Same Time, Same Channel

We did in fact go out to a Mexican restaurant last night. I completely avoided the chips and salsa. I had just one taco, about 1/3 of my refried beans (and the one chip that was stuck in them), and about two bites of my daughter's grilled chicken. I had water to drink. I figure I got out of that restaurant with under 500 calories for the meal.

I did the shred this morning. I figure one more week at level 1 and then I'll move up to level 2. I'm managing to do the shred only twice/week. I think I should do 3 times/week, but it's going to be hard enough to keep the twice/week going let alone move up to 3 times/week while I'm increasing mileage, mostly because of the increased time spent running.

 No foolin' here, but happy April Fools' Day to everyone.

Long Run

7:21 am, 55-63° F, 16% humidity, wind 8 SW.

It was almost like old times. We ran on the Highline Canal Trail and we had 4 people to start out: Allie, Michelle, Michelle, and me. But Allie had to be home before the rest of us, so she turned around about 10 minutes before we did and went back on her own. It was the three of us after that.

The trail was much more crowded from the start today than it was last Saturday. That's probably on account of the significantly warmer weather. I saw a guy from my office near the beginning. I'll have to talk to him about it on Monday.

I struggled with this run, particularly the last bit. I wanted to do 11.26 to round off my weekly mileage to 33, and we discussed doing an extra .26 on the trail, but I opted to stop after 11. I maybe would have gone on and done the .26 then if I hadn't been so desperately thirsty. It was rather a warm day and I hadn't carried any water with me. I think I need to start carrying water on my long runs. So I did the .26 when I got home. My Sam went with me and he complained the whole time about how slow I am. He's absolutely right.

I don't know about this increasing mileage so rapidly. It is really hard for me. I maybe think I should back off a bit and increase more slowly and focus more on eating right and losing weight. Getting this extra weight off will help me get faster.

AP for the 11 miles on the trail: 10:00. Splits: 10:00, 9:47, 9:41, 9;45, 9:51, 9:56, 10:07, 10:11, 10:08, 10:23, 10:06.

AP for the .26 I did when I got home: 10:22.

I didn't run today because my left quad has been hurting me since last Saturday's run, but it is feeling somewhat better today. Also, my husband was sick to his stomach all weekend and I'm not feeling so great myself now. However, I did manage to do the shred level 1 since I didn't run. I felt very weak, though, so I took it easy and was more Anita than Natalie.

Easy run.

 6:56 am, 45°F, 40% humidity, winds calm.

I really felt lousy all day yesterday. It wore me out just to crawl up the stairs in my house. So when I went to bed, I was not planning on running this morning. I got to bed at a decent time and had a really good night's sleep. I got up in time to drive to seminary and when I was driving home I realized that I felt a lot better than I did yesterday. So when I got home, I got dressed and went out for a run. I could run later because my husband is home on his Spring Break this week.

My quad felt a little tight during part of the run, but it feels okay now.

I started slowly but then got going a little better the second half of the run.

AP: 9:59. Splits: 10:32, 10:24, 10:07, 9:46, 9:55, 9:26, 0.5 @ 9:31.

Tonight is my weigh-in. It was last Tuesday night that I weighed myself and was horrified. I have been really careful this past week, so we'll see if it shows on the scale. I'll post the net change in my weight tomorrow.

Easy run.

6:53 am, 40° F, 61% humidity, winds 5 ENE, heavy clouds but no rain.

I ran the same route that I ran yesterday but a little more slowly. My quad is still feeling a little tight on the downhills. I tried to roll it last night with the stick. Maybe I should ice it. I probably need to rest it. I'm not going to run tomorrow, but then Michelle and I are doing the long run on Friday morning instead of on Saturday because her husband is going to be out of town on Saturday.

I weighed myself last night at about the same time and wearing the same clothes (pajamas) that I did Tuesday night a week ago. The change in my weight for the week was -5 pounds.

AP: 10:10. Splits: 10:33, 10:17, 10:19, 10:01, 10:12, 9:51, 0.5 @ 9:42.

