Boo Legs

Utah Valley Marathon Race Report

Wow, where to start here. I was so excited for this race. This was my goal race. I had three goals in mind.

1. Run a 3:06 marathon. Quite an aggressive goal for me. But I trained for a 3:10 marathon and I knew if everything fell into place on race day, this would happen.

2. Run a 3:15 marathon. I know I was fully capable of running this. 

3. Qualify for Boston. Run under a 3:35. I better !@#$ well do this one. I knew I had this one in the bag.

Started the race out feeling good. I watched as the 3:15 pacer raced out and tried to stay with him. I noticed he was running faster than a 7:26 mile. This frustrated me and messed with my head. I knew I wanted to finish under 3:15 yet he was going faster than I wanted to for the first half of my race. Mentally I couldn't handle letting him slip away. By my garmin, he was running around a 7 min/mile. I asked the guy next to me if the pacer was fast and he mentioned that the pacer was probably accounting for the slow down coming on the hills. Still bugged and mentally frustrated, I kept with him....Big mistake. It took so much effort to keep going up those hills maintaining my pace with such a strong headwind. Had the race ended at mile 18, I would have felt great about my performance....but it didn't. Unfortunately, I pushed it too hard against the wind and on the hills that I didn't have any "juice" left for the last 6 miles. I watched myself drop from a 7:10 min/mile to barely pushing a 9:00 min/mile to finally walking mile 24. I was defeated. At mile 25 I decided I wasn't going to finish this dang thing walking so I was able to squeek out a 9:00 min/mile to finish. Not the strong finish I was hoping for....

I'm trying to celebrate the fact that I qualified for Boston. That has always been a goal for me. The frustrating part is that I didn't train for a 3:21:XX marathon, I trained for a 3:10 marathon. I'm a better runner than what I ran.

Lesson learned. Ease up on hills and in wind. Save the effort for the end. And run my own race! I will get under 3:10 one day!

Still pretty sore from the marathon on Saturday. 

At the gym, I did the elliptical for 30 min and body pump. Skipped out on the squats, lunges, and dead lifts. I'm no dummy. :) 

Surprised that my weight was up so much today?! Maybe I tried too hard to drown my race sorrows in ice cream over the weekend. :) Not too worried about it.

Workout today was the elliptical 30 min, stair stepper 20 min, 30 min core work class.  The thought of running still makes me a little nauseated.... :)

Trying to decide on whether or not I want to do the Big Cottonwood Marathon in Sept. If I BQd at that race I'd be eligible for the 2014 Boston Marathon. I won't be able to run the 2013 marathon,....planning on expanding the family soon..... (that's its own kind of marathon!)

I originally had plans to run but I've been having a nagging pain in my knees. I'm not too concerned about it, just want to be safe. So I went to a spinning class at the gym. The teacher is awesome and loves intervals. Usually, I share that love but today my legs felt like lead. I just could not make them go fast. Still got a good workout but felt like I was in slow motion when it came to speed. Hoping that comes back someday.... Also hoping to run a few slow miles tomorrow. The good news is descending stairs is no longer a problem. My washing machine is downstairs so, naturally, the laundry has been piling up since last Saturday.

First day back running! It felt pretty good. Not surprisingly, a little tight everywhere. I started out at a 9:30 pace and worked my way down to a 8:15 pace. 8:30 average for 4 miles.

So I wore the heart rate monitor while running today. I don't know if its because I worked a night shift and ran after I woke up from my nap or if my heart is super conditioned (sarcasm there) but I had a hard time getting my heart rate up. It stayed around 130 the whole time and usually my heart rate goes up to about 140-155 while I run. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the marathon and my recovery? Or maybe I was just super tired from working all night? Who knows.

Good luck to everyone running Ragnar! I'm kinda jealous. 

2 easy miles 8:45 min/mile on TM. Followed by Body Pump. My quads are still angry with me but I'm giving them the silent treatment. :) 2 easy miles after pump.

I'm going for a longer run tomorrow. Excited to see how that feels. 

Went for a 6.5 miler today. Average pace was 8:30. I felt good but it still took a little more effort than it usually does to sustain that pace. I wasn't out of breath by any means but it definitely didn't feel like the "easy" pace it usually is.

The thought of jumping back into marathon training, figuring out long runs, speedwork, paces, etc for the fall makes me a little sick. I'm sort of ambivalent about it. I don't know if I'm going to do a fall marathon, maybe just stick to the smaller races. Then again, maybe its too soon to decide. I feel like the Utah Valley Marathon really took a lot out of me.... Or maybe I'm just a wuss. Probably a little bit of both.

Dang it, I've been avoiding writing this because I didn't want it to be true....I think I have a tibial stress fracture? Stupid. About two weeks before my marathon I started to feel like I was getting shin splints. I stretched, iced, rolled, and compressed those bad boys to make it to the marathon. It would hurt right when I started running and then gradually warm up and it would get to the point that I didn't feel it anymore.

Now, not so much. I kept thinking the pain would get better but its not. I still don't know for sure but when I run, the pain doesn't seem to "warm up" anymore. It's just a sharp pain on the lower part of my shin. I'm good at giving advice to rest up but not really good at taking that advice. I really don't want it to be a stress fracture. I'm gonna take this week completely off of running and see how it is next week? (thinking speedy recovery thoughts) Anyone have any ideas to keep me from going crazy?

I was planning on doing 7 miles today but only made it 1.5 out before I decided to turn around because of this nagging shin. Again I say, stupid. 

45 min on the elliptical. Funny how when you can't run, you want it that much more. 

30 mins abs class. Something I realized during this last marathon is how weak my core is. I need to be better about strengthening my midsection, its probably my weakest area.

Spinning class at gym. So hard and so sweaty!

20 min weights. 

Wow,  (not really groundbreaking info here...) its amazing what working out can do for your energy levels and mind set. Worked an all nighter last night and when I woke up, exercising was the very last thing I wanted to do. Somehow managed to drag my sleep deprived but to the gym and worked out on the elliptical for about 55 minutes. About the last 10 minutes, I finally felt awake and good. Feeling much better now and so glad I got myself to go. Why is it that I have to have the same conversations with myself?

Oh dang it, I'm awake. I don't want to go.

You'll feel better.

But laying in bed, napping, and eating cereal all day makes me feel better too.

You never regret a workout.

......Shoot, its true. I never do. 

Body pump at the gym. Really wanted to run today. But decided my shin would probably not like it too much. Driving home from the gym, I saw several runners and got a bit jealous. Two weeks ago I was ready to take a major break from running, now I'm ready to get back at it. Just waiting for this shin to be ready.

I am looking forward to focusing more on strength workouts. This is something I majorly neglected this past couple of months.

Good luck to everyone running races tomorrow!

Worked out on the stairmill (affectionately known as "the stairway to hell") for a whopping 45 minutes. Seriously, death on a machine! The only thing that made it bearable was that the Olympic Trials were playing on the TV next to my machine. (I didn't get to watch them last night because my little two year old was running his own 10k in the sprinklers at that time. Just as fun, if not better!) I got to watch the womens 10k. So inspiring, makes me want to be a better/faster runner. Oh to be that speedy...

Completed my workout with some leg work. Squats, lunges, calf raises, and finishing off with some good ol planks. I know I have rock hard abs in there somewhere! 

