Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Bucket List

Ever since Joel left for his business trip, I have had ZERO time to run.  I figure I get 6 hours a week during the daytime hours to myself.  I get a few hours each night, but by that time the kids are in bed and working out then is just not feasible.  So, with six hours a week, my time is taken up with cleaning the house, working for the various businesses I contract with, showering, or running other errands that are easier to do without children (ie-pharmacy run, post office, etc).  Something had to give, I just can not do it all.

But I got to thinking of when Joel returns, what are my goals.  What is on my running bucket list?? Here is what I have come up with.
1. Run a 5k in under 30 minutes
2. Run in 10k in under 50 minutes
3. Run the "Finish on the Fifty" half-marathon in under 2 hours
4. Run the Nashville Half-Marathon in under 2:15 (it's a lot of hills, thus the slower time)

So, there you have it. Two half-marathons in three weeks, seems pretty ambitions.  Of course it will be April 2012 when I get to run them, so hopefully starting next summer (2011) I can start getting back into the swing of things. But now that I have publicly stated my goals, here is to hoping in accomplishing them.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Slacker

Yep, that's me.  A big, fat slacker.  Here's an update since I've last written.

Life has been crazy. The kids have been getting up earlier and earlier, with the past two days Nathan waking up at 4:00am!  He usually goes back to sleep, and I can doze a little, but I think I got more sleep when they were newborns. And my "me time" I have three days a week, well....let's just say I actually take that time to myself. No working out, just getting a decent shower, maybe catching up on Facebook and e-mail, and watching MSNBC without someone going "Kai-lan! Kai-lan!"

And while my running program is taking a breather, never fear, fellow followers!  With the weather being bearable in the mornings, I have been strapping Nathan into the jogging stroller and off we go around the neighborhood!  It may a slower pace than I want, but I am getting my heart rate up and getting some exercise.  Going back to running is going to be brutal, but I just don't have the time. Being two parents at once is a workout I would not wish on anyone, but for now, that is the exercise that I get the most of.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Cancelled

I took Nathan on a two mile slow walk around the neighborhood while Miles was in therapy.  The weather is finally a little more bearable for this, with highs this week in the upper 80's, instead of the upper 90's. So off we went!  I burned a little more than 200 calories, and Nathan got to see a change of scenery.

However, I have been a little exhausted lately, mostly by getting up early in hope of having some time to myself.  It never works---I can get up at 6am, and within 10 minutes the boys are awake. I can get up at 7am, same thing. So I might as well sleep late, right?  But the long days and nights of being a "single" mother are starting to take a toll on my body.  In the two weeks I have been on this schedule, I have already lost 4 pounds!  YEAH!?

But today I need a nap in the worst way.  I figure the best thing for myself and the boys is to rest, instead of wearing my body and spirit down with a six mile run. Sometimes you just have to re-prioritize some things....

Monday, August 23, 2010

Not a good start

I tried, I really did.  With stepping onto the treadmill for my warm up mile (which I was going to walk), I was super excited about being back the gym! It was my time, no kids, no husband, though I still had my cell phone (being a mom, you are "on call" 24/7, right?).  And right away the troubles began. It first started with a stitch in my side, so I lowered my pace to a 3.8.  And when my warm up lap was over, I ramped up the speed to a "fast turtle" speed of 4.8, which would still allow me to be on track for a pace of 11:42, the time my workout called for.  However, the personnel at the gym must not have realized that it is still August in Kentucky, and the air was almost non-existant today.  I was sweating buckets, and at mile 2 (that included the warm up mile) I was DONE! There was no way I could make 5 miles today. 

So I am swapping Monday and Friday's workouts---today counts as my easy run.  Hopefully the rest of the week will be a little better???

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Schedule

This week starts the first full week that BOTH boys are in school at the same time. So this week starts the first full week of sanity for me! :) I have my running, training schedule all worked out (with days off to accommodate school vacation days), so here's hoping I can stick with it! The training plan I had to cut short, because it was longer than what I needed---the race is schedule before the end date of the schedule. Here is this week's schedule

Monday- Tempo Run-Total distance of 5 miles of including warm up; 3 miles @ 11:42 pace; cool down.
Wednesday-Long run of 6 miles @ 13:21 pace
Friday- East Run of 2 miles @ 13:21 pace

I've already tried a tempo run, and actually found it kind of hard.  My fast walk is around at 14 minute pace, and a slog jog is around 10:30 pace. And I have never run over 4 miles at one time, so this certainly should be interesting.  Yes, very, very interesting.....


Saturday, August 14, 2010

Race Day-Touched by Grace Ministries 5k

Another Saturday, another race. This is turning into a recurring theme, and I am not sure yet if I am crazy or stupid---but here is a recap of today's race.

I was pretty excited to see the course again. It was the same course as my first 5k, the Firecracker 5k on July 3rd. Except this time it was reserved. And this time the race was later in the morning--8:00am. You would not think that would make a difference, but Tennessee has had some brutal heat this month, close to 100-degrees, with a heat index of over 100-degrees. Even early in the morning it was already 76-degrees, warm and muggy, and totally miserable for a 5k. But oh well, here it goes!

The first kilometer was not too bad, a little walking, but overall it was fine. It was the second and third kilometer that truly killed me. I don't know why, but I think with the heat, I was truly miserable and there were MANY points in that race that I wanted to just give up. But I kept on going, dragging my feet and taking too many walking breaks. It was on the last kilometer that I finally picked things up, when I looked at my watch and realized I had the chance to beat my last PR of 33:24. The walking breaks were over--time to kick it up in the speed department.

And I was oh-so-close!!! My final time was 33:33! Boo-hiss!!! Slower by 9 seconds! AHHH!!! If I had just taken 1 fewer walking breaks, I could have made it! :( Such a sad day. I'll blame the weather for this one; it was too hot to run. Oh, and maybe the fact that it had been almost a week since my last run.

Here's hoping for a new PR on October 30th.....

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Getting caught up

I know, I know....I've been on a little break since my last posting. I have been to the gym off and on, with the July heat it is just sometimes too hot to head to a gym that has poor air circulation. But here are some updates since last time---

*I can't run the September 18th Franklin 5k. I am volunteering for my church's kid clothing consignment sale, and if you volunteer you get into the pre-sale early! Sorry, race is going to have to take a back seat to shopping!

*I am signed up for the Brentwood Classic 5k later this month. Here's hoping for a new PR?!

*Our fall schedule is lined up, with both children in school programs. My youngest one is going to a M-W-F school, so for those three afternoons I have at least 2 1/2 hours to myself! YIPPIE!!! I am so excited that I put together a full body workout program for myself--running program geared towards late November's 8k race, upper and lower body weight workout. I REALLY want to lose a few pounds (and inches) before Joel comes home next year, and of course, I want to totally smokin' body for our Jamaica trip.

I know, this is a totally lame posting. Hopefully I can get some good running sessions in so that I can shower you with my wisdom and insights. Until next time....

Sunday, July 18, 2010

2 mile PR!

In the beginning of my running adventures, I took several baseline runs so that I could measure how much I would improve over time. The two I initially took were a 5k run, since I knew most races were 5k, and a 2 mile run, which is what the Army soldiers perform in their PT test. For a woman my age, the passing time is 20:30. Here are my times over the past few months:

March 30th-Baseline test- 22:50
May 22nd-22:12 (-38 seconds off baseline)
May 27th-22:45 (-5 seconds off baseline)
July 18- 20:24 (-2:20 off baseline; passed PT test run for my age!)