Today is a rest day from running, so I did the shred level 1. I think maybe I'll move up to level 2 next week and do that for about a month, then do level 3 for about a month. I was at Target last night and saw that Jillian has a new DVD that looks similar to the shred. It's called Ripped in 30, or something like that. I didn't buy it. But maybe in a couple of months when I've gotten what I can out of the shred, I'll get it and hopefully it will be different enough from the shred to give me a new challenge.

I always do the shred in bare feet. I'm hoping that strengthens my feet a bit so that one of these days I can start running barefoot or in my Five Fingers.

Long run.

6:29 am, 43° F, 74% humidity, wind 3 NW.

Michelle and I drove to the Highline Canal Trail this morning. We met Allie there and the three of us ran together for about 3 or 3.5 miles, and then Allie turned around because she needed to get home. Michelle and I had both arranged to have our husbands get the kids off to school. Allie is a faster runner than I am right now. Whenever we run with her, we run a little faster. I would like to start out slower. The pace we run with her is a little uncomfortable for me at the beginning of a run, but I can do it. When we were running with her this morning and I knew that we were running a little faster than I wanted to, I just kept telling myself that the way to get faster is to run with people who are faster than you. You can see in my splits that we slowed down after Allie left us, but you also have to consider that this is an out and back route, and the way out is net downhill and the way back is net uphill. This trail isn't particularly hilly, but it is just constantly a little bit up and down. Over the 12 miles, it amounted to 1026 feet of ascent, according to my Garmin. We sped up at the end, about the last half mile.

It's nice to have this long run done and the whole weekend ahead of me. I don't have to get up early tomorrow to go on a long run. However, I do intend to run 4 miles or so tomorrow.

It was perfect weather for running this morning and the trail was not nearly as crowded as it is on Saturday mornings. We saw a few people on the trial, but not many.

AP: 9:52. Splits: 9:55, 9:33, 9:31, 9:38, 9:56, 9:48, 9:58, 10:02, 10:04, 10:10, 10:16, 9:34.

Recovery run.

8:35 am, 44-48° F, 62% humidity, wind 3 NNW.

Since I did my long run yesterday, I got to really sleep in today. I finally dragged myself out the door for a slow 5 miles. So I'm calling it a recovery run. It actually turned into a progression run in that each mile was faster than the one before, but the pace really didn't progress that much.

I had thought about doing the shred after my run today but I don't have time right now. Maybe I'll do it later in the day today.

I spent a lot of time struggling with a technical issue at work yesterday and I couldn't figure it out. While I was running this morning I got an idea that I think is the solution. I need to boot up my work computer and try it.

AP: 10:16. Splits: 10:27, 10:26, 10:15, 10:07, 10:05.

Easy run.

6:10 am, 28-30° F, 49% humidity, winds calm, sunny.

I checked the temperature when I got up this morning and it says 27. It was dark outside at that point and I got a little freaked out and forgot that it was April and thought it was January and put on my two warmest shirts. Mistake. I really didn't need the wool shirt this morning. I got very hot and had a little sweat fest. Since we don't have actual heat in the mornings around here right now, maybe I can get some heat acclimation by over dressing for the cool temperatures.

I had some more ideas about the project I'm doing at work while I was running. I'm really interested in this project. I'm having to learn some new skills to do it and it's lots of fun. I debated getting up and working this morning instead of running, with plans to run later in the day, but then I decided I better get the run done first thing.

I had a little pain in my knee after running on Saturday, and my quad has been tight the past week or so. But I put KT tape on my knee after my run on Saturday and had it taped all weekend. Some old lady noticed the red tape on my leg at church yesterday. In any case, both my knee and my quad felt fine during and after my run today. When I stretched after, I could feel a little tightness in my quad, but not nearly as bad as it as been.

AP: 10:02. Splits: 10:32, 10:16, 10:29, 9:49, 10:02, 9:34, 0.71 @ 9:22.

Sort of a progression run.

