A Run in the Rain

   I almost didn't go for a run this morning, the 45 degrees and rain kind of had me reluctant along with my bladder was acting funny. I sucked it up and went though, and ran a loop at one of our nature reserves area totaling 1.17 miles in 13 minutes and 11 seconds. It is definitely slower than before pregnancy but at least I got it in, and hopefully I can get another run in either Thursday or Friday. I am definitely feeling the strain in my hips and joint, even my feet acted a little irritated today but those things I can sort of handle better than the need to pee. If I can keep up 3 miles a week, I am fine with that, I won't promise anything more than that much as I have definitely underestimated the difficulty that comes with being pregnant and trying to stay active. I might have to buy one of those maternity girdle support band thingies.

Great Run Tuesday Morning

   This morning started with 45 degrees and a bit of rain, and I was a little worried that it would be almost too cold to enjoy a good run. Thankfully though, I was able to get in a 3.16 mile run and it felt great, even though my ears were a little cold I had my gloves on which kept my fingers nice and warm. I think I am going to have to buy another long sleeve shirt though, I don't want anything to hot but I need it to keep me comfortable. I am also going to probably have to look into buying some tights long enough for when I start "growing", because I know the ones I have now won't fit here in a couple of weeks or months.

My 1st Half Marathon

  I can finally say I ran a Half Marathon, that I ran 13.1 miles and finished it. My clock time was 2:31:05 which gave me a 11:32 min/mile pace, isn't bad for my first Half though it probably would've been better if I hadn't taken 5 bathroom breaks which ended up with no results. I don't know if it is the pregnancy or a bladder infection that is causing me to feeling the ongoing sensation of having to pee. Not only that but my knees were hurting like hell, and I kept going even when I wanted to stop and walk.
  I am so happy with it though, I said that I would run this Half Marathon and I did it! My husband was there, along with my two step-sons, my mother, both of my sisters and brother were there to cheer me on. I received my medal for finishing at the end, and it feels good to  have one. I will post photos on facebook and runnersworld tomorrow, because I feel extremely lazy and tired right now.

Two Days and 9 Hours to Go!!!!!

    I am so excited and nervous, I can barely hold it together damn it! I am going to be all giddy walking into pick up my race packet/bucket tomorrow morning, I won't know what do with myself!! The Half Marathon is this Sunday, only 2 days and a few hours away. I am going to be tearing up when I cross that finish line, and I hope the whole race goes well with maybe a couple of bathroom stops (I would rather there be none).
   Tonight is the last night of Team 13, but I don't think I am going to go - this weather has warmed up to 83 degrees but it feels like 95 compared to 54 degrees in the mornings. I keep feeling the sniffles and sneezing a bit so I don't want to get sick before the race.
   I still cannot believe I am going to be running a Half Marathon this Sunday, it still feels like a dream. I am probably going to be sick to my stomach and nervous as hell the whole time, which is why I am so nervous because I am afraid it might slow me down some just out of concern on puking.

My 1st Half Marathon Getting Closer

   The countdown is nearly over, but it feels like this week and next week are going to take forever. The Half Marathon is 12 days away and I can barely hold myself together now, I am so nervous and so freaking excited. I don't know which one is stronger or worse, but I think I might end up puking that morning or at the race itself. This coming weekend I am forcing my husband to come with me on either a bike ride to follow and familiarize myself with the course or drive the course although some of it is going to be a part that vehicles are not allowed on. I don't know if I might end up crying at the finish or what, I really hope I don't get that emotional but I am sure others will be though if it is their first Half Marathon.
    Ughh!!!!!!! I cannot hold myself together, I do not have the patience for this!!!!!

The Days Just Seem to Fly By

   It feels as if May was just ending and Jumpstart beginning, and then Team 13 training with the Half Marathon 13 weeks away - now the Half is 2 weeks and 4 days away, with that Team 13 will end as well. I've gotten so used to running with a large group, with Shari, Jennifer, Susan and Steve, Jamie and Denise that this winter is going to feel a little strange running by myself a lot. This Saturday is our 11 mile run, last Saturday was the 10 mile run and it was kind of painful after 8 miles but I finished it. The 11 miles is going to be pretty much the same route, only a mile longer - pretty much a flat course.
   The Half Marathon is going to be pretty flat as well, with the only hill at the very beginning of the race (a pretty good size hill). I am a little nervous but very excited, I have survived 10.3 miles and will survive 11 miles this weekend so 2 more miles isn't going to hurt.

