10.5

"Hotter than a two dollar pistol, baby I'm on fire . . . " - Sugarland

Yah I went 10.5 today and I will tell you it was brutal and ugly. I probably only ran 6 of it. Plan to go again tomorrow.

2

I did 2 miles and my legs feel better now than earlier this morning. So this week I've done 15 1/2 miles and will cross train tomorrow.
I think I am developing a pavlovian reaction to my exercise clothes and shoes. As soon as I put them on my mouth goes dry. Does that sound ridiculous?
"So, so what? I am a rock star!"

My body, it doth protest too much

Serious. I did 3.5 tonight and even that was a bitch.

"I'm looking for attention, not another question, should you stay or should you go? If you don't have the answer, why you still standin here?? Just walk away!" - Kelly Clarkson

6

I went from Marianne's house to my house, which was 6 miles, the last 4 of which were uphill. It was hard. At about five miles, my feet hurt so bad and my hips and thighs were complaining so much, I slowed down to a regular walk for about 1/4 of a mile. I thought I might not make it, that my hips and legs would give out, but they didn't! After the little walk I felt better and was able to go the rest of the way. Then I ate spinach, shrimp and gnocchi in alfredo sauce, about 3 oz of steak, and a piece of sesame semolina bread. Now I am resting and I feel pretty good! I'll probably have to take tomorrow off but if I'm up to it, I will do a short 2 miles. HOOAH!!!!!

Alright already!!!

I did 6 miles tonight and I have to tell you it wasn't pretty. I walked at least half of it, although it was a power walk nonetheless. I won, because I went. And most importantly I listened to my body. I think its partially that I haven't run for a week, but perhaps more this little cold I have. Or perhaps the chickfila I had for lunch. My muscles felt just fine but it was my lungs that were burning. Anyhoo, I'm back in the game, fear not. Tomorrow I shall be diligent about my protein shake in the morning and intake of liquids all day.

From my perfectly awesome soundtrack: "Look for the girl with the broken smile. Ask her if she wants to stay awhile. And she will be loved." -Maroon 5. Yeah.

My Boundless Suckitude

Well, it turns out I did NOT walk last night.....I totally forgot that President Hottie was making a speech and then naturally I had to watch the response by Governor Jazz Hands. I am back on track as of Thursday. Thursday!!!!!

well?

Do you people realize there are only 67 days left to train? Well do you?
And we can't eve count the 2 days before which we should take off, in order to rest our bodies and be completely prepared. So that makes it 65 days. I want to hear about some pain and tiredness, dammit!!!

I suck as well. I will be walking tonight though. But I did not do my long walk on Sunday. I think my last walk was Thursday.

I suck

Well since my last post when I announced I didn't go running, I have yet to run. I did board for two days in Telluride, but got home Sunday and didn't have time to go before the basketball game. Then last night I didn't have time to go before the Bachelor came on. And today I'm at home sick. So really bad news there, I haven't run in a week!!!!

I hurt

I did my 2 hours of gym classes yesterday, and this morning woke up sore everywhere. Then decided that doing the 5 miles would help the soreness, not hurt it. So I did the five miles. I came home and took a hot bath and ate some cereal. Now I can barely move and I am going to take a nap.

movin' along

I did 3 miles yesterday and 2 miles today. I'm taking tomorrow off, then on Saturday I will do body step and body flow. 2 hours of cross training, yikes! Then on Sunday I will do 5 miles. Woohoo!

Its not about the cookies . . .

Its about how much you rock and how consistent you're being with your training. Even those f-in Girl Scout cookies can't top that. So screw them.

I didn't go tonight because I was experiencing a vision problem - I just couldn't see going the night before my vacation. Suck on that!

How many miles...

...does it take to undo a box of girl scout cookies? Those damn things get me every year. I did 3 miles this morning and felt like I was going really slow. I was so tired because I didn't get home from school last night until after 9:00. Then it takes time to wind down before I can go to bed so I got less than 8 hrs which is not good. I usually take Weds off but I had taken Tuesday off so everything is all messed up. But it was mostly ok because we only had a half day today, then stupid parent conferences for the rest of the day. We were done by 3 so that was nice.
My knees hurt more than usual today so I hope they feel better by tomorrow cause I have to undo those cookies!!

3.5

I did 3.5 last night at a pretty good pace. I thought I posted but when I checked this morning it wasn't there?? I'm sure it was really funny and witty and all.

Oh and Mari I asked about your surgery - great news on that!! Do you think they'll let you schedule it for after the walk, or will you even want to? I think you need to be careful about attempting to do a 5k even 4 or 6 weeks after major surgery, that's a lot on your body. But regardless the weekend will be a blast!

