Tara's Running Journal

And I'm back

2012-02-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

Well, our tax return looked pretty good so Justin gave me the go-ahead to get some new shoes.

I think I'm a Mizuno girl for life.

I've always preferred Mizuno's, especially since they helped so much with my shin splints while training for my first marathon.

But after a few pairs, I was wondering if maybe there might be an even better shoe for me that I have yet to discover.

If there is, I still haven't found it.

I love the way my foot rolls in the Mizuno's, they just feel so natural.

So I am loving my new Mizuno Wave Alchemy 11's.

My shins are doing better already.

I got the shoes on Wednesday and ran 3.2 on Wednesday, 4 on Thursday, 1 + a high-intensity elliptical workout on Friday, and today I ran 9 miles. I think that's the furthest I've gone since the Halloween Half and my legs felt good. Absolutely no shin pain in my left leg and some in my right, but manageable. I picked up some compression sleeves, too (thanks for that tip, Becca). The guy at the running store said he never runs a long run without them (2+ hours), but I decided to run in them today since this was a long run for me. The combination of new shoes and the sleeves helped a ton, my legs haven't felt that good in a while.

But because the right shin is still bothering me some, I'm icing and elevating, too, and hopefully it will go away soon.

Break time

2012-01-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

It's time to take a break from running.

It pains me to say that, but my shins have been acting up again this week.

And it's just not worth it right now.

I know I need new shoes. I'm pretty sure that is basically the entire problem.

I've got my eye on these:

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11. Last year's model. I tried on the 12's and really liked them but I've heard from multiple sources that the 11's were crazy awesome and superior in every way. So I just need to find a place to try them out.

But we are trying to be smart with our money right now (have a third acre to landscape in a couple of months), so we decided new running shoes will have to wait until our next credit card cycle (we put everything on our credit card... and we pay it off every month... and I know the experts say to never do that... but we have been doing it for years and have never paid a penny in interest... and have made hundreds and hundreds of dollars in rewards... so on we go... and I don't know why I elaborated on that... or why all the dots... but anyway...). :)

So my Valentine's gift from Justin has been predetermined: new shoes.

So the next few weeks I will cross train in every way imaginable.

Barbell classes.

Cycle classes.

Conditioning classes.

That really cool elliptical at our gym that is crazy hard!

Maybe I will join Justin in swimming.

That guy. He has been swimming like crazy. His workout of choice lately has been creating indoor triathlons at the gym. And yesterday he swam 16 laps straight! I may have a good swim coach on my hands.

Alright, here goes anything and everything BUT running!

Three runs, feeling fine!

2012-01-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

Monday: 20/20/20 Elliptical/Bike/Stairmill

Tuesday: 4.5 miles. 9:40 pace for the 1st 2 miles, 9:13 for the second two. Nice slow run to baby those shins and burn fat. And right when I started my cool down, the Party Rock Anthem came on and I just had to aprovechar. I bumped it up to 8:34 for half a mile. Sure felt good to run at a normal pace.

Wednesday: Got inspired by Munro's wake up early post and got up at 5 a.m. to do a 5:30 cycle class at the gym. Won't be doing that again. ;)
Thursday: I can't remember, I think I took the day off.
Friday: Ran 4 miles... 9 something pace to start and finished with an 8:34 for the last 2.5 I think. Shins were okay. Just a barely there kind of pain in the warm up but fine for the rest of the run and post run.
Saturday: I was really feeling a long run. I wanted to do nine. My shins felt fine, but again, just that barely there feeling like "don't do anything crazy." But I decided 9 would be okay if I took it easy. I went to the gym in the late afternoon and had to run on the treadmill because we had some nasty pouring rain/snow weather. I also had to hurry because we were having my sister's soon-to-be-in-laws over for dinner and I was out of time. Totally ran out of time and only did seven. I warmed up at a 9-something pace and then ran a range between 8:00-8:34 the rest of the way. Everything felt fine, woo hoo!

Dressing Recipe of the week:

I love good salad dressing. I've kind of fallen off the calorie-counting bandwagon, but I still eat salads almost every day for lunch. This is a dressing I made up this week that I really enjoyed... we'll call it

Avocado Dressing:

-.5-1 avocado

-1 T. light mayo

-2 T. lemon juice

-1/2 cup skim milk

-about 2 T. cilantro

-1 clove garlic

-Seasoning salt to taste

I threw this on some red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and broken tortilla chips and scarfed it. So good.

New Recipe Favs and Weekly Recap

2012-01-14T12:42:00.000-08:00

So logging calories in My Fitness Pal has had it's awesome days and it's not so awesome days, but for the most part, I think I'm doing pretty good. Just wanted to jot down a couple of new healthy recipes that I am LOVING.

Cherry Almond Protein Shake:

-Vanilla protein powder (we use Lifetime Fitness' whey protein, has 100 calories and 22 g protein)

-1 cup almond milk

-1/3 cup frozen cherries

Oh my goodness, the almond cherry flavor is divine, I love having this in the late afternoon when I'm starving

About 200 calories

Light and Creamy Ceasar Salad Dressing:

I love ceasar salad and I'm so glad I found this recipe on food.com

-1/2 cup light mayo

-1/2 cup skim milk

-2 tbsp parmesan cheese

-2 tbsp lemon juice

-2 tsp mustard

-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

-2 cloves garlic

Mix it all up in the food processor and pour it on chopped romaine, thinly sliced red onion, shredded parmesan (I didn't have any so I haven't done that yet) and make croutons by cutting up a slice of bread and sauteing it in a little olive oil & garlic, and seasoning with salt and parmesan cheese.

I love this salad. You could add rotisserie chicken and make it a dinner.

It's hard to get a calorie count on the dressing, but it makes a pretty good amount so I put it into a recipe calculator and if it made 10 servings, each serving would be about 40 calories, so yeah, awesome.

Here's my recap on running on such:

Monday: Total Conditioning (the class from h-e-double hockey sticks at our gym)

Tuesday: Spin class

Wednesday: Ran 4 miles, easy breasy. Super slow 10 minute pace to keep my heart rate low and burn some fat and also avoid any shin pain. Shins didn't hurt at all.

Thursday: A DAY OFF, wow.

Friday: Ran 2 measly miles before it was wayyy too dark outside to be running, oh well.

Saturday: Ran 8 miles on the treadmill at about a 9:30 pace for the first couple of miles and then an 8:34 for the rest. We had a gloriously beautiful, sunny, mild winter day today so it killed me to run on the treadmill, but Justin was up skiing with Makenzie so I had to take the boys to the childcare. Had very mild shin pain in the beginning and absolutely none when I was done so I think I'm doing okay on that, horray!

Next week I will still take it easy on my pace, but I think I'll do 3 days of running (Friday didn't really count this week) and see how it goes.

Cross Training

2012-01-08T21:10:00.000-08:00

Well last week's "good week" turned into this week's shin splints so I had to turn to alternative forms of exercise.

 Monday:
My shin pain was mild at this point so I decided I would run 4 miles on the treadmill.

Monday was the day after New Years. The MADHOUSE at the gym was almost comical. Seriously, people?! I could barely get a treadmill. But I got one and started off on my 4 miler when I noticed a guy in the row in front of me was over 5 miles into his run, an 8:30 pace that he made look realllly easy and NO headphones. How do you do that on a treadmill? I really need that music to keep me going. As my run went on, so did that guy. He hit 6, then 7 miles. Before long, his machine stopped since it only goes an hour and I noticed he just started it right back up and kept running. Yep, I was kind of being a running stalker, but whatever, you gotta do something to keep you entertained when you're running on that hamster wheel, right? The guy ended up running about 8.5 on a Monday on a treadmill with no music. I was inspired. All of a sudden 4 seemed really weak. So I did 6.4. Felt great. Until I stopped. And my shins hurt. Quite a bit. Doh! Stupid, "inspired" me.

Tuesday: 
So Tuesday was a spin class. I used to HATE spin classes. I could let go of the fact that they made my butt hurt for days, but for some reason they just seemed really grueling for me. But Tuesday there was this peppy instructor who had just spent all of her iTunes Christmas gift cards on some rockin' 80's music and she had some old Arnold Schwarzenegger body building movie on the big screens up front. It was fun. And it burned. Oh man my legs were burning so freakin' bad, it was ridiculous. And I liked it.

Wednesday:
I went to the crazy, insane, want-to-kill-myself-now circuit class that we go to almost every Wednesday night.

Thursday:
  I did spin again. And liked it again. And it burned like crazy again.

Friday: 
Crazy, but I did another spin class. I get my heart rate monitor on and it helps me know how hard I'm pushing. It takes a LOT of burn in those quads/butt/hamstrings to get my heart rate even close to my normal running heart rate. I feel like it's doing some major strength training in my legs so it really helped me not feel so bad about not running. Also, I had my first women's basketball game Friday night (so happy to finally be in a stake that has women's sports!) and my shins felt ok after that so I decided it was a go to try running again on Saturday. 

Saturday: 
I did 7 miles on the treadmill and took it nice and easy. I tried to keep myself at a 9:30 pace, but I got kind of impatient and did a 8:40-something for the third mile and then an 8:30 for the last 2.5. My shins were really not so bad afterward so that was good.

And lastly, Becca- thank you so much for telling me about My Fitness Pal.

I did really good on the weekdays (this weekend has not been so good), but I'm totally determined to get right back on track tomorrow morning. That app is exactly what I needed so thank you, thank you!

Good week

2011-12-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

Can I just say how awesome it would be if Justin never had to work?

This week I ran outside 4 times!

It was so nice just being able to take off and run whenever I felt like it, and I didn't have to go through the 2 hour ordeal of taking three kids to the gym.

It also helped that we had record highs in Salt Lake this week.

Yesterday hit 57 degrees!

I was running in capris and a light running jacket, how lucky is that in December?!

So here's how my week looked:

Monday: 3 miler outside 27:47 (9:16 pace)

Tuesday: 5k on treadmill 25:17 (7:54 pace- I push myself to near death on a treadmill) :)

Wednesday: 3 miler outside 24:04 (8:02 pace... much better for an outdoor run)

Thursday: STRIKE class (kind of like kickboxing)

Friday: 5 miles outside 42:26 (8:29 pace)

Saturday: 5 miles outside 46:31 (9:19 pace)

Had to take it easy today since my shins are starting to bother me and there's no way I'm going into marathon training injured.

It has been a great week, though, I hope I can stay this committed when Justin goes back to work next week!

All Kinds of Updates

2011-12-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

Update #1:

Last week while running at the gym, I started thinking that I can run pretty fast for how big I am. I realized that I've never noticed any girls as big as me run as fast as me at the gym.

Which got me thinking about the Halloween Half.

At the time of the race, I was about 148 pounds. Yup- there it is- out there. I'm 5'7", but that's still definitely on the heavy side for a runner.

At 150+ lbs., you can register for the Athena division.

So I decided to check the Athena division results. Turns out I would have gotten 3rd place (out of 123) in that division if I had weighed just a couple of pounds more. And the second place girl only beat me by 6 seconds, and was only 20 years old! The third place girl came in almost a minute after me. So anyway... not that I'm happy that I weigh so much, but it felt pretty good to know that I really do push hard, especially considering I'm a bit of a fatty right now. :)

Update #2:

Christmas morning meant a HUGE surprise for me from Justin. We are not the world's biggest gift givers, so I was totally shocked and thrilled when Justin surprised me with a shiny new GARMIN! Woo hoo!!

I was obsessed with the thought of taking it out for a run, but unfortunately it was Sunday, and being the good little Mormon girl that I am, I waited until this morning to hit the road. It came with a heart-rate monitor so I strapped it on and ran out the door.

Um, not exactly the glorious run I had envisioned.

I barely made it to the end of the street before my hands were ACHING and my lungs were BURNING. Oh my word, it was C-O-L-D! I never do this, but I ran back to the house because I needed some more clothes. I grabbed Makenzie's little cotton gloves and threw on Justin's fleece pullover. I asked Justin to check the weather and it was 19 degrees outside. Sheesh.

I ran back out and felt much warmer, but I felt heavy with all those clothes on.

Not my best run ever.

