Mom on the Run

And So Begins a New Challenge...

2011-01-09T10:46:00.003-05:00

...and it is P90X. I must say, it has taken me to a new level of pain. I think I mentioned that I was thankful for whoever invented the handicapped bars in bathrooms? Or maybe it was I was thinking about having them installed in my bathroom. Whichever one it was, P90X has taken me to that place again. Not only me, but my husband Steve, as well.

We started Saturday with Chest and Back. Not too bad pain wise but I don't think I even did half of the exercises - partly because our chin-up bar doesn't work on any of our doors due to thick trim and I have bird arms. In other words, they are weak!!! Steve finally ended up spotting me on push-ups and would pull me up once I got stuck after a couple (okay, on a couple of them, none!) Due to time constraints, we didn't do the Ab X workout.

Sunday, it was cardio. That did in the legs! I still feel it four days later! We followed it up with the ab workout.

Monday, it was arms and back - not too bad with my 2 pound weights (aka chicken broth and beef stock). Yes, we need to kick it up a bit.

Yesterday was supposed to be Yoga but I was in a time crunch so I did the ab workout again. I'm still sore but not limping as much. I'm hoping this will get my core stronger, along with my arms.

I'll keep you posted on the progress.

'Bout Time!

2010-12-05T15:18:00.002-05:00

How many blogs have you read where the author begins with "I've been a bad blogger". Well, here's another one.

Life has been seriously busy! Lately, I'm lucky to get a run or two in a month and while it bothers me, I can't dwell on it or it would get me really down. Right now, I just have to go with it.

That said, I got in a run yesterday afternoon. It had snowed overnight (the Lake Effect Machine officially turned on here in Northwestern Indiana) and all I could think of in the morning was it would be a great day for a run. So, once my husband got home from work, I headed out the door. The sun was just starting to set and things were starting to freeze a big, but it was glorious to get out there and run 4 miles.

I'm hoping to start working out with the P90X soon. Steve got it for me for my birthday and I thought I would have started using it before now but it is a little discouraging to get going in that you have to have these pieces of equipment, you really need to be on this diet and you should use the following supplements to get optimal results. Needless to say, I still need to get a few more pieces of equipment (or at least find them). I'm not sure if the diet is going to change (although it needs to - caffeine and carbs are not the best things to be eating on a consistent basis.)

The other thing holding me back has been my back. I'm not sure what I did but I have been nursing it for about a month. It gets better and then I wear heals and it starts hurting again. Yes, I've given us the heals for a while and feel much better. The good thing is that it doesn't bother me when I run.

The time is coming soon to decide on some races for next year. More to come on that later.

Somthing's Gotta Give

2010-09-05T15:09:00.002-04:00

Yep, that's right. I got to the point of needing to back off on something or things were going to start falling apart in my world. I'm not running a fall marathon. I'm kind of sad about it but largely okay.

The daily pressure of trying to figure out when I was going to get in a run was driving me crazy and almost to the point of really hating running. I needed to take a step back and concentrate on a few more important things, one being my family.

We've undergone some major changes in the last year. Both my husband and I have gone from working at home (very enjoyable but not very profitable) to working full-time. I went back to work in November and Steve started working part-time in May and then went to full-time in June. My schedule is a steady Monday-Friday while his fluctuates days and times making running consistently at a certain time a little difficult. I know, if I got up at 4:30 a.m. to do the run I could get it in regardless but I really enjoy my sleep, too.

So, that's where I'm at. After missing about two weeks of running due to illness and literally not having enough hours in the day, I knew I had to pull the trigger on the marathon.

I am, however, racing tomorrow. Well, not so much racing as running - okay, okay, surviving a race tomorrow morning - the Blueberry Stomp 15K. Against my better judgment, I'm planning on signing up in the morning and running the torture of a race. Thankfully, I'll be running with some friends from our church so hopefully they will keep me going - slowly.

I will keep updating the blog. I've got some plans for races next year - I don't want to stop the endurance sports and I want to make my 39th year on this earth a good one and go into my 40s fitter than I was in my 20s.

Thanks for reading!

A Bit of a Better Week?

2010-07-08T18:42:00.002-04:00

Yes, one can hope. I don't think I've hit the mileage I'm supposed to, but I'm close. Took Monday off. I ran 6 on Tuesday very slowly thanks to 90 degree temperatures. It felt good though and I got to reward myself with Pizza King pizza on my friends boat for ladies' night out - caught up with three of my really good friends.

Last night, I ran 5 in the dark, starting at 10 p.m. By that time it had cooled off a bit from the 90 degrees of the day. I think it will end up being 5 or 6 again tonight about the same time. It is still hot and humid after a day of rain. I'm sitting on the back porch watching the steam rise off the garage roof as the sun is coming out after the afternoon rain.

Come to find out there is another marathon runner where I work. He hasn't done much running lately, but finished the Sunburst Marathon in South Bend and couple of years ago and wants to do the Marine Corp someday. I gave him the link to Running Podcasts and gave him some recommendations for when he gets running again.

Well, I guess that is all for now. Get in that run :-)

Poor Training...

2010-07-05T21:14:00.002-04:00

So this is what my training week looked like last week:
Sunday - biked 20 miles
Monday - biked 16 miles
Tuesday - lazy
Wednesday - ran 4
Thursday - lazy
Friday - lazy
Saturday - 10 miles
Sunday - 4 miles

Surprisingly, the 10 mile run Saturday morning went really well. Maybe because my legs were so fresh - hmmmm. Well, ever since then, my quads have been screaming at me. Need to do better this week. Well, starting tomorrow...

Another Month...

2010-06-30T18:02:00.003-04:00

Summer is going way too fast this year! I can't believe it is going to be July tomorrow. Once July is over, we're just about back to school in Indiana.

Marathon training started two weeks ago right in the middle of some really hot weather. Of course, had I been running for the month between the Indy Mini and then, it probably would have been a piece of cake however, as always, life got in the way. I probably got in one run per week, along with a spinning class. Otherwise, time running was replaced with other things that needed to be done.

So, with the lack of preparation and heat/humidity, running has been an utter chore! I've been slogging along and interspersing bike rides to keep up the confidence. Thankfully, this morning, after not wanting to, I got out of bed at 5:45 a.m. and ran four great miles! Temperatures were in the high 40s to low 50s and I found my groove once again. A little confidence, too. I needed it. today.

Does This Count as a Speed Workout?

2010-06-06T10:18:00.003-04:00

Well, another week has passed without any running. Well, until I fit in a quick run, and I mean quick, yesterday.

Emily recently learned to ride her bike without the training wheels. Steve took her to the school parking lot one day got her started and off she went all by herself! I attribute some of it to the tag-a-long bike we used last summer. She loved it and got so comfortable with it the first time we used it that she was riding with no hands or standing up. One time she did both - it was quite a sight to behold for the two seconds she held the pose until I realized what was going on and yelled at her to sit down and hold on.

So yesterday, Kate had a birthday party to go to and Steve had the car so the girls rode their bikes and I laced up my running shoes. On the way there, I walked because I was carrying the gift and beach towel. On the way home, though, with just Emily, we raced. I tried to keep up and she peddled fast. We did the same on the way back to pick Kate up and then walked home. I don't think it was much more than a mile total but it did feel good to run.

An Update...Finally

2010-06-01T20:32:00.002-04:00

Yes, for the one or two people still checking on this blog, I'm finally going to post an update after two months.

Quick catch up. Back on May 8th, I finished the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. Going into it, I knew it was going to be chilly. The temperatures dropped from the mid-80s and humid Friday, to the high 40s and gusty winds by Saturday morning.

After a stop for coffee at McDonalds, saline solution for my contacts and gas at Meijers (my contact storage thing tipped over and all the solution leaked out in the five hours they were out of my eyes. There was a slight panic that I would be racing in my glasses but thankfully, the contacts went in without any problem), I arrived in downtown Indy.

After making about four passes by a good parking garage, I finally got into it. Parked, ate my poptarts, finished the coffee, and headed out to find the bathrooms. I love Indy for many reasons - one is the walkways connecting the downtown buildings so you barely have to venture outside. The other reason is that I am able to find little known bathrooms and they are open at the wee hours of the morning with very little waiting. The port-o-potty waits weren't too bad either. I guess four stops is the charm - ha!

I got into Coral E with about 5 minutes to spare before they closed and then spent the next 20 minutes with several thousand of my running buddies shivering as the wind gusted from the west straight into us. I think everyone was thinking the same thing - the wind is going to suck.

Surprisingly, it didn't. Once we got started the wind either died down or I didn't really notice it for most of the race.

My first mile, though, surprised me. I finished in 9:45 - way off pace, but wisely, slow. After that, I picked it up. Around mile 4 or 5, someone said my name and in the sea of 40,000 runners, it was a lady from our church. She was hoping to hold 8:30/min miles while I just wanted to break 1:55 so I decided to try to keep up with her. By that time, too, I had increased my pace considerably from the first mile.

We would get split up every so often and then work our way back to each other. We both do a lot of running by ourselves so there wasn't a whole lot of conversation - we just weren't used to it.

She definitely pushed me as I started struggling to keep up with her around mile 10. By mile 11, I had gotten further behind her during a water stop. The next mile, I just worked on picking people off and catching up to her.

With about a mile left to go, you make your final turn, go over a bridge and you can start seeing the finish line. I caught up to here and got a second wind - I think it was the Gatorade hitting or may the Gu I took at mile 11. We ran together until about 1/4 of a mile from the finish line. I was ready to hightail it in and she was close to empty. She told me to go ahead so I took off - she wasn't far behind. I crossed the line in 1:53:29. I placed 205/2461 in my age group, 1387/16598 in females, and overall 5942 out of 31,044. I took 2 minutes off my time.

So with the mini completed, it was on to the next challenge - Tour de Max, the bike ride that I am in my 4th (and possibly final year of) organizing. We were way ahead on registrants and the day turned out to be the best bike riding weather you could ask for. We ended up having 210 riders which is fantastic considering in previous years, we topped off at maybe 150.

I haven't been running since the mini, which is going on four weeks. Honestly, I just haven't made time. I've been working my day job, plus editing in the evenings. I have been teaching the spinning class on Mondays, which is good. I just have to get myself up early to run.

I haven't signed up for a fall marathon either, yet. While I would love to run Chicago, I can't muster up the energy to run for Team in Training. It looks like I'm going to be a broken record again, but I really enjoy the Grand Rapids Marathon - it is inexpensive, pretty, good running, close to home, etc. Maybe next year, I'll be a little more adventurous and find a new marathon to conquer.

So, that gets me all caught up.

I will try to continue updating, Thanks for checking back periodically. Happy running!

A New Way to Fit in a Workout (on not)

2010-04-17T12:53:00.003-04:00

Life has really has gotten crazy now that spring has arrived. The girls has just over a month of school left. Dance is done but swimming lessons have started. Work is a little busy. I haven't been getting up early to workout like I should be (although it is still dark at 7 a.m. here). My husband will start working again next week so we will be juggling even more (although we are thankful for it ). I've already missed a bunch of runs each week and I haven't done a double digit run in three weeks. To top it off, the mini-marathon is three weeks from today. It is time to stop complaining and (wo)man up!

So, today, I'm at work coordinating a wedding. It is 16 miles to our house and I have to run 12. I brought my running stuff and I'm going to run 12 miles towards home and have my husband pick me up.

Monday morning, I'm going to try my hand at leading a spinning class. The guy that has been teaching it isn't able to any more and I figure this will guarantee that I will get something in on Mondays.

So that's where I am right now. Same no-time complaint, still tired, but getting some accountability for workouts and creatively fitting in runs.

Spring is Finally Here?

2010-04-11T18:18:00.002-04:00

Yes, I really think so. Since my last post, it got cold here, then warm, then cold again. Now it looks like the temperatures will steadily climb for the next 10 days. I'm sure we'll still go backwards, but at least the grass has turned green, my tulips are up, and I'm enjoying watching my hostas grow inches every day. It seems like this time of year, you notice something new every time you turn around. I love it!

Something new on the workout front is riding my bike 16 miles to work. I've done it twice. Once last week and then again yesterday when I had to run something up and not necessarily work. Both days, the ride up was great with a great tailwind. The ride back wasn't so much fun with that tailwind turned into a strong headwind. Plus, by 25 miles or so, my back starts to twinge. I think I'm riding hunched over rather than straight backed. Tomorrow, I think I'll ride home as my husband needs the car.

On the running front, I am struggling. For a variety of reasons, last weekend was awful and my running suffered. I did about 1.5 miles of a six mile run and threw in the towel Friday and didn't do the 12 and 5 mile runs I was supposed to do Saturday and Sunday. Mentally and emotionally I was whipped. Thankfully, the attitude has improved but I still replace yesterdays 10 mile run with the 32 mile bike ride.

On an encouraging note, though, my times seem to be improving - probably because I'm rested (haha).

The Indianapolis Mini-Marathon is less than a month away (May 8) and I don't even know how to predict how I'll do. It should be interesting.

Hope your training is going well.

Spring has Sprung!!!

2010-03-31T18:16:00.002-04:00

Yes, it is finally warmed up here in northwestern Indiana. I'm sure it will get cold again but I'll take the 70 degree temps.

Family, working, running, and no internet at home has kept me away from the blog. I feel really out of touch with my local friends and virtual friends.

I have just over a month before running the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. I'm feeling pretty good although the number of runs is down - I'm running five to six times per week. I've noticed my times are decreasing a little bit and I'm hoping to shave a little more time off my half-marathon PR.

As for Chicago, I didn't get registered. Depending on some other things, I may sign up with Team in Training or World Vision and do some fundraising to get in, although the thought of fundraising right now isn't all that appealing. If nothing else, maybe I'll try to volunteer that day. Who knows.

I'm sorry this is short, but there really isn't much more to add except one funny kid story (it has been a while).

I drive the girls to school, drop Kate off and walk Emily in. We realized Kate had forgotten her lunch so I needed to run home and get it. I asked Emily if she wanted to walk in by herself or ride with me. She said she wanted to ride with me, she didn't mind if she was late. We were actually early so I told her we probably wouldn't be late because we had left early that day. Kate chimed in, saying, "And Emily, you know you can't lose what you don't have."

Wisdom from my third grader.

I am here, I am here...

2010-03-01T16:40:00.002-05:00

Yes, an ode to Horton Hears a Who (the DVD we owned was mistakenly sent back to Netflix, never to return). I'm here, I'm running, and today I really hurt! My legs are tired. My body is tired. I need sleep and a sanity day.

Our internet at home has been down for a week and we didn't even have a snowstorm! Need to figure out what is going on because I'm going through withdrawal. I'm staying at work a couple of minutes longer just to check e-mail, blogs, etc.

Sorry for the brief update, but it is time to go home. I'm going to finish listening to Running to Disney's episode with all the race reports from Disney. Yes, I'm behind on podcast listening, too. Right now, that is my life.

What to do?

2010-02-14T12:59:00.002-05:00

I guess I have a little time to actually commit, but I don't want to miss my chance.

Here's the deal. My birthday (39th birthday to be exact) is October 10. Yes, the magical 10-10-10! I really want to run a marathon that day, more specifically, the Chicago Marathon that day. It was the first marathon I ran, and it would be my fifth marathon.

On the other hand, I really want to try to qualify for Boston this year (a goal I gave myself a couple of years ago was to qualify for Boston by the time I'm 40 and that time frame is getting shorter by the day). Is it reasonable to think that I can take 13 minutes off my current marathon time this year? Can I do it at a congested marathon like Chicago? Or, should I stick to my tried and true, awesome marathon experience in Grand Rapids where the field is much smaller and much less congested.

The other thing factoring in is the cost. $135 for Chicago plus all the extras traveling to/from Chicago, staying the night, etc. vs. $75 (I think) for Grand Rapids and staying with my parents.

Hmmmm...decisions. Any opinions?

A Friday Funny

2010-02-11T21:15:00.003-05:00

Sorry, but there really hasn't been much to write about lately. A lot of work, not a lot of sleep, a little bit of running.

So, to make sure something is posted, I'm including a link to a post by Dan of the podcast Four Feet Running. Unfortunately, they have ended their show, although I'm a little behind so I haven't heard the last episode yet. They produced a great podcast for the last two and a half years.

Anyway, here is a link to Dan's latest experience in trying to prevent the ever-dreaded bloody nipples. While you are there, download a couple of episodes of their podcast and take one along on your long run.

Been Thinking...

2010-01-31T18:21:00.002-05:00

...is it easier for someone who is "thin" to run than for someone who is a little overweight? It is this or is it difficult for everyone as you get started.

Personally, I think it is how much you want to run. That and whether or not you have any goals set for yourself.