So so tempted to run today. My shin is feeling better but I can tell that its still not 100%. I'm trying to be smart. .... but being smart is hard sometimes. I keep reminding myself that I don't want to suffer later so let it completely heal now. (whatever it is...I still don't know. I'm thinking it was just really bad shin splints?) Still compressing and icing like a champ.

Did body pump today at the gym followed by 20 mins on the elliptical.

While I was training for the marathon, I could eat anything I wanted cuz I was logging a lot of miles. I got into the habit of having some sort of treat at least once, sometimes twice a day. It didn't matter cuz I burned it off like crazy and my weight didn't change. Without realizing it, my simple sugar/carb intake was increasing. (not necessarily a bad thing when logging a lot of miles).  In the last two weeks my mileage and training has significantly decreased yet I've noticed that I still crave those simple carbs. I don't want to feel like I need to have a treat after every meal, so last week I told my husband I was cutting out treats for a week to lessen my cravings for it.

Sure enough at the BBQ I went to yesterday there was a dessert. I politely refused it and my friend seemed to take offense. I just told her I wouldn't care for any and she immediately started asking me why, and why do I think I need to lose weight. I explained to her that I wasn't necessarily trying lose weight I just don't want to be craving sugar so much. Then her husband got in on it too and they started saying how crazy I am how I should just have dessert, blah, blah, blah. The point of this is that I'm just frustrated because I don't like feeling pressured. I shouldn't feel bad for wanting to pass up on dessert for one night.

By no means am I "giving up sugar." I love my ice cream too much for that. I just want to lessen my need for it. I shouldn't feel guilty for that. Rant over.

Wow, that is a novel. Sorry if your eyes hurt. Mine kinda do.

I gave in.....I ran. oops?

Actually it wasn't that bad. My shin kinda ached but it warmed up like it did right before the marathon. Whereas last week, it never got warm and always hurt.

Not gonna lie, it felt great to get the legs moving again. Ran 4 miles at 8:15 min/miles. I'm itching to do speedwork but again...trying to be smart. I did upper body weights after the run on the treadmill.

30 min elliptical followed by.....1 whopping mile. Intense, I know. Followed by lower body weights. I love working legs. They are so much stronger than my upper body. (In fact my 60 year old mother can totally cream me in an arm wrestling match, I've tried several times.)

I ran down to Sugarhouse Park, around the park and then back home. I didn't take the Garmin with me but I'm pretty sure I was around 8-8:15 min miles. It felt ....just okay. I am surprised that I still feel sometimes sluggish and slow. Today I felt like I was putting in more effort than I usually do to maintain that pace. I was surprised when I came home and saw what my actual time was. Kinda disappointing. It has taken me FOR-EH-VER to recover from this marathon. Please tell me this is normal.

I've decided not to do any fall marathons. For lots of different reasons, but overall I think my body just took a beating with this last training cycle/marathon. Hmmm... Maybe I'm not as tough as I thought. (or hoped) Also, my husband has decided he wants to do a marathon! So fun. This came with no pressure from me whatsoever. We've done races together before but he's never really been all that in to them. He just did them with me to impress me while we were dating. :) But I think being at the finish line at the UV marathon did something to him. He came home saying he wanted to do it. He asked me to create a training plan. I was skeptical that he'd actually follow through...but three weeks later, he has completed every run and is starting to look forward to it. I'm proud of him and excited to be on the supporting end this time. If I can't do it, darn it, I'll live vicariously through him!

I'm easing back into running. It seems like at the beginning of every run lately, my legs won't go as fast as I want them to go. The turnover seems to take a while to really get going. But overall my run felt good. I warmed up for a mile @ 8:30 followed by some quicker (for me :) miles between 7:15-7:30 followed by a mile cool down.  And then I hit the floor for some good ol push ups, tricep push ups, and ab work. 

Its hard to believe that I wanted to run 26.2 miles @ 7:10 or better. I'm realizing that was such a huge goal. Maybe even a bit unrealistic. Welp, go big or go home right? I tried going big and the wind (and my head) made me go home. The good thing is, I've definitely learned from this marathon experience. But I'm still shooting for a sub 3:10 next time! (whenever "next time" is....)

Wow, so not a good run today. I started out feeling blah, hoping the feeling would get better as I got into my run. Usually it takes about 2-3 miles to start feeling good. The blah feeling got mildly better around 5 miles, just downhill from there. It just was hard all around. I felt sluggish, my shin ached, my knee started aching. WTH? Not a fan of the run today, not a fan at all.

I don't know why I just can't lay off it. I know that's what I need to do for my shin, but I'm dumb and ran on it again today. I just want to love running again! Is that so hard? I ran three miles, 20 mins on the bike, and finished up with some lunges, squats, and abs. The husband joined me today so that was a bonus.

Happy 4th of July! Hope its filled with fun, fireworks, fast running, and good food (I'm so sorry I'm so nerdy). Mine will be filled with 3 of the 4. 75% isn't too bad I guess. 

Originally I was planning on running a 5 or 10K today but the shin disagreed. Its an angry little bugger. My brother in law is a physical therapist and he worked on it a little over the weekend. He said my calves are tight (thank you Bam) and surprise surprise I need to be better about stretching them and rolling them out. Hopefully I can race a 5 or 10K a little later in the summer.

I spent the weekend down in St. George with the family. So fun to relax and hang out by the pool. (Way too hot to do much else!) Pretty sure we single handedly kept the Mars candy company in business over this last weekend. My family knows how to put it down when it comes to treats. I come by it naturally. :)

I did a little cross training at the gym today. 10 mins on stair stepper, 10 on the bike, 10 on the elliptical, repeated twice. I really hate cross training. 

Same old, same old. Cross training like a maniac. Have I mentioned that I just want to run? I guess I'm learning the art of patience.

Weight lifting class today followed by 30 mins on the elliptical. 

PM Workout: Jumping on the tramp with this big fella. Turns out jumping with a two year old is quite the workout! Ring around the rosies works up a good sweat. 

It has been about 10 days since I last ran. I did 4 easy miles on the treadmill with a 0.5% incline. Average pace was 8:45. It felt surprisingly good. I'm guessing the key is to not go all out and jump right back into it? I'm not going to run again until friday.

After the 4 miles on the treadmill, I did 20 min on the elliptical, followed by some ab work.

When I got home, I foam rolled, used the stick, and am now wearing compression socks. 

How is that picture below so dang big? Anyone know how to make pictures smaller? I mean, my two year old is cute but maybe you don't need to see him that large and charge.

Spin class at the gym today. I was certainly a sweaty beast. I don't know if the air conditioning was broken or it was because of the on and off storms but the humidity in the gym was insane. By the end of it, I looked and felt like I had jumped in a pool. That's my kind of workout. I love the Wednesday teacher. I don't usually love spin, but she makes it worth it.

Lifting class. Nothing special. I love doing squats, lunges, dead lifts. But when it comes to shoulders, triceps, and especially biceps? Shoot me now.

20 min elliptical. We're seeing more of each other than I'd like. 

