Bring on the challenge!

Vacation is over :(   And, not just the holiday break, but the break from running/exercise.  It was not my original intention to take this break, but, tis the season for sickness.  Had a bad cold right after Thanksgiving, and just when it was getting better and I started running again, the flu made an appearance at our house.  It went through everyone but my husband.  So, after you take ANOTHER week to recuperate from that sickness, then it's almost Christmas, you don't want to get up early because you don't have to, and then there is just too much to do, so before you know it, you haven't run/exercised for 2 1/2 weeks!!!!!  AAAHHHH!!!  Not cool.  So, I hope my body appreciates the rest it's had, because we have a marathon to run in about 16 weeks!

So, since it's been 2 1/2 weeks (I still can't believe I let it go that long!) I've decided to take this week to do some easy runs to get back into the groove.  I did 3 miles on the treadmill this morning at a 6.0.  Then, I did another 30 minutes of strength training, i.e. pushups, situps, let lifts, etc.  And, I still have a sore muscle in my leg.  After all that rest.  Guess it's just gonna take some extra good stretching to get it better.  Plus, I think it's almost time for a new pair of shoes.  Thinking of maybe getting 2 pairs this time.  Wonder if the running store would give me a deal??? 

The rest of the week I'm thinking the workouts will be about the same, then hoping for a 10 miler on Saturday.  (Will my body kill me for that after this long break??)  Next week I will start up on the sprints and tempo runs again.  Here we go!!!! :) 

So, the week started out great.  It went downhill from there.  By Wednesday, I had developed ANOTHER cold.  Seriously.  That's 3 illnesses since Thanksgiving.  What is up??  I am a person who rarely gets sick.  I think I've filled my quota for the next 5 years!  

So, needless to say, I went to bed VERY early on Wednesday night, hoping to feel better the next morning so I could exercise, which didn't happen.  So, I took Thursday off, hoping to feel better, which I did start to, and then this morning, which is normally my day off, I rested, too.  The good news is, I am feeling better.  The bad news is, it is so FREAKING cold outside and the air quality is so bad, that I'm reconsidering my long run in the morning. Not sure if it would be the smartest thing to do.  I really am dying to get outside and do a long run, so  I'm hoping that next week not only will the health be better, but the air, also.  I would still like to exercise in the morning, but that leaves the trusty treadmill :)  Oh, joy!  So, if I'm feeling okay tomorrow (which, I should be good enough to run for at LEAST 3 miles), I will jump on the treadmill and see how far I go.  One  more week till I get outside, I guess. . .only 15 weeks till the marathon. . .hoping I haven't lost too much with all this time off.  It's so much easier to train for a marathon that's in the fall. . . 

Well, I did my 6 miles on the treadmill this morning.  How I wished I could have been outside instead.  However, my husband came back from his 6 miles outside and almost regretted it.  He said the air was disgusting and he felt like he was coated in it (ew!)  

Just did it slow, again at a 6.0.  Had a crappy night sleeping with this stupid cough, but at least it didn't seem to affect my running this morning.  Hoping to start hitting it harder next week and getting back up to where I was a few weeks ago.   

Did my sprint workout on the treadmill this morning.  However, I've gotten a little "soft" over the holidays, so I had to change it up slightly.  I couldn't do 15 minutes straight of 9.0/6.0 so I put an 8.0/6.0 in the middle.  Then, at the end, I just finished with the 8.0/6.0.  I was pretty beat by the end.  Like I said, "soft".  It sucks.  Hopefully, it will come back quickly.

Did 3 miles on  the treadmill at  6.0 this morning (while the husband did his run in 9 degree weather. .  BRRRRRR!!!!!)  Decided to go light this  morning as I wanted to try out my new Jillian Michaels dvd - 30 day burn.  And, boy, I'm still feeling it (I'm typing this in the evening hours).  What a great workout, though.  I love circuit training!  I'm hoping to add that to my workouts every other day.  Anyway, back to faster running tomorrow morning, haven't quite figured out what yet, but it will be faster :)

Did some tempo runs today.  Started out with 5 minutes at a 6.0, 5 minutes at 6.5, then 5 minutes at 7.0.  Then, repeated.  Kind of liked this workout.  Definitely made being on the treadmill seem like it went by faster :)  If I'm back on it again this weekend, I might try it for an hour next time.  Then, did some strength training after.  Felt good to do the 7.0.  Maybe this means I haven't lost it too much? ;)

Was planning on running a little faster this morning, but got to bed later than I planned.  That, and it being Thursday (4th day in a row), I was pretty tired this morning and 6 a.m. comes just too early in January :)  But, I did 3 miles on the treadmill at a 6.0, then I jumped right into my Jillian Michaels DVD for another 20 + minutes.  Love Jillian!  She kicks my butt and I feel great!  Tomorrow is a rest day, then long run on Saturday.  

I guess I think I'm superwoman or something.  

And, a woos. . .did my long run on the treadmill again, like last week.  The thought of bundling up and running in 30 degree weather (at least it warmed up to that much!) and snow just wasn't appealing to me this morning, so I decided to do the treadmill again.  But, I had a plan to make it better this time. . .why not do that tempo workout I did earlier this week, only go longer???  What a great idea!!  It was 5 minutes each of 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0, then repeated.  If you are switching it up every 5 minutes, the treadmill won't seem so boring, right?  Actually, that part is true.  About halfway through the workout this morning, I decided 1 hour wasn't long enough so I was going to go an extra 15 minutes, why not??  At my 4th 7.0 (just before 1 hour) I was feeling pretty tired.  Should I stop?  NO!  You are committed!  Only 15 more minutes, it won't kill you!  By the last 7.0, I wasn't sure I was gonna make it.  Every minute was a pep talk to myself. . .only 5 more minutes, you can do anything for 5 minutes, only 4 more minutes, etc etc.  Needless to say, I finished.  And, it felt good to accomplish that.  Maybe I'm not so bad off as I thought I was.  

So, back to the superwoman thing. . .remember that Jillian Michaels DVD I've been doing this week?  I thought it would be a great idea to do that this morning, too.  So, after 8 miles of running, I did 20 minutes of circuit training (strenth, cardio, and abs), Jillian Michaels style.   Halfway through, I wondered what in the heck I was thinking.  Funny thing was, I did the workout with 5 kids this morning :)  My 4 boys and 1 of my nieces.  Which also made it a little crowded to workout. . . but it was fun to watch, too.  A 4 year old doing jumping jacks. . . :)

Anyway, don't think I'll be combining those 2 workouts again :) 

Did my sprint workout on the treadmill this morning.  Almost like last week, although I was able to add a few more 9.0/6.0 sprints into the mix instead of scaling back like last week :)  Finished up with some strength training.  

Did 3 miles at a 6.0 on the treadmill this morning.  Finished it up with 30 minutes of Jillian's 30 Day Burn.  Tired this morning, hoping to get to bed a little earlier tonight :)  

Did my tempo run on the treadmill this morning.  Thought I'd only do 30 minutes, but decided halfway through I need to start adding mileage (why do these things always come to me halfway through my workout??)  So, I did 5 minutes each of 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 3 times, then finished off the last 45 seconds to a minute (so I could get the full 5 miles) at an 8.0.  I didn't sleep well last night so I was kinda tired again this morning, but it felt good.  Tomorrow is easy day again, and Jillian :)  

Easy 3 today.  Did Jillian's workout after.  Hubby joined me for that, kinda fun.  He tried it out yesterday and loved the workouts.  Good times :)

Ran 8 miles outside this morning with the hubby.  I think this is the first time I've been outside in about 6 weeks.  It felt good to get off the treadmill!! :)  It decided to rain/snow a skiff last night so there were patches of slippery spots along the route, but for the most part, the roads were good.  Sidewalks were a little more sketchy, but at 6 a.m. you don't have to worry about cars as much :)  So, did the run in about 1:17, so a little slow.  None of our miles were below 9's, which is a little discouraging, but at the same time I have to remind myself that winter running isn't the fastest running - i.e. avoiding slippery spots, dark, wearing layers of clothing, etc.  So, overall, happy with the run this morning.

