A bit of a setback

Well, I when I set my goal of 1,000 miles, I didn't plan to get sick. I planned to be healthy all year. Unfortunately, that was not to be. I came back from Duluth with the start of a cold that turned into a sinus infection that needed two rounds of antibiotics. I am just now feeling well enough to be running full speed again. This week I managed a mere 6.5 miles, but I did take body combat three times. Tomorrow morning Chris and I will be up and running before church, so that will bring me up to at least 12 miles for the week. As it stands, I have run 185.2 miles this year. It is still possible to hit 1,000 miles, but it will take a concentrated effort to get there. Next week I plan to run at least 15 miles, and build up from there. I need to be careful not to get back too quickly and injure myself. Oh, and I need to put down the Easter candy!!!

Fun in the snow!

I didn't get much running in last weekend, as Alexander and I traveled to Duluth to spend time with Dave, Jodie, and Liesl. Although I did take time to run on the treadmill at Dave's YMCA, the majority of our time was spent skiing. This was a first for both of us, and we loved it! We had perfect weather (right around freezing) and we even got to see snow fall on our first day. What a great time!

 Alexander and Liesl after spending the morning in the yard. They went out to play before we had the chance to go to the ski slopes.

 Jodie and I coming in for another ride up the mountain. Anytime I made it to the line without falling, I considered it a small victory.

 Liesl and Alexander spent literally hours skiing.

 On the last morning, we went to frozen Lake Superior. We were treated to some beautiful views!

 Twins. Alexander looks just like Dave when he was a teenager.

Half Marathon day!

Well, race day began a little colder than we would have wished. Here is the forecast for the day. The race started at 6:30am, and we were out the door by 5:45. It was so cold that I wore 3 layers on top, plus a plastic bag at the start line to keep my body heat in. We took off the bags right before the race started. I kept my hat and gloves on the entire time, except for when I took them off to snap these pictures.

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The best part about the Daytona Beach half is the course. You begin with a loop around the speedway (a little over 2 miles), then run to the beach and back. That does, by the way, include a bridge. A big bridge. Twice. This year they changed the course slightly, which allowed us to run on the beach for a block.

Even though we live there, we still took some time to snap a few pictures on the beach. Both Chris and I were thrilled to be able to run. He's been battling knee pain, and I've had a cold all week.

We were running well, despite the cold. We usually try for a "negative split" where we run the second half faster than the first, but that did not happen this time. I attribute it mainly to the wind - we ran INTO the wind the entire way back. At mile 12, Chris needed to slow down, but I plowed on. We both finished just a minute apart, and we both had a PR (Personal Record!) Mine was 2:14:47. The closest I've come to that lately was in the 2:20 area, so I was very excited.

Although Daytona does throw a nice after party, we didn't stick around. We wanted to make it to church (made it just in time), and we were abolutely freezing by that point. It was still in the low 40's, windy, and now we were soaked with sweat. I've never been so happy to be inside a hot car as I was this morning.

Instead of the post-race beer and pizza, we opted for the next best thing  - Krispy Kreme. Each runner receives a free dozen glazed donuts. Benjamin offered to drive me there (!!!) to pick them up. I'm sure the boys will help us eat them quickly.

This week's total: 17.1 miles (4 mile treadmill run on Thursday)

This year's total: 123.4 miles! I'm getting there!!!!

100!!!!

I've made it 10% of the way to my goal! This morning on my long run, I passed the 100 mile mark. Very exciting. Unfortunately, I was running alone, as Chris has an injured knee. He's not sure what exactly is wrong with it, but since we have a half marathon in a week, he's not taking any chances. We started off together, but before we hit one mile he had to turn around. I had brought my headphones just in case. It's much less fun to run long runs by yourself, but I took this opportunity to catch up on my favorite podcasts. I used Stitcher to listen to It's All Politics, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and Another Mother Runner. I actually had a good time - I averaged 10:15 miles, which is good for me on a long run. Perfect weather certainly helps, as does the motivation to get home in time to be ready for church.

I only missed two days of excerize this week - Tuesday, which is almost always a rest day, and Saturday, because we had an all day church retreat. That was fine, as I should be "tapering" anyway to prepare for next Sunday's race!  The paper said this week that we will be running "with" some of the NASCAR drivers. I put "with" in quotes because they will be way ahead of us. I wouldn't know them by sight anyway. Here are my current totals:

Week: 17.2 miles
Month: 38.3 miles
Year: 106.3 miles! Yes!

A run-derful weekend

Lots of running this weekend! Yesterday we ran the Lourdes Academy 5K. We run this every year and it's one of my favorites. It goes through Ormond Beach neighborhoods, and we are treated to pancakes at the finish. This year we all did well. Chris had a PR, and Alexander placed second in his age group!

This morning we did a 9 mile run, one of our last before the Daytona Beach Half marathon. I made up for it with yummy crepes for lunch (banana and strawberry).