Booty

"Now I'm just a country boy, but your big city bottom fill me up with joy."

Ha! I'm going to start each new post with a profound quote from my most awesomely perfect playlist. Now meditate on that gem!

I did 3.5 tonight at a good pace so I feel good about that. I can't really do a long run tomorrow night like usual because I have the kidlets because I'm leaving for Telluride Thursday. I am hoping that snowboarding for two days will be good enough for crosstraining, and that I get back Sunday in time to get a long one in before the ASU/UA basketball game. But, we shall see. Life happens ya know? I'm pretty proud of my consistency so far.

Mari, that's awesome news about the surgery. Do you think they'll let you schedule the surgery after the walk? Or do you think you'll even want to? I just think you need to be careful about trying to do a 5k even four or six weeks after the surgery. That's a lot on your body. Was Simon sore after your walk?? haha

Yeah, Sandy if you would just quit stopping twice every run to poop yourself, the dog would probably stop too, you know.

Hey, guess what???? I just got a call from my surgeon's office and she said that Aetna just asked for one little piece of information that was not included in the paperwork and then they will approve the surgery!! Yay! I sure do hope it gets approved soon, that would be so totally awesomely awesome!

Also, I just have to say that I was not nearly as sore after that last long walk as I expected to be. Sure, I was sore the next day, my hips were a bit achy and such, but today I am fine and will do my regular two and a quarter. So, that's pretty cool, eh?

Ha!

Mari I laughed out loud when reading your post. I'm sure Simon thought you were nuts already. I didn't even take Sophie yesterday and she was pretty bent about it. We just did 3.5 miles though so I hope I'm forgiven. I get so damn tired of her pulling on her leash. I swear, even after 8.5 miles the other night she was still pulling to go faster. Dumb ass dog. Chicken bone choking dog. Pooping twice every time we run dog. I guess she comes by that last one honestly.

4.5

Well, I did my four and a half tonight. That is six times around my neighborhood. The fifth time we passed our house the dog looked at me like "are you fuckin' kidding me?"

I have a whole long post planned bitching at you two for talking me into this, but now I am too tired to write it (I composed it mostly in my head while on my last round).

Now I am going to go collapse on my bed. I might get up, but I might not. The outcome is far from certain, people.

Well. . .

I thought I did 10 but when I got home and clocked it, it was only 9.75. Whatever. I hate that. I need to be more proactive about mapping routes ahead of time with the mileage I need. I did a couple today but the most I got was 12.5 miles. Its hard when you have to cover that distance. I guess I could just run the same route again but I really don't want to do that. I may be stuck with it though, unless I want to run to Cave Creek at some point! Anyway, I did walk some of it, particularly miles 8 and 9, but my main goal today was to get the distance in and do it in whatever way I was comfortable. And, I had to stop at a park and poo. Once I got a drink though, I re-energized, so I'm thinking maybe I need to start planning water stops on my routes too. And yeah, my legs and hips hurt. I'm not sure I'll move off my bed today. I did my taxes last night in bed. Took me about 6 hours!! I guess I shouldn't let the kids monopolize my awesome downstairs TV with their iCarly and spongebob and Drake & Josh. I can't even stand to be in the same room when that crap is blasting.

Vday workout

I'm so proud of us all working out on Vday! Of course the day is pretty meaningless to me. I did 6 miles today and I walked some of it. I was tired. I just need to stop going out on Fridays I guess. I had two glasses of wine and a beer but the biggest problem I think is that I smoked a clove. I woke up with a nasty headache. But since I hadn't gone on Thurs or Fri I decided I'd get out there and do my best. I am going to try to do 10 tomorrow. We shall see.

Mari I totally agree with you on the timing thing. Don't make it stressful, just get the distance and you will be just fine. Missy you rock!!

And thanks Mari for saying that, I feel lucky too. This weekend is going to rock. I didn't verify the hot tub thing but I already had to pay for the room to lock in the rate so no changing it now!

I did two and a quarter tonight. I will do four and a half tomorrow. I'm not timing because every time I think about it I just start thinking I can't do it, so I'm just going to do the miles and quit worrying about the time. I haven't been doing particularly well with the whole training thing, but hopefully am getting back on track. I think I need to be thinking of it more in terms of just doing my regular exercise rather than always thinking about it in terms of this half marathon, since I am not at all convinced I will be doing the half marathon.

Sandy, did you ever totally confirm that the hotel we are staying at does not have a hot tub? Because if it doesn't I am voting that we cancel that reservation and make another one post haste!