Did my sprint workout on the treadmill this morning.  I'm back to the regular workout I was doing a couple of months ago - YEAH!!  Glad I don't feel like such a woos anymore ;)  

Did 3 miles at a 6.0 on the treadmill this morning.  Finished it up with Jillian's 30 Day Shred.  Going to the doctor later to see if I have a sinus infection.  Seriously - these colds are getting ridiculous!!  4 since Thanksgiving!  And, my sinuses are killing me (especially jumping around or putting our head down while exercising) so I'm giving in and going to see Tom.  Hopefully, he can fix me up good :)

Did my tempo workout on the treadmill this morning.  Same as last week.  Found out yesterday I do have a sinus infection.  Got me some drugs and hopefully it will kick this stuff out for good.  So tired of being constantly sick and drained lately.  Not something I am used to.  Talked to Dr. Tom about the Salt Lake marathon.  He will be running it, too.  Although I have a goal for this year and it would be nice if I could reach it in April, I haven't been thinking it was going to happen.  He even told me it may be difficult for this race.  He says it is one of his least favorites.  So, now I'm wondering what kind of a time I actually can achieve on this race?  Especially as training for it during the winter months is not the easiest.  I would hope I could get somewhat close to my last time, but we'll see.

Took the morning off.  Not part of the original plan for the week, but too much going on today.  Had to get ready this morning to go help at the school and didn't get to bed as early as I'd hoped, so didn't want to get up any earlier.  May or may not run tomorrow.   We'll see.  Long run on Saturday.

Well, so much for a long run this weekend.  Friday night my husband informed me that the air quality was RED outside, so I opted to sleep in a bit and do the treadmill.  I know, I ran in that crap in December, but I don't think it was a great idea.  Especially now, I'm trying to get over a sinus infection and didn't think that was conducive to doing so.  So, of course, I got all excited about sleeping in, but there is also a downside to that.  When you sleep in, you run later in the morning, and your body is hungry.  No, I don't like to eat before I run.  It was only 8-ish when I did get on the treadmill, but I was already feeling the effects of hunger.  So, this made me more tired than if I had opted to get up early and run.  It's a double-edged sword.  Also, by running later, I feel like I lose so many hours in my day to get things done.  So, I opted for a shorter run, too.  What a woos I'm turning into.  I've really got to get my head back on and get training better.

It's the last day of January!!!!  Wahoo!!!  I hate January!  Can't wait for the warmer weather to come back!

Did my sprint workout on the treadmill this morning.  Kinda dragging.  Did not sleep well last night, and woke up groggy this morning.  Guess that's what happens when you try to take a nap after church on Sunday.  Someday I'll learn.   

Ran on the treadmill at a 6.0 this morning for 3 miles.  Boring.  Gotta cut back on the coke.  I was doing so good there at the beginning of January and I don't know what happened.  Needless to say, I can tell it's affecting me.  Did Jillian this morning, too, just feeling tired lately, no motivation.  Course, that could be due to the arctic temps outside right now!!  Can not wait for spring!!  Hopefully, going to bed a bit earlier tonight and have more energy in the morning. 

Did my tempo run on the treadmill today.  Went to bed a little earlier last night so felt a little less tired this morning.  Was a good run today.

6.0 on the treadmill this morning.  Didn't sleep well again last night, but was much more tired this morning.  Hubby is in Steamboat Springs until tonight, I have a hard time sleeping alone, so glad he will be home tonight!!  Finished it off with Jillian's workout.  Tomorrow is a rest day, yeah!  Here's hoping the deep freeze will be gone by Saturday, REALLY don't want to go out in it.

10 miles this morning!  The pathetic part is that it's been 2 months since I've done this.  Stupid winter and sickness!!  Two months ago I hadn't missed a 10 mile week in over a year.  Sad.  But, at least I've started back again.  Did it in 1:35, so we average 9:30 min/mile.  Not great, but okay, all things considered.  Mile 6 was our best again, think it was between an 8 and 8:30.  It always is the fastest, bit of downhill, plus it helps when some jerk decides to honk at you on the road.  It's 7:00 a.m. - is that really necessary??  And, no I wasn't in any danger of being hit.  So, that sped me up a bit :)

By mile 8 I was getting pretty tired.  And hungry.  The last 2 miles felt a bit slow, but we pushed on.  Made us sprint the last 50 yards to the finish.  Kind of a nice change for the muscles :)  Glad the weather cooperated today, too.  It was a balmy 33 degrees when we left this morning.  Balmy, yes.  When the high has been 15 or so earlier this week, 33 feels quite pleasant :)   

Sprint workout on the treadmill this morning.  So tired.  Went to bed early and woke up around 2 coughing.  Didn't really sleep much after that.  When will this ever go away?????

3 easy miles on the treadmill this morning.  Then, on to Jillian's workout.  Tired again this morning.  Still waiting for a good night's sleep. . .

Wanted so badly to just stay in bed this morning.  Unfortunately, I had too much to do today, so I got up and got the exercise done.  Of course, once I'm up and going, everything is fine.  It's just the getting up.  

So, I did my 5 mile tempo workout this morning.  Felt good when I was done.  Thinking I may need to increase the mileage here in a week or two. 

Went to bed EARLY last night because I was exhausted.  Made no difference.  Still woke up coughing at 1 a.m. then, when I finally got back to sleep, woke up again at 5.  What was the point of going to bed early?  Dragged my sorry butt out of bed at 6 (okay, it was probably 6:15), and got on the treadmill.  Did my easy 3 miles and followed up with Jillian's workout.  Of course I feel better when I'm through (who doesn't like a good sweat??)  but CAN NOT wait to get a decent night's sleep soon.  Maybe tonight???  No workout tomorrow so I can even sleep in a bit. . . hmmm,  here's hoping.

Ran 10 miles outside this morning.  Little bit colder than last weekend, but still okay.  Did it a little faster today, too, which was nice.  Now I am tired and need a nap. . . :)

Ran my sprints on the treadmill this morning.  Trying to run out all that's on my mind :)  Got pretty tired around 20 minutes, not sure why, I got plenty of sleep last night.  But, managed to finish up okay.  Tomorrow is easy day - yeah!

3 easy on the treadmill this morning.  Stayed up a little later than normal last night, plus still a lot on my mind, so dragging this morning.  Finished up with Jillian.  

Tempo workout again this morning.  Debated about getting up early or just doing it after the kids went to school, but dragged my sorry butt out of bed early.  Glad I did, too, a lot to do this morning.  It's my oldest boy's birthday today so I'm going to eat all the calories I burned off this morning :)

On a side note, learned something interesting today.   My younger sis has been having trouble with her knees while running.  It's gotten so bad she hasn't been able to run lately, so she decided to go see a sports medicine doctor.  The first question he asked her was what side of the road she ran on.  Apparently, you should switch it up.  Did not know that.  I always just run against traffic, for safety reasons.  Because she always ran on the same side of the road, her hips were out of balance which has caused her knee problems.  So, all she needs is a little PT to fix her problem, thank goodness, and the rest of us can learn from this. So, glad to know this! 

