t think I would have finished my run if I hadn’t, so I’m counting the breaks as a good thing today.

Today: 7 miles
Weekly total: 17.4 miles

A Wow Week, 6 miles

I finally took a few minutes to look at my running schedule for the week and all I could say was WOW. Yesterday I did four mile repeats and this morning I already put in a 6 mile run. Yet to come this week: 7 mile, 6 mile, and 12 mile runs. This is my biggest week ever.

Yesterday I did mile repeats and this morning there was an e-mail from Runner’s World Magazine (I subscribe to a couple e-mails from them) about mile-repeats. It is a worthwhile and relatively short article if you want more information on mile (or any distance) repeats.

This morning felt good. I debated doing my seven miles today because we have a pretty easy morning schedule, but I stuck with six. I am glad I did because the last half mile was a little more challenging because I was holding my right shoulder up and it started to hurt (a lot) toward the end. I have a tendency of holding my shoulders up when I sleep on one side through the night; it is almost like my shoulder is stuck up. I’m working on it because I don’t want it to be an issue in a couple weeks when I run my half-marathon.

Today: 6 miles
Weekly total: 10.4 miles

One Mile at a Time

This weekend we went to an out of town wedding. I haven't been to a wedding in a while so it was nice to get dressed up, see extended family and enjoy some time away from the house. I may have mentioned that before getting in the car on Saturday I ran eight miles. While it wasn't the most fun run in the world, running in the morning made eating at the reception much more fun! I had no qualms eating until full (but not stuffed) because I had put in my miles. I enjoyed appetizers, wine, salad, champagne, and salmon with some delicious steamed veggies. We missed cake because the kids can only stay up so late, but I don't know if I would have had room for cake after all the other food.
I woke this morning not 100% sure what I was running this morning (that is what a weekend away will do to me). Well, it wasn't the most fun because I don't describe repeats as fun. 4x mile repeats with a 2-3 min break between. The run was easier than usual, which makes me wonder if I pushed hard enough. Maybe next week I'll push a little harder. Today, I'm calling it good!

Today: 4.4 miles

• 4x mile at 10K pace
• .1 mile walk between repeats

Weekly total: 4.4 miles

Books for my Wish List

I am an avid reader and enjoy many kinds of books. Until recently I have only read running magazines because books seem so detailed. My extra running has peaked my interest in running books so I have two more books I want to add to my wish list.

Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running: The Best Advice to Get Started, Stay Motivated, Lose Weight, Run Injury-Free, Be Safe, and Train for Any Distance (Runner's World Complete Books) and here
Runner's World Complete Book of Running: Everything You Need to Run for Fun, Fitness and Competition (Runner's World Complete Books) or here

On the Road Again, 8 miles

We needed to get on the road early today to go to a wedding so I was up early to run. My run in the dark a few weeks ago left an impression on me – I couldn’t even see my feet and I haven’t been as comfortable in the early morning since. I had to choose to skip my run, drastically shorten my run, or do it all on the treadmill. I chose to do it all on the treadmill. I know, I’m a sucker for punishment. Thankfully tomorrow is a day off so I’ll have plenty of time to recover from my long treadmill run.

Today: 8 miles
Weekly total: 22.1 miles
Training total: 206.7 miles

Crazy Busy, 3 miles

It is a good thing to get up and run first thing in the morning because life has become crazy busy. Today is one of those days where the only moments I'll have to sit down is when I'm driving a kid somewhere. I think it will be a really good thing to have lots of red lights today. I am sitting right now, but I should be up and getting things done. I've tried to blog while moving around and doing other things and it doesn't work; the blog ends up all disjointed. Although, I am licking envelopes to Bugs' 6th birthday party while I blog so I can multitask a little.

Today's run was a quick 3 miles. If you read my profile you may have picked up on the fact that I want to break 30 minutes at next year's Freihofer's Run for Women. This morning I ran 3.1 miles on the treadmill (of course) in 30:32. I'm almost there!

Today: 3.1 miles
Weekly total: 14.1 miles

A Runner's Profile

Check out Freihofer's Run For Women's Blog! They are profiling women who have run the annual Freihofer's Run for Women and I've been profiled.

Freihofer's is a family event with a Community Walk at 8 am, 5K run at 10:15 am, and a Kids' Run starting at 11:20 am. I run the 5K and the kids enjoy the Kids' run now that they are older. I enjoy running the race and the kids enjoy the cookies. Did I mention the cookies? Everyone who participates gets a box of Freihofer's chocolate chip cookies (or have every year we've participated).