Before I started running, I hated it. I always started out too fast and was worn out within a block or two. My spinning friend, got me and a couple of other playgroup moms to join her on her quest to run a 5K once again. We would run really slowly (basically because we were all out of shape moms with our youngest children under the age of 2). We probably were better off walking. Thanks to her, I got the bug and signed up with Team in Training to run the Chicago Marathon in October of 2006.

My very first run of anything over 2 miles was on Memorial Day weekend of 2006. Steve and I drove out a 4 mile route in our town. When we returned, he hopped on his bike and I ran. I remember about five minutes into the run, panting and asking Steve if we had gone a mile yet. Sorry, but it was only about a third of a mile.

That first month of running was tough physically but I made myself get out of bed at 6:30 a.m so I could get my run in before Steve had to go to work. Some runs were good. Others were just plain awful. Soon, the mileage increased and the mental questioning started. Can I really run 5 miles? Six miles? What?! I have to run 10 miles!!! But I conquered the miles, completed the marathon, and I've been hooked.

So, what is my point? I guess what I'm trying to say that it is tough for anyone to get started whether you are young or old, thin or overweight. But, by having a goal and sticking to a plan (some friend support doesn't hurt), you can become a runner.

What do you think?

I've Been A Slacker (or Life Gets in the Way)

2010-01-29T17:52:00.002-05:00

Yes. I have not run since Sunday. It is now Friday. I could go through a list of excuses, but when it comes down to it, I'm having trouble fitting everything into one 24 hour day.

I did take a step in the right direction, though, this morning. One of my dear friends and spinning buddies was lamenting the fact that she hasn't been spinning in quite some time. She mentioned our favorite teacher has a class at 6 a.m. on Fridays. Oh, was I in!

So, this morning at 5:45 a.m., in the close to zero temperatures, she pulled into my driveway. We spun for an hour (one song was 25 minutes which was really neat and took us "up and down hills and for a couple of sprints before it was done). I was back at the house by 7:30 a.m. and, thanks to my husband, the girls were up, dressed, and eating breakfast. We were out the door and on our way to school/work by 7:55 a.m.

The early morning workouts are going to have to be the way to go during the week. I won't get home and feel guilty for heading back out the door right away to run. I will probably have to use the treadmill during the week until it warms up and gets lighter at that time of the morning.

Speaking of my dear friend, she and my other two dear friends drove the 20 miles to where I worked to have lunch with me. They are the bestest (yes, I know it is not really a word but it describes them) friends.

I hope you get to spend some time with your bestest friends soon.

Wht is With the Wind?

2010-01-21T19:34:00.002-05:00

After not running since Sunday, I figured I had better get my butt out there today. It was 32 degrees as I drove home from work and starting to rain a bit, but not the ice that we supposedly had today that canceled school. (Seriously, the roads were dry and clear to the north this morning but I guess there was some severe icing to the south where some students come from).

Anyway, when I got home the girls were playing at a neighbor's house making it 100% easier to get out the door for a run. I decided I would do 4 miles but try a different route. I headed south first. Not bad. A little breezy and rainy but not uncomfortable. However, as soon as I turned east...ouch!! The wind picked up and the raindrops felt like ice hitting my forehead.

I turned around and headed west again, not bad. North was a different story! Yikes! A couple of points in my runs, every time I turned a corner, it felt like I was going into a head wind. It was the kind of wind you hear high up in the trees.

The worst part was that I needed one more layer on my legs. I think my tights probably got wet and while they dried out quickly with the wind, they didn't offer a lot of warmth or protection today. I may have some chapped legs tomorrow.

Overall, though. It was a great run. I think I kept a pretty even pace and it felt comfortable. I only walked a couple of times and then took off stronger than before. I ended up running 5 miles.

I found out this week that my favorite spinning teacher has a class at 6 am on Fridays. I haven't gone since I started working and am missing it because I think it has been such a great addition to my workouts and helps me push myself. I'm not sure if I'll go tomorrow, but it is on my calendar for next Friday morning. Steve's already agreed to get the girls ready for school on Fridays so I won't be quite so rushed.

It is time to get Emily out of the shower. Apparently she and her friend, along with Kate, played with the kid make-up and perfume (that supposedly smell like cotton candy) and she smells, not like a fresh bouquet, but of cheap body spray. Time to get rid of the smell and make the perfume disappear!

Have a great weekend.

I am a Weakling

2010-01-17T17:23:00.003-05:00

Yes, you read that right. I may have some strength and muscles in my legs from running, but my arms got nothin'. I realized that yesterday when I was struggling to hold up half a sheet of drywall on the ceiling while Steve screwed it into the ceiling. Seriously, he couldn't get the thing hung fast enough. I had it resting on my head to assist my pathetic arms. I think it may be time to take the 100 push up challenge (I may have to do the sissy kind using my knees).

UPDATE - I tried to do the "test." Basically, you do as many push-ups as you can and that gives you a ranking and a guide of where to start in the 100 Push Up challenge. I went down, couldn't get back up. Definitely going to be starting with the "alternative" push-ups (a nice way of saying, I'm starting with the sissy push-ups). Yes, my husband is slightly embarrassed by that. Although, yesterday, when we were talking about my lack of arm strength, he did qualify that while I have weak arms, they are toned arms. Not in those exact words, but you get the sentiment.

A Little Numb

2010-01-12T21:00:00.003-05:00

It has been downright cold here! We haven't had temperatures above freezing since Christmas day. As mini-marathon training started Thursday, and I skipped the first two runs, I made myself go out Saturday and Sunday. Thankfully, by Saturday, the snow that had fallen Thursday and Friday had been plowed and melted so the roads were pretty clear for running. Other than tracking in a bunch of rocks and dirt and not being able to feel my legs, they were good runs.

Sunday, I only went two miles, running to the local sledding hill to meet Steve and the girls who were there. Even with my iPod on (granted it wasn't that loud), I could hear the girls' shrill screams as they went down the hill.

I got there just in time to watch the girls and their two friends go down the hill on our tube. I think we may have exceeded the weight limit, and, after the second time of going airborne, the tube popped, and that was the end of that fun. I will say, the tube was fantastic while it lasted. Not only did it insulate you against the bumps, you felt like you were in a Buick, just kind of floating over the bumps.

I got in one more run today - it was so needed! I felt good, only stopped to walk twice when I stopped to talk to some friends. I was pleased with my overall pace and can now sit and watch the Biggest Loser guilt free. (Now that we found both remotes needed to operate our television that only gets five channels, seven on a good day).

It's supposed to be 40 degrees here tomorrow!! While I won't get in a run tomorrow, it's still supposed to be 40 on Thursday. I'll take it!

Brrrrrrr!!!

2010-01-02T21:41:00.003-05:00

I ended the old year on a good note by running the last two days of it. To make it even better, we got to say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010 with a great group of dear friends.

Two highlights of the evening were, first, watching the kids all stand in front of the tv watching the ball drop and clapping, just as if they were in Times Square. Once the New Year arrived, they were running around with their noise makers and sparkling grape juice while the adults toasted the new year with champagne.

The second highlight was each of the men at the party were wearing scarves. Yes, scarves. One of our friends works for the World Bank and spent the better part of November and December in Kiev in the Ukraine. He brought back scarves for the guys from the national Ukrainian soccer team. They all had their picture taken together with their scarves, inspiring some ideas for calendars...yeah, I'll leave that one alone here.

All in all, it was a good ending.

The start, well, let's just say it got very cold here with highs in the teens. We didn't do much of anything yesterday and I felt like I did nothing but eat junk. That feeling has continued today with the exception of me actually getting up the courage to go for a run in the frigid temps. It is really tough for me to go out and run in the cold when I am already cold and dressed in layers while in our house (I think it is about 65 degrees - and the back, where we are doing our renovations is a balmy 35 right now. Thank goodness for properly placed, new water shutoff valves and copper piping - as opposed to the previously burst pvc, but I digress).

The temperature was 17 degrees but I think it "felt like" 7 degrees. I wore one wicking shirt and one tech shirt under my jacket and my running tights under my pants but only wore one pair of socks, my awesome Smart Wools (seriously, can't say enough good things about them). I had a had, new gloves, and a scarf wrapped around my neck and covering my mouth until my lungs got used to the cold. Honestly, I think these are the coldest temperatures I have ever run in.

The first mile was rough. The scarf came off my mouth because I felt like I was sucking in fleece each time I inhaled. My toes went numb very quickly but then started to burn, an indication to me that the circulation was returning. By about mile two, I had to take the mitten part off the top of my fingers because my hands were sweating and getting my gloves all wet and I took off the scarf and tied it around my waist at 2.5 miles. I'm sure I looked a bit goofy, but hey, I was out there getting some exercise.

I went a little over 4 miles. I didn't bring the Garmin so I don't know the exact distance or what my pace was. Now that I know I won't return to the house freezing, I'll keep running outside as much as possible. Training for the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon begins this week and I'm still not quite sure how I'm going to fit it in. I really don't want to get up at 5:30 am to get it in so I'm considering taking my running stuff to work and running right after before I head home. I think there is a decent four mile square I could run, with 3/4 of it on country roads. I'm still working through it, though. Ah, the joys :-)

Hope you all have a great New Year!!!

Back At It

2009-12-30T18:18:00.003-05:00

It is a balmy 29 degrees here and the winds are just right so we are getting some lake effect snow courtesy of Lake Michigan. There is just a dusting but it is pretty. What do you do when it is like that? Yes, sir. Go for a run. Actually, I've gotten in three runs in the past week! It feels good to get moving again.

The girls got me some new headphones, the kind that wrap over your ear. They are great! They also got me some Isotoner gloves. They are fleece but also waterproof and are the kind without fingertips but a mitten flips over top. They are a great for running - not so great for sledding.

Speaking of which, we took the girls sledding last night and Steve has them out again tonight. We saw the ultimate in redneck sledding last night. When we got to the sledding hill, two guys had the funniest smiles on their faces and were unloading something rather large. They took it over to the hill and went down together. Later, we found out they were going down on a car hood.

Tonight, Emily took the plunge with Kate and went down the big hill (that is after she screamed and cried all the way down a little tiny hill last night). Steve said it was silent all the way down. When they finally stopped, she stood up, turned around, and yelled "Sweeeett!" I have a feeling we'll be heading over more this weekend. Time to invest in snowpants.

Hope you all have a great New Year!!!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T15:06:00.003-05:00

The presents aren't quite wrapped, the baking isn't quite done but it's Christmas Eve and we're having fun.

Emily and I have been tracking Santa here. She is cracking me up with her imagination and questions.

That said we are all very much aware of and thankful for the true meaning of Christmas in the most perfect gift of Jesus and His gift of eternal life to all those who accept it.

From my family to yours, wishing you a very merry Christmas and the best of everything in the new year.

I Can Still Run!!!

2009-12-19T12:16:00.002-05:00

Ah...it is gently snowing outside. The temperatures are in the low 30s. There are some things I should be doing but, I made myself a priority today and went for a run. Okay, my husband also said I needed a run (have I been that bad?).

It was beautiful. Not a lot of traffic, not too slippery. I got in an easy 4.5 to 4.75 miles...not really sure because the Garmin needed charged. I know I was out there for 45 minutes because that's how long the Run Digger Run episode was. I was a little overdressed because I ended up ditching my jacket about a 1.5 miles into it. Can I just tell you how much I love my Smart Wool socks? They kept my feet warm and dry.

Now it is off to make some Christmas lists (no, I haven't really started yet...hmmm), clean up the house (Christmas has been picked up but the first day of Christmas vacation has hit), and maybe do some baking (I'm crossing my fingers). First, a hot shower. I'm starting to get cold.

Have a great weekend!

Another Week, and Still No Running

2009-12-12T15:31:00.002-05:00

Yep. I probably could have gone today, but I didn't. I just enjoyed cleaning up the house and hanging out with the girls. (Christmas decorations kind of threw up in my living room - it is looking nice once again, but seriously, I cannot believe how many Christmas ornaments we have!)

We literally had something going on every single night this week. Two more nights and then we will have nothing. This weekend is our church's Christmas production - three performances over three nights. It is really a neat thing and a lot of fun. I've been in the choir several years and this year, am helping out with the kids' choir as Kate and Emily are both singing. They are so cute, especially Emily who can really belt it out. She is standing front and center, too.

Last night was our first performance and we really hadn't heard one song that precedes our entrance. We ended up sending the kids in about four minutes too early because there is a pause in the music and the lights went down. We though that was it and we were up next so off we went down. Unfortunately, the lights came back up and the music and choir started singing again. We sat the kids down on the steps and prayed they would be quiet. They behaved beautifully. Tonight, we'll know to go down a little later.

Time to get going and get ready. Hope you have a great weekend!!!

My Confession

2009-12-06T21:29:00.002-05:00

Yes, it has been 11 days since my last run. There has been no activity other than trying to speed walk if I need to go anywhere (100-200 feet at a time). Am I discouraged? Yes. But at the same time, right now, I cannot really fit a run in. I'm exhausted to begin with and we had something and have something going practically every night last week and this week. Maybe once this is over, I'll feel better about going out after work for a quick 4 miles. But for now, I'm just going to give myself permission to take another week off.

I haven't even had time to live vicariously through running blogs. I don't have time to read them! My Runner's World sat unopened for two or three days before I got to it! Augh!!!!

On the positive side, I'm not eating as much because I can't say, go ahead, you'll burn it off fast. Speaking of eating, time to go throw supper in the crock pot so it is ready for tomorrow night - Brown Sugar Chicken (It is so good!!).

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T17:11:00.003-05:00

We are enjoying some time in Grand Rapids, sitting around with family, perusing the sale fliers, and, of course, eating.

I earned my pumpkin pie this morning and participated in the East Grand Rapids Gobble Wobble. We ran the 4.3 miles around Reeds Lake and I finished in 36:15. Not bad for not running consistently for the last two weeks.

Time to head back to the feasting, but I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!! Thanks for reading :-)

Indy Mini Here I Come

2009-11-21T18:22:00.003-05:00

Not really where I started from (get it? The song California here I come? Okay, it is an old song, but it popped into my head for some reason) but it is the first, and only half-marathon race I have run. I took the plunge and signed up. Hopefully it will keep me motivated to run knowing that I want to better my time. As an added bonus, Steve's cousin is also running it and I think she and I run about the same pace. Maybe we'll be able to run together.

I did get out for a run today. I only went 4 miles, took it easy as I haven't run since last Saturday, and then came home and cleaned up the remaining leaves in our yard. I felt good. Hopefully I'll get a couple of runs in this week and, if we get to GR Wednesday night, I'll run a 5K Thursday morning. Still up in the air and probably will be until about Tuesday. I want to make sure the girls aren't hacking up a lung.

Time to get Kate from a birthday party. Hopefully the last for a while. Emily had two last weekend and Kate had one this weekend. I really need to stockpile gifts.

Have a great week! And, if I don't get to blogging, Happy Thanksgiving!

It Has Been a Week...

2009-11-20T19:43:00.003-05:00

Of no running and adjusting to a new schedule with the new job. Seriously, this is probably the first time in probably six months that I haven't run or exercised for six days in a row. Yikes!! In a way it has been okay because the weather has been miserable here.

Tomorrow is a new day with temperatures in the 50s. Yipee!!! I'm going to have to get in a run or two this week if at all possible because I would really like to run a 5K Thursday morning. That is, if we go to Grand Rapids for Thanksgiving. We'll see. The car isn't working all that well (thank you Volkswagon mis-engineering) and the girls are coming down with some sort of respiratory illness. Emily was up last night barking like a seal and Kate is starting her prelude to pneumonia coughing (I'm probably a little paranoid on that one).

I still need to sign up for the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. I'm kind of surprised that it hasn't filled up, yet. In the back of my mind, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get in training but am afraid if I don't sign up for it, I may not keep up the running.

So, that's where I am.

A Seriously Crazy, Amazing, Very Good Day

2009-11-11T22:03:00.002-05:00

This week has been busy. I subbed for our local preschool Monday morning, 3rd grade most of yesterday, kindergarten all day today, and tomorrow afternoon. Due to things going on after school, friends, dance class, church program, I haven't gotten in any running since Sunday, when I got in a good 5 mile run. I wonder how people who work full-time fit in running.

Well, I may be finding out soon. If you've read my blog for a little bit, I've mentioned have a job interview or looking for a job occasionally. I figured with substituting teaching and editing, I was where I was supposed to be and was okay with that. Finances are extremely tight (well, probably beyond tight to be honest) but I was just trusting that God would provide (as He has in the past), we would manage to get bills paid.

Fast forward to this afternoon. Without any details, I felt like, financially and emotionally, I was at rock bottom. The girls and I headed up to church for our Wednesday evening program, and honestly, I wished I wasn't going. My throat hurt, I was tired, and I wasn't in the best of moods.

We got there and I took my spot checking in kids when our children's pastor came and sat down. Usually, she is running around tending to all the details for the evening and we only have quick conversations. She asked how I was doing and I said I've had better days. She went on to tell me our pastor was looking for me, to which I jokingly replied, should I hide? We laughed and she went on to tell me that the church secretary was leaving and that he wanted to hire me.

