Back in the Saddle!

I completed race number 11 of the year....the Jingle Bell Run here in Bloomington-Normal, IL. It was rainy and cold...pretty disgusting, really. I ended up getting 5th out of 47 in my gender/age group, and 33rd out of 468 total women, and 178th out of 861 total runners! Sweet! I am definitely satisfied with that :). It was a pretty fun race, lousy weather or not :).
AND....it was my best 5k time ever! Just over an 8 minute/mile pace. WOO HOO! :)

UGH

It's a beautiful day so I'm heading out for a run...before it turns dark.
Why didn't I do this before 5pm you ask?! Well, I've wasted a ton of the day just doing piddly crap. I've turned into a huge time waster lately...I am not sure what the heck my problem is.

OH, and lest I forget....Mr. Anonymous (who left a really awesome, sweet message after my last post....er...maybe not....sorry if you don't know what I am talking about ;). Consider yourself lucky for not having to read it! UGH!), thanks for that. I have a pretty good idea of who you are...and why don't you just go away?! Go do something constructive instead of leaving anonymous messages on someone's silly running blog.

I DID IT!

I am still processing everything....and I don't have time for a full-out post and wrap-up of last weekend....

But I'll say this....
I FINISHED!

I finished in 4 hours, 1 minute, and 4 seconds (and yes...those extra 64 seconds past the 4 hour mark will forever plague me!)...but...

I HAD A BLAST!

...and YES....I WILL run more marathons! Where will #2 be?! Stay tuned!

I'll leave you with a few pictures from the weekend....
My running shoes, geared up and ready to go the night before! Chip in place, and "speed bead" in place....a good-luck gift from my good friend Jillian!

Silly fleece ear thingie! So it was FREEZING that weekend....and so we went to Dick's to get some of those hand warmer packet things...and I realized I didn't bring a headband thing to get my ears warm...this was on clearance for 98 cents, so I snagged it up...expecting to throw it away after a few miles. I ended up wearing good ol' Shootin' Hoops the entire race! Best 98 cents spent ever ;)

Here I am around 7am before the race...a little nervous...and lookin' LARGE in my many layers!

Jeremy snapped this photo around the 20-mile mark, where I saw him for the 1st time. Here's what I wrote about this photo when I posted it on Facebook:

"I should probably be embarrassed by how terrible I look here...but I guess I am not ;). This is right by the 20-mile mark, where I saw Jeremy. Please note the piles of clothing that are still in place...as it was FREEZING. I am wearing a size XL long-sleeved shirt that I got for free at the marathon expo the day before...apparently they had gads of XL shirts leftover at the Chicago half marathon in Sept...so they gave them away to expo-attendees. I grabbed one, thinking it would be a good shirt to wear and throw away once I warmed up. I never really did warm up, so it stayed on. I was rather disappointed that I never got to sport the cute green Lake Run Club tank I was wearing underneath!You know you're getting OLD when you DO sacrifice fashion for comfort...(let's not even get started about the blue "shootin' hoops" headband that is on, with pink hat over that....)"

And, here I am after successfully completing my first marathon! I was not even thinking about photos, but thankfully Steve (a good friend who accompanied us) offered to take a picture...thanks, Steve, for thinking of it!!! You are awesome! I LOVE this photo :)

And there you have it! More details on the actual race later...

going cuuuurrrrzy

Yeah, I am kinda going crazy. I don't like nights that I don't work out. I feel like a waste of space. However, I am listening to mr. hal higdon and taking two nights off...tonight and tomorrow...and running 2 miles on Saturday...to get me ready and RESTED for the lovely marathon on Sunday. We'll see about that. ;)
I just wasted like 90 minutes on facebook. Disgusting!! HA!
I DID do a whopping 4 miles on the treadmill last night. Yahoo for taper down weeks :)
3 days til go.....

milage

Ok, this is probably way off...but I tried to go through past posts and compile/add milage from the beginning of June. I realized I really did a crappy job of keeping track like I wanted to. Not counting running in the pool....and only counting (I think) what I recorded here...I have run 309.2 miles since the beginning of June...so basically 4 months. Honestly, I don't think that's accurate....since I did 20-40 miles per week. If I were to average it down to, let's say, 28 miles per week....we'll say 15 weeks of training to be on the safe (low) side....that would be 420 miles, which is probably still conservative. WOW. That's a lot of stinkin' miles. I am kind of disappointed in myself for not keeping better track. I just added up the milage on Hal's website...I typically ran MORE than he suggested each week for the Novice 1 plan....so at a minimum, I completed 435 miles he suggested pre-marathon. WOW! That's a lot of freaking miles!!! Add that to the half I ran in April...the actual milage of the marathon I'll run Sunday (cross fingers/pray that I do finish!!)....and that's not even counting training I did pre-half marathon or from after the half til I started training for the full at the end of May-ish....and we're EASILY over 500 miles for the calendar year. WOW!!!!!!!

5 days til judgement day!!

Well I've been feeling great lately...which is a wonderful feeling. Lots of ibuprofen, rest, ice, ion/steroid treatments, prayer, swimming/aqua jogging, stretching, and new shoes have really helped my knee out a lot I believe.

After the half marathon last week, I took Mon/Tuesday off, ran 4.5 on a treadmill on Wednesday (and felt awful...afterwards, I met a friend for dinner, and then when I got home I took my shoes off to discover a blister on my left ankle had basically exploded blood all over my sock/shoe/foot, AND a new hugER blister had formed underneath. Nice. Thanks to Jillian and Band Aid brand blister pads, though, that is all cleared up ;))....took Thursday and Friday off, and then ran a 5k on Saturday: Run the Woods, a fundraiser for Easter Seals (my place of employment!) It was a great race. I got 26:12, which is a decent time for a trail run...it was muddy and rainy! I got 2nd in my age group, which was good. Last year I got 3rd in my age group...with a time that was about 2 minutes slower! This year's winner for my age group got 25:35, so really I wasn't too far behind her. Next year I'll dominate ;). It's a small race, so it's a nice ego boost since it's not too difficult to place in my age group ;).

I ran 8 miles outside on Sunday...it was beautiful! Last night I did some aqua jogging for 45 minutes with Jillian. It was wonderful to have company. I plan on taking tonight off and running 4 or so tomorrow. In case you haven't figured it out ;), I am tapering wayyyy down (per Hal Higdon's marathon training plan and the advice of all of the other marathoners I've talked to!!) in preparation for Sunday. I. am. SO. EXCITED!

Not sure if it was a good idea or not ;), but I realized that I (as of Sunday) will have run races 3 weekends in a row! Sept 27: Quad Cities Half. Oct 3: Run the Woods 5k. Oct 11: CHICAGO MARATHON!

Have I mentioned lately that I am excited ;).

Great Race!

So, on a whim a week and a half ago or so...I decided to sign up for the Quad Cities Half Marathon. My sister was running the full (her first!) and I decided it would be cool to go to support her...and if I was going anyway, I should probably get in a training run! ;) According to my schedule, I was supposed to do a 12 mile run this weekend (I am now in the "tapering down" period....last Sunday's 20 mile run was the peak of training). So, I figured that doing the 13.1 mile half marathon would be just fine. It was a great race....and I love the Quad Cities. It's weird how it really does feel like home to me. I didn't grow up there...but I spent 4 years of my life there (I went to Augustana for undergrad) and my parents now live in Geneseo (they moved there when I was 18; right when I moved to Augie, actually)...so it's always nice to be "back home."

Well, I ran the half in 1:52:09 today....15th out of 114 in my age group! Not too shabby :). I was happy with that...and I don't feel too terribly today ;), so that's a good thing too!

More later....it's been a busy weekend so I need to go get some things done before the work week starts...

Sigh of relief...

So my knee feels better than it has since before my 18-mile run on Saturday, September 5! WHEW! I've employed the advice of many ;)...and hope that things continue to look up. We're just over three weeks til race day, folks!!

Workouts the past 2 weeks....

Saturday, September 5: 18 miles
Sunday, September 6: Rest
Monday, September 7: Rest
Tuesday, September 8: ran 1 mile slow, walked 1 mile (***after my PT friend told me NOT TO DO ANYTHING...whooops)
Wednesday, September 9: Rest
Thursday, September 10: Rest
Friday, September 11: Rest also had an ionic steroid treatment on my right knee
Saturday, September 12: Rest
Sunday, September 13: 14 miles
Monday, September 14: 65 minutes on elliptical
Tuesday, September 15: 30 minutes "running" in the pool (in the deep end with a fitness belt thingie), followed by 5 minutes of laps
Wednesday, September 16: 8.5 miles also had an ionic steroid treatment on my right knee pre-run
Thursday, September 17: 30 minutes "running" in the pool (same as Tues.)