Wow, two minutes off my time!! YEAH!!!! Of course, I was running hard knowing that this was a "test", rather than running at a weekend leisurely pace. But it is nice to see the improvement, and know that all this exercise is not wasted. :)

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Race Day-Race Across the Spectrum-5k

Today I ran my second 5k race, and I could tell going into today that it was not going to be a record setting day, for several reasons. First, my pacer would have to stay at home to watch our kids. Since my parents are enjoying a much-deserved vacation, Joel stayed home with kiddos so I could be the runner to support The Brown Center for Autism.

It was the first year this center was holding a race as a major fundraiser, and it was a bigger success than they had originally planned for---there were 482 runners today!!! However, the race course could use some work for next year (something they have acknowledged)---we went from two lane street to running trail, and the walkers in the group decided to walk in the middle, meaning the runners had to run around them (which is harder than you would image). Before we had even run a quarter-mile my mental state when from "serious run" to "wahoo---this is walk to support autism" (which is not bad, just not what I had anticipated). Once the participants hit the trail, the serious and fast runners sped up, and the area where I was seemed to thin out a little more, making the running more possible.

Crockett Park was built when I was in middle school and high school, but since it is a little farther from my house I never went there much. But I have to say that is can be ranked as one of the best public parks I have EVER been to. The running trails were long, and while we looped around one several times, there were many more to be explored in future runs. There were some hills, which I will have to conquer if I am to be a serious runner, but I am super excited to return to this park in the future.

My time for today was 34:54, 1:30 SLOWER than my first race! GRRR!!! But I was only half-surprised at the outcome. I wish I could have done better, but I think that first road block at the beginning of the race really slowed me down. HOWEVER....I was still a winner!!! They gave away door prizes, and I won the gift certificate that gives me 1 free loaf of bread per month from Panera Bread. YUM! Carbs! :)

Overall, not a bad day. Next race....August 14th. Let the countdown begin.....

Monday, July 5, 2010

Serious problem

Hi, my name is Lane, and I have a serious problem. I think I may like this running thing. After finishing my first 5k race, I have taken a moment to reflect upon the experience, and came to this thought: I kind of like it. Really, I do. Here are my thoughts.

I was excited and dreading my first 5k at the same time. I had run a 5k as a workout to get a baseline of exactly how quickly I could run it. On that day, my 5k was recorded at 40:32. Not too bad, but not exactly something I want to *brag* about either. And so I was excited to see how much I improved over the course of training for 3 months prior to this race. But I was dreading this race because, come on, it is 3.1 miles. That would be considered my long run for the week. My weekly runs were in the 1-2 miles range, so this distance would be much more grueling than what I was typically prepared to do.

During the race, as I have previously written, I hated every minute of it. "Why am I doing this?" can into my head more times than I care to count. I nearly choked on the cup of water that I tried to drink. I was ill-prepared for the small hills in what I thought was a flat course. But I finished, I accomplished my goals. I want to race again.

So now I think I have a serious problem....I think I like running, and I like racing. I'm not racing to compete with others at this point. My main competitor is myself and my record. On July 17th I will be running my next 5k. So can I beat my 33:24 PR?

Another symptom of my problem is that I have scouted out the future races in my area. There are several half-marathons, but I think my for I will run a few more 5ks, maybe a 5 miler and then graduate to a 10k before I decided to train for a half-marathon. Maybe next year. But for now, here is what I am thinking of doing:

August 14th- Williamson County Fair 5k

September 18th-Helping Healing Hearts 5k

November 6th-Hoover Run for Hope 5k

November 20th-R3 Turkey Trot 5 Miles/10 Miles race (probably running the 5 miler)

So there. Now that I have put this out, hopefully everyone reading this can help keep me accountable to this training routine. I'll have to see how it goes once Joel leaves next month, but I am hopeful and optomistic that my parents can help watch the kids when I go to see them so I can get some longer runs, without pushing a stroller.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Race Day!!!



Today was race day. My first race EVER. So, how did I do?? Well, let me take you on a little journey of this morning.

My alarm went off at 0530, and my first thought (which seemed to be a running theme throughout the morning) was "Why am I doing this??" Ugh. But I stumbled out of bed, dressed for the race, had a cup of coffee and some fruit, and off to the race we go!

We had checked in on Friday, when we picked up our race t-shirt and bibs for the race. The t-shirts were pretty cool for such a little race. They are blue and not the cheap cotton tees that you see for some races, but rather a dri-tech kind of shirt! SWEET!! So when we arrived at the appointed time of 0615, we received our chips and waited around for the start time. At one point I noticed the ambulance had arrived and was parking. I pointed to Joel and said, "Look, my ride home has arrived." He did not find that nearly as funny as I.

Joel's parents are in town for the holiday weekend, and since their hotel is across the street from the starting line, they were gracious enough to come over, take a few pictures, and stay to cheer us on. I'm sure it reminded Adele of Joel's cross country running days in high school---arrive, watch them start, then sit around for 40 minutes waiting for them to cross the finish line. I would also like to give a big SHOUT OUT to my Father-in-law, Paul. He was awake and at our race early in the morning, even though he could have been catching up on his much needed sleep. So YEAH PAUL! for braving the sauna-like elements of the early Tennessee morning to come cheer us on!


I have never seen such a big crowd for what I originally thought of as a small race. The highest bib number I saw was around 1197. We were 237 and 238. But what got me really excited was seeing the 1 mile Kid's race that started 1 hour after our race. Awww, how cute, and a great way to encourage running and a healthy lifestyle. How cool is that??


Joel and I lined up about 2/3 back of the pack at the starting line. We ran across the starting line "chip pad", and at the same time I started up my ipod and Nike+. And we're off!!

We started the run, and of course I was feeling pretty good about this. I thought maybe I could get through this event! We ran down Maryland Way, and made a left turn up Brentwood Blvd. Not too bad....oh crap, there's a hill....that's a BIG hill. I cold feel the life being sucked from out of me. Again, the thought creeped into my head, "Why am I doing this??"Thankfully, the turn onto Cadillac Drive came just before the hill, so I was saved!

We continued our run down Cadillac Drive, onto Warren Penn Drive, back down Maryland way, and "over the river and through the woods"! Not really, but it was a nice scenic run in what would be described as the business section of my hometown. It was nice to see several water stations along the way and various places also cheerleaders for us runners. YEAH ME! :)

There was a lot of running, some walking, a lot of whining by me, and various bribes of doughnuts after the race (courtesy of Joel and a stop at Publix) but we could FINALLY see the finish line! YEAH!!! For the last 400 yards I picked up the pace, and ran as fast as I possibly could for that moment. We ran over the finishing "chip pad", and there was victory!! Actually, there were volunteers handing out bottles of water, same thing right??


I was just dying and wanted to sit down, Joel's advice was not to because I would cramp up. I'm thinking, "Ok, but if I'm going to die, I think cramping would be the least of my worries." So I drank my warm bottle of water, had a few orange slices, and we called it quits for the day.

As previously stated, I had three goals for this run:

1. Finish without dropped dead- ACHIEVED
2. Finish in under 40 minutes- ACHIEVED
3. Finish in under 35 minutes- ACHIEVED!!

According to my Nike+, I have a new PR for my 5k--33:24!! That is 7:14 faster than when I ran a 5k workout in March!! YEAH ME! It makes me feel better about my mantra "I think I can, I think I can," and turning it into "I know I can, I know I can."




