Chug-along-chica!

Evening run. 

2 miles with Holly.  She was very sore, so we took it very easy.  Walked a lot too. 

Oops.

Ran 2 miles with Holly at 14:00 pace (this is including walking breaks).   She ran probably 90% of the time, which I think is just fabulous for someone starting to run for the first time ever.   Then I ran 2 more alone at 10:15 pace.  For someone who says she does not want to run, she is proving to be quite dedicated--or at least open to running often.  

Holly and I went grocery shopping today.   She is trying to teach me to cook more healthy meals, or at least cook a little bit.  We happened to both be wearing skirts.  Someone stopped us in the aisle because she thought we were LDS missionaries.  Very flattering to be mistaken for a 21 year-old.  (Especially since between the 2 of us, we have 8 kids!)  Anyways, this sweet lady did not let the mere detail that we weren't actually real missionaries stop her from pouring out her soul to us and seeking comfort.  It was enough to look like missionaries, in this case.  I told Holly that we should bring BOMs next time.  I bet we could place a few . . .

If anyone is concerned, little Adam is recovering well, although he does not sleep soundly at night.  He can't really get his thumb to his mouth (he only sucks his right thumb, for some reason).  I guess that is a side benefit of the cast, or it WILL be, once he has adjusted to no-thumbville.  In the meantime, James and I are having our characters refined.

Evening.  Crappy run.  I wanted to do my 2 mile tempo run tonight.  I missed my last two bc of serious sleep deprivation related to kiddos.  1 mile to warm up at 11:15 pace.  Then I started my tempo. I started off really good, felt pretty good.  Ran the 1st mile in about 8:40.  Did not feel all that fast to me.  (My last tempo run was at 9:00 pace, but it was WAY hot compared to tonight.)  However, when the Garmin beeped the mile split, I unexplicably found myself walking.   Very odd.  I walked about .25 and then started up again.  Ran the next mile about 8:40 too, although I don't have an accurate time bc of stopping for darn stop lights. 

Well, I guess it wasn't that crappy.  In fact, it was a pretty good clip for me.  I just wish I hadn't stopped in the middle.  Maybe I'll have to try again later this week.

Holly's house is almost exactly 2 miles from my house.  I see a very good possibility for a 6 miler one of these days.  2 miles down, 2 with the Holl-ster, and 2 back home.

I intended to run 4 miles and only got around to 2.  Holly ran a whole mile without stopping!  She is improving very quickly, I think.  Then we did pushups and crunches and whatever else we could think of that would make us sore the next day. 

Oh, my little son!  I took him to the orthopedic Dr. today.  Bad news... his little bone is in the wrong place to heal.  It is 15 degrees off.  I hadn't even realized that it was broken all the way through.  The Dr.  said it had just shifted around bc his chubby little arms don't really let the cast hold the bones perfectly still.  He said to give it one more week for it to (hopefully) straighten out.  Then we go back, and if it is not properly aligned, they will have to either rebreak it or do surgery.  I would really appreciate any prayers on my little guy's behalf!  His name is Adam.

Lybi

2 Miles with Holly.  It was fun.  She only needed to walk 2 times the whole run.  See?  If you can't find a runner for a partner, take someone you like and ask them to run.  Actually, almost everyone I have ever asked to run with me has said yes.  People want to be healthier, in general. 

Wait--there was that one lady who was too "intimidated" to try running with me.  I could laugh myself right out of my chair over than one.  I am about as intimidating as a 2 legged gerbil when it comes to running, IMHO.  (But a determined 2 legged gerbil nonetheless.)

Ran 2 miles over to Holly's house a little briskly for me--9:59 and 9:42.  Then I went 2 miles with Holly.  Then I stayed awake in bed giggling about a funny thing Holly told me during our workout.  

First day of school!  I took Sam to the bus stop with the other two in the jogging stroller, so as soon as the bus took off, I ran 2 miles with my littler ones in tow.  All I can say is that I have the greatest respect for anyone who runs with a loaded double jogging stroller. My arms are shaking and I am EXHAUSTED!  It was hard bc I had to fight with that stupid thing every single turn--and my normal route is continuous turns around lakes.   I'll have to change my running route if I keep up this little schedule.

2 more miles in the pm with Holly.  She is going to help one of HER friends start running.  Isn't that cool?  It's like it's contagious or something.  