And, I feel great! I'll be taking the next two days off and then running the big TWENTY on Sunday. I can't wait!! :)

ONE MONTH to go!

I can hardly believe it...just one month to go til the big day!

This morning I ran 14 miles with Dan and John...it is a "taper down" week before building up to our big 20-mile run next weekend. We took it a bit easier than usual (Dan is also battling some issues....his are with his Achilles tendon in his left foot).

I feel decent...not nearly as awful as I felt last Saturday afternoon after the 18-mile run. After the adrenaline wore off last Saturday my knee hurt really badly.

I went to see David McClure at the Sports Enhancement Center on Tuesday and Friday this week and he helped me out a ton...he's a really nice, really great guy. He had some good suggestions...and gave me some steroid therapy (pics in previous post!) on Friday that seemed to really help. I am hopeful!

Nate, also at the Sports Enhancement Center, also suggested some new shoes...Asics Nimbus...I bought them Wednesday and then tried them out for 6.75 on the treadmill at the gym. They were expensive ;), but felt great. I wore them today on the 14 mile run and had no issues with the fit or feel of them...which was wonderful.

So between rest (I did NOTHING Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week...YOWZA!), ice, Motrin, new shoes, steroids, David, Nate, and a band worn above my knee during today's run (per another trainer at SEC's suggestion)....I am doing better.

No way am I giving up, no way, no how! I am far too excited about this...and have been training for far too long! Basically all year, really! I got really serious about the IL half marathon back in February, ran the half in April, and then registered for Chicago shortly thereafter. So, this has really been a February-October deal! We're going on 7.5 months right now of training.

It's frustrating, honestly....cardio-vascuarly I feel AWESOME. I feel like I could run and run and run and run forever. I haven't even been really winded at the end of all of our long runs (aside from last week, when I finished the last mile of 18 miles in 7:20ish....yeah, that's a story for another time). The endurance issue is with my joints (particularly my knees!)...which is so frustrating! I wish I could whip those puppies into shape and make them more durable ;).

I couldn't sleep last night...I tossed and turned all night. I was really worried about my knees, particularly the right one that has given me issues since last Saturday's 18-miler. I feel ok right now (probably still floating on that runners' high a bit! ;))....but I have a feeling I am going to hit a wall and just CRASH later on today.

P.S. a little lofty ;), but in the back of my mind is the 3:40:59 Boston qualifying time requirement....I mean, if you double my half marathon time you get something around 3 hours and 54 minutes....and I am in much better shape (if my knee cooperates, of course ;)) right now than I was before the half marathon....is it realistic to shoot for? Not sure. Now that it's in my head, it's gonna be hard to forget about it ;). However, I am gonna do my best to push it back and "forget" about it and focus on.....1) Staying healthy.....2) FINISHING....and 3) finishing in under 4 hours.....

Here's to running....and staying strong and healthy!

IT band fun

18

Well today was the day of more firsts for me :)...I ran 17, then 18 miles! The most I'd run prior to this was 16 miles, so miles 17 and 18 were totally new territory...and it felt great! I had the best "runners' high" ever afterwards, too ;). After three straight hours of running, I felt like I could conquer the world! So, I picked up an iced coffee for me and some McDonald's breakfast for Jeremy on my way home (per his request; yeah, we're health freaks around here! HA! Actually, though, he has lost TWENTY-EIGHT pounds this summer; and it wasn't like he needed to, either)....then when I got home I did 2 loads of laundry, cleaned out the fridge (aka threw away old/expired stuff, and washed the shelves/walls of the fridge), cleaned the litter box, emptied/re-loaded the dishwasher....and then crashed. Boy oh boy was I TIRED! I still am. I've been somewhat worthless for most of the day.

In other news, I may have screwed up my right knee. It's not feeling good. I just e-mailed a co-worker whose husband is a PT who works at a sports' clinic here in town to see if he could see me. I am not messing with this crap; I hope it's something I can deal with and deal with quickly and easily. There are just FIVE weekends between me and the marathon and I am not giving up!

Cholesterol...

Random: I got my latest blood work reports back from my doctor's office in yesterday's mail and apparently marathon training is great for your cholesterol ;). When I 1st had it tested back in October last year, my total cholesterol was 208 which was sorta high (but my dr. wasn't concerned because my "good" cholesterol was 76...which is high for that and is a good thing). When I went on Thurs, apparently my cholesterol was 157. Sweet! Even though my dr. wasn't concerned by the 1st tests last year, I still didn't like that my cholesterol was technically "high"...so I am glad it is in a better range now.

Week-in-review

Well, I survived my first 16-mile jaunt! :) And, yes...I did so with smile on my face :).

It was a lot of fun...and what a great morning for a run! It was cool and breezy here in Blo-No. The biggest downfall of the day was the fact that I did a large portion of this run by myself. Ugh! AND I did it sans iPod! Typically I have free access to Jeremy's iPod to use for training (yeah, I am like the only twenty-something without her own iPod!)....there's no way he's up and at 'em before 6:30 on a weekend day, much less running that early! So, anyway, I've brought it with me to each of the long training runs I do with the marathon training group....but have yet to actually use it. I typically get to talking with whomever I am running with (most often two guys, John and Dan) and have no need for music to get me through. Today, though, that wasn't the case....and I forgot the darn iPod! Naturally, I leave the house at the last minute possible to arrive at "the triangle" where we start our weekend runs at 6:30am. Well, when I was about 5 minutes from home I realized I had forgotten the iPod. Darn it all! I didn't turn around, because I didn't want to be late...

Well...when I arrived in the lot we runners typically all park in for our weekend runs, it was empty...save for a few Bloomington Parks and Rec vehicles. I waited for a few minutes...and one woman (one I had never met before, but who was very nice!) did show up. She, however, was only running 7 miles today as she was just coming back from an injury. So, we ran 3.5 miles together until she turned around and went back to where we had started. It was great company for those first few miles....but the next 12.5 did tend to drag by toward the end! Typically I run with John who has a Garmin GPS running watch...which is fabulous (I reallllly want one for my birthday!). So, that totally takes away the guess work of "how far do we have left?" and "what is our current pace," etc. Well, I don't yet have the luxury of owning one of those....although I do have one picked out! Feast your eyes on THIS...it's a thing of beauty!! :) When I had about 2 miles left both knees REALLY started to bother me, which was somewhat frustrating. I didn't stop, nor give up! I pressed on...and finished 16 miles in 2 hours, 32 minutes.

I was excited to reach the 13 mile mark at only 10 minutes slower than my April race time of 1 hour, 52 minutes. I wasn't running hard today...I knew I needed to save up a lot of energy as I had never run 16 miles before in my entire life...so I definitely took it "easy" and made sure I would have "something left" for those final miles. So, it was great to run an "easy" 13-miles at only 10 minutes slower than my race pace! I can tell I am in a ton better shape. Also, I finished 15 miles (which is what I ran with John and Dan last Saturday for training) in 2 hours 22 minutes...which was a full 7 minutes faster than we had done last week together! I finished 16 miles in 2 hours, 32 minutes....3 minutes longer than it took to finish 15 miles last week! I was proud of myself. That averages out to a 9:30 minute-mile pace! Nothing too spectacular ;), but I don't think it's anything to turn your nose up at either...considering I ran SIXTEEN FULL MILES! Did I mention that I am a bit proud of myself ;).

Whew! All things considered, it was a successful run :).

While I would consider today a smashing success; this week was not necessarily of the same caliber, unfortunately. As I did mention before in this post, I ran 15 miles last Saturday with Dan and John...my buds in the marathon training group ;). Dan had e-mailed us the day before asking if we could meet at 6 as opposed to 6:30 since he had somewhere to be that morning. So, we started early...which was great, because ended up being a really hot day and got prettttty warm toward the final miles of the run! It was a great run...and it was nice to have company :). We always tend to have some rather entertaining conversations ;). I even had some kick at the end (more than I had today! ;) John and I "sprinted" the last .25 mile or so. It felt awesome...but my knees were definitely feelin' it!