Mind you, he has never seen my resume, honestly, I don't think he even knows what jobs I've held before. He does know, however, that I run :-) (although I don't think that made any difference). I thought I would have a chance to talk with him during the class time but couldn't get away and honestly, thought I was pretty shallow if I was putting a job opportunity in front of helping out with my class, so I headed upstairs later than expected and found him still waiting to talk to me.

Now, the weird, amazing, thing that gives you chills, is that Sunday during church I remember thinking, being a church secretary would be pretty interesting. I've also thought in the last month or so that I would really like to not have to go through an interview process, etc. to get a job (I am horrible at interviews). I would really like a job to fall into my lap. Hmmmm...

So, tomorrow I'm calling to tell our pastor I'm interested in the job. Now, I'm starting to think about all the things that will change (and getting a sick feeling in my stomach but at the same time shaking with amazement and excitement):
•I don't get to spend afternoons with my husband
•I won't be able to pick up and/or drop off my girls at school
•I won't be able help out in Emily's classroom
•I was just getting busy subbing and people appreciated me
•I'm going to miss coffee time with my friends on Friday afternoons
•I haven't worked full-time since 2001!

And, back to where I started, how am I going to fit in marathon training next summer?

I guess we will just have to take it one step at a time...just like running a marathon.

A B-E-A-U-tiful Day!!

2009-11-07T20:19:00.002-05:00

We are enjoying Indian Summer here in northern Indiana. Temps in the high 60s and sunny. Could it just stay like this?

I got leaves raked and the yard cleaned up, the car washed (after it was bird bombed yesterday during spinning), and helped Steve hang drywall in the soon-to-be mudroom (you could count that as strength training - two pieces were on the ceiling). We even took the kids to the park twice.

But, did I get in a run or a ride on this gorgeous day? No, no I didn't.

I think the weather is supposed to stay like this for a couple of days...maybe I'll get out tomorrow...

The Advice I Forgot to Give

2009-11-01T18:26:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I talked two friends into running the half marathon, their first. Over the last few months of training, I gave out a lot of advice to Jill (mainly because I saw her more often) and answered a lot of questions.

The one thing I forgot to tell them was to lay everything out the night before. Attach your bib number to your shirt, put on the chip or D-Tag, have everything ready to go. I kind of forgot that advice, too, as you will remember we had to do a double back home to grab the Garmin.

Anyway, we were going to meet downtown around 7 a.m. Their daughter was going to hang out with Steve and the girls during the race and follow all of us around the course.

The race started at 8 a.m. however, there was an early start for those who deemed themselves "velocity-challenged." We were able to get into blocks around the YMCA just as the 7 a.m. group was starting. John and Jill left the hotel in plenty of time to get downtown however were stuck on the expressway exit near the early part of the course at 7 a.m. They didn't make it into the YMCA until about 7:45 a.m.

We were able to find each other in the crowd of people. Their daughter, Steve, and the girls headed outside. Jill and I hoped into the bathroom line, and John headed back to their car to drop something off.

We got outside about 7:54 or so and started looking for John outside. We didn't see him. Jill had his iPod and his D-tag. I asked if she minded if I headed to the start and she was fine with it. So off I went.

She finally found John a couple minutes later just as the gun went off. He got the D-tag on his shoe and they headed around the block to the start line. Five minutes after the gun went off, it was evident that the runners were all past the start line. Jill said they were starting to move or pull up the mats as John and Jill came running past the start line. They were the last ones to start the race.

About a quarter mile into the race, they caught up with the rest of the runners and Steve and the girls couldn't tell that they had been all that far behind the runners.

The neat thing, though is that they finished their first half marathon in 2 hours, 40 minutes. Steve and the girls were able to cheer them on in a couple of places, which Jill said gave them a huge boost. We swapped stories for a week after the marathon and they are already looking at other half marathons to run, including the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon next May. They are hooked!

Probably the funniest sight of the whole experience came on Monday. Jill teaches preschool (she was Emily's teacher last year) and I was supposed to substitute for one of the other teachers Monday through Wednesday. We were both quite a sight as we gingerly walked around. We joked about taking the elevator downstairs for gym time so that we didn't have to go down the steps. We also found out that it is really difficult to do jumping jacks and arm circles the day after a marathon.

In closing, let me remind you now (even though your next big race may be months away), make sure you lay everything out the night before.

It's About Time...

2009-10-28T13:38:00.005-04:00

I'm going to sit down right now and write my race report or I will never get it done.

Alright...we headed up to Michigan Friday afternoon. Saturday, I got the race packet and checked out the parts of the course you could drive, set out my stuff and stuff for Steve and the kids and headed to bed by 9 pm.

We were out the door by 6:30 a.m. to head downtown, however had to turn around and go back because I forgot my Garmin (an essential at this race because there aren't many clocks on the course). After a stop at McDonalds and a mild melt-down by Emily, we found a parking spot a block away from the start of the race.

We headed into the YMCA (which is amazing!!!) to keep warm and found the bathrooms on the second floor with a short line. After two trips through, found my friend who was running the half with her husband, and her daughter who was going to hang with Steve and the girls. Jill and I headed to the bathroom one more time with about 10 minutes to go before the race was to start. Yeah, cutting it a little close but it did pay off in the end because I didn't need a bathroom break during the race.

I got in a quick warm up run to the starting area and was able to get in the vicinity of the 4:14 pace group. I really wanted to get up with the 3:56 group but figured I would play catch up. The gun went off about a minute or so after I got into the sea of runners and it took about 2 minutes to cross the start line.

We ran south for two blocks, made two right hand turns and then headed north about a mile, running through a kind of industrial area. The road was wide, though, and there was plenty of room to run and get into my stride. I passed by the 4:14 pace group but couldn't tell where the 3:56 group was.

We headed west for a block or two and then turned south through a residential neighborhood before running over the Grand River. The river was like glass with steam rising off of it. We noticed running over the bridge that it was a little slippery. Low and behold, there was some frost thanks to the 30 degree temperatures over night.

The course went through the heart of downtown where people lined the streets cheering on the runners and then turned west back across the river and through the downtown campus of Grand Valley State University. This section of the course was new this year and was a great addition because there were more places for people to watch the runners and the spectators could see runners about three different times in the first four miles.

At mile 5.5 we headed onto a bike path through Butterworth Park. There was a slight incline and then a long slow descent. I remember thinking, this is great! Oh, wait, I have to run up this on the way back. It was on my mind for about and second and then I heard a bunch of cheering and the lead runner for the half marathon was heading back to the start. I also noticed the 3:56 pace group was in view.

Just outside of the park was an aid station and a spectator section where Steve and the girls were. I gave high fives and we both ran our separate directions, literally. Miles 7 through 10 were along back roads with some slight rolling hills. I heard someone near me say use the hills. It was a good reminder. I let gravity pull me down the hill and ran up them. The 3:56 pace group was getting closer and then the disappeared. I remember thinking I wasn't ever going to catch them

At mile 10, we entered Millennium Park, another addition to the race course. Actually, we ran in Millennium Park last year, but just briefly. This year, we ran around the outside. It was gorgeous out there. The trees were all brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows, there were several ponds as smooth as glass with steam rising off of them, and a little bit of fog hanging low at the tops of the trees.

By the time we were exiting the park, I caught the back of the 3:56 pace group. Finally! Of course, I lost them again for a minute while I walked through the water stop and took a longer than I had been taking.

From mile 13 to 22.5, we were on bike trails along the Grand River. It was pretty quiet and just a few spots easily accessible for spectators. I could tell I was slowing down and getting a little tired. I took longer walk breaks through the water stations and found myself looking at my watch more. I remember getting behind a group of people and just running for a bit. When I looked at my watch, I saw I was down to a 9:30 minute/mile pace and got moving.

I had a pace chart that I was consistently 30 seconds ahead of at each mile. That is, until mile 18 when I started getting behind but about 30 seconds, and the time got a little longer at each subsequent mile marker. By the time I got back to Butterworth Park, I was starting to make the mental calculations, trying to figure out if I was going to make it in under 4 hours or not. I had 30 minutes to go 3 miles. No problem, 10 minutes miles. Still, there was a little fear that I wouldn't make it and thoughts of, "That's a long was to go in just a short period of time." I picked up the pace as best I could.

As we exited Butterworth Park, Steve was there. He ran with me for a minute, asking how I was and yelled to finish under four. I said I would try, and he said, "DO IT!"

Another block later, there was a guy on a bike answering his cell phone. He said they were at mile 25 and hung up. Then he started talking to a lady just in front of me, telling her to keep going and she would be under 4. I decided I was going to keep her up with her. While she finished somewhat ahead of my, I tried to keep up with her.

At mile 26, the finish line was in sight. I took a look at my watch to make sure I was okay time wise and I hear my husband yelling at me, "Don't look at your watch, just run!" I took off. As I got close to the start line, the finish line clock was at 3:59:50. I thought, there is no way I'm going to let it switch to 4:00:00 before I get across the finish line and sprinted in. The finish photos show 4:00:59 and then 4:00:00. I got across just as it was switching to 4 hours. My official time was 3:58:02.

Once I was done, Don Kern (the race director) shook my hand and said congratulations and I headed off for the mylar blanket and some food.
The front of my hip really hurt when I was done but by the time we got back to my parent's house and got a hot shower, I was feeling much better. Sore, but better.

I'm thrilled with the race and my time. It is a fantastic event and the change in course this year made it even better than last year's. I am planning to do it again next year although I also want to run a marathon on my birthday which, next year, will be 10/10/10. I have some time to decide. In the meantime, I want to find some triathlons to do next summer and the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon in May. I need to find a job, too, to help fuel my obsession :-)

So, there you have it. Next time, I'll post about what happened to my friend and her husband at the start. While I had given them a bunch of advice, I forgot to tell them one thing.

Have a great weekend! Happy Halloween. I'm off to spin before the afternoon Halloween party at the library.

2009 Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon Preview

2009-10-26T11:24:00.004-04:00

I was really hoping to write this much sooner than eight days after the marathon but life was in the way. Since we returned home last Sunday night, we've had sick kids. Vomiting, fever, coughing...someone has stayed home from school since last Monday (granted, they didn't have school Thursday or Friday, but one still wasn't feeling well). I'm hoping to let Emily return to school tomorrow but I'll wait to see how she wakes up.

I'm going to be lazy because it is now 11:10 p.m. and thanks to the various illnesses I have yet to get a decent night sleep so I'm going to bed. In the meantime, there were several "pool" photographers who posted pictures to Flickr in addition to the usual official photographs. They took a ton of amazing pictures and if you click on these links, will give you a good idea of the beautiful fall day we had to run.

Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 5
Picture 6
Picture 7
Picture 8
Picture 9

Next post...race report

Deep Thoughts After a Marathon

2009-10-19T18:54:00.002-04:00

I got to substitute teach in preschool this morning and kindergarten this afternoon. Here are somethings I took away from the experiences.

• I could kiss the person who invented handrails.

• It is really funny watching a bunch of preschoolers imitate the way you are gingerly going down the stairs using both handrails.

• Trying to do scissor jumping jacks is impossible at this time.

• I can't swing my arms in circles. It hurts too much.

• Elementary kids look at you really funny when you go down steps slowly, one at a time.

• I'm thinking about asking my husband to install handicap bars in our bathroom. They really came in handy this afternoon in the kindergarten bathroom where everything is low to the ground.

Barrier Broken

2009-10-18T13:22:00.000-04:00

Clock time: 4:00:00

Garmin time: 3:58:09

Walking and going up steps is a whole other issue :-)

Two to Go...

2009-10-16T13:30:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I shared an excerpt from Don Kern's (GR marathon director) newsletter. Today, he sent out his last one before the race and include his top 5 things to remember when doing a marathon. I thought I would share them here not only because they are good to remember but they also make me smile, once again.

Don Kern's Top 5
5. Start out slower than you think you should -- It's easy to get caught up in the rush. Here in Grand Rapids, we have our Celebrity-Pace Pace Teams to help with that. You join a pace group and shoot for the same time as Oprah, P Diddy, George W, and other famous marathon runners.

4. It still counts if you have to walk part of the course -- Most people in the universe will never even think of covering 26.2 miles on foot. Crossing the finish line any way you can do it is still a major accomplishment.

3. Lubricate or tape everything that rubs -- It'll make those late miles (and the hot shower afterward) feel so much better. Try Sportwax, the official sports lubricant of the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon, available at our expo. (Gonzo here: Great advice, Don. I wish you would have offered this tip the day before my run with you guys!)

2. Learn to identify poison ivy leaves -- It helps to know, especially when you head off into the woods for a pit stop.

1. Don't worry! -- Your toenails will grow back.

Three Days Left

2009-10-15T09:41:00.002-04:00

Yep...Three days until the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. Every day for the last week, I've received a newsletter from the race director, Don Kern. He makes me laugh. This excerpt is from today's...

RE-FREAKIN'-LAX

You're ready. You've prepared. You've trained. And now, it's time for the fun. Feel the energy from the people around you. Find someone from the race staff in a red jacket and give them a hug. It's your day now. Enjoy everything about it.

Don't stress about parking. There's plenty. Don't stress about aid stations. They're well stocked, and they're ROCKIN'. Don't stress about portajohns. We have plenty. (Some of them look like big blue plastic boxes and have white toilet paper. Many others look like big plants with woody stems and have various colored toilet paper them.)

Everybody here loves you. We're all here to help. And YOU? You're gonna be awesome out there.

Three more runs to do - 6 miles, 5 miles, and 3 miles. I haven't run since Monday. Heel is feeling okay. Back is still a little stiff but manageable. The cold (or more like cold wanna-be) is still knocking but I'm keeping it at bay. Looks like the weather will be in the 30s at start time but warming up to near 50 and sunny. Perfect!

So, just need to pack between now and tomorrow at 3 pm when we hope to leave.

Now, it is time for me to get ready to sub for 6th graders at the girls' school. I'm sure it will be much different than kindergarten (which I love) and third grade (which isn't too bad). I'm sure I will be taking a bath in hand sanitizer when I get home. :-)

A World Wide Festival of Races Redo

2009-10-12T22:50:00.003-04:00

Well, after Saturday's not so good run, I took it easy yesterday. No pain in the Achilles at all.

So, this morning, I got ready to run once again. I figured I would try to do four and if I felt good, I would go ahead and do six. Well, I got in the 6.2 miles, 10k. It was a really good run and I managed to average 8:46 minutes/mile. Huh??!?

So now I'm feeling much better about running Sunday. Must be a bad case of taper madness. Now it is off to bed now that I have the carbo-loading Russian Mushroom Potato Soup in the crockpot. Oh, the house will be smelling good in the morning.

Here Comes the Sun

2009-10-11T13:51:00.003-04:00

Just when we were getting used to the dreary days, the sun came out in full, beautiful force yesterday. It was one of those perfect fall days. The trees have taken on the look of bright rainbows, there is a crisp smell in the air, and the sun just made everything better.

It is the weekend for the World Wide Festival of Races. I signed up to do the 10k as I had 8 miles on the schedule. Well, I made it to 4. 87 and had to stop.

All week, I've felt like my shoe has been rubbing against/digging into the top of my heal. It didn't really bother me running until midway through my run Thursday. Friday, it was a bit worse so I tried loosening my shoe thinking it was a problem with the shoe. Then I just wore flip flops the rest of the day.

Yesterday morning, it bothered me as soon as I put on my running shoes. It hurt on and off through the first couple of miles. Just after I turned around to head home, there was a pain I hadn't yet felt in the top of my heal. It was a bit more painful that before so I started walking/limping as the pain was still there. After a while, I picked up my walking pace but didn't feel comfortable running. Then after a bit, the pain was back for a bit, limping began and then the pain went away. Pace picked up. And on I went like that for three about 3.5 miles.

I have not run today. I'm not going to attempt it. I may try tomorrow just to see how it feels. I'm trying to gently stretch it, too. I don't know what is going to happen. Can someone just cut off the right side of my body?

Nine Days and Counting

2009-10-09T22:32:00.002-04:00

It has been rainy and cold here the last few days, making for some miserable runs yesterday and today. And, both days, I could have run in drizzling rain or no rain had I not procrastinated. When I was finally ready to run, the rain was pouring down.

Yesterday, I ended up putting the run off until about 5:30 pm. It was still raining but not quite as bad as it had been earlier. I left the house thinking I'll run seven if it gets really bad and if my back starts bothering me. Surprisingly, I ended up having a fantastic run with relatively little back pain because I was using my core to keep the right side of my lower back stable. I got to the point where I would have to turn around to complete seven and decided to keep going. I finished the 10 mile tempo run with an average pace of 8:55 per mile!!! Finally!