P.S-If you have reached the end of this blog entry, you totally deserve a doughnut!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Another month of mileage

Other month has come to end, which means it's time to total up the mileage. Now remember---mileage does not have to be running, so I add some biking and elliptical in there as well. It helps keep me going to the gym, and not get burnt out on running. I actually like doing two different cardio workouts when I go to the gym. Don't ask me why, I'm just crazy like that.

So here is where I stand:
  • April-46.63 miles
  • May-50.64 miles
  • June-64.10 miles

I seem to be improving in the aspect of getting out and exercising, so YEAH ME!!! I have also accepted the fact that I will most likely not complete the entire 1,445 miles this exercise has set. But for now, I am happy that this motivates me and that I AM exercising. That's an improvement, right?

Monday, June 28, 2010

Am I ready?

I realized that my first 5k is coming up at the end of this week! This week! Five days away!!! Am I ready?? Oh heck no....I have taken some time off while Joel has been on vacation, and with the summer heat of the south, it seems the only REALLY good time to run when it's cool is...oh...about 3:30am. Yeah, not doing that. I feel like I have been studying to take an Algebra I test, but wake up to the realization that the test is really AP Calculus. And I have know about the higher level test, I have just failed to study (or train) for it properly.

So my goals for this first 5k are as follows:
1. Finish without dropped dead
2. Finish in under 40 minutes
3. Finish in under 35 minutes

I will be happy with #1, happier with #2, and over-the-moon happy if I accomplish #3. Hopefully I can get some early morning runs in later this week (outside as compared to the treadmill), but we'll see how our week goes around here.

Monday, June 21, 2010

An improvement in being tired

As I've said before, I have a hard time getting a good night's sleep. This past Saturday, Miles woke up at 0510, and the day was made longer by the American Cancer Society and their Relay for Life. I had volunteered with the Fort Campbell Family Housing community, and my shift was from 2100-2300. Ugh! What a long day.

I woke up on Sunday just dragging, but got through Father's Day with my parents and grandparents coming up for a visit. Early in the morning, I went to the gym to get some sort of exercise in, hoping that if my body got moving then maybe I could wake up a little more. I started the treadmill up and began going through the motions, but I just felt SO tired. Nothing was helping. I logged 1/2 miles, jumped off and started a lower body weight workout instead. At least I could sit down to do this.

When I returned home, I told Joel just how crummy I was feeling, and how it was the tired part of body that cut short my workout, instead of the running part of my body. He replied, "Well, at least it was not your endurance and lungs that ended the workout. See, it shows the improvement that you are making. A different part of your body gave out before your lungs and muscles did!"

Yeah! At least it's a different part of my body that makes my workouts end earlier than expected! That's good news, right?

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Relay for Life

Today I will be participating in the Clarksville-Montgomery County chapter of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. I am super pumped to help out, not only with the money I raised ($287.50---thanks everyone!), but also to walk the laps as well. As a cancer survivor, I know the trials that cancer patients go through. Our team captain noted how few people signed up for the team, and she thinks it is more important to sell the concessions to raise money as compared to ALWAYS having someone on the track to walk. I disagree to a point. I think the least we could do is have someone walking at all times. Many cancer patients cannot walk because of lack of energy and loss of muscle mass the cancer and drugs have taken on their bodies. Why can't we walk when we are fully healthy??

So, today I walk for myself, my friends whom have been taken by this terrible disease, my grandmother who lost her life to it, my father in law and grandmother in law who both beat it. I walk for all of those who can't walk.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

How's the dust back there???

Oh yeah, I had a great run this morning! Let me tell you all about it!

Lately, I have not been sleeping well at night. I *go to sleep* fine, but wake up at various points throughout the night. And for the past few nights, Miles has been waking up SUPER early---0515 on Friday morning, and 0545 on Saturday morning. Needless to say, I, SuperMom, am the "Parent on Duty" during those early morning hours that only few people should ever have to see. And as one could image, my energy is drained by the end of the day, and therefore no workout was logged for those two long, energy drained days.

This morning, the midgets slept until after 7am! WAHOO!! And since I fell asleep last night at 2030, I felt well rested. Dreadmill, here I come!

I have to say that starting off with Miley Cyrus' "Can't be Tamed" is quite possibly the best decision I have made on my ipod. It's a hard-core beat, and I love running to it. So I set the pace on the treadmill to a quick 6.0. Last week I told Joel that at one point I felt this speed was a little too slow, but I am still too nervous to speed it up just yet.

My run felt great! I looked down at the distance counter and it read "0.25". Ok, I've been running this entire length, let me see if I can me it to 0.30 before I need to slow to a walk. Well, I made it to 0.3, then 0.4, then 0.5. I ran the first 0.75 mile before I slowed down to a quick walk (around a 4.7 speed on the treadmill or approx. a pace of 14:21), and back to 6.0. So far, no hard (or painful) breathing, no stitch in my side...wow, this is what a runner's high feels like! I punched the center button on my ipod so it would register my 1-mile marker...9:00! HOLY COW! That was me?? Running a 9-minute mile??? CRAZY!!!!

When I first set foot into the gym this morning, I had originally set a goal of running 1.5 miles. However, I felt that after such an AWESOME run, I wanted to end things on a high note. So I hit the "STOP" button when I reach 1.25 miles instead. Overall, my pace was 9:50, a new PR, and I felt great about how much I have progressed in only three months. For the first time, I can honestly say that I am excited about going to the gym tomorrow morning. Here's hoping I can calm down from this excitement to get some sleep.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Thou shalt not compare...

And I must remember this when comparing myself to my runner husband.

Joel is a runner, a good runner. And he has been running for many years. He ran on the cross country team in high school and college. He has competed in triathlons, half-marathons, and full marathons. He even rode in a 100-mile bike race FOR FUN! Running is part of his PT test for the Army.

Now that you have background, you understand why I shall not compare myself to Warrior Running Man. Joel and I had some "couple's time" this weekend. My parents watched the boys while Joel and I want to a movie and dinner afterwards. The next morning we got up before the boys and went for a short (for Joel) 2-mile run. Miley started off my playlist, and I was feeling good. I felt like maybe I could keep up with Joel.

*BLAM!* Hello, Wall, nice to see you again.

I was actually having a little trouble breathing, so I slowed down to a walk. Joel did not want to leave me, so he slowed down to a trot/fast walk. I felt so bad for him, but thankful that my loving husband would not abandon me for a quality run for himself. :) It was nice to have someone to run with, other than the TV to keep me company. But I hope to one day be able to run with my husband and to be able to keep pace with him.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

A list of firsts

Wow, I have a lot of "first" things to update you all on. Some are exciting, some not so exciting, but here it goes.

1. My first blister--I knew it was going too well to not be broke at this point, and this weekend when I laced up my shoes, I noticed something was bothering me on the back of my right foot. I took my shoe off, shook it out, and tried again. Ouch! There is something STILL there. I repeated the process, and finally looked on the outside of my sock, then the inside. There it was, a tiny blister, just beginning to form. I was already in teh car, so I did not do anything until after my run. First thing I did was search for the band-aids and slapped one on that sore. Thankfully it is gone, and it did not grow into something larger and more painful.

2. My first injury--As I previously said, I knew something was wrong because I was still in great shape. But one day I started up on the dreadmill, and pain shot through my left ankle. It was unusual, and I almost felt like my ankle was going to collapse under me. My two runs for last weekend totaled about 1/2 miles. YUCK! Thankfully I was still able to get some miles in on the elpitical and the bike, which gave my ankle a nice rest, and I can now get back to running.

