Chug-along-chica!

How could this have been only 5 miles?  It felt like a lot longer.  Probably because I ate a huge meal just before I left--AND I was in desperate, fearful need of a potty for at least 2 miles.  Will I make it?  Will I make it?!?  I had to have a potty break midway through the run.  First time that's happened to me.  Not sure I like it, to be honest.

10:53 ave. pace, which is quite slow for me.  Hope I'm not getting sick.  I have a little bit of a sore throat.   

 Congratulations to all the fast running bloggers who raced today!

 

3.7 Miles with the double jogger. Ugh! I ran through some stinking deep mud with that thing. Almost got stuck.

Felt really sluggish yet again. I'm not sick, so what the heck is wrong with me? I got good sleep last night, too. Maybe it was from fasting yesterday. Fasting seems harder for me since I started running, for some reason.

1.3 Miles this evening at 9:16 ave. pace.  Probably in the "junk" miles range, as it wasn't really fast enough to be tempo or slow enough to be easy.   "Just want to be done running soon" pace, I guess.   Felt good not to feel like I was dragging, though.

Oh boy.  I simultaneously broke my record for longest run since I was a teenager AND longest continuous run with a double jogging stroller.  11:06 ave. pace.  Splits of 11:52, 11:10, 11:17, 11:14, 11:24, 11:01, 10:11, and 9:46 pace for the .32.  The first mile I was wrangling my crazy but lovable dog Sparky--that slowed me down a lot.  The last 2 miles felt the best.  I was all excited that I was breaking my record.  The very end seemed like an all out sprint to me!  The stroller adds at least a min. per mile to my time, so I feel really good about this run.  I must say that the weather was PERFECT, the course was flat, and I only had ONE 40 pound kid in the stroller instead of the usual two.

Now if you'll all excuse me I need to go lay around and be useless as much as possible before my piano students arrive. 

Well, after my excellent long run yesterday, I thought I'd mix it up a little by having a rotten, pathetic run today. Variety is the spice of life, right? After the first few steps my body was protesting loudly. Nothing serious--just very low energy, and achy joints. So I guess I overdid it a little yesterday. Anyway, I did end up getting around the track several times---sssssllowly.

On another note, I've been contemplating switching to a sport in which I do not feel so enormously heavy compared to the average competitor, such as Sumo.

5 Miles on the treadmill in 51:50.  I was watching "The Count of Monte Cristo".  Good flick.  Even better book.  Anyone read it?

4 on the treadmill and a little bit more running to get my son, so that last .323357 is just an estimate based on how I felt, and the scientific analysis of how hard the breeze was blowing on my face.

I don't think I'm going to race tomorrow.  I need my energy to do ALL my Christmas shopping tomorrow.  At least that is my plan.  We'll see if I change my mind. 

5 Miles on the treadmill, which is working beautifully thanks to my hubby James mechanical know-how. I finally finished "The Count of Monte Cristo."   52 min. for the run.

And shopping was a bear. Blech.  But Christmas is worth it!

5 Miles on the treadmill in 51:20.  Incline 1.

Caution:  Gingerbread house construction underway!   Fun times.

 I keep thinking about the Canyonlands half marathon in Moab coming up and I am really concerned (worried) about the hills.  I live in a very flat place.  I don't think that I will be able to spend the extra time to travel to a hilly course often enough to make a difference.  Please help!  Any ideas on how to simulate hill training?  I am thinking of doing hill treadmill workouts.  What incline range should I use?  Also, I can do squats and stuff to make my quads stronger for the uphills, but I am completely at a loss as to how to train downhill without hills.  Stairs maybe?  I would really appreciate feedback from anyone who is familiar with the course.  It's my first half ever, and I don't want to...you know, die, anymore than is absolutely necessary.   I am  hoping that it will go really well, and give me the confidence to shoot for St. George this year.