2 miles with the loaded double jogging stroller.  I decided I had time if I hurried, which translated into 11:16 for the first mile and 11:45 for the second.  Ah!  In order to get the first wheel off the ground, I have to jump up onto the bar and dangle there kicking my feet for a second or two.  My neighbors must get a big laugh out of my running.

Hey!  I found a race that seems like it was made just for me next Friday, the 24th.  It's in the evening, so it will be easy to get a sitter and it is very close to our home.  And since it's on Friday instead of Saturday, James will be able to pace me. Plus it is the first year for this race, so hopefully it will be small.  You know I would just die of happiness if I were to actually get an age division award.  The only bad thing is that it will be very hot, being at night, so everybody pray for rain! 

My husband James paced me for my tempo run last night.  He was so cute.  He carried a water bottle for me, kept the garmin--so he could check the pace and tell me how much farther I had to go, AND he even resorted to singing "BINGO" to me when I started to drag.  (Chuckle)

1 Mile easy warm-up.

1st tempo mile at 8:37.  This is pretty good for me, but I can definitely see that I am not used to keeping an even tempo.  It seemed to me that we started off super slow and sped up the whole way.   Short walking break.

Next half mile at 8:27 pace.  It felt pretty hard, but not painful.  I was tired but otherwise OK. Walk.  Next half mile at 9:30 pace.  

So now I am wondering what I should set as my goal for the 5K next week.  One thing I want is to pass a lot of people.  James is going to try to keep me at an even speed, so I'll be passed a lot in the beginning, but I'll catch a lot toward the end.  I really want to experience this "hunting" feeling that some runners describe.  OK don't laugh, but honestly, when I have to pass someone in a race it has typically been a huge annoyance to me because in addition to feeling the pain of running, I feel bad for the person I am passing--like maybe their little heart is breaking because they had vowed not to let any short blonde piano teachers pass them in THIS race.   I know it is RIDICULOUS.  But there it is.  I want to get a little more into the racing mindset this time.

Anyway, I was super sleep deprived on this run.  For the last two weeks I've been experiencing INSOMNIA.  Ug.  I've been going to bed at decent hours and laying there awake FOREVER every single night.  This is very unusual for me!  I hope it goes away soon.  

Feel really good today.  No ill effects from the tempo yesterday.  That's a first.  I got the BEST sleep last night, finally.  I had to be sneaky with my sub-conscious.  I promised myself that if I wasn't asleep in 15 min., I would get up and do laundry.  I actually laid there, pretending that it was Saturday morning, and that I really SHOULD get up and get some cleaning done before my kids wake up.  (Somehow this line of thinking always leads to falling asleep!)  Well, the prospect of impending laundry did it's usual magic, and I konked out in record time.  Quite a relief after all this inexplicable insomnia I'd been having. 

2 miles with Holly, AND her friend Paige (yay!).  We had a lot of fun talking about the funny things our little kids say to other people that embarass us.  The worst was when Sam told a sweet friend of mine that she was probably going to DIE soon because she was old.   Thanks to my Dad for teaching him about the life cycle!

2 in the morning with the double jogging stroller.  Average pace 12:35.  I had to stop and walk 2 times. 

Good luck everyone with races tomorrow!  I can't wait to read all the race reports.

To Holly's house for a water break and back again--slowly.  The highlight of this run was that Holly's one year-old was so excited to see me and even said my name (Yibby!).  CUTE!  The low point was a persistent cramp on the 3rd mile.  1st time I've run over 3 miles at once in a long long time.  I really need to start running longer if I am going to go for a run with those girls in St. George.  : )  

First, Holly totally wasted me by taking me out rollerblading at approximately 100 miles an hour for 20 min.  or so.  I am counting that as one fast mile.  My legs were a-burnin'!

Then we ran (went) 2 miles nice & easy. 

2.23 with the loaded double jogging stroller.  I am very proud of the .23  because this is the farthest I have ever pushed that stubborn-spoked monstrosity of a vehicle.  I am also very pleased with my effort/time.  Average pace was 11:17 and I did NOT stop to walk other than at stoplights.  Sasha said that the stroller adds about 2:00 to the pace, so this was a good run for me.  I consider my normal comfortable pace to be 10:15-10:30, so (ug) I did my best.

Thanks go out to my coach, James, for fixing the stroller's tire at 5 in the morning!

AM run with the loaded jogging stroller.  I am exhausted, as usual.  It seems that running without the stroller is just so darn easy by comparison.  Average pace for the 2 miles was 11:17.  Tomorrow, I will run 1-2 easy miles with Holly, then my race is on Friday.  It is going to be so HOT! 

