Running Around

Pace average apron. 9.38 from total time including all stops and breaks. Ran 5 mile franklin loop. repeated hill 2 times.  stopped at home for water, bathroom, check the laundry and email for a couple minutes.  ran 8 mile kirkway loop.  lots of hills!  finished up with 1 more mile in the neighborhood.  (I think one reason running a race is easier and pace is faster for me than training is because I don't have to multitask.  I can just relax and run and not worry about laundry).

My iPhone is becoming my new running partner.  I use the Nike App.  It's nice having Lance Armstrong and others cheering me on periodically.  It's only limitation is that it's distance is not very accurate when I talk on the phone.  It stops the distance while the clock keeps ticking.  I'm ok with that though because I already know the distance of most of my runs.   I also use my phone to make phone calls while running, listen to books on tape.  I haven't loaded it with music yet.  (probably b/c I lost 11 Gigs of music with my computer upgrade- arghh).  

Two nights ago I was multi tasking with the iPhone while Cheryl coached me on making her homemade MacN Cheese.  I screamed as I watched my phone slip into the boiling cheese sauce.  I spent the rest of the night carefully cleaning out the headphone hole with a safety pin and running a hair dryer over the device.  The sound only worked in speaker mode and if I tilted it a certain way and spoke loudly into the mic.  I thought I was going to have to go to the Apple store again!  The next morning, MIRACLE of MIRACLES, the phone and all apps worked!  Someone is watching out for me. :)

I write all this because I was really grateful for my iPhone running partner today.  I was also so grateful that I could be outside!  This winter has been mild and so different from the past three.  I can actually crawl out of the dungeon on a winter day and run in fresh air.  I love that I live in a beautiful place!  The lakes, dirt roads, interesting homes, trees, rolling hills, birds, fill me with joy!

I was feeling sick over the weekend.  I finally had a little energy today for a run.  It feels like spring!  Aubree and I ran 11 miles together then she picked up the kids from pre-school.  She did heavy lifting by pushing two kids in the stroller, uphills, against traffic, over dirt paths etc. I continued to push just her baby in the stroller for a couple more miles.  The wind was pretty intense.  I got some great resistance training running against the wind with a stroller.  On the back side of the wind at one point I was literally lifted off my feet!  I wondered if that is how it would feel to be Mary Poppins.  My hips were achey.  I didn't think about packing Advil, salt tabs, or nutrition.  Luckily, Aubree had some Powerbar energy chews.  Next time I will try and be more prepared.  It was nice to be outside.  

I had ok sleep last night.  I went to bed early, however was up with my little one 3 times.  So, I changed today's workout to pace instead of speed.  I wore the heart knee-high compression socks that Cheryl gave me for Valentine's Day.  Thanks Cher-I felt the love.

5 miles @ 8:00 pace on treadmill.

I'm in the habit of skipping warm up, cool down, and stretching.  I'll try to at least warm up on the next workout.  Always room for improvement.  I need to pat myself on the back though for thinking ahead and drinking water today!

Interval training on treadmill.

 800 warm up

started at pace 8:13 then increased every .25 miles to tempo 7:40 then increased to threshold 6:50 for a total of two miles

Repeated this 3 times and cooled down 800m

did not plan on specific breaks because I knew interruptions were inevitable.  I needed to help my daughter 2x.  Once in the second set and once in the third set.  Got water. caught my breath during those few minutes

total time 60 minutes 

Ran in the rain with Aubree.  We played frogger trying to dodged all the pot holes but then a truck hit a big one and gave me a shower.  Ha ha!  I love the refreshing, rejuvenating rain!

pace average 8:21 

Aubree and i warmed up around the pre-school and then set up a picnic for all the kids at the bottom of the Franklin sledding hill.  The weather was gorgeous!  Another sunny day and perfect venue for doing hill repeats and watching children at the same time! 

7xhill repeats. 4 up 3 down.  This was killer!  I thought I was going to have a heart attack at the top of the hill.  It's a lot steeper than it looks.  I was suppose to run fast down as well but I had to put the breaks on so I didn't wipe out.

 We ate a healthy lunch, however, the fresh donuts for desserts pretty much negated everything! 

Next stop was the running store with all the kids.  We loaded up on GU and Jelly Beans.  I had a running shopping high that lasted the rest of the day! 

I didn't get a lot of sleep the last three nights.  Mark and I underestimated how long it would take to help David with his first Pinewood Derby car.  

With that said, another group effort was needed to get me through a long run.  Craig did all the preschool driving so Aubree and I could run.  We ran 16 miles together-(Kirkway loop twice).  Aubree had to go to work and Craig watched the kids so I could finish 6 more miles (Franklin loop).   

