Running in the Rockies

I got to run with my husband for the first time today!!!  It was very fun to have a running partner for a regular run.  I think it was also good for him to go slow because he usually goes too fast and comes home with a pain in his back or knee.  Having just run with Lybi on Monday, it was very different to run with someone with such a different gait than me.  He's a foot taller than me, so going at my normal pace was slightly awkward for him - although it was injury-free.  We ran on a dirt path, so it was easy on the joints.  What's up with people and having a ton of dogs, though?  We passed this one house that had 7-8 large dogs - luckily they were safely within 2 different fences.  I hate barking dogs while I'm running.  At the end of the run, Mike wanted to sprint to the end.  He was very kind, though, and didn't leave me in the dust (literally) with his long legs.  :o)

 
So, since I've been blogging my runs and races on other people's computers, I've discovered that my Mac can't change fonts or colors like everyone else's PC can.  I always thought Lybi knew some great technical trick to change font size and color.  I didn't know that it was this easy.

This is my first entry for sleep time, but I don't know how to add how many times I was interrupted during the night - which was 3 times last night! ;o)

I'm finally home!!! We stayed a day in NM with my parents yesterday. We have to split up the drive from AZ to CO because my kids (and I) can't handle long travel days. So, we always stop at my parents house which is about half way to my in-laws. As we drove into town at 5:00, the thermostat in our car said it was 55 degrees!!! I couldn't believe it! So, as soon as we unpacked the car and listened to our phone messages, my husband let me go running while he got dinner on for the kids. (I know, I am the luckiest woman!) He also did most of the bathing as I was running around putting things away and trying to locate clean pajamas.

The run was great. It was nice to be home and back to familiar streets; even though it was dusk by the time I headed out and stars were shining bright by the time I got home.

So, I have a question ... Lybi said that I should use quick steps instead of long strides for my race because they are more efficient. Is that true for running in general or just for races when you are running more anaerobic? Since I've never had a running coach, I have running technique questions that I've always felt too silly to ask, like: should my arms be down by my waist when I run or just relaxed and high where they feel comfortable? And should they swing in front of me or at my sides? Is it bad to look down at the ground 5 feet ahead of me - should I always look far ahead? How do you know if your shoulders are too tense when you're running? When should I start adding tempo runs and is there any technique I should be aware of? What about Chi running or the Lydiard techniques? Does anyone have any input for a newbie?

So, Santa finally made good on his promise and I got cold weather running gear today!!!! I was so excited to try it out this afternoon while the babies were sleeping and before the snow began to fall - so I rescheduled a doctor's appointment just to be able to run! (hee,hee)

It was very nice to have light-weight clothing and still feel warm enough. It was about 35 degrees and I wore my new pants, long sleeve shirt, and 1/4 zip pullover (with gloves and a headband, which I already had) At times, I was a little cold (downhill and into the wnd); but I still ended up carrying my gloves and was warm ... almost everywhere. My caboose was still cold. ha! But overall, I was still very happy with my new clothes!!

Well, I missed the warmest part of the day to get that .5 nap time (hee,hee), but my sweet husband still let me go during rush hour (which is the time between 4-7:00 at our house - dinner, baths, and bedtime). I sure owe him big time today because he helped out a ton! I had a doctor's appointment, a staff meeting (I'm a CNA for my oldest daughter) and then my run. Luckily he had a slow work day. Having him working from home has been such a huge blessing for me! Yet I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the pay and not knowing when, how much, or will it continue? But, I just consider every day he has work to be a blessing and try to not worry about the future. The Lord has always looked out for us and blessed my husband with opportunities that surprised even us.

My clothes were still drying from washing them, so I improvised: yoga pants, sweat pants, thin long sleeve shirt and running jacket (with headband and gloves). It was 29 degrees and dropping, but I think this turned out to be the right combo. I was a little cold the 1st half mile, but the rest of the run I was great. I took my gloves off and on a couple times, so that means I was dressed just right. :o) I felt so tired and slow today. Once I finally decided that I didn't mind that I was going slow, I just enjoyed the run and didn't mind the distance. I think next week I'm ready to bump up a few runs to 4 miles or more. Three miles is starting to feel normal and sometimes towards the end, I feel like I could just keep going. I still think of the other great runners on this blog and wonder if I'll ever be able to run for as far as they do, but I remind myself that just taking it a week at a time, and a run at a time - I'll get there someday!!!

