Wife of an avid runner.

I didn't want to run today...I never do.  I did my typical warm-up of 1/4 mile at 3mph.  Then I ran for 1.75 miles at 5mph.  I then increased my incline to 1% for 1/8 of a mile and then increased my speed to 6mph for the last 1/8 mile.  I did a 1/4 mile cool-down at 3mph.  Felt really good when I finished.  I also did crunches for the twohundredsitups.com challenge (I'm on week 1, day 2, column 2) 

I did my normal 1/2 mile warm-up and cool down (1/4 mile each) and a 2 mile run.  For my last 1/4 mile I ran at 6mph instead of 5mph.  My goal is to add another 1/4 mile on Monday to my run so I'm trying to push myself on either speed or incline so that I don't fizzle out with a bigger distance.  Right now one of my biggest challenges is the boredom of the treadmill, that and sometimes I get snappy at my kids if the come and try to talk to me while I'm running.  I keep thinking that I want to work up to the 5 miles a day but I can't wrap my mind around how I will keep from going crazy for that long on the treadmill.  Last Sat. Matt took the treadmill and let me run outside for the first time but I don't know if that was any better because it was storming and I couldn't see where I was going because my glasses kept getting covered with snow.  Maybe this Sat. I could try an outside run again in better weather.

Today I also did push-ups for the hundredpushups.com challenge.  I'm on day 3 of week 2.  I'm a wimp but I think I'm getting stronger.

Did my 1/2 mile warm-up and cool-down and ran the rest at 5mph.  Today I downloaded a bunch of songs I love on the mp3 player and listened to them while I ran.  I loved this because I could focus on songs instead of laps.  One song equals about 1 lap for me so I just had to keep telling myself only "x" songs left.  On the last song it was a little longer than the lap so I just kept running until the song was over...really good for me.  I also carried two 2 1/2 pound weights for my first mile.  I did some curls and arm lifts until I was really feeling the burn.  I got a side cramp after about the 1st mile but I just kept running through my songs.  I'm super sweaty but I feel good!

Walked 1/2 mile, Ran 2 1/4 miles at 5mph.  Added my 1/4 mile to my run today for the first time this week.  All I can say is "I made it".  Instead of music I listened to an audiobook today.  I also did my push-ups.  I am on week three and have up-graded to column 3.  My exhaustion test when I started was 10.  My exhaustion test for starting this week was 26!  So, I am getting stronger.  I'm also starting to see some weight come off which is keeping me motivated.

Did 2.25 run and .5 walk.  Was a bit easier to complete than yesterday's.  Also did crunches.  Was the 1st day of the 2nd week.

1/2 mile walk.  Ran 2 miles at 5mph and last 1/4mile at 5.5mph.  My youngest got in the brown sugar while I was running and left a big mess for me to clean up.  The back of my right leg, just above my knee is also feeling tight.  I've stretched it good before and after my runs but each day it seems to be getting tighter. 

Did push-ups.  Whew that was a hard day on push-ups!  I did 30 for my max (week 3, day 2, column 3).   

I walked an extra 1/4 mile today to try and stretch out my muscles more.  Ran the whole 2 1/4 miles.  My muscles didn't seem too tight during the run.  They are a bit tighter now that I'm done so I'll keep stretching them.  Maybe tomorrow I'll just do a long walk and let my muscles rest.

 Did my crunches.

Wow that took forever.  I just walked the whole time on the treadmill to give myself a break.  It went so slow...I walked for about 66 minutes.  I guess it's good to help build up my endurance to go longer.  I was a bit surprised by how tired my legs got anyways.  I probably could've gone longer but that would've meant a bigger mess to clean up when I got off.  My kids know if they want to get into trouble, to do it while I'm on the treadmill!

Good run.  My legs are less tight today.  I sped up to 5.5 for the last 1/4 mile.  Hope I'm able to add 1/4 mile on Monday.

I did it!  I added my extra 1/4 mile to my run.  I still can't comprehend how I will be able to get to my goal of running 5 straight miles but I guess I just have to do it 1/4 of a mile at a time.  

Also did my pushups.  I can't believe I'm to week 4 already.  Max was 32...Ouch.  I like to always throw in an extra few but today I just couldn't...hope I can make it through this week.

Ran 2.5 miles and walked .5 mile.  My last 1/4 mile running I sped up to 5.5mph from my usual 5 mph.  Feels good to be improving and really good to be losing some weight.  I also have a lot more energy than I did before I started working out and I think my insomnia that I've had for the past year is finally starting to go away...I slept great last night!

Tried something a little different today.  After my warm-up I ran a mile at 5.5 instead of just 5mph.  Then I sped up to 6mph and ran maybe a 1/4 mile.  Then I walked for a minute or two until I felt better then ran again at 5.  For my last 1/4 mile I sped it back up to 6.  It was quite the work-out for me!