It wasn't just the clothes holding me back- for some reason I felt like I couldn't breathe. I don't know if it was the cold or what, but I haven't felt that way since I first ran in Utah and wasn't used to the elevation. It was strange and not so pleasant.

I ended up with these results:

Time:	27:47
Moving Time:	27:27
Elapsed Time:	34:25

Avg Pace:	9:16 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace:	9:09 min/mi
Best Pace:	7:09 min/mi

Not very impressive...

But I still had fun analyzing my run on GarminConnect.

Here's hoping I set the bar very, very low. :)

Update #3:

I'm in the mood for a race.

I miss long runs.

I did run seven on Saturday, but it's just more fun when I'm training.

I'm looking at the Utah Valley Half Marathon on June 9th, but the crazy in me is contemplating the full. I don't know. I need to mull over it some more, but I'm really, really thinking about it.

Alright, that's what's on my running mind lately!

Provo Halloween Half: Done

2011-11-01T11:30:00.001-07:00

I blogged all about the Halloween Half on our family blog-

HERE.

Last trial run before the half

2011-10-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I would run about 10 miles to taper down before the race.

But when I got out there, I just felt like I needed to do 13 again to really be ready.

So I did... and I'm glad, because I was really feeling it those last 3 miles!

I won't go into great detail, just a quick training log type update.

The iphone died when I was about 11.6 miles into my run. Not cool! I was relying on RunKeeper for my distance and pace, so I don't know what my total time or pace was. I do know that I was doing a 9:13 pace right before it died, and I slowed down the last mile or so. Luckily, it died at an intersection, so I could just use MapMyRun to see how far I ended up running. I overshot it a little and did another 2.1, so 13.7 miles today! Feels great. I've got that postrun high right now, love that!

13-Mile Training Run

2011-10-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Man, running 13 miles is quite the adventure.

A lot can happen when you're on the road for two hours.

Today was my big 13 mile pre-race training run.

And it also happened to be the South Jordan Marathon, which went right by my house.

Right outside my neighborhood was the mile 17 mile marker/aid station.

I couldn't resist, and I joined in with the runners, thinking this would be a great way to train.

It was pretty fun, and totally got me pumped for a race.

After a few miles, though, I started feeling a little silly.

I was passing lots of people, obviously, because they were on mile 20 and I was on mile 3.

And while you can get away with people not seeing your bib, you can't hide the fact that you're not wearing a timing chip. Sooo... feeling like the race hijacker that I was, I jumped on the sidewalk to make it a little more clear that I wasn't in the race, and to be out of everyone's way.

I made sure to hit my intersections at the same time as the marathoners, though, so I wouldn't have to wait, which was pretty awesome.

Around mile 5 or 6, I passed this middle-aged guy that was just having a blast, yelling to people cheering him on and waving his arms around like he was just having a party. On mile 22.

I told him he had way too much energy for mile 22.

He said, "Hey, if you're not having fun, you might as well quit!"

Wow.

I think the super-fit guy that was on his heels probably wanted to punch him.

But seriously, great attitude. He has probably run a lot of marathons. Maybe I will be feeling that good on mile 22 someday.

Alright, so right after that on mile 6 I knew I was about to turn off the marathon course so I took my gel a little early and got my last chance for some water. I told the volunteers I wasn't in the race but they didn't care. That one little cup of water was all I had on the entire run, and I'll be honest, I could've used some more.

As soon as I turned the corner, it was basically a gradual uphill climb the rest of the way home.

On my first six miles, I was averaging an 8:40 pace. And it just got slower and slower every time that lady came into my ear to tell me my pace.

By mile 10, I was dying.

I was around a 9:07 pace, I think.

I had to dig really deep.

I had to take myself to later in the day, when the run is over, and you're wondering if you gave it all you had.

So I gave it all I had.

And all I had resulted in a 2:00:38 run.

I was hoping to push it to under 2 hours, but that was close enough that I know I can get under 2 hours on race day, especially since it's downhill.

I mean, look at the elevation chart on this thing.

Doesn't get any better than that!

I'm pretty excited, this is the only timed race I've done since I had Kyle over a year ago (Ragnar doesn't really count). Can't wait!!

Getting closer...

2011-10-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

We had quite a wintry week here in Utah.

It even snowed.

And when it wasn't snowing, it was raining. And freezing.

So Saturday came and once again, it was about 40 degrees outside.

The good news for me?

Freezing my fanny makes me run a hecka lot faster.

The previous Saturday, I ran 10 miles at about a 9:40-9:50 pace.

Yesterday I ran 11 at a 9:03 overall pace.

I was elated.

I needed that boost of confidence SO bad.

But it wasn't just the cold weather that helped me.

It was that brain of mine.

As every runner knows, running is mostly mental and I just had to get my head in the game.

Instead of being worried about the distance and getting injured and all those reasons I was telling myself to just take it easy, yesterday I just wanted to dominate the asphalt, to take charge of my run instead of just letting it happen. I pushed myself, and it felt great.

I have also amped up my mid-week training.

I was only running Tuesdays and Thursdays mid-week before, and that just wasn't cutting it.

I added another day (or 2? I can't remember) and I pushed my pace on those runs.

And lastly, I did a bit of carb loading on Friday.

Who says carb loading is only for race day? If you're going to run 11 miles, have some carbs the day before.

I did have some uphill climbs, but I'm happy to say I maintained my pace decently well on them.

I think it makes it a little easier when the goal at the top of your hill is this:

I feel a lot more optimistic about the race now.
I hope I can stay around a 9 minute pace again this Saturday when I go for 13!

Ten Mile Technology Meltdown

2011-10-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Ran 10 miles yesterday for the first time since Ragnar.

I felt pretty good- legs got a little stiff on the last mile or so, but I was okay.

My technology, on the other hand, was not okay.

I started the run using Justin's iphone/Runkeeper.

About 4 miles in, the headphones started going out.

I took them off and carried them.

About 5 miles in, the iphone started dying.

By 6.5, it was almost dead.

I ran to my house to grab my ipod/nike+ sensor to make sure I did exactly 10 miles.

My nike+ sensor must be losing battery power because it wouldn't work.

Luckily I know a route that is a little over 3 miles so I just ran that to complete my 10 miler.

I tried using my headphones and got to listen to the music go in and out for my last three miles.

Thanks for nothing, technology!

Before my technological meltdown, Runkeeper said I was doing around a 9:40 pace.

I don't know why I'm so slow. The downhill in this half is really going to have to do its job if I'm going to finish in less than 2 hours. The last time I ran a downhill course (Provo 10 miler), my pace was under 8 minutes. I would need to be in the 8-9 min/mile range right now to be anywhere close to that. Oh well. I'll just keep plugging away and see what happens!

A little self reflection

2011-09-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Had to be brutally honest with myself during my 7 miler today.

I've put on some pounds and I'm not as fast as I thought I was.

But it's okay. I'm not gonna go sulk with a tub of ice cream or anything, I just need to work on some things before this half next month.

Before, during, after the move... I was not exercising consistently at all. I was eating whatever was easiest. And as it tends to do, it all caught up with me.

Because it was so hard for me to squeeze in exercise, the few times I did make it to the gym (maybe once a week?), I would just bust it as fast as I could on the treadmill for 3.2 to make myself feel like I was still in shape. I would stay in the 8 minute mile range, sometimes dipping into the upper 7's, feeling really awesome about myself.

But that was on a treadmill. And I don't know if this is true for everyone, but I can go way faster on a treadmill than in real life because I don't have to push my pace- the machine does that for me. I also never touched the incline so I didn't have to face one single teeny, tiny hill. No wind, no uneven terrain... none of that stuff.

Now that I've been running outside again, everything has changed. If I want to go fast, I have to do more than push a button and keep up with the spinning mouse wheel. I have to tell myself, "You can do better. You can go faster." And then actually do it. It's hard!

And then there's the old running weight-o-meter, feeling every ounce of extra weight pulling you down. Not enjoyable.

So! I have six weeks until this race. Today I worked really hard and I did 7 miles at a 9:14 pace. 9:14 is not bad, it's just that I had to work so dang hard for it. My training goals for the next six weeks are to drop a few pounds by eating right (uh.. and eating less... chocolate... and ice cream...) and to push my pace on my shorter runs so I can be more comfortable running a teeny bit faster on my long runs.

Okay! Here goes!

New trails!!

2011-09-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

(photo from The Daily Herald)

We've been in our new home for one week now and this morning I finally got to try out the running trails in Daybreak, which is right next to us. We don't officially live in Daybreak (yes! we don't have to pay their pricey HOA fees!), but we're reallllly close.

I knew there were running trails, but I didn't realize how many trails there were. I could run forever out there! It was awesome. On my way up, I had gorgeous valley views and then I ran around the lake. I ran five miles, but when I got home I told Justin I just wanted to go back out and do it again, I loved it so much. He said that is annoying. haha

One of my favorite things about running has always been exploring new areas, so today was awesome. Can't wait to find more trails and get favorite routes.

I may have enjoyed it a bit too much, though, because I did a 10 minute pace (according to my Nike+ --finally found the foot sensor again when we moved). But I loved it. Plus, Justin and I are running the Halloween Half Marathon in Provo next month and I don't want to hurt myself. Haha remember how I thought I was going to run that race last year? Two and half months after having Kyle? Hahaha! I know there are people who do that, but I'm definitely not one of them!

Anyway, loving our new house and our new trails. Hopefully I will be a little faster next time though. :)

Final days before Ragnar

2011-06-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

The Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay is only a few days away.

I guess this is as prepared as I'm gonna get!

I ran 9.5 miles on Friday night in my new Mizuno Wave Inspire 6's (last year's model = half price).

I decided to get them, even though I know it's not recommended to get new shoes right before a race, because I was still having some recurring ankle pain on my right side and my left shin was really starting to aggravate me.

So being the brave (dumb?) soul that I am, I ran 9.5 miles on my first try in them.

I got done with that run with absolutely zero pain anywhere.

Totally convinced that worn out running shoes are to blame for most of my injuries!

I ran 5 miles in them yesterday and some hill runs today and still not an ache or pain anywhere, I'm loving it!

Tomorrow I'm going to take the day off and Thursday I'll do a nice & easy 2 or 3 mile jog and then Friday morning IT'S ON!!

I feel a little guilty that this race has been shadowed by our Disneyland trip, which we'll be leaving for on Monday. My mind is totally in Mickey-land right now, but I am trying to focus on this race. I really need to get my head in the game. I'm also a little nervous because this will be my first time leaving Kyle overnight (thanks to Justin's mom and my poor sister Tiffany, who was supposed to be running the race with us, got a stress fracture, and will now be sleeping over with my kids!).

But yeah, despite my distractions and my jitters, now that the race is practically here, I'm getting pumped!!

Up the mountain

2011-05-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to run with things in my hands, but I really wish I'd brought my camera along today.

Last week I got ready for my Ragnar distance run, and today was the day to get ready for my 3.2 uphill climb (they changed the course a bit because of some road damage we've had after LOADS of rain this Spring and my hill got cut by .4 mile! YES!!).

So I drove wayyy over to the East side so I could run up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Okay, it's only about 10 minutes away, but it feels like another world.

I parked in a neighborhood just outside of the canyon and as soon as I looked in front of me, I knew why people pay big bucks to live that far East.

It was a bit overcast but the sun's rays were breaking through clouds and shining onto green mountains spotted with misty clouds nestled into nooks and crannies.

Just breathtaking.

The birds were in heaven and singing loud and clear and the river was coming down next to the road with whitewater force.

It was runner's paradise.

I went about 4.2 miles up and straight back down.

I was aiming for 3.6 up but I missed the landmark I had chosen on mapmyrun. It got to the point where I was pretty sure I had already been 3.6 so I ran to the first landmark I could find (some fancy shmancy house) and then mapped it when I got home. And 4.2 uphill was just fine, I feel a lot more prepared for Ragnar now.

I was surprised that the hill really didn't seem that intimidating. I wish it had been more steep like the hill in Ragnar will be, but this was the best I could do.

There were moments where it got steep but mostly it was just a long, gradual uphill run.