Now today was a different story. Once again it was pouring when I opened the door to leave the house. This time, I gave myself 15 minutes (mostly because I had a small window of time to get the run in or it wasn't going to happen today). It kept on raining so I hit the road. It was miserable. My back bothered me a bit, my hands and legs were cold, my shoes were squishing with each step and the back of my right ankle felt like something was pushing into it. I got to 6. 4 miles of what was supposed to be 7 miles and had enough. I didn't even look at my average pace because I ended up doing a lot of walking trying to clear up the ankle issue.

Now it is 10:45 pm on a Friday night. I'm ready for bed and feel like the cold that I have been trying to put off with Airborne all week is going to take over. Probably the cold, wet runs. Time for more Airborne...

Where Have I Been?!!?

2009-10-02T09:25:00.008-04:00

Hmmm...let's see. I've written about five posts in my mind during runs but they haven't made it from my brain, through my fingers to blogger. A combination of a lot of running, five half days of substitute teaching, and editing half of a book. Not to mention stuff with the kids, etc.

So it is now just a week and a half until the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. I'm feeling pretty laid back about the whole thing. I would love to break four hours but I'm not sure I've got the speed this year. Other than that, I don't think I really have a goal, except to finish. I guess I feel like it is the least of my worries right now.

Historically, for me at least, the second time I've run a race, I've actually done worse than the first year. I finished my first marathon, the 2006 Chicago Marathon, in 4:39:49 (yeah, I still remember the seconds, it was the first one). The next year, was the marathon in a heatwave, the now famous 2007 Chicago Marathon where I ran the first 19 miles and walked the last 7.2 because the race was canceled thanks to the extreme heat that day. I finished one hour later than my goal at 5 hours, 29 minutes.

The same thing happened with the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. The first year I ran it, I finished in 2:06. The second year, I ended up walking it with my husband and sister-in-law and finished in around 3 hours and 30 minutes.

So, this is all in the back of my mind. I'm also fighting some sort of cold that caused me to run just 4 miles Monday instead of the prescribed 8 and I managed to pull a muscle in my lower back yesterday afternoon lifting an ancient computer monitor. Thankfully, I did get a spinning class in before I did it and today is a rest day. I'm trying to take it easy and am fine as long as I don't move to a certain way. I just need to figure out which way that is. We'll see how I'm feeling Thursday. I'm supposed to run 10, my last double digit run. Cross your fingers.

Now, if all this sounds negative, I don't mean it to be. The positive thing is that I've kicked butt in the third year I have run a particular distance. I have that to look forward to :-)

So, I'm here. Taking it easy. Moving slowly and making friends with the ibuprofen.

On an interesting note, tune into the Runner's Round Table this Thursday at 4 pm. I'll be sitting at the table with fellow moms on the run Drusy, Susan, Donna, Lois, and special guest Runner's World columnist Kristin Armstrong. If you can't listen tomorrow, you can always download the podcast at the Runner's Round Table website.

It's off to get ready to sub for a kindergarten class this afternoon. Have a great day!

Running with Bugs

2009-09-24T11:51:00.003-04:00

I went out for my 10-mile tempo run yesterday morning, a run around the lake. The weather has been beautiful here, and while it ended up being 80 degrees and humid yesterday, it was a bit on the cool side in the morning. I kept up a decent pace and have decided to take a quick walk break every 20 minutes. I think it is helping my overall time and I'm a bit more consistent pace wise.

Even with the cool weather, I was still sweating of course. I needed to wipe off my eye and looked down to grab the side of my shirt. It was polka-dotted with little black dots. It wasn't that way when I left home. I looked down the front of my shirt and it was the same way. Yuck!!! Little tiny black bugs had gotten stuck on my wet shirt and died. Needless to say, I used my hand, which later, was also polka dotted.

When I got home, I headed upstairs for a shower and stopped to talk to my husband. He looked at me and said, "Yuck!" Thinking it was just my shirt and arms, I said, yes, the bugs were bad out there today. I got to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror and let out a yell. My neck looked like it had a 5 o'clock shadow! It was covered with bugs. Thankfully, I don't think I swallowed any.

I'm almost through the highest mileage week of training with just a little speed bump. I missed the spinning class Monday thanks to a substitute teaching job in the afternoon so I switched rest days. Got the spinning in Tuesday by myself after a pilates class. I'm on track to do 16 miles tomorrow unless I get called in to sub (I got a phone call this morning but I forgot to take my cell phone upstairs with me).

Off to finish up some editing on a writer who doesn't know the difference between resolution and revolution and all be it and albeit. Always entertaining - if I can stay awake :-)

Racing the Mail

2009-09-18T18:37:00.003-04:00

One more week of training almost done, one more week closer to Grand Rapids.

I did the first of two long runs today - a 10 miler around the lake. I ended up playing tortoise and hare with the UPS truck all the way down the East Shore - about two miles. I raced the mail lady up the northwest side of the lake yesterday. Hmmm...

It was a pretty good run but my quads are sore especially going up and down the stairs. It will be interesting to see how I fair going into the last heavy training week before the marathon. It is as follows:
Sunday - 8
Monday - Strength (I'll go spin)
Tuesday - Rest (I'll do pilates)
Wednesday - 10 mile tempo run (has been running about 9:07/mile lately - a far cry from last year's speed- bummer)
Thursday - 7 miles
Friday - 16 miles
Saturday - 8 miles
Sunday - collapse

I'm waiting for a friend to pick me up. A group of us are getting together at our friend's "River House". It is only about 10 minutes from us. We're going to make pizza on the grill tonight and enjoy a variety of beverages. Some of us are spending the night and having lemon poppy seed pancakes with raspberry syrup for breakfast in the morning. The syrup is divine! I'm looking forward to a night away although I don't know how late I'll be able to stay up. I told Steve this afternoon I was about ready to drop.

Steve and the girls are fishing so maybe we'll have some big catch photos to post tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!

IM Wisconsin Inspirational Finish

2009-09-16T09:49:00.003-04:00

One of my blog bookmarks is Steve in a Speedo?! Gross! He trains for all kinds of things and is fun to read (even with too much information sometimes). Anyway, he and his wife volunteered at IM Wisconsin this past weekend and witnessed a really neat finish. You can read the post here.

Not Your Normal 16 Mile Run

2009-09-11T15:39:00.003-04:00

Today, I decided I would get my 16 mile run out of the way so I could enjoy what little weekend I have. I think it was a good choice but the run took a lot longer than I had planned. Running on the tight schedule I have (ha), I was a little late for my coffee time with my three friends.

Anyway, I got my run started around 10 am, starting with a six-mile loop in town. I passed our UPS man twice - once at mile two and once at mile 5, where he stopped to ask how long my loop was. I explained I was running 16 miles in preparation for a marathon next month and he said, "Oh, that's how you keep so thin." He's a really nice guy and we do the friendly wave each time we see each other.

Around mile four, I was running down one of the main drags in town, the one that faces the town park and the beach. A guy had just come out of the coffee shop and sat down at one of the sidewalk tables. As I passed him, he yelled out, "It's working for you sweetheart!" I kind of raised an eyebrow, nodded and smiled. I think that is the first time I've gotten a comment like that. Hmmm...don't think he was drinking yet, either, maybe the coffee was for the hangover.

Just after stopping to talk to the UPS man, I ran past my friend from Croatia's house. They spent the last year and half back home and just returned last week. I haven't seen her all that much and she was out in the yard so I stopped to talk for a minute, which kind of turned into 10. Oops. I did score a couple of pairs of jeans for Kate - not bad.

I stopped home quick to pick up the Amphipod, guzzle some water, and grab a bite to eat and headed back out again. Around mile 7, I ran into a lady I hadn't seen for a while so I walked with her for a minute or two to catch up. She battled ovarian cancer last year and won. Her hair is starting to come back in - gray/black and curly instead of the blond and straight. She looks fabulous! She wondered how far I was going and what marathon I was training for. Turns out I'm running Grand Rapids on her birthday.

The next several miles went off without incident, other than being quite thirsty, guzzling water, and then not feeling so well but I ran on. Steve met me at mile 13.5 to refill the water bottle. If he hadn't, I would have been toast! I started adding in more walk breaks but it was hot and my legs were tired!

There were a lot of people out riding bikes - at least three cyclists passed me twice - and I saw another runner. Second day this week!

I finished without incident and started walking the 3/4 of a mile home. A car was coming up from behind and someone whistled at me. It was three guys in a pickup truck. Wow! Twice in one 16-mile run. Too funny. I wonder if they would have whistled if they had come up on me from the front. Ha!

Anyway, the 16 miles is done [insert sigh of relief here]. Only one more run that distance before the marathon.

Have a great weekend!

That Blinding Streak You Just Saw

2009-09-09T11:09:00.002-04:00

That was me running in my new shoes. Holy cow those things are white!! Almost glow in the dark, you need sunglasses not to be blinded, my legs during winter, white.

It feels good to run in a new pair of shoes. I was starting to get some pain in my shins. Actually, it is still there, but hopefully it is nothing more than shin splints from the overused, dirtier running shoes.

The runs have gotten much better over the last week. I have upped the speed a bit and added spinning for my strength/speed workout like I did last spring for the mini-marathon. Today's class starts in a about a half hour and I'm going to get my butt kicked. I've been meeting up with some friends and we've been spinning on our own. Today, I'm going to the class which always make me to workout harder because I'm challenged to keep up with the instructor.

This week is another heavy week with a 9 mile tempo run tomorrow and a 16 mile run this weekend. I'm going to have to get it done Saturday instead of Sunday as I won't be able to fit it in Sunday. The one thing that is wearing on me is the constant juggling of my schedule. What is going on today? When can I get in the run? There is only about 5 weeks until the marathon and two more more 16 milers including this weekends. I guess that makes me feel a little better.

Time to go get ready to get my butt kicked.

Another Week..

2009-09-01T20:48:00.002-04:00

...has flown by! I think time has sped up exponentially since the girls went back to school. I've been helping out in Emily's class every morning for about an hour, taking about an hour to an hour and a half to run, and my day is almost shot!

The good thing, though, is I am able to get my runs in during the day, and while I wish it were warmer, the cool weather is making the runs that much more enjoyable. I think we topped out at maybe 75 today and the overnight low was in the 40s! It is great sleeping weather, too.

Last week was a heavy week of running, topping off with an eight-mile run Saturday and a 16-mile run Sunday. Both were really good. On the 16 miler, I ran my six-mile loop in town so I didn't have to bring my Amphipod water belt right away. I stopped home, grabbed the belt, some water, and part of a PopTart (yes, my fuel of choice - Brown Sugar is the best!) and then headed out for the 10 miles around the lake. Steve and the girls met me around mile 15 to load me up with more liquids and the rest of the PopTart. Fueling really does make all the difference.

The only downside from Sunday's run was that I developed a blister on my left big toe. I have some New Balance socks that have a pretty thick toe seam and if I don't put them on just right, it rubs me wrong. I felt it during the first six miles and tried to pop it when I stopped home. It developed underneath the calloused skin there from the last time this happened and I barely got it to go down.

I thought I was okay until yesterday's six mile run. By the time I was finished, it had grown in size and pain, although I didn't feel it during the run. Of course, I went to get a new pair of shoes last night and kind of went limping into the store. Dave, the store owner, looked a little concerned when I told him I needed new shoes. He looked at me funny and commented that I was walking funny.

Today is supposed to be a strength training day. To mix things up, I met two of my friends at the fitness center to spin. When we got there, we found out the fall schedule had started and there would be a Pilates class going on in the same area that the spin bikes are in. We ended up doing the Pilates for an hour and then did our spinning thing. It was a good choice because I got a lot of stretching in and felt really good afterward. Our do-it-ourselves spinning class probably isn't as hard of a workout as it is with our favorite teacher, but it is good none the less. I'll find out Monday when I'm hoping to go once again.

Tomorrow is a rest day and once again. Bring it on!!!

I'm Here...Really!

2009-08-25T17:10:00.004-04:00

It has been a little crazy this last week. The girls went back to school, my husband's video card went out on his computer, I've been working for a couple of hours after school, and I've been running, and running, and running.

I thought when the girls started school I would have a bunch of time during the day. Up until the last two days, I really haven't sat down for a rest while they were gone. I've been catching up on house projects, attending a meeting two hours away, meeting friends for coffee (only once), and editing. At 2:55 pm, I find myself wishing they would be at school just a little longer so I could get one more thing done.

I will say, it is nice to have the house cleaned up for a change. While there are plenty of spiders and dust bunnies lurking in the shadows, I don't cringe if someone drops by unannounced and we are able to find what we need when we need it.

Well, almost everything...had we been able to find the startup disks to my husband's computer, it wouldn't have sat in the repair shop for over a week. It is hard when both of us work via computer. His hours are somewhat set while mine are flexible but with deadlines. He got my laptop during the day, and I got it at night. Needless to say, I've been pulling some late nights here lately, with no end in sight - although that is a good thing. At least the work is there.

So, finally, the running. The weather has turned cool once again which makes for some pretty good runs. I did an 8 mile tempo run today at a pace I was pretty happy with. With the "free" time during the day, I'm able to get the runs in at a decent time rather than waiting until after 4 pm to get out. Well, with the exception of Sunday.

Sunday, I wasn't sure I was going to get a run in at all. We needed to be at church by 9:45 am, which means leaving our house at 9:15 am. Having been to a get-together the night before until 11 pm, getting up and out the door to run 10 miles extra early wasn't going to happen.

We didn't get home from church/grocery store until 2 pm and I was working from 4 until 8 pm. So, once I got home and got the girls to bed, I changed into my running clothes and headed out the door around 8:45 pm. I usually start my run heading west and was treated to a gorgeous sunset. I ended up running around town twice with a loop around the school added in at the end.

I enjoyed watching the stars come out and the peaceful quiet of the dark. I think my adrenaline was going to because I ran at a faster pace than normal although the Garmin didn't show that. I started it before it locked onto the satellite and it showed my first mile was run in 13 minutes (I tried to start slow but not quite that slow).

Between Sunday's run and today's, I'm feeling a little bit better about running. I'm just not looking forward to the next couple of weeks. I'm at the point where the mileage is ramping up but the marathon is still a ways away. You just can't quite see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. I just have to take one day at a time and I decided that instead of a strength workout, I'm going to spin, which gives me a really good challenge and workout. The classes will be starting in two weeks although a couple of us have been meeting and spinning on our own.

On another subject, we got together with a bunch of friends Saturday night at their house on a local river. Next door, there was a big family party complete with a face painter. The owner of the house invited the kids to come over and have their faces painted. I was thinking a little rainbow or butterfly on their cheek. Check out what we brought home...

It was like we had the cast of Cats running around the yard! The kids loved it!

Hope your running is going well. Take care.

Sigh...

2009-08-18T17:40:00.002-04:00

The first day of school is now history for both of my girls. They each had a fantastic day and tons of energy when I picked them up. Emily was so sweet when she saw one of her friends from preschool who was in another class. They both held hands, said something, and then hugged like long lost friends. Funny thing is they just saw each other yesterday.

On the job front, I found out this afternoon that I didn't get it. While it is disappointing, I'm sure it is for the best. Just a little, okay, a lot stressed on the finances part.

On the running front, I've been keeping up with the training plan, just not as fast as I had hoped and doing a bit more walking than I'd like. I got in a very wet 15 miles on Saturday in Grand Haven. By wet, I mean I was drenched with sweat. The air temperature was probably in the 70s when I started at 7:30 am and I don't know what it got up to by the time I finished but you probably could have wrung a good cup's worth of water out of my shirt and shorts. It was just disgusting!

On my run, I caught up to a lady who was running while her husband was following along with on his bike. I passed her, said hello, and continued on for another half mile before turning around. In the meantime, she had also turned around and I ended up passing her again. This time, I asked what she was training for. She was going to run her first marathon in Chicago. As Chicago was the site of my first two marathons, I told her a little bit about it, said good luck, and continued on my way.

About three miles later, I stopped at a park to refill my water bottle. She must have passed me because about a mile later, I passed her again. I kind of felt like the hare in the Turtle and the Hare story as I would "speed" ahead and then stop.

I'm thinking about pushing my training schedule ahead by one day so that I can do the long run on Saturday and have the recovery run Sunday. Then, when spinning starts up again, use that as my strength workout and mix things up a bit. It worked well for the half marathon.

Hope your week and training is going well.

The End of Summer

2009-08-17T21:14:00.002-04:00

Sigh! Summer is coming to an end here. School starts tomorrow for my girls just as the weather is actually getting hot (it's been in the 90s the last two days). They are excited about beginning a new school year. Kate gets to move up to the second floor of the building as a third grader and Emily is beginning a new school as a kindergartener. Tomorrow morning will be strange. I'll have to be up earlier than I have been up most of the summer and after 8 am, I will have the day to myself until 3 pm and I can go run whenever I feel like it during that seven hour span. I think I'd better head to bed now, I may have a busy day to myself tomorrow.