3 easy today and that was it.  Had to help at the school this morning so no time for Jillian.  :(  Hope she forgives me next week ;)

Decided to up the distance for today.  Luckily, the weather held off on the rain until the last mile.  Unluckily, I had a sinus headache the WHOLE 12.5 miles!!  Not cool.  We walked every 2 miles, and that felt better, but the whole running thing with the pounding just caused my head to pound more.  And, my body just felt heavy this morning.  Don't know if that was because of the head or if I was just tired.  I'll blame it on the head.  Needless to say, it was not a very speedy workout (not that it is supposed to be), but it was very slow for us.  Took 2 hours to complete.  The last 1/2 mile we actually walked.  Hope my head gets better soon.  Supposed to be taking a trip next weekend which will not feel great on an airplane if it's not better.  Gotta figure out a running course or something for next weekend, too.  Any great running courses north of Houston?  

Why don't children sleep in on a holiday???  Thought I'd get a great sleep in before getting up to exercise, but it was not to be.  They were still up by 7-ish.  Oh, well.

Did my sprint workout this morning.  Everyday I tell myself I need to start eating better (boy can I tell when I do those sprints!!) and then, by noon, I really need that coke.  And chocolate.  Terrible, I know.  I've only got about 7 weeks (I think) until the marathon.  Really got to start being better or it's gonna be miserable.  If only there wasn't so much stress pushing me in that coke/chocolate direction. . .more later on that :) 

Went to bed late last night.  Knew I'd pay for it this morning.  At least it was an easy 3 miles this morning.  Then, I'd been telling myself for the last few weeks it was time to move on to level 2 of Jillian and today was the day.  Wow.  So much harder than level 1!  Great workout, though.  It was a lot of upper body this time, arms, shoulders, planks.  So, my upper body's gonna look great :)  There's still level 3 to go.  Can't imagine what she's got going on that one.  I'll give it a bit before I move on to it, though :)

Did my tempo workout on the treadmill this morning.  Felt great!! :)  

3 easy again this morning.  Then, Jillian's level 2 workout.  Man, that kicks my butt!!  It is so much more intense than level 1!  Can't wait to see what she has in store for level 3, ha ha!! Anyway, it's over, I always feel great at the end.  Rest day tomorrow, actually, sitting on a plane and in a car a lot tomorrow, and then try to find some place to get some kind of a run in on Saturday.  The weather should be nice for a run, though, in Houston. . . :)

Did the sprint workout this morning.  Let myself sleep in and did it after the kids were in school.  Our flight got in an hour later last night so we were exhausted.  It felt good to finally run again this morning.  We never did go on Saturday, too much to do, unfortunately.  So, the exercise felt great after all the eating and sitting of the weekend!

3 easy this morning.  Tired because I stayed up late watching a STUPID movie last night.  But, got through and then did Jillian.  Starting to feel like I'm catching up to level 2 :)   It is so much more intense than level 1, but today I finally felt like I wasn't dying so bad.  That's a good sign :)  Just found out I'll be able to do it again on Thursday this week, my kindergarten volunteering got cancelled so I won't have to hurry as quickly that morning - YEAH!!!

Ran my 5 mile tempo run on the treadmill this morning.  Felt great!

3 easy on the treadmill this morning.  Then on to Jillian's level 2 workout.  Hoping for a decent long run this weekend.  Will be out of town again, unfortunately, but shouldn't be too much of a problem to go for that run.  At least, the hubby promises if we stay over night at his sister's we can go for a long run on Saturday morning.  I would prefer to come home tomorrow night, but, as usual, when it's me against the father in law, I don't win.  Can't wait to move far away. . . :)

Ran  12 miles in 1:51 this morning.  I know, not my best, but all things considered. . .

The first half was mostly up hill, which meant the last half was down.  We were in Idaho so these were just back country roads.  Having not slept well the night before and not really thrilled about being there in the first place (among other things) I woke up on the wrong side of the bed (to say the least) and was just rip roarin' ready to go and work it out.  My husband ran with me, and bless him, he knew to just let me go at my own pace.  I cranked the music up loud and took off.  By the end of the 12 miles, I was feeling a little better :)  

After the run, we got cleaned up and took the kids sledding in the mountains.  So, add hiking up the hill several times to my workout today, too :)  Had a good time and I'm still surprised nobody broke anything. . . :)

Glad this weekend is over and I can go home to my own life now.   

Did my sprints on the treadmill this morning.  Legs are still a little sore from Saturday, but nothing I can't handle.  Felt good to work them out some more.  The weather is starting to get a bit better, hoping to start running outside more and adding hills to the workouts.  

3 easy miles on the treadmill this morning.  Poor Hubby.  He had to run outside this morning in the 6+ inches of fresh snow :(  Not fun.  He said it was VERY slow going.  

After that, it was on to Jillian.  Some of the boys woke up early this morning and came down to join me for part of it :)  Always fun to do Jillian with the kiddos :) 

Ran for just over an hour on the treadmill this morning doing my tempo workout.  Started out the same, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, for 5 minutes each, twice.  Then, on the 3rd time of 6.0 I started to feel it wasn't fast enough :)  Funny how that happens when you've been running faster.  I think of the days I do an easy run at 6.0 and it seems plenty fast. . . ;)  So, I only did 4 minutes of it that time, then 5 1/2 minutes each of 6.5 and 7.0.  On the last round I did 3 minutes of 6.0, 6 minutes of 6.5, and 5 1/2 minutes of 7.0, then I upped it to a 10.0 for the last 30 seconds.  Dang, that's fast!  Glad it was only 30 seconds!  But, I finished  and felt great!

Did an easy jog on the treadmill this morning.  Really dragging today.  Don't know if I'm still recovering from the tempo workout from yesterday or what.  Remember how I said 6.0 was feeling slow yesterday?  Well, it was plenty fast this morning ;)  Followed up the run with level 2 of Jillian again.  Even that was kicking my butt this morning.  Might need a nap today. . .

Ah, the last day before daylight savings time.  Grrr...  really enjoyed leaving at 6:30 this morning to light skies.  

Run was good but I was tired by mile 10.  Yes, mile 10.  I keep thinking to myself, you have a marathon in another 5 weeks!  I really hate training for a marathon over the winter months.  Hoping the marathon will not be a terrible thing because of this.  Next week I think we will shoot for another 15, at least.  That should be our last really long run before the marathon.  

On a side note, I tried the RockIt Fuel stuff we'd been given in goody bags last summer at some races.  NASTY!!!  I could only down a bit of the stuff and no more.  But, I guess some sugar did get into me cuz it helped some :)  

Legs are tired, glad to have a break tomorrow before sprints on Monday. . . 

Sprints on the treadmill this morning.  Started out tired (HATE daylight savings time) and wishing I put an extra day in between long runs and sprints, but about 10 minutes into it, it seemed to actually be going by fast and continued that way till the end.  Guess that means I'm not as beat up as I thought! :)  My lower calf/achilles has been starting to give me a little pain again, lately.  Just toward the end of the workout today and toward the end on Saturday, too.  Hoping that it's nothing serious and I can just stretch it out good.  