3. My first 75--According to my Nike+, and the video that popped up when I synced it up the other day, I have crossed the 75 mile marker in my running experience. YEAH!!! And that leads me to.....

4. My first 100 miles!!--Between running, biking, and the elpitical machine, I have crossed over the milestone of 100 miles. 101.2 miles to be exact. Now I only have to complete 1343.98 more miles by March 31, 2011. So keep your fingers crossed!

Monday, May 31, 2010

Soapbox

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you might know how much I love my Nike+ system (entry from March 23, 2010). So here is the next running product that I just have to rave about...."Runner's World" Magazine!

Joel just HAD TO HAVE ***AT THAT MOMENT*** the newest book from Jim Butcher when it came out in April. Since it was only $10 off Amazon, I made the click and put it into my shopping cart. But to get free shipping you have to order at least $25 worth of merchandise. Hmmm, what to buy, what to buy. "Runner's World" was offering a two year subscription for only $24, which comes out to $1/issue. Pretty good deal, so I clicked that and added that to my card as well. I clicked my way through the checkout, and was finished! The notice later told me to expect my first issue July 1...BUMMER!

However, it was a great surprise when I went to the mailbox one day and found the subscription had started two months early!! Merry Christmas to me! And to make things better, there were two issues in there...more reading to do!! But before I dive into my "Runner's World" reading, let me tell you about my habits with reading materials. When I get a magazine ("Newsweek", "Money" or "Good Housekeeping"), I tear through the whole thing in about 20 minutes. I scan the headlines of the articles, dog-ear the ones that look particularly interesting, and once I get to the end, go back and read those articles. 1 lunch hour---magazine done, ready for either Joel's reading pile or the recycling can.

"Runner's World" was different. It might be because I received two magazines on the same day, but I think it was more the fact everything was interesting and I learned a lot. It took me the rest of the day to finish those two issues. I started them at lunch, and finished at bed time. I will acknowledge that I was a single parent that day with two small, energetic children. But I felt that all the articles where thoughtful, entertaining, and full of things I felt kept me engaged. There was an article in which a runner wrote about his new GPS watch, how it tracked his run (mapping it out), gave him his average pace, heart rate, the distance of his run. (Sounds like my Nike+, but in a watch format and cost $400+ than the Nike+). Another article portrayed how one runner began his journey with baby-steps in his running program (he actually threw up AT THE GYM on his first day of a workout), and in less than 1 year he lost over 150 pounds and was running a marathon! Of course there were articles on the best running shoes and active wear, calendars of races all over the country, basic things you would expect to find in a magazine.

So next time you decide to subscribe to a new magazine, put down the cooking magazine and pick up "Runner's World"....it will definitely motive you!

P.S-I love them so much, these copies never reached the recycling can...they have their own place on my bookcase!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Playlist

I would like to thank Miley Cryus for growing up and singing edgier music.

There. My secret is out....I am a closet Miley Cyrus fan! When "Party in the USA" comes on the radio, I turn it up, sign at the top of lungs, and am grateful that my kids are still young enough to not be embarrassed by me. But her newest song "Can't Be Tamed" is a little more edgy, as compared to the bubblegum, pop princess that Disney had created when "Hannah Montana" first began. The song is fast and upbeat, and since it is the first song on my playlist, I hit the treadmill hard and fast today. In fact my first quarter mile was recorded with a pace of 10:02, and my first mile was 10:06! Holy cow! My end time was 22:12 for a two mile run, meaning my second mile was a little slower, but still a respectable time for a new runner. Here's hoping for a time under 35:00 for my first 5k in 5 weeks!

But back to the pumped up play list. This past week I had to reorganize my cardio playlist. Looking it over, I noticed some of the songs I purchased when I lived in Texas in 2005. I needed something new and fresh, so I dug out some CDs, and uploaded my iTunes giftcard, buying songs left and right. Here is a sample of what I am currently rocking out...

-- "Hung Up" and "4 Minutes" by Madonna
-- "Poker Face", "Love Game" and "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
-- "Holding out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler
-- "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads
-- "Funhouse" by Pink
-- "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit
-- "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
-- "Nine in the Afternoon" by Panic! At the Disco

There's more--Black Eyed Peas, more Pink, Train, U2, Kelly Clarkson. But I am super excited about this revamp, and can't wait to (hopefully) see my times drop like a stone in a lake.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Back at it

Two more days...

In that amount of time, my wonderful, warrior husband will return home from the "Swamp Lands of America". When we spoke last night, we joked about how I would take "Me Time" this weekend, starting at 10am on Saturday, returning sometime on Tuesday night. HA! But we agreed that we would each get to the gym this Memorial Day weekend since he would be home for an extended break. I am really excited about this, since May was a true test of what this coming year will be like for our family. One thing I learned---keeping up a running schedule is hard work!

With summer near, and getting closer each day, the temperature keeps inching closer to the 90-degree marker, getting close to that this past Sunday. And while today is only a high of 82, it certainly feels hotter. So getting out and walking and/or running is really hard to do when you are making the decision from a cool, air-conditioned house. But today is Tuesday, meaning Miles has his baby sitter, and Nathan is in childcare!!! YIPPIE!! I booked it over to the gym, and had a GREAT run today. 2 miles in 22:12, which means my pace was an 11:03. Not too bad for only running 1 day a week! I added some news songs to my iPod playlist, and I think that really did the trick to keeping me pumped up today.

Yes, it's Tuesday....and I'm back at it!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

At home gym

One of my favorite pastimes is to watch HGTV and their home buying shows, such as "Property Virgins", "My First Place" or "House Hunters". As a military couple, Joel and I have decided that we will either live on post or rent a house until he can retire, and then plunk down a nice chunk of change in buying our first house. Of course, I have already decided what is on the list of must haves in this house: a separate shower and bath tub in the master bath, separate vanity areas, updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, double oven and granite counter tops. And an exercise room.

Yes, you heard me right. On days when I do head to the gym, I am stuck watching whatever channel the management decided to turn it on to. At Ft Campbell and Ft Benning, Fox News Channel (aka-Faux New Channel or Fox Noise Channel) always seems to be on. Shocker, right? So I want an at home gym where I can DVR my favorite shows and catch up on them while running or working out on the elliptical. Or tune into my favorite news channel, without the sight of Glen Beck or Bill O'Reily spewing hate and fear to the American public. Watching whatever *I* want to.....makes the dreadmill a little more bearable, right?

I also want an at-home gym for days like today, or rather like this entire month, where rain seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Another rainy day, another day where Nathan and I are trapped inside rather than running around the neighborhood looking at all the doggies in the back yards. Another day of no running.....another day of signing "Rain, rain, GO AWAY! And don't come back!"

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Cool down

I just want to say how SUPER EXCITED I am about the weather forecast for this coming week! Lately it seems that it has been either a) hot and muggy, or b) cold and rainy. With this weekend's rain, the coming week has a forecast of highs in the high-60s to low-70s range. YIPPIE!!! I am hoping to log almost as many miles this coming week as I have for the month of May to date (13.37 miles).

