Seven Miles of Pure...treadmill.

Ugh. Today I did my long run of 7 miles. On the treadmill. I do not run with a running stroller so the gym it was. I put my Little Buddy in the nursery for one hour and 4 minutes. It actually wasn't bad at all. The farthest I have ever done on a treadmill until today was 5 miles. I think the treadmill has some pros and cons.

Pros: I can control my speed and keep a very consistent pace. I can control the incline. I have a fan right in front of my face. I can completely zone out and not dodge annoying people who drive like idiots and fail to yield to pedestrians. I don't have to worry about stopping at streets. I have a nice little towel to wipe the sweat from my brow. I can check my email on my iPhone (not that i do or anything, really).

Cons: I have to stare at myself for an hour and analyze my gate. I can see just how fabulous my hair looks 5 miles in. I can see in said mirrors that the skin around my eyes bounce each time my foot strikes, proving that I am starting to look old(er). I get dizzy trying to watch TV and run at the same time. I can watch, in real time, the development of the WEIRDEST sweat pattern on my shirt...let's just say embarrassing, I had no idea my boobs sweat like that. What the heck?

But all in all it was not too bad and again I felt like I could run farther. I played it safe and ran slower than I could have.

mile 1 9:40
Mile 2 9:35
Mile 3 9:29
Mile 4 9:32
Mile 5 9:18
Mile 6 9:24
Mile 7 9:09
Fastest pace: 8:34


I foresee more treadmill runs in my future. With good music and a positive attitude I think it will work out. After all a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do...I have a marathon to train for! I just wonder how treadmill running compares to actual pavement pounding.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day but since Tuesday will be a day of travel and airports and I don't feel too bad after my long run of 7 miles I may go ahead and run tomorrow.

Today I am grateful for:
A good run!
As my Little Buddy said tonight, "only two more sleeps then we get on an airplane!"
Bodyglide. It worked wonders on my poor tootsies today. Thanks Jamoosh for reminding me of this. :) I owe you a toe.
One month down...one month closer to The Hubs return.

We're All Runners Here...right?

So don't mind my gross feet.

I have a blister between my middle toe and the next-to-smallest toe. It is very strange and came out of nowhere! My shoes are fine, my socks are fine. The only thing I can think of is that I had a pedicure in December while I was lounging...er, healing and getting well. I am guessing my oh-so-important callouses were filed off and now I have to reestablish them. The pics don't do the blister justice and it is about two days post pop so I am on the mend. TGIRD: Thank goodness it's rest day! :) Tomorrow is 7 miles!

Today I am grateful:
-for a fun play date (for me and my Little Buddy)!
-that there is no chocolate, ice cream, or other sweets in the house right now because I would TOTALLY devour some straight-to-my-LUV-handles junk right now.
-for all you awesome bloggy readers and commenters. You definitely know how to keep a girl motivated. You all motivate me every single day. :) Thank you.

Clever Tilte, not-so-clever post.

Normally I wake up in the mornings and pull on some sort of presentable clothes (i.e. replace my frumpy sweats with some sort of cuter athletically inclined pants that don't say "I give up" to those who are subject to my presence) before I haul my Little Buddy to preschool. Today I decided to go ahead and get gym ready. I got my running clothes on, took my Little Buddy to preschool and went straight to the Y to hit up the dreadmill for my measly 3 miler (don't get me wrong, 3 is respectable and I actually love 3 on the treadmill, it is the perfect treadmill distance). I just didn't feel like fighting the internal battle of procrastinating my run. I wanted to get it done and get on with my day. It felt so good to have my run done by 10:30 and I even did some weights. Come to think of it, I need some sort of weight lifting plan. I just kind of lift, no purpose, rhyme or reason to it. Suggestions welcome...

Anywho,

Mile 1 9:24
Mile 2 9:01
Mile 3 8:36
Fastest pace 7:34

Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day then this week's long run is 7 miles. I may end up doing it on the treadmill Sunday afternoon since I can take my Little Buddy to the Y while I run. I have to remember I have Carrie on standby for helping out but I will save her for the real long runs, anything over 10 (thanks Carrie!!!). Tall Mom invited me to run with her and Zoe and Kerrie in the morning but they are meeting about an hour in the opposite direction of Carrie's house, picture a huge triangle, with the meeting place, my house, and Carrie's house being on separate points. Bummer. It is all a juggling act. I am not good at juggling.