Here's the breakdown: this run had a 1050 ft. elevation gain in 4.2 miles and the Ragnar hill has a 1400 ft. elevation gain in only 3.2 miles. So it's a lot more steep, but I'm hoping I can handle it.

My ankle worries are dissolving. It is stiff and bothering me a bit, but I think with ice and ibuprofen I'll be just fine.

Alright, three weeks to go!

Going the distance

2011-05-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I wish I had trained a little harder for the Ragnar. It's in 4 weeks, so that only leaves 3 more Saturdays for long runs or hills.

So today I got out there and ran 10 miles to make sure I was ready for my 9.6 mile leg.

Mentally, I was fine. It actually didn't feel as long as I thought it would. But around mile 7, my legs started to fatigue a bit. I took a gel but it didn't really help. My legs just aren't used to this much distance right now. But they made it through just fine. I have no idea what my pace was. I really should be tracking it, but we lost the foot sensor to our Nike+ and I just haven't put any effort into tracking my pace since. I really hope I'm under 10 minute miles. Please, please let me be faster than that by now.

Only problem is some ankle pain. I took some ibuprofen and I'm icing it and crossing my fingers it doesn't become a problem. It started on Thursday when I tried to be all gung ho and set the treadmill to a 7.0 incline and ran 2.25 miles. DANG that was hard!! My ipod was dead, too, and honestly, it was miserable! I think I was going like a 12-13 minute pace and it was still crazy challenging! And I got the beginnings of a nice little ankle injury as a souvenir. Why do I do these things to myself? And maybe the better question is:

Why did I sign up for that crazy hill in the Ragnar?

I'm seriously getting nervous about it.

I can just see my team cheering me on as I shamefully walk up the hill.

NICE!

So yeah, the good news is I ran 10 miles, woo hoo! Furthest I've gone since having Kyle.

Bad news is I may be injured... please let the bad news go away.

Ragnar training

2011-04-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

The Ragnar race is less than 2 months away!

It is upon us!

Now that it's almost here, I'm finally getting excited about it.

Up until now, it has just seemed like this elusive race that was never really going to happen.

I didn't sign up for the easiest of legs, so it's time to get training.

My first leg is an easy, flat 3.5 miles. Wahoo!

My second leg is relatively flat, but it will probably occur in the wee hours of the morning, and it's 9.6 miles. That one could go either way for me. Either I'll be pumped and in my groove and loving the craziness of the whole thing, or I'll be tired and slow and wondering what the heck I'm doing. Time will tell.

The third leg is (dun dun dun!) 3.6 miles STRAIGHT UP.

Look at that incline.

Yikes!

And with zero sleep!

I'm sure I won't sleep. I wish I were one of those who could fall asleep anywhere, anytime (Justin), but I'm not. It's going to be a sheer miracle if I get any at all.

Anyway, I've slowly been integrating some hill workouts into my runs, I wish I had been better about recording them here. I've also been doing some half run/half stairmill days at the gym. Anything to strengthen my butt and hamstrings because heavens knows I'm going to need it!

Today I ran 3.5 at a 8:34 pace. It was tough. I was going for 4, but the child center girl came to get me to change Kyle's diaper. I thought about asking if I could just have 4 more minutes, but didn't. :)

After changing him, I came back and did a mile at a level 5 incline at a 10:00 pace. It wasn't too bad. I wish I knew what number to put on the treadmill incline to mimic that hill I'm going to run. Probably a 10, seriously. I think for now I'll keep it at a 5, and work my way up to 3.6, then boost it to a 6, then 7, etc. Ughhh, can't wait. BUT at least I have another motivation which is: my butt. Needs some serious help for swimsuit time, so at least I'll be killing two birds with one stone.

Alright! Time to hit the ground running and get ready for Ragnar!

Into the elements

2011-03-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and things are slightly warming up in Utah.

So I have ventured away from the treadmill and out into the elements.

I forgot about elements.

Elements are kind of rough.

But I kind of like rough.

My 5.5 Saturday run was like running through a wind tunnel.

I had a mile-long stretch where the wind was so strong I felt like I was running underwater.

It wasn't my preferred way to run, but I do get that sense of satisfaction knowing that I am getting prepared for wind should that happen in a race.

Running outside also brings unexpected hills.

And since I have a 4 mile steep uphill leg in the upcoming Ragnar relay, bring 'em on!

I also came across 3 dead animals in one run on Saturday- that part of outdoor running is not my favorite.

But I'm happy to be outdoors again.

I can feel summer coming and it sure feels good!

Pushing myself

2011-02-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

This morning I knew I needed to run.

But I really didn't want to run.

We were in the middle of a snowstorm, Justin was going to play basketball at the church, Kyle is getting his first tooth so he's snotty and not feeling too great, and I was just not feeling energetic.

I told Justin I just wasn't going to go.

But Makenzie wanted to go play at the gym, and Justin gave me the wise advice to just go.

So I went.

And as usual, I was glad I did.

I was kind of thinking I would do a 10k distance, but I started out not really knowing what I was going to end up doing.

I warmed up for the first mile and by the end of that mile I was doing a 6.8 on the treadmill (I think that's an 8:49 pace). I was feeling pretty good.

I started thinking about the upcoming Ragnar race, and the 4-mile straight uphill leg I have to run, and I decided to start some uphill training.
So every other song I put it on a 2.5 incline for the duration of that song. I didn't decrease my speed (still 6.8) so it was a good challenge. By 3 or maybe 4 songs of that uphill, I was getting tired.
So all of mile 4 I just ran, same pace.
On mile five, I was recovered and decided to push myself just a little more.
I decreased my speed down to a 6.0 (10 minute mile) and put the incline on a 4.0. That's a pretty good incline. I did two songs like that- it was a challenge.
As a reward for my efforts, on the last mile I gave myself a nice -2.0 downhill. It felt great.
I ended up doing my full 6.4 miles in 58:13.
I think that's a 9:22 pace.
I really ran my guts out and it felt so good!

Catching up

2011-01-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

I have been doing a lot of running lately, I've just been terrible about recording it here!

I wrote a few posts ago about wondering when I would ever start to feel "normal" again.

Well, it came.

Somewhere around 4 and a half months after baby, my body stopped having those "ouch, I definitely just had a baby" pains during my runs.

If I went faster or longer, though, they would come back. But the pain was barely there.

At about 5 months (which I hit 9 days ago), it pretty much stopped happening altogether.

The past few weeks, I've been running 4-5 miles pretty regularly (2-4 times a week).

I got a little ambitious and started running 4-5 miles around a 8:30-8:45 pace, just because I COULD. It has been so long since I've been able to push myself like that, it felt awesome.

And I thought surely I would start dropping the excess baby weight.

But no such luck.

I didn't watch my eating, but I figured running like a maniac and doing some intense workout classes combined with breastfeeding would do the trick.

But it didn't!

What the heck??

I wasn't losing a pound.

I talked to a friend who is an instructor at the gym.

She said I needed to do base training.

Run slower.

Keep my heart rate low.

Not again!!

Just when I thought I could go all out again, and you're telling me to slow down??

But what she said made sense.

When I run super hard and do the intense workout classes, my heart rate is in the anaerobic range. That makes you burn sugar and carbs, but it doesn't teach your body to burn fat.

Aerobic exercise (keeping your heart rate lower) will teach your body to start burning fat.

She said, "get on the elliptical or treadmill and go at a pace you would go at if you were starting a marathon. And go for an hour."
I read a good article about it here.

So that is what I've done the last 2 weeks.
Going off the heart rate guide on the treadmill, I have to run a TWELVE minute mile to keep myself in the aerobic/fat burn range.
It's not so bad, it just takes all sense of competition out of you. :)

I've also started cutting SOME of the carbs out of my diet (man I love carbs! I didn't realize I pretty much eat a carb-only diet until I started monitoring them).

I've lost a few pounds already.

So I'm sticking with this plan, because I still have 20 more pounds to lose.

So anyway, I'm back in the game. It feels good. I can run again. And it should feel a whole lot better when I'm 15-20 pounds lighter!

Up to four

2010-12-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

Ran four miles for the first time since baby last night. For some reason it wasn't even hard. Maybe it helped that Justin was on the treadmill next to me and we were watching Miami play Cleveland for the first time since Lebron switched teams.

I also took it slow. I was doing a 10:40 for the first mile, then a 10:30 for the second. By the third mile, I was doing a 10:00 pace, and on the last mile, I kept gradually getting faster til I hit 8:57 right at the end.

On the third mile, I started getting those post-baby pains. They were totally manageable, but there. Can't wait til that stops happening.

If I weren't getting ready for Makenzie's birthday party tomorrow, I would have tried to do it again tonight. Maybe tomorrow!

Some things aren't fun

2010-10-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

I'm a little bit of a Negative Nelly tonight. Or maybe just Honest Abe.

I went back to the gym for the first time tonight since I had the baby.

All the kids were asleep and it was only 8:30 so I took advantage and headed off to the gym.

Before I even left, I noticed the nice ring of fat hanging over my waistband. Cool.

Then I got to the gym.

I forgot how fit those people are.

It's fun being overweight in a sea of supermodels, let me tell you.

Then I started running.

Ahhh, running. My solace.

Yeah right.

The first mile was great.

But after only one measly mile, my abs were killing me.

It's not really any other part of my body.

My abs are just... not in place. They just plain hurt.

I feel like Humpty Dumpty. Except I better get put back together again eventually.

It is so hard not to push myself.

That's what I have trained myself to do. That's what all runners do.

Pep talk yourself: you can do this, just a little faster, just a little longer.

So to tell myself: you better not go as far as you were planning on, you better slow down... it just feels so wrong! And it's extremely frustrating.

I can't wait to be normal again. I don't know how long it's going to take. I wonder if I will be able to pinpoint it- "okay, I'm normal again." Maybe by six months after baby? I hope so.

But as humbling as it is, I'm glad I can do it. I ran 3.2 again. It took me 35 minutes. I'll take what I can get, but I am definitely looking forward to better days!

3.2

2010-10-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

I got up to a 5k distance on Friday.

It wasn't easy.

During marathon training, I learned how important your core muscles are for running.

And right now... I have no core.

At least it feels that way.

I feel like I have a hollow, empty space in the middle of my body.

All of the energy is coming from my legs, and maybe a little from my pumping arms, and it is really hard.

It took me somewhere around 36 minutes. Yep. Slow. I had a big uphill at the end that nearly cut the run short, I was really struggling. But every accomplishment is something right now, I'm just glad to be running again, even though it feels like I'm in running rehab!

I love technology

2010-09-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

I do.

I am not a techie type.

But when I do get a new gadget that significantly improves my quality of life, I love it.

Justin and I recently upgraded our phones to the Samsung Intercept. It's not the best phone on the market by any means, but it is 3G and an Android phone so we now have access to the wonderful world of "apps" that I have been hearing about for so long now.

And it's really, really fun.

My new favorite app is My Tracks.

It's an app that keeps track of your distance for running, walking, hiking, etc. and it uses Google satellites for the GPS function. Today was my first attempt using it and I think it's pretty dang accurate.

It records a little map of exactly where I went, tells me my time, distance, elevation, etc. The only downfall is it doesn't tell me my mile pace, it just says I'm going "5 mph" when I would rather it say, "12 minute miles"... or maybe I would rather it didn't tell me I'm going so pitifully slow. But anyway, I digress.

I also downloaded the Pandora radio app, which is about the coolest thing for running EVER.

Do you realize that I trained for and ran a marathon listening to the same songs OVER and OVER again?

Enough to drive a girl crazy!

Today I ran my whopping 18 minutes- 1.56 miles- to Justin Bieber radio.

And I loved every minute of it.

Thank you, technology.

So far, so good

2010-09-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Went running twice this week.

First on Thursday, a week from my first attempt after baby, and then again today.

Thursday was a grand total of 15 minutes, and today 18.

I don't know what my pace is.

My guess is an 11-something mile pace.

It feels really good.

I'm totally letting my body decide what to do, and I'm really grateful I have even been able to do this much.

Fall is my favorite time of year in Utah and it is just blissful to get out in that warm sun and cool breeze and run again!

