Oh yeah, I have a running blog...

I guess it's hard to remember to blog about exercising when you haven't been exercising. Oops! I have to laugh when I go back and read my journal of the day I found out I was pregnant. I had such good intentions, I was going to be so fit during my pregnancy. I was going to run, work out, eat right and not gain 50 lbs. Well today I'm 29 weeks along and I'm not looking so good on my goals. Here's the good and the bad. I'll start with the bad to get it out of the way:

Bad:

1) I haven't done any sort of consistent exercise in 3 months. Last month I only "worked out" 3 out of 30 days. (and those work outs were barely worthy to be called real exercise)

2) At my last Dr. appt I was shocked to see that I've already gained a solid 29 lbs. That would be cool if I was due next week. With 11 weeks to go that's not happy news.

3) My Dr. informed me last week that you only need 500 extra calories a day when you're prego. WHOA! I think I've been eating at least 2 to 3 times that amount!

4) Halloween didn't help my eating habits. Up next: My birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. It's gonna be really really hard not to gain another 20 lbs before this baby gets here.

5) My neighbor saw me for the first time in a couple months and said, "Wow Becca, your face has gotten so round and swollen! What happened?" I told her it was probably just the pregnancy but she looked at me with deep concern and said, "Yes, but what else?" (in her defense, she's not from the U.S. and I think in her culture it's okay to say stuff like that) STILL, it's one thing to get a big belly when you're pregnant, but it's not fun at all to get pregnant in your face!

Okay, I'm done with my whiny venting. Here's the good news : )

GOOD:

1) I feel really awesome. I have tons of energy, I can keep up with my kids. I can lift both girls, transfer car seats, bend over and do baths, and overall feel pretty agile and spry for a big pregnant girl.

2) While I'm not thrilled with my weight gain, I have to admit it was pretty darn fun eating all the awesome stuff I did to gain it! We're talking some good good grub!

3) Taber still thinks I'm hot.

4) I love feeling my little guy move around. He's super active and it's just fun bonding with him even before he's officially "here."

5) I walked today. It took me 35 minutes to walk 2 miles but at least I put my running shoes on and made my body move. It was awesome.

6) I won't be pregnant forever, and when I'm not, even if it takes awhile, I'm confident that someday I will be back on the running scene and putting miles back on the road.

Until then, I'll try to be better about blogging on here. If nothing else to at least chronicle the last bit of my pregnancy so I don't forget the joys, aches and pains of the fabulous 3rd trimester : )

A moment to Brag...

So I'm feeling pretty darn proud of myself right now because for the last two weeks I have been totally rocking my workout routine! I made a goal to work out every day (except Sundays) and so far, I haven't missed ONE day! 6 for 6 last week, and so far I am 4 for 4 this week.

To count it as a workout day I have to do a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise. Some days I do two 30 minute sessions. One session for my strength training DVD and one power walk session. I try to do both but if I don't get one in at least I feel good that I did 30 minutes of something that day.

I can tell it's making a huge difference from my last pregnancies. I have more energy and my weight gain is happening at a much healthier pace than last time around. (in the 2nd trimester with Brinley I gained 10 lbs a month 2 months in a row! yeah, 20 lbs in 2 months was a bit extreme) Now I'm shooting for the recommended 4-5 lbs a month and I'm right on track for that to happen.

I've mostly been walking these days but yesterday I wanted to see if I could still run. So I did 2.5 miles and didn't walk the whole time. My average pace was 9:53 min. per mile. I was feeling quite proud of myself for the first 2 miles but the last half mile I started having those contraction like cramps again. I probably should've walked but I was so set on running the whole thing that I kept at it and when I was done the cramps continued for about 30 minutes.

Moral of that story is, it was a nice ego boost to see that I can still run, but I won't be running anymore, at least until I want this baby to come out and then bring on the contractions! For now though I think power walks and aerobics should be enough to keep me fit throughout this pregnancy.

So that's the update for today. Oh yeah, and we also found out we're having a BOY! We're so excited to buy some boy stuff and get some blue in this house that is overrun with pink : )

World's wimpiest workout partner

On Friday night I wanted to go for a jog outdoors but it was dark and I'm always nervous to run alone when there could be creepos out there. I was trying to think of a solution when Taber suggested I take our dog Monty. Dogs love to run, I figured it was a great idea. Now, Monty can be a real diva sometimes and I'm sure that Maltese aren't exactly bred for running. Still I figured I was mostly walking anyway so he should be able to keep up. I got all ready with a reflective vest, headlamp, and my trusty new workout partner. We set off into the night at a very slow jog. He was way excited at first and was 6 feet ahead of me pulling hard on the leash.

Sadly that only lasted for about half a mile. After that he slowed way down. Soon he was right beside me. The further we went the slower he got until his leash was all the way extended backwards and he was a good 10 feet behind me. I was determined to get 2 miles in though so I literally PULLED that lazy little bag of bones for the last half mile until we made it back home. What kind of wimpy dog can't WALK 2 miles?!! I mean seriously, we had to walk most of it because the guy could not keep up. I checked my stats later, we were doing 14 minute miles, come on MONTY! 2 year olds can go that fast, DOGS are supposed to be 10 times faster!

When we got back I gave him some water and then he sprawled out like he was half dead on the floor. I swear you would've thought the guy just ran a marathon.

I told him he was officially the world's wimpiest workout partner and that I wasn't taking him out with me again. Of course the next morning when I was lacing up my shoes he was wagging his tail and just begging for the leash. I decided to give him one more chance. SAME THING HAPPENED!! Our little 2 mile walk ended with me dragging my dog on the leash back to our house. I decided he is totally useless as a workout partner but still makes a great companion and a patient, loving (albeit wimpy) little lap dog.

August mileage challenge

Today I saw a cool challenge on It's What Moves Me, one of the running blogs I read. Whitney is 6 months pregnant and has accepted the challenge to walk, jog or run 80 miles in the month of August!! I was pretty impressed. I ran 87 miles back in March when I was training for my half marathon but that's when I could run double digit distances and before I was pregnant.

I love the idea of having a mileage goal though so I've decided to adjust the challenge to be more realistic for me considering my current fitness level. In June when I was nauseous all the time I ran a sad total of 16 miles. In July, feeling a little better, my monthly total was 25. I figure if I shoot for 50 miles in August that will still be a heck of a lot more than I've been averaging and be a pretty worthy goal for me. That means I'll have to run/jog/walk an average of 2.5 miles 5 days a week for the rest of the month. Much more than I'm doing now but totally doable!!

I started today with a 2.25 mile jog/walk on the treadmill. I jogged the first mile but was having really tight almost contraction like cramps the whole time so I slowed down and walked the rest of the way. Once I started walking the cramping stopped so I was glad I listened to my body and backed off. I walked at 4mph and a 2.0 incline and was still able to work up a good sweat! Next time I think I'll start off right away with walking and then when I warm up I'll attempt to speed it up. I think jumping into it too fast is what caused the cramps.