If you are in the Capital District June 5, 2010 you should definitely get involved in the festivities.

Mission to a(nother) Marathon: Halo Headband Giveaway

Check out this giveaway: Mission to a(nother) Marathon: Halo Headband Giveaway. If you are anything like me you sweat a lot and the Halo headband may just be the solution.

Seems So Short, 4 miles

I don’t know what is wrong with me. I almost feel like I am in an alternate reality because I am starting to think of a four mile run as short. It seems so strange to get going and then be done in such a short time (well, shorter than the long runs). I’ll take it on a day like today. Today is day two of having to get up and going in the morning (the little lady, a.k.a. Punky, has preschool three days a week) so a short run is what my Wednesday schedule calls for.

Today: 4 miles
Weekly total: 11 miles

Tuesday Morning Fun, 7 miles

We just started school and it is already affecting my running schedule. I was supposed to run four miles this morning and seven tomorrow morning, but we have no where to be until 11 today so I switched my runs. I’ll survive and it is good to be flexible.

I am happy that I took yesterday off. My legs were really tired after Saturday’s 10-miler. My hip-flexor is doing well after some stretching. The only problem with running seven miles on a weekday: I have to run it on a treadmill. Thankfully I had a lot of movies to choose from on Netflix Instant Watch.

Today: 7 miles

Skipping a Run

Sometimes life happens and runs need to be skipped. Today is one of those days. Last night I was up late watching the Green Bay Packers host and beat the Chicago Bears. I was camped on my couch wearing a green jersey cheering on my Packers. I was up late because it was a night game so it was actually televised where I live.

In addition to being very tired this morning, it is a big day in my family. My youngest starts her second year of preschool this morning. While she is at preschool my oldest will get on a bus that will take him to kindergarten. I completely intend on being a tired, emotional mess by noon. I don’t think a run will help my situation, especially speed work. I’ll be back at it tomorrow. Thankfully it looks like a light running week for me.

Why Blog?

This summer I have spent a lot of time reading a whole variety of book. One of the books I read was The Non-Runner’s Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training by Dawn Dais. Somewhere in the midst of reading the book it occurred to me that while I won’t make a million dollars journaling about my training, it is a great idea.

I’ve tried journaling in the past and it has never stuck. I’ve written journals using pen and paper as well as on the computer in a word document. It just didn’t interest me to write things out long-hand and I couldn’t find anything when using a word document. I’ve blogged before, so I thought I would try it out for my training journey. Guess what? I love it!

I think everything is relatively easy to find. I have even gone back and read what I wrote. It also serves as a good reference for me when it comes to gear (a.k.a. my wish list).

On a side note, if you are a female runner and haven’t read Dawn Dias’ book I suggest you check it out from your library and take a look. It is a good read.

1 Little, 2 Little, 3 Little …, 10 miles

We all learned one version of the song when we were young. I learned “1 little, 2 little, 3 little Indians” while my kids learned “1 little, 2 little, 3 little teddy bears.” Here is today’s version:

1 little, 2 little, 3 little miles
4 little, 5 little, 6 little miles
7 little, 8 little, 9 little miles
10 little* miles all done.

*I don’t think 10 miles is little so I tried to come up with an alternative ending relating to the half-marathon I’ll be running in under a month. I could only get the song to 9 miles ending with X.1 miles to go.

This morning I embarked on my first ever double digit run. I ate half of a banana before heading out and tried jellybeans during the run. I’ve been experimenting with what to eat and drink during my long runs. I prefer to drink water but then I need to have eat something while I’m running. Last week I had my first gel. I accidentally chose raspberry flavored gel; I do not like raspberry. It tasted a lot like the center of a raspberry filled donut, only a little more concentrated. This morning I had some jellybeans. I loved them. They were a little thick going down, but who doesn’t love jellybeans? I’ll try them out again next weekend.

I also had a new pain when I was running. I had no idea what it was other than tight on my left side. I googled hip when I got home and apparently it was my hip flexor that was tight during my run. I’ve participated in various exercise classes before and when they did stretches for the hip flexor I felt nothing. Today I know exactly what the stretch is supposed to feel like! I guess I have another stretch to add to the others I do.