I'm back!...sort of

2010-09-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Just finished running.

I just wanted to say that.

I JUST FINISHED RUNNING!

Yeeaaahhhh!

Now before I get too excited, I need to remember that I probably didn't even go a mile.

But it was the best.

Seriously.

Okay, so I'm only 18 days postpartum, so I knew no matter what I couldn't push anything. A slow, short run... to test things out.

I drove down the street to a trail that I rarely run on (I rarely go there because it is secluded and thus dangerous-feeling).

But secluded was what I needed.

Several neighbors were outside and I didn't want to get any, "what are you doing, you crazy lady who just had a baby?" kind of looks or comments.

And I was so glad to have some privacy because seriously, not 10 steps into it, the biggest smile spread across my face that could not be contained. Not that I wanted to contain it. I couldn't have. I was so happy to be running again I actually started laughing. Yeah... the neighbors really would have started wondering if they had seen that!

But man... it was a moment. One of those few running moments you have that you'll probably never forget. One of those moments when you realize how much you REALLY love this. Turning back was hard. Disappointing. Mentally, I could have gone for miles.

Okay so that was the emotional side of it. Physical side? Not so awesome. This is definitely not the post-marathon body I left behind last fall. For some reason my butt muscles hurt. And I'm heavy. My "abs" are mush. And yeah... I pretty much feel like I just had a baby. But it's okay. I have hope. I know I will eventually get back to where I was... and hopefully much, much better.

Getting Nervous..

2010-08-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

So with each passing day, those half marathon plans of mine are looking more and more far-fetched.

Before I had the baby, I was just thinking about whether or not my body could do it.

I was totally missing a big part of the equation.

Time.

In the past, I've run long races in August.

That meant Justin was off work to watch the kids while I ran.

Now he's back at work, working a lot of evenings already, and then you throw in the fact that I'm nursing baby constantly, I just don't see how I, let alone both of us, could train for a half marathon right now.

Don't get me wrong, I still can't wait to get back out and run, and I will do all I can do, but I may have to go back down to my original plan to do a 10k before the year is over. That is seeming a lot more doable right now... we will see!

Baby Day

2010-08-12T08:40:00.001-07:00

I'm leaving for the hospital in about 3 hours, and the last thing I thought I'd be doing right now is writing in my running journal.

But I had the most vivid running dream last night that I wanted to record.
I dreamed I was running a 10k 9 months pregnant.
I was telling everyone how I was "due yesterday" and that the baby was safe if the race made me go into labor.

The best part about it?
I was fast.
Super fast.
Faster than I normally am.
I was one of the front runners.
It was AWESOME!

I kept thinking, "Why did I stop running? I had no idea I could be so fast pregnant!"
Pretty funny.
It felt so real.
Until it got to the part where the race went through houses in this abandoned village type thing and one of the houses had stray cats in it that were scratching and biting me.
The race part kinda fizzled after that... guess my subconscious wasn't too keen on the cats.

I think I had this dream because I've been thinking a lot about these half marathon plans of mine.
I had my last pregnant visit to the gym yesterday and just walking on the treadmill for 10 minutes and then the elliptical for 20, I could feel lots of aches and pains and it reminded me of how much it hurts when you start running again after baby. It feels like your pelvis is breaking. I'm getting just a twinge of that right now but it's nothing compared to how I'm gonna feel post-baby!

So yeah, I know it's pretty far-fetched that I will be able to run a half marathon in 2.5 months. It really might not happen. But I'm still gonna try!

Slowing down

2010-07-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Less than 3 weeks to go now, so I wanted to document what my fitness level is like at this point.
I am still going to the gym regularly (every day that I can), but my energy level is waning.
Yesterday I started on the elliptical but after 10 minutes, I switched to the treadmill to walk.
That was my first time just walking at the gym.
I was going pretty fast and was surprised that I still worked up a sweat.
I kept having contractions while I was walking, too, so I made sure not to slow down. :)

But it's pretty obvious that I'm at the end.
Just keeping the house clean and keeping up with the kids is wearing me out.
I'm like a robot going to the gym, habit is the only thing getting me there.
But even though my workout level is light and my motivation is practically nil, I'm glad I'm getting something in and I'm crossing my fingers that it may help me go into labor sooner.

The fever

2010-07-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

You know how a few months ago everybody had spring fever?
We knew warm weather was right around the corner and the anticipation was killing us?

Well I've totally got running fever.
I know it's almost here.
Only 5 weeks of pregnancy to go.
And it feels so close, I can practically taste it.

I'm totally patting myself on the back here, but I have been extremely diligent with elliptical training at the gym lately.
Last week we went to the gym every day but Sunday.
I have a cold right now and my head was so hazy all day, but I still made it today and put in my 45 minutes, level 10, sweat like crazy time on the elliptical.

During those 45 minutes, practically all I do is think about running.
Sometimes I get tempted to just stop and switch over to a treadmill, just to see... but then I realize how pointless (and embarrassing) it would be when I have to stop 30 seconds into it, which I know would happen. So I stick to my elliptical, and enjoy the awesome new running playlist I got Justin for Fathers' Day. Sean Kingston is HANDS DOWN the best artist to run to for me. Eenie Meenie Minie Mo Lover and especially Fire Burnin' make me move like you've never seen a pregnant lady move before. :)

Seriously though, I can't wait to have my body back, to have core muscles again, to just take off with no inhibitions and run so hard I think I'm gonna puke.

Half Marathon Plans!

2010-06-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

I am SUPER excited to write that in four months, I will be running a half marathon!
I have less than seven weeks left in the pregnancy now, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Justin has decided to run his first half marathon with me, and we will be running the Provo Halloween Half Marathon on Oct. 30. Since it's Justin's first half, and about 2.5 months after giving birth for me, we've decided to take it really easy, run together and just have a good time.

It's a costumed race, and looks like a ton of fun.

(photo from www.halloweenhalf.com)

This has given me some serious motivation in the gym to get moving on that elliptical trainer! Knowing that race training is right around the corner has totally lifted my spirits. I seriously can't wait!

Dreaming of running

2010-06-03T06:47:00.001-07:00

Literally.
I have been having dreams that I'm racing.
It's actually really fun, because I'm never pregnant in my dreams.
But my last racing dream I was carrying my purse for some reason and I kept losing it along the course. Strange.

But even in my waking hours, I've been dreaming about running.
Now that the weather is getting a little warmer, it feels like running season to me and I just want to run so bad.

So I've decided that 2010 isn't over for me, and I will run at least one race before the year is over! Baby is due August 10, and I feel pretty confident I could at least do a 5k by the end of October. It may not be fast, but I will do it!
I just need some motivation in the gym these next two months, and I think this will be the ticket.

Plugging along

2010-05-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I updated.
I have no exciting news, no upcoming races, no running experiences.

I have just been plugging along, trying to be consistent.
I have been to the gym every day this week.
It hasn't been easy, but then again I do have a couple of motivations.
One, summer is coming and I don't know how I can possibly be seen in a swimsuit. Really, my cellulite situation is out of control. Trying to do the most damage control I can.
Two, my sister's wedding is a couple of months after I have the baby and I would like to look semi-normal.

It also helps working out at Lifetime, where half the ladies there look like they just walked out of a Sports Illustrated photo shoot. It's extremely inspiring.

So yeah... I have been getting pretty good workouts on the elliptical and bike, and some good strength sessions and I really hope it's keeping me in good enough shape to start running again soon after I have the baby! We will see...

The switchover

2010-04-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Because of some pregnancy related aches and pains, I've decided it's time to switch off of running and on to the elliptical and bike. Yesterday I did 45 minutes on the elliptical and even though I am supposed to keep my heart rate under 140 (hehe), I still get a pretty good workout. I don't get sore like I do from running, but I'm burning fat and getting my heart going.

A trainer at the gym (during a free fitness evaluation) told me to aim for 3 45-minute cardio workouts a week and 2 strength training. She was 37 weeks pregnant herself, so she knew what she was talking about.

I'm trying really hard to be diligent, but honestly I am just tired. And hungry. Working out almost every day is a real challenge. I have to drag myself to the gym. But you know what? I'm doing it. And I seriously think working out on a regular basis while pregnant is harder than race training! There's no glory, no sweet accomplishments. Just maintenance.

Off I go to barbell class. Hurray!

What it's like at 23 weeks

2010-04-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Right now I am definitely at the point where I am showing, and obviously pregnant, but not huge. I can still run, slowly. I am having pain in my pelvic area after harder workouts, but the doctor said there's nothing to worry about- that the little aches and pains will get worse with each pregnancy.

Joining Lifetime Fitness has been a lifesaver. The kids play in the child center and I can do classes or hit the bike or elliptical. This is what I'm doing most often right now. There is a circuit class on Fridays that I have still been able to do until today. It's one of the hardest group fitness classes at the gym, and even with my modifications, it is still a KILLER workout. But today when she showed us all the jumps/hops/sprints we would be doing, I had to duck out and just hit the elliptical. It was a bit of a bummer, but I'm just at that point in the pregnancy and it's ok.

I have been trying to love spin class. Really trying. So many people have told me you can do that up until the day you have the baby. And I do sweat. I burn. I hate it. But not like I hate running. There's never a high point, an enjoyable moment. My butt bone hurts and the position is awkward. But it gets my heart pumping and fat burning, so I'm just going to have to get used to it.

I have been eating better and exercising more since my 7 lb. weight gain last month, and I weighed about a pound and a half more today. So... oh well. I'm just gonna keep eating healthfully and doing the workouts I can until baby comes. I will absolutely be doing a marathon in 2011, so I'm pretty sure I will lose the weight. Eventually.

Sorry so boring, just wanted to jot down the way things are at this point in my pregnancy!

No more Reese's

2010-04-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

Today marks 22 weeks pregnant, so I snapped a quick photo before heading out for a run to document my bulge(s).

Right before my run, I had my monthly OB checkup.
I gained SEVEN pounds.
In one month.
Could you imagine if I kept that rate up?
7 lbs. x 9 months=YIKES!!

My OB jokingly asked if I've had a lot of Easter candy.
I truthfully answered yes.
I must say, those Reese's mini cups are the most deliciously evil little things.
I have obviously had more than my fair share.

So today was a big wake up call.
I don't want doctors to have to tell me I'm gaining too much weight.
I'm supposed to be a runner, right? Not a fatty.
That's what made me realize today, as I thought about it all during my run, that my health is entirely dependent on my running.

When I run regularly, I eat better, I drink more water, I think about my body.
When I don't, I slowly but surely creep into bad habits (like say... Reese's cups between every meal).

So today I ran for 30 minutes.
It wasn't bad, except for carrying all the extra weight.
The prego belly was the least of my problems.
It was my heavy legs carrying my heavy body.
It literally felt like I had those ankle weights you use for leg lifts strapped all over my body.

I have made a resolve to stop making excuses and be more healthy for the rest of my pregnancy.
I know I can do it, I just need to be how I was before I got pregnant.
On with the running and out with the Reese's!

It ain't over yet

2010-03-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well I'm happy to say that at 20 weeks pregnant, I still managed to run an easy 3-miler on Saturday with Justin. I even pushed Jarom in the jogging stroller. I have such a nice stroller that it almost felt like a crutch more than a hindrance.
I did feel like I might pee my pants for the first mile with everything pounding on my bladder, but I just kept saying to myself, "You JUST peed, you don't have to pee, you don't have to pee."
Eventually it went away and it felt so good to have the sun shining on my face and the breeze blowing on me again.

Holy moly, that felt good

2010-02-01T16:36:00.001-08:00

So I don't post in months and now 2 in one day?
I just have to say that I did it, and it was good.

The sun was shining down on me, it was in the 40's (which feels like Spring in Utah), I had my "I gotta feelin'" song going, and I don't know... it was like all the stars aligned and I was happy again.

MAN I have missed running! Especially outside.
I felt like I was reunited with a long-lost friend, I kid you not.
I forgot things in the last few months... like the way my shadow looks with my stubby little pony tail, the way my pace changes with every song, the way I know the exact spot on a few songs I have to switch to the next song to avoid the bad part, the way it feels when you walk in the house and it feels like 100 degrees inside... I missed it all.
Can't wait to run again.