6:11 am,  34°F, 43% humidity, wind 2 S.

I had the opposite problem from yesterday today. When I get up in the morning I open up wunderground and see what the temperature is. The weather station that it defaults to is not the closest weather station to my house, but I'm too lazy in the morning to change it. This morning, it said that it was 40°. So I wore shorts and a long-sleeved, but light-weight shirt. I was kind of chilly for about the first 3 miles and then okay, but not particularly warm after that. When I got home, I went back to wunderground and drilled down to the closest weather station to my house. This is what I always do. This weather station said it was 34°. That's probably closer to the truth for where I ran. So yesterday I dressed too warmly and today I didn't dress quite warmly enough.

I didn't set out to do a progression run but I started pushing it just a little bit the last half and especially towards the end. The 5th mile was a little slower than the 4th on account of a big hill.

I'll take jun's advice and switch my weigh-ins to the morning, so I'll do it first thing tomorrow morning instead of tonight. I'm not sure what my results will be this week. I kind of blew the diet on the weekend.

AP: 9:54. Splits: 10:31, 10:26, 10:06, 9:39, 9:42, 9:35, 0.62 @ 9:01.

I did my weigh-in this morning. At first I used the old-fashioned analog bathroom scale that I've been using the last couple of weeks, but it is hard to read. So I decided to use Wii Fit instead. From now on, I'll weigh myself using Wii Fit. As far as I could tell, I got roughly the same results on both scales this morning. So, drum roll please, my weight change in the last week is -4 pounds. Despite Burt's plea, I am not going to post my weight just yet. Maybe I will when I get down to my target weight.

After the weigh-in (and after driving my son to seminary, and making my husbands lunch, and getting my daughter's breakfast), I did the shred level 2. That last circuit in level 2 is a killer. The sweat just pours off of me during that circuit.

Easy run.

6:23 am, 32° F, 84%humidity, wind 5 NNE, snowing.,

I ordered some new shoes a week or so ago and they came Tuesday evening. I inaugurated them this morning. It was cold and wet. It started snowing just before I stepped out the door and snowed pretty steadily for about 15 minutes and then it slowed down progressively and had just about stopped by the time I finished my run. So I got to run for pretty much the entire snowstorm. Lucky me. It was sticking to the grass and cars (and me), but the roads and sidewalks were just wet.

I need to go get warm and dry now.

AP: 10:05. Splits: 10:16, 10:24, 10:09, 9:59, 9:52, 0.64 @ 9:42.

I didn't do so well on the diet yesterday. I ate some cookies. And there are still some cookies left. If my kids don't hurry and eat them, I think I better throw them out.

I did the level 2 shred this morning. Once again, it made me a sweaty, stinky mess.

Long run.

7:21 am, 42-56° F, 26% humidity, wind 2 NE.

Jodee drove for a half hour this morning to meet me and my girls at the Highline Canal Trail. We had a good group this morning. Besides myself and Jodee, we had Michelle, Michelle, and Allie. Michelle #2 turned around after 4 miles because she had to get back home to take her kid to a soccer game. Everyone else went the full 14, and Jodee was planning to do one more after we were done. Jodee did great. She's welcome to join our group any time. It was fun meeting her and having her join us.

I really would have liked to quit the last couple of miles but didn't because I felt like I should stick it out with the girls. I actually pushed the pace the last mile because I just wanted to be done. This is the longest Michelle has ever run because prior to this her longest was a half marathon. So the next few weeks which each bring her her longest run ever.

AP: 9:57. Splits: 10:19, 10:03, 9:54, 9:52, 9:53, 9:52, 9:48, 9:59, 9:54, 10:06, 9:53, 10:14, 10:04, 9:23.

Easy Run - 5 miles + 1 x 8 sec. hill sprint.

6:03 am, 45° F, 54% humidity, wind 3 NW.

I had a hard time getting to sleep last night because I took a late afternoon nap yesterday and that messed me up. Nevertheless, I got out the door at a decent time this morning, which enabled me to be home from my run before my son left for school.