Later that day (Saturday the 15th), I drove to Chicago to see some great friends from grad school...my roommate Brooke and I stayed at our friend Avanti's new apartment in Lincoln Park in the city! It was great to see both of them! :) We spent the night there after an evening of a yummy Mexican dinner at a cute restaurant and then drinks at a bar close by...and then lazed around together Sunday before heading home. I was hoping to get in some sort of cross training (per my training schedule!), but didn't...the drive took 3.5 hours (as opposed to 2-2.5) due to really bad traffic (the air/water show was this weekend in Chi) and horrid weather (the sky unleashed some major fury around 4pm during my drive). So, I just went out for Mexican food (uh, yeah...sorta my weakness! ;)) with Jer and went home to clean (in preparation for my dad's arrival the next morning) and then basically called it a night after that.

Monday...I did 65 minutes on the elliptical at the gym.
Tuesday...I woke up early (!!) and went to a 5:30-6:30am Zumba class with my co-workers Kristin and Jamie. It was a total blast! Lots of chest-shaking and hip-action; not my usual cup of tea ;)...but I enjoyed myself! I plan to go back this Tuesday. It DEFINITELY used muscles that I am not used to "workin'" as I was quite sore that next day! :) Later on Tuesday, we had our first "group run" of the little running/walking group I started for co-workers; trying to get people ready to run/walk the Easter Seals Run the Woods 5k in Oct! It was fun to socialize :) and I probably got in about 2.5 miles of walking/running. Nothing too spectacular ;), but it was something!
Wednesday...I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on a bike and then ran on a treadmill for 15 minutes (with some sprints thrown in for fun).
Thursday...AND Friday....I didn't do jack crap. WHOOPS! Thursday I went to a book club meeting with some friends in Peoria right after work, and Friday I worked til 1 and then had to bring Izzy to her first vet appointment...and then had an appointment of my own...and then we had an appointment for a photograph for our church directory...and then we went out for dinner to Chili's with our friends the Ericksons and the Fifarks! It was a great couple of days...but I was down on myself for slacking this week! According to my training guide...I was supposed to do 4-8-4 on Tues-Wed-Thurs. Argh! Oh well...Life does go on. It also just seems to get in the way of my good intentions to train RIGHT! :)

Well, I need to go make myself more useful ;). Jeremy is currently grouting in our basement (!!!) and I should see if he needs assistance (???) and tend to the laundry and general cleaning needs of our too-messy house!

Happy running!

~RLB

OOPS!

So I wrote in my last post that this week I'd be following the training plan to a T....I started out OK....Monday I rested! The Hal Higdon Novice training schedule (which I have been more or less following...) has you rest on Mondays. Then came Tuesday....
I was supposed to run 3 miles on Tuesday. Well, I did! AFTER I did 65 minutes on the elliptical at the gym! ;) I actually ran about 3.25 on the sidewalks/roads at home after Jeremy and I got home from the gym and while dinner was cooking in the oven ;). I did the last mile in 7:18, which I was proud of myself for :).
Then yesterday....I was supposed to do 7. Wellllll...after work, Jeremy was craving Mexican (our vice!) so we went to our new favorite Mexican place here in town, Herradura, and split an entree (it was so big, that we had leftovers, too!)...I wore gym clothes to the restaurant, hoping to go to the gym/run shortly after dinner. Well, I was exhausted...so I went home. We got home around 8 and I planned to just go to the gym by 9 to get in an hour or so before the gym closed at 10. Well, I layed down on the couch at 8 and didn't get up again til 11. WHOOPS! So, my supposed-to-run-seven-miles-day turned into a rest/lazy A day! uh oh....
So, then today for some reason I thought I was supposed to run 8. I asked my good friend from work, Jamie, if she'd run 8 miles with me tonight...and she did! So we ran 8 together. It was great! We did it in 1 hour, 11 minutes...so just under a 9 minute/mile pace. Then, I got home and discovered I was only "supposed" to run 7 miles! Double whoops! So much for following the stinkin' plan! HA! OH well ;). I plan to do JUST 4 tomorrow afternoon...and then Saturday morning I am doing 15 with the group (uncharted territory for me! 13.5 is the longest I've ever run before!). Here's hoping I survive! :)
Actually, I just peeked over at the intermediate plan and according to that one....week ten is Mon cross train, Tues 4, Wed 8, Thurs 4, Fri rest...so I am really not far off from that. ;) So, maybe there is still hope for me!
The big things....
1) I haven't missed any long runs other than week 7 when I was supposed to run 12 and didn't end up running 12 because I ran the 7-mile Bix race and was wiped.
2) I have been doing at least the suggested total mileage each week

I can DO this! :)

Halfway there!

Yesterday I completed WEEK 9 of marathon training (yes, even though I haven't posted since July 27th, I've still been hard at work ;))....only 9 weeks to go til the big race! Here we go! I am not totally 100% sure of what my workouts have been since I've recorded them last on here. I kinda stink and haven't been writing them down very frequently in my "running diary" that I just HAD to buy toward the beginning of this ;). Oh well! I do know, though, that I've worked out/ran at LEAST 10 days straight without a day off, so I really need to take today off. SO, today is officially an OFF day :).

Let's go backwards and see if I can remember what I've done....

Sunday, August 9: 10 miles with the marathon training group
Saturday, August 8: 45 minutes on the elliptical (4.5 miles)
Friday, August 7: 6 miles on the treadmill
Thursday, August 6: 4 miles outside (with Jamie!)
Wednesday, August 5: 5 miles on the treadmill
Tuesday, August 4: 6 miles on the treadmill
Monday, August 3: 45 minutes on the elliptical (4.5 miles)

A total of approximately 40 miles. WHEW!!!

Sunday, August 2: 13.5 miles with the marathon training group (let me tell you what, I was FEELING that afterwards! That was the LONGEST I'd run since the half marathon in April!!)
...and, honestly, it's sorta foggy after that, unfortunately. ARGH! I want to be able to estimate, at the end of this, how many miles I ran total over the 18-week training program and I can't do that very well if I forget workouts!!

Goals for this week:
~Drink more water throughout the day
~FOLLOW the plan EXACTLY (I haven't exactly done that at all over the weeks so far!!)...That means, Tuesday I will run 3 miles, Wednesday I will run 7 miles, and Thursday I will run 4 miles. Monday and Friday will be off, Saturday will be 15, and Sunday will be a crosstrain day. I am starting out right, by taking today off! Let's see how the rest of the week goes :).
~STRETCH more consistently and for longer (my PT friend Jamie has been helping me with that :))

Bring on week 10!!! :)

bring it on, Week 8!

Week 7 of training (last week):

Mon....3 miles (street)
Tues...6 miles (treadmill)
Wed....5 miles (trails)
Thurs..6 miles (Eliptical w/ arms)
Fri....Rest
Sat....7 miles (BIX RACE!)
Sun....6 miles

I didn't get a 12-mile run in like the schedule suggested...but I ran the 7 mile race on Saturday at a faster-than-training pace...so I know it "counts for more"...but I still feel bad at slacking. I did, though, run more than the 24 suggested miles this week according to Hal's novice plan....if I take out the 6 miles on the eliptical (and count that as, instead, cross-training), I ran 27 miles this week....so at least that wasn't too terrible. Not the 30-32 or so I had been doing per week....but still not terrible.

I need more time in a day to train/do homework/work/do housework! ARGH!

Bix!

We had a great time running the Bix 7 in Davenport...well, at least I did! ;) I got my best time out of the 6 times I have run it...and finally attained my under-an-hour goal! :)
I got 58 minutes and 36 seconds which put me at 2426 overall and 78th out of 955 in my age group! Top 10%! Woo hoo!!! :)
Jeremy also got his best time of 1:03:06...let me tell you what, he was pretty upset ;) about those extra 3 seconds at the end that put him ever-so-slightly over a 9 minute mile pace! ;) I am proud of him, though!! :)
However...my "long run" this weekend is supposed to be 12 miles...and I haven't exactly done that yet and the weekend is slipping away. I shouldn't slack off on the long runs, I know...but I am freaking tired and sore! Plus we are still in the QCs at my parents' house and have to make the 2 hour drive back to Bloomington soon...
Darn it all!
We'll see :). I guess if I don't get it in I shouldn't totally beat myself up for it...but I should at least do some kind of long-ish run tonight. We'll see what happens!!

trying not to keep up the slacking trend ;)

I need to head to bed, but just wanted to record that I did 6 miles (treadmill) last night and 5 miles (State Farm Park on the trails) tonight.

Woo hoo!

Slacker to the maximal power!

