Emily's training blog

Well, the first run of the year is now behind me.  Devra met me at my house this morning so we could do a fartlek run.  My legs felt great this morning, but my stomach was really sensitive.  I must have eaten too many New Year's treats. 

We warmed up by running to Valley Park.  We did a loop around the park, and made a bathroom stop at Taylorsville Rec Center.  Then, we ran back to the park.  We ran 3 sets of 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, with 2:2:1 recovery.  I liked the one minute intervals, but not so much the 3 minutes.  Still, it was a good start, and the workout seemed to go quickly.

We finished with a loop around the park, and then ran back to my house.  Now I'm eating a crepe with Nutella.  Thanks, Honey!

I wasn't feeling well again early this morning, so I waited until after I dropped Cole off at pre-school before I went to run.  Lily went to the gym daycare, and I hit the treadmill.  I ran 6 miles, and then had to go to the bathroom.  Then, I decided to run 20 more minutes.  The total run was 9.15 miles, and the total time for the run was 62:16.  That last 20 minutes was pretty tough, but I'm feeling much stronger than last week.  My achilles is still good, though my hip is tight.  I need to foam roll and stretch, or I will be in pain!

I met Devra up in Sandy for a nice rolly run. I kept telling myself, "hills will make you stronger." I notice a definite improvement over last week, but I still hate hills. By the way, Andrea, we ran the same run as you did yesterday and Devra had her garmin. It's 7.55, in case you want to get specific on your weekly mileage. I'm glad to be done with my run at 6:30 in the morning, but I think I'll probably crash around nine.

I warmed up 15 minutes, and then ran 10 sets of 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off.  I started at 6 minute mile pace, and gradually increased over the workout to finish at 5:40 pace.  Then, I cooled down to finish 9 miles.  I think I'm going to feel this one tomorrow, though the paces felt pretty under control.  I was happy that I was recovering well between intervals.  That is a sign of increased fitness.

I'm definitely feeling yesterday's workout.  But, I did feel a little better than I had anticipated.  Still, I kept it short and easy.  I will be fine on my target mileage for the week.   I ran down 4800 to the river trail, to Millrace Park, and home.  My toes were really cold for the first mile, which was a little painful.  But, they warmed up nicely, along with the rest of my body. 

I planned on a 10-12 mile run today, but 4 miles into my run, my stomach started cramping.  After 2 bathroom stops it wasn't any better, so I decided to call it good.  I have a really sensitive stomach sometimes, and I haven't ever figured out exactly what it is that sets it off. 

So, I ended up with a few less miles than I planned on, but still fell within the 45-50 miles for this week.  I didn't get in a 10 miler for my long run, but I did 10 miles on Monday with a fartlek in it.  I ran 2 fartlek workouts, and put in 2 consecutive training weeks.  So, despite the small snafu today, it was a pretty good week.

Next week my mileage plan is 50-55.  I would like to run 12 on my long run, and keep two fartlek workouts in the week.  My goal for next week is to add in some more gym time (cross training and strength work.)   I will add two gym workouts in next week.

I felt much better today than I did on Saturday.  I spent way too long last night talking with Teren, so when the alarm went off at 5, I was very tempted to go back to sleep.  But, I made it out of bed and out the door.  That's my big mental victory of the day!  

I ran a 3 mile warm-up followed by 2 sets of 1-2-3-2-1 minute intervals with 1-1-2-1-1 recovery.  Most of the intervals stayed within 5:45-5:55 pace, with a couple of the 1 minute intervals getting down to 5:25-5:30 pace.  I only cooled down enough to hit 8 miles because I still needed to go to the store to get milk for the kids' breakfast.  Oh, the joys of family life!

Treadmill day today.  I had a difficult time sleeping last night since Lily was up, and Teren was snoring.  I used to be a deep sleeper, until I had kids.  Now, I'm an insomniac, though hard running helps me sleep more deeply. 

So, after dropping Lily off in the daycare, I ran 10 miles, increasing my pace every half mile.  I also threw in 2 minute hills every 10 minutes. 

I'm continuing to experience some tightness in my left hip and back.  Stretching helps, but I need to add in some core and hip strength work.  I picked up a couple of workouts designed by the trainers at my health club.  It will be fun to try them out and see how they work.  It looks like they change the workouts every week.  It's always good to add more weapons to the arsenal!

Some mornings it is difficult to get out the door and get going.  Luckily, this morning I had help from a little girl who wanted a drink 15 minutes before my alarm was set to go off.  I'm glad Lily is so concerned that her mom gets her run in.

I ran the 1300-7th-2700 loop . . . love the mile long hill from 6200S to 7000 S on 2700.  At least when I get to the top it is all downhill the rest of the way home

I dreamed about the Olympic Trials last night.  I was there watching, and Shalane Flanagan won, with Kara Goucher second.  I never did see who came in third.  The funny thing was, they only ran a half-marathon.  They ran 1:12-1:13, which would be a very slow half for them.  Kind of a funny dream.  Oh, and Ryan Hall won the men's race, sporting long hair and a handlebar mustache. 

I missed running yesterday.  I don't really have an excuse except I slept in and thought I would run later in the day.  Later never seems to happen.   I think the rest day did me a bit of good though.  I seemed to be a little bit pounded, and I felt less nagginess in my trouble areas today.

I avoided the super-cold morning (11 degrees windchill . . BRRR!).  But, that meant a workout on the treadmill.  I warmed up 3 miles and then ran 7 sets of 3 minutes on, 2 minutes off.  I started at 10.0mph, and increased .1 every interval.  The last set I started at 10.6 and increased .1 every minute.  I finished at 10.8 mph.  The workout only started to get particularly difficult when I dipped under 5:40 pace.  The recovery pace was 8 mph or 7:30 pace.  When I finished I had about 1.75 miles left to finish 10 for the day.  The total time for my run, including warm up and cool down was 66:30. 

With my 14 mile run tomorrow I will finish out 50 miles this week.  It's probably not the smartest way to go about hitting my mileage.  I need to be more careful about not missing running days.

I couldn't even blog my workout until after I watched the Olympic Trials because I didn't want to accidentally stumble across the results.  So, I just finished  dancing around my living room, trying to will the runners across the line.  It is definitely bittersweet to watch the trials.  My heart broke a little bit again, knowing that I have the ability to be there, but have struggled with injuries.  But, I am definitely inspired by the work ethic and the extreme mental toughness of the runners in the trials.  It put the fire back in my soul, after a few apathetic months of trying to heal up, and contemplating giving up running all together.  I just want "that moment".  The one where all of the hard work and struggles come together, and it is all worth it.  I don't even know right now what "that moment" is.  But, I want it again. 