 Today I also have to do crunches and push-ups.  I usually do my crunches on Tue. but had forgotten to take my exhaustion test for week 3 so I did that yesterday and did 49!  So, today is week 4 day 2 of push-ups and week 3 day 1 of sit-ups.

Just walked today.

Made it another day.  I was thinking around 1.5 miles "Wow this is hard today"  and I really wanted to quit.  Instead I sped it up to 6mph for 1/8 mile then back down to 5mph and finished up the distance.  Every week about this time I wonder how I'll manage to add 1/4 mile to my run yet every Mon. I do manage to do it.

 Push-ups (max 40) and sit-ups (max 38) today. Abs and arms both felt like jello after just the 2nd set and I really wanted to quit, but I know I won't get stronger if I don't stick with it so I did all 5 sets on both.

I got to run outside today since Matt was home.  I waited for him to finish his outdoor run then I went.  He told me to go down to legacy parkway and run for 2 miles then turn around and run back so I did!  I can't believe it!  I ran the whole 4 mile...didn't walk AT ALL and my split was just over 11 min. miles (that's faster than I've been doing my 2.5 mile runs on the tm).  I think I like running outside...I feel great!

Today was the day to add another 1/4 mile to my run.  After Sat.'s run I knew that I could do the distance and that I should also work on speeding up my T.M. runs a bit.  So, today I did my usual 1/2 mile walk then I alternated speeds : 1/4 mile at 5mph, 1/4 mile at 6mph, 1/4 mile 5mph, etc. until I was done.  I really feel like I pushed myself but I love to see my improvement.  Also, I forgot to mention on Sat. that I got my 1st blister since I've started running.  Although I probably shouldn't be excited about it, it is a good reminder of my persistence and hard work.

Did the whole run at my good old slow speed of 5mph.  1/2 mile was warm-up and cool-down walk.  I was later than normal starting my run today because I just didn't want to do it.  Finally gave in and got it done.

Today I just decided to do one of the pre-programmed workouts on my treadmill.  I picked a 30 min workout with a max speed of 4 and a max incline of 10%.  I thought it would be a whole lot easier than it was.  I am not used to incline and boy did that work my legs.  I guess I probably really needed that because I mostly also run completely flat.  I hope to later today also do pilates for 20 minutes.  I also added an extra .5 mile to the programmed workout.

Ran the whole 2.75 miles with .5 mile walk.  Did my last 1/2 mile of the run at 1% incline.  My right knee is hurting some today but not too bad that I had to stop.

Same old, same old.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow and another run outside.

Ran today with my hubby and brother in Kaysville by my brother's house.  I'm so much slower than them, but they went slow for me.  After about the first 1/2 mile, with me running faster than I usually run anyhow, my brother said "so do you usually stop and stretch after your warm-up?"  Warm-up?!  Yeah, that made me feel really slow.  I did really enjoy being outside instead of on the treadmill though and  it was a beautiful day!  I don't know how I'll manage in the summer though because I got so hot and just hoped not to puke in someone's front yard.  Our split ended up being about 11:30.

Monday again...time to add 1/4 mile to my normal run.  Was able to finish whole 3 mile run at 5mph.  Tried to focus more on my form today running more on my toes than heel to toe.  Did a 1/2 mile walk.  I think my endurance is improving though it is still quite boring on the TM.

Did push-ups and sit-ups.

Walked to a restaurant with the kids for a lunch bunch and back.  Sounds weak I know, but I did push a stroller and it's a good up-hill all the way back.  It was a beautiful day and the kids loved getting out.  I let them stop at the video store on the way home and pick out a wii game to play when we got back.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day!   The kids woke up at 4 am this morning to check and see if they'd caught a Leprauchaun in their Leprauchaun trap they had made.  He got away but left them Lucky Charms and green milk.  Then I had to give them a bowl and send them back to bed. 

Walked 1/2 mile, ran 3.  Ran 1.5 at 5mph and 1.5 at 6mph.  I do feel like I'm getting stronger but still every day it's hard for me to finish my run.  There's no such thing as an easy 3 miles for me yet.

Ran the whole 3 miles at 5mph today with .5 mile walk. Had to stop just once to clean out my son's throw up bowl.

Once again, Ran 3miles at 5mph and walked .5 mile.  My stomach wasn't feeling great when I woke up this morning and my 1st thought was "how am I going to do my run?"  I started a little later than usual, but thankfully I made it without having to take any breaks.  Though my stomach is still tight, at least I got my run in!

I don't get to log a race report like the rest of my family since I was on kid duty.  It was a fun day though.  The kids ran the 200m and Matt ran the 10K.  Everyone did great.  Then we went out for lunch at Carl's Jr.  When we got home I changed into my running clothes and Matt dropped me off at the temple and I ran home.  There was one stretch of a pretty good uphill but the majority was downhill.  I also had a pretty strong headwind which wore me out faster but did a better job of keeping me cool than my treadmill fan.  Overall I did a split of  10:49.  For me that is really good!  I'm still trying to work up to being able to do a 5K with a split of 10:00 or under...I think I'm getting closer.  I guess especially if it was a flat course because that uphill about killed me.   First thing in the morning would probably also help because I slow down the later it gets.  It was a beautiful day and we all had a great time...I think I need a nap now though.