Today: 10 miles
Weekly total: 29.9 miles (oh so close to 30!)
Training total: 184.6 miles

The Kids are Running, 5 miles

Last night the kids started their fall fitness program. My kids are young for running, but exercise in the form of games is always a good idea. To say the kids were excited would be an understatement! They watch both their parents run and even go along in the jogging stroller occasionally. So, for them to go to fitness club where there is running was major in their world. They had fun for 90 minutes warming up, playing games, cooling down, and the evening was finished with water and a snack. They were tired and happy kids when we got home.

My run this morning wasn’t nearly as exciting as the kids’ program last night, but it served its purpose: getting me ready for much longer running. Unfortunately, I still have a kink in my neck that just won’t go away. I think it has been there for over a week and it is more annoying now than when I first got it because it just won’t go away. I don’t think there is much I can do about it so I just went ahead with my run. I am tired so I started slow. Apparently too slow because I kept speeding up and ended up doing a repeat of Wednesday’s run. In the end I have five more miles done!

Today: 5 miles
Weekly total: 19.9 miles

One Month and One Day

I am getting really excited! In one month and one day I’ll be running my half-marathon. Training hasn’t been half bad (other than those pesky hills and having to run “fast”). I haven’t hurt myself (yet). My family is still talking to me (which means I’m not gone too long on Saturday mornings). I looked up the course and it is basically all downhill. I have no idea where I am supposed to go to get on the bus, but I’ve got a month to figure out the details. All in all, I’m getting a kick out of this training and the upcoming race.

I was talking to a friend over the weekend and she is also training for a half-marathon. She’s running a different race, but running none-the-less. We are both running our FIRST and had a few running things to chat about when we ran into each other at Target. Both our husbands are very supportive of us running and can definitely tell which days we run and the days we don’t. ADP grins and bears it on the days I don’t run while my friends’ husband tells her to go out and run. Apparently we aren’t as chipper on the days we don’t run. Who knew? Her race is coming up soon (she and her husband are both running the half), it is on Sept. 20. Good luck Amy! I can’t wait to hear about your race.

Hump Day, 5 miles

Hump day is supposed to be a good day. The week is half done which means it is almost the weekend again. To me Wednesday is the day homework is due and I have to stay up late for class. Tomorrow I will be tired from my long Wednesday. Perhaps I should name Wednesday “Longest Day of the Week.”

I started my “Longest Day of the Week” with five miles on the treadmill. I won’t lie; I enjoyed my outdoor run on Monday much better. When you run outside you actually go somewhere. Inside just isn’t the same because the treadmill may say I ran five miles but as far as I could tell I didn’t move so much as a few feet during the whole run. I tried to make things a little more interesting so I did negative splits on the treadmill. I sped up for each mile finishing my last mile a whole minute faster than my first.

Total: 5 miles
Weekly total: 14.9 miles

Back at It, 3.6 miles

This week marks the beginning of the school year for the majority of kids in our area. My kids are still a bit young, so they start next week. Even though school doesn’t start until next week everything else starts this week: meeting the teachers, soccer, running club, and of course my school is already in session.

ADP was back at work this morning so I was back on the treadmill. I ran what was supposed to be yesterday’s speed work. I understand that speed work is supposed to help you get faster, but all it does is leave me with jelly legs, worn out, and ready for a nap. Only a few more weeks of this and then I may take said speed work out of my weekly running for a while.

Total: 3.6 miles

Weekly total: 9.9 miles

Labor Day, 6.3 miles

It is one of those odd weekdays that my husband, ADP, is home in the morning so I took full advantage and went out for a run (no treadmill for me today!). I changed my running schedule around – I wasn’t planning on going out on this beautiful day to do 6 x 880s so I ran six miles instead. It was cool outside (58F and cloudy) and there weren’t that many others out running. In all, it was a beautiful morning for a run.

Total: 6.3 miles

Weekly total: 6.3 miles

Time for Long Sleeves

We haven’t had the warmest summer here, so I started thinking about long sleeve shirts at the beginning of August. I’ve said it before, I like to run early in the morning and it can be pretty cool before the sun comes up. My arms started getting really cold so I finally researched some cold-weather clothing.

I started with an article from the January 2009 issue of Runner’s World that had some great information about how much to wear.

What to Wear

A quick guide to dressing for winter running

Sun: 35° to 45° F Wear tights or thin running pants, a long-sleeve shirt, and a vest. You may be able to keep your hands warm using the thumbholes of your long-sleeve shirt when it's 45° F outside, but you should put on gloves when it's closer to 35° F.