3 easy on the treadmill this morning, followed up with Jillian's level 2 workout.  I think maybe 1 more week of level 2 and I will be ready to move on to level 3.  Can't wait to see that! :)  

One hour on the treadmill this morning for the tempo run.  Felt good then, but I'm pretty tired now :)  Allowed myself to "sleep in" this morning and did this after the kids were at school.  Which meant, on an empty stomach, I ran out of energy pretty quickly, too.  Maybe that's why I'm so tired now?? ;)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Ran 3 easy on the treadmill this morning, followed up with Jillian's level 2 workout.  Thursday's are always a hard day for me.  It's the 4th day in a row of good workouts and following Wednesday's tempo run, my body is still pretty tired.  So, by the time I get to Jillian I'm ready to collapse.  I hate that it's so hard on Thursday for me, since Tuesday is so great, but I guess that's life.  Tomorrow's a day off - YEAH!! - then long run on Saturday again.  Only about 4 weeks till the marathon. . .

Major long run today.  And, the south wind did blow!  Set out at 5:30 a.m. thinking this to be a 3 hour run.  Finished first half in average time, came home (it was the halfway point) refilled water bottles, had a snack and potty break, and went out again to finish the second half.  I was getting pretty tired by mile 14.  Then, we hit the park and got to run about 2 miles in the grass, which felt nice.  By mile 16 I was doing the "shuffle step" run.  You know the one?  Before mile 17 there was a hill and I just couldn't run up it.  Made it about halfway and then had to walk.  Ended up walking almost to mile 17, then ran again.  Had to stop at each mile marker thereafter for a drink and bite of granola bar.  Totally exhausted when I was finished and pretty disheartened.  I hate training for a marathon over the winter.  I felt like I was in such great shape in October for St. George and now I feel like I'll be lucky to finish this thing in 4 more weeks.  Also feeling some major burnout.  Cannot wait for this marathon to be over and then we can see where we go from here.  In the middle of trying to sell our house and move so the stress level is definitely up, too, so a break would be nice for a bit.  I won't stop running, but at least it won't be so intense.  

On a lighter note, surprisingly to both me and my husband, other than being tired the next morning, we really didn't feel very sore.  Certainly not 20 miles sore!  That's definitely a plus! 

Did my sprints this morning.  Wasn't sure how my body would respond to these after Saturday's long run, but it was actually okay.  I could tell I was a bit more tired, but not so much that I couldn't do the workout.  Actually feeling pretty good since Saturday.  Hope that's a good sign :)

3 easy miles today.  Then, Jillian's workout.  Tomorrow it's back to the grind :)

Did my tempo workout this morning.  Actually got up at 6 a.m. to do it today, too :)

Went to SL Running Company to get me a new pair of shoes today.  FINALLY.  I've been meaning to do this for months.  I don't know why I ever think I'll get a new brand of shoe, because I came home with the exact same one.  I've been a Mizuno lover for 3 years now.  But, I guess you never know if something better will come along. . .anyway, after trying on several different brands of shoes, I went with the same shoe.  Gotta love Mizuno, too - they love the bright colors  This years model is flourescent yellow.  You won't miss me on the road :)  Excited to try them out and break them in.   

3 easy this morning and no Jillian.  I had to help out in kindergarten this morning so no time for extras :)  Long run on Saturday. . .

Will it ever warm up?!?!  It was 32 degrees this morning when I left in full layers, hat and gloves.  There's only 4 weeks left till the marathon.  I would REALLY like to wear a lot less for that!  Anyway, good run, a little slow - I finished in 1:33, but I did have a  headphone issue that cost me a couple of minutes.  Ran in my new shoes this morning, too.  While they feel good, they still need to be broke in a bit, a little stiff.  Ran by myself this morning, too, as the hubby is away this weekend and will only be around every other weekend now until we move.  So, at least I had my tunes, but I kinda like running with him on the weekends. . . :(

Sprint workout this morning.  Kinda weak this morning, don't know why.  But, finished up and got done.  

Easy 3 on the treadmill followed with Jillian.  

Tempo run this morning.  Funny thing this morning was that on my circuit, doing 6.5, I was thinking, "Wow, I feel pretty good this morning, I could probably do another round of each of these tempos!"  Unfortunately, time would not allow it this morning, but I did feel good knowing that I wasn't dying this morning.  I suppose if I want to start going any longer on these I'm going to have to get up even earlier. . . sigh. . .not sure if that will happen.  

3 easy today, followed by Jillian.  She about killed me this morning.  Got to bed late so on top of it being Thursday and tired, I was extra tired this morning.  Darn family events. . . ;)

Got to run with my honey again this morning.  Loved it!  And, to top it off, it was 60 degrees outside when we left at 6:30 this morning!  What a change from last weekend's 32 and layer upon layer of clothing!  Felt so good to just wear shorts and a shirt!  Finished in just over 2 hours, so good pace to be getting on with.  Now, if we can only keep that pace for an entire marathon, life would be good. . . :)  

Sprints on the treadmill this morning.  

Easy 3 this morning and Jillian after.  Stayed up too late last night so tired this morning.  Gotta go to bed earlier tonight.

10 miles on the treadmill!!!  UUGGHHH!!!  But, I was a woos and didn't want to run in the snow/rain.  Oh well, it's over :)

Sprint workout again this morning.  Do you ever have those out of body experiences while running?  Well, I was woken up very rudely by my alarm this morning in the middle of a dream and heavy sleep, lol, and was exhausted and didn't want to exercise this morning.  After last week, I just want to veg - packing up boxes and cleaning the house (did I mention that I did this all by myself??) and trying to train for this stupid marathon on Saturday.  So not in the mood.  But, anyway, I got on the treadmill and thought, I just don't know if I can do this this morning.  And, the next thing I knew, I was almost done.  What just happened??  Glad it went fast.  Cannot wait for this race to be over with this weekend.  You know it's a bad sign if you are dreading it instead of excited for it.  I'm just hoping it will be better than I am thinking it's gonna be.  

3 easy on the treadmill.  No Jillian today.  Had to hurry and get ready this morning for a dr appt.  That's okay - I should probably tone it back a bit anyway, seeing as how the marathon is only 5 days away. . .

Last running day before the marathon.  Hope my body can be rested up enough before Saturday.  Decided to do a quicker workout this morning than my usual hour on Wednesday.  Ran for 1/2 an hour at a 6.6 (9 min/mile) on the treadmill this morning.  Hoping that that pace will be good for Saturday.  It's so pathetic.  I was averaging 8:30's in the fall for St. George and now all I can hope for is 9's??  Winter training SUCKS!!!  And, I'm burned out.  I'll admit it.  You know it's a bad sign if you are dreading the upcoming race instead of looking forward to it.  Okay, so maybe I'm looking a little forward, but not as much as normal.  Hopefully, after going to the expo on Friday and then during the race there will be great spectators and I can get more pumped up.

Okay, this race report is being written over a week later, so I'll see what I can remember. :)

While I wasn't excited for this race (burnout), I did start to get the excitement at the starting line.  Then, they had our "esteemed" former mayor speak before we began.  Uugghh!!  Did he notice that there weren't a lot of cheers for him?  We don't care what he had to say, we just wanted to start running!  

Thankfully, the weather was PERFECT for the race.  50-60 degrees, and a light sprinkle here and there.  We started and I immediately began my darting in and out of people - love to do that :)  Quickly came upon my father-in-law, said hi, then kept going.  My hubby ran with him for a few miles, so I put some distance between us for a bit.  I love the beginning of this race.  It's a lot of downhill, so your miles are fast, but you don't feel like you are pushing it.  