Ta Ta Trot and Stuff

2009-08-08T12:45:00.004-04:00

It is 12:45 pm on a Saturday and for the first time in a long time, my run is done for the day. Temperatures are predicted to be in the 90s here for maybe the second time this summer so I decided I'd better get my run in early and avoid the heat. Although, to be honest, unless the sun comes out soon, looks like we'll be in the 70s once again.

I did finish the Ta Ta Trot for Breast Cancer last weekend. You could do a 5K or 10K and it was mostly on paved trails through a park. The 5K did one loop, the 10K, two. The weather wasn't bad, mostly overcast and probably in the 70s. It wasn't a good race for me as I just didn't feel well. Even with the inhaler, I was doing some wheezing on the run and I felt like I could have thrown up during the run. I did finish in just over one hour. The downer was that you got one bottle of water and that was it. No food unless you brought some cash along, which I didn't. However, that being said, they had the best t-shirt.

I've gotten somewhat back on track with the running. Whatever has been causing the breathing difficulties has subsided and I've gotten in some faster runs this week and even did a "speed" workout but running a bunch of hills in town as fast as I could.

I've been thankful for the runs this week as it has been exceptionally stressful. One main reason was that I had a job interview Thursday morning for the job I held until the day before Emily was born. I was feeling good going into it but now keep thinking of all the things I should have said and asked. I guess I'll hear something one way or the other sometime in the next two weeks.

With the run done, I can go help Steve work on our renovation project by pulling out insulation and the remaining staples. It is exciting to see the progress, though. There are water lines run and the plywood floor is pretty much in place, complete with insulation underneath (which wasn't there before and which caused a lot of the ruptured pipes in said bathroom. Ah, old houses, you've got to love them.

Weather update - the sun is starting to come out and it has gotten muggy!! So glad the run is done!

Not So Good

2009-07-28T21:18:00.003-04:00

For the first time in a long time, I threw in the towel in the middle of a run. I went out Monday around 5 pm and granted, it was a little warm but this summer, anything over 80 degrees is warm. My legs were tired and my lung capacity was not there. I have an inhaler for allergy season which typically starts mid-August and have been using it before runs, but forgot before the run. Honestly, I'm not sure if it is really helping.

I tried to start out slow but found myself needing to walk after a mile. Same thing after 2 miles and by the 3rd mile I was walking more than running. Finally at 3.25 miles, I was disgusted so I walked. I almost made the turn to the house but decided to go at least another mile. In the end, I probably walked about 2 miles (turned off the Garmin when I started walking) in addition to the run.

Yesterday was supposed to be a speed workout and in the end, due to time, decided to just ride around the lake. There were some incoming storms which made me ride a little faster but I'm sure not at the effort a speed workout should be at. I did, however, beat the storms.

Today , ah, today is a glorious rest day! I'm hoping this will make tomorrow's tempo run go smoothly. Saturday, I'm going to race in a 10K while a friend races in her first 5K. I sent in the registration today for both of us so she can't back out and she's driving. Should be fun.

Horse Dreams

2009-07-27T16:04:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted a funny comment from one of my daughters so I thought I would share the following conversation I had with Emily this morning.

Emily: Mom, when can we get a horse?

Me: You need to talk to dad about that.

Emily: Why? He's not allergic! (Our excuse for not having a cat is that Steve is allergic, which he is).

Me: Well, where would you keep it?

Emily: We could tie it up to the tree.

Yes, Emily is in to horses these days. After watching a couple of episodes of The Saddle Club, she will go out into the front yard, set up a bunch of obstacles, put on her bike helmet, and proceed to gallop and jump her way through the obstacles. She also has random horse names and while on walks, will suddenly slap her thigh and take off galloping.

On the running front, my 10 mile run Saturday night was fantastic. I took it slow and easy and ran consistently for 8 miles, took a walk break and hightailed it home.

The complete opposite happened last night. My 8 mile run was terrible. I could breath and was ready to throw in the towel at 6 miles. I ended up taking a ton of walk breaks to catch my breath and the kicker was I wasn't running that fast.

I'm going out for a 6 mile run tonight and I'll see how it goes.

If You LIke NASCAR...

2009-07-25T12:33:00.002-04:00

I have to admit, in years past, I've enjoyed a good NASCAR race or two on television, I gave up my chances to see any in person several times (all Brickyard 400s). However, I did get to see the Indianapolis 500 in 2003 and what an experience!

Anyway, Steve is at the Indianapolis Speedway helping my dad cover the Allstate Brickyard 400. You can view the videos and pictures here if you want to see some of what goes into getting ready for a NASCAR race.

On the running front, I have done nothing except the 30 minutes of spinning Thursday. I'm hoping Steve's home well before dark so that I can get in my 10 mile run. I'm starting to get a little cranky.

A Week on the Run

2009-07-23T22:55:00.002-04:00

It has been an odd week. My runs have been so/so and I'm chalking it up to last week's Tri.

I took Sunday off and completed the 12 miles Monday. Ran past two young deer feasting in a front yard, not 15 feet from me. They watched me run past, I prayed I wouldn't spook them and be run over. When the run was almost done, I saw a guy riding a unicycle around the lake. You don't see that every day. I wouldn't have if I hadn't stopped off at a friend's house for a water refill.

Tuesday's 6 mile run was fantastic, good pace, felt great and then Wednesday's 7 mile tempo run was awful. I won't run again until at least Saturday when Steve gets home from the Indianapolis Speedway so I'm hoping to go to a spinning class tomorrow. I'll take the girls and a bag of stuff for them to pass the time. We tried it today and they were fine (I missed the spin class which I thought took place at noon and really happened at 6 am so I just rode for a half hour).

On top of this, I've got some funky rash on my legs. It started with a line of bumps on my calf that I thought were spider bumps. Not so as the bumps have spread to almost the exact spot on the opposite leg. I've been putting antibiotic cream on them to fight a possible infection and fessed up when I donated blood today. They called over the head person who is an RN and she said I was fine to give blood as it wasn't infected and said it is probably poison ivy, poison sumac or chiggers. Lovely. Now my legs are plastered with Calamine Lotion in hopes of getting it cleared up. I have no idea of where I might have picked it up but I hope it goes away soon!

On a much more positive note, a shout out and good luck to Regina from the blog Chiu on This. She is participating in the New York City Triathlon with Team in Training. She has a great race report up from her son's participation in the Toddler Trot. Very cute! Have a great race!!

Tri del Sol Pictures

2009-07-21T14:02:00.007-04:00

Saturday morning and a picture of my dashboard as we drive to Camp Manitou to record the time and temperature. I'm driving, Steve's taking the pictures. Not bad gas mileage and no, the door is closed, the light is just stuck in the on position.

A picture of my crew while we waited for the race to start.

My tattoos letting everyone know my age and race number.
Although they have faded, I'm still wearing them proudly.

Waiting in the cold to get into the bathwater.

Rounding the first corner on the bike course. Steve and Kate were cheering
for me but I didn't even notice them (sorry).

Then it was time to wait...

and play with the camera...

...until I arrived back in the transition area.
They stood at the end of my row and showed me the way.

And the final sprint into the finish line.

And that's that.

Tri del Sol

2009-07-19T14:54:00.006-04:00

I survived and finished my first triathlon, the Tri del Sol. And, after fretting about the weather, it turned out to be a perfect day.

With my parents home with the girls, Steve and I went out alone for a little bit Friday night. We didn't do anything special but did go to Gazelle Sports, one of the sponsors of the Tri and did some shopping. I didn't get any shoes, but did find a nice pair of tri shorts on sale (still pricey).

Got back "home" and managed to stay up visiting until about 11 pm. I didn't sleep all that well and was awake well before my alarm went off at 5:10 am, partially due to Emily talking in her sleep. She said something about if we get this wood and organize it, we can have a fruit stand.

My crew, Steve and Kate, and I were out the door by 5:45 am for a McDonald's stop (coffee) and the half hour drive to Middleville. We were there by 6:45 or so, got parked and got the bike and my stuff set up in the transition area. I quickly made some mental note for next time (yes, I'm doing more).

First, bring some sidewalk chalk to mark the end of the row so you know where your stuff is. Someone marked the end of the next row otherwise I probably would have had a little more trouble finding my stuff. As it was, Steve stood at the end of the row in the spectator area and yelled to me so I knew where to go.

Second, bring an old towel to lay on the ground to lay your stuff on, stand on, and dry your feet. It will also catch your eye as you are running down the row looking for your spot.

Third, and I'm not sure I would go to this length, but it was smart, a couple of people got a spot on the end, had a tub of water to wash their feet off, and a five gallon bucket to sit on and put on their shoes.

Okay, so back to the race. Got my number written on my legs and arms, made sure I knew which way I needed to go when, and headed towards the lake.

At 7:45 am, four teams started their race. They were part of My Team Triumph, a program inspired by Dick and Rick Hoyt. Four young people with various disabilities participated in the triathlon with the help of the team captain and angels. They rode in a raft for the swim, a bike trailer for the ride, and a bigger jogging type stroller for the run.

At 8, the first wave of swimmers set off, the women 35 and younger. My wave, women 35 and older started at 8:05. Thankfully, the lake was pretty clean and felt like bathwater. It was a half mile swim and we basically swam across the lake and back. I knew the swim was going to be my weakest leg so I got to the back and side of the group.

The horn went off and we headed out. As I usually end up doing, I went out too hard and by the time I got to the second buoy, I was a bit uptight. I was having trouble seeing where I was going and getting a good breath. To avoid a full out panic, I decided to do the breast stroke for a little bit. I felt kind of stupid until I looked around and there were several other women doing the same thing.

I ended up alternating breast and freestyle the rest of the way, gaining confidence as I went along. I had finally found an open spot toward the end and decided to swim it in, when the next wave of swimmers, the 35 and under males, caught up to me. I ended up finishing doing the breast stroke.

I swam the half mile swim in 16:04 and ranked 256/405.

There was about a tenth of a mile run up a hill to the transition. I found my bike fairly easy, thanks to Steve and Kate being at the end of the row yelling at me. I had my long sleeve tech shirt with my bib number on it to wear for the ride and run. I should have run a towel down my arms because it took a bit to get it on, but that was the only problem I had. Looking back now, I didn't really need the long sleeve shirt but I had the bib pinned on so I was stuck.

Transition 1 time: 4:36.

Heading out onto the road, I had to watch out for the speedy 35 and under males who rode a bit more aggressively than I do. It made me a little nervous as anytime I was out riding, I was by myself, only needing to watch/listen for cars and wildlife. I settled in, and while I was passed a bunch, I did start picking off people. There were spotters along the way yelling at you if it looked like you were drafting. I heard them twice but don't think I was the culprit. The first time, I was stuck in a pack of four or five riders trying to get around a slower rider. The second time, someone was coming up behind me.

The route was an out and back on rolling hills. It felt a lot like riding down the east shore of the lake. I kept moving, changing gears as necessary and attacking the hills.

I finished the 18 mile ride in 58:12, an average of 18.6 mph. Ranked 199/405.

Coming into the second transition on the bike, I was a little unsure of where I needed to get off so I slowed down much sooner than needed. No biggie because in this transition, all I needed to do was dump the helmet and take off. I also grabbed part of a poptart in hopes of sopping up a bunch of the lake water sloshing around in my stomach.

Transition two: 53 seconds.

The beginning of the run was on a trail that took you to the road. It was sandy and uneven - not a good combination for jello biking legs. Around a half mile, I think my legs were back. The rest of the run was fairly uneventful. Rolling hills once again (a lot like the route I run around the lake here) and more people. I'm working on trying to recognized when I'm going down hill and enjoy it rather than get to an uphill and wonder where was the down/easy section (that may not make sense but it's one of those things I've been thinking about lately - probably needs its own post).

I kept it together and was really happy to see the turn into the camp meaning there was a quarter of a mile left and a nice downhill into the finish. One of the volunteers screamed at me to keep going. I picked up the pace down the hill, saw Kate and Steve at the final turn and crossed the mat.

4.5 mile run: 39:21, 8:45 mile per minute pace. Ranked 214/405.

Final results: 1:59:08
Overall place: 223/405
Gender place: 55/141
Division place: 10/31

I had a lot of fun and will definitely do more triathlons (I'm already looking at a sprint in September). I need to work on swimming in open water. I really don't have any excuses as I can walk five blocks to the local swimming area. That, and I just need to swim (the three or four times I swam in preparation for this event didn't cut it and I knew that going in).

My knees are kind of sore when I stand up after sitting for a while, but that is all. I didn't do my scheduled 12 mile run today but I'll get that in tomorrow and switch around my rest day this week.

My numbers are still on my legs and arms - kind of funny looking this morning at church. A couple of people asked/commented on the numbers. I laughed and explained one was my race number and now everyone knows how old I am.

I may post a couple of pictures tomorrow.

Sorry for the long post but I hope you enjoyed it.

I Am Going to Freeze!!

2009-07-17T17:04:00.002-04:00

We're in Grand Rapids after a four hour car ride and drive around the biking and running course for tomorrow's triathlon. When they said rolling hills, they weren't joking! Hill after rolling hill...

The weather forecast for tomorrow includes a low of 55 degrees F and a high of 68 degrees F and scattered showers. I'm guessing it'll be closer to 55 at 8:05 a.m. when my wave hits the water. Hopefully the water temperature will be 70 degrees, the temperature shared in this morning's information e-mail. Well, at least I'll be warm for the swim.

I picked up my race packet and now am the proud owner of a really cool tech-shirt. I'm hoping to go back to the running store in a bit and maybe do a little shopping - it's time for some new running shoes.

Have a great weekend.

The Comment Every Mom Wants to Hear (NOT)

2009-07-13T12:26:00.002-04:00

This morning, in an effort to keep the girls constructively occupied while I tried to clean, I gave them a pile of family pictures taken three years ago and said cut away. They made a book, a collage, and just had fun cutting off heads, etc.

After a bit, Kate came up to me and said, "Mom, you look a lot younger in these pictures."

Well, I may look younger there but I'm in much better shape now.

I'm Whipped, But I'm No Longer a Wimp

2009-07-10T20:21:00.002-04:00

Yes, I finally did it. I swam in the lake today.

Of course I sat on the beach and only went in up to my waist all afternoon while I was there with the girls. When we got home, I was going to go for my prescribed 6 mile run but Steve convinced me to get in the water instead and then run.

Idea number three: I rode my bike down to the lake and then swim.

I got in the water about 5 pm and with plenty of boats in the water, it was pretty choppy. After a bit, I wasn't comfortable breathing every other stroke while alternating sides. I'm not sure if it was slight panic of not knowing where I was going, but I finally settled on breathing on the shore side. That way, I wouldn't get a wave in my face and I could kind of see where I was going. While the water is pretty clean, everything was green under the water and I occasionally felt like the creature from the deep lagoon after swimming through some seaweed.

I went back and forth between the swimming piers a couple of times and gradually got more comfortable. I think I'll be okay next week, although the swimming portion will probably be the slowest segments of the triathlon.

After swimming, I hopped on my bike and decided to ride the 10 mile loop around the lake. Honestly, my body was a little rubbery when I started riding but I soon found my pace and had a pretty good ride, albeit quite wet. Note to self, make sure to have a towel in the first transition because the bathing suit doesn't dry well.

I didn't have my Garmin to track how much time it took for the ride but there were a couple of place that I was close to the speed limit :-).

Once I got home, I grabbed the Garmin and iPod and ran two miles. They were pretty rough. I had a good pace but quickly needed a walking break to get up a small incline and then probably every half mile.

Now, I'm just exhausted.

I need to give a shout out to Joe from Blue Dawgs Running. He turned 50 this year and to celebrate his 50th year on this earth, among other things, he's doing his first triathlon tomorrow. Needless to say, he is way more prepared for his. Check out his blog here.

Have a great weekend.

Is Her Butt Going to Hurt?

2009-07-09T17:05:00.003-04:00

That was the question Emily asked Steve when he told her of my adventure today.

It all started when I dropped of the girls at a friend's house for the afternoon. No children in the house meant time for the 6 mile tempo run on the schedule. I was all set to go and went up to Steve's office to let him know and he asked when I was going to go swimming now that I have located my bathing suit. I replied maybe tonight, but then remembered that my goggles and swim cap are in the swim bag we left at my sister-in-law's over the weekend. Steve promptly suggested I ride up there to get them.

I mulled this over - 37 mile bike ride vs. 6 mile tempo run - hmmmm. He pushed me over the edge when he said you know you want to.

So I switched from running shorts to the padded biking shorts, grabbed the water bottle, helmet, and iPod (yes, I know I probably shouldn't ride but I only put it in my right ear and could hear traffic on the less traveled roads I biked on) and off I went.