Today was a good step back on that path.  I made it through a 14 mile run, though I was starting to struggle a bit after 10.  I can tell a huge difference in fitness over the last three weeks, that makes me feel encouraged.  Of course, it helped having some great running partners, so Allie and Andrea, thanks for pulling me along today.

We met a pretty big group at Tanner Park this morning.  I hope it continues to grow.  We ran out 2700 S, onto Murray-Holladay Road, up to Wasatch Blvd, and back to 2700 S and the park.  We managed to run just under 7:10 a mile, which was not a bad pace! 

I'm happy I managed to increase my long run.  I also hit my first 50 mile week.  I didn't meet my goal this week of adding in some cross training and strength training, so I will be keeping that goal for next week.  I would like to go up to 55 miles next week, and probably keep the long run in the 13-15 mile range for a while. 

I was just about to leave for the health club to do my run when I received a call from a friend who wanted to meet up with the kids for lunch.  So, that only gave me an hour to get my workout in.  I ended up running a couple of miles shorter than I had originally planned, but it was a quality workout.

I wanted to do some tempo running, so I decided 2 x 10 minutes would be a good start.  I warmed up 10 minutes and then jumped into my workout.  The first interval I started at 10.0 mph, and jumped to 10.1 at the halfway point.  Ten seconds before I was finished with the interval, the treadmill jerked to a stop.  I felt like I was going to be thrown from the treadmill.   After switching treadmills, I ran easy for 5 minutes, and then did my second interval.  On the second interval I started at 10.1 mph, and increased every 3 minutes.  I finished the last 2 minutes at 10.4 mph.  Then, I cooled down until I hit 7 miles.  Total time for 7 miles was 45:50.  Next time I do this workout, I would like to add one more 10 minute rep.  Then I should be ready to put it all together for a 30 minute tempo run. 

After my workout, I grabbed my kids from the daycare and headed to McDonalds for a lunch date.  (Don't worry, I ate a chicken wrap and a side salad . . . no big macs for me after a tempo run!)  Every other mommy in Taylorsville had the same idea.  Holiday + snowy weather = a total zoo at McDonalds.  I like my own children, but 50 other little monkeys running around the playground was a little much.  I especially disliked the one that kept screaming for no reason other than he liked the sound of his voice . . . I should have stayed at the health club and finished 3 more miles!

Swelling in my arch and tight calves . . . time for a couple of cross training days.  I don't need any more achilles mishaps.

AM:  I stayed at my house, dusted off my spinning bike, and cycled for an hour while watching crappy tv.  I watched an episode of Pretty Little Liars and an episode of Grimm before the ride was through. 

PM:  I jumped on the elliptical for 20 minutes before Boot Camp class.  Andrea came and met me to share in the torture.  There were only three of us suckers in the class, Andrea, myself, and a tri-athlete.  We worked hard.  I like having a 5 pm class available, but I hope the attendance picks up so they don't take it off the schedule.  I am going to be so sore tomorrow!!!

Andrea came and met me again for a cycling class.  I'm glad I have a buddy to be a gym rat with.  I don't know if I would have made it to the club if I didn't know that she was going to be there.  Lily had one of her not-so-wonderful nights and screamed from 1-3.  I was trying the tough love approach and letting her cry it out.  Finally, at 3 she settled down and I was able to rock her for a few minutes until she slept. 

Class was tough.  I'm already sore from last night, which means I'm going to be in serious pain by this evening.  Yesterday's hour in front of the tv was much easier.

My foot seems to be doing better.  I was just going to do an easy run, but got ancy and decided to do a workout.  I warmed up 3 miles, and then ran 10 sets of 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off.  Then, I cooled down until I reached nine miles.

After the workout, I went to the club and lifted.  I am still sore from Wednesday!  My workout was:

3 x 10 clean and presses

3 x 10 flies

3 x 10 bicep curls (regular, hammer, and out-ins)

3 x 10 shoulders, alternating presses and front-raises

3 x 10 triceps alternating with tricep dips

3 x 15 each leg step-ups

3 x 12 one legged squats on stability pad

My whole family was sick last week, including me.  Nasty winter viruses!   But, now we are all on the mend, except for Teren, who started coughing last night. 

I ran an easy six down 4800 S, and on to the River Trail.  Some guy wearing basketball shorts passed me on the slippery wooden walk way because I was taking it very slowly since it was dark and I couldn't see.  I passed him on the trail, but then I turned down a side trail, which I thought connected with the main trail.  It didn't.  I re-traced my steps, and found myself behind Basketball Shorts.  I think I freaked him out a little bit because I kept disappearing and re-appearing throughout his run.  I left the trail at Millrace Park, and ran through the Taylorsville High driving range and parking lot, through the neighborhood, and back to my house. 

I decided that I am done with winter!

PM:  Half an hour of running, followed by cycle class.  A fun filled hour of alternating hill and sprint drills.  Glad I had Andrea there to suffer with me.

Yesterday did me in.  I only managed 5 miles today.  But, I should be ready to go for a longer run and boot camp tomorrow! 

PS  The river trail is completely clear.  Jake wanted to know.

Track workout with Devra.  We warmed up 3 miles, and then ran a ladder 200-400-600-800-800-600-400-200.  Times were 34, 1:19, 2:00, 2:44, 2:46, 2:01, 1:17, 36.  It felt foreign to my body to move that quickly.  I love track workouts, though I would like to be running them faster.  Speed will come!  It wasn't a bad start. 

After the workout, we cooled down 2 more miles.

Devra is fast!

Long-ish run today.  I planned on taking a lifting class at 9:15, so I decided to just do everything at the club.  I ran a progressively faster run, starting at 7:30 pace, and increasing every 4 minutes.  The first 20 minutes was nice and easy, the second 20, still nice and comfortable.  The third 20 minutes I began to wonder when the workout was going to be over, and the fourth was hard . . . of course that 20 minutes averaged out at 6:10 pace, with the last mile at 6:00.  Then, I rode the exercise bike easy for 15 minutes to get my legs back under me, and to kill time before class.

I went out to the Oval for an early morning fartlek run.  I like having a safe, well-lit place to do speed workouts.  I don't like having to run around groups of joggers who are strung out over three lanes.  Of course, the track traffic is probably minimal at 5:30 in the morning. 

I warmed up three miles, and then ran 5-4-3-2-1 minute intervals with 1:1 recovery.  I usually like shorter recovery, but I will build in to that as I add more intervals.  I usually stuck between 5:40-5:45 pace, with a 5:20 pace on the last minute.  I cooled down 5 laps to finish at 8.5 miles. 

I combined two routes today to make a new one.  I ran 1300W, out to 6200S, up to 2700W, to 3800S, up to 2200W, and back home.  I almost got hit by a car crossing a gas station parking lot, and my I-pod bit it at 6.5 miles.  The victory is in getting up and getting the run done!  The day can only improve from here, right?