2.85 miles with Christine early this morning in my neighborhood. Ave. pave 9:11. About 1 min. per mile faster than usual, but it felt easy and good. Christine just got back from New York, after being gone for a week or so. Before the run I decided I would let Christine "have her head", meaning I would not try to slow her down. So I just hung out with her. I was happy that I seemed to take it in stride a little more than she did today. It is a little demoralizing to always feel like the "slow one." I usually run about 8.4 miles with Christine out of my 30. I am thinking of turning these miles into "marathon pace miles" because I just hate cramping Christine's style. Ideally, I would also have 2 tempo miles (around 8 min./mile) per week, leaving about 20 miles (hopefully more) "easy" (10-10:30 pace). Does this sound like a good ratio?

Pi miles on the treadmill tonight to get me to 6 for the day. I had to stop mid-stride to get it just right. SLOW pace. I'm watching "The Ultimate Gift" on my treadmill runs. Sweet flick, so far. Can't wait to see the end.

P.S. If I do not do my 2 mile tempo run tomorrow, you all have my permission to rail on me. Tempo runs often hurt, which is why I frequently "forget" to do them.

Well, I am sure you are all impressed by my 100 yd. tempo run. The truth is, I just really did not feel like doing a tempo run! I'm going to choose to call it "listening to my body" instead of "outright laziness." Bring on the railings if you must--I'm ready for it. Maybe I'll ask Christine to run fast with me tomorrow morning. I do feel good about my 6 miler though. I think I could get used to doing 6 a day.

On a side note, I reached a new level of dignity in the running department: underarm chaffage. (I didn't say it was a higher level, just a new one.) What kind of a sport is this!? I have to type with my elbows sticking out. This is an outrage! Now I am stuck with the bewildering dilemma of configuring band-aids in a very tricky place. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go apply ice. 

Quick 4 on the treadmill during little one's naptime.  I'll get 2 more tonight.  I'm feeling really good on this 6 a day protocol.  But now I'm thinking that my record for longest run ever is miserably short--only 2 more miles.  I really need to break that sometime soon.

 Oooo, and who suggested bodyglide?  JFogg, I think.  That stuff works MIRACLES.
 

I knew today was going to be a zero.  I got up at 5:00 am and worked my rear off all day long and got home at about midnight and went to bed.  Pity,  It's been a long time since I missed a day.  But tomorrow I am going to attempt to run 10 miles, so I'll just think of it as a really condensed taper.  He he.

Never at any time in my little life have I put 10 miles on these legs in one day. Longest ever before was 8 miles. Longest since I started running again was 7. So this is a record for me, but I have to admit it was not continuous. I ran two 5 milers.

First I ran 3 with Christine and finished up with 2 more with my dog. Ave. pace was 10:15 for the whole run. Just as I was bringing in the dog (he doesn't run very far--2 miles is about his limit) a man called from our church, begging for James to come help someone move. So James left and I got the kids ready for the day and did some of my Saturday chores. James got back about an hour and a half later, and I finished up with another 5.

But here's where it gets fun: Ave. pace for the second run was 9:01! That is really good for me. I think it's the fastest 5 miler I've ever done at 45:05. I never thought I'd be able to do that at the same time as breaking my record for most running in a day by a long ways. I think the reason it was faster was that I ran with music. My stupid MP3 player kept shutting off and starting over with the first song--"Eye of the Tiger." I listened to that song about 90% of the time on my run. My splits were: 9:33, 9:40, 9:20, 8:29, 8:02. I never would have believed those last two miles without the Garmin. That is my tempo mile pace! To be fair, it was slightly uphill the first half and very slightly downhill the whole second half. Plus I stopped the watch for traffic lights and to smooch, I mean, say hello to James as I ran by the park. But still!!! I am happy. And right now I'm not dead tired. Isn't that weird? Now I am starting to wonder if I might be a distance runner after all. I mean, maybe a 5K is too short of a race for me to really get into my groove, which thing I had never before supposed.

So, no Moab for Lybi!  Sorry to anyone else who didn't get in--i.e. everyone in my group...

I made a deal with Sasha. Basically, if he can play a hymn on the piano without any wrong notes by the end of tomorrow I will do Painter's Half in January.  So now it is all up to him.  No pressure, Sasha!

6 miles outside slowly, too late at night.  Must go to bed now.  It has been quite a day!

2 Miles with Christine this morning in the absolutely unbearable cold of like 40 degrees. We stopped earlier than planned because I had a cramp, and she was still feeling the effects of the Tylenol PM she took last night.