I'm officially starting a 20-week marathon training plan today. It's the marathon plan level 1 from Run Faster by Brad Hudson. I did the level 2 plan from that book when I was preparing for the Ogden Marathon a couple of years ago, but I'm not up to the mileage of the level 2 plan right now. So I'll be doing a lot of hill sprints in the next few weeks. It starts out slow, with just the one hill sprint today. Incidentally, I was pumping my arms so hard on that hill sprint this morning that I pulled my head phones out of my ears.

I saw my husband driving my son to seminary while I was running today.

AP: 9:57. Splits: 10:31, 10:21, 10:00 9:39, 9:26, then just a little bit (just less than 0.1 miles) at 9:05 to get to the bottom of the hill sprint hill. The pace for the 8 sec. hill sprint was 6:46.

Sort of a progression run.

6:14 am, 37° F, 80% humidity, wind 2 S.

Last night I thought about switching this run tomorrow so that I could drive to seminary today and because the kids don't have school tomorrow. But then I found out that there was no seminary today, so I went  back to plan A and did the run.

It was supposed to be an easy run, and I certainly started out easy enough, but then I got going faster on the 2nd half. It wasn't quite a real progression run because the 5th mile was slower than the 4th. I enjoyed the gradual down hill for most of the 6th mile, but not the steep uphill at the very end. I had to go all the way up the hill sprint hill and then more uphill on my street at the end of this run.

Tomorrow morning is my weigh in. Stay tuned for more information.

AP: 9:51. Splits: 10:36, 10:10, 10:05, 9:33, 9:38, 9:01.

Well, I did my weigh-in this morning. The result is -2.4 pounds. (Now that I'm using Wii Fit to weigh myself, I get accuracy to 1/10 of a pound.) That's not quite as much as I hoped, but I wasn't as diligent about the diet this past week as I was previous weeks. It's time to get serious again.

After the weigh-in, I didn't want to do the shred. I just wanted to read my book. I'm reading Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (thanks to Tracy's blog for the recommendation). I read a bit, but then I made myself do the shred (level 2). So now I'm sweaty and smelly. I guess I better take a shower.

Easy run + 1 x 8 sec. hill sprint.

6:37 am, 38° F, 94% humidity, winds calm.

I did my regular 4-mile loop which puts me back at my house after 4 miles, but then I kept running because I had to get to the bottom of the hill sprint hill to do my one hill sprint. So it turns out that the bottom of the hill sprint hill is 0.22 miles from my house. I did the one hill sprint, then walked back home.

I'm struggling with the diet. I didn't do so well yesterday. But now the brownies are gone so maybe I can be good again.

AP: 9:51. Splits: 10:36 (I sure start slowly), 9:56, 9:39, 9:25, 0.22 @ 9:19, 8-sec hill sprint @ 6:13.

I did the shred this morning according to my plan.

I'm really busy with work, so I don't have time to write much.

Long run.

6:21 am, 37-40° F, 16% humidity, winds calm.

I met up with Michelle, Michelle and Allie at the Highline Canal Trail this morning. We met at 6:15 instead of our usual time of 7:15. Now that the runs are getting longer, we're starting earlier so that we can finish at a reasonable time. Michelle #2 invited another friend, also named Michelle, who get there a few minutes later. Michelle and Allie and I did a mile before meeting up with Michelle #2 and Michelle #3, but those two Michelles quickly pulled ahead of us. They were running 8 miles, instead of the 16 that the rest of us were doing, so they could afford to run a little faster. So really it was just the three of us the whole way.

I had a vanilla gu after about 8 1/2 miles and that might have helped a little.

With about 3 miles to go, I pulled out ahead of the others and I thought I had a pretty good lead on them, but I didn't know because I never looked back. And then with a mile to go Michelle went past me and got a good chunk ahead of me and I never caught up with her. I guess we had our own little impromptu race, but not really.