Tempo day today.  I ran a 2 mile warm-up, followed by 3 x 10 minutes with 5 minute recovery in betweeen.  This was done on the treadmill since I slept in this morning and needed to utilize the day care.   The first ten minutes I ran 10.0 mph for the first 5 minutes, and 10.1 for the second.  The second 10 minutes I ran 10.1 and then 10.2.  The final 10 minutes I ran 10.2 for the first five, 10.3 for the next 2. 5 minutes, 10.4 for 90 seconds, and finished at 10.5 for the last minute.  So, the workout started at 6 minute mile pace,  and finished at 5:42 mile pace.  I cooled down until I hit 9.5 miles for the day.

I found out yesterday that a friend of mine from high school has breast cancer.  So, I decided to run the Race for the Cure in May in her honor. 

Devra came to my house to join me on a 10  mile run.  I felt pretty good after yesterday's hard effort.  I must be getting back into shape.  We ran out to 3500 S, down to the River trail, and took the trail up to MillRace Park.  We ran our usual course up to the high school.  The driving range was blocked off because of construction, so we had to go through the neighborhoods by the school.  It lengthened the run a little bit, but we were able to run on Lovely Road, Joyful Street, and my favorite, Smiley Avenue. 

It was a nice morning for a run, except for the breeze.  When the wind was at my back, I started peeling off the layers.  But, when I turned into the wind, I started to freeze and had to put the clothes back on.  Overall, though, it was a pleasant morning. 

I ran out 1300 W to 7800 S, down to the rivertrail, on the River Trail to 4800S, and back up through the neighborhood to my house.  The last three miles were uphill and into the wind, so it was a tough finish.

I spent a couple of miles in the middle of my run contemplating the true mysteries of life.  Which is a better (or worse) song:   I'm Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO, or the 90's classic I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred . . . or, there is always the oldie-but-goodie Do Ya Think I'm Sexy by Rod Stewart . . . hmmmmm.  I think I needed a running partner today.

I was so tempted to roll over and go back to sleep this morning, but I dragged myself out of bed and out to the Oval for a track workout.  It's difficult to move fast at 5:30 in the morning, but I'm glad that I am finished now. 

I warmed up three miles, and then ran 4 800's, 4 400's , and 4 200's.  I was going to finish with the 200's, but I thought they would be good as a part of my warm up to get me going, so I ran them first, with a minute recovery in between.  The 800's had a lap jog recovery in between, and the 400's had a ninety second recovery in between.

200's:  37, 38, 38, 39

800"s:  2:44, 2:44, 2:43, 2:45

400's:  78, 77, 79, 79

I ran a mile and a half cool down to bring my mileage to nine. 

I made friends with the jogger girls today.  It's easy to be friendly when they tell you how fast and skinny you are.  Who doesn't love to have their ego stroked?

I'm feeling ugh-ish this morning.  My legs definitely feel yesterday's speed workout.  My calves didn't like running in racing flats.  They are sore today.  But, the morning run is done, and now I can enjoy Valentine's Day.  (If by enjoy I mean helping patrol a pre-school Valentine's party filled with 25 4-year-olds hopped up on sugar.)   Sigh.  Where did the romance go?

I woke up this morning with a queasy stomach.  It didn't go away during the run, so I shortened my workout a bit.  I went to Sugarhouse Park this morning to get in a little bit of rolling hills.  I warmed up with a big outer lap, which was a little tricky to navigate in the dark. Then, I ran 10 x 1 minute on/off.  I had planned on 15-20, but wasn't feeling so well.  My legs felt great, though.  I cooled down with another outer lap. 

I liked having a mid-week run with a little turnover.  The workout is easy enough that it doesn't kill you, but still gives you a little speed. 

Teren gave me a new i-pod for Valentine's Day, so I had fun trying it out this morning. 

I warmed up three miles and then ran a 30 minute tempo run.  I ran 5.11 miles for thirty minutes.  Then, I cooled down 3 more miles. I felt pretty good for my first extended tempo run in a while.

After a lazy weekend, and a particularly un-motivated Saturday, I got my head together, and got out for a fartlek run early this morning out at the oval.  I think I would have preferred to run a fartlek run outside, because it seemed to go on forever this morning.  But, after the weekend's snow, it looked pretty cold and slippery on the roads.

I warmed up 8 laps, and then ran six sets of 3 minutes on, 2 minutes off.  I noticed that the paces are starting to get faster than prior workouts, so my speed must be coming back.  The shorter recovery made the workout pretty tough.  The pace for the fast parts were mostly between 5:35 and 5:45 pace. 

I cooled down 3 more miles to finish for the day.  My goal this week is to not miss a day of training, which means making sure I get up early and get my workouts done. 

Treadmill day.  I ran an hour on the treadmill, starting at 8.5 mph and increasing .1 every 5 minutes for the first 20 minutes, every 4 minutes for the second 20 minutes, and every 3 minutes for the last 20 minutes.  I felt good, but the last 8-10 minutes were pretty tough.

Darn it.  I overslept and didn't get out for a run yesterday.  So, that means a few longer days to get a respectable (for me) amount of mileage in.  I was nice and fresh for my workout, though. 

I warmed up three miles, and then ran 3 x 2 miles with half a mile recovery in between.

#1:  11:54.88  Recovery: 3:41.04

#2:  11:42.41  Recovery: 3:38.29

#2:  11:27.56  Followed by a 2 mile cooldown.  The total time for the 7 miles of the workout was 42:30.  So, within the workout itself, I got a tempo run in.  Two workouts for the price of one!

I'm sure I will feel this workout tomorrow. 

I have very sore, dead legs today.  I definitely pushed hard yesterday.  I just kept telling myself, get out for at least five.  I think 90% of the battle is just getting out of the door.  My 5 extended itself.  I can't say I felt great, but it was nice to run in the sunshine instead of the dark like I usually do. 

Saturday long run done.  I'm feeling sorry for all of those who are running the 15k today.  This wind blows!  (Ha Ha Ha).  Now that the run is over, we're taking Cole and Lily to see the "real" Captain America at the Safe Kids Fair.  Gotta get mentally prepared for a swarming throng of kids. 

Sick baby girl.   Hung up the runner hat today, and just wore my mom hat. 

I warmed up three miles and ran 5 x 5 minutes on/3 minutes off.  They were mostly 5:30-5:40 pace, with the first set at 5:42 pace, and the last one under 5:30.  I feel good in this range.  Under 5:30 starts to feel hard.  I could probably use a few turn-over workouts to get my paces down a bit more.   I cooled down a mile and a half to give myself 10 for the day.