So excited to go on a run today. I wanted to love the run...but the run didn't love me back. It took a while for the ol calf/shin to warm up and feel ok. Mid run I stumbled my way into a cloud of gnats and managed to eat one and catch another with my eye. That's gotta be one of my main pet peeves when running, eating bugs/getting bugs in your eye. So gross. I also seemed to have something going on in my gut. I had to stop at two different gas stations. Lets just say I'm glad that no one else needed to use the bathroom after me.

Either way, the goal was to complete 10 miles. And I did it, with an average pace of 8:30. (minus the bathroom stops, gagging/coughing fit, and debugging my eyes) Kind of a train wreck but I'll take it. 

2 slow miles before and after a weight lifting class at the gym. If this makes any sense, my shin/calf is hurting less and less after each run. I'm counting this as progress? Yes.

No running today. I did however walk a bajillion miles at work over the weekend. Worked both Saturday and Sunday night, so busy, I'm just glad that no one (including me) died under my watch. And believe me,.... it was close at one point. Crazy shifts like that sure take it out of me, not to mention being up all night for two nights is killer. 

I did not have an ounce of motivation to work out after I woke up today but somehow managed to talk myself into getting into my workout clothes. Baby steps. A little while later I managed to convince myself to at least drive to the gym. Once in the car, I promised myself that if I still wanted to go home after 15 minutes, I would. One thing led to another and an hour later (20 on the bike, 20 on the elliptical, and 20 on the stair/step mill), I was sweating and feeling SO much better. Sometimes its just better to get out of my own head and go on autopilot. I know its not groundbreaking info, but its crazy how much power your mind has over your body. Sometimes I think my mind needs to be more in shape! 

3 miles. Woot. AP 8:45. Followed by the bike and some plyo work. I had ACL surgery about 1.5 years ago and my knee is still a little "scared" to do jumps/pivots/side to side work. I need to work on that.

2 miles before a weight lifting class and 2 miles after at el gymnasio. I can already tell my biceps are going to be sore, specifically the right one. I'm usually carrying 30 extra pounds on my left arm/hip so I'm a bit lop sided.

Found a funny video on youtube about the "rivalry" between Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher. Good for a laugh. (I found it through Rachelle's abs link) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_47jcU7Img&feature=related 

Tried a little faster running today. Spent 30 minutes on the treadmill. Warmed up with one mile at 8:30. The rest of the time was spent switching between an 8:30 min/mile, 7:30 min/mile, and 6:40 min/mile. A minute spent at each speed for the remaining time. I worked up a pretty good sweat. I still feel like I've lost a lot of speed in the last couple of months. Here's to hoping it comes back soon.

Finished off the workout with 15 min on the elliptical followed by abs and pushups.

My shin is still letting me know its there. It continues to warm up. I can't just jump into running without it bothering me right at the beginning. Its more annoying than anything. 

Spent the morning at Seven Peaks. Thank you pass of all passes! I love going early before the crowds, wearing out a little man child, and leaving right as the place gets crazy crowded. I'm declaring today "Natalie Appreciation Day" and giving myself a day off. I feel great about it.

Went on a hike with the fam as the morning activity of the family reunion. What I thought was going to be a "leisurely 4 mile hike" turned into a 5 mile hike with either a 2 year old or 5 year old on my back. My husband and I switched off between carrying my child and niece. It was fun to spend time with cousins, siblings, and aunts and uncles all while working up a good sweat.

My niece informed me at one point that my "shoulders hurt her legs". Well, so sorry I couldn't provide a more comfortable shoulder ride while carrying you up this mountain sister. :) Good times.

Two whopping miles. Average pace: 8:20. Wow, my mileage is really getting up there, I better back off soon. Followed by a weight lifting class.

I planned to do more but life sometimes gets in the way of running and I had to prioritize. darnitall. 

I don't know what it is with me and the 0.1, but I usually like to end on that when I'm running on the treadmill. Crazy? Maybe.

6.1 miles, Average Pace: 8:20. Felt pretty good, barring the shin issue.

Good luck to everyone racing today!

I don't know what got into me today! What was supposed to be a "cross training day" mixed in with a few miles at the gym, turned into 8 miles on the treadmill.

In my defense, I was sucked right into what was on TV and couldn't pull myself off that usually dreaded machine. I watched the womens soccer game between USA and France. I scared a few other people running next to me with my yes!, oh shoot!, awww!, ugh! every 2 seconds. I know this is a running blog, but I love soccer. I felt my stomach muscles flexing every time Abby Wambach headed the ball, so turns out I got a good ab workout too! 

Workout was 3 miles @ 8:20 min/mile, 1 mile @ 6:40,  2 @ 8:20, 1 @ 6:40, 1 mile cool down. Really no rhyme or reason for this workout. I just felt like getting a little speed (for me that is fast) mixed in with my easy pace.

3 treadmill miles. AP 8:20. Good news, absolutely no shin/calf pain today! Followed by 20 min on the stair stepper. I'll take it.

Nothing today except giving the people what they want, pain meds and hospital food for 12 hours.

9.8 miles outside. It was so hot already at 6:00 this morning! Average pace 8:30. I didn't round it out to 10 cuz I had to be back by a certain time. Makes me wish I had a treadmill so I could do 0.2 miles. :)

Speaking of treadmills, I'm looking into getting one. (Crazy, dreadful things I know) Anyone have any good recommendations? I'm not super rich so I'd like one that would still allow me to buy groceries for the rest of the year but I don't want one that is going to break down easily. The allure of it is being able to run during nap time....

Speaking of nap time, my child has figured out how to get out of the crib. This is a very sad day. Very sad day indeed. He is banging on his door saying "Hep (help) me! Hep me!" as I type this. Anyone have any recommendations for getting them to still take naps?... Please, I need naps for my sanity...

5 treadmill miles. Average pace 8:30, followed by 30 mins weights.

Average pace- 8:36. I ran outside today. Not groundbreaking info here, but the miles fly by so much faster running outside. It felt a little harder than usual today but I'm grateful I got to run mostly pain free with my shin/calf. It took a little while to get in the groove but once I got there, it felt good. I'm planning on doing some ab work and lunges later today.

I should have known, "later today" almost always means never. Lunges and abs didn't happen yesterday but I'm glad to report they showed up in today's workout.

I was ADD at the gym today. All of it was random but the totals came to this: 2 treadmill miles, lunges, abs, jump squats, 2 min wall sit, side shuffles, 30 min on the elliptical. I was sweaty so I know it worked.

I attempted a "tempo run". I put it in quotations because it was only two miles of tempo running. It was so much harder than I anticipated. I really haven't done much faster running in the last two months and....this is the consequence of that. Here are the stats.

1.5 warm up at 8:40 min/mile, 2 miles at 6:53, 1.5 cool down at 8:30.

Its hard to believe that a few months ago I had worked my way up to a 8-9 mile tempo miles. Crazy how fast it leaves you. I need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable again. I really haven't felt too uncomfortable in my work outs lately and surprise surprise, I got a reality check today.

Longer run today. 10.27 miles. AP 8:40.

Made my way up from 2300 east and 2700 to wasatch drive and about 4500 over to tanner park and back down. One hill after another and another and another. I suck wind on hills. Temps felt awesome this morning. 

3.25 easy treadmill miles followed by a total body weight lifting class at the gym. Can I just complain for a minute? I'm not a fan of Saturday mornings at the gym. It seems that some people are there to be seen...and not necessarily sweat. That is all.