Well, today I have much to be grateful for but it is kind of hard to put into words and it's one of those difficult-to-explain circumstances where you almost feel guilty (kind of like how I felt with Haiti, guilty for all I have when others are suffering so much)...I am grateful I was able to speak with The Hubs tonight but my heart goes out to those who will not hear from their hubs....rough week for military families.

5 Miles and NOT empty.

Today I did my 5 miles. I actually felt really good and could have gone a bit further, but much to my dismay I have a plan to follow...darn. ;o) So I fought the urge to run forever and stopped at 5.25(in case you were wondering there is a hint of sarcasm there).

Mile 1 9:40
Mile 2 9:24
Mile 3 9:14
Mile 4 9:04
Mile 5 8:32 not a misprint.

This was just one of those good running days. I had my music turned WAY up and just ran. I purposely started out slow because I wanted to pick up the pace and finish fast. I was actually really surprised that I was able to finish in the 8's. Tomorrow is another 3 miler. I think I can handle that.

On another unrelated note, yesterday's post gave beach fever. I need to look at my race schedule and see if there is a time where I can make it back to Italy this spring or summer!

My race schedule is filling up! Next on the agenda is the FREE The Million Inch Run on Feb. 13! In case you don't want to do the math that is 15.78 miles! I'll be doing this with local bloggy buddies Tall Mom, Zoe, and Kerrie as well as tried and true AN the RB! After that on March 21 I have the Mercer Island half marathon (on my birthday!!!!)! April 25 is my FIRST MARATHON, Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon!! YAY! Coming up on June 27 is the Seattle Rock n Roll Half marathon! I feel like I am missing something, but those are the certain races! I can always add more! I have to find one for May and July!

Today I am grateful for:
Thursday night TV!!
Flat rate shipping boxes!
A warm house!

Toes in the water...#$% in the sand...

I wish.

Ahhhh....bloggy land. The land where reality can be whatever I please. And I please for it to be warm, sunny, beachy....waves and sand. Eyes are closed....
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
..............nope. Dang. Still sitting on my couch in my frumpy pants and sweat shirt.


This is me and my Little Buddy on the beach in Italy last summer...

I think I need to go back there.

I am tired. Jeeze. I think I have written that in every post for the last few weeks. It is true, I am just tired. I don't think it has anything to do with marathon training or exercising. I think the last couple of months are just catching up with me physically and emotionally. For now, running and being active is the best thing for me. Yesterday was a rest day and today I ran my whopping three miles. I held a pretty good pace:

Mile 1 9:14
Mile 2 9:08
Mile 3 9:24

Three miles seem to be about as long as I can hold that pace, for now. I have 5 miles on deck for tomorrow. I would like to have them all be 9:30 or better. We will see.

I was looking at my race schedule and it is filling up! I will have to list all my upcoming races for you all tomorrow!

Today I am grateful for:
-Getting my heater fixed by a different company than the shady one that came out on Monday, did nothing, took my money, made me cry AND made me mad....and gave me my money back.
-A very productive day!
-An awesome giveaway over at Run, Zoe, Run! So if you are into Michael Kors and/or bags you must go check it out!!
-Another awesome giveaway over at Mom vs. Marathon. Kerrie is giving away a sweet yoga bag and even if you are not a yoganite check it out, it is sweet!
-Oh and HOW did I forget this!?1? I am going to the Winter Olympics! That's right, on Feb 20 I will be sitting amongst thousands watching Curling! I know, you are jealous! I am pumped!!
(I wasn't kidding when I said I would be working on filling up my calendar! What other random things will i come up with? Just wait and see!!!! :) )

I have Insomnia

...and it shows. I am tired.

This past weekend I was unable to get my 10 miler in. Things just didn't work out, the stars did not align. It will take me some time to figure out the logistics but I am certain I will be able to (thanks to Carrie who has graciously volunteered to add my Little Buddy to her clan of two red-headed little people). So no more excuses. It just takes time to adjust and get the schedules down, not just for marathon training but adjusting to deployment too.

Anyway, back to missing my 10 miler this weekend. I knew I had to do it today, no question but I was self-sabotaging, typical. Thankfully my friend Carrie picked up on it and volunteered to be at my house to run. Forty five minutes later we hit the streets for the run. She ran 4 and a half miles with me (pushing Dr.'s orders due to stress fractures)then finished the run beside me on the bike. The total miles for today was 9. Not quite 10 but oh well, what ever. I am happy with 9. So this week my runs are pushed a day.