Thursday and Tonight's Run

   I totally forgot to log in a post on Thursday's run, we did 4 miles and it went pretty good though I don't quite remember it now but I do remember rain. I found out that I am around 5 weeks along, the same as I was last time, and I found out on a Thursday morning last time as well. I am definitely freaking out and scared that the same is going to occur as before, I don't know if I could handle another miscarriage. This morning's run was 7 miles, it would have been really great had there not been so many hills, but it wasn't bad and I had enough kick at the last part to make for a good finish. My bladder was screaming for the first 2 miles but luckily we ran back by the bathrooms - it sucks because I went 3 times before we started, my bladder was bad before the pregnancy now it is just awful. My stomach is feeling empty constantly but I don't really have any idea what I would want to eat, nothing sounds good to me right now. This whole pregnancy thing is a pain.

Our 6 Mile Run

     Team 13 hit 6 miles this morning for our long run, I was a little nervous because there was an intimidating hill on the route around the 3 mile mark - but we actually did fine on it. Both knees started to feel sore a little after 3 miles but we had actually picked up the pace from 11 minutes to around 10:30 at that time and I wasn't feeling anything and it soreness wasn't slowing me down. Around the last mile my left leg felt great, no soreness or anything but my right hamstring began to feel tight and my knee was still sore. I know that I did not go into as deep a stretch with the right hamstring as I did my left one so that could've been it. Hopefully next Saturday's long run won't feel like that. Jamie, Denise and I finished around 1:04:35 which is better than I had expected.

Team 13 Picking up the Mileage

     Last night we ran 4 miles, for the next 4 weeks our Tuesday and Thursday runs will be 4 miles while our Saturday long runs will increase a mile (this Saturday will be 6). Last night I was beginning to feel sore around 2 miles, under my right knee and around 3 miles my knees were feeling a bit sore and somewhere around the right side of my hip was hurting - but not enough to worry about or slow me down. The only thing that really sucked was a left side stitch, my running friend and I started out near the front of the group with the fast people which isn't how I like it yet as I like being near the middle and moving on up gradually. I finished at 40:35 but will pay attention to my legs and make sure to stretch, ice and use my foam roller. I am excited that we are gradually picking up the mileage and hope that my legs can handle this.

YMCA 5k Warm Up Race

     I was extremely nervous before the race, scared my legs were still tight and sore - and I felt much more nauseas than usual. But when the race started, I went easy and kept the first mile around 10:30 and then as I noticed my legs were doing great, I picked it up a bit and around 2 miles my legs felt a little like jello at the knees but I kept pushing it. I finished at 29:58 (just like last year's 5k Warm up Race) - the only things I really noticed was around the half way, my left breast was feeling sore then the soreness moved to the center of my chest then near the end of the race (maybe a half mile left) it moved down to the center of my stomach but sort of to the right side trying to become a side stitch. Luckily it did not slow me down and I feel great - my husband got a great photo of me smiling and I will probably post that as my avatar once I get to my office today. Yay! It felt great, though I was worried but things went great and now I am going to focus on finishing the 10k in September with all smiles as well which means sticking to the training plan no matter what urges I might get to go running on the trails.

Last Night's Run

   It seems there is finally a break in this heat, yesterday was around 88 degrees and our run just felt a hell of a lot easier than it has in the last few weeks. We ran 3.03 miles and though I am feeling tightness in my legs, and my knees are feeling sore - I did alright doing a 9:57 pace. Tomorrow is the YMCA 5k race and I am excited but a little nervous, I think my knees really took a beating last weekend and have not had a chance to fully recover. I am going to take it easy on this race, because last year I did pretty well for my first 5k race, but blew it on the 10k so I am going to focus more on that one which is on September 10th. I am sure I will run an overall 10 minute pace, but will be extremely happy if I make it under 30 minutes.
    I am contemplating resting after the race, maybe skipping Tuesday's run and seeing if they will help at all. After the race, we are increasing our weekly runs from 3 miles to 4 miles - I guess I will know for sure around Monday how my legs are feeling. Next week the temps are going to stay around the 80s which is just awesome because I was really getting tired of 90+ and humidity.

My Body Has Spoken

      My body has definitely warned me, and I think it has mainly stemmed from Friday's run that was supposed to be on Thursday and then running the 5 miles Saturday morning. I don't think (I hope) it is a serious injury, maybe just need a bit of rest and recovery, my right knee feels a little tight underneath like around that hamstring tendon. Then my left knee is sore right at the top either around the Patella or the Lateral Patellar Retinaculum; maybe even the Patellar Tendon - honestly I am not sure but am hoping and praying that it is nothing serious and that 48 hours of recovery and rest will help do the trick. No more extra miles during training and no more runs the very days before our long run - nope, nope, nope.