I met the East High kids down at Liberty Park for a tempo run this afternoon. I figure if I can find enough babysitters to let me get some group runs in, it would really help my fitness and maybe I can help some of them out, too. 

I warmed up two miles and the tempo was supposed to be 6 miles at 6:05-6:10 pace.  The wind was a little nasty, and made it difficult to keep the pace even.  I was kind of all over the place with my run.  Our first 3 miles were too fast, and then the wheels started to fall off in the 4th mile.  At mile 4 my chest started to pound really hard.  I drank a vitamin water before practice, and I think it had some "energy" supplements in it.  So, I stopped there to get some breath back.  Then, I felt guilty for stopping, so jogged half a mile, and caught Natalie with a mile to go.  I paced her through the last mile.  So, my workout was 4 miles of tempo and a mile repeat.  I have some building to do, and no more vitamin water before workouts.

After the tempo, we met "Cool Carl" who kissed each of the girls' hands, and then gave us a martial arts demonstration.  It was creepy.

I met the East High distance kids at the oval for a speed workout. Normally, I wouldn't run a speed the day after a tempo, but I felt surprisingly good after yesterday. I wanted a workout that was consistently under 5:20 pace, which I haven't done much of lately. The workout was 2 x 800 followed by 2 sets of 5 x 300, with 100 jog between each interval, and a one lap jog between the sets. We ran a 400 jog between the 800's.

We started with an 8 lap warm-up, followed by 4 laps of speed changes.

My 800's were both 2:36.77. How's that for consistency. I wanted to go for 55-57 seconds on the 300's but found myself working to push Natalie, who was supposed to run 52-54 seconds on the 300s.

Set 1: 54, 53.25, 53.07, 52.73, 53.88

Set 2: 52.94, 53.77, 53.21, 53.40, 52.59.

I haven't moved that quickly in a very long time. It sure makes a difference when you are chasing down speedy high schoolers.

We cooled down 5 laps to give us 10 for the workout. This was a far cry from the 2:45 400's I was running a couple of weeks ago. I'm hoping sub-5:30 pace will start to feel more comfortable soon.

My legs are shot today. I'm definitely feeling yesterday's speed workout. My goal for today was to keep the pace easy, and the run relatively short. I felt nice an aerobic the whole run. I still have one more workout and a long run this week, so it's good to have a recovery day.

I'm still feeling Tuesday's workout, but it's starting to improve.  The weather would be absolutely perfect, except for that nasty Utah spring wind.  But, the sunshine is giving me spring fever.  I hope the next couple of days are nice. 

I ran out 4800S to the River Trail, south to Winchester, up to 1300W, to 5400S and home.  Nothing too exciting to report, except I ran the course 3 minutes faster than when I started back from my injury in December.   That's progress! 

I was feeling a lot better today. I wanted to do a fartlek workout, but wanted to make sure that I didn't work too hard since tomorrow is long run day.  I wanted it to be a progression, with a focus on endurance.  I already got the speed in this week. 

I warmed up 15 minutes, and then ran 11 sets of 3 minutes on/2 minutes off, starting at marathon (well, actually probably closer to half marathon pace right now) pace and increasing the pace every set until I reached 5k pace.  The 2 minute recovery was at 7:30 pace.  I started at 6 minute mile pace, and ended up at 5:24/mile pace, with the majority between 5:30-5:40.  Only the last 3 started to feel difficult.  I cooled down about 10 minutes to finish a 75 minute run.  Total distance for 75 minutes was 11.57 miles.

I just hit my first 60 mile week in a very long time. Now I feel like I'm training! I met Andrea on the river trail for a long run. I know we were supposed to go 7:30 pace, but somehow the pace kept dropping down. I still felt good, though a little tired from yesterday. I was happy that Andrea felt strong, too.  I'm very happy with this week's training. 

Today was tempo day. Since it was windy, I just ran for time instead of a measured distance.  I warmed up 2 miles and then ran 3 x 15 minutes with 5 minutes recovery in between.  To finish up, I cooled down until I hit 12 miles.  Good start to the week.

Two weeks ago, Lily was sick. This week it is Cole's turn.  I didn't want to expose a babysitter to his nasty germs, so I just stayed home with Cole yesterday.  But, I'm committed to equaling, or bettering last week's mileage.  It's going to take some work, though.  I'm glad I got a long day on Monday.

I went to the Oval this morning because I didn't want to run in the dark.  I warmed up 3 miles and ran 20 x 200 on/off.  Either I'm still tired from Monday, or my body doesn't like moving that fast at 5:00 a.m.  I really thought I would hit them faster based on last Tuesday's workout.  Most of them were mid 37's with a couple at 38, and a couple at 36.  I cooled down until I hit 9 miles.  I'm planning on a second run tonight.  Yay!  Doubles!

It was very warm and windy today. I ditched my shirt halfway through the run and exposed the world to my flabby white belly.  Sexy!  I ran out 1300W to 7800S (into the wind) and down to the river trail.  Then, I enjoyed clicking off 3.5 quick miles with the wind at my back along the trail.  I left the trail at Millrace Park, ran through the neighborhood to Redwood Road.  When I crossed Redwood Road I put my shirt back on so that I wouldn't scare my neighbors, and ran home. 

I had planned a fartlek run today, but my legs are completely dead.  Trying to fit 60 miles into 5 days is not working.  I really need not to miss training days.  It's too difficult to make up the mileage.  So, I ran an easy 6 on the soft surfaces at Sugarhouse Park.  I'm hoping to run a strong 15 tomorrow.  And, if I get anal about my mileage, I may do another 4 this afternoon, but recovery might trump mileage.

I felt much better after a recovery run yesterday. I managed to get 15 miles in, which is my longest run in a really long time. I was 3 miles short of my goal mileage for the week.  That's not too bad.  I need to make sure to get ALL training days in next week, so I'm not loading the other days to get my mileage in.

I was still feeling the effects of Saturday's long run, so I gave myself one more day of recovery before doing a workout. 

I bought new shoes today.  I didn't realize how beat up my old ones were until I put the new ones on.  Hopefully some of the naggy little aches will go away, now. 

I tagged along on Devra's workout today.  She had a long run with 20 x 30 seconds on/off in the middle of it.  It was a rough day for me.  My legs are still feeling a bit dead.  I felt alright on the 5.2 miles to the park, but the speed part was really hard.  I was pretty discouraged that I didn't seem to be able to keep up with Devra.  But, after the workout I realized that she was wearing racing flats, and I was wearing my new klunky trainers.  I'm sure that made all the difference!  We ran 3.2 miles for the 20 minute part, so we were still moving pretty well.   