I actually didn't mean to run 4 miles today. I thought I was going on a 3 1/2 mile route, but somehow I added a little. That's one of the drawbacks of changing my route all the time: it keeps it interesting and I feel somehow safer, but I can't remember exactly how much each route and deviation adds up to. And like my run on Tuesday, I ran very slow and the first mile was hard - but I didn't really notice the distance. My knees hurt for a bit - probably because of the rotten ice and packed snow. And my right arch is a little ache-y since the run. But I'm sure a good night's rest will help that. Okay, so it's too late for a good night's rest ... but tonight's rest will help. :o)

Whoa! Crazy run today! I went on a trail that I have only been on once before. It's a beaufiul trail and I love the scenery, but soon after I turned around to come home I heard coyotes yelping to my left, and then another one to my right! Ahh!! Needless to say, my pace picked up a little and a lot of backward glances and silent prayers happened for about 5-10 minutes until I could hear them further behind me and then not at all. Freaky!!! I don't think I'll go on that trail again unless I have a running partner, a large dog, or a bicycle. I also ran past 2 deer that were in my neighborhood while they lazily watched me and my pitiful attempt to run up my mammoth hill. lol

I'm still running really slow (ave 12:16) even though the run is fine other than that. I'm not sure why my pace has slowed in the last few weeks. Another thing that I've noticed is that if I don't get off my feet for a little bit after my run, then my lower legs and feet ache for a long time. For example, if I have to start making dinner right away or clean, then I am quite uncomfortable all evening until I do get off my feet for a while. I don't know if this means that I'm going too long before I'm ready - or too inconsistently (only 4 times a week, rather than 6 like Sasha would prefer). Or maybe it's my shoes or the cold or my gait. I can't figure it out.

I actually went to bed at a decent time last night! I was dog tired! ;o)

I think I need to go to the chiropractor again. I've been getting a strange pin-pricking feeling under my right knee cap for the first 1/4 mile of my runs lately; and then after my run, my knee keeps "popping" and I can't bend it all the way. Other than my knee ... I'm still running slow. Today, I was really tired during the 2nd mile, so I tried to think positive and just move my legs quicker so I wouldn't get into a slow, bogged down gait and mood.

Gotta go ... someone's crying. ;o)

Bitter cold today!!! It was 14 degrees with wind. I dressed just right for my body, but my poor face froze! I had debated for a long time whether I should wear my ski mask - and I probably should have.

Anyway - still slow until the very end where I felt a burst of energy.. don't know where it came from.

Sheesh, I can't write much cuz I have one child climbing on me and the rest of the family beginning to deteriorate with lack of food! ;o)

I took a different route today which was kind of fun. Instead of trying to add a little here and there on my 3 mile route in order to make it 4 miles, I just ran for 2 miles and then turned around and came back. As I headed off, I remembered that I used to keep my first 1/2 mile slow as a warm-up, so I consciously tried to keep my first mile slower today (lately it's been the fastest pace of the 4). It seemed to make quite a difference in my pace and in my overall feel during the run. Scary moment - I almost required a VPB today. I think I willed my body to wait till I got home! ;o)

So, Lybi, we saw the movie, Stardust! It really is very cute. I'm glad Mom told me it was a fantasy, though, otherwise it would've been a real shock (hee,hee). By the way, we just finished watching Premonition. I don't recommend it - too freaky and traumatizing (for me, at least).

We were actually supposed to go to an adult activity tonight at the church, but we tried and tried to get a babysitter - all to no avail. So, we took the kids to McDonalds and I climbed the playland structure with Cami and Hayley numerous times. It was actually a little sad - there were a few kids who, it turned out, were "hiding" from Cami. I'm glad she's too unaware to be hurt by things like that. But they also stared long and hard at Hayley, and she IS one who will notice things like that. Oh, my sweet daughters! May the Lord bless them with a strong sense of self worth, for the world will certainly try to knock them down.

After 4 days of not running, it was hard to drag my sorry bum out the door this afternoon. But the temperature had warmed up to 32 (from -6 this morning) and the sun was shining and no wind ... I had no good excuse. I took the same route as Thursday, but my pace was faster and I felt better.