The pregnancy debate

2010-02-01T07:42:00.001-08:00

My goodness, I'm so tired of debating this in my head. I'm tired of thinking about it, and I just needed to make a decision. So I have.

My doctor told me I could run, but not to get my heart rate over 145. Guess what? That's impossible. I tried running a 10:30 mile and my heart rate was still too high.

So I decided I wouldn't be able to run while pregnant. I would just have to settle for walking.

But I'm almost 13 weeks now, it's the middle of winter, and the motivation for me to get out and walk is very little. So basically, I haven't exercised regularly for my whole pregancy. I have tried running or elliptical a few times, but since I couldn't keep my heart rate low enough, I just gave up.

No more.
This cannot be healthy.
I'm gaining weight like crazy. My cardio level is going down the drain.
And I'm just not doing it anymore.
I have researched and researched and everywhere I see online, doctors have told their pregnant patients that they can run, just not to overwork themselves and just take it easy.
So that is what I will do.
Easy jogs. No race training. No sprinting. Just nice, easy runs.
There is just no way I can go 9 months with no cardiovascular exercise. THAT is not healthy.
So... yes when I get bigger, I will have to settle for walking, I know that. But while the baby is still teeny, I'm going out for a jog. Today.

Rut

2009-11-16T23:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, confession time.
I haven't been running much.
Maybe once a week. Twice is really good.

It gets dark around 5.
Justin gets home around 4.
I work two of those weekdays and the other 3 are always just so dang busy.

Heaven knows I love to run.
But maybe I don't love it enough to work my life around it.
I will run when there is plenty of opportunity.
Summer is full of endless daylight and Justin is home so much to watch the kids.
But now, when I can't wake up early to run (it's dark), I can barely squeeze it in after Justin gets home, and I don't have a gym option anymore... holy cow, it's getting the better of me.

I need some motivation in a major way.
A race?
Maybe a turkey trot?
Or maybe a fancy gym membership?

Something has got to change.
I need help!

Oktoberfest 10k

2009-10-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

So I went into this race with mixed emotions. I was glad to be running a shorter distance race again, and have it actually feel like a race instead of me just running really far for someone else to measure and give me proof that I did it.

At the same time, I was also feeling discouraged because I was disappointed that after a summer full of running, I could barely get under a 9-minute pace in my practice runs. I just feel like a more experienced runner than that so I was a little frustrated to think I might be in the back of the pack.

Well the horn went off and I took off at an aggressive pace (as my speedy friend Sheena taught me; it's a race tactic I never expected I would love). The temperature was surprisingly low- in the low 40's at the start. It's supposed to be 75 degrees today so I showed up in my little shorts and (thankfully) a winter running top. So needless to say I was freezing. My body felt like a running robot, very tight. But I was surprised to see that there weren't a whole lot of people ahead of me. Maybe 25 at that point.

Through the first couple of miles, not many people passed me and I was getting excited. Maybe 10 guys passed me throughout the whole race (which not to be sexist, but it bothers me less if a guy passes me) and 6 girls that I counted (hehe).

The miles really seemed to fly by. Every time I passed a mile marker, I thought, "Already??" I wondered if the markers were wrong (a girl who ran with a Garmin later informed me that they were right on). During mile 3, a very fit middle-aged lady with a Top of Utah Marathon tshirt passed me. I thought, "Oh well, she looks like a really good runner." But after half a mile passed and I was still pretty close, I decided this lady was going to be my ticket. I was going to ride her coattails to the finish. And that's just what I did for about a mile. We chatted off and on about races, she was super nice.

Then, out of nowhere, when we hit mile marker 5, I just felt like I wasn't pushing as hard as I knew I could at that point. I pulled ahead and my new friend pulled with me for a while, but before I knew it she was dropping back. I felt a little rude, but this was a race right? I saw the "one mile to go" sign and I gave it all I had. I ended up passing 5 of the 6 girls who had passed me during the race in that last mile. I'll be honest, it felt great.

I finished in almost exactly 52 minutes, for an 8:22 pace. Totally happy. I had been wishing I could get to a 8:30, but expecting more like an 8:45, so yeah, 8:22 made my day.

I'm not sure of all the stats, but I know I finished 4th in my 25-29 female age group (rats, one place away from a medal), and 35th overall in the race. I don't know how many people were in the race... maybe 150-200? So yeah, it was a good race and I'm glad I squeezed one more in before the end of the season!

Test Run

2009-10-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

I ran a 10k practice run today. And the results are:
57 minutes 15 seconds total for an average pace of 9:12.
Uhh... I'm not gonna complain. Nine-twelve is okay, but if I can't get under a 9 minute pace in the race, I'm not gonna lie, I will be disappointed.
To my credit, I did run on hills and grass throughout my run, and I also held back a bit so I can get a long run in tomorrow.
I have one more weekend to get in a practice run before the race in 2 weeks, so hopefully each week I'll get a little faster. Time will tell!

So much for no upcoming races

2009-09-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

I just registered for the Oktoberfest 10k in Highland on October 17th. It's the first year for the race and it sounds pretty good (flat course and a raffle at the end- they're even giving away 2 pairs of Mizuno's in the prizes, nice!).
I don't have a lot of time to work on my speed, so I know I'm not gonna break my sub 8-minute pace I got in that 10 miler by any means, but I do hope I get under a 9-minute mile.
It will be fun to run a mid-distance race before the running season ends.
So... so much for running for the sake of running, I've got another race to get ready for! Fun times.

The little things

2009-09-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

Today I didn't feel like running.
I'll admit it, not one ounce of me felt like putting on my running gear, loading up my jogging stroller into the van before preschool, and hitting the pavement.
But I did it anyway.
Just go through the motions, I thought. Just get it done.
The first five minutes of my run consisted of me debating if I should continue my pathetic pace or just forget about it and take a walk. Walk? I couldn't do it. Not when I set out to run. I am a runner, I thought, not a walker.
So one step after another, I was running and before I knew it I was in my rhythm and enjoying it.
How many days has that happened?
How many days like this have to pass for me to realize that I will never regret pushing through laziness and accomplishing a run that day, no matter how short or slow?
I ran for 30 minutes today.
My pace was less than commendable.
The numbers are nothing.
But the tenacity it takes on days like this to stick with your goals is something. Days like this lead to marathons.
It may seem silly, but today more than ever I felt like a runner. I didn't run because I ate a big burrito before bed and needed to burn calories. I didn't run because I have an upcoming race. I ran because I run. That's what I do, and today especially, I'm glad I did it.

Refreshed

2009-09-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

It has been over a month since I last posted. In my last post, I had just completed the marathon and couldn't wait to race again. Then I realized I really should take a rest and let that shin fully heal. Well when nearly a month had passed and I had only run 3 or 4 times, I realized rest had been replaced with laziness.
THEN after reading Becca's (I could just say "your" since I think you're the only one who really reads this Becca) post about running with the jogging stroller while Teya was in preschool, I knew that could work for me too- I had a plan and I had hope for regular running again, even with our new hectic schedule of Justin working late hours all the time and me working, too.
So I bought this jogging stroller used on the classifieds for $30:

It's actually a REALLY nice jogging stroller (Dreamer Design- they run about $300 new) and it's in great shape so I totally scored. It is really tall so it makes it easier to push and it's got great shocks on it.
So this week I ran while Kenz was in preschool and did a nice-n-easy 8 miler this morning. I'm doing about 9 minute miles currently and it feels good- not a real competitive pace, but it feels good to just run the pace I feel like running and not necessarily be training for anything. It feels so great to be back in the swing of things, my body is happy again.

It's over.

2009-08-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

Just kidding, it has really only just begun. All these months of training have involved a lot of excitement and disappointment, joy and pain, confidence and doubt. Really, it has been quite the roller coaster getting ready for marathon number one. And now that it's over, I don't really want it to be. I miss the roller coaster, I guess? No, it's not that. I just love races. I want more, I need more... I'm totally addicted.
I didn't expect this. I kept thinking, "Just gotta make it through the marathon and then I'm not gonna run for MONTHS!"
No way, Jose. As it turns out, I can't wait to get running again. What have I been doing all week? Looking up races. There's a 5k this weekend down the street. Too early? Probably. But I really want to do it, despite all my aches and pains. There's a half marathon that looks really tough next month. Want to do that, too. Want to run the St. George marathon if I can buy someone's spot... yup, I've got race fever.
So anyway- I started this blog to document my marathon training. And it's all there. But I want to keep on blogging about my running experiences. So I will keep updates of my races here, and maybe anything interesting I stumble across with running. So yeah, off I go...

Park City Marathon

2009-08-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Okay I did it! See here.

I will post some more thoughts here soon, but as for now, I need a nap. :)

This is it

2009-08-20T14:08:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is the last day in my existence that I'll be able to say, "I've never run a marathon."

I'm starting to get nervous. I keep worrying about my injury- how it will hold up, how much it will slow me down. And the speed thing is definitely bothering me. I know my speed is nowhere near what it used to be, and although I know your first marathon is all about finishing, I'm still gonna be disappointed if my pace is ridiculously slow. If I see old, fat people beating me, I might just cry. And really, it will probably happen. I'm also really worried about my nutrition. I'm trying to carb load but I don't really know what I'm doing. I don't want to eat too much differently than usual to avoid digestive issues, so I'm just hoping what I'm eating will work out.

On a positive note, I'm also getting really excited. I go pick up my packet and bib in a couple of hours and I know being around all the runners is gonna get me pumped. It will get me ready for race morning. Seriously, there are very few things that are more exciting than the morning of a big race. AND Tiffany is flying in tomorrow and I'm just so excited we get to run this together. I know we can do it, we've each had our setbacks (injuries), but we practically ran a marathon together 3 weeks ago for our longest run. We may have had 11 minute miles, but we did it. Okay Park City Marathon... here we come!

One week til the Marathon!

2009-08-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

So today was my FINAL long run before the big day. I only had to run 8 miles which was nice. My shin is doing so much better (I'm not hobbling anymore!!), but it still felt irritated throughout the course of the run. I'm babying it though and hope it won't be a problem next Saturday.

Today I ran at about a 10 minute pace. I'm so much slower than I was before the injury, but it's okay. I can run fast again after the marathon, but I'm not risking anything at this point.

I'm assuming my race pace will be 11 minute miles or so. Hopefully not 12 minute milers, but you never know. Park City Marathon tells you right from the start that you won't be setting a pr on this course. My sis-in-law's dad (who has run many, many marathons) said you can pretty much add 30 minutes to your regular marathon time for Park City so I'm taking his word for it.

At any rate, I'm really excited. I don't care about time (and I'm not just saying that, this is marathon #1 so I'm okay with setting the bar low!). I am just really stoked that I'm gonna run 26.2 in one week!!

Did 10

2009-08-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

I woke up late yesterday (since when is 6:30 in the morning late?) so I didn't have time to do the 12 miles because Justin & Makenzie were in the Midvale parade (Justin for the h.s. float since and Makenzie for our stake primary's float).
I did manage to squeeze in 10 miles. I was frustrated that I couldn't go faster and just get 12 in. One thing about not running mid-week is that you definitely lose your speed/conditioning. I was faster than last week (9:50 miles this time), but it doesn't feel good when you're really pushing and look down and see your pace is only 9:00. Good thing to remember for next time- you can't just cut out your weekday runs- you will suffer for it!
Also, the combination of pushing harder and having to run on asphalt for nearly half the time didn't make my shin very happy. I am definitely more sore today than I was last time after the 20 miles. So next Saturday and during the marathon, I'm just going to take it super slow.

The ole taper down

2009-08-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my first taper-down Saturday. I never thought I would consider 12 miles a short run, but that is definitely what it feels like after 20. I am actually really excited to run after having such good results last Saturday.
I haven't been able to do any mid-week runs this week. I wish I could have, but to be honest, I haven't run mid-week in over a month because I didn't want to aggravate my injury and now I'm kind of used to just running on Saturdays and trying to squeeze in a home workout or gym visit (or 2) in the middle of the week.
So yeah, I'm not going to be as well-prepared as I wanted to be for this marathon. I wouldn't consider myself the eye of fitness right now. But the bottom line is, I'm going to be able to finish it and that's all that really matters right now.
So I'm crossing my fingers that I can just stay injury free for two more weeks!