We made it to Sugarhouse Park, where the half and full marathoners divided.  Felt pretty good being in the pack less traveled by here :)  Zipped through the park, then joined the halfers again.  Ran with them to 2700 S. then we divided once more.  I've never run a marathon where the half was simultaneous - I've always been on the half side.  Wow, it felt GREAT to be on the full side this time!   I felt like I belonged with the elite group and I LOVED it!!  We made it down 2000 and 2300 E., and then hit Holladay Blvd.  I was kind of disappointed through here, because we ran near so many people I know and no one was out watching!!  I really could've used the support.  

Got to about mile 11 and hubby caught up with me.  Ran with him for a couple of miles (felt like our normal weekend run as it is on the same course) and then told him to go ahead, since he was feeling so good.  Came around 6200 and starting to get a little tired.  My stomach was having issues off and on, not sure if I was gonna have to stop and use the bathroom or not. Mostly when I would stop and get a drink, and I knew I hadn't had enough to eat that morning, so I was feeling kinda empty.  Van Winkle was a little tough.  Tired, hungry, and boring stretch.  But, I knew my best friend would be around mile 16 waiting, so that got me through.  Sure enough, there she was with two of her children, who ran to greet me.  That felt great!  I stopped and chatted with her for about 3 minutes, then took off again, starting the countdown in my head - only 10 miles to go.  Every mile after that, I had to keep telling myself that.  

Made it to 500 East and was really getting tired and hungry.  Found my parents and kids around mile 20 - what a great sight that was!  My mom had brought some snacks for the kiddos, including cookies, so I stopped and had one.   I know, not the best choice while you are running a marathon, but you know what?  It did the trick!  That one cookie saved me the rest of the race.  I probably was stopped and visiting with them for at least 5 minutes.  While I knew these stops weren't conducive to getting a great time, I was already resolved to just finishing the race and enjoying myself along the way.  And, with each of these stops, it rejuvinated me, if only briefly.  My this point my feet were starting to hurt.  Why can't I ever find a pair of shoes that my feet don't feel so pounded??  But, I continued on, made it through Liberty Park, albeit, slowly, then picked up the pace slightly.  

Then, we came upon that stupid hill on State Street.  Hate that hill!  Mile 25.  Halfway up, I had to stop and walk.  (Actually, I had walked quite a bit in those last 6 miles.  I was feeling so pounded, I just wanted to walk, but the walking didn't help and I had to tell myself the only thing that was going to feel better was to sit down, and I couldn't do that till I was done.  So, off I would run again.)  

Coming off that hill, my pace picked up a bit again.  I made it down into Gateway and the finish line was in sight.  I decided to start picking it up here and race to the end.  Another guy had the same idea and we were quickly in an all out sprint to the finish, with him shouting encouragement at me the whole way :)  We crossed the finish line at the same time where he turned around and gave me a high five.  What an awesome finish!  I have NO idea where that came from, but man, did it feel good!!  

And, all things considered, especially my little breaks, I was quite pleased with my time.  I had been worried about this race and training over the winter, and I finished better than I had expected to.  And, I finally feel like a real marathon runner.  This was my 3rd one, and for the first time, I actually felt like I could continue doing this distance and would be okay.  What a great feeling! 

Here are my mileage breakdowns:

1 - 7:37

2 - 8:06

3 -7:57

4 & 5 (didn't see the marker) - 15:32

6 - 10:02

7 - 9:17

8 - 8:48

9 - 9:19

10 - 9:05

11 - 8:59

12 - 9:33

13 - 10:01

14 - 9:34

15 - 9:14

16 - 11:53

17 - 9:15

18 - 10:13

19 - 10:39

20 - 14:20

21 -11:10

22 - 10:59

23 - 12:47

24 - 10:52

25 & 26 (again, didn't see the marker) - 25:28 

First time back running since the marathon.  Immediately after the race, we went home, showered, packed up and drove 24 hours to Houston.  I know, not the smartest thing to do after a marathon!  However, we actually were okay, stiffness-wise.  We stopped every couple of hours, and, after the initial getting out of the car, walked around for a minute, then were okay.  By Monday morning, I was hardly sore at all.  Amazing!

No time to run in Houston, flew home on Wednesday, and packed running gear to take to Idaho.  However, it was FREEZING up there.  And, I was a wuss.  I planned on running on Friday, but it was too cold.  So, then I thought I'd go later in the day, but we ended up having a lively game of kickball with the kiddos that afternoon, so I counted that as my exercise :)   Saturday, I was just plain lazy.  

So, now we come to this morning.  Back home, back to routine, back to exercise.  Ran my sprints on the treadmill this morning.  Could definitely tell I hadn't run in over a week!  But, I made it through and it sure felt good to get those endorphins back again!  Hoping the weather cooperates some this week so I can get outside more instead of on the treadmill.   

Ran 3 easy on the treadmill this morning.  It's the end of April and it's snowing outside. . . BOO!!!  Can't wait to just get outside for good!  Followed it up with Jillian.  Haven't done her for 2 weeks now, and boy, it showed!  I struggled this morning, especially with the upper body stuff.  I'm also fighting a cold, so I'll just blame it on that, shall I?? ;)

Did tempo run on the treadmill this morning.  Only ran for 45 minutes instead of the hour I usually do since I debated too long about whether or not to get up this morning and ran out of time :)  Still feeling fatigued, I'm sure it's partly from the cold, partly just from running the marathon a week ago.  On the bright side, it's getting easier to get up in the morning since the sun is coming up earlier :)  And, while it was cold this morning, at least it wasn't snowing.  Here's hoping the weather will warm up soon :)

Decided to sleep in this morning and run after the kiddos were at school.  Of course, this meant no Jillian, but. . .that's okay :)  After Tuesday, I wasn't in the mood.  

I ran at a 6.5 for 30 minutes on the treadmill this morning.  Then, I decided to mow the lawn.  That could take the place of Jillian this morning, right?  Oh my gosh!  Let me tell you what a chore that was!  Let's just say that I think it very much equaled or surpassed Jillian this morning.  Glad it's done, if only it wasn't going to rain/snow again tomorrow. . . 

Sprints on the treadmill this morning.  Really tired. Too much coke lately :)  Hoping to be outside later this week :)

Ran at a 6.5 on the treadmill this morning for 30 minutes.  Probably could have gone outside today.  Probably should have.  It would have felt much better than the treadmill.  I let myself sleep in a few extra minutes so that was all I did this morning, no Jillian.  Went to bed a little late last night and had a busy day yesterday.  

Well, I won't be writing about running on the treadmill anymore.  Yes, the weather is getting nicer, but that isn't the reason.  I got on to use it this morning and I think it has run it's last leg (no pun intended :) )  It was very jerky, so much so that I didn't dare not hold on for fear of falling off.  It's had this quirk in the past, but it's been quick and gone away.  I thought it would work itself out, but everything I tried gave no good results.  So, I guess it's just one less thing to pack to Texas :)  We've had it for over 6 years and never done any maintenance on it, and it's been well used.  So, I can't complain, really.  This is just my wake up call to get my sorry butt out of bed in the morning and start hitting the pavement.  I like that better anyway :) 

I thought I was out of luck for exercising after that happened, but I got lucky and the kiddos left me alone for a few minutes so I popped Jillian in instead.  Glad I had the option of something else as I was disappointed I was not going to get a workout in today.  The next few days should be beautiful, so I will head outside.  Looking forward to it :) 

Got outside today.  It was a balmy 37 degrees when I left - BRRRR!!!  Ran my 4 miles in 33:55, so felt pretty good about that.  Maybe I ran it fast because I was so cold ;)  

Decided to go out again this morning for another 4.  Not sure if I'll get out tomorrow morning or not, as our soccer games begin at 8:30 a.m.  I was kind of sore yesterday after my run, so decided to take it easy today.  At least the weather was warmer this  morning, in the 50's, so I wasn't freezing to death!  Finished my run about 3 minutes slower than yesterday, but that's okay.  Felt good just to get out and do an easy one this morning. 