Here's to good running weather--HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

My ego problem

This past week I kind of beat myself up after what I considered a disappointing workout session at the gym. My previous post illustrates how I set the bar way too high, and when I fell short how I punished myself for not accomplishing such an unrealistic goal. The next day I was surfing through several running website, and when I came to Active.com, there was an inspiring article about "How to Develop a Healthy Mental Attitude When You Run", written by Danny Dreyer. It was a very inspiring article, and talked about how when you run you need to drop your ego. You ego, according to Dreyer, "can either inflate you or deflate your sense of self....When your ego is deflated,you give up too easily." That right there is exactly what I DO NOT want to do with my running.

Dreyer then goes on to discuss non-identification and using it when running.

"Non-identification is the art of making healthy decisions and of seeing yourself from a balanced place without judging yourself. If you are defining your self-worth by how well a run goes---either negatively or with an inflated sense of pride--then you are identifying with how you run. When you are non-identified, you evaluate your run, but not your self worth. You notice what you did well, what you need to improve upon and enjoy the process of learning and improving your running technique."


Those last two sentences really struck a chord with me. I realized that I WAS basing my runs on who well or poorly I did on that particular run. What I need to focus on is what Dreyer said, and pick apart the run like one would evaluate a military exercise--this is right, this is wrong, this is how I can change what went wrong. So when I leave the gym this week, it will not be saying, "Man, I can't even run five miles." Instead I will be saying, "What can I change in my run to accomplish that goal of running five miles?"

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Reach for the sky!

I hate being a perfectionist. Let me tell you right now---raise your children to know that there is "good" and "good enough", and "good enough" is just fine. You'll still get into heaven being "good enough". Here's the story----

This month has been a hard one to run. At the beginning of the month, there was the 2010 Flood, where Nashville received 14" of rain in two days. Yes, you read that right. The amount we get in three months came in a 48 hour time period. So the kids and I stayed inside, climbed the walls, and had Jammie Day for 2 long, weekend days. Those two days were a wash, so to speak, in terms of getting out and running.

When the rain went away, the heat came out to play. At 9am last Wednesday morning, I could barely walk/run a complete mile. It seemed like the heat and humidity were just too much for this delicate hot-house flower.

This past weekend when I visited my parents, I made a point of getting up early and hitting the sidewalk by 0530 for a 2 mile run. Ugh. Did that, glad it's over.

So, now to today. Miles had his respite provider over, Nathan went to childcare, and I went to the gym. I set high expectations for myself, and that is Point A that I hate about myself. I set goals that are too high, I know they are too high, but I still set them and hope I can reach them. I though, "With three hours to myself, I can do 5 miles on the treadmill, then 5 miles on the bike, move to the elliptical for 5 miles, and maybe lift some weights to finish off the routine." That was my thinking yesterday. This morning my thoughts were along the lines of "Workout or take a nap, that is the question." I really wanted to nap, I should have napped. My energy level has just taken a nose-dive since Joel is gone. But I also knew that logging these miles for my WTA would have to be accomplished at some point, so I might as well get them done and out of the way, right?

While I did not reach the lofty expectations I set for myself, I did manage to double my monthly total in this one hour cardio session--1 mile run, 5 miles on the bike, and 1 mile on the eliptical. No weight session, a hot shower was just too appealing.

So, the session was not "good" but "good enough", and that is fine by me.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Update: Presents for Mother's Day

As I previously posted, I had to purchase my own Mother's Day presents this year. So at the local PX, I found a pair of Nike Dri-Fit shorts for a steal of a deal...$24! They usually retail around $40, so I snatched them up before I had the opportunity to change my mind. I was also shopping for a new shirt to wear running, but I am picky about the color and if the shirt has pockets for my iPod and (most importantly) my phone. I finally found the exact shirt I was looking for, but the color was all wrong. It was a neon orange, and with my white and pasty colored skin....yeah, lets just not go there. So instead of the shirt, I purchased a new armband for my iPod. My current armband does not accommodate the Nike+ Receiver, so I either end up holding the iPod, or tucking it into the pocket of my shirt. The armband allows me to wear a shirt without pockets (or with smaller pockets), and gives me a little more freedom in my choice of clothing.

Thanks for the presents, Honey! You're the best!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

My first follower!

I officially have my first registered follower.....NURSE HEIDI! She is a good friend of mine from when we both lived in Washington. I love her since she is thoughtful, funny, encouraging, giving, loving....need I say more? Oh, and she lets me bug her when my children are sick. :)

Thanks, Heidi! I just made my day. In the words of Sally Fields, "You like me! You really, really like me!"

Friday, May 7, 2010

Good news/Bad news...

Good news first----I have readers! It's nice to know that someone is reading this an (hopefully) enjoying it. [Smiles!] Jill and a friend of hers, as well as my wonderful father-in-law Paul are my three faithful readers (that I know of). So if you're reading this, and your name is not mentioned, please let me know! I'll be happy to give you a shout out as well!

Ok, now for the bad news---it has not been a good week running wise. With the down pour of rain last weekend, childcare closed on the *one* day this week I had a reservation, when I was going to hit the gym. GRRRR!!! So on Wednesday, I strapped Nathan into the stroller, and after a trip to the playground, we headed around the neighborhood. It. Was. Hot. I mean over 70 degrees at 9 am, and very high humidity. So I cut the run short--only 0.8 miles. And that has been it. Summer has apparently arrived this week with a score to settle; the weatherman has said it has been record breaking heat this week. So with my trip to Nashville this weekend, I am hoping that the grandparents can watch the kids so I can get out and log some miles. And here's to hoping that childcare is open next Tuesday.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Presents for me!!!

This coming Sunday, Mother's Day, I will be celebrating my fifth Mother's Day. CRAZY!!! I can't believe it---who gave me permission to have a four year old??!!! :) But it is also the FOURTH Mother's Day that Joel will not be here to celebrate it with me. [Sigh]. Last night when I spoke with him, I dropped a hint about that, and he confessed that he *did* attempt to order something off my Amazon wish list, but the Internet connection was acting flaky, and that I would need to complete the transaction myself.

So I logged onto the Internet this morning to see what he was going to order---two Nike Livestrong running tank tops! YIPPIE!! But the sad news was that one was sold out in the size I needed. And while I do wear a Medium about 95% of the time, I am also kind of finicky about ordering clothes online---I'm one that has to touch and try on clothes before making a purchase. While his heart was in the right place, it leaves another Mother's Day where I purchase my own present.

(Note: after one year telling me that Joel did not get me anything for Mother's Day because I'm "not his mother", I think he has learned his lesson. He understands that he has to do the shopping for the boys, or else all the boys in the house will be sharing a house---outside---the dog house.)

Another present I have received for my running is from my wonderful, very supportive and encouraging Father In Law, Paul. What a great man! In March when he visited, I talked a little reluctantly about my running adventures, which at that time were just beginning. I spoke about how at that time it was mostly me walking around the neighborhood pushing Nathan in the typical Graco stroller. He offered to buy me a running stroller--or rather me purchase it and him write the check later. So I did my research, and one day while at the PX came across a jogging stroller on clearance-$76! How cool is that??? As soon as I get an acceptable picture I will post it, but it is pretty sturdy and Nathan seems to enjoy. That is, on the days that he does not fall asleep in it.....

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Slow week

Sorry to not have written anything over this past week. It seems I have hit a lull in my running, nothing exciting and nothing note worthy to really write about. My running is coming along, slow on the days I push Nathan around the neighborhood, faster on the days I run on the treadmill. Lately, just to keep things exciting, I have been running a shorter distance on the treadmill (around 1 miles) and then several more miles on the stationary bike and elliptical machine. I told Joel that burnout and boredom are two things that can quickly sabotage a great workout plan, and by doing a little on all three machines, I hope to keep things a little fresh.

