Sick

It's been a frustrating week+! I've been sick since last Monday...which means today is day 9 of this. I am on the mend, I think. I broke down and went to the doctor yesterday and he served me up with some drugs. I typically hate taking any sort of medications (even just OTC stuff), but I am desperate. The marathon is now just ELEVEN days away and things are serious.

I did get on the treadmill today for 6 miles of intervals...felt great. I had a huge smile on my face as I began....it sounds corny, but I felt like I was right where I belonged :). Back in the saddle, so to speak :).

Before today, I took off yesterday (Monday)...and Sunday....and Saturday.

Friday, I ran 5 miles along a lake in MN where I was attending a continuing education course with some co-workers. It was ok....but somewhat miserable. I could barely breath and was rather constipated on top of it. Nice.

Wednesday and Thursday were also full of NOTHING in the way of athletic activity. I'm tellin' ya, I was SICK! Down and out. Misery-ridden.

Tuesday I ran 4.5 at marathon pace (8:24). Monday I spent 40ish min in the pool doing some pool-jogging. Sunday (the 16th) I did my 20 miler....

Time for bed :). Just wanted to get that all down!

Did I mention that the big day is only ELEVEN days away?!

Excited
Nervous

From Mark Allen: "Think no thoughts. Yes, stop that brain of yours from getting in the way of what you are trained to do. Have no thought. Have you practiced it? Can you do it under pressure? This simple skill will help take you past impossible moments when your logical brain is telling you your goal is way out of reach. It keeps you on track when thoughts would derail your efforts"
Just what I need to keep in mind! :)

GOOD NIGHT!

Aaaaand....

Forget what i wrote the other day about not being nervous ;). At now less than three weeks to go til the big day I am nervous.  Full of conflicting emotions, really.  Excited, yes....but also freaked out.

I ran 20 on Sunday.  Whew.  It was just the 3rd time in my life that I had run 20 miles or more.

Last week's workouts:

Monday: 30 min laps in the pool

Tuesday: 5 miles outside

Wednesday: 10 miles outside

Thursday: 45 minutes interval running on the treadmill

Friday: off

Saturday: off

Sunday: ran 20

Monday (last night): 37 minutes of pool running

Minneapolis.....will you be good to me or will you give me a rude awakening that I am indeed not yet quite ready to run with the big boys and girls......

Less than Four Weeks to Go!

So, marathon #2 is less than four weeks away. Nervous? Nah, not really....not yet.
I did 18 miles yesterday. I believe it was the 18-mile run that was the turning point of my training last fall before Chicago....I am pretty sure it was after that run that my IT band started acting up. I am happy to report that my joints/muscles/body in general seem to be doing better this time around. That's not to say I feel wonderful; I am definitely sore. However, I have been more conscientious about taking care of things......I am pretty sure my saving grace has been the pool. I have been fairly good about getting in the pool at least once a week. It's not my favorite workout of all time, but I know it's good for me (and my body!) to get in the pool.
Today, I swam laps for 30 minutes (alternating one lap of freestyle with one lap of breast stroke)....yahoo ;).
Nothing too exciting to report......I am freaking tired....goodnight! ;)

In over my head

So lately I've been feeling kind of run down....yeah, even after basically just returning from a vacation in Hawaii.  Pathetic, I know.  I am not "complaining" because I completely know I don't really have anything going on in my life that is really worth complaining about.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve.  But i still can't shake this....feeling.  I really can't fully describe it...so I will just leave it at that.

Anyway, the purpose of this blog is running and not contemplating anything deeper than that ;), so I will stop rambling :).

I completed my 9 mile run at a pace of 9:30/mile on Wednesday right after I got off work (I have been making a habit of bringing running clothes with me to work and running from the parking lot) and chased that run with a lovely cinco de mayo dinner at my husband's and my favorite Mexican restaurant....I even indulged in half of a mango margarita :) (Jeremy helped with the other half :)).  Yum!

Thursday....no run or real workout, but I did have a volleyball game! :) some friends and I joined a sand volleyball league at a bar in town.  It is a ton of fun....but our team is admittedly awful :).  We have had four games and have lost each and every one ;).  Oh well....as I said...we do have fun! :)

Thursday after the 6:30pm game I hurried home to clean (we have out of town guests staying this weekend) and to work on a gift for a friend....i was actually up til 1:30am finishing knitting a baby hat for my dear friend Jen who had a baby this past Monday.

We set the alarm for 6am and I planned to get up and run...but we slept through the alarm! Ugh....due to a very busy rest of the day, no workout was fit in, which makes it now two days without a workout. Ugh ugh.....

Tomorrow is another day.....I know, I know....

So I reflected tonight that I am busy the next three weekends....and after that (june 6) it is the MN marathon....I am so not ready.  Four weeks.....

I, in order to meet my goal, have to qualify for the Boston Marathon by November.  I have just about 20 min to shave off my  Chicago Marathon time from October....oh the quest for 3 hours, 40 minutes, 59 seconds.....will I ever accomplish that??

I wish I had more time.

More time to run.

More time to relax/reflect.

More time to improve in many areas of my life.....

Still Truckin'

Recent workouts:

Tuesday, April 27- ran 9 miles outside in HAWAII

Thursday, April 29- ran 7.5 miles outside in HAWAII

Saturday, May 1- U of I half marathon....13.1 miles in 1 hour 50 minutes and 7 seconds (8:25min/mile pace....not too shabby with jet lag and little sleep! We arrived home from a week in Hawaii at 7:30 the night before....then i got up at 5am and drove an hour; the race started at 7:30am :) )

Sunday, May 2- swam 30 min laps indoor pool

Monday, May 3- 35 minutes on eliptical with arms at the gym

Tuesday, May 4- ran 5 miles outside in 45:30 (9:06 pace)

Whew! I am supposed to do 9 tomorrow per the Hal Higdon plan I'm using....but no idea when i am gonna have time tomorrow.....argh!