Ran outside in the rain this morning.  At least it wasn't pouring, but a light mist when I began.  Started to come down a little more before I finished, but it wasn't too bad out.  Might have to endure that weather again tomorrow, but the rest of the week looks lovely :)

Did Jillian this morning.  Kind of wet and rainy still so opted for her workout instead.  

Ran 6 miles this morning in 52:45.  Felt really good.  Weather was in the upper 40's so not too terribly cold.  I think this is the longest I've run outside since the marathon.  Hoping to do this distance maybe Friday again.  Thinking about hills tomorrow.

Well, Map My Run says the distance I did was that much.  Thought it was slightly shorter, but guess in the long run it doesn't really matter.  

I did hills this morning.  So, it's a little over a half mile jog to the hill, then probably .2 up the hill, then I circle around the block.  Repeat 5 times (minus the jog from home).  I could tell I haven't done hills in a LONG time.  Whew!!  Kinda tough this morning!  But, it did feel like a great workout.  Gotta get in all the hills I can before I move to Texas where there are NONE!  Felt good to do something different this morning, too.  I think I'm burned out lately because I was doing the same things, over and over and over again.  It's a nice change.  And, the weather is cooperating, too :)  In the 40's this morning, so a little brisk, but I warmed up pretty quickly tackling that hill!  

Hoping for a possible 6 miler in the morning, not sure if I'll be running Saturday again or not.  Early soccer games make for not having enough time in the day! 

Drrrraaaaaggggiinnnggggg this morning.  Possible reasons why??  1.  5th day in a row of exercise, so I'm tired  2.  Did hills yesterday, so my quads were feeling it  3.  Too much coke and ice cream this week  4.  Stayed up a little late last night  5.  Haven't slept well most of the week  6.  Upset that James got send home on Idol last night.    Okay, okay, maybe #6 isn't a good enough reason, but it did contribute to the staying up part because I was so upset about it!!  

Anyway, back to the run.  Finished in 55 minutes even, it was 2 minutes and 15 seconds slower than Wednesday's time.  Understandable considering excuses 1 & 2 above.  The weather was pleasant, about 50 degrees, so it was nice to be outside.  

Think I'll take a break tomorrow because of early soccer games.  I'll be ready for a good run on Monday :) 

4 miles outside this morning.  Time was 34:37.  Not too bad.  Little bit cold this morning, but okay.  Hoping tomorrow will be okay, weather this week not looking so hot (no pun intended. . .).

Well, the weather cooperated somewhat this morning.  It said it was raining, but it was only a light drizzle when I left.  I was able to get my 6 miles in in about 55 minutes and didn't really end up too wet.  Thought that would be a good omen for the day, but I was wrong.  It is now pouring outside, has been ever since I took the kids to school, and I even saw some SNOW!!!  Seriously.  The run was okay, felt a bit tired this morning, but I'm trying to eat better and hoping it will help me feel better out there.  Hoping for better weather tomorrow, but think I'm going to do Jillian in the morning instead of run.  

Did Jillian this morning.  Raining, raining, raining outside and not in the mood to get wet.  

Jillian again this morning.  Hoping to get outside, but the weather has been SOOO wet!  Feel like I'm living in Seattle, not Salt Lake.  It's supposed to let up today, though and be nice tomorrow, so the plan for tomorrow is 10 miles.  Soccer games are later in the morning, so I should be able to do that tomorrow.

Ran 10 miles this morning.  Weather was nice, in the low 50's.  Glad the rain decided to give us a reprieve this weekend.  As I was running, I realized I hadn't run since Tuesday.  Couldn't believe it had been that long, but I guess that tells you just how wet it's been this week.  I did to Jillian twice, but there's just something about running. . .

Anyway, finished in 1:33, so not too bad.  Some of my miles were feeling a little slow, but they really weren't too bad.  Guess I was just feeling a little sluggish this morning, plus I'm fighting a cold.  Hope the weather cooperates better next week so I can get more time in outside! 

Did 6 miles this morning.  Weather was great.  Kind of tired, didn't sleep well, but it felt good to be out.  Ran in 55 minutes.  Hoping the weather cooperates more this week.

Woke up this morning prepared to run about 4-6 miles and it was raining.  So, opted for Jillian instead.  Taking tomorrow off as I'm helping at the school all day, but hoping to get back outside on Thursday.

Ran 6 this morning.  Very tired after a busy day yesterday.  Another busy day today.  Trying to decide whether to run tomorrow or sleep in. . .

6 miles again.  Wondering why in the world I got up at 6:30 this morning to go running when it's a holiday from school???  Guess the best answer is I'm crazy and I know I won't be able to run again till possibly Monday!  

Headed out intending on doing 4 this morning, then changed my mind after about a mile, deciding that I really didn't have as much time as I thought I did.  Felt good to get out after a long weekend.  Wished I could've gone farther.

After being awoken by children at 6 a.m. (oy, gotta love that sunshine in the windows!), I got out of bed and ran 6 miles this morning.  Felt a bit sluggish and my knee hurt a bit, but it was also good to get out.  Haven't had the miles this week I'd like, due to last week of school events and holidays.  Planning on either Jillian in the morning or a short run and then a 10 miler early on Saturday morning, before soccer :)

So, I opted for Jillian this morning.  Decided to give the legs a rest today since I'm doing a long run in the morning.  And, it's not like Jillian is the easy way out, either.  I love how much I sweat when I do her workouts!! :)  Wish I could get into more of a groove with her video and do it more often.  Maybe this summer??

Got up and ran my 10 miles at 6 a.m. this morning.  Still wearing crop pants and a long sleeve shirt.  It is June, isn't it???  Can't wait to start wearing shorts again!  

Shorts today!!  Yeah!!!  It's about time!  

Started out intent on doing my regular 4 miler this morning and decided to switch it up a bit.  Headed "the old direction", the way I used to go, way back when.  Really, I should do this more often, as it requires THE MONSTER HILL.  Needless to say, mile 1 was a bit slower than normal because of that, but I really do need to be doing that hill more often.  On the plus side, coming back down was AWESOME!!  :)  Legs felt heavy this morning.  Don't know if I'm just tired (I'm waking up before the alarm, though) or if I feel like I'm just carrying the weight of the world on me right now.  I think that's it, actually.  Trying to sell a house and single parent, among other things is very taxing on the nerves.  Thank goodness for running, it keeps me somewhat sane!! 

Did Jillian this morning.  

4 miles this a.m.  Back to crop pants and long sleeve shirt this morning, as the temp was in the 40's, according to my phone.  However, didn't feel too bad once I got outside, so I might have been able to get away with the shorts and short sleeved shirt. . . 

Running a 5k this weekend, one that I did quite well at last year.  Not sure how it's gonna be this year.  Feeling really slow and sluggish lately.  Don't know what's wrong other than the fact that I have a ton of stress in my life right now.  Keep hoping the running will make it better, but it doesn't clear it up completely.  Guess it helps, though :)  Wish I could get back to the speed I was at last year at this time.  