Don't try too hard Sasha! There is no shame in needing a little more time to learn a song. I promise I won't mock you if you don't do it.

I never got in the rest of my miles.  I am really having a hard time with the whole Christmas crunch.  Sounds like a breakfast cereal...

I got a babysitter so I could go out and do 6 during the nice warm day. But I felt really yucky. I feel a tiny bit sick--congested and so forth, but not really sick. I just couldn't do more today, which is freaking me out a little since I am to run a half marathon in less than a month! AHHHHH!

Kudos to Brent who showed the kind of guts yesterday that I think is really rare.

And Kudos to Sasha, who is one determined musician.

And Kudos to anyone who can run 10 miles and call it easy.

And Kudos to anyone who is just getting started, because that's the hardest part.

 3 more miles tonight on the treadmill.  Last mile using the 2.0 incline setting on my treadmill (whatever that means).


 

2.55 Miles, just a quick spin around the heighborhood with Christine at 9:42 pace. We were running a little late today so we had to cut it short.

3.51 On the treadmill late at night.  Humph.  I'm not getting enough sleep to support increasing mileage like I want to.   Will keep trying until success....That's a Sasha quote. 

Christmas is an inherently awkward time of year. Just as sure as your dog slobbers some person you barely know is going to show up and give you an unexpected, lavishly wrapped gift. Then you have to scramble around and give them something you pretend you got for them--usually a present from someone else to you. Some of my piano students give me HUGE presents, and I'm like--here's your candy bar kid--now go practice piano.

10 miles on the treadmill without stopping.  I watched a WHOLE movie.  I feel ok, not super, but not trashed.  Joints ache a little, and I feel slightly low on energy.  In fact, typing seems too laborious for me right now.  I catch up with you guys later.

Oh, one more thing.  As long as I run more than 1 mile tomorrow I will break my all-time record for weekly mileage. 

Yea!  A new record for weekly mileage at 34!   We'll see if I can maintain my miles over the week of Christmas.  4 miles outside at 9:49 pace on ave.  No ill effects from my long run yesterday.

 I ran in below-freezing weather for the first time since I started running again.  Humph on winter.  Actually, I didn't feel all that cold because I was in New Mexico at my parents' house, and my Mom loaded me up with approximately 500 layers of clothing, 498 of which ended up tied around my waist by the end of the run.  So, the entertainment for the run today was light jacket wrangling.   I really need to learn to tie a square knot, or something.
 

I ran a few miles with some of my sweet relatives. Nothing much to speak of. I am...ashamed. I am felling a little bit rebellious about running for some reason. Like running has been some kind of escape, but now it is starting a little tiny bit to be one of the dreaded things I "have" to do. Hmmm. Probably just a little nervous.

Oh yea, and that's the other glorious thing I have going on. I have a Texas-sized cold sore--this is a reliable outward expression of stress for me. I don't mind so much the stinging and swelling--it is the little kids running away screaming at the sight of my monstrous crusty lip that upset me.

Merry Christmas! Here is a picture by AMAZING sidewalk painter Julian Beever expressing my Christmas wish...

Here is the same picture from the side view.  See--I told  you he is  amazing!   He has tons of other cool stuff too!

Ug. What an ugly run! My stomach was fighting with me the whole way. Really painful and nauseated. Several of my family members have kind of a stomach flu. If I continue to feel this yucky I won't be able to run tomorrow. Thanks for the encouragement yesterday though!

Oh my gosh! Have you guys seen the new sleep tracking thing? You just go to "User Options" and check a box. This is going to change my life! :) I know I'll be more responsible with all this accountability going on. Feel free to chastise if you don't see at least 8 in the night-time sleep box from now on!

I felt a lot better today--just a little queasy, but no pain.  2 miles on the treadmill in 19:30.  Felt pretty good.  I would've run longer if the rather menacing front desk guy from the club we were at had not persuaded me to stop and go home so he could clean the gym before it closed.  :)  

I spent all day traveling back from New Mexico where I've been visiting my family.  Unpacked really quickly, jumped on the treadmill and did a quick 3.  I have really not had time to keep up the blogging on vacation, so tomorrow I'm gonna catch up on everything you all have been doing for the past week or so.  More than I have, I'd wager!  