I've spent the last 2 hours during the superbowl trying to upload pictures from my phone on to my computer, hoping to add some pics to the blog. Somehow I've lost a few of them.... hopefully they will be recovered soon, especially since the superbowl is halted right now due to a light malfuntion. Hahahahaha.

Weekly Total: 21.1

Another birthday week!

This week is the last of our birthdays for awhile. Today was Chris' birthday. He celebrated by playing ultimate frisbee, getting his school computer fixed, and going out to dinner. We just returned - Monterey Grill was great! He got a free dessert (not chocolate) and they sung to him!

I was successful exercising so far this week. On Monday and Wednesday I went to Body Combat, and on Tuesday I ran a "tempo run" of 6 miles at the treadmill at the Y. My tempo run consisted of a 1 mile warm up and then a 4 mile fast run, which for me was between 6.2 and 6.4 mph, with a few short walk breaks. Unfortunately, I returned home with something I can only call "bra burn." My bra rubbed me raw in two places, and now I smell like a baby with A& D ointment on me! I was not scheduled to run today and hopefully this will give me time to heal.

Weekly total: 6
MOnthly total: 74
Yearly total: 74

Long Runs

I enjoy running by myself sometimes. It gives me a chance to catch up on the latest podcasts. I use the Stitcher app, which automatically downloads my podcasts as they are released. I listen to some political podcasts as well as my favorite NPR shows.

But I also enjoy the long runs Chris and I do together. Today we did 8.5 miles, which took almost an hour and a half. It was perfect weather. We spend much of the time bemoaning our educational system. But at least it gets it out of our systems before we are around the boys. They've heard quite enough of our attacks on certain administrative decisions. It also gives us a chance to catch up. It seems like the week speeds by so quickly we don't have time to stop, breathe, and talk.

This afternoon, after we had showered and eaten, we were driven to the library and Publix by BENJAMIN!!! He got his permit on his birthday on Tuesday, and has been eager to drive ever since. Chris does a much better job than I do - I am so nervous that I prefer to sit in the back.

Despite our busy schedule, I did get a fair amount of running in this week.

Monday - 3.0 miles
Tuesday - birthday, spent eating at the Chinese buffet (not my favorite place)
Wednesday - combat class, followed by 3 miles (not a good choice - exhausted afterwards)
Thursday - rest
Friday - 3 miles on our treadmill while watching Glee - I didn't realize it had started up again. What a pleasant surprise when I turned on the DVR
Saturday - 8.5 miles with Chris

Tomorrow we are getting up to do a shorter run, probably between 4 and 5 miles.

Weekly total - 17.5
Monthly total - 64.5
Yearly total - 64.5. I've now completed over 5% of my goal!

Rain + Migraine = no run!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I don't know how frequent migraine sufferers function. Yesterday we redid the living room. I mention this because we moved the piano and the piano music holder. The back of the piano was, of course, covered in dust, since it's been there for over 3 years. I also had to take all of my music off the shelf and put it back. I took this opportunity to go through the music and weed out. The music was also covered in dust. Unfortunately, I'm extremely allergic to dust, and later that night I developed a severe headache. I was in bed by 9:30, awake again throughout the night. I took migraine medicine at 4AM (it has caffeine so I can't take it before bed) and then again at 8. I'm just now feeling a little better and able to look at the computer.

When the alarm went off at 5:45, not only did I have a raging headache, but it was also raining outside. I promptly went back to bed. By 7:00, I was up eating, hoping that would help, and I made myself a big mug of caffenated tea. Chris went out on a run, but I skipped. At least I went out yesterday. I took two classes at the Y, and then came home and ran 3 miles. Since it is a 3 day weekend, I'm hoping we can get a long run in tomorrow morning to make up for today.

Weekly total so far: 11 miles
Monthly total: 47 miles

Thursday Update

I knew it would be harder to blog when we got back to school, and I was right. This was a busy week, but I still managed to get most of my exercise in. On Sunday morning, I woke up early and ran 6 miles in 1:04:11. Then Monday I took Body Combat, and Tuesday was a rest day. Wednesday was my birthday, and I had planned to go to Body Combat class, but Jonathan's Social Studies Fair was that night. We went there instead, and he won first place! So when I got home, I ran my 3 miles, and topped it off with a s'more treat. Today I ran a 5 mile tempo run in the wind and cold. I think it was at least 10 degrees colder when I finished as when I began. We went out to dinner tonight for a belated birthday, so I probably ate all the calories I burned!

Last week's total: 18
Last week's year total: 36

This week's total so far: 8
This week's year total so far: 44

A weekend away

Welcome to my first attempt to blog from my phone. We'll see how it goes. I have been on a retreat all weekend without a computer.

On Thursday, I realized how important a concrete goal is. It was moms birthday, so we took her out to Mamma Mia's. we got home by 7:00, and I knew I was scheduled to run 5 miles. I didn't want to do it. Not at all. But I also knew that I was leaving for the retreat the next day and it would be impossible to run on Friday. So I dragged my butt to the Y and did a 5 mile speed work run. I can't say I love speedwork, but I suffered through it.