Our 5 Mile Long Run

   I was definitely a little nervous this time, since I had to make up Thursday's 3 miles yesterday morning. The run did go real well, I cut two minutes off last year's 5 mile run. My knees are a bit sore, but I think if I use the foam roller and keep icing it everything will be fine. I am contemplating running a mile on the trails tomorrow morning, but I don't know if that would be a wise idea. The trails are softer to my feet and joints, and I don't think a mile would really hurt though - but I shouldn't be taking chances right now and adding any extra runs in. 
Next Saturday is the YMCA 5k race, and I am not worried about it at all because 3 miles isn't anything for me now - I just hope my knees aren't trying to warn me of a future injury. I guess I will see how the legs feel tomorrow morning before I go, if anything I might just go and take photographs of the trails so I can look at them and fantasize running them when I can't.

First Group Run in like Two Weeks

    Since the little storm this last Sunday, we have had what would be a cold front compared to last week. Tonight Team 13 is not being canceled so I will be running with the large group, 3 miles tonight. I have been missing these runs since this heat wave; I miss running with the group because it keeps me busy and distracted. My pace and training aren't really being affected by the heat too bad, I think  an increase of about half a minute up to a minute on some of the runs. The YMCA 5k race is less than 2 weeks away now, though it is at 7 a.m I really hope the heat isn't bad because I would like to see myself around 28:00 minutes if not less.
     I will probably update this blog on how the run went tonight, the temp should hang around 90 but it will feel like 97, still better than being 97 and feeling like 110 degrees.
     I stayed around 30 minutes for the 3 miles, it was hard and sucked because of the humidity but we got it done and I am happy for it. Our YMCA 5k race is about one week and 3 days away, next Saturday, I really hope the weather is below 80 for 7:00 a.m or at least no humidity.

A Break in the Weather

   Yesterday was great, it started out at 97 degrees around noon and within 10 minutes a storm brought in a cold front that dropped the temp to 79. It felt so good, Saturday morning I went for the 4 mile run and wore sweat as a layer of skin. Today mother nature shows some mercy and the temperature went from 97 to 83 in less than 30 minutes and then hit 78 in an hour. Even though I had ran my long run yesterday, I couldn't help but give in to the urge to run at Audubon Park. I only did a 1 mile trail and felt so great afterwards, I am so happy that I went ahead and ran. There is just so much satisfaction in running trails that if I could run trails the rest of my life, I would be content with that. I will probably regret it tomorrow as I should stick to my training schedule but I am so happy I went, feels like I have gained an ounce of my sanity back.
      I really want to run the trails some more, but I really feel that I should stick to my training schedule and not add an other runs. Once I finish the Half Marathon in October I will probably do a lot of my runs on the trails during Fall, Winter and Spring.   

One not so Great Run, But I got it In

    This morning's 3 miles was tough, the temp was around 80 but the dew point was 74% and the humidity was 88%, it was miserable. Team 13 is probably going to be canceling a lot of our training runs due to this heat wave, but I am sure I can find a group that is crazy enough to run or I will just run in the mornings when it isn't nearly as bad. Saturday morning's run is probably canceled but since it is our 4 mile long run I will make sure to find a group that is running it. I am now wishing and begging for winter, I don't care anymore because if this is what I can expect from summer, I don't want it anymore! Even running with as less clothing as possible doesn't help, I feel like I am running through water or jello at times and eating air rather than inhaling it. I really do hope this helps with my pace and stamina when the heat wave is over and good weather comes in, right now I am anywhere between 9:26/mile to 10:05/mile with this crap. Here's to praying for the end of this heat.

People Think I am Crazy

   What else is new, it is 96 degrees outside but feels like 100 and humid. I am running with Lee and his group tonight at 6 p.m and it will still be above 90, am I really that crazy? I mean hell, if others can do it why can't I? We are doing 3 miles tonight, Team 13 was canceled but I have to get my mileage in for the Half Marathon. I am a little nervous, not just cause I am scared I might pass out while running but that Lee and his group are faster than me. He said a few (including his ex) are around 9:30 a mile or so, but that is my relaxed pace not my slow and easy pace for the heat. I will probably be averaging around 10:30 for the first mile if not slower, I don't want to look slow to them but damn it I hate running alone! Gosh I am nervous, son of a bitch I must be crazy to do this...... I already told him I would be there even though temps will be down in the 80s by 8 p.m but I hate running Chandler at night due to the wild animals and possible crazy people. I guess I must suck it up and run with the group.