My first workout was 5 treadmill miles. AP 8:27. Followed by 10 min cool down on the elliptical. 

Second workout was 123 minutes long, watching the women's semifinal soccer game. USA vs. Canada. Holy crap...such an exciting game. My son was wondering why mommy was yelling at the TV. Go USA. Now I have to get caught up on everything I should have been doing for 123 minutes.... 

1 mile warm up, 3 miles @ 7:00 min/mile, 2.25 miles @ 8:30 min/mile.

Lunges and push ups.

When I was done, my face was all red/blotchy/sweaty, reminiscent of my 8 year old self on the playground at recess.  

Again, all over the place at the gym today. I won't even try to explain it. I didn't spend more than 10 minutes on each machine but it worked out to 3 treadmill miles, 20 min elliptical, 10 min stair stepper, 10 min on the stationary bike.

Worked a night shift and it was a serious fight in my head to get out the door and run in the heat this afternoon.

I ran without the garmin. For a couple of reasons really, I didn't know how much of a charge it had, I didn't want to feel pressure to keep a certain pace considering it was so blasted hot and I was running on little sleep. I'm pretty sure my pace at the beginning was close to walking but after about 4-5 miles, I finally woke up and got after it. My energy level at end was so much better. I love that running usually makes you feel better, even though its sometimes a battle to get out the door.

I did a tabata workout on the treadmill today. It certainly got the ol ticker ticking! It went like this.....

2 mile warm up

8 rounds of tabata sprints (4 mins). 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. Incline 1.5% Speed 9.5 mph (6:19 min/mile)

2 minute recovery. Incline 10% Speed 4 mph. 

8 rounds of tabata sprints. Incline 1.5% Speed 10 mph (6:00 min/mile)

2 minute recovery

8 rounds of tabata sprints. Incline 1.5% Speed 10.5-11 mph (5:43-5:27 min/mile)

2 minute recovery

2 mile cool down.

Wipe up the sweat. 

7.15 miles. Average pace 8:20. 

2 minute wall sit. 

Easy miles. Average pace 8:25. Pushups. Weak sauce arms.

This may not make sense to anyone else out there, but to me it does and I want to remember how I did it. This was uncomfortably hard but I felt I still had some left in the tank when I was done. It took a while for my legs to agree with my mind in that yes, indeed, we are going fast(er, its a relative term) today...

All fast miles (full mile, 1/2 mile, and 1/4 mile) had 1/2 mile recovery jogs in between.

1 mile warm up, 1 mile repeats @ 6:35, 6:30, 6:27, 1/2 mile repeats @ 3:05, 3:02, 1/4 mile repeats @ 1:30, 1:27, cool down.

 I got in a little cross training today. My favorite spinning teacher is back. Oh how my legs and lungs have missed her.

1 mile on the treadmill, Spinning class, 2 miles on the treadmill.

Major props to those of you who do triathlons. I only did two miles after being on the bike and my legs felt like jelly. I can't imagine trying to run much more than that after biking AND swimming.

Such a fight to get out the door today. I worked a night shift last night and every part of me didn't want to go run in the heat of the day. ...BUT...my child fell asleep at Grandmas house so it was either run in the heat of the day or don't run at all. After several rounds of convincing myself I could do it, I embraced the heat and accepted the fact that I was going to be a sweaty mess. The first three miles felt surprisingly good, average pace around 8:15. Then it seemed like my body realized how hot it was and how little sleep I was running on and my average pace dropped and dropped as my perceived effort increased. Ended up with a 8:45 min/mile average. Not great, but considering my lack of sleep and the blazing sun, I'm grateful I got my run in.

I did a treadmill class at the gym today. It was a mixture of some serious hills (8-10 incline) and speed (5:45 min/mile, no worries, I didn't do a full mile at this...) I wore my heart rate monitor and at one point I was at 190! On the verge of puking,...such a good workout.

This class ALWAYS kicks my butt. I love the teacher. I feel like she pushes me beyond what I think I can do. Not that I'm some super star, but in about 6 months, I knocked off 12 minutes from my half marathon time and I totally give credit to this running instructor. She is so good at motivating me to dig deep and go faster than I think I can. This is something I tend to struggle with, mental confidence. I talk myself out of a lot and mentally give up. 

8.1 miles, Average pace 8:20. 

Another day, another run. 

Running=Therapy 

8.6 miles. Average pace 8:16. I wasn't planning on running this long today but I had some frustration/sadness to get out. Someone made a comment to me about my (2 year old) child yesterday at church that left me feeling so incredibly stupid, insecure about my mothering, and really small. I'm usually an easy going person but for some reason this comment hurt my feelings and affected me way more than I wanted it to. I was hurt/bugged about the comment but I was really bugged that I let it affect me so much. Needless to say after a good cry, a good nights sleep, and especially after a good run, I feel much better. I (and everyone else around me) love(s) that running does that for me.

Tempo run today. 1 mile warm up, 4 miles tempo, 1.2 mile cool down. Tempo miles went like this 7:13, 7:03, 6:55, 6:50. Does anyone else find it hard for their legs to wake up? It seems like it takes forever for my legs to get to where it feels good to run fast. That first tempo mile is always the slowest and the hardest.

I inherited a treadmill. Not a nice one but its a free one and that makes it great. I'm thinking of throwing a few afternoon runs in while the "hurricane" is sleeping in the afternoon. Anyone have any advice on this? Obviously I'm going to ease into it but for those of you who do two a day runs, here are some questions...

1. How far apart are your runs?

2. How many times a week do you do two a days?

3. Do you run twice day just on easy run days? Or do you do a faster workout in the morning followed by an easy couple of miles in the afternoon?

What's the best way to do this? I'll take all the advice you've got, I'm just trying to switch it up a little and slowly increase my weekly mileage.... 

Afternoon run 2.5 miles on the ghetto fabulous free treadmill.

1 mile, Spinning class, 2.5 miles after. Done and done.

I wasn't planning to cross train today, but that's how it happened. I was a chatty cathy with a friend on the elliptical and a 10 minute warm up turned into 45 mins. I ran 3 easy miles on the treadmill after.

I did a copycat workout today. I've seen a few of you (Rachelle, Julie, Kelli) do this workout and tried it today. 10 minute warm up, 35 mins of 1 min on, 1 min off alternating between about a 6:15-30 min/mile, and 9:00 min/mile, 5 min cool down. Average pace 7:45. It was a good mix of speed and recovery, switching it up so often certainly made the time go by fast. This is why I'm loving this blog, you get great workout ideas and advice...so, thanks everyone!

Afternoon nap= 2 super easy miles on the treadmill. My legs were feeling tired today. 

10.55 miles. Average pace 8:30. Nice morning, I'm jealous of everyone running races today. It was a great morning.

A hot humid "easy" 8 miles this morning. "Easy" is a relative term. If by "easy" you mean lots of effort to maintain a 8:30 pace, then yes it was "easy". I think my legs are feeling the higher mileage last week? Perhaps they are tired from the extra evening runs last week? Maybe my legs are wussy?

Afternoon run was 2.5 easy miles. The legs actually felt better on this run.  

I think I've got ADD when it comes to speedwork. I can't handle the same thing for too long. I was all over the place. I did a descending ladder that looked like this. 