Man am I sore from my run on Sat.!  I can totally feel all the new muscles I worked from doing those hills.  It's tough to even make it up or down my stairs but I still had to do my run.  I successfully added my 1/4 mile making it .5 mile walk and 3.25 mile run.  The last .5 mile I ran at 5.5mph pace instead of the 5 because I was tired of running and just wanted to finish.  Hopefully my muscles will feel better tomorrow.

 I'm on my last week for the push-up challenge and hope I can do 100 girly push-ups at the end of this week.  I think then I might start over and try to do the manly ones...we'll see.  I'm only on week 5 of the sit-ups.

I haven't lost any weight this week which is a bit frustrating but maybe part of it is from all the new muscles weight I've gained.  I'll just keep trying to stay consistent with my workouts and eating good foods.

Woke up with a sore throat but I won't let that stop me this week.  I decided last night, with some encouragement from Matt to start training for my 1st 1/2 marathon.  I changed that from a long term goal to a short term goal and started today.  Actually yesterday's workout was almost exactly was I was supposed to do yesterday according Hal Higdon's novice training schedule that Matt pulled up for me last night so I'm on my way!  I'm planning on running the half in Farmington on July 11.

Today I did my usual .5 mile warm-up/cool-down walk and I ran 2 miles.  Yeah for me because that is shorter than what I was planning on running.  However, I needed to walk to the elementary school today to pick up a new math book for my oldest so I walked there with all the kids.  It added another 1.62 miles whick I am certainly going to log to make myself feel better...I sure love to see those miles add up every week.  I still can't believe how much I've improved in such a short time. 

My legs seemed extra tired today even though yesterday was a bit of an easier day.  I did walk extra yesterday with the kids but my legs didn't seem tired at all then.  I did my .5 mile warm-up/cool-down walking and ran 3 miles.  I did the 1st 1.5 miles at a slightly faster pace of 5.4mph and the rest at the typical 5mph.

Today I did push-ups and sit-ups also.  My arms feel like jello.  Max push-ups 55.  Max sit-ups 70.   I barely made it through on the push-ups.

According to Hal Higdon and my new half marathon training schedule, today was a rest day.  I still had to do 1/2 hour of some exercise for my own personal fitness goals so I did Widsor Pilates.  I think this was really good for me because it stretched my tightening leg muscles more.  I hadn't done Pilates for a while and it used to really kill my stomach muscles, but today I could tell that I've been getting my core stronger with my sit-up challenge because it wasn't near as hard as it was the last time I did it (a few months ago.)  I think I need to get a Yoga video or some other easier workouts to do on my "off" days.  

Today was a cross-training day.  I did my push-ups and sit-ups and then did 30 minutes of aerobics.  Some of it was jumping rope, most of it was dancing with the kids.  I think I need to find some more exercise videos since I can't go swimming or bike riding or anything like that with the kids at home and me with no car.  The kids did like dancing though and it got me winded.

Today was my long run in my 1st week of training for the half.  I went to legacy parkway again.  It was pretty windy but I decided to start out with a tailwind and come back with a headwind because I figured I'd be hotter on the way back and want the wind to cool me off.  I forced myself to walk .25 mile before starting to run.  Then I ran 2 miles out and turned around and ran 2 miles back then had my last .25 to walk again.  On the GPS I was just under 11 minute miles every time I looked.  For the last .25 mile or so I sped it up and pushed myself as fast as I could, I think about 9 minute miles.  My overall split for the 4 miles was 10:32!  I am definitely improving but now I want a nap.

 I think I might sign up for a 5K in Florida when we go there for our family vacation, May 9.  Matt says he would also love to run a race there.  That is just one week later than my training plan says I should run a 5K race and that would still put me a bit ahead of schedule for my half.  I haven't yet decided that it's worth it to pay to run, but I guess $20 is not a bad price to pay to keep my motivation up.

Did an easy 3 miles (ha ha I always wanted to say that!) today.  Just ran the whole thing at 5mph and walked .5 mile.  I did lose a couple of pound this last week though so yeah for me.

Ran 2 miles on treadmill, walked .5 miles.  I did the last 1/4 mile at 2% incline.  I'm really trying to get to where I can do hills.  I know 1/4 mile is pretty wimpy but I will work up to more.

Walked .5 mile ran 3 miles.  I was lazy today and didn't speed it up at all or do any incline but I did finish what I was supposed to do.  I will also try my test for 100 push-ups after I rest a little today.  I will update it later with how I did.