Pace average 9:21  

This was the  first run with GU and jelly beans.  I tried the Powerbar chomps too.  Didn't like them for long runs.  I'm trying to figure out my nutrition for the marathon.  Here is my plan.

Prerace- oatmeal, banana, 4 Advil

mile 6- 1/2 Gu, 1/2 Jelly Beans

mile 10- 1/2 Gu, gum

mile 14-  Jelly Beans

mile 18- 1/2 Gu, 1/2 Jelly Beans

mile 21- 1/2 Gu, gum

mile 23- Jelly Beans

That's 500 calories.  Anyone know when you take the salt tablets?

 Another gorgeous day!  Aubree and I traded watching kids for this workout.  I did a 3 mile loop around the neighborhood for each set.  I ran a little faster each time because I was meeting someone from Craigslist.  I need to sell a bunch of stuff to pay for my Boston trip. Wish me luck! 

3x3 miles @ pace

set 1 - pace average 7:54

set 2 - pace average 7:47

set 3 - pace average 7:45 

Explored new neighborhood behind the library.  I had to drop off a late book.  Beautiful, quiet dirt roads with tall trees and a lake!  My legs felt a little heavy today.

On the drive to school, David told me that he needed electrical tape for his class.  I didn't have time to drive there so I decided to alter my route and drop it off during my run.  Again, I'm doing errands during long runs!

I wasn't sure what my pace was the entire time because when I talk on the phone it messes up the Nike app. I'm trying to figure it out right now with google maps, my stop watch option on my phone, and an online pace calculator.

preschool to elementary school - 5.5 miles.  

4.5 minute break at the school to drop of the electrical tape, go to the bathroom, and get a sip of water. 

Elementary school to Aubree's house -  2.4 miles.

8.5 minute break.  Aubree had the best aid station at her house loaded with GU, beans, oranges. She is so thoughtful!  I spent way too long of a break because it was so fun to eat and talk.  I also checked out my course on her internet.

Aubree's house back to preschool -  7.6 miles

Finished up with repeat underdogs to all the little girls on the swings!  ha ha!

Total time 1:39:10 - at least 13 + minutes of break time not including all the stop lights. 

Overall pace average from start to finish including stops - 8:59 

Actually running pace average minus stops -  8:08

This doesn't include the distance running in and out of both schools. These are the runs that I wish I had a Garmin to figure out all these stats!  This isn't totally accurate.  It is taking me almost as long as I ran to figure all this out!  Hahaha! All I know is that I felt like I was flying during actual run time and wonder if I was really at sub 8 minute pace.  It felt more like a tempo run.  This was not by choice and not fun running against the clock!  All I kept thinking was "I have to get to the school for David and preschool before noon to pick up Kate."

Maybe that is the trick...have my children at the end of a race with a pick up deadline.  It may not be fun or pretty, but I will give it my all to be there for them!

The weather is cooling off so I ran on the treadmill instead.  Used my NEW IPAD while on the treadmill! (I had to jump to the side anytime I had to witch the screen.  Still working on coordination while running).

 pace 7:30/ mile

 I was happy to run with Kimberlee again.  I jump at any chance to run with her when she is in town.  (She is the friend I wrote about who is letting me "babysit" her treadmill for the winter).

 Just a couple minutes into our run, Kimberlee and I met a woman who warned us that her dog was loose.  About 400m later the dog ran up to us.  Kimberlee held the dog while we both walked back until the owner came back with her car.  It is the least we could do.  The dog was really sweet and it's the only way I can pay back all the people who have done the same for me with our dog.

We had to cut the run short because Kimberlee had to catch a flight.  We ran 6.48 miles in 59:57. Pace average 9:14.  That's including all the time we took with the dog.  Not sure what our real pace was but it felt fast.  Definitely faster than our early morning, freezing cold, winter runs!  It could have been because we were trying to make up lost time.  I also had a lot of adrenaline from having to discuss home improvements right before the run.  But that is another story...  

I came home and finished 1.5 miles on the treadmill to make it to 8 miles.  This was at 8:00 pace.  By the way, Kimberlee, Baby Tready is doing well.  Thanks again!

Side Note:  I'm losing my toenail again.  This is the 3rd time with this toenail!  I guess that is one consequence of having an "artistic" toe.  (When the second is longer than the big toe). It was accidentally stepped on it after the run.  All I can say is PAIN!  I'm going to try taping my toes before my next long run.

Aubree and I started at her home.  Ran around Kirkway to my house (8 miles).  

Mark set up a great aid station for us!  Apples, oranges, water, towels, Gu etc!  

Franklin loop (4 miles).  Stopped at my house again.  Funny random thing...my neighbor was locked out of his house and needed to use my house as a pit stop at the same time... ha ha

Back to Aubree's house (6 miles).

I felt pretty good the entire time.  We averaged 8:58 pace while running.