I was thinking tonight on my walk how lucky I am to have you guys in my life and how thankful I am for you both. You are both doing so terrific, and I admire you both so much....go you!

4 miles, people! 4!!!

I just got back from a four mile walk/run. I didn't get out of breath even though there were some hilly parts. By the end I was kind of dragging, my legs felt like tree trunks and the 2nd and 3rd toes of my right foot were tingly. Other than that, no ill effects so far! Want to hear the best part? I did 14.25-minute miles!! My best time so far, on my longest trip so far! I think this is a very good sign! I did something different today and that was I drank some OJ with whole soybean powder in it before I left. Usually I go on an empty stomach. So I think that made a big difference and I will start having some protein before I go in the mornings. I'm so happy!!!

Evening walk/run?

At work we have this thing called payday breakfast. All the teams take turns and today is my team's turn. So I need to make a crock pot full of scrambled eggs instead of going for my exercise. I am going to try really hard to make myself go after work... I've never been successful exercising in the evenings before. But then again I was never successful running either, and that has changed, so why not? Anyway I'll try.
Yesterday was incredible. I went 2.5 miles, which granted is pretty short, but I never got out of breath. My legs and hips weren't pissed off by the time I got back. It felt so GOOD. I never would have believed that I could go 2.5 miles, running half the way, without losing my breath or my body feeling exhausted. Never in a million years.

8.5

is what I did tonight. I ran 6.5 and then run/walked the last 2. I felt fairly good through the whole thing which is good, and I finished strong. Until I landed on the couch that is. Had two bowls of oatmeal, a boiled egg and a bag of famous amos. I'm officially over my depression btw, as evidenced by the dunlop disease I've acquired. On a final note for the evening, I wish that Suzie Orman would shut her fat pie hole for once. I am so sick of her preaching her financial religion on every freakin talk show she can get her face on.

fuck this shit

I was just bitching to Mari about how grumpy I was that I had to run tonight. Forced. And, I didn't get to go while it was light because my bitching phone call took too long and then I couldn't go before taking K to practice. So I went when I got home. Here's a hint on how to run your fastest time ever: Order pizza and then try to beat the Domino's guy home. It worked. I ran 3.5 miles in just over 10 minute miles, which I daresay is my fastest time ever. I've never really tried to run fast before, never had a reason really. But, I will say that getting it over quickly is nice, because it doesn't take up my whole night. Its more like a quick errand I have to run before taking K to practice, and then I still have my night. If I plan carefully and leave work on time, it works out well. Even tonight wasn't so bad. And, pacing runs (shorter faster runs) are for some reason important from what I've read about marathon training. So, after all my griping and swearing, I actually feel good. And, I'm eating pizza. So suck on THAT.

update

I did 3.5 miles Sunday, 3 yesterday and 2.5 today. There was snow on the ground this morning! On a good day I am doing about 14.5 minute miles. So I'm doing pretty good. Got my food back under control for now as well.

redemption

of sorts. I ran 3.5 miles tonight. In the rain. At a 10.5 minute mile pace.

I have also hit a snag with the training. I was supposed to do four miles yesterday and I just didn't do it. It was raining and cold and I didn't fucking feel like it after going ten rounds with mom about why I am deserving of my own name.

Anyway, and now I have sore throat and I do believe I am finally getting that goddamned cold that has been making everyone in my family and my office unbearable to be around with all their blowing of their disgusting snotty noses, coughing, clearing their throats and hawking up crap from their lungs. I can't wait.

Idiot dog

So I've really hit a snag in my training. I was really sore and tired after running 7.5 miles last Weds. I took Friday off work specifically so I could get in a long run before going out of town this weekend. I dropped Jake at the bus and promptly went back to bed. I got up around 9 and decided I was too fatigued to do a long run, so I decided I would do a short run. About 1/2 mile in, Sophie started gagging on something she had picked up. Long story short, I eneded up at the vets office having a bone removed from the roof of her mouth where it had gotten lodged. I did still get in 3 miles before I left for Palm Springs though. Then on Saturday, J and I went to the gym at the hotel and I did a little over two miles on the treadmill. I intended to get a long run in last night when we got home but I had a headache and it was cold outside and, well, I just didn't go dammit! So now I think I need to go tonight before taking K to practice. And I really just don't freakin want to. And oh by the way, I ate like a hog all weekend. So there.

Comments on research

Eating - I found that eating during the race is extremely helpful, it brings your energy level back up. They usually have those packets of "goo" that they pass out and while it has the feel of swallowing a raw eggyolk, they have awesome impact. I've also eaten an energy bar and some of those energy jellybeans. Oatmeal for breakfast is great.