Has anyone ever heard of any kind of running gear that actually helps to cool you down--not dry wicking shirts, or hydration packs--I'm thinking more along the lines of gloves that have a gel in them that you stick in your freezer.  If there isn't such a thing, there SHOULD be.  I'd buy them.  As it is, I am half tempted to carry an ice cube in each hand until it melts.   James, of course, would have to lug a fanny pack full of ice--don't know how well that'd go over. 

It is so nice of James to run this race with me and pace me.  This is going to be our weekly date--much better than going to a restaurant and consuming massive quanities of calorie dense foods.   Not that I don't like eating out.   ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Excuse me, I faded out there for a second.  Better go. 

1 really gentle mile with Holly in the evening.  I sucked up a bunch of dirt from the air, which was surprisingly mineral-rich.  Then Holly hog-tied me and forced me to watch the TV show "Psych" with her (not really).   Well, I LOOOOVED the show, which was cute and funny.   Best show ever.  Well, I guess I may be a little starved for visual entertainment as I almost never watch TV, so I might not be the best judge.  The last thing I saw was "High School Musical 2", which was so bad it just about scalded my eyeballs.  Anyway, fun little taper day for me.  I predict that the next time I write to you I will be ... exhausted.

By the way, those of you praying for it to rain on me in the 5K tomorrow are doing an amazing job!  The rain is supposed to start tomorrow afternoon ... now start praying that I will run fast and get a good time, ok?  A 50 mph tailwind wouldn't hurt either ... probably (I am thinking of debris--ok, 30 mph tailwind).

I was NERVOUS at the start of the race.  I even tried to back out *blush*.  I told my beloved hubby to have a good race--I'd be waiting at the finish line.  He wasn't enthusuastic about this plan since the only reason he registered was so that he could run along side and pace me.  So the first (of many) services he rendered was to drag me to the starting line.  How romantic.

It was hot--about 103, with a stiff cross wind the whole race. The course was very flat and had a lot of gravel.

The start was notable because of the start gun, which was more reminiscent of a terrorist attack than a foot race.  About half of the runners screamed, and the rest of us gasped.  There was no "get ready, get set.." or singing of the National Anthem--just a big "KA-BOOM!" followed by a mass shuffle.

I REALLY liked running with James.  He kept me at a controlled pace from the start.  I felt really good the whole first mile.   Plus, he gave me water every 1/3 of a mile or so.  Very nice.  1st mile in 8:40.

The second mile was the hardest part for me.  The footing was very tricky because of the gravel/bigger rocks.  I rolled my ankle 3-4 times.  Plus just knowing that I still had a long ways to go was discouraging.  Second mile in 9:18.

From the mid-point of the race on, I was trying to keep track of "roadkill".  I passed a lot of people.  Probably about 20, but James and I both lost count.  Probably 2 or 3 passed me. The last 300 yards of the race was on the track, which was awesome.  You'll all be happy to know that I chicked a guy right at the very end.  As I passed him he said "good kick!"  Then, of course, I had to try to chick James.  We came in side by side, but the guy at the finish line put me first.  Last 1.1 in 9:04.   The Garmin showed the course to be short, though.  I am choosing to disregard the Garmin in this case.   He he.

Oh, I forgot to tell you...I lose a couple of commando points at the end for loss of dignity.  After the race I was sitting there on the ground (supposedly stretching my hamstrings), and I guess I left my mouth hanging open and was all slouched over and gazing off into space.  Anyway, the paramedics came running.  I asked them if I looked that bad, and they said I looked awful.  How do you respond to that?  I felt better sooner after this race than the last one, though, so that's good.  Oh yeah, and then there was the photographer who said she just HAD to take a picture of me because I looked so exhausted.  She laughed as she was taking the picture.  Anything I can do to make some random stranger's day.... I just hope they don't put that picture in the paper or anything. 