The Big Twenty

2009-08-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

Things are definitely looking up. I honestly thought for a while I wasn't going to do this marathon. The shin pain in my right leg was so intense I thought for sure I had a stress fracture. But after a lot of babying, icing, ibuprofen, stretches, exercises, cross-training, better shoes and my now beloved Kinesio tape, my shin splint pain is actually going away, even after running TWENTY miles yesterday! Yayy!

Tiffany and I went over to Wheeler Farm and found some dirt roads behind it (for the tractor rides). It was really pretty and the longer we ran, the more paths we found. We ran by these little donkeys that we called unicorns, by horses, geese, cows, goats (freaky little things), chickens and roosters... all kinds of fun stuff to look at. We talked the whole time and the time really flew by. We stopped every 2-3 miles and alternated gatorade and water/gels. I stretched out that right leg every time and sure enough, it was fine. It will hurt if I stop taking ibuprofen, but at least it's manageable.

Tiffany only had to run 18 for her training schedule, so I ran the last 2 miles by myself. I was pushing an 11 minute pace, and kept remembering Tiffany's advice from her training book: "just when you think you need to go faster, you need to go slower." It was true. Everything was aching and I just wanted to hurry and finish. But I knew if I pushed it, I was gonna get hurt. So I just went nice and easy and honestly I'm not even that sore today. It took me 3 hours and 37 minutes to finish.. about a 10:50 pace I think. My ipod said I burned 2200 calories!

After the run, Tiffany and I drove all the way to Moab (about 3.5 hours away) for my grandma's 90th birthday. We had to get back home so we were only there for 2 hours and had to drive straight back. I was really nervous about being in the car for 7+ hours the same day as that long run (talk about getting stiff!) but it was fine. I feel really blessed that this is all working out.

So the marathon is in three weeks. I'm so excited and relieved that it's really going to happen! Woo hoo!

I ran again!!!

2009-07-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. After missing my long runs the past three Saturdays, I finally ran again. I ran 17 miles today. It feels so good to get a big number.

Yesterday was Justin's birthday and we spent it at the ward camp out. It was kind of interesting preparing for my longest run yet while camping. I forgot to bring my gels and any water (duh!). I bummed some water from other campers and wrapped up a bunch of strawberry newtons in foil and stuck them in the little pocket in the back of my shirt (talk about comfortable).

My little injury friend was still bothering me at the start for sure, and I did hobble for a while. I'd have to say I didn't feel like my stride was natural until about 5 miles into it. And I never got to a point where it was pain-free. But it was manageable. I read tons of tips online about these shin splints and one guy swears wrapping his leg super tight helps. So I did that and I think it did but I can't be sure.

Everything went pretty smoothly until about the half-marathon point and all of my muscles got super tight. But I was able to get through it and am glad I could finally run again!

Man this is getting tricky!

2009-07-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Last month you could have asked me how my marathon training was going and I would have enthusiastically answered, "Great!" I hadn't missed a single day on my training schedule. Check, check, check... everything was going perfectly.

But now things have changed. I have obviously had to do a lot of adapting to heal from this silly injury (which is still hurting, p.s.), and now the reality of my life not being able to revolve around the marathon is staring me in the face. I just started a new job, Justin is off at scout camp, and I have visitors, all of which is exciting but fitting in training is becoming very difficult. I marvel how so many people can be consistent marathoners. They don't have jobs or children or responsibilities or what?!

But on that note, I have to remind myself that not everyone does a perfect training regimen for the marathon and they still finish. It may not be impressive, I may run 15 minute miles, but I'm going to finish that dang marathon, even if I don't get to run one more day before then! I will keep my spirits up, no more of this pity party stuff. I don't want to look back on my marathon experience and say, "well I finished, but the whole experience was awful." No way! So... adios perfect training schedule and adios ideal first marathon finishing time, but I'm still happy I'm going to run a marathon and I'm just going to enjoy this experience and roll with the punches!

Another missed long run

2009-07-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I thought I would just run my long run today and see what happened. My leg has made very little improvement (still limping around everywhere, ergh!) but I just thought that if I missed 3 long runs in a row I might as well give up on the marathon. But I also thought that if I ran 16 miles on an injury I might make it bad enough that there would be no way I could run the marathon.

So late last night I got online and figured out exactly what's going on with my leg. It's called a posterior shin splint. That just means that instead of having pain in front of your shin bone, it's on the inside of your calf right between the calf muscle and shin bone and the pain goes down and wraps around your heel (exactly what I'm experiencing). It said whatever you do, don't run through the pain because it will most likely cause stress fractures in the tibia. I had the information I needed - I couldn't do my long run. Again.

So I rode my poor excuse for a bike (Justin said it looks like a bike some poor dude who got too many DUI's and lost his license would be riding around. It really does). I had been going for about 20 minutes (jealous of all the runners I passed along the way) when I hit a big bunch of sludge on the path. When I got out of the sludge, it started flinging off my bike tires all over me. My face, arms, legs, everywhere. I stopped to wipe it off the best I could (mostly just smearing it), and when I got back going, I cut off 2 biker dudes who yelled at me for being on the wrong side of the path. So that was a pretty awesome experience.

I went home discouraged and went to the gym to do 3 more lousy miles on the elliptical. I did some strength exercises and I'm just hoping this thing will be healed enough to run next Saturday, and that I still have the stamina to do it. If I go off my training schedule, I'm supposed to do my 20 miler next week. Tiffany's schedule is 16 miles. I'd be exstatic to get the 16. So all I can do for now is cross train and hopefully heal.

Hope

2009-07-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm here in Oceanside, CA visiting my brother. New terrain to discover, beautiful Southern California weather, ocean breezes... wouldn't it have been great to run every day here.... But my leg pain has really been overstaying its welcome and despite my efforts with ibuprofen, ice and rest, it wasn't getting better at all. In fact, two days ago it hurt so bad after I ran to put something back at the grocery store that I just wanted to cry (more from the anger about my injury than the pain though, although it did hurt bad).

Then Justin asked me if I was taking ibuprofen around the clock. I told him no, that I was just taking it when my leg bothered me. He suggested I take it more often so I started doing that 2 days ago. It really helped and today I decided to try to run. I was supposed to run 16 miles. There was no way I was going to push it that hard on my first day back but I was really happy because I think I was able to do 6 or 7 and the pain was manageable. I am definitely disappointed that I've had to slack on 2 long runs in a row, but I'm just glad I could run at all today. So I'm gonna keep up with my steady stream of ibuprofen and hopefully this next week I'll be able to run again.

Bike

2009-06-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday didn't go as planned to say the least. I wanted to get up at 6 a.m. and bike for 2 hours. I have an old 80's rusted bike that I saved off a truckload of stuff a friend was bringing to the D.I. But Friday night (after a day at Lagoon), I had to take Makenzie to urgent care because her cousin managed to yank her arm hard enough that he dislocated her elbow. So needless to say I didn't get home until really late Friday night and I needed a pump before I could ride the bike. I just slept in and Justin got me a pump Saturday morning. But I didn't get a chance to take the bike out until late afternoon and since we had dinner plans, I only got to go for about a half hour.

I was disappointed in my slacker workout, but I was happy to discover that the bike was a harder workout than I thought it would be. My quads were burning before I made it to the end of my street! They burned the whole way, along with my inner thighs. I was breathing hard and was so elated that I could work up a sweat and get my heart going without ANY pain in my shin. And I even wondered if the pedaling motion would help strengthen my shin.

So even though I missed out on an anticipated 20 running miles last week, I did learn the value of cross training.

We're going to California in the morning (for a week) so I'm really hoping I can maintain my fitness on vacation. So now I have two tricky obstacles- injury and vacation... I hope it goes well, I'll update when I get back!

Low

2009-06-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight was definitely the bottom of my marathon training so far. I took Tuesday and Wednesday off and my shin splint (right leg only) was feeling semi recuperated so I decided to hit the high school track and do a nice, slow 4 miles.

From step 1, the pain was bad. I was limp running. Limp running is not good. I just needed to work into it, I thought. But the pain didn't ever go away. By two miles, I decided to incorporate some walking. When I started to run again, though, my leg just killed even more. So I decided to just keep running, no matter how slow I got. At the end of mile 3 I checked my pace and I was doing 11:30 miles. I wanted to cry. The night was cool and clear and beautiful, and I was surrounded by tons of athletic people, and I was just flat out feeling sorry for myself.

I told myself I would finish what I started if I had to walk the rest of it. But I was able to run the whole time, and even got a glimpse of happiness for the first half of my last mile and felt good enough to do a sub 8 minute pace. But I knew speed wasn't going to help me recover so I backed off again.

My leg kills. Ice, ibuprofen, stretching... I'm trying to help this thing but it just hurts so bad. I'm having to come to terms with the fact that my Saturday long run just isn't going to happen. It scares me. I need those long runs. I'm going to have to get on the bike or I'm afraid things will get ugly.

I'm just angry right now. I felt so invincible, like I was immune to injury. That's probably why I'm being humbled. And it sucks. So... hopefully I can figure out how to overcome this.

Adjusting

2009-06-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

Tiffany and I are still working on syncing our running preferences. We figured out a plan that we both like. I like to have 2 recovery days after my long run to ward off any injuries creeping up on me and she likes to run Mondays, so we decided she'll run alone Mondays, I'll run alone Tuesdays, and we'll run together on Wednesdays, Thursdays and of course on Saturdays.

I'm pretty frustrated right now though because the first day I ran with Tiffany I got shin splints. I have NEVER gotten a single shin splint in my life, not in my training last year, not in all the training I've been doing since February, nothing. And bam, first run together and I'm like "what the heck is this?" And it kept getting worse all last week. After our 12 miles on Saturday it was pretty bad. I tried to "run through it" (dumb) yesterday and it hurt the whole time. I'm toying with the idea of taking some time off but I can't take too much off or I'll screw up my training. Not exactly sure what I'm going to do. We did some yoga this morning and it felt so good. Maybe I can just do more cross training this week and when I stop hobbling around I can jump back into running. We'll see...

12 miles

2009-06-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Tiffany and I had our first long run together this morning. We went down to Draper and did 12 miles. We got some rain training in. As long as it's not pouring, running in the rain is great. We had cool weather for the entire 1 hour 52 minutes. I didn't stop the time for any of our water/gel/potty breaks and we averaged 9:20 miles. It was great having a partner on a long run and we had some fun moments. Tiffany just had to make me laugh hysterically on our last mile and I was laughing so hard I couldn't even run, I thought I was going to fall over. I won't share what was so funny... but yeah, it was bad. We had a good time.
My shins are hurting... first shin splits I've ever had and that's no fun, it better stop. Probably because my training has been a little off this week and I'm still recovering from the race last Saturday.

Keep it going

2009-06-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Gotta get my discipline back. I slacked off on the mileage a bit this week. I'm also trying to transition to a schedule with Tiffany. I only ran 3 miles yesterday b/c I went too late and it was getting dark. So I was a couple miles short for my weekday running this week. I'm still trying to decide what to run tomorrow, because Tiffany and I both have different training schedules... so we need to figure that out. I think I'll just run Tiffany's 13 tomorrow. Far enough for me!

Actual Riverwoods Results

2009-06-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

I got the actual posted results from the Riverwoods race:

Place overall: 48th out of 376

Place in women's division: 22nd out of 266 (yeah, this race was definitely a female majority)

Place in 25-29 female division: 6th out of 44

Pretty cool, I'm very happy. I have to add that Sheena was 2nd place in our division and 5th out of 266 women- wow!

Tiffany's here!

2009-06-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Tiffany got here Monday night and we've started running together! Yesterday we ran 6 miles (about a 9 minute pace) and today we ran 4 (just under 9 minute miles). We're just taking it easy and it's fun having someone to run with!

Riverwoods Results

2009-06-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

I'll post about it on my family blog when I have pictures, but I wanted to write about the 10 miler while it's fresh on my mind. Sorry about all the detail, but I want to remember this for next year.