1 mile warm up

1 mile fast, recover, 1/2 mile fast, recover, 1/4 mile fast, recover and repeat descending ladder.

1 mile cool down 

The fast miles looked like this for round number one 6:35, 3:06, 1:23  and round number two (no surprise here, my legs finally got used to going fast, you can tell I felt better the second time around) 6:31, 3:03, 1:21.

Cross training today. 1 hour spin class. 

AM: 5 miles easy. Average pace 8:35. I was planning to do the whole 8 miles in the am but I had some serious stomach issues and decided to cut it short, hoping I'd get a chance to finish it up later.

Afternoon: 3.5 miles easy. So much better this afternoon! Average pace 8:20. Happy that I didn't talk myself out of finishing the run. (cuz lets face it, I'm good at that.)

6.1 easy miles. Average pace 8:27. That first mile was about a 9:40 min/mile. It took a couple miles to get the lead out. I definitely felt better the last few miles.

For right now, here's the short of it.

Got suckered into doing a half on Friday. Course measured long. Felt pretty good. 

My sister in law is training for St. George and she wanted to do a training/tune up half so last minute, she asked if I wanted to run this half. Sure, I had a free Saturday morning...why not? I knew that it wasn't going to be a PR for me because I took June, July, and most of August pretty easy with my running. Plus, I had heard that there were some good sized long hills from miles 4-8. I went into it with absolutely no expectation.

So this half used to be called the South Valley Half Marathon but I guess some other people directed it this year and it was changed to the Only Half Crazy Half. Same course, new name. It starts up Rose Canyon in Herriman and ends in South Jordan/Daybreak. My garmin (as well as my sister in laws garmin) showed the course was long. Its a smaller race, probably about 200 people? (How else could I place in the top three women with that time? :) I don't know how it was last year but this year it felt disorganized. Even our bus driver didn't know where the start line was, someone on our bus had to direct him. I'm sure its a lot of work to organize a race so I don't want to be critical but...it just felt a little chaotic.

Onto the race. Miles 1-4 were a gradual downhill. I kept about a 7:00 min/mile here and it felt fast but controlled. Miles 4-8 were a series of rolling hills. This is where I started to pass people. My pace slowed to anywhere between 8:00-8:40 min/miles. I was very happy to reach mile 8 because I knew it was mostly downhill from there. I gradually picked up my pace back up to a 7:00 min/mile and tried to cruise in. Around mile 11, I knew there were only a few women in front of me and if I could pick it up and catch one of them, I'd place in the top three. So after much back and forth, I can catch her, no I can't, she's too far away, I can at least try, I can do it, no its too hard.... I decided to go for it. In the last half mile, one of the race volunteers yelled out, "You're fourth right now! You can catch her!" That gave me just what I needed to kick it into gear. I clocked a 6:12 min/mile for the last mile and beat her by 1 second to be the third overall female. :)

Like I said, I really wasn't expecting much out of this race because I had a higher mileage training week, I just started bringing back speedwork, and I knew there were some good hills. I felt good about my performance and I was happy to place in the top three, knowing full well if this was a different Utah race, I'd be smoked right and left by fast running bloggers! (Note to self, run smaller races from now on, it makes you feel fast... :) 

Quads are a little sore from the hills in the race last saturday, nothing too bad, just letting me know they're there. Went for a slow and progressively faster run today. 9 miles, average pace 8:30. Felt good.

9 seems to be the number of the week so far....

Here's the workout from today.

1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile (3:07), 1 mile (6:18), 2 miles (6:40, 6:37), 1 mile (6:20), 1/2 mile (3:06), 1 mile cool down. Recovery jogs between each set. 

I have a love/hate relationship with speedwork. I love how I feel after, but I hate it the burning in the lungs and legs that inevitably comes with it. 

13.75 very slow miles. It took half the run to warm up to a 8:30 min/mile. Average pace was 8:40. I love running in the early fall. The cool air energizes you. I wasn't even  planning running today (I usually do a spinning class) but I played nurse to a feverish 2 year old in the wee hours of the morning. After I got the kiddo back to sleep, I realized I wouldn't get a workout in today unless I went right then.... so I did. I'm planning on slowing down the mileage for the rest of the week. I don't want to up it too quickly, and so far this week, I'm doing just that.

3.3 miles at the gym this morning followed by lunges, squats, push ups, dips, and abs. Its been a while since I have lifted, I'm sure I'll be feeling it tomorrow.

2.2 miles in the afternoon on the rickety old treadmill. 

I needed the run today. I applied for a job a couple weeks ago, got an interview, and I was pretty sure that I got it. I was more than qualified and it seemed like a better fit for me and my family. (I am going crazy on my current floor) Plus they called me earlier this week to see if they could contact my manager. I was just waiting for the call offering me the job.... it didn't come. Instead, I got an email this morning saying that they had found someone else. Bummer deal. I'm not looking for pity (because at least I have a decent paying job, when so many don't), I'm just explaining why I needed the run....

Onto the workout. I did the treadmill class again at my gym. It was killer. The teacher loves hills...I don't. But I did get some serious speedwork and major hills mixed in. Definitely a harder run than I would have done on my own. It kicked my trash and kicked my pity party out the window.

Now I gotta keep looking for a different job..... 

slow and easy does it

2 miles before and after lifting weights. The legs feel heavy and sluggish today. Here's to hoping a better afternoon run happens...

Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles, the afternoon run happened. 2.5 miles. Feeling better and not as sluggish.

I can't decide which type of speedwork I like the least: tempo, mile repeats, 800s, etc,... Usually whatever one I'm doing that day. :) But I always like the results that come from faster running.

1 mile warm up, 5 tempo miles, 1 mile cool down. Here's how the tempo miles went 7:08, 7:02, 6:55, 6:53, 6:47. I noticed in between mile 3-4 of the tempo miles is when I started to feel good. I felt like I could have gone longer, I'm hoping this is a good thing...

4 miles on the treadmill at the gym. Average pace 8:27. Followed by push ups, dips, lunges, squats, biceps. Interestingly enough, my left (my baby carrying bicep) bicep is MUCH stronger than my right... Woopsy, looks like I need to make more of an effort to even things out a bit. Hoping for an afternoon run later today.

2 slow miles later, I made it happen.

I would have loved to run outside on this beautiful fall morning (that's about as pretty as I can make it, sorry to disappoint you Kam) but that would have required me to get up at 4:30 and run outside in the dark. I realize that a lot of you do this on a daily basis (more power to you) but I try to avoid the butt crack of dawn if at all possible. Aaaaaaand I'm not a fan of running in the dark. Every little sound means that someone is chasing me trying to kidnap me. Although, it does make for a faster run....hmm...

Long story short, 8.75 miles on the treadmill. Switched the incline or speed every minute. Average speed 8:20, incline between 0.5-4.5%

I fully intended on doing speedwork today but my legs, head, and overall body wasn't feeling it. Didn't get much sleep last night and decided to take an easier day. I'll add some faster miles to my long run tomorrow.

Faster miles didn't so much happen. I feel fine about it. The overall run was faster. Average pace 8:01. Can't wait to read all the race reports!

2 quick miles before a weight lifting class. I know, I know, I better slow up on the mileage huh?