On one exciting note---my first month of "Walk to Afghanistan" is completed, and with a little motivation towards the end I managed to complete over 40 miles for the month. 46.63 to be exact. So that brings the total down to 1398.37 more miles to go! WAHOO!!! It is still a lot, but I think because it is now under 1400, the mental aspect of things make this seem like a) it is not so hard, and b) that this is a goal that I possibly can accomplish. With Joel gone this month, here's hoping to get 40 more miles in this month. We'll see.....

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Oh no!!!!

I'm becoming the person I always laughed at. You know, the kind of person who shakes if they don't get a daily run in. The one who HAS to go to the gym, no matter how little sleep they got, how much is on their calendar for the day, or that the gym is only open for another twenty minutes. You have to go. You have to get that run or weight lifting session in for the day for you to be a "complete" person. Yeah, I am officially that person. [Sigh] Where did I go wrong???

As you can image, getting the gym while trying to raise two small children is not as easy as one might think. The gym here that *does* offer child care---well, lets just say I'm too cheap. The childcare fee is $3 per hour per child, and the monthly membership fee is around $15. Not bad, but when you previously have lived somewhere where the childcare AND gym were free....well, old habits are hard to break. So to get a good "timed" run in, I wait for Joel to come home, and sprint out the door as soon as his boots hit the tile floor. Some days I strap Nathan into the stroller while Miles is in school, and hit the pavement, running around the various neighborhoods close to the house. But these are not my favorite runs for several reasons: 1) Nathan usually falls asleep, and if he takes a nap, bedtime is a pure nightmare, and 2) pushing a 30-pound child is hard work in itself, so running while pushing is even harder. I usually end up doing a brisk walk as compared to jogging, which kills my time. But I look at this workout as just that---a workout. I logged my cardio for the day, and that's all I can do, right?

Thursday of this week I took the day off. Pushing Nathan the day before just wore me out, and since I had a meeting that night, there would be no time at the end of the day to hit the gym before it closed. On Friday, I think Joel only saw a blur of color when he walked through the door---I was OUT OF THERE! Treadmill, wait! I hear you calling my name! I'm on my way! I felt human again getting out of the house and lacing up my sneakers for a run. I know understand it when people say it's a great way to clear your head. Especailly on the treadmill, you're not headed anywhere, so you don't have to think about which street to turn down that will lead you back to your house or car. So I logged my miles for the day, felt a little more human while sweating off this morning's coffee, and headed home a little less stressed and a lot more winded. But feeling better about my self and my health.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I'm a little spoiled

On my initial trip into Fleet Feet, my main objective was to buy some clothing that would allow my skin to breathe. I was sick and tired of coming home after a run and wringing out my cotton t-shirt and shorts, my sweat being trapped into those threads and feeling all.....ewwwww.

I left the store with a Brooks tank top and pair of capri running pants, a bit lighter in the wallet, but hopeful that I would feel a little cooler when returning from an afternoon run. That afternoon after the shopping spree I dressed in my new clothes and headed out in the BLAZING heat and off I went for an extended run. I arrived back home dripping with sweat, but still felt good and not like the clothes were sticking to my skin. YEAH!!! Mission accomplished.

Fast forward one month, and the weather has taken a step back, summer retreating for a few more weeks and spring sticking around a little bit longer. The days have been a little cooler, and thus the tank top I have is just not enough to keep me warm on these brisk days (and early mornings) that I run. Joel ran in the Seattle Marathon in later 2008, and the t-shirt he was given in his goody bag was a long sleeve, "breathable" t-shirt. I've hijacked this shirt for a few days since Joel's not wearing it, and LOVE IT! Joel and I were discussing the clothes and how much I love them, and he commented "It makes it so you'll never go back to cotton, right?" I shook my head agreeing with him. We're really spoiled that someone came up with this technology of super cool and breathable clothing. Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Scientist. I love your invention.

Yes, I'm spolied. I love my clothing, I love my skin, and I love to stay cool. What are you going to do 'bout it?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

New PR!!!

I had an awesome run today! Oh my goodness, I am ON TOP OF THE WORLD!!!! YIPPIEEEE!!!!!

My original plan was to strap Nathan into the stroller and take a quick walk/slow run around the neighborhood. Nathan had other plans that specifically did not call for any sort of stroller, but had an emphasis on the swings at the playground. In this tug of war---Nathan won. There are only so many battles a mom can fight in one week. So, off the playground we go, I'll run later....I hope.

Joel made it home close to 6 o'clock, and seeing that I was still dressed in my running top (I had switched out of my nice running capri pants into demin jeans), he assumed I had already gone for my run. When I told him what happened, he enthusiastically encouraged me to get out of the house, and I was happy to comply with that order. "Sir, yes, Sir!"

I don't normally run towards the end of the day since I am a morning person, and for some odd reason I was feeling unusually energetic for this time of day. I swipe my card at the nearest gym, sign up for a treadmill, and off I go! I am feeling good, really good, I mean, I have never felt this great before! I ran for 5 solid minutes at a 5.0 speed before I had to take a break to a swift walking pace. Five minutes! This was crazy, just crazy! But like my manta, I kept chugging along, "I think I can, I think I can...I think I make this a personal best....I think I can, I think I can..."

Stride after stride, step after step, that's all running is, and while it seems so hard, after awhile it can also seem so easy. I kept going on the treadmill, and when I looked down at my ipod to see how my pace was doing.... HOLY COW! I ran that mile in 9:51??? Oh man, I'm feeling pretty good! But I think I need to slow down just a bit before I find that wall and run straight into it.

The pace slows down, and I think that in order to record that new personal best time I want to end this run on a high now. At 1.25 miles I call it quits. I would rather cut it short and walk away from this run on a high, knowing that my speed has picked up, rather than keep running, and kill my time. It might be a mental thing, but for the moment, I am on top of the world knowing that I can run with a pace of 10:28. Now if I can only figure out how to keep this up for two more miles......

Saturday, April 17, 2010

XT

In the Army life, there are a wide variety of acronyms that are used in daily life. Once at an event, we played a game where you had to use as many acronyms (in sentences) as you could---the person who used the most won a prize. I won with the following, "On Tuesday nights, I drive my POV to the CDC, and then head to the FRC where I have an FRG meeting, serving as a POC for this group. We get free childcare, so I don't have to use my GWOT hours. Then on Wednesday mornings we drive to MPC where I attend PWOC."

And in my new world, the running world, there are just as many acronyms to learn. For example, there is PR (personal record), HRM (heart rate monitor), RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevate), and LSD (long slow distance). But today's workout I added in a little XT---cross training.

A lot of what I have been reading for running and exercise in general talks about how cross training is beneficial to the athlete. Lift weights and doing other types of cardio, other than running, keeps one from getting too burned out too quickly. It makes sense to shake things up, give life a little variety and keep from getting bored---which can certainly happen if you run on the "never going to take me anywhere" treadmill.

So this morning I headed to the gym to see how I could shake things up. I started by doing some leg weights, which included hip adduction and abduction, leg extension, leg curl, and calf raises. Those five exercises took about 20-25 minutes, so I decided to jump on the elliptical machine for a warm up to the run. I worked on that for about 1 minute (remember, this was my warm up period), and then switched to the treadmill for my run.