The ride isn't too bad hill wise, just a bunch of rolling ones. I did have a close call with a deer but he scrambled across the road while I hit the brakes and took a bit of time to cross US30 but all in all, it was a good ride. Think I averaged around 17 mph, maybe a little faster.

So Emily's question came as they were riding bikes back from the friend's house. The answer to her question is a resounding yes, and so do my shoulders.

The weather is supposed to be much warmer tomorrow so I think maybe we'll hit the beach for a swim then.

The Lost Has Been Found!

2009-07-07T21:36:00.003-04:00

My bathing suit has been missing for over a month (part of the reason I haven't been swimming). I've checked the locker room at the pool we went to, only to find all of them had been "disposed of." I've cleaned out the swimming bag and towels. I even cleaned my bedroom today (yes, the laundry from the trips north had been piling up). Didn't find it.

Well, this evening, I grabbed a bathrobe from the back of the bedroom door. Low and behold, guess what was hanging there. Thankfully I found it before driving the hour to South Bend to buy a new one. Guess I'll be heading down to the lake tomorrow evening to swim laps in the swimming area - open swim, here I come.

Wait, where are my goggles and swim cap...

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T10:42:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th of July everyone!

We're going to celebrate by going for a run (me), a hometown parade (the best), and a cookout with friends.

Thank you to all the service men and women who fought, and continue to fight, to allow us the freedom we enjoy today!

Have a great weekend!

Finally, Mackinac Island Running

2009-07-02T09:18:00.016-04:00

It's 11:30 pm and someone within about a mile or two of our house is still firing off professional style, loud fireworks. They are pretty, but really, enough is enough.

Anyway, I should be getting some work done or sleeping, but I really want to get this post up about Mackinac Island before I forget it (it's only been almost three weeks since we were there).

We were able to spend three days/two nights on the island and stayed at the Sunset Condos. It had a nice view of the sunset and a decent view of the Mackinac Bridge. It was about two miles from the ferry dock and town and we had quite an adventure finding it, but it was a nice place.

We did a lot of bike riding – Steve, Kate, and I brought our own, complete with a tag-a-long for Emily. It is so much fun to watch her ride. She pedals, takes a break, sings songs from Sound of Music, turns around (to which I think, you need to watch where you are going, only to realize she can’t see anything), stands up and, every once in a while, lets go while standing up.

After riding around the island and through the middle of the island, we went back to the condo to give the kids a break and I went for a run. I rode down to the library (about a mile) with my dad and while ran, he used the internet connection there and got some work done. The library ended up closing while he was working so he moved out to the porch and was able to stay connected. To boot, there was an outlet right there so he was able to plug in the computer.

Because we rode around the island counter clockwise, I decided to run clockwise around. It was a good choice as I was able to see things I hadn't seen before, like the beautiful Victorian homes on the bluff just to the west of the Grand Hotel.

As you go around the perimeter of the island, you can always see the water and the pebble beaches. When we road around, we stopped at several of them to skip stones as well as collect them. I think we left the island with about 5 pounds of rocks. It got to the point that we started taking pictures of them rather than carry them.

While I passed several cyclists going around the island, I only passed a couple of walkers and no runners. I will say, though, it was very enjoyable not having to deal with car traffic.

Outside of the mile stretch of town, there really isn't much along the rest of the outside of the island except for a variety of cottages so I just enjoyed the scenery.

The best view, though, is from Arch Rock, just before rounding the north (I think) bend and heading back into town. While the view from the road is okay, the view from above looking down is pretty neat. This picture is from the lookout at Arch Rock. The road is covered by the trees. Needless to say, there is quite an elevation difference between the exterior of the island and the interior. We climbed some pretty steep hills on the bikes - we ended up walking up several of them and we weren't alone.

Once you round the north bend of the island, you start getting back into what seems like civilization - passing a couple of resorts and then getting into the town. It feels quaint, like you are going into the past, with the horse and carriages clomping down the street and more Victorian style houses.

A bit farther down the road, you get into the business district that is a bit more touristy with multiple fudge shops on every block. It is still neat, though, and the fudge is delicious.

As I was running though the busier section of town, a man parking his bike saw me and gave me a thumbs up. He asked if I had made it all the way around the island and commented that he had seen me on the other side. I said I was almost done and he cheered me on.

I finished the 8.2 miles, found my dad on the porch of the library, and shortly thereafter, the rest of the family came down to get some dinner and ice cream. Well, as it turns out, we had dessert first that evening, indulging in some Mackinac Island Peanut Butter Fudge ice cream for some and, unfortunately, Supergirl ice cream for two young ladies. I say unfortunately, because somehow, I ended up with Kate's Supergirl and she ended up finishing off my Peanut Butter Fudge. Emily, though, thoroughly enjoyed her's.

The following day was filled with packing, last minute shopping, a leisurely lunch, and some playtime at a playground before heading back to the mainland on the ferry and the five hour car ride home. No time for running on the first day of marathon training.

All in all, it was a wonderful time with my family. The girls are still talking about it and we all have some fantastic memories of our time together.

Okay, so if you are still reading, I'll through in a quick training update. I'm somewhat on track for my fall marathon. I've gotten in all my runs since last Monday after not running at all last weekend. It has been much cooler here this week, allowing for some very enjoyable runs.

With my first Tri only two weeks away, I rode 10 miles around the lake Tuesday, and then ran three miles. It wasn't too bad and my running pace was surprisingly quick. Yesterday, I was supposed to run six miles but rode 19 instead. Today, I got in 10 miles. We had a get together to go to so Steve dropped me about 10 miles from our destination and I ran in. I was able to get a shower there (in the pool house) but not before having some grilled corn on the cob.

The only thing that has me somewhat concerned is the swimming. I know I can swim the distance, slowly, but haven't done it in open water. I had a dream about it the other night. I couldn't see in the murky water and I couldn't get a good breath because of the waves. I'm thinking I'll just start towards the back of the pack and have finishing be my goal. I'll leave my worrying about the tri at that.

It is now much later than I anticipated, but the fireworks have ended and all is quiet except for the crickets. Good night.

My Grandpa...

2009-06-24T13:08:00.005-04:00

The post about our time on Mackinac Island is going to be postponed one post because I wanted to tell you about my Grandpa (my dad's father). He passed away last night.

My grandpa had been in declining health for some time, battling bladder cancer about seven years ago and just old age. I saw him last a couple of weeks ago at my cousin's graduation open house. He was always happy to hear about what we were up to and reminded me that he prayed for us every day.

Despite the declining health, he went to work almost every day. For the last 25 years or so, he and my grandma have been running a radio reading service for the blind call The Sight Seer. They have volunteers who come in and record various programs specifically targeted to those who are visually impaired. It may be someone reading the news and the comics (complete with descriptions of the illustrations) to someone reading recent books. He enjoyed chatting with the volunteers running the station.

When my brother and sister-in-law were here a couple of weeks ago, Michelle asked Grandpa when he was going to retire. He said he couldn't retire because the listeners depend on him. I smiled because I knew he would never retire.

He was a veteran of World War II and worked in a hospital. When the World War II memorial was dedicated, he and my grandma traveled to the ceremonies. When they returned, he couldn't get through describing the experience without shedding tears. It was a moving experience for him.

While he was the ultimate perfectionist (which could drive you crazy when you were in charge of four boys (cousins) ages three to five who were acting like boys) and work-a-holic, he loved joking around like when he had my cousin convinced that he couldn't count and she tried to teach him or when he would bark like a dog and watch the kids jump (I can still hear it).

Most importantly, he loved his wife of over 60 years, his family (four sons, two daughters, 23 grandchildren, plus spouses, and six great-grandchildren with three more on the way), and his Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that when his soul left his frail body last night and went to be with God that he heard "Well done, my good and faithful servant".

Update

2009-06-20T12:36:00.002-04:00

We're back home...sigh. Back to reality...sigh.

Unfortunately, we're returning to no internet access at home, too. So, until we get reconnected, hopefully sometime this week, no new posts for a bit (although I haven't been posting all that regularly lately anyway).

But, here's a little preview of what is to come when I'm not typing under pressure (can we go yet Mom?) at the local library. The next post, I'll have a "We're I've been running - Mackinac Island" report.

Okay, the hurry ups and can we go are getting louder. I'll catch up soon.

A Glimpse of Where I've Been Running

2009-06-13T18:09:00.013-04:00

We're ending our second week up in Grand Haven, Michigan and between yard work and painting (I really don't want to see another paint brush for a while), I finally got some pictures of where I've been running.

To begin with, here is the back of the cottage, complete with yard waste bags. It probably isn't the most flattering picture but it is really a nice place and about as close to camping as I'm willing to get. (Just kidding, Steve)

Here is the boardwalk along the Grand River heading toward downtown Grand Haven. The boardwalk runs for a little over a mile and takes you from the Grand Haven Pier all the way to the north side of town.

This is Escanaba Park, a memorial to the men killed when the Escanaba, a Coast Guard ship, was sunk in WWII, I believe.

Here is the City Marina. We (okay, mainly Steve) drool at the boats each time we go past. It used to seem like a long way away but it is only about a mile and a half.

This is looking back towards the lake. Just to the right of the cell phone tower is a white house - it is at the top of the infamous Five Mile Hill.

And here's the evening sunset from the beach. I think Steve took this the first night we were here. The beach was filled with seagulls and the girls enjoyed chasing every last one of them off the beach.

I've been able to run at least 5 miles every day this week except Tuesday when we went home and I figured all of the yard work and running around equated at least to a four mile run (well, not really, but I couldn't fit it in). Today, I got in six miles, came home to Steve and Emily sleeping and Kate playing quietly with her cousin so I grabbed some water and went for a six mile bike ride. It felt pretty good but I'm going to take my bike in Monday as I think it needs some adjustments.

We head up to Mackinac Island Tuesday with my parents, brother, and nephew so I'll try to post more "Where I've been running" pictures.

Hope you have a good weekend.

My Vacation So Far...

2009-06-05T17:11:00.004-04:00

We're on vacation. I guess you could call it that. We're at the cottage, arriving Tuesday night after a crazy day of cleaning, packing, and fatally painting a chair for a chair auction.

I say fatally because something happened when I put on the last coat of pepto pink on the seat and it now looks awful. I was supposed to have it turned in this weekend - nope, not going to happen.

I have gotten in some sort of exercise for the last four days. I went to spinning class Monday, rode around the lake Tuesday, and ran Wednesday and Thursday. I tested my physical fitness Wednesday when I ran up Five Mile Hill (it is the point you can see when you are five miles out on Lake Michigan, not five miles high). It rises 150 feet in .3 miles. The last couple of years, I had to stop and walk about half way up and later in the summer was able to run it. This year, I ran all the way up.

I ran a similar route yesterday, just skipped Five Mile.

When I haven't been running, I've been working in the yard, pulling weeds, raking leaves, and generally trying to clean up. Hopefully tomorrow Steve will fix some windows and I'll get some painting in. All this, of course, with a trip down to the beach at some point. The weather here is a little chilly. While it makes for good running and sleeping, it is a little chilly and windy to spend a long period of time on the beach. However, whenever we are down there, the girls find ways to get in the water and claim it is not that cold. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be getting in any open water swims.

I have to include the picture of Emily. Steve took it Wednesday night when they went to the beach to watch the sunset. I think this may be one of my favorites ever.

Blah, Blah, Blah...

2009-05-30T12:48:00.002-04:00

I got nothin'. Not a lot of running, not a lot of cycling, and no swimming. What's really bothering me is the desire isn't there and I'm using the excuse of too many other thing to do and really, there aren't. Arugh.

I did finally pick up my new bike Monday. Took it for a spin around Grand Haven and oh, is it a nice ride. I got back to the cottage and told Steve that I need cycling shoes now. He just rolled his eyes. Honestly, I'm so used to the straps on the spinning bikes and I'm using my muscles to pull the pedal as well as push, that without the straps, my feel pop off the pedals after each down stroke. Guess I'll be saving up for those next.

School is now officially done for the girls and the cottage is open for three weeks before it is rented out for the summer so I think we're heading up there Monday (or Tuesday, depending on when we can get things packed up). We would head up earlier but Steve's nephew is graduating from high school and having his open house tomorrow. Wow! He was born just before Steve and I started dating. He's a really great kid.

Hopefully once we get to Grand Haven and have new place to run, I'll get moving. Not sure about getting in the swims, though. Yes, we'll be right by Lake Michigan and that would be good swimming practice for the Tri but I think the water is going to be a little too chilly for my taste. Maybe I can get into the YMCA down the road for a couple of swims.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Back on Track

2009-05-20T16:20:00.003-04:00

After taking a two week hiatus from running, I hit the road for the first time since the Mini-Marathon. It felt good. Kept the pace up, but unfortunately, I needed a walk break to recover. Not bad, though, for two weeks off.

In the meantime, I have been spinning a couple of times and went swimming last Tuesday and yesterday. The swim in the triathlon I'm doing in July is a half mile so I tried to swim 900 yards (just further than a half mile). I did okay, just didn't do the laps without stopping. I now know the struggle my husband is having with running. He ran in high school, I swam. I wasn't fast but it is hard not to have the endurance I once had. He struggles with not having the speed.

I survived the bike tour. The day turned out okay. No rain during the registration time (7- 9:30 am) so we had 41 people walk in in addition to our 92 pre-registered riders. The rain started around 10:00 am and by the time the long distance riders (63 miles) were back, the sun was out. Thankfully, like runners, cyclists would rather ride in the rain than the wind.

Everything else went smoothly, the three cyclists with flats, were able to get repairs or a ride back in and people were generally happy. I was home by 4 pm and just need to do a bunch of thank you notes to write.

Now, off to the last Wednesday night program for the school year at church. Slowly but surely, things are winding down for the summer.

Time Keeps Tickin'

2009-05-18T08:42:00.003-04:00

This morning, we were in a rush as usual to get the girls off to school. We didn't have time to walk, which upset Emily.

I commented that time was going fast this morning and they needed to hurry. Emily replied, "Then we need to get a new clock." Huh? She replied, that the clock was going too fast so we should get another one so we would have more time.

If only it were that simple to slow time down. I'd be all over that.

It's Final

2009-05-15T22:12:00.002-04:00

I signed up to run the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon again.

Meanwhile, I'm watching the weather radar with even more interest that I do before a race. The bike ride I organize is tomorrow morning and the weather forecast has made a turn for the worst of both worlds - rain and wind. I'm hoping/praying for a miraculous turnaround so all the work and time I've been pouring into this isn't for nothing.

Although anything can be better than last year when someone stole one of the port-o-potties we rented. We were out the cost of the port-o-potty - put a big dent in our profits.

Meanwhile, I did go swimming Tuesday night. Felt pretty good. Tried to follow some of the hints Joe at Blue Dawg Running shared. Today, went to spinning. It was a 45 minute seated ride.

Now, time for bed. Must be up and out of the house by 5:45 a.m. I'm so tired - I hope I don't sleep through the alarm.

Indy Race Report (Two for the price of one)

2009-05-04T10:32:00.005-04:00

As promised (just a little late), here's my race report from the 2009 Indianapolis Mini Marathon. It has been crazy (I guess when is it not) around here.

Steve and I were able to leave town around 5 pm (after dropping the girls off at my sister-in-law's) and heading down to the expo in Indianapolis. We got to the expo around 8 pm (it closed at 9 pm), got our bibs and t-shirts and walked through the booths. It was crowded and there really wasn't anything we wanted to see (other than I wanted to check out the Spi belts - didn't have any decent colors left and we couldn't find any sport beans) so we headed out. We still had another 30 minute drive to the house where were were sleeping.

Our friends were gone for the weekend so with no socializing to do, we went to bed. We wanted to leave around 5:15 am to get back to Indy and find parking so we were up around 4:45. Stopped at McDonald's down the road for coffee and an Egg McMuffin for Steve and got back into Indy as the line of FedEx trucks that were serving as the gear check were coming in to town.

We ended up parking in a garage under Circle Center Mall, very close to the start. We sat in the car for a little bit and then took the elevator up into the mall. It was dark and kind of creepy but the security guards were opening up the doors so we headed upstairs to the nearest bathrooms and had them to ourselves for about 15 minutes. We stayed there watching the gathering crowds from the atrium until 6:45 am when we ventured out. Steve found his corral and I headed off to leave a bag at gear check, a last port-a-potty stop, and then find my corral.

Indy is set up pretty well. When you register, they ask whether you are going to run or walk and then ask for your estimated finish time as well as proof from a previous race if you want a preferred corral. You are then assigned to a lettered corral, A being the fastest group and Z being those who didn't make it into their corral in time and those planning to walk at an 18 min/mile pace. I placed in D this year.

I got in my corral by about 7:10. Saw a friend from town in the same corral and a guy I went to college with. The race started at 7:30 and within 4 minutes I crossed the start line. The first .3 miles are on a slight decline and the lanes we could use narrowed, so it was a quick, crowded start.