Mile repeats today. 1 mile warm up, 4 mile repeats with 1/2 mile recovery jog in between, 1 mile cool down. Fast miles went like this 6:35, 6:30, 6:28, 6:25. It felt hard but doable.

Afternoon run: 2.5 miles easy. 

4.1 miles. Average pace 8:13. That was all I could fit in before an early work meeting. Too bad work has to get in the way of running...

Today was an anniversary of sorts... :) 7 years ago today I went for a lovely early morning fall run. As the sun was rising, I was about 3 miles into a cool, crisp, faster run when the sidewalk jumped out at me...and BAM (no offense Bam) I decided to taste the concrete in a major way. Long story short, I broke my fall with my face and cracked my jaw. My first broken bone. My mouth was wired shut for 6 weeks. I now run with a helmet because my clumsiness certainly hasn't gotten any better.

Average pace 8:20

Running class at the gym. Seriously so stinkin hard. We focused mostly on hills. Had the incline on the treadmill at 10% for about 15 mins of the class. It was a booty burner.

Afternoon shakeout. Easy 2 miles. 

7 treadmill miles. Not my favorite but the husband was out fishing so the little man and I "got" to go to the gym and gym daycare for some treadmill miles. Average pace 8:13. Now I "get" to look forward to walking about 6 more miles tonight at work.

Seems like Mondays, I find every excuse not to go out and run. Let me just do this one thing first, okay-ONE more thing, let me just put these things away and THEN I'll go...yadda, yadda, yadda. And before I know it, its time to get back. So, what should have been 7 miles, was only 3.5. Thank goodness for free/old/rickety treadmills and naptime. Hopefully today will be a double day. I'm "putting it down on paper" cuz its more likely to happen right? Right. Here's to 3-4 miles this afternoon....

Woohoo! 4 miles this afternoon, but only cuz Andrea threatened me. :) 

2 miles before a weight lifting class, 1 mile after.

I did a progressive tempo run today. Don't really know if that's a real running term, but it describes what my run was like today. It was comfortably hard.

1 mile warm up, 7:07, 7:02, 6:58, 6:53, 6:48, 6:42, 3 miles cool down.

I felt like it was easier for my mind and body to adjust to going faster each mile instead of banging them all out at just under 7. 

Zombie run today. I worked a night shift last night and it took everything I had to get out the door this afternoon. When I woke up, I felt like I had been hit by a truck, more so than usual. Maybe the combination of speedwork yesterday followed by staying up all night? So painful. Didn't start feeling awake until mile 4. Is sleep running possible? :) 9 miles later I feel so much better and like a functional human being. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times, thank goodness for running. It makes me feel awake and alive in more ways than one...

No internet for the past two days, turns out they turn it off if you don't make the payment...who knew? Weight lifting class today followed by 5 quicker miles only because the daycare was about to close...with my child in it. Average pace 7:37.

8 treadmill miles. Booooooooooooring. At least I had Rachael Ray to keep me daydreaming about lunch... Average pace 8:20.

Today was an odd day. It started off at 2:00 am when my kiddo woke up telling me he was hungry. 2 nutrigrain bars and 1 applesauce packet later, he was back asleep. After that, I never seemed to fall back asleep.

Made it to the gym for a speed workout. I felt like nothing could go right. Every treadmill I got on was busted. When I finally did find a keeper, I went to drag the fan across the room to blow on me during my sweatfest. I go to plug in the fan and its also busted. Drag it to a different outlet, still busted. (do we see a theme developing?) Find a different fan, drag it over, plug it in,....busted. Stupid! I'll just live in my sweat for the next hour. 2 warm up miles and I start my 2 fast miles, with .4 to go of the first set of fast miles...the treadmill suddenly stops...busted. Oh for pete's sake. I move to another treadmill and start the next round of fast miles.  I was planning on doing 2 rounds of a descending ladder but I couldn't hack it. I don't know if I just wasn't mentally there or my body really needed a break. Sometimes its hard to tell the difference between being mentally weak (because I DO think my head holds me back sometimes) and listening to my body. Such a fine line....

So here's what the workout ended up being. About 1/2 mile recovery jog in between each fast mile set:

2 miles warm up, 1.6 (this is when the treadmill broke) miles fast (6:37 min/miles), 1 mile (6:18), 1/2 mile (3:03), 1/4 mile (1:27), 2 miles (6:36), 1 mile (6:15), started the 1/2 mile and got .1 mile in and couldn't do it...I was spent. Again, I don't know if it was mental weakness or being smart and listening to my body.

And that is a long entry. 

3 easy miles. Pretty good day.

Just like last thursday, 5 groggy miles right after I woke up from a nap/sleep from working a night shift last night. I was talking with a nurse on my floor last night who used to go out and do her long runs right after working a night shift, ...not after waking up, no, right after work, ...after being up for 24+ hours...on her feet,....all day...and then all night... Can you tell I'm amazed by this? She's nuts. I don't know how she did it. I'm a wuss nugget.

Treadmill class today. Twas very hard. Somehow made it up to the 10% incline again. 

I'm really wishing I had run St. George last weekend! So jealous of all of you hobbling around. (no seriously, I really am!) I guess it could be worse, I could be like my friend who trained her butt off and is super fast (hoping for a possible sub 3). She forgot to set her alarm and woke up about 7 minutes before she was supposed to start. :( Saddest day ever for her.

5.5 miles, average pace 8:11. Followed by squats, lunges, push ups. Definitely a heavy monday and I'm glad its over.

Tempo run today. I felt good but at the end I was definitely ready to be done.

1 mile warm up, 4 tempo miles (7:04, 7:00, 6:55, 6:50), 1 mile easy, 3 tempo miles (6:50, 6:45, 6:42), 1 mile cool down.

8.5 miles, average pace 8:25. Nothing too fancy, a few small hills in the neighborhoods, it felt good to be outside for a change. 

Treadmill class at the gym. Again with the hills (10% incline) and speedwork. Good and sweaty. 

The bottoms of my feet have been hurting, just under my toes. I have hardwood floors in my house and it hurts to walk around barefoot. I don't know if its related to running or the fact I wear flats and flip flops all the time? Either way, its been around for about a month and hasn't gotten better, but hasn't gotten worse either.... I've been rotating my running shoes and it seems like its worse when I wear lighter shoes with less cushion.

6.25 treadmill miles.

10 slow easy miles. It was a great way to start out the week. Felt good.

So here's something non running related. I got my hair chopped about a month ago. I'm talking about 10 inches or so. I've always had a horse's mane for hair (funny story, in fact, when I was little my hair was so thick I had to have special shampoo called Horse's Mane with picture of a horse head on it... pretty huh?). So it would take for-ev-er to do my hair when I actually took the time to do it. The rest of the time it was in a braid/ponytail/or bun (in which I'd end up with a headache by the end of the day because of the weight of my "horse's mane".). Anywho, enough was enough and I got it chopped. I love it now cuz its so easy, fast, and super low maintenance. I've enjoyed hearing people's reactions and comments. Some are good, some are bad, and some are back handed compliments? Here's my current favorite....

Sweet old Lady, "Natalie! All that beautiful hair is gone! Why did you do that?!"

Me, laughing, "Well....mumble mumble mumble some response...."

SoL, "Well, don't get me wrong I like it...but.....You're hair grows fast right?"