Tired this  morning.  Originally planned on 6 miles, then changed my mind to 4.  Then, decided to screw running altogether and just do Jillian again this morning.  All this went through my head in the course of a few minutes after my alarm went off :)  Decided that I needed the full body rather than just the legs this morning.  Plus, I get to sleep in an extra 30 minutes :)  Bonus.

What a perfect day for a race!  I love doing this one because it is close and really a fun event.  Last year, by default, I won 1st place in my age group of 30-39, because the real first place winner won overall, and they decided to not have them place in the age groups also.  This year, they didn't make that distinction, but I got lucky and took the first place all on my own today :)

Wasn't sure how this would go today, as my runs lately have felt a lot slower.  And, I've been tired.  And, I've done quite a bit of emotional eating (you know, lots of coke and chocolate).  So, I haven't been feeling like I've been in my best form lately.  However, I set out to just give it my all, and see where the cards fell.

We started off, and I quickly set my pace, which I knew was faster than normal, but knowing it was only 3 miles, I figured I could handle that.  There is a bit of a hill in mile 1, but once you are past that, it is some gradual downhill and flat.  I got to mile 1 in just under 8 minutes, and was feeling pretty good.  The next mile wound down through some neighborhoods, but there was a lot of short up and down and flat, so it wasn't too bad.  Hit mile 2 in just under 8 minutes, also.  Knowing that my time was looking pretty good so far helped me to keep up the pace, even though I was getting a bit winded.  After hitting mile 2 the course took another uphill turn.  Struggled a bit on this one, but made it to the top.  Then, it was flat and another bit of an uphill, but I knew that was the last, and really, it was mostly all downhill from there.  Once I hit the downhill, I started increasing my pace just a bit.  Then, we hit the turnoff and I started to increase a bit more, but I was holding back just slightly, because I couldn't remember for sure how much farther I had to go and didn't want to kill myself before the end.  Saw the last turn and knew I was almost there.  Then, 2 bad things happened (which I didn't really think about till after my husband pointed them out to me at the end - he was a little irritated for me).  I came around that last corner, turning left,  and there was a car trying to make a right hand turn.  Where the car came from right there is anybody's guess.  It was less than 100 meters from the finish line.  So, I had to dodge the car, instead of being able to keep the momentum going around the corner.  Then, a girl decided to race me to the finish line.  So, I sprinted with her.  However, she managed to cut herself in front of me, instead of staying to the side (there was PLENTY of room to cross, mind you), which also cut into my momentum.  Really, she was going to beat me anyway.  She was obviously younger, so youth was on her side.  But, she didn't need to cut me off.  Like I said, I didn't really think about these things till after, but my husband was pretty frustrated for me.  I guess actually watching it happen puts it into more perspective than being in the action.  

After the race, I found my time and saw that I had placed first in my age group.  Pretty excited :).  I had a good friend with me who had run her second ever 5k, and my son and his friend had also done well on their 5k times.  I was excited for the awards as I had placed so well and had good friends and family there.  So, they announced the winners of my age division:  3rd place was 37 minutes, 2nd was 36 minutes, and 1st was 36 minutes something.  HUH?!?!?  Did I miss something??  Feeling a bit stupid, I walked up to the awards people to ask, if, in fact, that was for my age group.  It was, and I was told to go check with the chip time guys to verify that I had actually won.  I went over there, and was quickly joined by the other 2 girls who were supposed to have won 2nd and 3rd in my age group.  Made me feel a little less stupid :)  Sure enough, somebody made a computer glitch, and we were the actual winners of our age group.  So, back to the front to correct this mistake, they read our names in, had to call the people back that they had incorrectly awarded, and got it all straightened out.  It was all fine, but a bit of a downer on the excitement, having to deal with it that way, and we felt bad for those people that had inadvertently been awarded in our place.  Thought it was interesting, though, that the awards people didn't question the fact that the top finishers in this age group were finishing in the 36 to 37 minute range.  A little strange, don't you think?  

Anyway, it all worked out, it was a fun race, great raffle at the end, and everyone left happy.  Sure gonna miss this race next year.  It really is a fun little fun run.   

4 miles this morning.  Isn't it funny how I was so fast on the race Saturday and yet so slow this morning. . .  

Jillian this a.m.  Couldn't decide till the alarm went off this morning what I was going to do for sure today.  Jillian won :)  It was either that or a short run this morning since I had to be back early to get my oldest off to scout camp.  And, since I was awakened to a thunderstorm during the night. . .well, didn't know what I'd wake up to this morning.  This just seemed easier today.

Ran 4 miles this morning.  Wasn't sure how I'd do since I stayed up late last night and was tired this morning, but actually did okay.  Think I was running off a lot of frustration from yesterday. . . :)

10 miles this morning.  Felt good to get a long run in, seems like it's been awhile.  Anyway, did it in 1:32 this morning, which wasn't too bad.  I thought it would be slower.  Still pretty cool out at 6:30 a.m., wondering when summer is ever going to arrive???

Ran DOWNHILL with my best friend this morning.  She is wanting to do her first ever half marathon and it is a lot of downhill.  She keeps getting told by people that downhill runs are the worst.   Seriously, who are these people?!?!?  I tell her they are the best!!  So, we went out to do a run this morning and prove all those other yay hoos wrong!  It was really fun, and felt good to get out, especially as I hadn't run in a week with all the moving stuff going on.  Unfortunately, I forgot to time it, but it was okay.  By myself, I could have gone a lot faster, but it was fun to do a run with her. 

Ran 4 miles up to the grain bins again this morning.  3 cars passed me.  Must have been rush hour ;)  I was a whole minute faster today than on Tuesday, so that made me feel good.  Hate that big hill, but I keep telling myself it's good for me - where I'm going, there are NO hills :)  So, enjoy it while I can.  Gotta find me a longer route for this weekend. . . hmmmm. . .

Woke up with an upset stomach this morning.  Decided to try to just sweat it out.  Ran my 4 miles up to the grain bins and back.  Knew I was going slower than normal, but didn't realize just how slow till I checked my time when I got back.  I was a whole 7 MINUTES slower than yesterday!!  Wow!!  Guess I really was feeling rotten!  And, don't think I sweat it all out either, unfortunately.  Felt really drained when I got back and thinking it's gonna be a long day.

Originally planned on a longer run this morning, but after yesterday, that plan had to be set aside.  I was down most of the day yesterday, and while I'm feeling better this morning, I'm still feeling a little weak.  Don't know if I had a bug or if it was just something I ate the day before, but it got me good yesterday.  Hope to be back up to par on Monday and can get some good miles in next week.

I'm back!!  Well, mostly.  Felt a bit sluggish this morning, but did my 4 miles in 36 + this morning.  Not quite as good as earlier last week, but still good for me, especially with that hill!  Gotta enjoy that hill this week as much as I can. . .

Tired this morning.  I think my body is ready for a change from that hill :)  I was an entire minute slower today than yesterday.  I should probably take tomorrow off, but I think I'll wait and do it Friday, then do a longer run with my honey on Saturday since he will be back.

Felt too tired to run this morning.  Went for a 2 mile bike ride instead in the evening.  I should really add biking to my repertoire more often!  