-Evening update-

My arms are now jello.  I guess I completed the 100 push-ups.  My youngest (21 months) thought it was funny to crawl under me as soon as I went up with a push-up and then I wouldn't be able to go back down again.  He didn't start doing this until I had done about 70 push-ups.  I actually go through the first 50 pretty easily and it was getting quite a bit harder by 70 so it made it that much more annoying.  I had to stop after each 10 at 70 for a few seconds to put him on the couch.  At least he wasn't trying to climb on my back like he sometimes does.  I was very, very tired by 100 and very shaky but I think it counts.  On Monday I want to start the challenge over but do regular push-ups instead of girly ones...we'll see how that goes.  But WOOHOO!  I did it!  And to think that I could barely do 9 when I started.

Did basic Windsor Pilates today (20 min workout) and 10 min of Aerobic exercise.

Did the advanced Windsor Pilates today.  I think this will really help me to stretch my muscles longer and looser and gain core strength.

Walked .5 and ran 4.  Had to do it on the treadmill today because Matt had a race and then has to go to work.  I guess it's just as well because I hate to run in the snow.  I listened to Conference while running.  I hate having two days, Thur. and Fri. where I don't run at all so I don't get to log any miles but I guess it's still best to follow my training plan and I need the rest and to work on other areas to really improve.  

Well, chugging right along.  I decided today that I would speed up my treadmill work just a little.  I always run at 5 but today I did 5.3.  Yes, a wimpy .3 increase but "slow and steady...".  I also added the 1/2 mile that Hal Higdon said to add making it a 3.5 mile run and .5 mile walk.  I did manage to run the whole thing at the slightly higher speed.  For some reason it is easier for me to run faster outside than on the treadmill, probably just in my mind.

Today was a 2 mile run or crosstraining day.  I ran 2 miles and walked .5.  I decided to start working on hills a little so I did my normal 5mph pace but did the 1st mile at 1% incline and the 2nd mile at 2% incline.  Felt like a good workout since I am totally not used to hills but I pushed myself to finish it without changing the speed or incline.

I've had a cold the past few days and I could really feel it on my run today.  My lungs really burned and I had a hard time finishing the run but I made it.  I just did 3.5 at 5mph and walked .5.  My lungs still hurt and I'm coughing a lot now but I'm glad I was able to do it regardless.  I'm learning how to push through discomforts more and not just wimp out and give up like I used to do.

Rest day so just did my basic Windsor Pilates. Glad it was a rest day because my cough has gotten really bad and I feel crummy.

Cross training day so I did Windsor Pilates Accelerated Sculpting.  I am still sick but not quite as bad as yesterday.  I sure hope I'm able to do my 5 mile run tomorrow.

Wow, to date this is the longest I've ever run at one time.  I am still sick and didn't want to run but I did it anyways and that feels like an accomplishment.  Matt had to go to work today so it was on the treadmill.  Luckily we rented "Bedtime Stories" so I had a new movie to watch while running.  I walked .5 miles and ran 5 at 5mph.  At about 4 miles I got a bad lung cramp and had to stop and take a few deep breaths then I started back up again.  When my cramp came back I just pushed on my ribs and kept running.  So regardless of my bad cough, my bruised toe and having to be on the treadmill for my long run, all I can say is "I made it, I made it, I made it!"

Ran 3.5 and walked .5.  Did the running at a measly 5mph on the treadmill.  My legs seemed more tired today...maybe from our good 1.5 mile hike we did yesterday as a family.  Hopefully tomorrow I can do some more speed work.

TM again as usual.  Decided to go a little faster today.  Ran 2 miles at 6mph and walked .5 miles.  Really had to push myself to keep going at the faster speed for the whole 2 miles but I made it so I am improving.

Well, today was my birthday so I decided to change my running schedule a little to make today my day of rest and tomorrow my run day.  I decided not to work out at all.  After lying in bed tonight for a few minutes I just couldn't stand not exercising at all and I got up and did my basic pilates followed by push-ups and crunches.  I think I'm hooked on the exercise now.

For push-ups I started over the 100 push-up challenge with regular form push-ups.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish though because they hurt my wrists and my back.  I'll try again in a few days.  On sit-ups I am still on week 6, day 1, column 3.  These I did ok on and should be able to complete the 200 next week.

Ran 3.5, walked .5.  I watched the original Winnie the Pooh with the kids while running.  It's been a while since I've seen that one, it brought back memories.

Did my accelerated sculpting pilates workout (50 min.)  

Had to go on the treadmill for my long run again today.  Matt has been working constantly lately so I just have to do what I have to do.  Ran 5 miles at 5mph and walked 1/2 mile.  I still can't believe I'm actually up to 5 miles now!  I guess that makes me a runner.

I just haven't been feeling quit right today.  My ears are ringing and feel plugged and I'm dizzy.  I put off running until about 4 and decided if I didn't do it soon I wasn't going to get it done because I am only feeling worse, not better.  Did my 4 mile run at 5mph and my .5 mile walk.  Didn't seem too bad while running, or at least I didn't notice my ears as much.  Hope this goes away soon.