Got up at 5:30 and felt relaxed and ready to go. Ate a peanut butter/honey/banana sandwich before I left and plenty of water and powerade. I rode down to Provo with my friend Sheena and everything went smoothly before the race started. We talked about everything related to running, including race strategy. Sheena got a 7:16 pace in her half marathon in April, so I like hearing about how she does it (being tiny and fit probably helps, but her strategy has got to be important, too). She says she always starts out hard. If she needs to slow down, she can, but she starts out with full effort. This is the opposite of what I usually do. I'm usually very conservative at the start, and if I feel comfortable, I'll speed it up. So at the last minute, I decided I'd try Sheena's strategy this time. Sheena made her way to the front of the starting line (where she belongs), and I hung out about 5 or 6 rows deep into the start. 3,2,1 and we were off.

The riverwoods race is a downhill shot for quite a ways and I was tearing down it. I finished the first mile at just barely over a 7 minute pace. I didn't know how fast I was going at the time (I figured it out after... because the second song on my ipod ended right when I hit the 1 mile mark, and the first two songs together are 7:08). I found myself running next to 2 very fit looking girls and felt comfortable with their pace. I made a goal to keep up with them for the rest of the race. I took a gel that I forgot to take before I started and it's kinda tricky eating those things when you're huffing and puffing and flying down a hill. I did a little leapfrogging with those girls for the next two miles, but by mile 4 the terrain was flat and I pulled ahead for good. I was pleasantly surprised.

I kept a pretty aggressive pace, and was surprised how long I could hold it. I hit the halfway point and took another gel. I wasn't sure if it was necessary, but Sheena said that was her plan so I figured I might as well try it, too! I was also surprised by how few people were passing me. Last year it felt like hundreds of people passed me! This year it felt like less than 50.

On mile 6, a girl who had been ahead of me the entire race, and who I had seen check her pace watch about 100 times, had stopped to walk at the aid station and was coming back to pass me. I asked her what her pace was and she said 7:30. I couldn't believe it. I thought as long as I could keep her in sight, I stood a chance of beating the 8:00 mark. It got hard during mile 7. I wanted to slow down, and that's when all the stuff I've been reading online came into play. I remembered a Runners World article that said one of the things that distinguishes elite runners is that they know how to push through pain (not injury pain, but fatigue and aching muscles and joints). It encouraged me. I could do this, it was a mental game now and I was more than halfway done. I kept telling myself positive thoughts (another tip I had read about).

I came out of the canyon and knew the finish line wasn't far. I was pushing, but was already going fast enough that I couldn't achieve a very distinguishable change in pace. I just wanted to finish hard and keep up what I had been doing. A few people passed me, but I couldn't worry about them. By mile 9, it was all about what I could do. I pretty much closed out the people around me and just focused on my own body. I didn't have it in me to sprint to the end, so I just kept plugging along.

I finished in 1:18:30 for a 7:51 pace! I was elated and very shocked that I beat a 8:00 pace. I never run that fast, and to achieve it in a 10 mile race was really mindblowing. I know it helped that this was a downhill run, and I probably couldn't have done it on completely flat terrain. But regardless, it was for sure a PR for me that I don't know if I can beat again, so I was really happy with the results. Sheena finished in 1:10 something for a 7:07 pace - she got 2nd in our division and I got 6th (also extremely surprised there were only 3 girls in our division between me and Sheena!).

It was a great race and I'm glad I did it, despite the fact that walking down the stairs makes it feel like my quads are being torn out of my legs. My only other race this year is the marathon, and I have zero ambition about time on that one. Just want to finish it. My sis-in-law's dad is a very seasoned runner and marathoner and he says the Park City marathon is awful/hard. He told me, "You can go ahead and take what you think your marathon time is and add 30 minutes for Park City." Wonderful.

So this was my fun race for the summer. I'm really happy it turned out so well!

Dang it

2009-06-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

So my only race before the marathon is the day after tomorrow. I haven't given it a lot of thought b/c I'm so excited about Tiffany coming. But now it's here, and I'm really curious how I'm going to do. Last year I ran out of my MIND. Way faster than I was prepared to run. I just checked my blog post from it and I ran 8:42 miles?! What?? I read that and said a verbal, "crap."
I want to beat my time. But beating that time is going to be tough. The past week or so I've been doing closer to a 9 minute pace. I do remember after that race I thought I was going to die. By the time we drove home from Provo I just laid on my living room floor for like 20 minutes and just kept telling Justin I felt like somebody poisoned me.
So, needless to say, I emptied the tank on that race. But I'm so much better prepared for this one. The race last year was the first time I had ever run ten miles, and I only trained for a couple of weeks before it. I've been pretty seriously training now for months. So I better beat that dang time! My total time was 1:27:02 so I'm aiming for under 1:27:00 this year. Please please please!
(p.s. did my due diligence and ran 4 miles today... 8:55 pace)

Seven miles

2009-06-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

Didn't feel like running yesterday so I rewarded myself for doing it by running as slowly as I wanted. I even stopped to walk for a minute when I got a cramp (I ran like 20 minutes after dinner... I was asking for it). I haven't stopped to walk in the middle of a run in years. And it was totally fine, I walked for about 60 seconds and started back up. I felt like my mom, the queen of fartleks (haha that sounds awful).
It had rained all day yesterday so the combination of cool air and slow running felt like a real treat. And I saw a beaver in the wild for the first time in my life, he let me get about 10 feet from him, it was pretty cool. Don't remember how long it took me but I think I was doing 9:30 or slower the whole time.

Back to 4

2009-06-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

Ran four miles yesterday in 35:33 (8:53 miles). The scab on my heel/ankle was able to scab over really well during my 2-day break so yesterday I was determined to not mess it up. Naive me. I put on a bandaid and wrapped it with some kind of gauzy stuff. Nope, 2 miles into it, it was just a big tangled mess so I ripped it off and almost cried as every step was tearing the scab off just a little bit more. Oh well, I'm done worrying about this thing, I might just have a raw ankle until my marathon.
We've had quite the rainy weather this week and it has been raining all day, so my seven miles might be interesting tonight. Might have to do it electronics-free. dun dun dun...

I actually cross-trained

2009-06-08T13:56:00.001-07:00

Mondays are my cross-training days. So far, my efforts have been modest, to put it nicely (aka do 40 pushups while I watch Medium and maybe some crunches).
Today I began video #1 of P90X. I have heard terrible-wonderful things about it, like how people can't walk for a week b/c they're so sore and such. I don't want to be that sore, sounds a little counterproductive to marathon training if you can't even walk.
But today I did the chest/back which means an hour of pushups and pullups. I don't have a pullup bar so I had to modify it with a band, but it was a really good workout. I will admit, I had to do sissy girl pushups for half of it, but it felt so good to do some real strengthening exercises.
There are a bunch of dvd's in the set, so I'm hoping P90X will be the ticket to making me super strong for my long runs.

Fourteen

2009-06-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. The furthest I've run to date: 14 miles. It wasn't bad. But it did have its setbacks.

Setback #1: Pesky blister. The dang thing can't heal because I keep running and rubbing it open again. Mile one was definitely the most miserable, as my bandaid was soaked through with blood and hanging off before I even got to the 2 mile mark. It stung like crazy and I had visions of a gauze-wrapped ankle for my next run. When I completed one mile, I had to laugh to myself (yay! only a half-marathon to go with this thing!). But yeah, by the time I got to 3-4 miles, it was numb and only periodically bothered me. I definitely need to get some of that liquid bandaid stuff.

Setback #2: My legs! So weird, but my legs just ached through this whole run. That's usually not a problem until I get past 8 miles or so, but from the minute I started to the minute I finished, my legs where achy. It was a good ache though, a "growing" ache, not an injury ache.

Those were pretty much my only obstacles; besides those, my run was quite enjoyable.

I ran a new trail in Draper that a friend recommended to me. It was really nice, nestled up against the mountain so I had a gorgeous view of the valley. I even came across a couple of water fountains, which was a pleasant surprise. At about mile 7, I had returned to the trail head when I was bombarded with an oncoming race. Some race for Taylor Swift, I have no idea what that was all about. But I liked seeing all the other runners, and it got me motivated for my Riverwoods 10 miler in one week.

I felt like I was running with mollases stuck to my soles, I just wasn't feeling any kind of speed today with the achy legs. I thought I was going over 10 minute miles the whole time (yeah, I forgot the nike+ tells you your pace until the last mile!). But when I finally checked my time at the half-marathon mark, it was 2 hours, 2 minutes, only a couple minutes slower than my race time last year, so I was pleasantly surprised. I had plenty of energy for the last mile, and actually ran it in under 8 minutes, which was motivating. 2:09:30 for my final time, average of 9:19 miles.

Blood & Sweat

2009-06-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

No tears, thank goodness, but I definitely had some blood going on yesterday. I set out to do my 7 miles and as soon as I started, I realized my new shoes had chafed the back of my left heel from my last run. I thought about going back to get a bandaid, but it didn't hurt terribly bad so I just kept going. BAD IDEA. By the time I hit my first stoplight, I could see blood all on the back of my shoe, and stopping made it really hurt.
I had no choice but to keep going though, and it really didn't bother me that bad as long as I was still running. My shiny new shoes are a bit tarnished now, and Justin was sad I made them look gross so soon. I told him it was the mark of a runner and I was proud of it, haha.
Anyway, I ended up doing 6.55 miles because we wanted to go see a movie and I ran out of time. My pace was on the ipod was a lot slower than I thought, somewhere around 8:50 miles... I'm wondering if my pace was off all along during training. Probably. We'll see. Gotta go do 4 miles now and I'm not looking forward to messing with my heel. I'm gonna wear my old shoes!

Movin on up

2009-06-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

I'm moving up in my weekday distance this week to 4-7-4 schedule. Saturday will be 14 miles, my longest feat yet.
I'm also moving up in the gear category. Justin surprised me with the Nike+ for my ipod that I've been wanting for a while. It's only $30, but I've been feeling bad about my selfish running budget lately and decided I didn't really need it. I'm SO glad to have it now though, that thing is awesome. He got me a little pouch thing that attaches to your shoelaces so I didn't have to buy Nikes (yuck, not my favorite) or cut a hole in the sole of my Asics. I used it for the first time today. I'm going to have to get used to it, but I love it.
I ran 4.22 (I know exactly now) in 36 minutes (8:30's).

9 miler

2009-05-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ran 9 miles at 2 p.m. today and luckily it wasn't too hot (around 80). I couldn't get mapmyrun to work so I had to guess and ended up doing 9.25 miles in a couple minutes under 1.5 hours. About 9:30 miles. Nice and easy.

Darn

2009-05-29T16:16:00.001-07:00

I couldn't get in my measly three miles yesterday so I had to do it today instead (Fridays and Sundays are my rest days). My mileage actually drops down to 9 miles tomorrow (every 3 weeks, the long run mileage goes down to get ready for the next increase). So running 3 today wasn't a big deal.

I started out and it looked like rain so it was gloriously windy and cool (and never rained on me or my ipod- perfect!). I felt good so I ran a pretty good pace to start. By halfway, I got the crazy idea to see if I could get a sub 8 minute mile. I've gotten 8 before, but not below it. It would just feel so good to be in the 7's, even if it was just a 5k. I pushed at the end (but not 100%... for some reason I shy away from giving 100% at the end... probably b/c I think I'll keel over before I finish) but ended in 24:15... 8:05. Oh well! Who knows how accurate my courses are anyway, I could easily be 15 seconds above or below that (although I seriously doubt the latter).

Big hills, slow pace

2009-05-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a 6 miler and ran it on the Sandy/Draper border again. I somehow managed to plan a route that seemed more than 50% uphill. It was good to get some hill training, but it was challenging and I decided to completely give up on keeping a normal pace. I was really crawling up the big ones, and my feet hurt by the time I was done. While I was running, I thought this might be similar to my marathon pace, but I got done in 55:15, which is a 9:12 mile, and there's no way I'm running a marathon that fast. But it did feel good to slow down and get some hills in.