Anyway, I'm excited to have a solid goal to work towards this month. Wish me luck!

Life in the 2nd trimester

Well I'm approaching 16 weeks and happy to report that I'm totally over the morning sickness and my energy is starting to come back! My house is getting clean, I'm playing with my kids, I'm even cooking dinners! My family is happy to have normal mommy back instead of pregnant zombie mom. I started doing a strength and toning workout DVD in the mornings and I really like it. Much easier on the bladder than running and I feel like I'm toning parts of me that don't necessarily have to look pregnant.

Running has slowed down quite a bit. The bladder can barely take a 20 minute run so yeah, it happens once or twice a week max. My pace is about 10:30 these days and sometimes it can be disheartening but then I remember that I couldn't even WALK a mile when I was prego with Teya so jogging 2 is pretty darn good for me! I had to stop comparing myself to all the buff pregnant runners out there and compare myself to me. When I was pregnant with Teya I was completely sedentary, did ZERO exercise, gained 40 lbs, and looked like this (warning, it's scary).

And when I was pregnant with Brinley it was a little better since I tried to walk once in awhile and wasn't as sedentary since I was chasing around a 2 year old. Still, I wasn't exactly tiny.

So looking at my previous pregnancies, I'm happy that I'm actually working out 2-3 times a week and still maintaining some semblance of fitness. See, pregnant me running at on the track last week (excuse the cheesy face). I might not be fast, but at least I'm still moving : )

Keepin' it Real

So I'd like to say that thus far in my pregnancy running is a "blast and it's so great getting out and doing it everyday!" But I'm keeping it real and letting you know that it is NOT a blast, nor am I doing it everyday. I did manage to do it three times last week and that took some pretty major will power. I feel a little pathetic since my baby is only the size of an apple right now and there's women out there with melon sized babies running 10K's and kicking butt! But yeah, it's all I can do to lace up my shoes and crank out three 9:45 to 10 minute miles.

Oh well, some is better than none right? I think it's just hard right now because Taber is training for his half marathon and every Saturday he goes out at 6am with a bunch of our friends he's training with and has, what I imagine to be, a super awesome fabulous long run while I'm stuck at home gestating. I'm trying not to be jealous but darn it, I'm jealous! I wish I was out there with them having a super awesome fabulous long run too!

A time and season for everything I guess. Running will still be there after I have the baby. In the mean time I am really happy that Taber is doing so well with his training and getting some good runs in with great company.

So that is my keeping it real update for tonight. I'll leave you with my Runkeeper Stats from a little 4 miler I did last Thursday. Taber was out of town so I got a babysitter and actually did a nice outdoor run. It was tough, the humidity out here is brutal! But I finished with an average pace of 9:45 so I was happy with that. Here's the run.

Most adorable giveaway ever!

Just entered a giveaway from the failedmuffins blog for this adorable 26.2 pendant! They have them in 13.1 as well. What a great gift for runners, if I don't win I'm still getting one for myself!

Turning a corner...

The last two days in a row I woke up and didn't feel like barfing, which means I think I'm turning a corner and leaving morning sickness behind me! Today I even woke up at 6am to try and beat the heat and get a run in. I didn't get out until 6:30 and by that point it was already 75 degrees and 86% humidity! Not my favorite running conditions but better than what it would've been had I not gotten up early.

The best part was that I got to try running with my new iPhone and use Runkeeper Pro the way it's meant to be used! I had it on my iPod Touch but I had to enter everything manually. Now it's awesome having the GPS track my run and then coming home and seeing the maps with elevation and pace through my whole run. LOVE IT!! Here's a look at my run in case you want to check it out, nothing too impressive but still, fun to see my stats like that : )

Anyway, I'm excited to be feeling a little better and if I can find ways to beat the heat I think I'll be able to get back into a regular running routine. : )

Maternity Leave

I've been a little absent on this blog lately. I apologize, I guess I was just taking a little maternity leave due to the awful morning sickness I've been experiencing the last few weeks. The good news is, I'm pregnant and 12 weeks along! We're super excited but holy cow! It's really taken it's toll on my ability to run. Before I got pregnant I was reading all these blogs of ladies who ran through their pregnancies. I TOTALLY thought I'd be right there with them, logging at least 9-12 miles a week. (seriously, how hard could that be?) In fact, the first week I found out I was pregnant I was so excited about having a fit pregnancy that I ran every day! I even did a 6 miler that Saturday in 53 minutes. I was feeling good and thinking "Oh yeah, I got this!"

Then week 6 of my pregnancy rolled around and I got steamrolled by the miserable forces of pregnancy nausea and fatigue. I could not for the life of me do anything that resembled exercise. I could barely feed and care for my children, let alone work out! Housework was neglected, dinners consisted of fast food or cold cereal. Things were rough, I'm not gonna lie. I still managed to force myself to run at least once a week (which sounds so pathetic) but really the effort was monumental. So yeah, 12 weeks down and my dream of running through my pregnancy hasn't gotten off to a very good start. In May, the month I found out I was expecting, I ran 55.7 miles. In June, the month morning sickness took over my life, I barely squeezed out 16!! Ugh!

The good news is, I'm heading into my second trimester and starting to feel a lot better. Today I ran 3 miles and even though it was slow for me (29:34) I did it and I didn't feel like barfing afterwards! That gives me hope that I just might be able to get some good consistent running in before I turn ginormous and can't do it anymore. To all you ladies who are running pregnant or who have run pregnant, I salute you! Seriously, I thought you were awesome before but now that I know how hard it is, I'm blown away!

I'll keep you updated on how everything goes. Here's a picture of the little bean and my baby bump, which is more like belly bloat, but whatever, I'm claiming bump! : )

Baby # 3 at 12 weeks

Belly bump at 12 weeks

Looking on the Bright Side

So I was about to write a post about how dismal my running efforts have been lately but then I decided, "You know what? I'm not doing that bad!" I mean really, the last 3 weeks I have literally gone from one "vacation" to the next. A trip to Maine, a trip to Utah, and then having my sister and her 3 kids out to visit for 10 days straight. With all the busyness of trips and being off my schedule I'm actually proud of myself for getting any running in at all! So instead of whining about my low mileage I'm going to celebrate the fact that I've pulled off a run in all my vacation settings.

In Maine I did a lovely 4 miler on the beach. In Utah I got to run a nice 3 miler with my younger sister who is training for a half marathon in September. And While my older sister was in town I managed to get out twice for a 3 and a 2. Nothing impressive but I keep going back to a quote my friend posted on Facebook that has really helped me lately, "Some is better than none." : )

We have more travel plans and visitors coming in the next two weeks but I'm hoping when things settle down I'll finally be able to get back on track and sign up for a race. I'm thinking a 10K would be fun since that's the one distance I haven't raced yet so it would be an automatic PR : ) Until then I'll "just keep swimming" and hope that my small efforts will help me maintain enough fitness that I'll be able to get right back into it!