It's so nice to have my internet up and running again!!!  Now I can actually log my miles.  Yes, I have actually been running the last several weeks, even though my calendar does not show it.  I'm finding that running here in Houston is a love/hate relationship.  At least for August.  It's more like swimming instead of running when you go out - the humidity is so think it takes some getting used to.  However, it's a great weight loss tool :)  I think I sweat a couple pounds off every time I go out :)  

This morning, we went out around 6:15 ish.  There are some great paths here were we live, so we just choose a direction and let our iphones tell us how far we've gone.  Went out 4 miles and back today.  First 4 were great, second 2 were a bit harder, and the last 2 were a struggle.  I haven't run this far for awhile, but I need to build my miles again.  Not that I have any upcoming races, but I hate to lose what I've already built up.  Hubby is training for St George marathon, so I'm out there with him.  It's good for me :)

 By the time we get back, we are drenched.  It's disgusting, really :)  But, winter time running should be awesome this year :) 

Did our 4 mile route this a.m.  Tried to talk hubby into doing an extra early run this morning, at 5:15, but he opted out this time.  Chicken :)  We had a visit from the EQ pres. yesterday afternoon, and in the course of our getting to know you, found out that he is also a runner.  Not only is he a runner, he is apparently a VERY FAST runner.  He ran for BYU.  Anyway, they have a ward "running club" apparently, and they get together on Monday mornings to do some sprint workouts on the track at 5:15.  Not super excited about the time, but the thought of training with some of these people is very exciting!  Tried to talk my hubby into doing it this morning, but, like I said, he was a little intimidated and preferred to wait one more week.  I told him he needs to just jump in and do it!  Who cares if we are the slow ones right now?  This will only make us faster!  :)  So, hoping to do this workout next week, and really see what we are getting ourselves into.  In the meantime, several short runs on the schedule for this week, with a 10 miler in the works for the weekend.  

Another 4 miler this morning.  Went out this morning and thought it actually didn't feel as warm and humid as the previous days.  Changed my mind after mile 2 :)  We are still going at a slower pace, but the last couple of days I've actually felt pretty good.  Hoping that means I'm getting used to this weather and getting back in the swing of things.

Ran 4 miles this a.m.  Wishing I would have chosen to take today off instead of yesterday.  I actually could have used the run yesterday, and I was awake.  The only reason I didn't go was because I had told myself it was a rest day. . . guess I shouldn't always listen to myself :)  This morning I was actually pretty tired.  Felt like I was dragging the entire 4 miles.  Just couldn't wake myself up.  The sad thing was, our time wasn't that far off from Monday and Tuesday's runs, in which I felt great.  Hopefully Saturday will be good.  Thinking about doing a 10 mile race here in October.  Something to look forward to :)

Ran 10 early this morning.  Left just before 6 a.m. and it was already HOT and STICKY.  I put my water bottles in the freezer, and by mile 4 they are already melted.  Oh well, at least I get a little cold water :)  The run was actually pretty good today.  I believe today was Hobble Creek 1/2 marathon back in Utah.  Sure missing that.  I wore my Hobble Creek shirt in honor of it.  :)  Brought my music along with me, too, this morning.  Told my hubby he doesn't talk to me enough while we run, I need something of a distraction.  I turned it on after mile 5 and the AC/DC got me all pumped up :)  Gave me back the kick I needed.  

Did our 10 in about 1:35, so not too fast.  I'm hoping when I do the 10 mile run in October here I can do around a 1:25.  Still not my tip top shape, but I've lost a little with everything this summer.  Hope to get back to the shape I was in last summer.   

Well, total running distance is 3 miles today.  I think I will have walked another 3 miles by the end of the day. . .one more car thing to fix. . .

Got up at the unearthly hour of 4:45 a.m. this morning to be at the track and do the sprint workout with our new "running club".  Been looking forward to this.  Of course, it meant we both slept like crap last night.  You know, the kind of sleep you get the night before a big race?  I dreamt I overslept my alarm and we didn't make it, and then, it's the 1st day of school here, today, too.  So, that added to the dreams of being late for school on top of being late for running this morning.  Thought I might get to sneak a nap in here today, too, but a nail in a tire has prevented that.

Anyway, back to the run.  Yeah, we were definitely the slow ones.  Okay, I was the slow one.  We did a couple laps of warm up, then 1 mile  (I did 7:35), 800, 400,  800, 400, 800.  I think that's how it went?  Anyway, we actually skipped the last 800 because someone wanted an all out 400 race at the end.  I think my time was 1:35?  Still dead last.  That's okay.  I'm the only girl out there, and the shortest :)  Loving this group to work out with.  Hoping it helps improve my times.  

4 miles this morning.  Really tired after yesterday.  But, glad I went (as usual).  Had to go stand in line at the DMV this morning. . . helped my patience out :)

Ran 10 miles this morning.  A little bit harder today, because we've been on the tail end of sickness.  We didn't run last Saturday because of this and took the first part of the week off to recover.  So, felt a bit harder than it should have.  Hubby needs to start upping his miles, I think he wanted to today, but I don't think I could have done more.  Hopefully, next week.

Cut my run short this morning.  Was planning on the usual 4 but I walked out the door this morning and the smell of smoke was so bad I decided it probably wasn't in my best interest to be out too long.  There is a wildfire burning not too far away, and I thought it was getting better, but apparently I was wrong.  Anyway, I probably shouldn't have gone at all, but I needed to get my energy out this morning.  Came home smelling like a sweaty campfire.  Too bad about the smoke.  The weather has been so nice and cool the last few mornings, I hate to miss out on running in it.  

Wow!  Was not ready for that long of a run today!  The last 4.5 miles was a killer!  It's pretty depressing, knowing that if I were running a marathon in a few weeks, I would NOT be ready.  Which is where my husband is now :)  He is planning on an 18 miler next weekend and I have graciously opted out of that one.  

The rest of the day just dragged for me because I was SO tired!  I've so got to get back in shape so this doesn't kill me again! 

5:15 a.m. comes awful early in the morning.  Add sprint workouts at the track on top of that.  It's a little disheartening to be the only girl (and the slowest) among other guys at the track doing these sprints.  Not that my times aren't good FOR ME.  They are.  But, it would be so nice to not be last each time :)  

We did 1 mile (7:47)

800 (3:46)

400 (1:45)

800 (3:46)

400 (1:40)

800 (3:48)

 Like I said, the times were actually good for me.  Too bad I couldn't keep up that pace for an entire race :)  Maybe the mile pace for a 5k.  

Then, home to change out of my sweaty clothes and into different running gear.  Kids up for school, then biking up to the school.  My 4 year old just learned how to ride a bike without training wheels last week and is enjoying keeping up with his brothers.  I have been running behind him while he rides.  He was a little slow last week, but we pumped up the tires on Friday.  Amazing that difference that makes!  :)  He was cruising along this morning and my tired body, already hammered from the earlier workout, was working to keep up with him.   We are .7 miles from the school, so out and back and I had sweat through my second running outfit for the morning.  (It is a bit warm again this morning, too).  Now, I'm ready for a nap. . . :) 

Planning on doing the track workout this morning, but woke up to thunder and lightning and pouring rain.  With a smile on my face, I went back to bed :)

Sprint workout at 5:15 a.m. this morning.  No one should have to get up in the morning and see the clock starting with a 4.  But, guess I better get used to it.  Twice a week, anyway.  And, time to lay off that coke and ice cream :)  I could tell it had been awhile since I did this workout.  But, I'm always glad I did it when it is over.

Splits:

1 mile: 7:25

800: 3:48

400: 1:48

800: 3:54

400: 1:44

800: 3:53

Brought my music along this morning.  Hubby always rolls his eyes at me.  But, I truly believe it helps me run faster. . . :)