I started off, I was feeling good...not great....but I've been at the gym for about 35 minutes at this point. I think, "Hmmm, is this the day I finally finish another 5k?"

WHAM!

What?? What was that??

"Oh, hello, Wall of Exhaustion. I was wondering when you going to show up today."

Looking at my ipod, I've only logged 0.67 miles of this run. Ok, no long run today. My legs, especially after those calf raises, just can't take too much more. So I ran until I hit 1 mile, and then crawled back to my car. No matter how hard I work, I'm just not to the point where I can run more than 2 miles. I'll get there....someday....

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Whether depends on weather

Lately it seems that running and whether I run or not depends on the weather (and,of course, my schedule for the day). This area is known for mixed weather in April---you'll need a coat and gloves on Easter weekend, but three days later shorts and flipflops, only to pull the parka out again the next week. It's one time of the year that BOTH sets of clothes are in the closets and dressers. However, this year it seems that Spring teased us by coming for one week, and the next week Summer invited itself to the South a few months early. April has seen highs in the low to mid-80 degree range, and there were a few days in the 60s.

So off to the gym I headed last Saturday, around noon time. UGH! It was just as bad as running outside. I don't think the government has turned the heat off and the air on just yet. So even at the gym, the runs are a little bit shorter and slower than what I would like them to be. I now understand why runner are early risers and hitting the pavement while the rest of the world sleeps....the temperatures are a bit lower and more perfect for a quiet run, to clear you head without over heating your body.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Just do it

Of course, that is the slogan of Nike, whose shoes I wear every time I go out and hit the pavement (or the treadmill, depending on the weather). But sometimes it can also be your life motto, as it was mine today.

Today, I registered for my first 5k run. Now that I have officially spent money on the registration, I have something to train towards. The official name is the "Race Across the Spectrum:5k for Autism" and it happens to be in my hometown of Brentwood. Yippie! Close by with free room and board (as compared to staying in a hotel), and it benefits a cause that I am passionate about. Mom has already agreed to watch the two wild ones for that morning while I sweat it out in the park.

So, I've got the date and time. Now all I need are the days and time to train for this event. Here's hoping a wonderful and supportive husband can help me out.....

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Road Runner

Beep Beep!

Most of my running has been on the road, or the walking trail and sidewalks in the neighborhoods around here. Several neighborhoods are harder than others for the fact that their sidewalks are old and not in good shape. When crossing the street, there seems to be no slope for the stroller to go down, so my running pace is slowed while I tilt the stroller up and over the bump in the road.

But lately I have been going to the gym (when Joel is off from work) and running on the treadmill. It is not as scenic, and watching the Pentagon Channel and CNN are not my choices to watch while running. But I have my ipod and run to the beat of the songs. The first time I went was because I wanted to see if I could pass the Army Physical Fitness Test run. For my age, I would need to complete a 2 mile run in 20:30. At first I thought, "Piece of cake! I mean, come on! Surely I can run this in 20 minutes!". Well, good news for the Army....I still can't do it! My time that day for the 2 mile was 22:50. Ugh! More than 2 minutes to cut off that time. In October when I turn 32, the time to beat will be 21:42. Hmmm, that is a little more doable, but I still want to run it in the 20:30 time. So, more training.

The good news is that the training (such as it is) works! When I started on March 10th, my pace was clocked at 14:55. Respectable, but I knew I could do better! 4 miles in 1 hour....that is pretty darn slow in my personal book. Some days are slower than others because I am having to push Nathan in a stroller. And on days when I am at the gym on the treadmill, I admit it is harder to slow down because you have to make the effort to program the machine to adjust to the pace.

I won't bore you with the details of 15 runs I've made over the past month or so, but I have noticed that my pace has slowly declined. For example---

Day 1-March 10-14:55 for 1.9 miles

Day 6-March 20-13:11 for 3.21 miles (5k!)

Day 9-March 27-12:44 for 3 miles

Day 11-March 30-11:20 for 2.01 miles (on the treadmill-trying to do the Army 2 miler PT test)

Day 12-April 1-13:53 for 2.23 miles (just to show you I can have an "off" day).

Day 15-April 6-11:06 for 1.8 miles

So, since starting I have dropped 3:49 off the pace of my mile! YIPPIE!! I am not a distance runner just yet. I can run fast, not long, but I know over time this will progress as well. And this is not a constant run either, but rather running and walking combined. So far I think like running on the treadmill for training purposes because of the speed it gives me, but outside because of the beautiful weather that we are having around here. Hmmm, decisions, decisions......


Monday, April 5, 2010

My new favorite store

I would love to give a big SHOUT OUT to my new favorite store---Fleet Feet of Nashville. I think I could go in there and spend oodles and oodles of money. It is my new favorite store! Of course, it helps that it is a drive away from me...if it were any closer, I think I would be broke.

The reason for my first visit started last month when the weather started heating up. It seems like overnight it went from a nice 60-degree something kind of afternoon to a HOT 70-something afternoon that was accompanied by our good friend, Mr. Humidity. When I returned home from a brisk walk/run, I sat down and tried to stop sweating for the first 10 minutes we were in the house. My cotton "Sorbonne, Paris" t-shirt cling to my skin the way Nathan used to cling to my leg when I would leave him. Peeling the shirt off just made me want to get sick. UGH! Gross! YUCK! There has to be something better than this!

Fleet Feet is located in Brentwood, not even 5 minutes from where my parents live. I grew up in Brentwood, though because of college and getting married, things have changed over the past 13 years. But this store is located in the same shopping center where my goes grocery shopping, and across from the church we have been members of for the past 30+ years. So how did I not know about it?? My friend Heidi, who now lives in Louisiana, told me about it when I mentioned I started running. She and her husband knew about it when they previously lived in this area.

Joel had visited the store earlier in the day, and he had a great experience getting his new running shoes. The sales clerk measured his foot while standing, and again when sitting, to see if there was any difference in size (it all has to do with your arches and whether or not they collapse when you sit vs. stand). He liked it, and so I was optomistic about my experience.

When I first walked it, I fell in love with the store and the sport of running! There were so many people in there, but also a lot of workers to help everyone! So much energy, it was AWESOME! I told the person who greeted me what I was looking for, and he showed me to the women's side of the store. I browsed, but could not exactly pick out what I needed. After a few minutes, Christi Beth found me, looking a little lost, which I was. I told her that when running, I needed a pocket to carry *at least* my cell phone and ipod in. But I also wanted something that would allow my skin to breathe, and I would not feel like I would be peeling it off my body when I returned from the run. Yeah, you should have seen her face when I told her it was a plain cotten t-shirt I was running in. Christi Beth picked out two tops that have pockets in the back, and that have a fabric that take sweat away from your body when working out. God bless the scientist that came up with this invention.

After trying on several pairs of pants, and two tops (in various sizes), I settled on a Brooks Running top and pair of capris. I paid for my purchases, and left A VERY HAPPY customer. I love Fleet Feet, and can't wait to return....after logging a few more (hundred) miles!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Day One

April 1st. The day is here....finally!!! Ever since I found the notification about the "Walk to Afghanistan" several weeks ago, I have been anxious to get started!! I hated that we could not start THAT DAY, but I chalk that up to being raised in an inpatient society, where we need instant gratification. I hate waiting. (Welcome to the Army....hurry up and wait.)

But today is the offical start date. 1445 miles to log over the course of this next year. I am hoping that my running speeds can increase, maybe lose some weight, and have another activity to do with my husband, Mr. College Cross Country Runner/Marathone Runner/Army Makes You Run Until You Break-Runner.