I've been doing a lot of research on treadmills lately as I curse the cold and the snow. But I still haven't come to a great solution. Do I spend a couple hundred dollars for a machine that moves but might die in a year, or over a thousand for a machine that might not need repairs for 4-5 years? I want to run outside most of the time, so the treadmill will be a backup ... but if it's loud or a lemon, I might resent it. What a ridiculous dilemma! I've also wondered if a gym membership with baby-sitting is better than an expensive treadmill - but in the long run, it's actually a lot more expensive. Ugh. We need to decide sometime very soon because I missed my minimum requirement of running 4 days last week.

I took a totally different route today - a loop which started out downhill, had a lot of flat ground in the middle and ended with my mammoth hill. It was tough to end on a steep hill - and I'm sure that I looked ridiculous going 14:00 pace and huffing and puffing - but I made it! My legs felt good today and I was surprised that my pace was steady during the long, flat stretch. I'm so used to hills that I assume I can never keep a consistent pace. ;o) This evening, my right knee is acting "out" but my legs don't ache like the did last week. Maybe I'm finally getting used to a longer run? I don't know. I need to set my sights for my next race! ...

I actually had uninterrupted sleep last night!!! Audrey slept through the night. Although since I'm still nursing, it wasn't as peaceful as it could have been. But hey, I'll take it!

My run was the same loop as yesterday, but mile 2 was really hard. My legs were aching so bad that I almost turned around or starting walking. But habit is starting to win out over my wimpiness and I just kept going -- the pain and tightness finally eased up toward the end. Even my hill at the end wasn't as bad as mile 2 today - and mile 2 is FLAT!

Has anyone seen the movie Bleak House? It's based on a novel by Charles Dickens. It's very interesting, but it's LONG!!! It's 8 hours long, so we keep having to watch it a few hours at a time. We've still only watched a little over 4 hours. I can't believe we're only half way. Anyway, if you have absolutely nothing to do one day, it's pretty good!

It was actually 50 degrees today and I didn't get out to run in it!!! I couldn't believe it! It was extremely windy (in fact, last night was freaky with the gusty winds) but that wasn't the reason I didn't run. I just kept having places I needed to be in the morning and then I was soooo tired after lunch and was about to take a nap when my sister-in-law and her 3 children came to visit. This evening, we had a ward potluck and while we were there, I asked my friend if she would mind if I came and used the exercise equipment at her apartment complex after dinner. She's offered before, but we've never been able to make it work. So, even though it was 50 degrees today, I actually ran on a treadmill! LOL How ironic. It was very interesting to be on a treadmill. The urge to walk was stronger and the miles dragged by - especially mile 2. The last 2 probably felt the fastest because I found a groove. But, wow, did I sweat a lot more! ;o)

I think I definitely want a treadmill. It's nice to just run after the girls are all in bed. They all go down at 7:30, so it's easy to fit a run in before it gets late. But I don't feel safe running in the dark. I certainly don't want to run on a treadmill regularly, but it has it's advantages! I think I also feel better today because I went to the chiropractor yesterday. He said my right leg was a full inch shorter because I was so out of whack. It actually felt weird after being adjusted because I had gotten so used to being "out."

So while I was running and my friend was on the elliptical, she asked me if I run to get fit or to lose weight. I had to smile, because to be honest ... I RUN TO BLOG!! That should be my new motto because it's surprisingly true. I love having a log that I have to own up to; and having it public makes it even more motivating to me! I love all of you!!!!

(PR for weekly mileage - small triumph!)

Well, I got to cash in on another warm day - 47 degrees. Even though it was still windy, the sun was so bright and warm! This run felt great! I was absolutely distracted the entire time - thinking about something I read on the discussion forum - so I hardly even noticed the running.

I was actually really upset by some comments on the discussion forum, but by the time I was done with my run I think I had worked through what people said, what they meant, how it applied to me, and how I feel about myself as a runner. I know ... a lot to think about while running. ;o) I think I finally decided that running, like any ability - natural or acquired - can be applied to the Savior's parable of the talents. There are many who have been given more running "talents/coins" than me; but I'm making good on the 1 talent/coin that I was given and that is what matters to the Lord and what should matter to me. Last August, I started at absolute ground zero, so I can only go up from there, right?

Enjoy the run!

Ran on the treadmill with my friend again. It felt better, though, so I kept increasing my pace. I like that aspect about the treadmill - something is forcing me to go faster and not get lazy or stuck in a rut.