New shoes

2009-05-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Today was my second attempt to break in my new Asics. I only had 3 miles again so I figured this would be a good distance. Although they started out feeling very cushy and wonderful, by the time I got halfway through, the ball of my right foot was killing and my heel hurt, too. I could tell the shoes were causing me to run on the outside of the foot a little bit, so after I focused on achieving my normal pronation, the pain went away. I think after a few more tries, these shoes will be all broken in and just as great as my old Asics.

Despite the foot pain, I still felt good and the shoes must have done something right because I beat my time on my latest 3 mile loop, finishing in 24:24 (8:08).

Change of plans

2009-05-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

I decided my Marathon Rookie training schedule just didn't feel like the right fit... I just felt like there wasn't enough mileage so I decided to switch to the Hal Higdon Novice 2 training schedule. I know a lot of people use Hal Higdon, and even though I've never run a marathon before, I don't really consider myself a beginning runner so I'm doing the next step-up training schedule.

So that shoots me into week 5 of training and today I ran 12 miles. I started really slow because I was worried about getting injured since I only ran 6 miles last Saturday. But all was well and after some killer hills, I reached my halfway point and still had lots of energy. It's like my body knows when I hit halfway and just can't wait to get to the finish. I did it in 1:51:50 (9:19 miles), which is great considering I was probably doing over a 10 minute pace for the first 6-7 miles.

Lovin those 3 milers

2009-05-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

So I've run 3 miles on so many of my training days now... I really should run a 5k race because I'm getting really used to that distance. I ran it yesterday in 24:46 (8:15). Feelin good!

Hills!

2009-05-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Justin just had to watch King James play over at his dad's tonight, so I got to run with some new scenery. Ran up 114th south and around Hidden Valley Drive and the view was AMAZING (got up a hill and BAM, there was the new Draper temple all nestled in the foothills), everyone's yards were gorgeous, and there were actually HILLS. I realized how flat it is where we live in the middle of the valley, and I'm jealous. I might just have to go over to Sandy/Draper more often for some hilly runs. It was good to experiment on the uphills and downhills. Ran 4 miles in 35 minutes (8:45 miles).

Week 3

2009-05-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

I'm in week 3 of marathon training now. Ran 3 miles again in about 25 minutes (8:20 miles). Hot as the dickens, but felt good.

Chicken

2009-05-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

I chickened out and didn't run yesterday. I'm actually not supposed to run on Fridays anyway but my schedule got messed up when Daniel came to visit. Last night my body felt like crap and my head was so full of sinus pressure I thought it might explode right off of my neck. So I decided to just take it easy and get some sleep. And what do you know, after a good night's sleep, a mouthful of Ibuprofen and my 6-mile run this morning and I'm feeling much better (also some prayers in there... I hate being sick).

I love Saturday morning runs when the weather is just right. Warm sun, cool breeze, good music... today I felt like "this is why I run. I love this" I took it easy and ran it in 55 minutes (9:10 miles), and just really enjoyed it. I only picked up my pace once when I came up behind some ladies and I could tell our pace was way too similar, with me just barely faster, and I didn't want one of those awkward situations where I'm running right behind them for a minute, right beside them for a minute, and then barely passing them so I crossed the street and picked it up on the other side. It felt good that I had the strength to make my body do what I wanted it to. So yesterday I chickened out, but today was totally rewarding. It's funny how running can be so different every day.

Chill out on the pace

2009-05-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

So I think I figured out why I struggled so much last week. I had decided that I needed to push my pace on these short runs. So I kept getting disappointed when it really wasn't much faster than usual. Yesterday I decided to just run my natural pace on my 4 miles and it felt really good to run again (finally). And I ran 8:30 miles so it was barely slower than usual. It's like all I was doing was making my stride awkward and hating it the whole time. So no more of that. Yeah, I might include some speed work every once in a while, but for the most part, I'm just going to do what's natural.
I have a cold and my head kills, but I read in a magazine that running doesn't make colds worse and some think it might make you get better faster so I'm still going to put in my 3 miles today.

First "long" run

2009-05-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my first long run. A whopping 5 miles! But even though it wasn't very long, I've got to avoid running at 3 in the afternoon, even if it is May. It was hot out there and I was struggling! I've gotta get the discipline to start getting up early again.
Well I ran it in 43 minutes, which is 8:36 per mile. That's not bad for me, but I was really pushing. I needed Becca's comment about eating the right carbs/protein. I think that's what's holding me back. I just don't have the energy out there that I need. So my goal this week is to eat some better fuel foods and see how it goes. I'm also trying to do better with keeping myself hydrated. Runners World says your pee should be clear, so that's my goal, haha.
Today I run 3 miles again.

Results: Ran the 3 miles, felt ok, ran at 7 p.m. and it was so much nicer. 24:56 (8:18 miles). Passed 2 high-speed police cars, a cop on foot pointing and yelling at someone, and by the time I got back to my neighborhood there were 3 cop cars patrolling and one had blocked off the road. Just another day in Midvale.;)

Day 4

2009-05-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today's three miles were hard for me for some reason. I'm just feeling heavy this week. I haven't gained any weight (I've actually lost a little), but my body just feels heavy for some reason. Probably gotta get some more muscle tone to pull me along. I pushed through it though and ran the 3 miles in 24:57 (about 8:19 miles) so a little better than last time. It didn't come without effort though and it was hot out there! Tomorrow is cross training and I'll probably do some muscle work on my legs.
p.s. why did my total time end in a 7 every day this week? weird.

Day 3

2009-05-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm on day 3 of training and so far, so good. I ran four miles today in 35:47 (just shy of 9 minute miles). I'm feeling a little slow, and it's starting to get hot, but it feels good to get out there anyway. Yesterday I did some core work. I read an article on Runners World about how important a strong core is for running (not doing crunches but strengthening those deep abdominal muscles, your back, and butt). I'm sold. I can feel the strength coming from my core while I run. Guess that's why so many runners love yoga and pilates. So that's gonna be a big focus on my cross training. Alright, only 3 miles tomorrow and five on Saturday. This week is a breeze.

One down

2009-05-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

Day one of training is now history. I ran my 3 miles in 25:37 (8:32 miles). A little slower than previous 3 milers, but that's what you get when you take 2 weeks off. Today I get to do some cross training (probably some workout video) and then I have 4 miles tomorrow.

Official training starts TODAY

2009-05-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

This is it. Sixteen weeks until the big day. Today is my first official day of training. I think I'm a little ahead of schedule, so training is going to seem pretty easy for the first few weeks. Today I start with 3 miles. Tiffany and I are following the Marathon Rookie training schedule (the running days work really well for me and Tiffany suggested it so she likes it too). I hope it works out well.

I am fully committed to the training. For the first 6 or 7 weeks, it's really not so bad. But I am dreading the 20 mile long run. I really am. And the 16, 17 and 18 mile runs. But if you're gonna run a marathon, you gotta do it.

I'm also hoping the weight-loss fairy will come and help me drop some pounds during the course of my training. I know it seems like it would be impossible not to lose weight with all that running, but with all that running comes all that eating. It makes you so hungry. But if I could lose 10 lbs. (that's it. ten measly pounds), it would make running so much easier. Gotta do it.

Okay, here I go!

Longest yet

2009-04-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Friday I ran a short run and yesterday I did my longest run yet, 11.5 miles. It took me 1:52 (about 9:44 miles) not accounting for stoplights, etc. It felt pretty good until about the last mile. My muscles started to give up on me and it was hard to maintain pace.
If my body will cooperate, I'd like to just keep this high mileage up until the marathon in August. I was originally planning on doing the SL Half Marathon (which was yesterday) but the $65 entry fee was too much. That's why I got my mileage up so quickly. But hopefully I can just maintain it.

Building up again

2009-04-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

I did a short run on Friday and missed my Saturday long run again because of Easter festivities. But I ran yesterday, 4 miles in 35 minutes... about 8:45 miles. I can feel that I lost some of my strength because of the time I've taken off. So I'm building muscles again and will hopefully be able to do 8 or 9 miles on Saturday.

Sick time

2009-04-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday (a week from yesterday) I ran about 7 miles to Justin's parents' house and I think it made a small cold I had worse. I totally lost my voice over the weekend. So I took time off to get better as quickly as possible.
I finally ran again today, 5 miles, at about a 8:12 pace. So I don't think the break affected my pace much, thank goodness.

Saturday run

2009-03-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I mapped out an 8 mile run. It was a horrible, ugly, boring run. As I was not enjoying this particular run, I happened to cross the Murray entrance to the Jordan River walkway and saw lots of runners/bikers/walkers. It looked so pretty and fun that I had to forsake my mapped run and join the runners on the walkway. I'm glad I did. It still felt like I ran quite a distance, and although I don't know how far it was, it took me 1 hour 15 minutes. So I'm assuming I was probably just shy of 8 miles.

The spring snow is hampering my running efforts a bit. We've had so much snow the last week and we got more today. Hopefully it will end soon and we will have blissful warm spring running soon!

Mid-week running

2009-03-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Good news- Justin has decided to run the provo riverwoods 10 mile race with me! So Tuesday we ran a mile or so together (because grandma had Makenzie and I pushed Jarom in an umbrella stroller!) and yesterday we took turns. He ran for 14 minutes (we don't know how far it was) and then I ran my usual 3 mile loop out to 90th. I decided to go for speed again and ran what I would consider my 5k race pace. Usually, when I push on this run, I start slower and finish strong. This time I decided to really push myself as hard as possible right from the getgo. By the time I finished the big uphill stretch on 90th, I was beat. I tried to keep pushing myself at the same pace but I could feel my body slowing down. My legs were tight and felt heavy. I pushed as hard as I could but the slowdown was obvious. I was really happy though, because even with my slowdown I beat my best time for that loop, and finished in 23:15 (just about 8 minute miles)! I would really like to run some shorter races while I train for this marathon just to see how good I can do!

Long run!

2009-03-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

I pulled it off- 9 miles this morning. It took me 1h30m (not counting approx. 4-5 minutes of stop time for stoplights, dogs, etc.). So I took it really easy. It was gorgeous outside (about 63 degrees according to a bank on my route). Great day!

Adding a mile

2009-03-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ran an unknown distance, but it took me 34:51 so I'm assuming (hoping) it was about 4 miles. We've had great weather the last few days, but it's supposed to get wintry again this weekend. Hope I can log some miles on Saturday. My official marathon training starts Monday.

Getting a better pace

2009-03-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

I did my 3 mile loop today. I didn't push hard, but I didn't take it easy either. I would call it a moderate push. I finished in 24:30 (8:10 miles).

A little distance

2009-03-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

I ran 5.5 miles today in about 51 minutes (approx. 9:16 miles). Short on time as usual or I would have gone further. It was a beautiful day out there!

Sprint pace

2009-03-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

I ran that same 1.5 mile loop today (really hurting for time to go running this week). It may have been short, but I was booking it. I finished in 11 1/2 minutes, which gave me a 7:40 mile pace. It's impressive for me to get under the 8 minute mark.
Speed work is so hard for me. I would rather run 10 slow miles than 5 fast ones. But I'm hoping it will affect my muscle strength and prepare me for speed intervals in my longer runs.

Losing momentum

2009-03-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

Not doing so well this week. I missed Monday and Tuesday and ran a measly mile and a half today. I've gotta start making running more of a priority if I'm going to run this marathon!

Picking up miles

2009-03-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

Well I definitely didn't hit my intended 20-30 miles last week, but I did pick up 7 miles on Saturday. After my last two speed workouts, my seven-miler felt like a piece of cake! I took it nice and easy, taking about 1 hour 6 minutes to complete it (about 9 minute 25 second miles). My right foot and knee have been giving me problems, but they recovered from the seven miles pretty well.

As I'm looking outside my window right now, all I can see is snowfall. I might just have to take an extra day off!

Little by little

2009-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

I ran the same course that I ran on Monday, and beat my time by 40 seconds instead of the intended 30. I was pretty happy about that. I've got my mile pace close to 8 minutes now. But that's only for 3 miles. I'm hoping I can condition my body to push itself harder so my long runs don't feel so bad when I run them slower. So this week I have only logged 6 miles. And it's Thursday. I've really got to pick it up!