Setting a good example

One of the coolest things about running is the way it has impacted our kids. Brinley isn't even 2 yet but if she wakes up in the morning and Daddy's not there she'll ask, "Daddy wunning?"

It's neat that they know that's what we do. One of the best compliments I ever got was when we were driving in the car and Teya saw a toned athletic looking woman running down the street. She looked out the window and said, "Hey mom, that girl looks just like you!" Total ego boost : )

We've brought them to a couple races and even did a 5k pushing them in strollers. Teya loves the race atmosphere and has told me several times, "I can't wait till I can run a race!"

We take turns running on Saturdays and last time after I ran, I got the girls all ready and we drove out to find Taber and cheer him on. Teya brought a spray bottle to cool him off when he passed us by. It was the cutest thing.

You can see the little pink spray bottle in her hand. She might've just squirted his fingers but it was a sweet gesture. : )

We caught up with him again closer to home. This time Teya gave his behind a nice squirt : )

After seeing her Daddy run Teya wanted to do it too. I had to take a picture of her charging down the street with her down going full steam ahead. When she got to me she was out of breath but she looked up with a smile and said, "It doesn't matter if we win mom, it matters that we have fun." Wise words from a 4 year old. Makes me think that even though I've never come close to winning a race, I'm still teaching her something worthwhile : )

No Excuses

Last week was a bust as far as running goes. I had a great 6 mile run last Saturday and then NOTHING until today. I haven't gone that long without running since my infamous break last winter that led me to basically starting over fitness-wise. I really don't want that to happen again. Luckily today I didn't feel like I had lost too much, maybe a little speed but I managed 6 miles in 55 minutes which is a little slower than usual but not bad by any means.

I'm still just a little bugged that I let that much time go by without running. I had some decent excuses, my foot hurt on Monday so I skipped my run. Tuesday the temperature was in the 90's and we ended up spending the day at the beach. Wednesday was still super hot so we skipped town and joined Taber on a business trip in Portsmouth. There was a gym at the hotel but Taber was working the whole time and at business dinners till super late and I couldn't really leave the girls in the room by themselves. Anyway, lots of excuses but the truth is, if I REALLY wanted to I could've fit it in somewhere. Yeah it would've been tricky and probably inconvenient but definitely possible. The truth is, finding time to run as a mom is always tricky and inconvenient. When I start letting the excuses take over that's when it starts slipping away from me.

I have an article from Runners World that I cut out and taped on my motivation wall by my work-out calendar. It's about a mother of 6 children who despite raising such a large family has still managed to train for and finish 15 marathons, her fastest time, 2:50!!!! How does she do it? Her alarm goes off at 4:45 am every morning so she can get in a 10-12 mile run and be back in time to make lunches and get the kids off to school. Amazing! I'm sure a mom with 6 kids has millions of good excuses not to run, but she does it anyway. I'm bummed about my week but I'm going to chalk it up to a learning experience and remember that life gets crazy but if I stay focused on my goals, no excuse can stop me from reaching them.

Therapy Run

Oh how I have missed running outside!! Today was the first time I've done it in weeks (not counting my race) and it was so therapeutic! I was reminded once again why I actually enjoy running. Treadmilling and running are not the same for me. Treadmilling is work. It's monotony. Pounding out the miles like a rat on a wheel. Don't get me wrong, I do in fact love my treadmill and am grateful that it allows me to continue running even when the weather is bad, it's dark outside, or most commonly, I don't have anyone to watch my kids. Still, I don't get off the treadmill and whoop for joy like I did after running the trails by my house today.

I couldn't have asked for better weather, it was cool and overcast. Perfect. My neighbor's daughter who is in 6th grade came over after school and I paid her 5 bucks to watch the kiddos while I did my little run. Best 5 bucks I've spent all week! I was planning on taking it easy and staying around a 9 minute pace but I forgot, it's so much easier to run faster when you're outside! Mile one beeped on the Garmin with an 8:49 split. I took in the gorgeous scenery, everything is so full and green right now. Mile 2 beeped at an 8:24 split. I felt like I was running through a thick wooded hallway of lush mature trees. I saw a beaver and ducks cross the trail as I neared a little pond. My lungs relished the fresh air. It was so superior to watching minutes and miles slowly tick away surrounded by the grey concrete walls of my basement. Mile three beeped at an 8:04 split and I decided that was good for today.

I slowed up and jogged another half mile back home to stretch. I could not stop smiling and felt like my babysitter was the best person in the whole world for giving me that therapeutic half hour. Tomorrow I'm sure I'll be back on the mill, but I don't mind treadmilling because it just makes my outdoor runs that much better : )

Not sure what to do with myself...

Taber's out right now for a 7 miler. He signed up for a half marathon in September so he's slowly ramping up the miles. I'm in my "in between races lost at what I should do with myself stage." Last summer at this point I was gearing up for my marathon with a half marathon and Ragnar relay on deck as well. This year is tricky though because what I really want to do is get pregnant. There, I said it. Brinley is almost 2 and I'm not gonna lie, I'm baby hungry.

We've been trying since my half marathon but you know, nature has it's own timeline. While I'm waiting for it to happen though it's hard to know what to do. Should I sign up for races not knowing if I'll be prego or how far along I'll be? Is it safe to push for speed right now? Will I be able to keep running though the morning sickness phase? Is it safe to increase your mileage after you get pregnant? I just don't know. I've been searching around the web for info on running while pregnant. I've found a lot of fabulous blogs and am amazed with these women that are putting in up to 50 miles a week in their 2nd trimesters! I'm not even doing that right now so I'll be happy if I can do 15-20 mpw. I guess that's what I'll shoot for right now since I'm kind of in running limbo. If I can get 20 miles a week in right now that seems like a good place to start.

Anyway, this post is kind of all over the place but just wanted to put that out there and if anyone has any pregnancy running advice or experience I'm all ears!

Boston Marine Corps Honor Run 5K

Well Saturday was awesome and I'm happy to say I came home with a new PR. You can read all the details Here on my family blog.

I'll warn you, the post is kind of long, but I couldn't help it. It may have only been 3.1 miles but the effort it took to do it the way I did it was pretty big. I worked out 6 days a week, even when I was tired after a long day of chasing kids, even when there was no convenient time to get it in, I did it. I did some tough speed training; tempo runs, intervals, mile repeats, and long runs. It wasn't just the race, it was all the work it takes to get there.