During the cooldown, I began to energy crash.  That was the longest 3 miles ever.  I was so dizzy by the time I got home.  I definitely need to pay more attention to nutrition and hydration.  And, I pray that I never have that feeling should I choose to run a marathon some day.

Some sad news today:  My college coach had a double heart attack yesterday.  He's out of ICU now, but it was a shock to hear.  I loved Coach Shane, and I know that he has influenced all of the women who were BYU athletes.  I hope his recovery goes well.

I almost opted for cross training or a short run today.  I'm just so tired!  I've been looking at other runners' blogs, and I know that a lot of runners run their recovery runs a lot slower than I do.  I don't know why it freaks me out to run more slowly on recovery days.  So, I tried it today.  I didn't quite hit 7:30's as Andrea challenged me to, but I was over 7 minute pace which is pretty good for me.  I still have it in the back of my mind that if I run slowly I will race slowly.  But, I know logically that it is important to recover (especially since I'm not 25 years old any more.)  So, I will try to slow it down and make sure I hit my hard days hard  and see what happens. 

I got up early for a morning run today.  It was nice and relatively calm outside, although it was very dark.  I ran 4800S to 1300W, out to 7000S, down to the River Trail, up to Millrace Park, up to 1300W, over to 5400S, and home.  I tried to keep it nice and easy, though I think I sped up a bit when I hit the trail. 

I read a good article about Lauren Fleshman from Running Times this morning to get me pumped up to go run.  I love her "hippie-chick" persona that is so different from most runners.  She is also so inspiring with her tenacity and ability to overcome injuries and achieve her goals.  She's one of my favorite runners, and  I love how she interacts with the running community.

I feel a head cold coming on.  Hopefully it doesn't get full-blown.

Rough week! I felt a little better than I did during the week, but there is still quite a bit of fatigue in my legs.  I'm trying to keep the mileage up, though. 

I met Devra at Liberty Park for a speed workout.  We ran 3 x 1 mile with half a mile recovery, and finished out with a half mile.  My goal was sub- 5:45, but I really wanted them under 5:40.

Mile 1:  5:37

Mile 2: 5:40

Mile 3: 5:45

Half Mile: 2:58  (Whoops!  Legs gave out, plus, a headwind kicked up.)

I noticed that I'm lacking some strength.  I haven't been doing any core or upper-body work, and I can tell when I try to pull with my arms and they don't respond.  So, I need to add that back in to my training regimen. 

I also realized that I really need to stay off of the treadmill more.  It's great for pulling me a long to fast workouts, but doesn't do much for making me stronger.

We warmed up and cooled down 3 miles.  I hope this workout goes better next time.  It was a good reality check as to where my fitness REALLY is right now.

I had terrible insomnia last night. I fell asleep at 10, woke up at 11:30, and then couldn't fall back asleep until 4:00 AM.  I woke up at 7 to get the kids up and ready for soccer.  I was so groggy and nauseous all day, that I decided to give myself an extra day recovery.  Insomnia is usually an indicator that I'm overtired.  I will try to push the mileage back up next week.

I planned on an interval workout this morning at the Oval.  I thought it would be good to get the speed in early this week, since I just had two days off.   My legs did feel better, but still lacking some spring.  

When I got to the oval, they had all the pads pushed out onto the track because they were removing the ice.  I would have to run in lane three to stay clear of the pads.  So, I turned the interval workout into a fartlek workout.  I warmed up three miles, and then ran 2 sets of 1:2:3:2:1, with 1:1:2:1:1 recovery.  I cut the third set back to 1:2:2:1 with 1:2:1:1 recovery.   I had some faster intervals, and some slower ones, but it seems that my body really likes to settle in the 5:35-5:45 range. 

I cooled down just a mile to reach 10.  I plan on a short recovery run this afternoon.

My hip was a little tight the first three miles of the run today, but then it seemed to smooth out. I ran 4800S down to the river trail, out to the 5 mile turnaround and back. I felt pretty good today, and it was a beautiful morning. It was nice to have a morning with no wind.

I slept in a bit and then ran a nice easy nine this morning.  Emily Bates called me yesterday and asked if I would like to join her on a tempo run tomorrow.  I think I'm in for a tough time.  Her tempo is 2 x 5 miles at 6:10-6:15 pace.  I guess we'll see what kind of shape I'm really in.  It will be fun to run with Emily, but I must admit to being a bit intimidated!

I was very nervous about this morning's workout, but now that it is over, I feel very encouraged about where my fitness is headed.  This was a good mental workout for me.  I always want to hammer during speedwork, but I knew that if I did that today, I wouldn't be able to finish. 

We did adapt the workout to a 5 mile tempo, followed by a 3 mile tempo.  We only had about 3/4 mile recovery in between.  The pace was supposed to be 6:10-6:15. 

For the 5 mile tempo, I ran 30:25  (6:05 pace).  My legs felt good, but I felt a little tight in my chest starting at 3.5 miles.   Mile 4 fell off a bit, but I came back hard on mile 5.  I did fall off a bit on the three mile, but still stayed within the time goal.  I ran 18:23 (6:08 pace).  I guess ideally it would be good to run faster on the 3 mile, but I just wanted to get through the workout. 

This was definitely a good strength run.  I think Emily Bates is ready for Boston! 

I warmed up 3, and was only able to jog a little afterward because I had to get home. 

I thought that I would run my long run today and avoid the wind tomorrow.  But, Devra called before I went out the door and wanted to meet for a long run.  I much prefer having a running partner.  So, if anyone wants to get their run done early, we are meeting at 6:30 at the JRT trailhead at 3300S.  We thought we would like having the wind at our back the second half of the run.  Sorry it's so early.  I have a morning soccer game to get to.

I'm glad that I opted for a shorter run.  My legs were a lot more tired than I thought.  I just ran an hour easy.  Hopefully, I'll have a little bounce in my step tomorrow.  Of course, if I'm still tired, the wind should keep me from running too fast.

I met Devra on the JRT for an out-and-back 15 miler.  We ran into the wind going out, and with the wind coming back.  The wind wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it was still noticeable.

We ran 7:11 average pace going out, and 6:31 average pace coming back.  Total pace: 6:52.  Yes, I'm tired. 

I got up extra early today because we have to go to a funeral up in Logan. Tomorrow we leave for a week in Montana visiting my family, so it's going to be a challenge to get all of the miles in.

Since I was up so early, I just went and ran on the treadmill.  I started at 8.0 mph and bumped up every 4 minutes.  I felt good and under control.  My legs still had a little bit of Saturday's run left in them.  Plus, my heel inserts rubbed a blister open on the outside of my foot.  I've been trying to get it healed, but I seemed to have ripped it back open today.  OUCH!