Tomorrow is a rest day but I think I will hit the gym for some cross training and weights...I have yet another check in with the Dr. I swear I am running out of blood. Any nurses or doctor's who read this? How long does it take to replenish after they suck two tubes out (sorry for you queasy folks)? Sheeeeeesh! HOPEFULLY this will be the last week, I am starting to feel like a broken record. I am feeling about 92%, almost 100%! Either way it feels so SO good to be running and exercising again! I am getting so excited about my marathon and I haven't even run further than 13.1 miles at one time in my life!

Today I am grateful for:
-Having the guts to be assertive and demand my $130 back from the shady heater repair dude who I swear tried to rip me off and my heater is still broken. Don't worry, I played the "My husband is in 'insert foreign country here'...." card. I don't usually like to play that card but sometimes you just have to. It trumps a lot.
-Floor heaters from Target (my heater is broken after all).
-A week in Oklahoma to visit my family and three days in Denver to visit my fiend, all starting next week!! YAY oh YAY!!!!
-No naps at preschool!! I know, most parents cry when their kids grow out of naps...But I rejoice!!!! My Little Buddy has been sleeping in until 7 or 8 since cutting his nap!!! This is awesome considering he used to get up between 5 and 6 EVERY SINGLE MORNING!

Running Amok

After Wednesday's 5 mile run I was tired. I wasn't really sore, just tired. On Thursday's I teach water aerobics at the YMCA and believe it or not it makes me tired, so yesterday I decided not to run. No biggie, that is why I love Hal Higdon's plan, I can tweak it however I need to. Today I had to make up that 3 miles.

Mile 1 9:30
Mile 2 9:04
Mile 3 8:34

Not too shabby. I have to remind myself that I am still easing back into running. I am not sure how long it takes to loose your base but I haven't really done anything since my half marathon on Nov. 29. I stubbornly and stupidly made the decision, despite how I was feeling, to run the 12K's of Christmas on Dec. 20. That was horrible, 12K in 1:2o.27. OUCH. I seriously did it Galloway style, run for a few walk for a lot. I was not feeling well but I have a hard time passing up a race I am registered for. And so, I am working my way back into running consistently. Tomorrow will be my long run of the week. I had planned to run a local 10 mile race but alas, mommy duty calls, so I will be running my 10 miles later in the day all by myself (insert whine and cheese here) when I have someone who can hang out with my Little Buddy for a bit over an hour. Ah....being a single-married mom has it's moments. This is the challenge of marathon training and I knew it would be. I have to be flexible and determined.

Today I am grateful for:
Friends who love to cook and invite me over for dinner (thanks Jess!!!!).
Airplane tickets to go home to see my fam in about one week! YAY!
Saturday's with my Little Buddy.

Creepy Creeperton, don't ever do that again. Seriously.

I have a feeling this evening's post will be all over the place. I am tired, emotionally and physically.

Today was a good day for a 5 mile run. The sun was shining and it was about 50 degrees. I wore shorts in the middle of January! It was amazing. AN the RB and I hit the pavement for our run and it was one of those runs where we just ran in silence. No headphones, no music. Nothing. Just silence. Except for the creepy creeperton who totally hung out the passenger window, while driving, to cat call us. Really? Gross, get a life buddy. I would have punched him in the nose if I could have reached, it was one of those days. Poor guy had no clue who he was cat calling, he was dancing with the devil...And really, does that ever work, like do guys actually pick women up that way? Wow! A little tangent there! :) Anyway, we were both lost in our heads and clearing our minds and it was one of those days where neither of us wanted to be alone to do that. Just having someone beside you with their breath and footsteps in sync makes you not feel so alone. There were no words that needed to be said, we just needed to run. The only thing that would have made it better is if we were on an open road as far as the eye could see. Although I bet AN the RB, being the city girl she is (I am the farm girl after all), would argue that the houses and neighborhoods are just perfect. And so we ran...

5 miles
Mile 1 10:00
Mile 2 9:40
Mile 3 9:47
Mile 4 9:50
Mile 5 10:00

It was a perfect run. Now, 3 tomorrow and 10 on Saturday.

Today I am grateful for:
All the wonderful people in my life who make me smile everyday, you know who you are.
My awesome neighbors who brought over a box of kid books that they didn't need anymore!
Making the commitment to run the marathon.
All of you out there in bloggy land who are working hard to live your life the way you see fit! We are in control of our lives and we are strong! You all are amazing!