When I started "running" a year and half ago I always felt a little self conscious calling myself a runner. I had no previous experience, no team training, nothing but the articles I could find online and in magazines to help me figure out this new hobby. And while it seems pretty simple, put one foot in front of the other, I still felt like a wanna-be sometimes. After this race though things changed. I was walking back to the car with Taber, it was pouring rain and I was exhausted from my effort. I was trying to process how I felt about the race and finally the words came, "I feel like I'm a runner now." Taber laughed, "Well of course you are!" But no, this time I really really feel like one. I ran fast. I was 117 out of 1063 runners. I was 20 out of 287 in my age division. Of 22 pages of results, my name was on page 3. These are probably silly statistics to a lot of people but to me they felt like a reward to my efforts. Like a confirmation that the more you do, the more you become. And I've gotta say, I think I've become a runner : )

Ready for some easy runs...

Last night I did a 3 mile tempo run at an 8:00 min pace the whole way (7.5 mph on the treadmill). That's pretty fast for me and I ain't gonna lie, it was brutal. I was drenched in sweat and really had to fight at the end to keep going. Speed work is good, and I really want to run fast on Saturday, but I'm kind of excited to just get this next race over with and run just for the fun of it again. It's been awhile since I've just run to relax, not worrying about pace or speed. I'm looking forward to a few weeks off after this one to just run some nice easy runs for nothing more than the sake of running!

5K this Saturday

Taber and I are signed up for the Boston Marine Corps Honor run this Saturday. Hoping for a new PR to beat my old time of 25:46. I've been doing some speed work and feel like it could happen. I'm just crossing my fingers that it's not too hot! I did a 6 miler on Saturday around noon and the heat was awful! The same course I ran last week in 50 minutes took me 53, and I felt horrible when I was done. Still even if it's hot, and even if i don't PR, it will be awesome to run down by the beach and best of all, to have Taber running there with me! Can't wait!

Hauling BOOTY!

So Taber got a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch for his birthday and on Saturday he was nice enough to let me try it out! HOLY SMOKES! That thing is dang awesome! Our old Garmin told you your speed and distance based on a foot pod, so it wasn't always 100% accurate. It also didn't show mile splits, maps, or overall average pace unless you calculated it yourself. So yeah, I was pretty pumped to run with real satellite tracking.

I decided to do the route that I trained for my half marathon on. It has a really nasty hill that goes up about 114 feet in elevation over a maybe a .2 mile distance. I've only been able to run the whole thing a couple times. Anyway, on Saturday I wanted to see how fast I could run 6 miles so I was going for speed and I vowed I wouldn't walk that hill.

I took off pretty fast and finished my first mile in 8:32 min. It was so cool having the watch beep and show me my average pace on each mile. Mile 2 was 8:24, and then I tackled mile 3 which included the nasty hill. I was huffing and puffing but I made it to the top without stopping and it felt so awesome!! I thought I was going super slow but my pace was 8:40 for that mile so not too bad. Mile 4 included coming back DOWN the hill and I did it in 7:58. Mile 5 was 8:21, Mile 6 was 8:31. My finishing time was 50 min 31 seconds for an overall average pace of 8:24 per mile!!

I felt pretty awesome the whole time and really think the cross training I've been doing has made a difference on my speed and ability to take on the hills. I've been running 3 days a week and doing an hour of strength training the other 3 days, (don't work out on Sundays) and it's making a difference. If I want to run a 25 minute 5k I need to average an 8:03 minute pace. That's pretty fast but I think I'm on the right track! I'm looking at a race in 2 weeks. We'll see how it goes!

Running: good for your heart, and your marriage!

So Taber has recently gotten back into running again. It's been tough since he doesn't have a gym at work anymore and is working way more hours with a commute to top it all off. It's been hard for him to figure out when he can fit it in, but he finally just decided he was going to do it, even if it was late and he was tired, he was going to run. He signed up for a half marathon in September and has his eye on some 5Ks and 10Ks this summer.

I gotta say, seeing him work so hard to get his runs in is attractive. I kind of feel the way I did when we were dating and I'd see a neat quality in him and think, "wow, that's the kind of guy I want to marry." So now we're married and I tell you what, it's still pretty darn attractive to see him doing things that I admire!

I also love having a common past time and something to get excited about together. It's so fun asking him about his run and comparing workouts. We subscribe to Runner's World magazine and I like talking to him about the articles in there and getting geeked out over runner celebrities like Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher.

Last night after the kids went to bed he ran while I did a work out DVD. Then we came upstairs and watched the Boston marathon that I had recorded earlier. It was an awesome impromptu weeknight "date" : )

With kids and work, life can get crazy and it's easy to get consumed with the day to day grind of making our household run smoothly. But running gives us something fresh, a common bond to escape some of the chaos and to see each other in another role besides homemaker or breadwinner. For a small part of our day we are "athletes", training partners, team mates : ) Even though we aren't running together we're both running, and I'll be the first to tell you, it's definitely been good for our marriage!

Up Next...

So, it's almost been two weeks since my half marathon and I finally figured out what to do with myself. I always feel a little lost after I finish a race. It's like, I work so hard for so long to lead up to that moment but then it's over, and I'm like, "doh dee doh...No what?"

At first I was thinking maybe I'd just take a break from running and focus more on toning up and strength training. Running is great for your heart and lungs and I do have to say that my legs are pretty buff. ; ) But running doesn't really do much for my other trouble spots (mainly my belly!) So the first week after the Half I did 45 min to an hour of strength training DVD's everyday. Lots of squats, lunges, push ups, sit ups, resistance bands and butt blaster type stuff. I threw one short 3 mile run in there but it was a pretty low key half hearted effort.

The strength training has been nice but today the running bug is back. My friend introduced me to a new app for my iPod touch. If you have an iPhone (Natalie and Ro!) Then the app is even BETTER! its called runkeeper pro, and it works like a GPS watch. It tracks your distance, pace, speed, calories burned, and maps your route. Then it uploads it all to a site online where you can keep track of everything. Best part about it is you can invite others to join your street team, and keep up on each other's goals and training!

Once I downloaded that app I got all excited about running again. There's just something about seeing my progress charted out that just gets me going! Also I love that you can have people on your team to motivate you too. SO, if you have an iPhone and download this (there's a free version too, runkeeper free) Then add me to your street team! my username is BeccaB.

Oh, and my goal now is to do a fast 5K next month. I figure now that I've done a good distance race it's time to get my speed back up. I'd like to do it in 25 minutes flat. My previous PR is 25:46. I think I can do it!

New York 13.1 Half Marathon: The Extended edition

How cute is Teya in this picture?! She just had to be in on it!

The New York Half was great success! You can read all about it on my family blog here: New York 13.1 Half Marathon

I always like to put in a few extra details though on my running blog so here they are in no particular order:

1) I got so nervous before the race that I missed the shuttle from my hotel to the starting line because I couldn't get out of the bathroom. Luckily there was another shuttle 10 minutes later but I was a little frazzled. Even after that I had to stand in the insanely long port-a-potty lines TWICE before the actual race started. Does this potty issue happen for anyone else on running day? Or do I just have the world's smallest bladder?