I haven't recorded anything since LAST Monday, July 13th! That doesn't mean I haven't been working out of course ;)....but I am sorry to report I have been slacking a bit more than I would like to have to admit! I did just get back from a 3 mile run (that was my shortest in a long time!), but I finished it with a 7:30 mile for the 3rd of the 3 miles. Lately I have been trying to run the final mile, no matter how far I've gone, the fastest of the miles of that run. It's been kinda fun to see what I have left at the end of each run! I did a short run tonight because I didn't get home from work til after 7....and Jeremy and I are going out to grab dinner together tonight (we spent the weekend apart!).

I took Sunday off, because I was in Rockford visiting friends over the weekend. I had running things with me and had every intention of sneaking away by myself for a bit to get a run or two in...but it just didn't happen. Oh well.

Saturday I did get a 7-mile run in with the Lake Run Club training group....which lends itself to an exciting (in my opinion, anyway!) little story about my run and a great man named Merlin...I'll post about that later!

Honestly, I regret to say that I can't remember what I ran last Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! I am going to have to ponder that one and try to remember....

No way am I quitting or giving up ;), but this week has definitely not been a good one in the way of training! I WILL do better this week....work and classes beware! If I have to slack, it might be on one of YOU! ;)

Later!

Tired day...

Today was day 4 (and week 2) of the courses I am finishing up this month at ISU. I was tired after class and then work...but after a quick snack made myself go for a quick 4-mile run. I saw one of my Easter Seals kiddos riding his bike with his dad while running, which was kind of fun! :) I ran 4.5 miles and ended up running the last mile in 7:20. Whew! I am not sure what got in to me, but that felt great! Now I need to finish up some homework and hit the hay...

Week 5 down, 13 to go!

So, today marked the end of week 5 of the 18-week marathon training program. I ran with the Lake Run Club Marathon training group again at 6:30 this morning. Today's run was 10 miles for me (it is kind of a do-what-you-want type thing; many people follow either the "novice I" or the "advanced I" Hal Higdon plans so there is typically always someone there who will be running approximately what you are. Today there were 3 people running 14 miles, 8 or so doing 10, and 2 doing a few miles less). Of all of us, the 3 14 milers took the lead and set off quicker than the rest of us, 2 guys running 10 were a bit behind them, and then myself and 2 others followed not far behind that. Behind us were two additional groups of 3 or so each. So, I am not the "slowest", but definitely not the "fastest" either...I am comfortably somewhere smack-dab in the middle of the pack of the training group, which is where I like to be.

10 miles felt great today...however I had some stomach issues right around mile 3. There was a porta-potty in a park there but I refused to stop so early on. I pressed through it and stopped after we turned around and came back past the same porta-potty...around mile 6. I didn't lose my group, though, since I didn't take the water break that they did and basically sprinted between the spot I left them getting water and the spot where the porta-potty was located. Whew, relief! ;) It was a quite normal, non-notable event ;), which was nice for me...because I have DEFINITELY had my share of not-s0-normal bathroom, errr, experiences pre-diagnosis! However, today I was fine...disaster was successfully averted! In case you didn't already know...I am typically thoroughly, unabashedly open with my bathroom experiences...like it or not. The way I see it, I can't/couldn't help it: my issues are/were based on MEDICAL problems I am/was having, so I may as well get a laugh out of them! HA! Enough for now, though ;).

Now, it's time for:

Things that Annoy Me about Runners (part 12908! ;))--
Yeah, I recognize that I am probably far too impatient and far too easily annoyed. But I don't care.
Ok, so some background on the Lake Run Club thing is needed before proceeding. Basically whomever paid the $ to join this group can meet on either Saturday or Sunday mornings (or both) at 6:30 each weekend til sometime in the fall after the marathons people signed up for are done...we meet at this place called "The Triangle" in Blo-No, which is basically a spot on the Constitution Trail here in town (which is AWESOME, by the way) that forms a triangle of paths. We have water/Gatorade waiting for us at the start/finish and also at a few other places on the route as well (depending on how long the run is for that day). That part is definitely really nice. The camaraderie is also a perk...running 10+ miles by yourself can be kinda boring. However, I HATEHATEHATE all of the runner-types comparing race experiences, race times, races recently run in a really obnoxious, competitive manner. Who cares?! This is freaking Bloomington-Normal and we are not freaking Olympic-class runners or anything. I find it annoying. Maybe it's just me and my easily-annoyed personality ;). I mean, I would rather everyone just hung out and compared bowel movements...like me! ;) (I might be kidding! ;)).

I digress.

Don't get me wrong, I think I like the Lake Run Club and am glad I joined....but some of the personalities just rub me the wrong way. It's probably just because I am lacking in that athletic/competitive drive gene. ;)

Mileage this past week:
Monday: 0 (nice car mishap after class/work forced me to miss the gym/run)
Tuesday: 6 miles
Wednesday: 65 minutes elliptical (crosstraining; we'll call this 6 miles since it did on the elliptical)
Thursday: 3.5 miles
Friday: 0 (too lazy to get up before work ;), and we had a wedding in the pm)
Saturday: 6 miles
Sunday: 10 miles
Total: 31.5

OH, today I also broke in a new pair of shoes during the run. I wore my new blue and white Adidas Zoom shoes during the 10 mile run and they felt great. My former shoes were definitely past their prime and had been worn for 300+ miles. I broke them in the day before the half marathon I ran in April which was 3 months ago...and they kind of had an unfortunate run-in with some, errr, bodily fluids after the Steamboat Classic a few weeks ago and subsequent harsh run-in with the hose and various scrubbing devices and have never really returned to their former glory. SO, it was time for new shoes. These new shoes were the same make/style as the previous ones, just a new color...blue this time as opposed to the cute watermelon-y pink before. I like them!

Alright, I've avoided cleaning long enough....have a great day!

Under the weather...

So I started some classes this week; I am in the final leg of a 13-month program through ISU that is training me to be better ready to serving kids who are deaf and hard of hearing. I love it...but it's a lot of work. A "marathon" in its own sense, really. I am working still, obviously, too. So, this week I have been tired. Monday I worked 7:30-9:30, attended class from 10-3:15, had some car trouble (argh!) but worked 4-6, and then dealt with said car trouble...and missed working out due to the car and tiredness. I felt like crap, for a variety of factors! Tuesday I attended class from 8:30-3:15 and then worked til about 7...I forced myself to go to the gym and ran 6 miles on the treadmill doing a variety of intervals....and FELT GREAT! I had some stomach issues before and after, though, which kinda blew. Last night I did 65 minutes on the elliptical...and tonight I hope to go for a run (weather permitting)....we'll see.
I am NOT giving up, but I have definitely felt tired and not myself this week, which is understandable given the new responsibilities for the month...but frustrating all the same. Sat. am I have this week's long run....10 miles! WOO HOO! :)
Have a great day....back to work for me! :)

Bring on week five!

So week 4 of the 18 week training program is officially over...I ran the 9 mile "long run" with the Lake Run Club this morning. It felt great! I was skeptical as to if I'd actually get up this morning after staying up kinda late the past 2 nights and waking up yesterday at 5:45 to do the Park 2 Park 5 Miler....but I did it! I ran the entire way with John, a "veteran" in the group who has done 5 marathons. We took it slow-ish and ran the 9 miles in 1 hour 27 minutes, so just under a 10 minute mile pace. I need to get it through my head that not every run has to be a "pace" run....it is important to get the miles in, even if they aren't "fast". I felt great afterwards, though. John told me as we were finishing that the key to the long runs during marathon training is that you want to feel as if you can still run a few miles when you are finished...and I definitely felt that way. Whew! ;) It was a cool, overcast morning which was definitely ideal for running! A cool breeze was present at times, but it never felt hot...which was awesome! I felt spoiled by the great running weather (but disappointed that it isn't good pool weather for the afternoon! I wanted to round out the 4th of July weekend with a visit to State Farm pool....but it's kinda yucky).

Milage the past week:
Monday--7 miles
Tuesday--0
Wednesday--0
Thursday--5.5 miles
Friday--4 miles
Saturday--5 miles (Race)
Sunday--9 miles
Total milage for week 4--30.5

14 weeks til Chicago!! :)

Park 2 Park 5 Miler

Whew! What a day! It was a rainy, overcast morning (and it still is gross here, actually)...but the race was a ton of fun!