I did an early morning track workout.  I could feel yesterday's car ride in my left hip as I was warming up, but otherwise, I felt pretty good.  I warmed up 2.5 miles and then ran 4 x 200, 2 at goal interval pace, and 2 at 36-37.  Then, I ran 8 x 800 with 400 jog recovery in between. When I get into a pace on the track, it is tough for me to get out of it.  The 800's were really consistent.  I think having a partner would help make them a little faster, but overall it was a good workout.  I need to do some workouts where I have to break out of a pace.  I saw one on Running times that was 4 x 1200 at 10k race pace with 100 meter recovery, followed by a 400 at 5k race pace, 400 meters between sets.  I may try that workout soon. 

Anyway, my times were: 2:47, 2:46, 2:44.54, 2:44.29, 2:46.21, 2:45.94, 2:45.82, 2:45.49.

I would have liked them to be under 2:45, but was glad that they were all under 2:48. 

I cooled down until I hit ten miles.  Now, off to Montana.  I'm looking forward to running all the dirt roads that are near my hometown.  I need to remember to stretch during the drive today.

Went out for a run, and within a mile I was limping.  The moleskin came off my blister.  So, I limp-ran home.

The blister on my foot became a big, open, raw sore.  I had peeled away several layers of skin by continuing to run with an unprotected blister.  No matter what I would try to cover it up, the friction of my shoes would wear the cover off and rub right on the sore.  So, I eventually had to let it heal. I spent most of the week barefoot.  I couldn't stand having anything press up against my foot.  Sidelined by a blister.  Today Teren rigged up a foam "donut" that I taped to my foot that kept my shoe from rubbing on my foot.  It helped a lot, though I could still feel a little pressure on it.

I went to the club to try out my new blister treatment.  If it started to hurt, I could stop and not have to limp home like I did last week.  I ran 7 miles.  My lungs felt great, but my legs took some time to wake up after a week of no running.  My hip was a bit tight, so I stopped at 7.  I followed up my run with a weight lifting session.  Hopefully, I'm back on track. 

It was a beautiful morning for running. Too bad I felt like a 300 pound 70 year old with a limp.  I've definitely lost fitness the last two weeks.  I'm sure it will come back quickly, but I won't be jumping right back in where I left off.  At least the blister is healed.  No more rubbing!  I ran 4800S to the River Trail, and then up to 1300 W via Boullion.  Perfect running weather!

Rainy morning.  I ran on the treadmill.  I wanted to put some turnover work into the run so I can start getting used to faster paces again.  I started at 8.0 mph and increased .1 every half mile.  Every 5 minutes I threw in a minute long surge, starting at 10.0 mph and increasing .1 every interval.  I did 10 sets, so finished at 10.9 mph or 5:30 pace.  It wasn't too bad except for at the end, when I only backed down to 6:20-6:30 pace.  Total time for 8 miles: 52:57.

So, I've been MIA from the blog ever since I became pregnant.  I always have the best intentions when it comes to working out through my pregnancies, but the first trimester always wipes me out. I've been running a bit, even entering a couple 5ks, but I want to be more consistent.  So, I decided to start blogging workouts again.  It gives me some accountability.  Plus, maybe other women would be interested in reading my pre-natal workouts.  My workouts from this point out will probably be a combination of running and cross-training, until the running gets too painful.

Today I did a 40 minute interval workout on the elliptical; 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off for 10 sets.  I followed that up with a 4 mile run on the treadmill at a 7:33 average.  My biggest problem is that my blood sugar seems to tank around an hour of cardio, so I may have to make sure that I have some gus with me.  I took the kids to get jamba juices after my workout.  My jamba was heavenly after working out.

4.5 miles on the SLCC loop, followed by 45 minutes on the spinning bike.  The bike ride was relatively mellow.  I thought I would watch some Olympics while I rode, but the only thing on at 6 a.m was water polo between Montengro and Hungary.  Not too exciting.

The Olympics are messing with my sleeping! Even though I have a DVR, I am staying up way too late at night watching.  Then, I'm so psyched up that it is even more difficult to sleep.  Oh well.  The same Olympics that are keeping me up are motivating me to get my butt out of bed in the morning.

I ran 5.3 miles, down to the River Trail off of 4800 S, and up at Millrace Park.  My route got a bit extended since I have to go all the way around the high school now instead of through the lot.  I felt pretty good running this morning, and only needed one potty stop.

When I got home, I took a gu and hopped on my bike for a little longer of a workout.  The gu really helped keep my blood sugar in check.  Women's cycling time trials were on, which made me push harder on the bike.  Hmmm . . . I wonder if I could be a good cyclist!  I biked for half an hour.  (My butt was sore from yesterday.  I need to adjust to the saddle again.)

Just a run this morning.  The 5-6 hours of sleep is starting to catch up with me.  I actually turned the Olympics off early last night.  I ran out 1300 W to Winchester, down to the river trail and off at 5300S.  Total time: 47:41. 

Yesterday was my 14 week appointment. (Only 26 to go, but who's counting?)  I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time, which never gets old no matter how many kids you have.  And, the dreaded weigh in . . . 122.75 for a total of 4 pounds in the first 14 weeks.  Of course, the mint-brownie ice cream I had last night may have put me over the 123 mark. 

I try not to freak out too much about the weight gain.  It's healthy for the baby.  But, after my 40 pound weight gain with Lily, it took quite a while to get the last 10-15 pounds off.  So, I thought I would try to keep an eye on it better this time around.  Broadcasting it to the blog will probably help.

We are in Cedar City visiting family, which means lots of people, and little sleep.  It's a fun kind of chaos, though.  I had the opportunity this morning to run with the high school's cross country team.  I scoped out the invitational course before we headed out on our run.  We run a six mile run up to a water tower on a dirt trail.  After 3 miles we turned back.  The coach mentioned that he wished I was in high school . . . so do I!  It was fun to have something different to run, and fun to see what other high school teams do.  The East kids are definitely working harder this summer than probably anyone, so it will be fun to see how the season goes.  

Based on that run, this pregnant 34 year old would be on Cedar's varsity boys team.

The run took me 44:54, so right under 7:30.  Not bad for a really tough course. 

Early run before a busy day.  Today's run was not very exciting . . .3 miles up the highway and three miles back, with a 2 minute jog in the neighborhood as a little cooldown.  7:18 pace.  Back to SLC tomorrow.

The past weekend was exhausting, and I think it caught up with the entire family last night. My kids were sound asleep at 7:00, and I didn't make it much longer.  Getting up was a little tough this morning.  It is nice to be home.  Vacation is NOT vacation with little kids.