2) After my whole iPod dilemma I decided to follow Natalie's advice and bring my iPod but not listen in the beginning. That only lasted for 3 miles and then I got insecure and turned it on. I'm still not sure if it is that big of a help, maybe when Justin Bieber's "Baby" came on ; ) but other than that I didn't feel like it gave me a ton of extra energy.

3) One of the ways I navigated this race was drafting. I'd find someone that was clocking around a 9 minute pace and then I'd pull in behind them and let them do the work. I never found anyone consistent enough that I could draft the whole time, but I was able to do it enough to reserve some energy. Only problem was when people noticed what I was doing they seemed either nervous or really annoyed. This one guy was obviously trying to shake me but I kept pacing with him, eventually I decided to back off though because we were in Queens after all!

4) My quads were really sore the next day. I knew I should've done more cross training! I always say I'm going to cross train more and somehow it always gets neglected. NEXT TIME!

5) I got a sunburn on my back and the return of the perma-tank top tan that I had from running last summer : )

6) I had the best cheerleading section in the world! We've never brought the girls to spectate a race before because we thought it would be too much for them. While it WAS a lot of work for Taber, I think they did really well and it just made the accomplishment feel complete having them there.

Me waving to Teya (she's hanging out in the bottom righthand corner) at mile 5

7) I was really impressed with the 13.1 marathon series. The organization was awesome, the miles were marked really well with running clocks showing gun time at every mile. The drink stations were at almost every mile and had plenty of water and gatorade. The finishers chute had lots of great food options, from apples and bananas to bagels with cream cheese, muffins, donuts, you name it. The after party was tons of fun, with a live band and disco dancers. The medals were really nice and the shirts were awesome too. This year they have them in Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and Miami. Highly recommend it!

8) After running that I realized I have no desire to do a marathon this year! Half was enough for me! Maybe next year. Maybe... : )

Last thoughts before race day

As of yesterday my training for the New York half is officially done! Today and tomorrow are rest days and then it's time to race!

Monday was a 4 miler. It was rainy week so I did both my runs on the treadmill. I warmed up for 1/4 mile at 6mph then did another 1/4 at 6.5 mph then settled into my run at 6.6, which is a 9:05 min/mile pace. When I hit the 2 mile mark I went to 6.7 mph, 8:54 pace, and when I got to three miles I pushed it up to 7mph and did the last mile at an 8:34 min/mile pace. For the last 1/4 mile I went to 7.5, 8:00 min pace, and ran hard. My finish time was 34:48 minutes for an overall average pace of 8:42 min/mile. I was a sweaty mess and definitely could NOT sustain that pace for 13.1 miles, but it's always fun to push yourself on a shorter run.

After that run my shins were hurting me, so I took Tuesday off and then decided to do a nice easy 3 miler on Wednesday. My shins still hurt so I started out conservatively, at 6mph on the treadmill, but there's something about a short run that just makes me want to go faster. So I kept cranking up the speed until once again, I was a running hard. I finished in 26:25 minutes, for an average pace of 8:48 min/mile. My shins were definitely not happy so I did an ice massage after and I think that helped. I'll do another one today and won't be running again until Saturday so hopefully with more ice and two days off running my shins will be a little happier :)

Sadly my friend who I originally signed up for the race with has been injured and just told me today that she won't be going down with us. I'm bummed that I won't have my running partner but I know how it can be with injuries. Luckily another friend decided a few weeks ago that she would try running it so she'll be there. We run at different speeds but at least I'll have company for some of it : )

And here's the good and bad for race day:

The bad:

-I won't have my running buddy. I was secretly planning to use her as my rabbit, since her pace is just a bit faster than mine, I was hoping she'd pull me through to a faster finishing time! Oh well..; )

-This is the inaugural event for this race, so I'm not sure how well it will be organized. Also, contrary to the misleading pictures on the website, we will NOT be running in Manhattan, but in Queens. Not sure how I feel about that yet.

The Good:

-Taber and the girls will be cheering me on at the finish line!!

- The weather is supposed to be GORGEOUS!!

- my iPod is up and running again and full of some new awesome songs to help me out just in case...

- I feel really confident about my last month of training and whether I beat my old time or not, I know I'll finish strong!

-The post race party tent has tons of cool stuff for spectators and kids to enjoy as well. Looks pretty promising : )

So that's the latest and greatest. We're taking off in the morning and looking forward to a fun weekend away!

New York Half Countdown: 1 week to go!

One week away and I'm feeling pumped!!! All the training is pretty much done. This coming week I'll have a few small runs as I taper down and then it's race day!! This will only be the 2nd race we've brought our kids to (the other one was a 5k where we pushed them in strollers). So I'm really happy that the girls will get to see me run and be at the finish line. Talk about motivation! Not only will I have Taber there but knowing that Teya's huge smile and Brinley's squishy checks will be waiting for me at the end will definitely pull me through those last tough miles.

Taber's taking Friday off and my friend's husband has Friday off too, so we're all going to caravan down to New York together. We might check out some sights on Friday or we might just settle in at the hotel, take the kids for a swim, do a major carbo load and hit the sack! Either way I'm just really excited for this weekend. It's been 5 months since my last race and I'm ready to get back into it!

Training went well last week. My long run was kind of funny because I ended up doing it on my treadmill. Long story short, my normal route is cambered and really hilly. Brutal on the knees. I'd been having some shin and knee issues so I was hesitant to run that route. Then my friend got injured and wasn't going to be able to run with me, and the weather was forecast to be 14 degrees. All those things combined made me decide to just pound it out on the treadmill.

It actually went really well and was nice to be able to control my pace. I did the first 6 miles at 6.5 mph (9:13 min/mile pace) and the last 6 miles at 6.6 mph (9:05 min/mile) I threw in a couple sprints at 7 mph (8:34 min/mile) and ended up finishing in an hour and 50 minutes, around a 9:10 pace. I finished my first half marathon at a 9:06 pace, so I'm getting close! I don't know if I'll be able to match it again but I'm competitive enough with myself that I'm going to try! If I don't, no big deal, but it's always fun to have something to shoot for : )

Weekly Goals:

Monday: 5 miles

Tuesday: 3 miles or cross

Wednesday: 5 miles + strength

Friday: 60 minutes cross

Saturday: 12 miles

Outcome:

Monday: 5 miles, outside avg pace, 9:00 min/mile

Wednesday: 3 miles treadmill avg pace 8:48 min/mile

Thursday: 5 miles, treadmill avg pace 8:55 min/mile

Saturday: 12 miles, treadmill avg pace: 9:10 min/mile

iPod Dillema

On Monday my iPod died 2 miles into a 5 mile run. I started freaking out because I'm usually super dependent on music to push me through so I felt like a scuba diver who's oxygen tank just got ripped off their back. I let my mind go into panic mode, thinking of the big hills ahead and wishing I had been thinking and actually charged the dang thing before I left the house.