WHOA!  I finally got the race results for this race and GUESS who won their age division?!?  ME!  There were only 13 girls in my div. and I beat 'em ALL!  I actually get some kind of award!  I ran all through high school and never won anything other than 1 6th place ribbon for the mile (there were only 8 contestants.   I'm so excited!  PLUS, I chicked half the guys in James' age division.  He came in 15th out of 27.  The key to success is finding races that are not that well attended, in my opinion.  :)   Check out the age division results:

http://www.husd.org/NewsArticle.aspx?aid=624&cid=5

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  Guess what, I actually took first place in my age division at my 5K on Friday.  Check it out!  (My real name is Elizabeth and I am 30.)  I can't believe I ran all through high school and never won a single thing other than a 6th place ribbon for the mile (and there were only 8 people running it!)  then I join this blog and 4 months later I win a 1st place prize!!!  My basic strategy for this win was to pick a very small race (13 in my division), but STILL!  I guess everyone else was having a pretty hard time with the heat and the gravel too.  AND I chicked half the guys in James' age division (31-40), too.  He came in 15th out of 27.

http://www.husd.org/NewsArticle.aspx?aid=624&cid=5

So I've been thinking about improving my training.   This is what I've come up with so far:  1)  I must always have a race to train for.  I am much more motivated and consistent once I have chosen a race and set my sights on it.  (Even though I may dislike the feeling of the actual race.)  2) If I am to beat my high school time for the 5K, I have to train at least as hard as I did in high school.  Duh!  You'd think that was obvious, but somehow I missed it. 

In CC in high school, I always started from the couch and started at the beginning of the school year (none of this awesome summer camp stuff you read about on this blog).  Usually, the coach would start us off at arond 3.5 miles a day, then getting up to 5 or 6 by mid-season.  My first race of the season would usually be around 30 min.  Then next race would be 28, followed by 27, etc.  Until my last one would be around 24.   The reason I have to beat this time is that I want to prove to myself that the only thing that stopped me from getting faster was that I stopped running between seasons.  You can't reach your maximum potential in distance running after only 3 months off the couch!  At least that is what I hope.   Anyway,  I must get my weekly mileage up to at least 25, probably 30 miles a week.  So this week, I am shooting for at least 18. 

I ran at 2.36 at 5:50 this morning.  I had to be back by 6:15 so James can get to work in time.  This was a great run for me.  It was sooooo nice and cool!  I didn't really look at the Garmin, but I did push myself a little since I knew that it would have to be a short run.  But I was flabbergasted that my average pace was 9:30.   First mile: 9:45, second mile: 9:19, .36 mile: 9:18 pace.  This is really good for me, and it did NOT feel that hard.  That's almost as fast as my second mile from my 5K on Friday!  It's the cooler temps that did it.  It was probably 20 degrees cooler than my 5K.  All this makes me very excitied for fall and winter.

1.3 miles with the jogging stroller at 8 am (11:10 pace).  Ug!  Well, one day down...

2.19 by myself at 5:50 am, 10:19 pace on average.  It was soooo nice.  Cool and pleasant.  I got to see the moon set and the sun rise.  The moon looked like a big foggy peach this morning.  I've never seen it like that. 

Operation "Get at Least one Stinkin' Mile with the Jogging Stroller" was underway at 8 am.   My boys are always trying to get me to try to pass the cars that are zooming by.  I set a new record in the mile with the stroller--10:50.

I have to say a big group thank you to everyone who responded to my race and entry from yesterday!  I am overwhelmed...and happy.   Can't wait to meet some of you guys in St. George!  Happy running everyone. 

2 with Holly in the evening.   Tomorrow morning I'm gonna do my weekly tempo 2 miler in the AM.  I have high hopes that the cooler temps will yield good results.  This all depends on sleep actually happening tonight.  My 2 year-old has a tiny cold, but it kept him up almost ALL last night because he couldn't breathe and suck his thumb at the same time.  Grrrrr.  I must get more sleep tonight.   I was a GRUMP all day today.  I went to pick up my medal from the 5K this afternoon, and when the ditsy front office lady was completely unhelpful (I never did get the stupid thing) I had the strongest urge to shake her and demand it!  That's it.  I'm going to bed.

5K in 34:59.  Geez!  It felt really hard today.  I don't know why.  I hope I'm not getting sick.  I have just the slightest bit of a sore throat.  I'm sure I'll be fine.  I am struggling big time with everything I really need to do everyday.  I need to refine my schedule.  Might drop a few piano students, and I think I'm going to give up running at night.  If it doesn't happen by 6:15, it's not going to happen.  I'll probably give up my bookclub(s) too.  And I guess I won't volunteer as the block captain for our neighborhood this year. 

Yesterday I got my medal!  Yay!  Remember when Ashman took second in Ogden, and he said something like winning wasn't all it's cracked up to be?  Totally wrong.  It's all about the medals.  (Just kidding.)