I ran a seven mile run, down 4800S to the river trail, off at Bullion, and back on 5400S.  I didn't time it this morning.  I just tried to run off effort.  I felt pretty good.  As my belly gets bigger, running gets a little tougher.  It feels like a cantaloupe is bouncing on my bladder.  I feel like I'm running a good amount, and then I remember an article I read about Kara Goucher's pregnancy training . . . she had cut back to ONLY 75 miles a week.  I'm a slacker.

 PM:  Much to my kids' amusement, I did a prenatal exercise dvd that included some strength, pilates, and balance work.  Not too difficult, except for the flexibility part . . . and the part where Lily tried to climb on my back during planks. 

I also bought a prenatal yoga dvd, so I will have to pull that one out later this week.  I'm sure the kids will enjoy that one even more.

Lily woke up about 30 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off. So, I got out the door very early today.  I ran 6.5 miles on my Costco route.  It was really dark this morning, and there were parts of the run where it was difficult to see.  I ran 7:12 pace for the run. 

When I got home I biked for 45 minutes while I watched the women's marathon.  I missed watching it on Sunday.  I think the best race was the Russian woman who took third.  Her PR was only 2:26, and she mixed it up with 2:18 marathoners.  Shalane and Kara ran so well.  It was agony watching Shalane finish the last couple miles.  It would have been tough for her to run a sub 70 half for the second half.  It was definitely motivating to watch. 

I think I'm going to be very tired around 10 this morning.

While we were in Cedar City, my nephew came down with hand, foot, and mouth disease, which so far has claimed 7 victims, including my kids.  Thankfully, we are at the tail end, unless Teren or I get it.  So, I've been up most of the night for the past week with a crying child, and quarantined the rest of the day to avoid infecting anyone else.  So, that's my excuse for not running for a week.

It was nice to be back out it, though running is becoming increasingly difficult.  I ran a river trail loop, and came up by the high school.  All the sports teams are out working, which makes me excited for fall. 

A tree branch attacked me this morning.  It hurt.

I woke up at 3:30 with one of my kids, and couldn't go back to sleep.  I watched mindless tv for an hour, and then decided that I might as well get a workout in.  Because it is still pitch black at 4:30, I went over to the health club and ran for an hour.  I started at 8 minute/mile pace, and ramped up every half mile or so.  Overall average was about 7:20 per mile pace.  It's not even 6.  I think I might go back to sleep.

6.5 mile waddle this morning.  I ran 1300 W to Winchester and down to the River Trail.  There is a steep downhill on Winchester, which hurt a bit to run down . . . I guess running Alta Peruvian is a bad idea.  Unless I want to give birth on the course.  That would be exciting!  Guess I'll just be a spectator that day. I'll show up for the barbecue.

Just ran an easy half hour today.  I told myself that while Iwas pregnant, I would incorporate a variety of fitness methods to keep things interesting.  When I'm training for running, I don't have the time or energy to do much else.  So, after my run, I took my very first Zumba class.

I usually avoid dancy classes because I'm uncoordinated and ungraceful.  But, the instructor for this particular class always made it look like so much fun, so I swallowed my pride and tried it out.  It was nice to have an excuse to pull out all those moves that I would probably only try in the privacy of my own home.  It was kind of fun to let my inner Diva out, though my prominent belly cut back on the sexy factor. 

The best thing was that because I had to concentrate so hard on where to put my hands and feet, the class flew by.  I'll probably try a class again, though I increasingly look like one of those hippo ballerinas from Fantasia. 

I wanted to run a little longer this morning, but my niece was babysitting, and needed to get home, so I ran a 7.5 mile loop.  I ran out 1300 W to 7000 S, down to the river trail, home at Millrace Park.  I ran a 7:15 average.  I'm excited for the day that I can run fast again.  That run almost felt like a tempo in places. 

35 minutes of pre-natal yoga with my pre-natal yoga dvd.  The woman on the dvd uses the word "buttocks" much too frequently. (Lift the buttocks.  Descend the buttocks.)

I did not feel so hot running this morning.  That's the funny thing with exercising during pregnancy; some days you feel great, some days you feel terrible.   I guess that's not so different from running in general.  Toward the end of my run I felt a lot better. 

I ran my Costco loop.  I didn't wear my watch, so just ran how I felt.  I felt slow.  I hope that I can keep up some decent running pretty far into my pregnancy.  I don't relish the idea of 20 weeks of cross training.  I'm hoping to make it at least into the third tri-mester

I was up really early again, so went to the gym to run.  I did a progression run again starting at 7.5 mph, and ramping up every half mile.  I got impatient at the end and started increasing the pace more frequently, finishing at 9.7 mph for the last minute.  Average pace was 7:17 per mile.  It feels good to start easy and build in.  I may have ended a little too hard . . . I will know if I feel it later this morning after the endorphins wear off.

I think I ran a little bit hard yesterday.  I was feeling very sluggish this morning.  It took some effort to get out the door.  I didn't time my run, just tried to run easy.  To top it all off, it was muggy and windy, so definitely not the most pleasant run.  But, I'm glad I got out and did it.  I ran 4800S to the River Trail.  On the way home, there was a house that had been fully toilet-papered.  Someone's going to have a fun morning!

I felt like a little change-up today.  I ran 4 miles at 7:15 pace, and then took a cycle class. The class was a really good workout.  The instructor did 4 cycles of a double-time ride, a hill ride, and sprint intervals.  I got really hungry with about twenty minutes left of class.  Luckily, I had a gu in my bag, so that got me through the rest of the class.  I'm sure I looked pretty funny taking a gu in the middle of a cycle class.  But, I'm trying to avoid blood sugar crashes when I work out. 

PM:  We had our East High Cross Country Barbecue tonight.  I decided to jump in the fun run, which was about 1.75 miles.  It was all going so well until I twisted my ankle and wiped out.  I jumped up and managed to pull off the win.  Luckily, nothing is seriously hurt but my pride. 

After my "race" I jogged around the course watching the kids run. 

I was really tired this morning from yesterday.  The cycle class made my quads burn a bit today.  I ran 4800S to the river trail and up at Bullion.  I couldn't bring myself to add the loop through the neighborhood to hit seven.  Overall, it was a good, though uneventful run. 

I felt really good running today.  It probably has something to do with the fact that I just had two days off.  After spending all evening at a high school cross country meet on Friday, I did some volunteer work cleaning the temple from 11-1 AM.  Needless to say, getting up early on Saturday was out of the question.  Then, the day got away from me, so I got an extra day off.

I ran the SLCC loop.  Everyone was out for their first day of school.  I miss those days! 

I was bored with my usual running routes, so I tried a new one today.  I just gave myself a time goal of 45 minutes and just ran.  I ran up 5400S to 2700W, around Valley Park, back up 2700W to 6200S, down to the Canal Road, and back on the canal road to 5400S, and back home.  It actually took just under 51:00.   It wasn't a bad route, except I ran past 3 different schools, so the traffic was pretty heavy.  The canal road was nice, but felt like it would never end.  I listened to the Chunga Show while I ran to pass the time.  It makes the run go faster, but sometimes they make me laugh so hard, I actually have to stop and catch my breath. 