Well shoot. Its not like I accidentally ran into a pair of scissors! :) People are funny and have an opinion about everything huh? Its a good thing I have a healthy self esteem!

1/2 mile repeats today. I did a 1/4 mile recovery walk/jog between each repeat (about 3 min recovery). Here's the numbers.

warm up, 3:07, 3:05, 3:03, 3:03, 3:02, 3:00, cool down.

I really wanted to get in under 3:00 for the last 1/2 mile but my legs weren't having it today. I'll take what I can get.

I started and finished my run totally in the dark this morning. Sometimes I don't mind running in the dark. (at a reasonable hour) Today it was peaceful and I just let my mind wander wherever it wanted. No music just me, my footsteps, and breathing.

45 mins on the stairmaster at the gym this afternoon. My sister just happened to be there at the same time so we commiserated (is that a word?) together on the machine from h---. I really wasn't planning on being on that machine for that long but we got to talking about stuff and things and before I knew it, it was 45 mins later. 

I wasn't going to do anything but because I worked a night shift last night I needed some sort of exercise to wake me up and help me function. Usually I run but I'm planning on doing a half marathon this weekend, so I decided to take it easy on the running.....Which brings me to my next talking point/question....Do you taper for a half? I never have because I'm usually using them as training runs for a marathon. I didn't run today and I'm only going to do 2-3 miles tomorrow, is that taper enough? Please, running people, enlighten me.

3 miles. Not much else to say except I felt a bit sluggish. 

If you want to run a race WITHOUT wind, don't sign up for the same race as me. It seems to be my thing. Here's the skinny, 1:32:45, 2nd overall female (a small race), 40 seconds behind the leader, windy. I'll be back later with a full report and splits. For now, I get to do laundry, my two year old woke up throwing up this morning...sad day. 

The good news is, the man child is feeling better. Lets get down to the nitty gritty. This was my second year running this race. Last year I placed first in my age division and got a free entry for this year. I'm a cheaper chicken so I like free things...Free running things? Even better. The race is run in and around South Jordan. An elevation loss but not too much of a decline. A few small hills, nothing too hard. It was well organized. The only beef I have with the actual race is that the finish line kind of sneaks up on you. For me, seeing the finish line gives me a boost and I end up running faster, its a mental thing I know cuz I can just as easily look down at my garmin and check the mileage. I remember last year being surprised that it popped up out of nowhere. This year, I knew that it came right after the last turn. 

I started this race with a 1:30 goal in mind. My plan was to do 7:00 min miles for the first 7 and then pick it up after the last small hill. When the wind started, I knew that plan had to change. I didn't want a repeat of the Utah Valley Marathon where I knew I should have slowed up in the wind. So slow up I did. Because this course turns all directions, I knew eventually I'd have the wind at my back, I wasn't worried. When I got to mile 10-11, I thought to myself, "time to make it hurt." I really wanted to go fast the last 2-3 miles. Well the universe must have misunderstood me and instead heard, "time to make it windy..." Because it was. Right as you finish along the Jordan River Parkway, the wind picked up and I couldn't get under 7:00 min/miles. Finished and was surprised to hear that the female winner was only 40 seconds ahead of me. I didn't even see any other girls in front of me (I knew they were there, I just figured they were minutes ahead). Kinda bummed because I feel like the competitive part of me would have pushed harder to catch her, had I known that she was only 40 seconds ahead. Then again, maybe she would have pushed harder too, seeing that I was behind her. Who knows. I felt good about the performance and felt that I pushed it hard. I'm glad to see that I've learned from past racing mistakes. Not so glad to see the wind make an appearance at yet another race. (side note, not windy AT ALL where I live.)

Here are the splits: 7:24, 7:09, 6:53, 7:25, 7:27, 7:05, 7:16, 7:00, 6:58, 6:52, 6:48, 6:58, 7:05, 34 secs (6:53 pace)

For my own info. Took a clif shot block packet. Took two blocks 30 mins before the race. 1 at miles 4 and 5, 1 at miles 7 and 8. Seemed to work well because the nausea that usually hits the last couple of miles during the race, didn't hit me today. Although it did show up about 10 mins after the race was over. Still can't figure why I get so sick after races. I have yet to be able to partake of the post race goodies. They always sound so gross. 

Woohoo for races! 

6.95 painfully slow miles. Just the way I like it. Its getting cold.... not just the way I like it.

7.25 treadmill miles. AP 8:00 min/mile.

3 miles. Weight lifting class.

The ball of my left foot is aching as well as the arch of that same foot. I'm thinking plantar fascitis? Who knows. Its not horrible but I still can't walk around my hardwood floors (the upstairs to my house is all hardwood floor) without shoes on. Boo. 

Ahh the treadmill. We might as well get cozy and comfortable with each other, its going to be a long winter with the snow already hitting the ground. I love how its usually snowing on halloween in Utah so you can't see costumes underneath heavy coats... And when I say "I love" in that statement, I really mean, "I despise."

Naptime rickety treadmill run. 2 miles. Followed by lots of foam rolling, the stick, and stretching of the calves. (Thanks Jake!) Turns out I'm kind of tight everywhere, I haven't been foam rolling or using the stick as much as I normally do and I can definitely tell a difference. Let this be a lesson to me. 

Friday treadmill class. Major hills followed by one minute "on"(6:00 min/mi)/one minute "off"(10:30 min/mi) on a 3% incline for 10 min. Lots of electrolyte loss!

11 miles. Awesome weather this morning. I love that we got a little warm up again. 

I'm pretty sure my sweat tasted like candy corns today. I OD'd a little on the sugar yesterday. Got a little carried away making "haunted gingerbread houses." I swear the candy just jumped in my mouth. :)

My love for running AND candy goes hand in hand. :) 

Today I did a treadmill workout that I haven't done in a long time. I used this workout to get back to running after I had a baby. Its a ladder workout. A certain amount of time spent going fast followed by an equal amount of time for a recovery walk/jog. Here are the numbers.

1 mile warm up, 1 min on (10 mph/6:00 min/mile), 2 min (9.9/6:04), 3 min (9.8/6:07), 4 min (9.6/6:15), 5 min (9.5/6:19), 4 min (9.6/6:15), 3 min (9.7/6:11), 2 min (9.8/6:07), 1 min (9.9/6:04), about 1/2 mile cool down.

My recovery jogs were between a 10:00-9:30 min/mile. By the end I was a little nauseated so I know it was a good workout. :) 

2 miles before a weight lifting class and 1 mile after. My hammies are a little sore from yesterdays speedwork, nothing painful, just letting me know they are there. :) I have either a neuroma? or metatarsalgia? some funky business going on on the ball of my left foot. Its annoying, I need to get that figured out.

Happy Halloween! 

I was planning on a longer early morning run to take advantage of the still warm weather (so great!) but sleep prevailed... and I'm okay with that. I only managed to get in 3 miles before the husband had to leave for work. 

Now if I can just keep my hands out of my son's candy loot. (having a kid is an awesome way to score more candy.... totally worth it. :) Next year we plan on teaching him which candy to go for in the candy bowl. Acceptable candy choices are: snickers, starburst, skittles, basically any chocolate and nut combo, or really any chocolate for that matter. Non acceptable candy choices are as follows: tootsie rolls (unless its the fruity kind), suckers, double bubble, smarties (sorry Kam), and nerds. Next year's gonna be great.