Here's hoping for actually completing this walk.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Short term goals???

On a previous posting, I wrote that my goal for a 5k is 30 minutes. That sounds like a pretty realistic goals for someone who is new to running, right?? Currently, the only 5k workout that I have completed was clocked at 40:52, so I need to knock off more than 10 minutes from that time.

The Army standards for a 2 miles run for a woman my age is a time of 20:30. Hmmm, maybe this could be tomorrows goal to beat, right??? Another short term goal??

What do you think?

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

My new favorite toy

Everyone loves to play with toys, no matter how old you are. My children love their trucks and legos, Joel loves his video and computer games, I love my home-designing software and Nike+ running sports kits. Yes, there is specialty equipment for running. Who knew such as simple activity had so much equipment?

To get my walk/run program off on the right foot, I loaded Nathan into the car, and off we go to the sports store at the mall. After trying on several different styles and sizes of shoes, I decided on a pair of Nikes, the Nike Air Pegasus+ 26. They look pretty, right???





Next, we head to Best Buy to purchase the Nike+ Sports Kit (because, believe it or not, the sports store did not carry this product). The way the sports kit works is that you take the sensor and place it in a "pocket" under the insert of the left shoe.




Then, you take the receiver and plug it into the bottom of your ipod nano. The program gives you the option to have a programmed workout based either on distance, time, or calories. [You can program in your weight for a more accurate count on the number of calories you burn during the workout.]



There are several things I *love* about this program, with the first being that it measures the distance that you walk/run. Can you say "LIFESAVER!!!" That part alone was totally worth the $30 the program cost. The second think I love is the feedback it can give you during your walk. For example, on days when I do a programmed run (as compared to the "basic" workout, which is just open ended), the program can give you feedback about where you are in the run----1K completed or 400 yards to go until completion. Awesome!

Another feature the Nike+ program gives you is to link it up to the website, which you register with and create a profile on there. So after my workout, I plug in my ipod to the computer, and it downloads my workout with the distance, time and calories burned to my profile. Once I log into nike.com and sign in to my account, I can also see a snapshot of my run, with a runner going across the screen, up and down, signaling when I sped up in my workout and when I slowed down. Pretty sweet!

Additionally, there is a history aspect loaded into this program. You can view your previous runs by week or month, and it will show you how many miles you've run, calories you've burned, and the amount of time you have logged during that time period. It will certainly make my "Walk Across Afghanistan" log easier to fill out at the end of the month.
Can you tell I love my Nike+????

Monday, March 22, 2010

5k death march

I have a friend whose husband is doing "The Bataan Death March" this weekend. What that is is a 26.2 miles Army ruck march, complete with full "battle rattle". UGH! No.Thank.You. I'll cheer him on from the comfort of my couch in a different state, if that is alright with you! :)

But, on Saturday, Joel took the kids to recycle, so I was able to get my first walk/run without a stroller. YIPPIE!! Let's see how fast I can run now! The answer: just a little faster than the crawl of a snail. Seriously, I was disappointed in myself. I think I have the expectation that without a stroller hindering my activity, I can just let loose and run the entire length without any walking, just run away until I finish whatever objective I set for myself that day. Hmmm, this running thing is going to be little tougher than I originally thought.

On my first alone run, I set the distance at 5k, or 3.125 miles. There is a walking trail around our neighborhood, and having never taken it before (and thus did not know exactly where it went), I decided to take that trail. Not too bad, I went around the neighborhood several times. Hopefully, one of these days I can find a map of the neighborhoods around here and map out a distance that does not require repeating a trail more than once.

So, on to the update of this run. From the time I left my front door to the time I returned---3.21 miles with a time of 42 minutes and 25 seconds. The total time for my 5k was 40:32. And how did I feel at the end? Like I wanted to die. Ugh, it was AWFUL!! But seeing as how it was the farthest I had ever run, I was excited to have that box checked off. I now have a new goal of what to work towards, beating that time with a better one. I told Joel was goal is to have a time of 30 minutes for a 5k. Pretty realistic if you ask me. No deadline of when to have this accomplished, just something I have set for myself.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Type A personality

If you know me, you know that I am a Type A personality---I like to make list and cross things off, to see the accomplishments I have made in the day. So when I train with weights, or running, I need to have a goal of training for something. Running just for the heck of it is not any sort of fun. Yeah, yeah, I know that running will increase your cardio system, keep you healthy by keeping you in shape, help you burn calories to lose weight...blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I've heard it all before, all the healthy benefits for running. Then there are the other things...shin splints, bad knees, torn ligaments from you foot landing in a hole. Seems to me that the bad outweigh the good.

However, with Joel's upcoming deployment, I feel that I need something to keep me occupied and to help me countdown the days and weeks until his return. With his previous deployment, I was pregnant with Nathan, so that keep me occupied. "Hmmm, this is week 21 of my pregnancy, only 19 more weeks until my due date, and 18 more weeks until Joel comes home on R&R." Or, "Nathan is now 4 months old, which means that that we have only 4 more months until Joel returns home!" Well, let me tell you, I am NOT getting pregnant before this deployment. NO SIR! Not going to happen!

So, how I am going to countdown the deployment?? I am glad you asked. I am walking to Afghanistan! Not really, but hear me out. The MWR Sports program here is sponsoring a "Walk to Afghanistan" program for all of those interested in such an activity. You can be part of team and walk over 7,000 miles, or do it individually and walk 1,445 miles from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.

Why am I doing this?? Seriously, I have no idea. I thought it sounded fun! HA!!! By the time I finish my feet are going to be so swollen and will want to fall out. But it is a challenge, even if it is only an self-challenge, and I am up to the task! Let the walking begin!....on April Fools day.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my lonely little blog....training to run!

I know---running sounds so easy and elementary. Anyone could do it. In fact, my two children are gold medal champions at it! Nathan loves to run to the park, away from the car that he should be getting into at that particular moment. So, why is it so hard for me to run?? Seriously, my idea of running is towards the ice cream man and his truck and he turns off our street. "Wait, I found some money!! Come back!!!!"

In all seriousness, running is something that I would like to master. My husband was a cross country runner during high school and college. In fact, he still does (though the Army may have something to do with that as well.) But he has run in a half-marathon and full marathon as well. It seems that all of my friends run as well, and they have great health and a hot, smokin' body to go with it! So, again, why it is so hard for me to run??

I think it was the way I was raised. I love my mom and dad, and as I parent, I know they did everything that they could possibly do to raise a smart and well-rounded young lady. But with their work schedule, when they come home, all they want to do it sit and relax after a grueling hard day, not lace up a pair of sneakers and go for a jog around the block. However, Joel has a job that allows me the luxury to stay home with the kids. And I realize that I want to instill into my children good exercise habits so that they are not fighting obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.

Joel is always saying to start slow and work your way up, and as much as I hate to put these words in writing....he is right. With the weather now (getting) warmer and sunnier, I have taken Nathan out in the stroller several days for a quick walk around the neighborhood. Even after a week, I can already see a difference in my cardio. While I am not in THE GREATEST shape, my Nike+ program says that I am walking a 14.5 minute mile. Not too bad considering I am pushing Nathan (who is 30+ pounds) in his stroller, but hopefully I can carve out some time to go walking/running alone to see what I really have the potential to do. Here's hoping for some quality "me time".....