I was supposed to do a 2 mile run today but Matt forgot to take the videos back to the video store so I walked there with the kids and let them pick out a wii game to play.  We then walked to the grocery store and I got them ice cream sandwiches and got myself an apple.  We ate those at the store and the kids wanted more treats so I bought grapes, string cheese and some cumquats to eat on the way home.  It was our first time trying cumquats, they were sour at first but got sweeter and were actually pretty good.  We got a lot of sun and it wore me out way more than just a normal run would have.

I must have some sort of bug.  My stomach has been cramping today.  I tried to do the whole 4 mile run but had to walk part of it and stop a few times to go to the bathroom.  I did get my whole goal distance done even though it wasn't all at a running pace.  I hope I feel better by Sat so I can do my long run.

Did my basic pilates workout

Did my advanced sculpting pilates.

Ok, so I did my long run today.  The longest that I've ever run yet and it had to be on the boring treadmill.  I listened to a book on tape and ignored my kids' yelling and crying.  I've been moody today anyways so I really needed to just think about myself and running.  I really wish I could've gone outside and just got away from it all.  Oh well.  The story was good and I just tried to get lost in it but I was actually getting pretty tired pretty fast.  I felt like I had to push myself, I mean really push myself just to get to 4.5 miles.  It took a lot just to pick up my feet and put one in front of the other but I kept going.  Then at 5.25 my cd ended and of course I couldn't stop to get the next one or I know I would never start again.  I feel good now that I'm done but especially during that last .75 miles I was really thinking "I am not a runner."  Maybe next time I won't be so cranky to start with and it will go better.

Ran 4 walked .5.  Nothing exciting.

Tried to run it at a bit of a faster pace but I waited to late to run.  I've started putting off running until after the kids are in bed at night and it's a lot harder.  I'm going to try and go back to 1st thing in the morning again tomorrow.  I did some of it at 6mph and some at 5.5 but most was at my normal 5mph pace.

I ran first thing in the morning and it was definitely easier.  I also walked to the park today with the kids but I won't count that.

Today was cross-training day.  For my exercise today I picked to mow the lawn.  Man was that a workout.  It took me about 3 hours.

Today was supposed to be rest day and tomorrow is my long run but we are leaving for Florida first thing in the morning and traveling all day.  I just know I won't have time or energy so I did my long run today.  I could really feel my legs getting tired at the end but I pushed through it.  Feels good to know that at least this week I won't let vacation mess up my training.  I also signed up for a 5K in Florida next Sat in Orlando.  I'm excited as it will be my 1st official race and I'm going to be doing it on vacation!

We're in Florida on vacation but I still got up at 6:30 this morning (4:30 according to my body clock) to run 4 miles.  It was beautiful weather although hotter than I'm used to.  I got to run outside and with my hubby instead of on the treadmill and that makes such a difference, not to mention the much easier altitude!  I didn't have a lot of energy though because  I couldn't sleep deeply last night, I must've been too excited to go to Disney World!  We were there all day pushing the kids in stroller so I think it's fair to say that I got in my fair share of exercise for the day.  On our run we ran through an orange orchard which was fun but the ground was sandy and started to really wear me out as it got softer and deeper so we only did about 1/2 mile in the sand.  It was a lot of fun and I really wanted to pick an orange to eat but I didn't.

It's fun to write a race report  This was my 1st official race ever.  My goal when I started training was to do it with a split of 10 min miles.  It's a good thing that I pre-registered because we are in Florida on vacation and spent 5 long, tiring days in a row at Disney World.  I so would've changed my mind and not done the race at all.  

Just before I started the race I decided to have a new goal of doing the whole race in under 30 minutes.  It was hotter than I'm used to but the air was thicker and it was a beautiful day.  It was a pretty big race and exciting.  I really pushed myself, especially towards the finish and had a lot of fun.  I got to pet a real alligator after the finish and watched some ducks walk the red carpet (they marched from one cage to another along red  carpet to some music, pretty goofy.)
Then we spent another whole day at Disney World again...I'm going to need a vacation after my vacation.

There was a really cool building near the race, I'll post a picture after we get home tomorrow.  I'm quite proud that I met my goal and that I actually got up and did the race after this tiring week.  I also did better than I expected.   I was 112 of 632 women and there were over 1000 runners total...very exciting to run with everyone.  It sure beats running on the treadmill everyday by myself!

Ran 4.5 and walked .25.  I was still sore today from my run on Sat. and so just wanted to give up this whole crazy running idea but I stuck to my schedule and still ran.

Ran 4.5 walked .5.  The runs are getting easier I think just very boring on the treadmill.  

Longest run I've done yet.  Was definitely hard, especially for the 1st mile or so but I stuck it out and finished.  Had to run on the treadmill though because Matt took the boys to a father-son campout and then has to go to work.  He was supposed to run the Ogden Marathon this morning but has just been in too much pain to do it.  I think I will be taking the boys to run the mile still though to at least get some use of all the money we paid for that dang race.