Friday is usually the treadmill class at the gym. Today it was mostly a series of hills followed by sprints, stairs, and shuffles/grapevine. Butt kicker.

I had to run on the treadmill today. I wanted to do a longer run but knew I'd go crazy if I didn't switch it up. I changed the speed every .25 miles. I ranged from about a 9:00 min/mile to a 6:30 mile. I was all over the place but it made the time go by faster. Average pace around 8:15.

I love when daylight savings occurs in the fall (although I didn't love it when I had to work a 13 hour night shift on Sat. night. Lovely.), finally I can run in the mornings again! And woohoo for this weather! I am loving the warmer weather thats been sticking around. Sometimes by now, there's already snow on the ground. I can't complain and I'm trying to take advantage of it while it lasts.

My sister was a saint and watched my kiddo so I could go on an afternoon run. She understands the need to sweat. She lives close to the Jordan River Parkway so I did my run there (I was hoping to run into and meet Allie!). Such nice weather today. I loved it, except for the areas that smelled like sewage, although that did give me reason to run faster! Most of my runs start with the first mile at about a 9:00 min/mile, my body is pretty consistent with that. I decided to push the last mile faster (7:00 min/mile). Average pace 8:20.

Another warm weather run in the afternoon along the Jordan River Parkway. I'm soaking up all the sun I can get because I know all good things like the current weather will come to an end. God bless my sister for watching my son again so I can maintain my sanity. (Don't worry, I'm not a complete leach, I do return the favor every now and then!)

Windy miles. Not my favorite but I guess I need to learn how to run and race in the wind, as most of my races this year have been very windy. This neuroma? on the bottom of my foot is a bugger. I've got a Dr. appointment on Monday. I'm excited to get this thing fixed/healed.

And all of the sudden...its winter in Utah. We did have a pretty awesome fall, I'm just sad to see it go. 5 boring old treadmill miles. 

Finally went to the doctor on monday. It is indeed a neuroma on my left foot. I got new orthotic inserts and tried them out this morning. Maybe its a placebo effect but I feel like it is already better....

On monday I went to help my sister with her kiddos because she got "the sickness of death." An incubation period later, I came down with "the sickness of death." And it was indeed. The only time I got out of bed was when I was hugging the porcelain throne. Not fun. So no running happened. (I guess I could count some fast miles because I sprinted to the bathroom many times...TMI?) Moral of the story? Don't help your sick sister.

10.1 slow slow miles happened today with a different (healthy) sister. We got caught up on all the happy happenings. Because I usually like to run alone, I forget that I do actually enjoy running with other people. The time flew by. Weather was awesome.

Today I loved running. Average pace 8:13. (ha I just noticed that was my overage mileage....I couldn't have planned that even if I tried.)

2 miles before and after a weight lifting class. I'm working all night tonight so I'm pretty sure that mileage will go up because my work is crazy ALL THE TIME! Does anyone know of good nursing jobs? I'm going nuts at my current one....

12 lovely miles in the afternoon before Thanksgiving dinner. Many things to be thankful for. (Running being one of them.) Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Treadmill class. Lots of hills, lots of sprints, lots of dry heaves.... Good times.

10.1 miles. I have loved running and the weather this week. That is all I have to say.

Kind of a funky run. Usually I finish my runs feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Not so here, I never found my groove and left feeling just as fuzzy/grumpy as when I left. Boo. Lets hope I make it to the end of the day...

I haven't done "real" speedwork in a while and I'm amazed at how quickly you're body gets comfortable with being comfortable. I did about a 2.5 mile warm up, 2 quick miles (7:01, 6:47) and finished the run out at 7.75 miles. Average pace for the whole run was 7:50. I felt good.

I ran early this morning and as I was running along 2300 east, an older man yelled from across the street, "You're a good man to be running this early in the morning!" I just had to laugh to myself. Apparently, I'm a pretty manly woman. :) 

2 miles before and after a weightlifting class. 

Groggy miles after a night shift and 3 hours of sleep. Little man found out I was sleeping in a downstairs bedroom and just couldn't stay away from Mama. :) Hats off to those of you who go sleep deprived all the time, I only do it once a week and it kills me.

Treadmill class. TONS of hill work. So slow, so long, and so steep. And also so great.

Two wobbly miles after a spinning class today. I have decided that over the winter I'm going to do more cross training and weight lifting. I'm sure inquiring minds wanted to know... :)

6 miles and some lunges for good measure.

Yesterday afternoon within about an hour my temperature shot up to 103, my back was aching like crazy, and I had the chills. I took some ibuprofen and a couple hours later, my temp came down and I perked right up. Decided to take a rest day today even though I was feeling fine in the morning. Again in the afternoon, my fever got up to 103.7 this time. I decided to take a little drive to the instacare. A few hours and several tests later, I was back home. I have no idea why my body is acting like this. Everything came back negative... The nurse in me is going crazy.

Because "resting" yesterday morning did me no good. I decided to run on the treadmill this morning because yet again, I felt just fine. The run was okay. Not fabulous but not horrible either. I have little to no appetite (but no nausea, thank goodness). I'm crossing my fingers because its now 4:15 pm and I haven't gotten a fever or a back ache....yet....

And no I'm not pregnant, that was one of the negative tests. :) 

 5 miles before a weight lifting class at the gym. I made an interesting find today (probably not ground breaking news). I've noticed that if I run (or do any form of cardio) for at least 10 minutes before weight lifting, I burn more calories then if I did the same amount of cardio after the class. It seems like if I go into the class with my heart rate a little elevated, it stays elevated. Hmmm...food for thought.

1 mile warm up followed by on (fast)/off (slow jog)sequence. 1 min on, 1 min off, 2 min on, 2 min off, etc.

1/2/3/4/5/4/3/2/1

On paces were between 6:54-6:27. Off pace was around 9:30-40. I finished out the rest of the miles around a 8:20 min/mile pace to make it an even 10.

I used to do this workout with the "on" pace around 6:20. Woopsie. Looks like I've lost a bit of speed. But I'm okay with this. Sometimes its good to take it a little easier for a while right? Right.

One wobbly, slow mile after a spinning class that kicked my butt. 

4 treadmill miles. Some assisted pull ups, dips, and lunges after.

The hubster got to go into work late today, so that sweet gift turned into a long run for me. Merry Christmas to me. I felt great today. I forget how much I love running outside. The weather was great. I started out slow and gradually got faster. I think thats just how my body likes to do it. Overall pace was 8:15.

Average pace 8:20. A lot more effort to keep a good pace. Not surprising since yesterday felt so great. You win some you lose some.

My run was broken up into 2 parts today. I couldn't drag my bootie out of bed so I didn't get much time to run in the morning, I fit in what I could, 4.2 miles. An afternoon/naptime run followed on the rickety old treadmill, 3 miles. Foam rolled and stretched like a champ after. (It doesn't happen very often so when the foam rolling/stretching actually does happen, I gotta toot my own horn.)

2 miles before and after weight lifting class. I started a new job today. Thank goodness! I was going crazy at my other one. Lets hope this one is better....

A very cold morning. I had on many layers. Still better than running on the treadmill. Average pace 8:30.