There is always plenty of water and gatorade so don't bring water bottles. And, I have no intention of attempting this without my ipod. Sights and sounds be damned.

I think we should all wear matching hats, preferably of a bright color, so that its easy to find each other after. I'll look for some. Don't worry about looking silly, you'll see lots of funny stuff that day. Invariably someone does the race in a costume. I saw a gorilla in Nashville.

I agree that good sleep is of the utmost importance, and also that its hard to sleep the night before, so its important to get good sleep that whole week.

And on the pooping thing, I take an immodium the morning of the race. I prefer to leave nothing to chance.

3.5

I did almost 3.5 this morning. I started out with intervals of 1:30 running and 1:00 walking. After the second mile I switched to 1:00 running and 1:00 walking. I think my perfect mix is probably somewhere between there. I think I will start adding 5 seconds at a time to the running, and figure out what helps me go the farthest without getting too tired at the end. I'm taking tomorrow off and doing another 3.5 on Sunday.

research

These are just some tips I found. Almost every single website said to poop before the race, so this must be a very common problem. One site said to drink coffee or caffeinated tea as soon as you wake up on race day, to help things along.

Stay hydrated every day. Replace those daily glasses of tea or soda with water and drink more of them. Weigh yourself before each run and then after the run. Consume enough water in the first 30-minutes following the run to get your body weight back to within a half pound or equal to what it was before the run. This has to be one of the most valuable half marathon training tips.
What to wear: Dress for comfort. A visit to your local specialty running store will provide you with everything you need for race day from comfortable shoes to your race uniform. Although a favorite pair of shorts and the race T-shirt will do the trick, some of the wicking fabrics work better on hot days.

Extra gear: Water bottles are great for rehydration while training, but there should be more enough fluids on the course. Also, leave your radio at home so as not to miss the sights and sounds of a great race. Wear shades, not because it's cool, but to protect your eyes from the sun. A billed cap also is advised.

Course check: Examine the course map to determine where mile markers are along with aid stations, portable toilets and medical support. You may not need the latter, but it's good information to know. Don't worry about the weather; it's something you can't control.

Drink up: Taking fluids at regular intervals during the event is important, particularly if it is a hot day or a long race. You can skip an occasional aid station if it is crowded, but don't miss too many. Walk when you drink, so you don't spill the water or gulp it down. Sports drinks will help restore energy.

Eat cautiously: Unless you feel really hungry, eating food probably isn't necessary in most races. A meal high in carbohydrates (such as pasta) the night before should get you through. Practice good nutrition while training. Forget those fad diets. A proper mix of 55 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fat and 15 percent protein is best for fitness and for good health.

Stretching: To loosen up, do some easy stretches before the race, but stretching is best practiced during training after you run (after your muscles have warmed up). While entire books have been written about the art of stretching, you can learn to stretch simply by using common sense and observing what other runners do.

Rest: Rest is essential, because only when you rest do your tired muscles recuperate and actually build strength. If you overtrain by doing too much, you not only risk injury, but you also will be unable to train successfully because of accumulated fatigue.

Mind games: Completing a long distance race requires mental as well as physical strength. Setting specific goals (interim as well as final) will help you with your training and in the race.

Pacing: Even pace usually works best, but it's better to start slow and finish fast. If you are a walker or don't know how fast you might run, line up in back at the start. If you start with faster runners, they may pull you out faster than you want to go. Better to pass people at the end than have them pass you.

Sleep: Proper sleep is necessary for success, but don't be surprised if nervousness causes you to stay awake the night before the Big Event. Get plenty of sleep the night before the night before to combat that problem. Adequate rest all during your training program is even more important.

If you are new to half-marathon racing, your primary goal should be to finish the race feeling strong. There is no need to worry about speed. Start by building a base mileage of 25-30 miles a week. Once a week, include a longer run of 8-12 miles. You can also experiment with shorter races, such as the 10k or the 10 miler. Participating in these races will give you an idea of how to pace yourself through the half marathon.