We got a Wii fit this last weekend and I've been a slacker and have been "working out" on it instead of doing my runs.  It's a lot of fun but it's time for me to get serious about running again.  My run wasn't easy today by any means and I so didn't want to do it.  But, as usual, I'm glad I did it and feel really good now.  I have been moody and tired this week and I think not running has been part of the problem.  I am planning on running another 5K on Monday so I have to keep up the training.  I hope to run it under 30 minutes again which will probably be harder because it is a much higher altitude here than in Florida but I'll give it a shot.

Ran 3 miles on the T.M.  Very boring but played a little Wii fit after.

Matt's parents and Grandparents came yesterday and spent the night.  This morning I went running with his parents and left his Grandparents with the kids.  We went to Legacy parkway and ran 5 miles.  We did it at about 11 min miles.  It was great to get out of the house and of the treadmill and great to have people to run with.   I got pretty tired at 3 miles but they pushed me to do the full 5. 

This was a fun run that I ran with Matt as he pushed the double jogging stroller with our 2 younger kids riding along.  My goal was to do better than I did in Florida.  Matt had the GPS on and it was his job to pace me and push me.  I felt pretty good the entire race.  My leg muscles started getting tired at about 2.5 miles but I still poured it on at the end and finished strong.  The whole way I kept asking Matt, "how's my pace" and he would say "doing good."  There were a lot of people and so at the beginning of the race we waited and didn't start running for a minute after the gun went off, Matt just started his GPS as soon as we crossed the starting line.  We were still stuck in a lot of people and had to weave in and out a lot.  Since we started late and kept a pretty steady pace, we passed quite a few people the whole way and were't passed by hardly anyone.  Everytime we passed someone I would say to Matt "I am the Greatest!" to keep me pumped.  It was fun.  We finished above my goal time and I asked Matt how come he hadn't told me to speed up.  He said that he was running as fast as he could today.  I feel bad for Matt but happy for me to be at his level for once (well, not exactly his level but I can pretend), I just have to enjoy it while I can because it won't last.  I hope he gets feeling better soon. I should've pushed the stroller.

I was still a little sore from my 5K on Monday and also from hours of gardening yesterday but managed to still run 5 miles and walk .5 miles, of course on the boring treadmill.  I am listening to Eragon on CD for a bookclub and that helped to pass the time.  I ran at 5mph. At 4.5  miles I increased the incline to 1% then I increased it to 2% at 4.75 miles.  It was a good work out and now I'm even more sore!  Tomorrow I will do Pilates.

Matt wanted to do a race today and I must love him because I agreed and resigned to do my long run on the treadmill.  I just ran the whole 8 miles at 5mph and walked .5 mile.  By the last mile of my run my legs were very tired but I just kept picking them up and finally finished.  Feels good to be done now...now to mow the lawn.

I'm not as sore as I thought I would be after my long run on Sat.  I was pretty sore on Sun. but feeling pretty good today.  After about my first mile my right knee started hurting pretty bad so I stopped and stretched some more and then just kept running.  The pain went away and I was able to finish my 5 mile run.  The last 1/4 mile I increased the incline to 2% just so I could feel the burn more.  Actually it just decreases the monotony a little so I can push myself through.  I walked 1/2 mile for my warm-up/cool down.  Now, just in case I haven't gotten enough exercise, I will go out and mow the front yard.  5 Miles felt hard today.

This time I upped the speed some and ran the 3 miles at 5.5 instead of 5.  Wasn't too hard though I didn't feel like running today.  I'm a bit irritable.

Slowly but surely I'm getting into better shape.  Mostly because of this blog and the support I receive on here, I'm able to push through not wanting to run and do it anyways.  Without fail, I always feel great once I'm done.  I ran 5 today and walked .5.  When I came upstairs after my run there were cornflakes spread all over the kitchen floor.  I've just learned to expect trouble to happen while I'm on the treadmill!  Nothing a broom couldn't fix this time though.

Ran my 1st 10K race and did great.  Matt didn't run this race with me so it was the 1st race that I ran solo...he must've been holding me back (ha, ha!)  I dressed up in my 70's garb complete with two pigtails and a wonder woman shirt.  I went out and bought a waist belt last night with a water bottle so I could carry water since there weren't any aid stations.  It also held my son's Disney Mix Max so I could listen to music while running.  The weather was great and I didn't mind carrying the water.  Connor ran the 1 mile so I got to run with him for the first 1/2 mile until his turn around...he did great.  Jed, Jaxine and Evan also ran the 200M and had a good time.  Poor Matt was the only one left out, not getting to run a race though he did do the 200M with Evan but he wasn't signed up so I don't think he'll blog it.