Jillian ended up coming with me...she originally had 4th of July weekend plans, but ended up having a change of plans due to a variety of factors. She drove to Bloomington last night (she lives in Peoria) and picked up Biaggi's takeout for the two of us on her way to my house. We gorged ourselves on delicious pasta (me, GF of course!!) and Chilean sea bass (her) and chatted for a while before hitting the sack around 11:00 (a bit too late considering we had to get up at 5:45 am, but we are just little gabbers! ;)).

Jeremy had been planning on running with me, but was totally tired out from working on our basement-finishing project (he had worked from basically 8am-9pm at least on both Thursday and Friday this week on framing the basement by himself)...Jillian took one look at him last night around 9:30 and said, "You're not going to feel like running tomorrow are you?"He agreed...and she suggested that, instead of registering herself the next day that she just use his race number. He was far to glad to oblige!! ;) So, he slept in this morning while Jillian and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 5:45 and got ready.

We left around 6:15 am and drove to Fairview Park in Normal where the finish line of the race was...and waited for a shuttle bus to Miller Park where the start of the race (and packet pickup) was. There was a large group of runners waiting for the bus when we arrived at the park and we ended up not being able to take the first bus that arrived due to it filling up. The shuttle took FOREVER to return...we waited for 20 minutes or more in the cold drizzle. Apparently they had only ONE shuttle going back and forth. What the heck?! We got to the packet pickup just a few minutes before 7:30am (which was supposed to be race start time...but it ended up getting delayed a bit) and of course all of the size small shirts were gone, so we were both stuck with XL's. This, of course, brings me to one of my BIGGEST irritations with races: why does it seem like all that are ever left are XL shirts?! Are there really THAT many people who run that are XL?! I mean, COME ON!!!!!!

I got 269th place overall (out of 545 entrants) and 9th in my division (out of 32) with a time of 43 minutes, 12 seconds. My pace was 8:38, which is pretty consistent for my previous races this year (regardless of distance, it seems).

After the race we met up with our friends, Veronica and Christina, for some breakfast at CJ's. YUM! I had a delicious, filling and fatty omelet with Swiss cheese, turkey, spinach, and mushrooms...YUM!!!!

It was a fun day, all in all :). I am glad Jillian ran with me...and I know Jeremy is glad too, since it let him off the hook! It was also AWESOME that Jillian's knee didn't give her any trouble (she has a long history of competitive running and has had knee issues, unfortunately). WOO HOO!

Here's wondering now if I'll get up to join the Lake Run Club for our 9 mile run tomorrow morning at 6:30!! ;) I really need to...I will do my best to rest up (I think a nap is in order!!) and hope to join them bright and early for a nice run!

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!!!

Ok, I think I've found a plan I like

I mentioned that I wasn't sure that the Hal Higdon "Novice" plan was quite right for me in my training regimine...not that I think I am super fit and a super talented runner or anything ;), but the suggested weekly milage was quite a bit lower than what I tended to do (at least in the earlier weeks of the plan). So, this morning I did some internet searching and came up with some great finds:

Hal Higdon's Home Page

Novice I Marathon Training Plan (The Bloomington Lake Run Club suggested the Novice I or Advanced I plan...I was somewhat following the Novice I plan)

Novice II Marathon Training Plan

Intermediate I Marathon Training Plan

So, I think I am going to try to do the Intermediate I training plan because I like the increased milage during the week as compared to Novice I, plus there is only 1 rest day instead of 2. We'll see how this goes ;).

Today I'm going to go on a 4 mile run, tomorrow I have the 5 mile race, and then Sunday I hope to join up with the Lake Run Club group to do the 9 mile run with the "novice" group.

Happy Fourth of July Eve! ;)

Road I.D.

I just ordered a Road I.D. ankle bracelet. Does this make me a paranoid dork?! ;) I'll let you know what I think of it when it arrives...

Happy Holiday Weekend!

I just got back from tonight's training run....5.5 miles. I haven't updated in a while and need to record miles/workouts for the past week-ish...I'll do it just like I did before:
suggested week 4 workout schedule/my actual completed week 4 workouts:

Sunday: Cross train 60 minutes/Cross train 65 minutes (elliptical @ gym)
Monday: Rest/7 mile run
Tuesday: 3 mile run/Rest
Wednesday: 4 mile run/Rest
Thursday: 3 mile run/5.5 mile run

Yet to go for week 4:
Friday: Rest/I already took my 2 rest days for the week, so I am going to do something yet-to-be-determined tomorrow
Saturday: 9 mile run/I have registered for a 5 mile race, so I will do this...and maybe do 4-5 miles later on during the day? Or, I might wait and do the full 9-mile long run with the Lake Run Club marathon group on Sunday am...
Sunday: Cross train 60 minutes/Something yet-t0-be-determined!

I think, basically, I am on the right track still. I ran on Monday instead of taking a rest day as instructed on the training program because I knew I wouldn't have time to run on Tuesday. I did 7 miles instead of the required 3 for the training program because it just felt good and I wanted to make it a long run. It was great! It was awesome weather and a really good run. Tuesday I went to a book club at my friend Jillian's place in Peoria so I took that day off. Wednesday I got home from work and felt like absolute crap and lied on the couch for a good portion of the evening...which is SO not like me. Today, I did my best to make up for 2 days off by doing a 5.5 mile run. I'm slightly over the suggested mileage for the week thus far (10 miles suggested) by having run 12.5 miles. So, I think I am in good shape :).

Honestly, I am kind of torn...I am following the "Novice" training program that the Lake Run Club suggested...the only other option was "Advanced I"...and I am definitely not advanced!! However...I am used to working out on 5-7 days per week (with an average of 6 days on "normal" weeks) for 60-75 minutes (sometimes slightly less, sometimes slightly more)....and I don't want to JUST run 3-4 miles on the assigned nights (Tues/Wed/Thurs at this point in the program) because that's like 30 minutes of cardio when I am used to 60 minutes of cardio. I don't want to GAIN weight! However, I also don't want to HURT myself by "over training"...so I am trying to basically follow the program...and take the rest days, because it has really been stressed about how important rest days are (for your muscles to gain strength, etc.).

So, I am basically following the program ;), but kind of playing it by ear as well! Let's see how this one goes! Maybe when I am done with this I'll google some "intermediate" marathon training plans to see if such a thing exists ;), I would assume that it does!

In other news...I had a crappy stomach-ache today. YUCK. It didn't seem to be gluten-related, but I am not sure what it was. It was located in the lower central area of my abdomen and just kind of annoying. Oh well. I'm still truckin'! ;)

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, all! Happy 4th of July!

Lake Run Club

Whew! I had a great morning run! :) The best part is, it's 8:05am on Saturday and I am already done with my workout for the day! ;) Today was the Saturday "long run" of week 3 of the 18-week training program...so just 5 miles. I had a great time running with some "new friends" with the Lake Run Club's marathon training group. I really enjoyed myself and (at this point! ;)) am glad that I joined. It was great to hear people who have run marathons before chat with some advice for training/running. It was also nice to have company on the trail! Of course my favorite training partner is my husband :), but he's not as interested in running the long distances as I am! So, it was time to look elsewhere...enter Lake Run Club! ;) I met a nice guy, Dan, who will be running the Chicago marathon as his 1st marathon and ran the Illinois half marathon at just about exactly the same time I did...so maybe we'll run the same pace at Chicago! That would be great, but we'll see.

It was a beautiful morning for a run. I actually felt like I should've put in a few more miles, but I just left after the requisite 5.

I leave you with the suggested week 3 workout schedule/my actual completed week 3 workouts:

Monday: Rest/3.5 miles treadmill
Tuesday: 3 mile run/Rest
Wednesday: 4 mile run/4 mile run
Thursday: 3 mile run/Rest
Friday: Rest/65 minutes (6 mi) treadmill
Saturday: 5 mile run/5 mile run

So far, I'm right on target! :) I took the 2 rest days, but took them on days different than the ones suggested. I did 2 of my runs on a treadmill inside, but they were longer than the suggested outdoor runs...so I think I am doing ok.

I was more than fine after the 5 miles today. I kept up with the faster runners in the group and finished strong.

So far, I feel great about my training! Tomorrow's schedule calls for 60 minutes of cross training. I plan to either swim or do the elliptical at the gym. Maybe I'll get some strength training in as well, we'll see.

3 weeks basically down, 15 to go!!

Next Saturday's Race: Park 2 Park 5 mile
Yahoo!