My daughter has started a gymnastics class that takes place the rec center that we start from when we run that trail. Her class starts at 9:00 and we finished the run at 9:00, so after I finished I went in and watched her gymnastics class. I had brought dry clothes to change into, but I was still cold.

We ran a little faster this week than we did last week. We only had 3 miles over the whole run that were slower than 10:00, and they weren't much slower.  I pushed it again on the last mile, but as I said before, I didn't push it enough to catch speedy Michelle.

AP: 9:49. Splits: 9:54, 9:52, 9:44, 9:41, 9:41, 9:51, 9:42, 9:42, 10:06, 9:56, 9:42, 10:03, 9:53, 10:04, 9:56, 9:11.

East run + 2 x 8-sec. hill sprints.

6:01 am, 34° F, 77% humidity,winds 5 SSW.

That 16 mile run last Saturday killed me. I was really sore all day Saturday and I was still significantly sore on Sunday. I felt like I was falling apart. I felt worse than I did after running either of my two marathons. Because my hips were still out of shape on Sunday, I decided to take Monday off. I didn't run or do the shred or anything. But I felt better on Monday, so I got out and ran today. I actually felt pretty good on today's run.

I'm supposed to do 16 miles with Michelle again next Saturday and I have some trepidation about that. Maybe we ran it too fast last week, especially the first few miles. Maybe I can talk them into going really slowly for the first couple of miles.

AP: 9:56. Splits: 10:32, 9:40, 10:07, 9;46, 9:30. Hill sprints: 7:47, 6:47.

Easy run + 2 x 8-sec. hill sprints.

6:18 am, 34-42°F, 34% humidity, wind 7 SSW.

My eating has been out of control for the last week. I am confessing. I did weigh in yesterday and I was up 2.6 pounds. Time to get serious again. I don't know if I can do it. Too much stress at home.

I did manage to get out and run this morning despite that I was up late last night finishing World Without End.

This week I was supposed to run 5 + hill sprints on Monday, 8 on Tuesday, and 5 + hill sprints on Thursday. I didn't run on Monday, and did Monday's run on Tuesday. I didn't run on Wednesday (I didn't even do the shred either). So today I probably should have done Tuesday's 8 miler, but I didn't get out early enough, so I did the 5 + hill sprints. So I've been slacking on my running as well as on my eating.

I took the run nice and easy today. I'm still a little anxious about this coming Saturday.

AP: 10:00. Splits: 10:27, 9:55, 10:06, 10:12, 9:44, 0.61 @ 9:17.
Pace on hill sprints: 6:35, 6:33.

Long run.

6:23 am, 31-39° F, 48% humidity, winds 2 WSW.

Once again, I had to drag myself out of bed early on a Saturday morning to get myself to the Highline Canal Trail. I was a few minutes late this morning, but they waited for me. Michelle and Allie and I all ran the whole distance together. Actually, we ran about 14 miles together, and then the younguns got out ahead of me and I ran the last two miles alone with them up in front of me.

On average, we ran slower today than we did last Saturday. That was my doing. I made a conscious effort to slow us down. However, I ran the last 3 miles faster than I did last week, which means that Michelle and Allie ran those last two files a lot faster than they did last week, since they ran faster than me. (Of course, Michelle was faster than me on the last mile last week too, but Allie wasn't.) I'm hoping that slowing down most of the run today will help me not be as sore tomorrow as I was last Sunday.

My daughter is taking a gymnastics class on Saturdays at the rec center that we park by when we run the trail. So after I was done with the run, I went in to the rec center and took a shower and then watched the end of her class (my husband has to take her to class since I'm running). I had to pay the fee for the rec center since I was using the shower. It was $5.25. That's an expensive shower. Oh well, I guess they also maintain the trail that I use all the time without paying anything, so I don't mind giving them a little money.

AP: 10:02. Splits: 10:18, 10:11, 10:02, 9:52, 10:02, 9;53, 10:00, 10:12, 10:11, 10:17, 10:13, 10:15, 10:20, 9:51, 9:44, 9:09.