I tried to just run what I felt and not pay attention to the GPS as much as possible.  However, for Burt's sake of me giving a "proper" race report, I had Matt set the GPS so I could see my mile splits once I finished.  I was just behind the girl who took 1st place for the women most of the way.  After the 1st mile she stopped and walked for a little and I passed her.  Then she caught up to me and passed me up again.  I felt a little bad that she got to rest and that I just kept running and she was still ahead of me.  After the race I learned that she stops and walks for 30 seconds after each mile.  Anyhow, I stayed just behind her again and then when she stopped and walked the 2nd time I stopped and walked too.  I just let her set the pace and she really pushed me.  We continued this until after the turn-around and then as we were passing a stream of water, I stopped and splashed my face with nice, refreshing cold water.  This got all over my glasses too and I couldn't see well for a while and she got a little further ahead of me.  I wasn't really as able to tell when she was stopping but I think my body picked up on the natural pace and I stopped and walked a bit after each stretch without looking at my pace or thinking about my time.  I just focused on my body and each step.

My legs were getting tired and I knew I was getting close to the finish and was just looking for the turn around sign for the mile so I could push the finish.  I guess they took the sign down and so I didn't see it but saw Matt and the kids on top of  a hill cheering me on so then I started pushing it...less of a push than the 1/2 was going to be but oh well.  My finish time and pace surprised me because it was faster than my 5K pace.  I thought I was going to finish in over an hour for sure.  Thank you girl in pink for pushing me :).  I also didn't have to waste energy in keeping up a conversation with Matt since I was running solo and the music helped.  Or maybe it was the shear energy coming from my Wonder Woman shirt...yeah, that must've been it!

 So, here are my splits (for you Burt)

1st mile 9:30

2nd mile 9:50

3rd mile 10:22

4th mile 9:11

5th mile 9:22

6th mile 9:34

last little bit (the push) 8:41

Man am I sore today and that was a very painful 5 mile run.  I did a little walking after each mile like I did in the race but I'm still sore.  Maybe Matt will give me a good leg massage tonight...hint, hint.

I was lazy last week but I really think my body needed the rest to recover.  Today I ran 5 and walked .5.  It felt really good and was actually not that hard to do.  I didn't need to walk at all and even finished mowing the lawn when I got done.  I'm going to have to repeat last week's training schedule this week since I really didn't do it.  I must say though that today I really enjoyed my run...just for that I'm glad I took last week off because I was hating it last week.

It feels good to be on track again.  I'm starting to get a little sore again because I got busy with the kids right after my run today and didn't stretch very well.  Guess I better go do some stretches.

I did it.  No excuses this week.  Even though I'm tired and don't feel great I'm just going to keep on keeping on.  I was able to finish my run.  It was harder than the 5 miles I did on Monday but it wasn't horrible.  I will get to do my long on Sat. outside with Matt because we are going camping for a family reunion...I do look forward to getting off the treadmill!

We were camping for one of Matt's many family reunions at Fort Buenaventura in Odgen.  I got up and ran 3 miles with his parents and sister.  Then I ran 6 more miles with Matt.  That's the longest run I've done to date and my legs are quite sore now but it was a beautiful run and I enjoyed it.

I was pretty sore yesterday from my long Sat. run but feeling pretty good today.  I was able to do the normal 5 mile run and .5 mile walk for my training.  It's getting closer and I'm getting more and more tired but I think I can make it.

I decided to do a little speed work today so I ran for 3 minutes at 7mph then walked 3 min at 3mph etc until I did 2 miles then I just ran the last mile at my normal 5mph pace.  It seemed pretty wimpy that I could only muster the faster speed for 3 minutes at a time but I will improve.  When I went back to my normal pace it seemed so easy which is a good sign.  Maybe the speed work will make my long run on Sat. seem easy because I'll do it at the slow pace.

I switched my running a little bit this week so I could run my long run today.  Matt is running a super long race tomorrow in Logan so I won't even have access to the treadmill until evening and by then I will be too tired to even make dinner let alone run.  So, this was my longest run yet and the longest I will do until my half marathon in a few weeks.  My legs are so super tired now, I just hope I can add another 3 miles to that distance.  The run itself went ok.  I had to stop at mile 7 to clean up a mess.  Jaxine came in and told me that Evan had pooped in the playroom...lovely.  So, I cleaned it and him up and got back on the treadmill for the last 3 miles.  In case you're wondering, that's not a good motivator in the middle of a long run.  I guess I will probably be doing a lot of stretching tomorrow but no running and I didn't get any blisters on my toes this time.

I really some days just want to quit my training but I'm less than 2 weeks away from my race and just have to keep pushing through it.  Today was 5 miles and it should've felt easier but my legs were really feeling it by the end.  Mostly I think it's just because I'm so tired all the time.  I sure hope my long run this weekend doesn't feel twice as hard as my short run felt today.

Well, I took off yesterday but did my run again today.  We are leaving for a family reunion tonight and will be gone all weekend so I hope I will have time to get in one last long run before the race next week.  It would be nice to do it to be reassured that I can go the distance (kind of like Hercules).  Anyhow, finished the run today and again it just felt harder than it should.  I'm just tired and dizzy and not feeling my normal self so I guess we'll see.