Decision...It's time for some Big Confessions

I've decided that since this is MY blog (and I don't think that many people really read it anyway ;), which, quite frankly is the way I like it! ;))....I should:
1) write about anything and everything that I want to
2) be completely honest and not hold anything back
3) write about the really funny, really disgusting things that happen to me because: a) I CAN'T possibly be the only "runner" who has had such mishaps (can I?!) and b) because I crack myself up...and what's better than that?! ;) (I am a loser. Really. My husband should've been warned before tying the knot...)

For these reasons, I bring you: Rachel's Running-Related Bowel Mishaps, Vol. 1

I think it would be fair to take this time to give you some background information on my, err, bowel issues. Since approximately 2002 I have been plagued with some odd (??) GI issues that really run the gamut from one end of the spectrum to the other (let me spell this out for you....either I was all backed up and so bloated that my stomach actually looked as if it was gestating life inside....OR I had to run to the bathroom seconds after eating to unleash some terrible, terrible things). Long story short, last year it was determined that I have some form of gluten intolerance (whether it is actually Celiac Disease or something else is really up in the air, and at this point I'm fine with the limbo stage I'm in because, quite frankly, I feel great sans gluten and don't really have time to think about getting further tests, etc.) and have been officially GLUTEN FREE since October 18, 2008....check out my silly GF blog if you are interested in learning more about my adventures or the GF diet in general (I did my best not to plagiarize like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and cite sources to give credit where credit is due, etc. ;)).

Ok, so all of that being said...the point is, I do not have a "normal" digestive system. So, my "problems" are not my fault. Except for maybe the fact that I have been known to eat a Taco Bell Bean Burrito before running 5 miles on a hot afternoon. Maybe I was asking for it then. But that's neither here, nor now.

Ok, I bring you Exibit 1:

Last summer my husband and I were "training" for the Bix 7, a 7-mile race (hence the name!) in the Quad Cities that is held the last weekend in July each summer. It was to be my 5th Bix and his 4th. I am, in general, a stronger runner than my husband (I run year-round while he tends to just run February or March through October or so; he chooses to do primarily weight training in the colder months....but he's starting to get better at doing some indoor cardio during those colder months).

It was a Friday in the summer, and I was working in Peoria. Fridays tended to be busy days for me; I liked working through my lunch break in order to leave for home an hour or so earlier and thus getting back to Bloomington (where we live) earlier and starting my weekend ASAP. So, I tended to skip eating lunch if I was too rushed in the morning and didn't take time to pack a lunch. Clearly not a good idea. SO, on this particular Friday I decided to stop at Taco Bell (uh...) and pick up a Bean Burrito on my way home, since I was STARVING...and they were "on special" for like 79 cents on Fridays at this certain Taco Bell by my workplace. I devoured said burrito while driving and then when I got home, embarked on a 6-or-so mile run with Jer (this was over an hour after eating the burrito...so I didn't imagine that there would be any issues. I was wrong.). Well, about 1.5 miles from home, I began to feel some rumblings in my stomach. I chose to ignore them, and pressed on. A half a mile or so after that, there was no denying what was going on. I had to go...and I had to go IMMEDIATELY. I informed Jeremy of this and he suggested that I turn around and run back toward home, as there was a Porta Potty in a park on the way home. This sounded like a swell idea, so I turned around and began running 2 or so miles back home by myself...about .25 of a mile later, IT happened. I crapped my pants. And it didn't stop. Seriously. So, here I was...nearly 2 miles from home and about a half a mile from the Porta Potty and I was running with a serious load in my pants (I was wearing black loose-fitting capri-length pants, so at least I had that working in my favor)....

To be Continued...

Here we go!

So the "long runs" with the Lake Run Club start this weekend! I successfully got in contact with 2 guys who are in charge of the program and will join up with them all on Saturday for the first run....it is just 5 miles...but will be a good way to get acclimated to the program and running with a group. The program is starting on week 3 of an 18-week training program. The first few weeks were:
Mon (rest) Tue (3mi) Wed (3mi) Thurs (3mi) Fri (Rest) Sat (6) Sun (Cross-train)
Mon (rest) Tue (3mi) Wed (3mi) Thurs (3mi) Fri (Rest) Sat (7) Sun (Cross-train)
I feel good because my training the past few weeks has definitely surpassed that. So, I should be just fine to jump in with them this weekend!

Training yesterday: 4 mi running outside at State Farm Park. Beautiful night!

So, I think the biggest challenge for me (at least at this early point in the game) will be taking time to REST....I hate feeling lazy...and I have this (incorrect) mentality that I need to do something EVERY DAY...

Here is an excerpt from the LRC Marathon Training information:
Rest: Rest is an important component of any training program. It is during the rest period (the 24 to 72 hours between hard bouts of exercise) that the muscles actually regenerate and get stronger. You can't run hard unless you are well rested. And it is hard running (such as the long runs) that allows you to improve. If you're constantly fatigued, you will fail to reach your potential. This is why I include two days of rest each week for novice runners. If you need to take more rest days, do so. The secret to success is consistency, so as long as you are consistent with your training during the full 18 weeks of the program, you can afford--and may benefit from--extra rest.

Have a great day, all!

Rachel

Lake Run Club marathon training group

So I think I am going to join the Lake Run Club marathon training group...but I wish I had someone to join it with me (there's no way I am gonna get Jeremy up early on weekends for long training runs of, say, 10+ miles! ;)). The first informational meeting is tomorrow night, but I am unfortunately unable to attend due to a prior commitment (volunteering to help teach an SLP class over at ISU for the evening). So, I am going to e-mail one of the contacts listed on the Lake Run Club's website and see if I can just sign up and then join in on some of the weekend runs. We'll see.

In other news, I haven't taken a day off yet post the 15k on Sat...I did take it relatively easy the past 2 days. I just did 65 minutes on an elliptical followed by 10 minutes on a stationary bike at the gym yesterday, and then 36 minutes on the treadmill today at the gym...I figured I needed to do at least SOMETHING, however small...since I am teaching that class tomorrow night and most likely won't make it to the gym. So, there you have it. Wednesday I'll pick up (hopefully) with an outdoor run. I really need to start getting up earlier (egads!) and getting in my runs before work when it's cooler. I am SO not a morning person, though. We'll see.

Have a wonderful day, everyone, and happy running :)

State Farm 5k results

Oops, I almost forgot to record the results from last Saturday's State Farm 5k! Jeremy and I ran together and I am pleased to report that I creamed him ;)...by 46 whopping seconds!!!! I actually got 67th! I was in the top 100 :). I also got second in my division...F 25-29, with a time of 25:26.6. My pace for this race was 8:12/mi. Jeremy got 79th with a time of 26:12.9 and a pace of 8:27/mi. He got 8th in his division. Not too shabby! ;). Out of 253 runners, we did decently :). It was a really fun race, too :). Plus, it was only $10 ;). AND I did better my 5k time from the previous 5k I did (Race to Wrigley on April 25) by two minutes and 6 seconds! So, in other words, kind of a LOT! :)

WOW, so I've successfully completed 5 races so far this summer! 2 more are coming up in July (the Park to Park 5 mile race here in Bloomington on July 4th and the Bix on July 25th! :) )

The Steamboat Classic

So yesterday I ran in the Steamboat Classic in Peoria. There are 2 races: the 4 mile and the 15k. I chose to run in the 15k. The night before I got pretty nervous....I even had trouble sleeping! I was driving to Peoria by myself in the morning; my attempts to get a few friends to come with to run in the 4 mile event (since I knew none of them would want to run in the 15k!) was fruitless, unfortunately. And, Jeremy was scheduled to work so he was unable to go along. So, I was worried that I would wake up late, would be late to the race, would have a hard time finding where to go, have difficulty finding a parking place, etc., etc. Well, I successfully woke up at 5am, was in my car by 5:20am, stopped in Morton at a gas station for a potty break ( ;) ), and arrived at a parking garage off of Hamilton Avenue in Peoria around 6:20 am. The race started at 7am, so I was golden!

The next dillemna I faced was deciding whether or not to use Jeremy's iPod that I had borrowed for the day (I don't have my own iPod...I know, get with the times, right?! Even my father owns an iPod! ;)). The information I had gotten the day before when I piked up my race packet clearly stated that no portable music devices with headphones were allowed. Well, the thought of running 9.3 miles without the distraction that music could bring me just wasn't very appealing. Call me a wimp....whatever ;). I don't do my long training runs with an iPod, I only use the iPod during races. However, I reallyreally like doing so (I ran the half marathon with Jeremy's iPod in April, and also the Lake Run..a 12k at Lake Bloomington)...so I sat in my car for a while and scoped people out to see if people were wearing iPods and the like. Since I only saw ONE woman wearing one, I decided to leave Jeremy's in my trunk :(. I then ventured out to find the starting line. As I was walking, though, I noticed that there were indeed many people wearing iPods! So, I decided to go back to my car and get Jeremy's....rules or no rules, I decided that my comfort was more important ;). I will say, though, I listened at a low volume and often ran with only one ear bud in an ear so that I was still aware of what was going on around me and all that jazz.