I was unable to run on Friday, but I got up early this morning to do a 4 mile easy run. The plan is to get up tomorrow to finish the week with 6 miles. I was hoping to run it with Chris in the afternoon, but when the forecast is 80 degrees, I had better set that alarm! N I will total up the week and year after tomorrow's run.

Double Workout

Wednesdays I always take Body Combat, and today was no different. I left before abs, though, so I could make up yesterday's run. I used the Y treadmill and ran 3 miles in 29:28. I love their treadmills - they are so smooth. All the treadmills have a TV attached, but I usually turn mine off and listen to my iPhone instead. My favorite app is Stitcher, which plays podcasts. Today I listened to Slate's Politico Podcast, which was very interesting.

I had a good morning, too. It was the first weigh in for my school's "biggest loser" contest. We had the option of weighing in before the holiday, and if we maintain or lose weight, we get part of the entry fee back. I was thrilled to weigh exactly the same - I know I had gained some over the holidays, but this resolution has help put me back on track.

My first day off

Yesterday I took body combat. Today I was scheduled for a 3 mile run. I decided to  wait until tomorrow - I've been feeling not so good all day. I feel a bit feverish but when I take my temperature, it is normal. I'm afraid if I go for a run, I'll make myself feel worse. Maybe my body is just rebelling over 8 straight days of hard exercise and needs the day off anyway....

No, it can't really be the last day of vacation....

Ugh. It's finally here. I felt like a chicken with its head cut off today trying to finish up my vacation to-do list. I was unsucessful, but we did get the house un-decorated and some other random errands finished. At least we were able to get a good run in with nice weather. It was perfect running weather this morning, and we were on schedule to do 7 miles. I LOVE round numbers for the week, so we ran 7.2 miles in 1:14:53. That's a 10:24 pace, which is a little faster than usual for a long run.  It leaves me with a nice weekly total of 18 miles.

Daily Total: 7.2 miles
Weekly Total: 18 miles
Yearly Total: 18 miles.

Weekend run

Yesterday I took an hour Body Combat class. I love this class because it is fun, has great music, and also adds strength work. I was rewarded at the mammography place when the nurse asked me if I work out my arms. I told her I do, and she answered, "I can tell."

This morning Chris and I did a short run of 3.3 miles. Two of the boys biked along with us. Tomorrow we have our weekly long run. It is supposed to rain, so we'll see what happens. I hate running in the rain, especially cold rain. Yuck.

Daily total: 3.3 miles
Weekly total: 10.8 miles
Yearly total: 10.8 miles (only 989.2 to go!)

Tempo Run

According to my Runner's World schedule that I got at http://www.runnersworld.com/training, today I was to do a 5 mile tempo run. For a 5 mile tempo run, you warm up for 1 mile at a slow pace, then run 3 miles at a "comfortably hard" pace, then do a 1 mile cool down. It was my intent to follow this exactly, but I accidentally planned my route a bit long.So I did a 1 mile warm up, 3.5 mile tempo run, and then a 1 mile cool-down.

Daily Total: 5.5 miles
Weekly Total: 7.5 miles
Yearly Total: 7.5 miles

Christmas pictures.

 I have no run scheduled today - instead I am heading over to the Y at 6:45 to take a Body Combat class. We also did some yardwork today, so I'm definintely getting my excercise in! So I'll take the time to upload some Christmas pictures. The first is of the family at church on Christmas Eve. Benjamin played trumpet and Alexander played his tuba for both services.

 After we opened our presents, we pulled up Skype so we could open presents from the Martin's. What a fun way to be "close" to family at this time of year.

 Hmmm... I wonder what is in my stocking?

 Christmas morning

 Our presents from Jeff

Duct tape!

Our steps were filled with stockings, including Mom's, Dad's, and Jeff's, who were all here for the holidays.

A New Year Begins!

I had planned on taking yesterday, New Year's Eve, off from exercise. However, we decided to go ice skating. The local rink had a special of $5 for the night, including skate rental! All 5 of us went, along with a few of the boys' friends. We had a great time, although I'm sure my muscles will ache tomorrow. By the end, I could barely keep my ankles straight. What a perfect way to end the year - I felt like I was back in PA, but then we stepped out into 60 degrees and I remembered where we were.

We got home by 10, then played a few games and set off some mild fireworks. After watching the ball drop, I was in bed by 1 so I could be up this morning for the first workout of the year! The Y opened at 8AM with a Les Mills body combat class, my favorite! I was surprised how full the class and the Y was. When class was over, I went over to the treadmill and ran my first 2 miles of the year in 20:20.

One of the things I've learned in all my reading about running is that the best way to get injured is to add too many miles too quickly. I'm using Runner's World's Smart Coach app, which is helping me plan my training for the Daytona Half. We have 7 weeks to get ready. According to the app, today was a 2 miler. It was tempting to do more, but I restrained myself. Tomorrow is a day off, so I'll go to the evening body combat class so I'll be ready for Thursday's 5 mile run.

Weekly total: 2 miles
Yearly total: 2 miles