Just time for a short run before my doctor's appointment today.  I ran 4800 S to the River Trail.  I had a rock music soundtrack for the run.  (Foo Fighters, No Doubt, Aerosmith, the Killers, Paramore, and Maroon 5.) 

18 week doctor's appointment today.  The baby was busy moving around, so the doctor had a hard time getting the heartbeat.  He's a runner already!  I weighed in at 126.5 pounds, for a total weight gain of 8 pounds.  I'm so glad I don't gain weight this quickly in real life!  In two weeks we'll have the ultrasound, but we are keeping the sex a surprise for the big day!

I ran for 45 minutes on the treadmill this morning.  Average pace was 7:20 per mile.  After running I decided to take Zumba, just for the fun of it.   I felt particularly dorky today, but I thought, "if the man sporting the oxygen tank can do this, then so can I."  I think I'm going to feel it in my calves tomorrow, since I spent most of the class on the balls of my feet.  Today's class was much more difficult than the one I took two weeks ago.

I haven't run a "longer" run in a while, so I thought I would try to get over an hour of running in today.  My legs were a little sore and tired from yesterday.  Who knew Zumba was such a good workout?  The air was nice and fresh after some morning rain.

I ran 2200W, to 4100S, down to the river trail, and back to Millrace Park.  At Millrace Park I exited and ran through the neighborhood home.  I think 3 months ago this run took me about an hour.  Today it took me 63:19, so about 7:30 pace.  I'm definitely starting to slow down a bit.

I took advantage of Teren being home to get another longer run in.  I ran for an hour on the treadmill.  I made 8.34 miles, for around 7:15 per mile average.  Running is much easier on the treadmill than on the roads.  Hills are hard when you're lugging a big belly around.

I ran the 1300 W to Winchester loop today.  It was a perfect morning for running.  I felt great until the last mile.  Then the run started to feel a bit hard.  I love running in the fall!

My little boy starts kindergarten today!  It's a big day for Cole!

I was up early this morning, so I went to the health club.  My goal was to stay comfortable the whole run.  I was feeling great, and thought of going another mile, but my stomach started to act up, so I called it good at an hour of running.  8.13 miles total.  about 7:25 per mile pace.

PM:  I got another 2 miles in chasing high school kids around the cross country course at Murray Park.

Today was one of those days when "just get out the door" turns into a longer run than you had originally planned. 

I ran 1300 W to 7000 South, and then down to the river trail.  About three miles in, my blood sugar was already dropping, so I took a gu.  This route is 7.5 miles.  About the time I was about to leave the river trail, I ran into some of the East kids and Bill doing their run.  I can never resist having running partners, so I ran a 2 mile loop with them before I left the trail.  By the end of the run, I was really hungry.  But, it was nice getting a little longer run, and having some running company on a beautiful morning.

Extremely busy week last week with family in town, 2 cross country meets, 1 doctor's appointment, a work party, 3 church meetings, and a partridge in a pear tree.  Not really good excuses for not running, but I've definitely been swamped and exhausted.

So, back on the bandwagon once more.  5.5 miles this morning, down 2200W to 4100S, over to 2700W, and back up to 5300S. 

Now for crazy week #2, followed closely by #3 and #4.  But, I'm going to try to stay on top of working out a little better.

I did the cross trainer at the health club for an hour while reading The Woman in White on my new kindle.  How have I never read this book before?  It is really good!

Yesterday was my 22 week check-up.  It was pretty uneventful.  I weighed in at 131.5 for a total weight gain of 13 pounds.  I was a little over what I wanted to be at.  The lack of regular workouts and the purchase of a big bag of Halloween candy this month definitely showed.  Next appointment I get to do the glucose screening and get my wonderful RhoGam shot.  (The joy of having a Rh negative blood type.)  So, that will be an exciting appointment. 

I did a Zumba class this morning.  Despite my awkwardness it was really fun.  I followed the class with half an hour on the elliptical.  I will probably be doing more cross training than running from here on out, but I still would like to get out for  some mileage.  It's just not feeling very comfortable anymore.

Actually made it out the door for a run today.  The baby doesn't like running too much anymore.  But, it felt really good to get out and do it.  I felt a lot better after about 20 minutes of running.  I ran 4800S to the River Trail.  It felt like the run was taking forever, so I am definitely getting slower. 

When I got home, I found Cole and Lily playing nicely together with Cole's superhero guys.  I wish parenting could always be that easy!

My running days may be numbered.  I ran on the treadmill, and started experiencing shooting pains through my belly.  I only made it 20 minutes.  The baby is getting heavy, too.  I may try one more run tomorrow, but it could be full cross training from here on out.

After my running attempt, I came home and rode for 40 minutes on the spinning bike.

No running again.  I did an "interval workout" on the elliptical . . . 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off, 10 sets.  Then, I rode the stationary bike on the random setting, starting at level 5 and increasing every five minutes.  72 minutes total workout.  I was reading "The Mark of Athena", but it gets a little difficult to read when I have to concentrate to get through those last few intervals.  Can I just say, "I love my kindle"?

I arrived at the gym to the unusual sight of a man changing his clothes outside of his van in the parking lot.  Does he live in his van?  The van was plastered with about 8 26.2 stickers, a few 13.1 stickers, and a handful of stickers professing his love for his dog.  At least he's a runner, right? 

Then, inside the club, when I got on the cross trainer, I was treated to the sight of another gentleman's boxers as he worked out on the machine in front of me.  It's either time for a new pair of gym shorts, or he needs to tighten that drawstring.  I moved machines. 

I did 30 minutes on the cross trainer, and then got really bored, so I thought I would try my hand at running again.  It felt much better than a few days ago.  I think being warmed up helped a lot.  I ran for 35 minutes, and managed 4.54 miles in that time.  I still feel very waddly, but no shooting pains today. 

My achilles was sore after Saturday's run, which was a little strange.  So, I kept it non-impact this morning.  I did an interval workout on the spinning bike.  I warmed up 15 minutes, and then did 12 sets of 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy.  I did a straight speed ride, a hill climb, and jumps, and repeated that 4 times.  Then, I cooled down until I hit 80 minutes of riding. 

SLCC loop.  I felt great.  No baby pains.  However, the stupid achilles tendon flared up again.  Seriously, who gets hurt when they are not even really training for anything?  Oh well.  At least I have plenty of time to get it better.  The downside is, I can't take ibuprofen.  Of course, that means I can't mask the pain, so that's good.