Birthday Walk

I did my birthday walk. Just wanted you to know. Three miles. Even the dog was impressed.

whoops

I reset my alarm for yesterday because I wasn't running, but then forgot to reset it to the correct time. So now I am up but it's too late to go. I will go on Saturday instead I guess.
I got the interval timer but I can't figure out how to work it. It says to enter setup mode, press next and change. But when I do that it just turns off!

ocho

I did eight again tonight but I ran 7.5 straight, which was awesome and extremely difficult, especially given the last mile was on a small incline. So I meandered the rest of the way home. I got new shoes today, which was awesome, they're very cool but I could tell I was breaking them in tonight. I spent several hours compiling the perfect song list and tonight I perfected it and its loaded into the ipod. Its 5.5 hours coincidentally, so I guess I have to finish in that amount of time!! I hope I'm not escalating my runs too quickly, but I'm listening to my body and if I need to back off I will. And tonight I ate two packets of instant oatmeal for dinner. And taco bell for lunch. But I had a protein bar so its all good right? Gotta go, hot bath is calling.

Addendum: I swear to jehosefat, there are few things in life more pleasurable than a scalding hot bath after a long run. Particularly on the feet. Mari, I checked the hotel and it does NOT appear to have a hot tub!!!! or spa!!!! We must seek a remedy for this situation as we will most definitely need a hot tub after the run. Or else I will have to smack you all down to be first in the bathtub.

0 today

I am taking Wednesdays and Saturdays off, and doing my long run on Sundays. I don't feel sore except my knees a bit. My timer came in the mail today! I am going to start out walking 30 seconds then running 30 seconds and see how that goes.
Good for you Marianne! Walking on your b-day. Sandy it sounds like you are doing really great too! We win at life!
I did invite Laurie to the blog but I guess I will send it to her work email.

I did my 2 1/4 last night, I'm not timing right now. I feel much better now, I'm not sore today, but I did take it pretty easy yesterday. I have three miles scheduled for Thursday, which is my birthday. But I'm doing it anyway! Birthday be damned!

3.5 today

I ran 3.5 miles after work at about an 11 min mile, which is awesome for me. I've read everywhere that the key to success in this endeavor is consistency, that you don't skip training days. So, I've decided that work has to go. Sort of. I'm going to leave the office early on Tuesdays so I can get home and run before I take Kailey to practice, and I'm going to go in late on Thursday mornings so I can run before work when I don't have the kids. So my goal is to run Sat, Sun, Tues, Weds and Thurs. Short runs on Tues and Thurs.

Missy did you send Laurie the link to this? What up? I love reading about how you guys are doing.

I totally blew it

I told Mom about the race. I knew this was going to happen. I am thinking, eating, drinking, and breathing training. I knew I would slip up! But then I told her it was just me and Sandy and that Sandy was my inspiration, so it was only a little lie.
I went two and a half miles today without too much trouble although I went kind of slow. I didn't care because like Sandy said as long as I go, then I have won.

8 miles today

Ran 6.5 of it, walked 1.5. I'm beat.

16.5

I did my "long" walk today, I did 16.5 minute miles. I thought this was discouraging, but Missy assures me that it is the way it is supposed to be and I will get faster. I assured her that if I get picked up by the paddywagon of shame I am blaming her and Sandy for leading me to believe I can do this. I am thinking that I am not going to time my weekday walks, only my Sunday "long" walks. What say you, Sandy? Do you time each run or just the long runs?

Also, I was thinking something that might be fun would be for all of us to make a 20 song mix disc for the trip to CA, so we can each have a disc. I think it would be fun for all of us to put songs on our disc that we listen to while training, but also any other songs that we think the other sisters may not have heard before. I don't have many of those, not being as much of a music buff as some others, but I do have a few. Anyways, I thought that would help avoid fighting over car music and also just be kinda fun. What say you all?

And where the hell is Laurie? Did she not get an invitation to post on this thing?

Also, FYI for you Sandy, here is the link to gmaps pedometer thing, you can map out a route and get the miles for it, so you don't have to keep driving your routes and can plan ahead your long runs (on company time, natch).

Ok, I am really in now.

I actually registered for the race. It is real now. This running hobby is expensive. Geesh! I also bought one of those interval timers from the Jeff what's-his-face's website. I really want to avoid hitting the wall, and I want to be able to increase my speed and endurance as quickly as possible. Only 90 days left you know!!
We have to be in CA in time for the expo so we can pick up our stuff. Also the race starts at six damn thirty so we better get to bed early. I am going to drive to Sandy's house on Friday after work so we can leave at a reasonable time on Saturday, but I guess that's going to be a group decision, right?
I ran my long this morning, 3 miles without too much difficulty. I am really sore from yesterday's body flow class, but none of my running muscles are sore. It's mostly my inner thighs and upper body.
I did 15 1/2 minute miles today. Slower than usual but the focus has to be on endurance, not speed, I think. Am I right about that?
I am working on my training calendar too. Should I aim for 13 miles, or 15, or ??
Here is a good article:
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/5_Tips_to_Develop_Your_Running_Strategy.htm