Part of me wanted to just stop but I was already 2 miles out, and even if I DID stop I still had to go 2 more miles to get back home! So I gathered my thoughts, focused on my breathing, and plodded ahead. As I settled into the relative silence I began to notice the beautiful nature all around me. I heard the birds singing, the wind blowing through the trees, water dripping into a puddle. Every little sound seemed amplified. This new and natural soundtrack had an unexpected effect on me, it made me run faster! All along I thought it was my music that made me run fast ( and I still think that's true for certain songs) But overall, being able to connect with my surroundings and listen to my breathing and my footsteps and the way I was running, it made the run go by faster and feel less labored.

When a fast song comes on with a heavy beat it makes me work harder, and I feel more tired. Without the music dictating the ebb and flow of my pace, my speed was actually more consistent and came more easily. I finished the 5 miles in 45:03, almost exactly a 9 minute pace (9:00:06 to be exact.) And I felt great!

Still, I didn't trust myself without music. So I plugged my iPod into our new computer to charge it up. Since it's a new computer it asked me something about erasing and syncing my music, I absentmindedly clicked "yes" and my entire song collection vanished. When I tried to put music back on, it wouldn't let me! So, Wednesday and Thursday's runs were also sans music. Amazingly though, it was fine! Wednesday I logged 3 miles in 26:25 min, 8:48 min/mile pace, and yesterday I did 5 miles in 44:35 min, 8:55 min/mile pace.

So this week I've had a positive experience running without music, but I'm still a little torn as to whether I should race with my iPod next week or not. I'm trying to fix it and I will probably at least bring it as a back up in case I need some extra "juice" to kick it into the finish. I don't know though, I ran my first half marathon without music (accidentally left the iPod at home) and had a great experience and a great finishing time. So yeah, it's a dilemma, not sure how it will all work out.

New York Half Countdown: 2 weeks to go!

This week was another solid week and I actually only had to run on the treadmill once! 3 of my 4 runs this week were outside thanks to the beautiful spring weather we've been enjoying.

On Thursday afternoon I ran the fastest 3 miler I've done since my Turkey Trot back in November. I finished it in 25:55 min, which is an 8:38 min/mile pace. I was really pumped to see those numbers on my watch when I finished. It's been really really hard to get my speed back up after letting it go down the drain this winter. When I first started running again I would get so frustrated that I could barely run 10 minute miles anymore. Still, I just kept pushing along, and it's amazing how slowly but surely you can teach your body to work harder, go faster, and run longer.

Even today after running 10 miles I couldn't believe how great I felt! the last 2 miles, when I'm normally tired and slowing down, were actually my fastest today! After 6 weeks of running I'm finally starting to get my fitness back. I'm still not where I was before. I can't believe I ran my first half marathon at a 9:06 pace. I tried doing that today with just 10 miles and I couldn't sustain it. I ended up averaging 9:26, which is still great, but just makes me realize I still have some work to do.

Speed aside, I'm really happy with how my training is going right now. It feels really good to get out there and do something that challenges and fulfills me.

Weekly Goals:

Monday: 5 miles

Tuesday: 3 miles or cross

Wednesday: 5 miles + strength

Friday: 60 min cross

Saturday: 10 miles

Weekly Outcome:

Monday: 5 miles, on the treadmill, avg pace 9:07 min/mile

Tuesday: 47 min strength DVD

Wednesday: 5 miles, outside, avg pace 9:36 min/mile

Thursday: 3 miles, outside, avg pace 8:38 min/mile

Saturday: 10 miles outside, avg pace 9:26 min/mile

8 mile Provo Canyon adventure

Here are some cool pics from my 8 mile run with Kevin a couple weeks ago when I was in Utah.

Since Kevin normally runs 3 times faster than me, going at my pace gives him plenty of time to goof off and take pictures. I'm glad he did because the trails we ran were absolutely beautiful.

The weather was a chilly and I forgot to wear gloves so that's why my hands are tucked into my sleeves. It was a sunny morning though and there were lots of runners on the trails.

I loved being in the shadow of the mountain. I miss the mountains SO much! The elevation was KILLER though, and I really struggled in the beginning.

Kevin just zipped along like it was nothing. But he never pushed the pace (at least if he did I didn't notice) and he was nice enough to walk for a brief stretch about 3 miles in when I needed to catch my breath.

at mile 3.5 the path was no longer plowed. There was a sign that said stay off the trails during the winter or somthing like that. But Kevin was like, "Oh don't worry, we're just going to run in the snow for a little while, it will be easy."

Easy for him maybe, but I thought running in the snow was hard! One of my friends trained for a marathon all winter and did quite a few long runs in the snow. After going half a mile I have NO idea how she did it! It was worth it though when we got to the falls.

Kevin decided he needed to take a glory picture standing on the rocks in the water fall. He made a treacherous climb on a steep snowy hill in SHORTS! Of course he fell through the snow and his poor legs got an unexpected ice bath.

He did get his Glory Shot

But he paid a price! Not only did he fall in the snow, he also got attacked by a burr bush. He might've fallen in the water on the slippery rocks too but if he did I don't think I'm supposed to tell anyone that ; )

After our photo op stop we headed back and the way out of the canyon was downhill so we had a much easier time coming back. All in all the run was tough for me, much harder than my last two long runs that were further in distance. Still, I had a lot of fun, laughed pretty hard and got to enjoy a giant jug of chocolate milk courtesy of Kevin who claims it is the best recovery drink out there. Hey, if Kevin says it, I believe it!

New York Half Countdown: 3 Weeks to go!

This past week I buckled down and I feel pretty good about how it went. Not only did I pick up the speed from last weeks 10 min+ paces, but I also got some cross training in. YESS!

The biggest success I had though was finally getting a handle on my eating habits! After eating half a bag of Hershey kisses and almost an entire box of Samoa girl scout cookies in one setting while I was in Utah, I realized I might need some help in the food department.

So on Friday, with the weekend looming ahead, I got on the computer and signed up for weightwatchers online. I did the online program after having both of my girls and really liked it. This time I'm not looking to lose a lot of weight, just to get some accountability for what I eat. All weekend long I tracked every single bite of food that went in my mouth. It really made me think more and helped me avoid absent minded eating. I successfully passed on milkshakes when we were at the mall and everyone else was getting them, I turned down cookies at church, and I even said no to the tub of Hagen Daz pineapple coconut ice cream Taber offered to buy me Saturday night. Normally all of those things would've made it into my tummy but things have changed. If I'm going to be a runner I need to fuel my body with the the right stuff!

And that's just what I did. I made egg white omelets with chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes for breakfast, ate flat bread sandwiches with hummus, feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and sliced peppers for lunch, and carefully measured my portions for dinner, making sure to include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. What a difference! No more sloggy sugar hangovers or afternoon cookie binges!

I'm happy to be back in control again and I think this will be just what I need to really rev me up for my race in 3 weeks!