12.62 outside. Ave. pace 9:30. Ouch. And hooray. Details to follow. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go cry. I mean, stretch.

PS take that, Brent.

OK. Here are the grisly details. I headed out the door around 10 am with my Garmin obscured. I planned on only looking at my watch, and run relatively easy until noon. I had music with me, though, which always makes me go faster, especially if I like the song. It was weirder than weird to encourage myself by thinking about how I "only" had one more hour to run. Here are my splits:

9:30, 9:31, 9:37, 9:32, 9:31 (potty break, and stop to drink gatorade--off the clock)

9:16, 9:15 long live gatorade!, 9:36 (stop to drink again), 9:27, 9:39 (quick gulp), 9:30, 9:30, and 9:39 pace for the .62.

Total ascent: 1105 ft. Total descent: 1164 ft.

This run was a real record breaker in a lot of ways. My longest run to date was a 10 miler last week at 11:00 pace on the treadmill. So here are the records broken today:

    1.) Longest continuous run ever by 2.62 miles.

    2.) Longest continuous run outside by 4.62 miles.

    3.) Best time for 10 miles by 19 minutes (I was at 94 min. for 10 miles).

    4.) First time I've run more miles in one day than I have on all the other days of the week combined.

    5.) First time I've ever cried after a run. It wasn't out of sadness, though. I was just so grateful that I was done, and I was so glad that I made the stupid goal of running until noon.

    6.) First time I've ever had white, crusty salt all over my face after a run. Does this happen to everyone? I seriously could've seasoned several pounds of cooked broccoli with all the dried salt on my face. Yuck.

    7.) Slowest triumphant entry. I had no kick at the end--whatever! I just could not move any faster. That was weird. Those last 5 minutes of running were SOOOO hard to me. I thought of nothing but stopping almost the whole time.

I'm not sure that I actually could've done a 2:04 half marathon. I was off the clock every time I had to stop for a red light or to drink and stuff. My real time would've been closer to 2:12 or something with stops. But anyway, I'm glad I got this long run in, despite the weariness I feel now.

*Whew*  I am sore from yesterday's long run.  The thing that concerns me the most is right above my second toe, on the top of my foot.  It niggles when I flex my toes up, push off that foot, or when I touch it.

2 miles outside at 10:45 pace. I was so sore from my long run on Sat.

My sister Laura (on the blog) is in town for New Years. She is trying to decide if she should run a 3 mile race tonight. I will be her pacer if she does. Everybody go comment on her blog and tell her to do it! It will take quite a bit of effort for me to keep up, though, in my present state. She'll probably need me to run about 10-10:15 pace for 3 miles. We shall see if I hold up!

(LATER THAT NIGHT...)

Wow! Laura ran a great race! Her average pace for the 3 miles was 9:37--that's about 2 minutes per mile faster than the last race she did! I am so proud of her. And she made me WORK! Her last mile was the fastest at 9:22 according to my Garmin. And she was fresh, too. You should have seen her sprinting to the finish line at Warp 9 to try to keep from getting "Geezered" by this old guy. (He was a really tough old guy, though, I must say.) She recovered quickly, and from my observations, merely looked "tired," not "wasted." I think with a little more experience racing she will continue making huge PRs. If this had been a full 5K she would definitely have been below 30 minutes.  (THAT'S OVER A 6 MINUTE PR FOR 5K!!)  According to my watch, she finished at 28:40. The results said 28:50, but I think that that was gun time, instead of chip time.

Tomorrow when I have a little more brain cells awake I want to start a discussion about how to encourage someone to do their best when you pace them. Any ideas of things that work of don't work? Basically tonight I mainly lied (I told her we were going 10 pace, which was the goal, but actually we were going 9:30), cheated, stole (not really), sang, did fartleks with her, feigned not holding up very well, praising her for pushing it, talked as fast as I could for 28 minutes, yada yada yada. She responded every time I asked her to push it! That was just SO DARN COOL!!!!! I'm so glad I got to be a part of this.