The race was a lot of fun, really! The route was great and I will definitely try to do it again next year. It was HARD, though, too! There were some crazy hills...both up and down...that were strenuous (I saw a lot of people walking at these points!). I am so glad I did it, though!

I got 443 out of 726 overall, 19th out of 39 in my division (Female 25-29) and a time of 1:23:57. My 10 k time was 58:23 and my last 5k was run in 26:40. This all breaks down to an average pace of 9:08/mile....not too wonderful...but also not terrible! I was below the average time of 1:21:25. All in all, though, I am satisfied with my performace. Next year will be even better! :) And, I can't honestly imagine having done much better; I think I did the best I can do. I was unbelievably dead last night and am SO sore today! Honestly, I feel even worse than I did after the half marathon I ran in April! I am sure that it has to do with the fact that it was COLD in April and pretty hot yesterday. I am definitely not so used to running outside in the heat. I need to get better at that!

I will take this time to re-iterate my ongoing BEEF with post-race "parties". It totally stinks to NOT be able to eat anything (or much, anyway!) that is available due to my silly gluten intolerance. Seriously, there are bagels and cookies, etc. GALORE (and beer of course ;)) after races....sometimes even PIZZA (like at the half marathon in Champaign last April)....talk about tempting! I made due with a bottle of water and an apple yesterday. It stinks, though. Maybe someday huge GF muffins or something will be available after road races! That would be INCREDIBLE!

Off to have a productive Sunday. I think I'll let myself take the day off of training ;). My body probably needs some rest! :)

112 days and counting...Chicago, here I come!!!

120 days!

...and counting til my big Marathon Numero Uno! :) I can't wait!

My good friend Jillian came down to Bloomington this morning (she lives in Peoria) so we could get in some training together. She is training for the Chicago Triathlon (in late August). Today we biked 8 miles and then ran 2 miles. It might sound somewhat wimpy ;), but having never ever in my entire life ran directly following a bike ride...WOW! My legs felt kinda goofy! It was a lot of fun, though. I really wish Jillian lived closer...for more reasons than one! She is so much fun and it would be great to have a training partner at easier access! ;)

Jeremy and I are running a 5k tomorrow morning at State Farm Park here in town. My goal is simply to beat my time at the Race to Wrigley 5k from April 25...27 minutes and 32 seconds. Not anything to be too excited about ;), but not too terrible either. I am excited; I always get excited before races! This will be my 4th race of the year. Woo hoo! :)

I also registered for the Steamboat Classic 15k race, which is next Saturday in Peoria. I am really looking forward to that race! I think it will be a great time. It will be my first time running in that event, but I guess it's one of the bigger running events in the area.

I want to get a bit more consistent with my blogging on this blog so that I can keep better track of my training/event times, etc....but we'll see if that actually happens ;). Somehow life just always seems to be busy and gets away from me rather quickly....and I don't even have a kid yet to chase around! It's just me and Jer and I STILL feel busy!

Off to see a movie with my doting husband ;).

Have a wonderful day!

Summer is nearly here!

Ok, I am not sure what day exactly hails the "start" of summer...but, really, for all intensive purposes summer is HERE! Today it was in the upper eighties here! Wonderful! I got two 4-mile runs in this week after work in the evenings (and some gym visits of course), which was great...the weather was perfect and it was SO nice to be able to take advantage of that.

So, after my race on April 11 (the half marathon that I wrote about!), I've ran in 2 additional events thus far this year...The Race to Wrigley ("just" a 5K) and The Lake Run (a 12K here in Bloomington). Awesome! I've had a great time at both. The Race to Wrigley was a tad underwhelming...it was hard to get a good run in, because the course was narrow; especially at the end when we had to run through the concourse of the ball field. There were soooo many people walking or taking it way easy, so it was actually somewhat dangerous at times to try to dodge people without hurting them or myself! All in all, though, it was a fun day. The Lake Run was also great...it was on May 2 and the weather was PERFECT! I actually drove up to Lake Bloomington, where the race was held, all by myself! I did end up seeing a few people I knew there (namely my boss, Kory, who was handing out water bottles at the end; he is a member of Kiwanis)...but for the most part I was by myself. I was fine, though, and had a really good time.

Here's my big news....I registered for the Chicago Marathon! Yup, believe it! Just 141 training days left, too! :) I am pretty pumped, but I am starting to get intermittently nervous :)

I hope to get in some other events this summer....we are registered to run the Bix together in July, and will probably run something on the 4th of July. That's all that we have planned for now, though :). I will probably try to get in another half marathon (at least) between now and October. We'll see! :)

Wish me luck! ;)

Thoughts...

So while I was running today I thought about the half marathon that I ran last Saturday....and about all of the surprising things about the whole experience. I mean, I guess the whole thing was really just one big surprising adventure, because it was something I had never done before! But, anyway, there were many things I felt like recording for myself...I bet someday down the road after I have run like 20 half marathons (or even marathons!), I will laugh at these things...so here we go!

1) I got emotional! When I saw the 11 mile marker and began running the 12th mile of the race, I teared up a bit. This completely caught me off guard and of course I kept myself in check and got rid of those almost-tears quickly ;). 11 miles is the most I'd ever run at one time prior to the half marathon last Saturday....so it was embarking on some uncharted territory at that point. It was pretty amazing, really....I was SO excited to be doing something that I had never done before. I didn't really get emotional at the end...just excited! Oh, and tired ;)

2) The bottoms of my feet didn't hurt. I had heard from more than one person that after completing races of that distance the bottoms of your feet typically hurt from the pounding. The right side (outside) of my right foot hurt a bit because I got a small blister, but other than that my feet were in really good shape. In fact, the pedicure that I got in early March before we went to AZ was actually still largely intact, believe it or not! Later that day when I went over to a friend's house for a party someone asked me, "Did you get a pedicure after the race today?" because apparently my toes looked more than decent. WEIRD! I think the whole thing was affected by the fact that I had gotten new shoes (Adidas Boost) the previous weekend and had just been running on them for one week. So, basically, they were perfectly broken in by the end of the race!

3) People throw away their clothes. I had talked to my sister a few days before the race about the weather (it was forcasted to be cold) and what to wear. Megan had done a half marathon in St. Louis a few years prior so I thought she would at least know what to do. She said that during that event, people wore layers and shed their layers as they ran. Basically, they must have worn things on the top layer(s) that they didn't really care about losing as much and just threw them off onto the road when they got a bit hot or uncomfortable. I didn't really believe this til I saw it with my own eyes. Indeed, during the race people were shedding long-sleeved shirts, jackets, gloves (even expensive-looking Nike gloves!), etc. WEIRD! I did wear a pair of inexpensive (maybe $3 at the very most) thin gloves that I did cast aside after the 3rd mile or so...and felt wasteful doing just that. I couldn't imagine throwing away a shirt or anything like that! As we passed many churches along the route I thought to myself that the churches should go around after the race and collect all of the cast-aside clothing items to donate to charities.

4) It was fun! Ok, I had a feeling I would have a great time and would think the experience was fun...or I wouldn't have signed up! However, I wasn't aware of just how much fun it would be! It was sooo festive, and just so exciting! I really can't wait til my next half marathon, or running event in general. I have definitely caught the running bug, if there is such a thing ;). The running community is fun...but of course it has its share of odd-balls as well! ;)

5) I CAN DO IT! I ran the ENTIRE 13.1 mile race WITHOUT stopping...no potty breaks (wow, pre-Celiac diagnosis I couldn't imagine such a luxury!!!), no walking...no giving up! I DID IT! It was really one of the proudest moments of my life. Ok, ok...I know it wasn't really THAT big of a deal. After all, lots of people run half marathons all of the time...heck, lots of people run marathons or even those crazy 200 mile super marathons. But, to me...this was a big deal.

Ok, that's all for now...I need to go to bed. I am TIRED!! I am sure I might have more to add to this later.