The weather was perfect. It was in the 50s and overcast when we started. The sun peeked out a couple of times. There was a slight breeze and no rain.

I remember thinking in the first mile that it was going to be an easy run. By mile three, I started thinking "what am I doing" as I started struggling. Then I realized I was going up a hill and I calmed down. A lot of people passed me in those first couple of miles but I just kept my pace. I ran through the majority of the water stops and kept plugging along.

At mile 6, you turn right and run alongside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then take a left and go down a hill, underneath the grandstands and the track, then up a hill and come out on the infield. It is a cool sight. You run a little bit on the infield and I took advantage of an empty port-a-potty. I probably could have kept going but it was a much more comfortable run and I probably only lost about 30 seconds.

We headed onto the track and a woman next to me pointed at the jumbo-tron. The winner had just crossed the finish line. Not too bad, I was over half-way done. On the other side of the track, I saw the female winner cross and then we headed out the back gate and back towards downtown.

This is a stretch that is a little on the lonely side. It is a quiet road with factories on one side and woods on another. It is also at the 9 mile point where things get kind of quiet among the runners. It is time to push through those last few miles.

I spent a lot of time doing "calculations" in my head. My mind is not one for quick math and for some reason could not convert anything over 100 into hours and minutes. I was trying to figure out if I was keeping on pace and finally realized if the last number on the minutes was one less at the mile marker than it was at the last mile marker, I was running 9 minute miles.

I was pretty sure I was keeping on pace but as I hit the second to the last straightaway, I felt like I was slogging along. But, I looked at the Garmin and I was running at an 8:45 pace. Somewhere along there, someone commented that they couldn't believe we were almost done. I think I looked and I was past mile 11.

I tried to pick up my pace a little bit as I made the last turn at the 12 mile mark. I saw a guy in a green shirt I had seen in the start corrals. He was about 50 yards ahead of me I decided I not going to let him beat me.

However, I was trying to beat myself. The panic set in as it often does at the end of a race. For some reason, I can see the finish line but start thinking I'm not going to make, I'm not going to finish in time. My breathing starts to get labored and I feel like I'm going to hyperventilate. BUT, a friend of mine gave me some advice last fall and I used it. I just relaxed and lightened my steps. I looked at my watch and had seven minutes to run the final half mile in order to come in under 2 hours. I adverted disaster, took back control, and set upon a new goal - finishing in under 2 hours on the race clock.

I took off, picked up the pace, looked for the opening in the crowd of runners, and crossed the finish line. The clock time was 1:58:something. My official time: 1:55:32.

I felt good when I was finished - no aches or pains.

I grabbed my stuff from gear check and put on my sweatshirt and headed back towards the 12 mile mark to wait for Steve.

On the way, I passed two ladies who looked like they were having a fantastic time cheering on the runners. I realized one of them was a lady from our church who is an AMAZING athlete and all around wonderful person. I stopped and said hello. I asked her if she had run and she said she had come down to cheer on runners. Very cool.

I waited for Steve for maybe a half-hour. When I saw him, he was running but not looking very happy. I caught up to him and ran/walked with him until the 1/4 mile left mark. He was struggling and said he hurt from his waist down.

It had taken him 45 minutes to reach the start line because the four lane road we started on went down to one or two lanes just before the start due to construction. In the meantime, the 5K race that started after the mini had started and, trying to be a considerate walker, he headed to the right to let the runners pass but wasn't able to move very quickly.

Once he got past the start line, he ran the first two miles and then started alternating running and walking. He had been fine until he reached the speedway and then things went downhill. He started using his abs to compensate for his legs. By the time I starting running with him, he just wanted to finish in under 3 hours. He made it to the finish line and crossed in 2:52. Next year, he's thinking he might train.

When we were heading home after picking up the girls, Steve was saying that he ran, then walked, then ran, then walked. Emily said, "Daddy, that's like a pattern." He responded, "Yes, a pattern in pain."

I had some fun giving him a hard time which he took kind of graciously. He moved up and down the stairs quite slowly. Thankfully, within about two days, he was feeling much better and has no lasting injuries. He's already talking about next year.

I've been taking it easy and spending my time organizing a sleepover/birthday party for Kate, which took place Friday night. We went to Grand Haven for a wedding Saturday. And now, I'm dealing with all of the final details for Tour de Max this weekend and hoping for no rain on Saturday (it will make a difference as to how many riders we'll have.)

Sorry for the long post. Hope you all have a great week!

Indy Mini

2009-05-02T16:12:00.002-04:00

Well, here's the short story - I achieved my goal - ran it in 1:55:32! Yeah!! Steve finished in 2:52:38.

We just survived the long 2.5 hour drive home. I'm tired!

I'll write more tomorrow. Overall, though, it was a perfect day for running.

Good luck to Kelly at Beginning Running. She's running the Lincoln Half Marathon, her first, tomorrow .

Gentlemen and Ladies, Start Your Engines!!!

2009-05-01T14:39:00.002-04:00

May is here and for Indianapolis, that means racing and the Indy 500. To get things started, it hosts the Mini-Marathon, reported to be the largest half-marathon in the United States with 45,000 runners/walkers. The highlight of the race is being able to run a lap on the track but the part that gives me chills is going through the tunnel underneath the grandstands and coming up inside the famed speedway. So cool!

I guess I'm ready. I've gotten in all my runs this week. I've been drinking water and eating carbs. I hope I have everything I'll need - poptarts, powerbars, water bottle, charged and working Garmin. Oh yeah, shorts, shirt, socks, and shoes. Augh!!!

The weather is supposed to be in the 50s (I'll take it) with a chance of showers (if it must).

After a panic, I found the key to the house we are staying in. Now, just need to get the girls to Steve's sister's, a couple of stops and we'll be off.

Major goal for tomorrow? I really want to break 2 hours. My PR in the half is 2:06.

Here's to a good Saturday morning.

Have a great weekend!

How Do You Spell Relief?

2009-04-28T16:03:00.003-04:00

M-y h-u-s-b-a-n-d. Yes, he found the simple answer to my Garmin problem and reset it while I was out for a run. And a pretty good run it was I must say. I felt much better and was relieved to see Garmin working. Thank you Steve!

AUGH!!!!!

2009-04-28T14:51:00.002-04:00

I'm getting ready to actually run today. Went to turn on the Garmin and it is dead. Trying to charge it - nothing!!!!

Ironic thing, I was going to put in all my runs at Buckeye when it was working just a bit ago. Sniff.

Four More Days?

2009-04-28T09:43:00.002-04:00

Yes, four more days until the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. (Deep breath)

I'm not ending this training cycle as strong as I was hoping. I've skipped a number of runs. Replaced at least one run per week with a spinning class (which actually I think will benefit rather than hinder). I've watched my tempo run times decrease (okay, 10-15 seconds per mile, but still). And I still don't know where my children will be spending Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Any volunteers? Just kidding. At least I know where Steve and I are staying.

Well, I need to get moving. Have a bunch of editing to do (computer books, sorry, can't get real excited about those), house cleaning (parents stopping by tonight), organizing (Tour de Max), and keeping Emily entertained with something other than videos or computer.

Wish me luck!

Still a Little Off

2009-04-15T09:03:00.002-04:00

Got the 12 mile run in Saturday. It went really well. I was pretty happy with my pace and felt like I had enough energy the whole way (powered on Brown Sugar Poptarts). Unfortunately, that was the last time I ran. I did spin on Monday and felt good.

So now I'm getting ready to head out for a 7-mile tempo run and I have myself all worked up. My hips and lower back are tight, I've been having random pain in my leg which I'm hoping is just tight calf muscles, and an hour and 10 minutes to get this run done before getting Emily from preschool and running some more errands.

I am looking forward to this weekend. I have to run 10 miles Saturday and some miles Sunday, but that is all I must do. Hopefully, I'll just get to hang out with the girls and do not much of anything. That time has been sorely lacking and, starting next weekend, we have things going every weekend until Memorial Day when we'll hopefully head up to Michigan for a three-week escape.

Okay, I have to get moving...must...get...off...the...couch...

Running on Empty

2009-04-10T01:02:00.002-04:00

It has been a long week. I've been up late practically every night trying to get a bunch of chapters edited. Thankfully, the deadline was moved from Wednesday to Friday and I just got them done.

My running schedule is all screwed up, too. I got my long run in on Saturday and ran Sunday. I ended up skipping Monday and Tuesday, although Tuesday is technically my rest day. I did my 7-mile tempo run and was off on time just a bit but chalked it up to a serious lack of sleep. I guess I did my first brick workout as I then went to my spinning class after a two week hiatus. It felt really good to ride, although my hips are sore today.

Today, I should have run 6 miles but between trying to entertain Emily, run some errands, get my work done, it just didn't happen. I'll get in a run tomorrow and Saturday, but will have to skip Sunday as there just won't be time. Hopefully next week, things will get somewhat back to normal.

Keeping On Keeping On

2009-04-01T16:19:00.002-04:00

Yep. That's pretty much how I feel right now. Training is okay. For the most part, I'm getting in the mileage. I don't think a 4-mile run Monday necessarily qualified as a strength workout (distance or effort wise) but I got out and ran.

The Indy Mini-Marathon is a month from tomorrow. Hey, I guess I'll get to start tapering here shortly. I just checked my training schedule - I guess it's a two week taper that starts after next week's 12 miler.

Today, I did a 7-mile tempo run. I don't know why, but I was uptight about it. Maybe because last week's tempo run was so good and I wanted today's run to be just like it. I finally told myself to calm down and just go enjoy the run. Run at a comfortable pace and get it done.

So, that's what I did. It was really windy today and I started out heading into it (better than ending that way). I was freezing and wishing I had worn gloves and an extra shirt. By the time I headed south toward the lake, I had warmed up a bit. I listened to a new podcast that is pretty good, Run Digger Run. Matt, the host, has 9 episodes out and I listened to the first one this morning before The Extra Mile, another good one.

I didn't look at my watch until I was almost to 4 miles, the turn around point. I took a minute to walk and catch my breath as well as check my time - I was averaging just under 9 minute miles which is where I wanted to be.

It must have been put in your boat hoist and clean up your yard day around the lake. I was passed at least three times by different marina vehicles, one pulling a hoist and then driving his hummer into the lake to place it. There were also various companies out cleaning up yards and shredding tree branches. So there was a little bit of dodging trucks and funny looks involved.

As I headed home, I had the wind at my back and just started talking myself through the hills (they are fairly small on this side of the lake but still, when you are tired, you would rather see some flats). Instead of running up my street, I ran up one over for some different scenery. I hit 7 miles and decided to finish it off by running to the end of the block.

At 6.34 miles, I was at 56 minutes, I think. I remember thinking I needed to be under 1:03 to average 9 minute miles and that I should be able to finish the remaining .66 miles in under 7 minutes. When I stopped my watch, I had run 7.04 miles in 1:02:44, an average of 8:55 per mile. Last week's tempo run was 8:57.

Yeah, I need to not let myself get worked up. Just go run.

By the way, my girls apparently just learned about April Fools Day and ever since Kate got home about two hours ago, it's been, "Mom, there's someone at the door. April Fools." or "Emily, there's a bug on your shoulder. April Fools." or "Em, there's a ladybug in your hair. April Fools." It cannot end soon enough :-) I think I'll have to start planning something good for next year.

Where Did You Go, Spring?

2009-03-30T21:12:00.003-04:00

Well, Friday and Saturday's decent weather was replaced by snow flurries and chill yesterday. Thankfully, I did do the 12 miles Saturday even though it was a little chilly. I had to run 5 yesterday, but decided 4.36 was probably enough under the circumstances. Funny, how just a month ago, I was thrilled at running in 32 degree weather and now, I scoff. Although, today, I think it was just as cold when I ran but the sun was shinning and what a difference that made.

This afternoon, I was listening to Running to Disney on the computer while attempting to do some work. Emily was sitting at the table with me. Gordon was talking about the Disneyland Half Marathon and all Emily heard was Disneyland. The following conversation ensued:

Emily: Disneyland?
Me: Yes, Disneyland. He's talking about a half-marathon. Do you want to run it with me?
Pause while Emily thinks...
Emily: Yes, but you have to run slow.
Me: Don't worry. If you run with me, I will run slow (thinking I will be carrying you rather than running remembering the Blueberry (Not So) Fun Run back in September).
Another pause while Emily thinks...
Emily: Is is a llooooooonnngg way?
Me: Yes, it's pretty far.
Emily: No. I don't want to run it.

Well, so much for the Disneyland Half and Emily.

Ah, Spring...

2009-03-28T10:29:00.002-04:00

While out on my run yesterday, I saw several hints of spring. Strangely enough, two of them have to do with food.

The Root Beer Stand is officially open and people were sitting at the picnic tables enjoying their treats. As I got closer to home, an ice cream truck was driving up and down the streets looking for customers.

The weather was perfect for running - in the 50s. I wore a long sleeve shirt and shorts.

The older gentleman who rides his Schwinn for exercise was out doing his laps around town, his full winter beard shaved down to a goatee. I passed him on a long uphill stretch. Then when I stopped to walk, he took the advantage and passed me.

I do want to know why my tempo run on Wednesday, as a faster pace, was so much easier than my run yesterday. I felt like I was exerting more energy but not running as fast. I guess we all have days like that. I will say, I am feeling much better, just residual coughing.

Wednesday's run demonstrated how much better I'm feeling because I ran the 7 miles at my goal half-marathon pace. Mentally, I just kept talking myself through the "hills" and got it done. It also made up for Tuesday's bad run - 4 miles with plenty of walking was all I could muster.

Today, I'll head out for a 12 mile run. The temperatures are down around the 30s so I think I'll be doing two loops in town rather than go around the lake. I'll get it done, though.

Have a great weekend.

Cough, Hack, Cough

2009-03-21T10:30:00.003-04:00

Just in time for spring, the evil cold has hit our house. It started with the girls coughing and hacking. Then it hit me Thursday with a sore throat and a cough to add to the chorus.

My intentions were to head out this morning to get my 10 mile run done early, however, by this morning it was all I could do to drag myself out of bed to get Em breakfast. I'll get it done, or maybe I'll do tomorrow's 7 today and get the 10 in tomorrow.

On another note, I've been honing my journalistic skills over the last two weeks (not evident on this blog, unfortunately). I'm organizing a local bike tour and have been writing articles about getting ready to ride your bike. It has been fun, although I'm such a procrastinator, I'm just gathering info today for something I need to turn in today.

If you happen to be within driving distance of Northern Indiana and would like to participate in a bike tour (10, 30, or 63 miles) on Saturday, May 16 go here to find out more about Tour de Max. It is a fundraiser for a local philanthropic group I belong to.

Have a fantastic weekend.

Update: Thanks to some Daytime Theraflu, I got the 10 miles in but not sure exactly how long or how fast. I did my usual lake run and think I finished in about 1:37. The Garmin ran out of juice Thursday during my run and didn't get plugged in until I remembered this morning. It was kind of nice running without the extra weight on the wrist but I did miss knowing about how fast I was going.

It was a perfect day for a run. A nice southerly breeze to cool me off, people out on both of the golf courses I passed and others out for walks. Ahh, spring is here (okay, at least for today and I'm enjoying it.

Sleep Like an Ironman

2009-03-18T12:29:00.002-04:00

I was browsing around the Runner's World website when I saw a post about the official Ironman mattress. It is being marketed to runners and triathletes.

Hmmm...Steve and I have had our current mattress for over 15 years. It is like a bowl as we both roll towards the center and it's slowly compressing springs are squeaky. I wonder if I can talk him into one of these and I won't have to use him for a knee rest as my hips start to ache toward the end of marathon training (it's just like when I was pregnant with the girls, except without the big belly).

A press release quoted on the post at Runner's World says the "Celsion 5 Zone Latex supports the entire body and delivers pressure point relief and it ensures proper spine alignment and delivers pressure point relief." Other than having too many ands in that sentence, the mattress sounds good. It even "cools you when it's too warm and warms you when it's too cold." Now, coming from someone who lives in an old, drafty house without air conditioning, that sounds fantastic. Could I be a product tester? Please? Please?

Yeah, in my dreams which probably won't be dreamt on the official mattress of Ironman.

Longest Run Since October

2009-03-14T20:21:00.002-04:00

It was a beautiful day here in Northern Indiana and what better way to spend it than go for a long run.

Well, there were a couple of other things I could have done, but the training schedule said 12 miles so I put on the tights, shorts, two shirts, Amphipod water bottle, iShuffle, Garmin (sounds like a packing list) and headed out to run around the lake. It was a good run overall. I kept a consistent pace, walked a bit after 6, 8, and 10 miles, and got chased by just one dog - the beagle who will come tearing after you once you have turned the corner and are heading away from his house causing him to run across the street. He sounds more ferocious than he probably is but it still scares the crap out of me and I am none to nice when I tell him to go home.