Weekly Goals:

Monday: 5 miles
Tuesday: 3 miles or cross
Wednesday: 5 miles + strength
Friday: 60 minutes cross
Saturday: 9 miles

Outcome:

Monday: 4 miles, outside, avg pace: 9:16 min/mile
Wednesday: 5 miles on treadmill, avg pace: 9:08 min/mile
Thursday: 2 miles on treadmill, avg pace 9:09 min/mile- 20 min strength DVD
Friday: 50 minute strength DVD
Saturday: 9 miles outside: avg pace 9:54 min/mile

New York Half Countdown: 4 weeks to go

Didn't get a lot of running in last week but the runs I did do were a lot of fun. Last Tuesday me, Becca and Laura, (another friend who is joining us for the New York Half) met at 5:30am to get a 6 miler in. There is something so rejuvenating about watching the sun rise in the morning. It was a great way to wake up, running through such pretty New England country, past a couple little farms with cows and a quaint little white church. I loved the views (hated the hills) and thoroughly enjoyed having company to chat with along the way.

After that I took off to Utah for my brother's wedding and in all the mayhem of travel, wedding, and visiting family I didn't run again until Sat. Luckily my brother in law Kevin, who is a running Jedi, was in town as well. He was game enough to go on an 8 mile run with me up beautiful Provo canyon. I will post more on that later but let's just say it was gorgeous, HARD, funny, adventurous, and memorable. The higher altitude really threw me off but I finished, and I guess that's what matters.

Weekly Goals:
Mon: 4.5 miles
Tues: 3 miles or cross
Wed: 4.5 miles + strength
Friday: 50 minutes cross
Sat: 8 miles

Outcome:
Tuesday: 6 miles: average pace: 10:10 min/mile
Saturday: 8 miles: average pace: 10:15 min/mile

Focus for next week (or I guess I should say this week since it's already half way over!) Speed up the pace!! I'd like to run my half around a 9:30 pace. I've got some work ahead of me to get back up to speed. Tonight was good though and I'm going to keep working at it. 22 to days to go! WOO!

The Good, The Bad, and the Slightly Embarrassing

The Good: Last week I ran every single mile I was supposed to on my training schedule!

The Bad: Unfortunatley I didn't do one minute of cross training!

The Slightly Embarrassing: After publicly admitting my need to get my eating under control I had a record week of gluttony and saw the scale move up once again.

So what does that all mean? On the positive side, I'm really proud of myself for fitting 19 miles of running into a busy week. That being said, I've GOT to figure out how to fit my cross training in because I know if I don't, my legs will be sooo mad at me once we start hitting double digit runs.

I'm also a little embarrassed about the way I ate last week, especially after making a goal not to eat like that. But on Saturday I had an epiphany that makes me think this week will be a lot better. Saturday was Teya's 4th birthday bash. We had 11 little girls over and it was a busy busy day. With the party prep, the actual party, and then the recovery afterward I was exhuasted. 9 o'clock rolled around and I still hadn't done my 7 miles for the day. I was determined to get that run in though so at 9:15pm I marched downstairs and jumped on the treadmill for a long run. I never like to do more than 5 miles on the treadmill but I didn't have any other option so I just started cranking out the miles.

As I stared at my reflection in the dark window in front of me I had this kind of out of body experience watching this woman, this tired mom in front of me, dig deep and find the will power to do something that is hard to do. I saw the sweat coming off my forehead and watched my steady breathing and suddenly my reflection broke into a smile. The same thought that got me into running in the first place flashed in my mind, "I CAN DO HARD THINGS!" If I have the willpower to force myself to run 7 miles, on a treadmill, after a long and tiring day, I can certainly find the willpower to say no to unneccessary amounts of sugar and junk food. I don't have to eat every sweet and delicious thing in front of me like it's the last yummy treat on earth. There WILL be other treats.

So, this week I'll be flying across the country to attend my brother's wedding. There will be many opportunities to overindulge but I'm going to be strong, and pass on the stuff that's not necessary. (and so we're all clear, toasted coconut ice cream IS necessary, just wanted to get that out there ; )

Weekly Goals:
Mon: 4.5 miles
Tues: 3 miles or cross train
Wed: 4.5 miles plus strength
Friday: 50 min cross train
Saturday: 7 miles

Outcome:
Mon: 4.5 miles on treadmill, finished in 41:50 min. avg pace: 9:17 min/mile
Wed: 4.5 miles on treadmill, finished in 42:30 min. avg pace: 9:26 min/mile
Thurs: 3 miles on treadmill, finshed in 27:20 min. avg pace: 9:06 min/mile
Sat: 7 miles on treadmill, finished in 1:07:55. avg pace: 9:42 min/mile

New York Half Countdown: 6 weeks to go

Last week was okay. It was kind of lame not running in the beginning but I've learned that it's better to baby your injuries in the early stages so they don't take you out later on. I'm glad I took it easy because my shins felt 100% better and after our long run on Saturday I didn't have any troubles at all.

The real trouble I'm having is food actually. I put on a few pounds during the holidays; no big deal, except they're not coming off. I'm running again and exercising but I actually gained weight last week. The reason why is no mystery, I just can't seem to get a handle on my portion sizes and sugar cravings. I'm also a social eater and it seems that we always have something going on where there's lots of food and I'm like a cow in the pasture, grazing all night long till I come home ridiculously stuffed.

So my goal for this week, along with getting my training in, is to be more conscious about what I eat. I'm going to try to do all the things I know are good for me, eat more fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean meats. Go easy on the sugar, watch my portion sizes, and ignore the fact that the girl scouts are out with those dang cookies.

Here's how last week went:

Weekly Goals:

Mon: 4 miles
Tues: 2 miles of cross
Wed: 4 miles
Fri: 40 min cross
Sat: 6 miles

Outcome:

Tues: 45 min strength DVD
Wed: 45 min strength DVD
Thurs: 4 miles
Sat: 6 miles

Breaking in the new shoes

My shoes finally got here and I was so excited to take them out for a test run today. It was the first time I've run all week since I've been trying to recover from shin splints. The rest really helped and my legs felt awesome!

It was very refreshing to run outside. Today was beautiful, 40 degrees and sunny. Definitely not the freezing cold February I was used to in Minnesota! It was also so nice to be able to run during the sunny part of the day. With little kids I'm usually stuck with running in the wee hours of the morning, late at night, or inside on the treadmill. As fate would have it though, we moved in across from a family with a daughter who's in 6th grade, just took a babysitting course and wants to be a mother's helper. We've worked it out so she'll come over once or twice a week for an hour so I can run outside. Teya loves her and it's comforting to know that if anything happens, her mom is just across the street. So yeah, totally sweet set up!

Anyway, the run went great. I did 4 miles and finished in just over 36 minutes. I hit a few good hills and really tried to tackle them at full speed since hills tend to give me a huge mental challenge. When I was done I stretched for a long time and so far, 5 hours later, I have zero shin pain. I think the shoes did the trick! I'm looking forward to running outside again on Saturday. Good to be back in the game!