Rain: 35° to 45° F Slim-fitting tights fare better than pants in rain since they won't get as wet and droopy. And a wool base layer will keep you warmer than a synthetic top since the natural fiber retains warmth when wet. Finally, a water-resistant jacket is fine for a drizzle, but you'll want something waterproof in a deluge.

The article also has information on what to wear when it is even colder, but only truly insane runners go out when it is below freezing. First up, I needed to find a long-sleeve shirt. I am on the cheap side but I don’t want to freeze so I tried my best to find a long-sleeve shirt that was on sale (hard to come by at this time of year). I haven’t seen any sales, but I plan to scan the ads every Sunday. If I don’t see anything soon I’ll head to my go-to store: Target. I like their C9 by Champion line and I heard they have long sleeve running shirts in stock.

A Good Night's Sleep, 7.6 miles

Yesterday I spent quite a while riding in a car. The view was beautiful (the Adirondack Park), the destination was amazing (time with family), but I was sitting for a long time. I didn't know how today's run was going to go given that I'm not used to sitting for so long. Thankfully, I got a solid 9 hours of sleep last night which makes all the difference in when I run.

My run went well, although a little longer than expected. It has been one week and I have already forgotten what I said last week about checking my mileage before leaving home (see Running from Shadows). I didn't have anywhere I had to be this morning so I didn't think anything of running an extra half-mile.

One thing that surprised me this morning was my time. I have mentioned before that I am a slow runner. My long runs are nice and relaxed with one main goal: enjoy the run. I don't know what my splits are (mainly because I don't know where the mile marks on my runs are and I don't know if my HRM even does splits). What I know is that I ran 7.6 miles faster than I ever have before. Maybe I should get 9 hours of sleep before running more often.

Today: 7.6 miles
Weekly total: 22.6 miles
Training total: 154.7 miles

Fresh Legs, 3 miles

School started on Wednesday night and while I love school, I don't like getting home at 10:15 at night. I am an early bird to bed so staying up past 10 has its challenges. I'm tired because of the change of schedule and staying up late so I was very surprised to have such fresh legs this morning. I only ran three miles, but felt like I could have kept going and going! I hope I feel the same way tomorrow morning for my long run.

Today: 3 miles

Weekly total: 15 miles

Benefits of Eating and Running

I’ve read numerous running articles about what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat. The articles can give me the information I need (like carb : protein ratio), but the best way to know what you need is to listen to your body.

I’ve been trying to do this and it is amazing what you can learn about what nutrition you need if you just pay attention. Eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of (clear) fluids, and take your vitamins; we all know the drill. But, what about the extra things we love? Moderation is the key. There is nothing wrong with eating dessert, but you can’t eat the whole pan of brownies if you want to have the energy to run the next day. Sure, have a drink in the evening, but remember to chase it with 16 ounces of water. As I said: moderation.

The added benefit of fueling the body properly combined with exercise is all those pesky post-baby pounds will disappear. I am not one for weighing myself – my clothes fit or they don’t. Since having kids my clothes have been more on the “don’t” side. So, imagine my surprise when I pulled out a pair of jeans from college and tried them on. (We’ll ignore the question of why I still have a pair of jeans from college.) They fit. Not only did they fit, but there was a little room to spare. It is amazing what proper nutrition and exercise can do!

Who Knew?, 5 miles

Who knew a kink in my neck would affect my run so much? I slept wrong because my neck is tight. Unfortunately it is also painful if I turn my head too far. So, my neck has a kink in it...but does that have to affect my run? Apparently it does. The pain and tightness goes down into my left shoulder and the forward/backward motion the arm does while running doesn't agree with my shoulder today. When the arms aren't working right, the legs don't go as well either. Needless to say, I'll be taking the next couple days to get this kink out!

Today:

• 5 (very long) miles
• cool

Weekly total: 12 miles

Change of Seasons, 4 miles

When I woke up this morning it was a cool 46F outside! I can barely contain my excitement because cool weather means fall and fall is almost winter! Oh, I love winter. Cooler temps means I need some retail therapy in the form of cool weather running clothes.

Since I ran inside on the treadmill (as usual), I didn't need any cool weather running clothes today. I did some speed work again this morning. I learned my lesson last week and I didn't push as hard today. Last week I had jelly legs for a few days. This week, I hope that my legs will be fine by tomorrow morning when I plan on running 5 miles.

Today:

• 0.5 mile jog to warm up
• 3 x mile with .15 mile walking rest between miles

Weekly total: 7 miles