I am not sure how long I should let myself "rest" after a half marathon. The 25th we are running a 5k, the Race to Wrigley...so not a huge deal, but I don't want to be completely dead and not do at least decently at that event! On Sunday (the day after the half), I took it pretty easy...I just did 22 minutes on a recumbant bike at Jeremy's parents' house after Easter dinner. Monday I did 65 minutes on the eliptical, I took Tuesday (yesterday) off, and today I ran 4.5-5 miles outside (it was a BEAUTIFUL day!!!)....so I have stayed active for sure, but I haven't been working too hard. I am not really sure what the best thing to do is.

Anyway, bedtime for real now!

Bring on the 26.2! ;)

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!

Me and my sister, Megan, before the Illinois Marathon (we both ran the half marathon) in Champaign, IL....
This was taken at 6:45 am, right when we arrived in one of the parking lots (you can see Assembly Hall in the background!) and met up with some high school friends of hers...she looks WAY too chipper for that early and for how COLD it was out there!!! :)

Afterwards....yeah, we were a little tired. ;)

...but we were SO proud of ourselves! This was my FIRST time running 13.1 miles and I did it in approx. one hour and 57 minutes. Not too shabby...I was pretty proud of myself! It was Megan's second time and she ran it in approximately one hour and 47 minutes. We stayed together for about 4.1 miles and then I slacked off ;). She ran a half in St. Louis approx 3 years ago.

And here we are again, looking all civilized-like this time around! ;)

I can't wait 'til the next one! AND, bring on the 26.2! I CAN DO IT!!!!!!

Well...

The moment of truth is ALMOST here! My first half marathon is just around the corner...Saturday!!! That means I have just TWO training days left. I ran 7 miles tonight and felt great. I hope that's a good sign :)

I am just hoping to finish without having to walk at all...and without dying ;).

Gettin' down to the wire!

We've been in AZ....even so, I've tried not to completely slack ;)
Fri: 3.9 miles (outside in Mesa)
Sat: 3.9 miles (outside in Mesa)
Sun: 3.1 miles (outside in Mesa)
Mon: 3.1 miles (outside in Mesa)
Tues: 5 miles (outside in Bloomington...unfortunately not as wonderful as Mesa; but still a very nice, warm day!)

Half marathon countdown....23 days to train left!!!

{eek!!!}

All talk and no action?!

Not anymore ;). I registered Jeremy and me for our first race of the year...a tame 5k (piece o' cake!)...the Race to Wrigley on April 25th!

Also...wait for it...I registered myself for the Illinois Marathon (just the HALF!) on April 11 at the University of Illinois in Champaign!!!!

What did I DO?!?!? ;)

Off to the gym!

58 degrees in Central IL today!

We had another lovely run outside today...Jeremy sent me a text today saying that it was 58 degrees so I should get home as soon as possible so we could go for a run! My 5-6pm appointment canceled for the day due to having the flu, so I got home around 5:30, which was nice! Of course I felt bad for the family (sounds like they all have the flu; their original appointment was actually Monday night, which they had canceled and rescheduled for tonight...and then had to cancel again :( yucky for them!!)...but it was nice to get home a bit earlier, too.
We had a lovely run together...I am so glad he runs with me! We had a great talk, too...nights like this make me feel so close to him. I am glad we had that chance to unwind together after a long day.

Half marathon, here I COME!

8:00am, Saturday, April 11....HERE I COME! Just slightly under 2 months til my 1st half marathon! I have been going back and forth in my mind, wondering if I could really do it...uncharted territory worries me. This is definitely something out of my comfort zone, something I have never attempted before. Well, I am gonna jump in...and DO IT! Christian, a good friend of mine, called me yesterday afternoon (she lives in FL with her husband Dan). Christian has done a few half's and hopes to do a full before the end of the year. She convinced me that I could indeed do it...there really isn't any reason not to just GO FOR IT! So, here I come! I found some training plans and plan on dedicating myself to this for the next 2 months. I did well, workout wise, this week. The weather was great on Tuesday, so Jeremy and ran 3 miles outside...obviously this isn't much, and it was SO easy, but it was our first outdoor run of the year so it felt great! We would've gone longer but we were in a hurry to meet up with his dad for dinner (his dad flew in from a business trip....one of many...Tuesday evening). Wednesday night I spent a bit over an hour at the gym doing the treadmill and elliptical, Thursday night we had dinner with friends and then a friend spent the night here so no time for the gym :(, Friday I did 2 hours of cardio (treadmill, elliptical, and bike), and today I did 65 minutes on the elliptical. Naturally I try to do lots of incline work on both the treadmill and bike and up the resistance to keep my heart rate up. It has been feeling great this week! Tomorrow I hope to get in another long gym session...or run outside, weather permitting. I need to stop being a baby and just run outside, no matter the conditions ;). Well, barring ice, of course ;).

APRIL 11...the countdown begins!!! 8 weeks EXACTLY from today!!!...56 days

Half marathon?

Well, Jeremy's boss is not able to run in the marathon relay that I wrote about a while ago due to having BRAIN SURGERY and her doctor not wanting her to run it. Seriously. She had a tumor removed a few weeks ago. Talk about terrifying! She is doing well, though, and has even come back to work for a few hours a week.
I have been playing with the idea of running the half marathon at that same event on April 25th. Can I prepare for and do it in just 2 and a half months? I found a training plan for 2 months from the event date, so I guess it is do-able. Am I disciplined enough? I would really love to have a training partner...

February!

Well, it's February already! One month down in 2009! Just two months until April...with our two fun events planned :).
I am sore from a long run (61 minutes) on the treadmill on some fun inclines last night (at the gym)...but honestly overall we've really been slacking again. I HATE winter...I HATE not being able to run/cycle outside...and I HATE leaving my house to go to the gym when it is soooo cold outside! Honestly, it's not so much about being lazy as it is just about HATING being cold! I am such a baby, I know ;).
It is supposed to be warmer here tomorrow...and Jeremy suggested a nice run outside! Sounds wonderful :). I hope it really is warmer! :) That would be a welcome blessing.
We are going to AZ in a month (March 12th) for the Cub's spring training. I would like to not look absolutely disgusting in a bathing suit (I would assume we'd hit a pool somewhere...I think Jeremy's parents' friends down there have a pool). It will be SO nice to take a brief hiatus to somewhere WARM!!
I realized today that I have been the same weight (138, give or take a few ounces) for months...no matter what, really. I work out a fair amount (not nearly as much as I used to, though!) and eat decently (but I still LOVE my chocolate)...but there is definitely a lot of room for improvement in both areas. I am not necessarily concerned with dropping a ton of weight (at 5'9", I am at a healthy weight...and moderately thin), but I would definitely like to tone up. I want to hire a trainer or something (ha, Jeremy would just LOVE that idea ;). Waste some more money ;))....I need to stay motivated during these silly winter months!
{sigh}

Plans for April...

My husband told me yesterday that his boss, Diane, mentioned something to him about a marathon in April in Champaign...there is a full, half, and relay event. Diane wanted to get a group together to do the relay event. Honestly, I feel like I should buck up and at LEAST do the half ;), but I will probably wimp out and do the relay with them. Well, a combination wimping-out and being social :). Jeremy really likes his boss, and I am thankful that he works for a really great person. It really is a blessing :). This event is in April, and when Jeremy mentioned it to me last night, he wasn't sure of the date. April is going to be a busy month for us, because Rosalee and Bobby are getting married on the 18th and her bachelorette party is on the 4th.
Also, there is a chance we are going to do the Race to Wrigley in Chicago with some friends on April 25th...this is just a 5k that begins and ends at Wrigley field. Well, I looked up the Champaign event and it happened to be on the only weekend that we didn't already have plans in April, so I guess it's meant to be! :) Both races sound like a lot of fun, so hopefully we get to do them both! We better get our butts in shape!!

Happy New Year!

Well...this is it! 2009! I resolve that we WILL complete a triathlon this year! Maybe not the one in May (hopefully, though!)...but I really hope we will do one, wherever or whenever it may be!

We've done some road races (though just some 5k's and some 7 mile-ers), we purchased roadbikes last summer and started riding through the late summer and fall (worked up to a whopping 18 miles...honestly with biking it wasn't an issue of stamina, it was more an issue of having the TIME to put in long rides), and took up swimming laps at our gym this winter (however poorly ;)). We aren't about finesse. We aren't about speed. We just want to finish...and live to tell about it!! :)

NO laziness allowed! ;) No excuses!