It actually felt like spring on the run. I noticed buds on the trees, I had to lose one of the shirts because I was too warm, I smelled a skunk (thankfully just the lingering smell from a spray some time ago), and I almost inhaled several bugs. It was a good time!

Now, I'm just sore in the back from spinning yesterday (hills and flat road sprints) and now the legs from the run. It is a good sore and tired feeling.

It is a short post this time. I had a bunch of free time earlier in the week waiting for different people to get me information for various projects I'm working on. Unfortunately, they all got me their respective stuff Thursday so I've been keeping a mental to-do list and checking things off one by one.

Hope you're having a great weekend and plenty of warm, spring weather.

Wimped Out

2009-03-08T22:01:00.002-04:00

The weather yesterday would have been perfect for an outdoor run with the exception of the threat of rain and storms. So, I headed over to the gym and hopped on the treadmill to get in my 10 mile run.

I figured I would run 5 miles, get off to see if anyone wanted the treadmill and then get back on and finish the other five. It worked out pretty well until I hit 7 miles and got a really bad side stitch. I decided to walk .1 and then run the rest of the mile for each of the remaining miles. I got to 8.75 and just couldn't shake the stitch. I also had enough of the treadmill so off I went. I finished the run by going around the little track (12 laps equals a mile). I got the miles in and I was exhausted.

Thankfully, the tight hamstrings I started out with didn't get any worse. After spinning Friday, I barely could get my leg over the center of the bike and couldn't lift up my foot to stretch my quads. I had to bend down, grab my foot with my hand, and lift it up. I think the tightness was thanks to Thursday's pilates class and the subsequent 6 mile run that evening.

Today, there was no running, just stairs. I had to work this afternoon which means church at 9:45, get home, grab some lunch, and off I go to be the adult on duty in a three story girl's dorm. It is usually an uneventful time but today was disrupted by a tornado warning (complete with sending the girls to the basement - although I probably didn't have to) and later having to inform the girls that they couldn't go outside because of the extremely high winds. It's probably just as well I didn't try to go for a run. The wind is still whipping outside - I'll be surprised if we aren't missing some chunks of siding off the house.

Okay, funny kid quote of the day - not from my child. My brother had to take my 4-year-old nephew with him to tape an interview with Shaq. My nephew hid under a table the entire time. Later, he informed my brother that he doesn't like giants. I'm sure to a two-and-a-half foot tall little boy, Shaq is a giant.

Weather Update

2009-03-05T14:19:00.001-05:00

It is a beautiful 62 degrees and sunny here in Northern Indiana! A great day for an outdoor run. Yipee!!!!

Going to Tri

2009-03-04T09:11:00.002-05:00

Yep. I did it. I just signed up for my first Triathlon. Okay, it was kind of spur of the moment.

The triathlon that has taken place in our town, and that I was going to participate in,was canceled thanks to the economy. I received an e-mail this morning from Gazelle Sports, a sporting goods store in Grand Rapids that was one of the sponsors on the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. Anyway, they were advertising the Tri del Sol at a camp just south of Grand Rapids. It is a .5 mile swim, 18 mile bike ride, and 4.5 mile run on Saturday, July 18. I talked to Steve and he said go for it, so I did. And now, I'm officially committed.

That was the good news. The bad news is that I've been slacking on training the last week. After getting slightly back into the groove after being sick, I hit a roadblock when I ended up staying up all night at the all nighter at church Friday night. It was a lot of fun but I'm still recovering. I ended up taking the weekend off. I just didn't have the energy.

Got back to it Monday with spinning and yesterday with a 5.5 mile run averaging a 9:12 min/mile pace. I was happy with that. I did take a rather long walking break when I ran into my former boss out for a walk. I haven't seen him in a couple of months and always enjoy catching up with him. He's kind of my own Col. Potter (from M*A*S*H). One of his favorite sayings is, "Don't get into a urinating contest with a skunk" and it has come in useful many, many times. Anyway, I walked with him for a while and then ran the last 1.5 miles home.

The temperatures are supposed to rise into the 40s - something very welcome here after temps fell into the single digits Tuesday morning. Hopefully this will allow for a little more running outside.

I pull myself away from the computer and get some cleaning done. Hope you have a great day!

Shaking to the Core

2009-02-26T14:25:00.003-05:00

So I tried out Pilates (I think that's how you spell it) today and I'm all shaky. I don't feel weak or sore, I guess that will come in a day or two. It definitely works the core.

Not sure I'll get in a run today. While it is relatively warm out, it is raining and with the junk I have in my head and chest, it's probably not a good idea to go. I could go to the gym but will need to wait until after 6 when the afterschool/work rush is over. I should have jumped on a treadmill after the pilates class because the place was dead.

For your Thursday smile, here's one from Emily. This week in preschool they are talking about healthy bodies. Yesterday, a nurse came in to talk to them about heart health. Emily has been full of facts ever since. Today's was the best.

Emily: Mom, I haven't had my three glasses of milk today yet...but I'm working on it. Drinking milk keeps my heart healthy.

Thank You, Sir! May I Have Another?

2009-02-25T13:08:00.002-05:00

Yeah. I've recovered from the stomach bug of last week and am now coming down with the cold du jour. I think it may be part of the stomach bug as Steve has the same thing as does another friend.

Oh well, at least I've gotten in two runs in two days. I guess I'm going to wing it on getting back into my training schedule and probably cut the 12 mile run called for this weekend down to 10 miles. I don't think it will really matter as I run either 10 or 12 miles every Saturday from now until the first weekend in May.

I'm going to try out a Pilates class tomorrow, hopefully in addition to a run of some distances, obviously yet to be determined. I'll spin on Friday and I'm not sure how Saturday is going to go. There is an "all-nighter" for the group of kids I help with on Wednesday nights. I don't think the kids get to stay up all night but I can't imagine it is going to be a restful sleep unless I can find a couch or some other soft place to land. Then again, I may just volunteer to stay up and catch up on some shows I've been wanting to watch.

We've been having M*A*S*H marathons at our house since television in South Bend went digital. We don't have cable and when we tried out a converter box, it didn't find any signal. We ended up signing up for Netflix and have been pretty happy. I'm particulary excited because they either have or will have several running movies in their inventory (Spirit of the Marathon, Run for Your Life, Running the Sahara, and Ultramarathon Man).

Speaking of shows, fellow bloggers Frayed Laces and Blue Dawgs Running, were on the podcast, Runners Roundtable. You can subscribe to it a iTunes or click here to listen.

Hope you're having a good week of running and staying healthy.

Oh Fluey!

2009-02-20T11:31:00.003-05:00

Well, there has been no running for me since Tuesday. Wednesday was a rest day and by Wednesday night, what I had been hoping to avoid slowly hit. I pretty much slept all day Thursday until about 5 pm when I finally got up for few hours and then headed back to bed.

Today, I am at least functioning but still only downing saltines and 7-up. I have a feeling I won't be doing my 10-mile run tomorrow - I'm getting winded just going up the stairs and if I sit here long enough, I may go back to sleep.

As miserable as I was, I found out this morning a friend of ours came down with the same thing yesterday as he was leaving for the airport and a 9-hour flight home to Croatia.

Have a healthy weekend!

Got 'Em Done

2009-02-17T13:23:00.003-05:00

I'm going to try to write this while I watch Emily do a show - that is dance in our living room to songs from the Nutcracker. It is a riot to watch and she's pretty good.

Anyway, Saturday, I went out and ran the scheduled 10 miles. It was a little chilly, about 35 degrees. Not quite cold enough to use the treadmill but too cold to venture all the way around the lake so I made up a new 10 mile route that wasn't too bad and avoided doing two laps in town.

I threw on my running tights, running shorts, wicking shirt, old turtleneck, jacket and hat and headed out the door with the iPod and Garmin. I headed south along the lake and got in three, figuring by the time I got back into town I would have 5 miles in. The wind was at my back the first three miles and I was getting really warm so when I turned around to head north again, I took off the turtleneck. I'm sure it was a funny sight as I'm standing next to a guardrail taking off my Garmin, iPod, jacket, turtleneck.

Once I got put back together, I headed north again. Bad timing on taking off the layer because now I had the wind in my face. It ended up not being too bad as there is really only one stretch of road next to the lake without houses for a windbreak. When I was running that stretch, though, I kept hearing these really weird noises. It finally dawned on me that it was the ice.

By the time I got back home to drop off the extra shirt and use the bathroom, I was at 5.5 miles and over half done. I grabbed a drink of water and headed back out and finished the whole thing in 1:35. I had to walk a couple of blocks home so I had a nice cool down.

I could have used an extra layer on my legs and a little more covering on my ears, but otherwise I was fine once I got in a hot shower and circulation returned to my fingertips.

Sunday, I got in 6 miles and went spinning yesterday afternoon. Steve and I, well, mostly Steve, spent the better part of the day working on the back of the house. We now have insulation and a plywood floor. We even got to move in the washer in the house and will be able to use it now that there are real copper pipes (not the crackable PVC kind) running hot and cold water. It's a good thing, too, because there is a mountain of laundry the size of Mt. Everest piling up.

Today was a tempo run and I hit the treadmill. I think it is easier to do the tempo runs there as I can set the pace and go. I ran one mile at 9:40 to warm up and then three miles at 9:00 and the last miles I bumped up the pace 15 seconds every quarter of a mile.

Tomorrow is going to be a rest day from running but busy none the less. I get to help at Emily's preschool for teeth day, then babysit in the afternoon, and help out at church in the evening. Hmm...I think I'll go to bed early.

Another Kid Funny

2009-02-14T11:05:00.002-05:00

I can't resist sharing one of the latest quips from Emily. Okay, it is really poking fun at me.

Last night, we dropped Kate off at her sleepover. I took Kate inside and I was talking with my friend about a couple things while Steve and Emily stayed in the car. All of a sudden, I hear Steve honk the horn, said my goodbyes and off we went.

This morning, I went to pick Kate up. When I got there, the girls were outside playing in the snow on the trampoline and pretty much ignoring the parents who had gathered. That was okay because we were all catching up with one parent whose family had moved and we don't get to see them very often. It took a while before we left, probably longer than Emily thought it should while she and Steve waited for Kate and I to come home.

When we finally got there, Steve told me Emily had asked when Kate and I would be home. He said he didn't know. She suggested that he honk the horn and maybe I would be home sooner.

Time to run.

Same Ol' Stuff

2009-02-13T15:28:00.002-05:00

Yep, you guessed it. There really isn't anything new around here - probably why I haven't been blogging.

I just got through a 6 mile run on the treadmill. I probably could have gone outside today as it was around 35 degrees but, unfortunately, it was easier to go over to the gym. I was happy with my speed as I kept bumping up the pace every mile. I listened to the Running to Disney podcast and watched any one of the three televisions set on MSNBC, ESPN, and CNN. I have to remember not to go at 1 pm so I don't have to watch the daily White House briefing.

I went spinning twice this week and can feel an improvement as far as that goes. I'm looking forward to picking up my bike in another month or two and hitting the road.

Tomorrow is my first 10 mile run in months. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to brave the outdoors and do the 10 mile route around the lake, which is still frozen, do two five mile loops around town or go to the gym around 2 pm and run there while What Not to Wear is on.

Tonight, Kate is going to a birthday party/sleepover and Emily is going to a babysitter for the evening. Steve and I are getting out of town to go out for dinner and maybe do some shopping - okay, at least get my Target fix, even if I don't buy anything. It will be nice to just be together and take a break from all the work we've been doing.

By the way, we now have beautiful floor joists in the soon to be laundry room/mudroom. And, other than an occasional can, I have stayed away from Diet Coke. Now I just need to stay away from the Valentine's candy.

Hope you have a beautiful Valentine's Day and a great weekend!

Swamp Things

2009-02-08T12:40:00.003-05:00

On our way to church this morning, Emily somehow got off on swamps. She was saying they are yucky and she doesn't like them. Then she made the comment, "God made this beautiful world. Did He made ugly swamps, too?" I replied, "Yes." To which, she responded, "Bbbllleeeaaaccchhh!!"

Nothing Much (I think I've used this title before)

2009-02-05T11:27:00.002-05:00

So what's been going on with you? I'm asking because it is probably more interesting than what is going on here. Although, the boring is probably much better than a lot of things some of my friends and fellow bloggers are going through. So, I think boring is probably a good thing.

I've been running and/or spinning almost every day. I am a little worried as my capacity for speed has been declining. I ran 6 miles Saturday and got to watch What Not to Wear, which, not having cable, is a real treat for me. However, as excited as I was, my run just stunk. I had to stop after two miles to catch my breath. Then, at 3.5 was seriously considering bagging it and going home. I knew I would regret it and I wanted to find out how WNTW turned out so I switched treadmills and slogged to the end.

I went spinning Monday and Wednesday and has a somewhat successful run Tuesday. I guess my enthusiasm is just not there. I'm even kind of dreading marathon training this summer. I'm hoping it is just because we've been cooped up inside for several weeks. It is supposed to flirt with 50 degrees here this weekend so maybe that enthusiasm will return.

Sorry to be such a downer. I'll end it on a funny kid note.

Emily now dresses in one of three ways. Her outfits have to be either purplelicious, pinkalicious, or filled with love.

Purplelicious and Pinkalicious are both the titles of children's books we've been reading. They are both very cute and fun for little girls. The filled with love refers to a pair of jeans and a t-shirt she has with the word love on them.

I guess it's time for us to play school. I think Emily's going to be the teacher once again.

The Warm Weather Ruined My Running Attitude

2009-01-28T13:40:00.002-05:00

Yes, you read that right. The two runs outside made me not want to return to the treadmill this week when it got cold once again and left us with a couple of inches of snow this morning.

I'm keeping my speed up but have been struggling through. Yesterday, against my better judgment, I brought Emily with me. About three miles into the run, she decided she needed to go to the bathroom, so off I got. Mind you, she really was very well behaved the entire time we were there, coloring, playing with her Bitty Baby, and "reading" (we established she couldn't last week) her Club House Jr. magazines. Honestly, I was thankful for the break.

Today, I stopped at two miles to catch my breath and get a drink and stopped again at three miles for the same thing. I was only going four.

On the other hand, I haven't been getting a whole lot of sleep lately courtesy of an author who does a poor job of writing about writing. Hmmm...I'm not complaining, though. I have work.

So if you have made it this far through the post, I have a question for you. Do you donate blood on a regular basis? Would you be willing to tell me why or why not and, if you do, what your experiences have been? Just leave a comment.

I'm doing a little research for a blood services board I serve on. I was supposed to do this a while ago and didn't so I figured I would use you as my research subject :-) Thanks in advance.

How About a Run Outside? Part 2

2009-01-22T17:56:00.004-05:00

For two lovely days, we experienced temperatures above 32 degrees.
We were reminded of what is was like to go outside and not have your nostrils freeze and fingers and toes go numb.

We got a whiff, albeit only a slight one, of spring.

We breathed a sign of relief that the boiler wasn't going to have to work quite so hard to heat the house and our space heaters throughout the house could take a break, thus lowering our heating bill ever so slightly from what it would have been.

I got to give my car a bath and see what my car looked like without a coating of road salt and dirty snow remains.

Oh yeah, and best of all, I got to avoid the treadmill for two days and run outside!!!

Thursday afternoon, I ran three miles in under 26 minutes. It was wonderful!

I wasn't going to run outside yesterday. I knew the temperatures were going to drop over the course of the day so if I wanted to get outside it was going to have to be in the morning while Emily was at school. Unfortunately, I have a bunch of editing to do and wanted to spend the quiet time working. However, I've also been staying up quite late working and was having trouble concentrating and staying awake. Prime time for a run. So off I went. The time wasn't as good as Thursday's run. I also forgot to start the Garmin so I only have an idea of what my pace was. Still, it just felt good to get out and have the challenge of the hills and the change of scenery.

I didn't get a run in today as I had to work in this morning and didn't want to take the time to go to the gym before 4 pm this afternoon. I have a rest day tomorrow so I'll get the five mile in then and spin on Monday. I might try to run a couple of mile, too. We'll see.

On the Diet Coke front, I've had two this week. One last Saturday night because my stomach was upset and one Wednesday night because it came with my meal at church and I needed the energy to keep up with the kids in my class. The weird thing was that it didn't taste all that great and I didn't find myself wanting any more. I am definitely drinking more water, but we also find ourselves making a pot of coffee in the late afternoon for a warm drink and a pick-me-up.

Hope you are having a good weekend!

The Obvious

2009-01-17T13:40:00.003-05:00

While I went for my run today (I did venture yesterday as well and temps here are up into the 20s!!), Steve worked on installing the new ceiling fan in our living room. When I returned, Emily met me at the door and we had the following conversation:

Emily: We was having a little bit of trouble.

Me: What kind of trouble?

Emily: Well, Daddy was reading the 'structions.

Me: What did they say?

Emily: I don't know. I can't read.