I had a lousy week of running last week and just didn't do two of my training runs at all.  Oh well.  It's a new week now and I am ready to do it.  My run is Sat. and I'm just going to stop complaining and worrying and do it!  I did my run this morning and it wasn't too bad.  I decided to try a goo since I've never tried one before to see how I could stomach it.  I ate an orange burst flavor just after my warm-up, which I could barely gag down because I couldn't find the berry ones that Matt bought for me to use.  I knew that I wouldn't like the orange, I can't even drink orange gatorade without gagging.  But, on the plus side, once it was down it didn't seem to upset my stomach at all.  I hope that's a good enough test to use them on Sat.  It was a short run so I don't know how much it helped energy-wise, I just wanted to make sure it didn't give me stomach cramps or make me puke.

Well, I registered for my race this morning so there's no turning back.  Then I ran my required distance and thought the whole time "how am I going to do this on Sat.?"  I guess just one step at a time.  My kids told me I can do it and told me they will come and cheer me on so I guess that's all I need.  I can't believe I've actually gotten to this point.  It wasn't too long ago that I believed I would never run more than 3 miles!  What do ya know.

I made it through my 1st 1/2 marathon!  I know I shouldn't be proud but I am quite proud of myself.  The weather was perfect today.  It was a bit overcast so it didn't get too hot...I really needed that.  I gagged down a goo before the start of the race, did some stretching, put on my headphones and was ready to go.  The 1st part of the race was uphill and I when I started I just couldn't seem to get a deep breath.  It just felt really hard and I thought "great, running 1/2 mile is about to kill me."  I wasn't even running faster than my normal race speed...in fact I was going slower.  After the 1st mile it did get easier and I was able to actually breath.

I focused on just running one mile at a time.  After each mile I would walk a little and take a drink of water.  Matt and the kids were at several parts along the course to cheer me on.  They were really the only cheerers along the course so they stood out and made me feel quite special.  A lot of people told me that he should get the husband of the year award...I would have to agree.  At mile 5 I took a PowerBar Gel.  It was thinner and easier to get down than the goo but still didn't taste great.  There were 2 girls that were running about my same pace for most of the race.  Finally at about mile 7, I took of my headphones and started talking to them.  I ended up running the rest of the race with them which really helped me to keep going.  They also stopped and walked every mile so I could still just keep on focusing on 1 mile at a time.  My main goal was to finish in under 3 hours but Matt told me he would get me a spa treatment if I finished in under 2 1/2 hours.  I pushed myself, but I made it.

I don't know yet what my official time or place was, I'll have to add that when they post the results. I was going to take another goo at about mile 9 or 10 (I only had one of the PowerBar gels) but I decided I would probably puke if I tried.  Instead I chewed on some gum.  My legs were getting pretty tired by mile 8 and I was downright hurting by mile 11 but I kept running.  I tried to push it hard at the end and my last mile was actually my best split time!  They had free stretching afterwards plus a very nice breakfast to make it worth it.  Man was I hungry!  Now it's time to take a nap before Matt's company party later today.  Oh yeah, and I did get two nice blisters as war wounds.  I could feel them coming on about mile 6 but what could I do at that point!

Here are my split times for those of you interested:

Mile 1 -10:30

Mile 2 -10:28

Mile 3 -10:42

Mile 4 -10:57

Mile 5 -10:40

Mile 6 -11:29

Mile 7 -11:23

Mile 8 -12:19

Mile 9 -11:38

Mile 10 -12:49

Mile 11- 11:15

Mile 12 -12:27

Mile 13 -10:17

I took a whole week off and felt like I needed it.  I just did an easy

run today.  It's going to be hard to do anything other than easy runs

without a goal now of a run coming up but if I can just keep running

through this pregnancy I think that will be an accomplishment in and of

itself.

I'm wimping out but I guess something is better than nothing.

I'm taking another go at this before I get too fat and uncomfortable to run at all.  I just did 3 easy miles with running and walking intervals.  On the boring treadmill of course but I did get it done.  I'm still in the tired stage but I think it's getting better.

2 days in a row

Pretty wimpy distance but I've really been lazy lately...and tired and busy but still.  Anyhow, I'm really going to try and put forth the effort to at least do a mile every day, except for Sunday and we'll see about Saturdays.  I know I can't go anymore without consistent exercise or I will not start again until after I have my baby.  

Well, 2 days in a row again but I am determined not to keep this up all week.  I started the kid's home school and running is part of my routine so hopefully I will keep it up.  Once again, I know it's not very far but #1 I am  pressed for time and #2 I just don't have that much energy or stamina right now.  I just have to keep reminding myself that this is way more than I was doing 6 months ago so it's all good.

Trying to make a routine of this again.

I was tired and have a lot to do today so I only did 1 mile.

Finally got back on the treadmill today.  I hope that I can keep it up the rest of the week.

I did more walking today but did go a little further.  I am starting to feel like the pregnancy is making running harder but I want to stay in shape at least a little so that it's not so hard to get back into running after I have the baby.