New York Half Countdown: 7 weeks to go

So last week I said my top priority was to get new shoes since the ones I was running in were "expired," having had more than 250 miles put on them. I wanted the exact same shoes, because I LOVED mine. They were my second pair of the same and why change when you know what works? Problem is, I couldn't find a store that carried them. I spent two days going to store after store with no luck.

I finally got online and found them but no one had my size! It was really frustrating but after surfing through several different sites I finally found my beloved Nike Zoom Elite 4 Trainers in a size 6.5! Whew!

So the good news is I bought new shoes. The bad news is, they aren't here yet. Without good shoes I knew I was at risk for making my shin splints worse but I wasn't thinking like a smart runner and decided to train as usual in my old kicks. The first few days were okay but after my long run on Saturday the pain is back. Dang it.

The good news is my shin splints aren't as bad as I've had them before. I mean, I could still run on them if I had to, but I'm forcing myself to stop running so they can get better. Rest, Ice, and massage is my plan for now. I'll cross train to strengthen my legs and hopefully by the time Saturday rolls around I'll have my new shoes and my legs will be ready to go.

On a happier note, I found a running buddy to train with! Her name is Becca, just like me, and she ran her first half marathon last fall. She signed up for the New York half and we did our first run together on Saturday. It was a 6 miler and she took us out on a course with some pretty decent hills! I had a great time though, having someone to chat with makes it go by so fast! She is awesome and I'm super excited to train together.

So here's how the week went:

Weekly Goals:

Mon: 4 miles
Tues: 2 miles or cross train
Wed: 4 miles
Fri: 40 min cross
Sat: 6 miles

Outcome:

Mon: 4.5 miles
Tues: 25 min strength DVD (squats, lunges, abs, and arms)
Wed: 4 miles
Friday: 45 min strength DVD (squats, lunges, abs & arms)
Sat: 6 miles

New York Half Countdown-8 weeks to go

My friend Natalie keeps tabs of her marathon training with a weekly countdown blog post. Anyway, I liked the format so that's what I'm going to do.

Last week went pretty well. I got all the miles I needed, but I didn't do a lick of cross training and I know I'm going to pay for that if I don't get on track. After my 5 miler on Saturday I was starting to feel shin splint pain coming on. I stretched really well, ice massaged and didn't run the next day. Still, I know I really need to get my cross training in to prevent injuries.

I'm also thinking the shin pain could be a sign that it's time for a new pair of shoes. I'm still running in the same ones I wore for my marathon last June. So yeah, new shoes are a top priority for this week. Anyway, here's how my training went:

Weekly Goals:

Monday: 3.5 miles

Tuesday: 2 miles

Wednesday: 3.5 + Strength

Friday: 40 min cross training

Saturday: 5 miles

What I actually ended up doing:

Monday: 3.5 miles

Tuesday: didn't get my run in

Wednesday: 3.5 miles + wall sits and planks

Friday: 2 miles

Saturday: 5 miles

I did all my running on the treadmill but I played with the speed and incline to make it feel more like an outside run. This week if it gets warmer I'm hoping to at least do my long run outside. My pace is still slower than I'd like, I'm averaging a 9:13 minute mile. (6.5 mph on the treadmill) But I'm trying to not worry about it and just be happy that I'm running again and building my cardio back up.

The one thing I do feel like I need is some fresh music for my playlist. My old songs aren't quite doing it like they used to. If anyone has any great running songs please leave some suggestions in the comments. : )

Happy running!

Boost of Confidence

My first few runs on our treadmill were rough, I'm not gonna lie. I was huffing and puffing and really struggling to finish 3 miles. The second run I did I seriously had to stop 3 times to catch my breath. It left me with some major doubts about tackling a half marathon in 9 weeks. I hung in there though and last week I made myself get on there and run every other day. I slowed up my pace and took it easy and by the end of the week the 3 mile runs weren't so bad.

Then on Saturday I attempted my first "long run" which was only 5 miles, but more than I've run in a very long time. I loaded up my iPod with the soundtrack to Wicked, hopped on the treadmill and steadily jogged along as I listen to the witches of Oz belt it out. I stayed at a nice 10 minute pace for the first 3 1/2 miles then bumped it up to a 9:13 pace to finish off the last mile and a half. It was a really great run! I felt good the whole time and definitely had energy left when I finished. It was a huge boost of confidence to know that I could do that run without any trouble, and it made me realize that if I scale back to the novice training schedule I'm still totally on track for the New York Half Marathon on April 3rd.

So, with my new found confidence and motivation I got online, registered for the race and booked a hotel right where the race headquarters are set up. It's officially ON! and I'm really excited to have something to work towards for the next 2 months.

Fresh Start

After a 3 week unintentional break from running, (what can I say, moving is tough!) I'm starting over and excited to get back in shape. Our treadmill is here! Finally! The first one they sent to our old house was damaged, so we had one shipped to our new place and finally got it all set up on Thursday! It's the NordicTrack 1500 Pro (pictured here) and after two runs I'm already smitten. Nothing beats the convenience of lacing up your shoes and walking downstairs to get a run in. No babysitter, gym pass, or warm gear needed!

That said, I've definitely got my work cut out for me if I want to run a half marathon in less than 12 weeks. My first run on the treadmill was a 3 miler that almost killed me! I couldn't really do much more than a 10 minute mile and I was tired at the end. Still I'm staying positive since last year at this time I was barely running 3 miles and I managed to do just fine for the spring running season. It's hard not being up to speed but I guess that's just more motivation to really hit it hard! And I plan to, thanks to my new friend : )

Getting back on Track

It's been awhile since I posted here, guess I followed through and REALLY enjoyed the holidays : ) Hoping to get back on track soon though. Movers are at my house as we speak loading all my household belongings onto their truck. This next week will be a little crazy as we tie up our lose ends, drive across the country and get settled in our new place. AFTER all that happens though I'm ready to get my work out on!

I've been doing some research looking for my next race and think I found a winner. The New York City 13.1 Half Marathon. I've never been to New York and thought an awesome way to check out the city would be to run through it! It's only 4 hours away from our new place so we can just drive over and make it a fun weekend for the family. The race is on April 3rd so even if my running legs are a bit rusty from the holidays it gives me the perfect amount of time to train and get ready. I've already downloaded my training schedule from the Hal Higdon website. Last year I followed the novice schedule but this year I'm stepping it up and going to intermediate. It includes more speed work and tempo runs and has you running 5 days a week. Hopefully if I stick with it I'll be able to improve my time. I finished the Maple Grove half in 1:59:10. I'd like to be able to shave at least 5 minutes off that.

So that's the plan. When we get to NH I have shiny new treadmill waiting to start logging some serious mileage. Happy running!!