A Great Way to Start the Morning

    This morning's run went really well, we ran 3 miles and I finished right around 28:19 so my min/mile was around 9:26min/mile and I feel really good about it. My legs did begin to feel like jello with the last mile but nothing to cause me to slow down or worry about, and with about a half mile left I did start to feel just a tad nauseous but again nothing I feel I should worry about. The upcoming 5k race is in 3 weeks from today and we will be doing 3 miles Tuesday and Thursdays, next Saturday will be 4 miles and the following Saturday (a week before the 5k race) will be 5. I feel confident and ready for it, the week runs I will try and keep my pace around 9:30/mile but only as long as my body can handle it (safely) and on the long runs I will keep it at around 10:00/mile unless my body is capable of doing better. I was a little concerned last this last Tuesday's run as my left knee was hurting but since then there hasn't been any soreness or pain; I have been icing it, using the foam roller and stretching consistently now. 
     I am really longing for Autumn now, the cool temps do help with my running but hopefully this will cause me to do well for my first Half in October. Honestly the only truly annoying thing is that intense headache you feel around the outer part of your skull, I know it is from the heat and the sun but I don't always feel it so I won't worry about it too much.

Last Night's Team 13 Run

    Last night's run went great, we were put into groups as usual with the fast runners in front and my group (btw 10 and 11 min/mile) after them. People were given route maps to we wouldn't get lost, apparently the ones in front didn't take the right turn so we went .50 miles more than we needed so I ended up running 3.5 miles instead of just 3 miles. Not too bad but I am beginning to feel concerned for my knee and really hoping that nothing comes of this soreness, I don't know what I would do if I miss this year's Half Marathon.
    Tomorrow morning's run is 3 miles unless somebody takes a wrong turn again, I just hope I can get enough sleep tonight so I can force myself up at 5:40 a.m because I have not been able to get up that early all week. I have to wait on Ethan and Jared now, and Jared always has an attitude in the morning when he is supposed to wake up. 

I GOT MY RUN IN!!

   Take that Mother Nature, I got my 3 mile run in tonight, it might have been a little more than 3 miles but not more than 3.10 miles I believe. I was a little worried that I would not get my run in tonight, but luckily the weather gave me a window, a very short 50 minute window.

Mother Nature Sucks

     Team 13 was canceled tonight due to severe weather; so I had decided that I was going to go in and run on the dreadmill, but as I was driving down Morgan and coming to Boeke which leads to Wesselman's Park I decided to go and see if there was a chance I could sneak my run in before the bad weather. A few of the Team 13 volunteers were there just in case members came not knowing it was canceled but I felt guilty because I did have plans of going ahead and running, instead I smiled pleasantly and talked to one of them and then headed to Ivy Tech to the Dreadmill. The weather was starting to get pretty questionable, no rain yet but lots of lightning when I arrived at Ivy Tech only to realize that I did not have my school I.D with me so I was unable to go in and use the gym. Believe me I am pissed off, the temps have cooled down but now there is a monsoon outside and I am scared I will not get my 3 miles in tonight. 
     I will say this, if it stops raining by at least 8:30 p.m tonight then I will go and get my run in. I don't care if I run around this Chandler country neighborhood thing, I will even drag my brother along and he can ride a bike if Cameron is comfortable with me out there running alone. Rocky might even get to experience a bit of running with me, lord knows he could handle 3 miles. I do not know if I can run tomorrow because that would be getting too close to Thursday's run (if it isn't canceled). What the hell am I going to do!!!!!???
     

Lord how much of this heat??

   This is just impossible to handle, I am afraid I won't be able to keep up my training if the weather stays like this. My husband doesn't want me running in this extreme heat but I cannot miss one day now that we are at 3 miles and increasing weekly, even if I have to run on the dreadmill, whatever it takes. I will run the Half Marathon this October, nothing is going to stop me this time. I don't care if I have to run in just my shorts and a sports bra from now on, or even if I have to take my water bottle along with me.
   I will probably add on to this post later today, to add how my run went whether it was in the heat outside or on a DM.

Graduation to Team 13 Today!

      Today's 3 mile run went really well, I ran under 30 minutes but only by ten seconds. Tuesday is the beginning of Team 13 and 3 miles to 13 miles, I am a little concerned because the long runs will be increasing by a mile, it is very weird because the Tuesday and Thursday runs are 3 miles while only the Saturday long runs will increase. I honestly don't know if I will be able to handle that large of an increase. I am excited but nervous at the same time, we have 13 weeks to the Half Marathon and I am praying that nothing bad happens.
      I won't be doing any squats from now on, as it seems that causes my knees pain. I will probably get back to squats this winter after the Half Marathon, I really do hope my first Half Marathon goes well.

Tonight's Run

     Tonight's run went pretty good, I was not feeling any side stitches really but my core did feel a bit tight. My legs were feeling sore from yesterday's workout though, so I might take it easier tomorrow morning and not do the squats. It seems that every time I start doing squats, my knees start to act up. I still kept it at sub 10 min/mile though and so that is better than nothing, Saturday morning is the 3 mile run and hope I do really good.

The Spawn of Satan Keeps me from the Trails

    I want so badly to get back to running on the trails, but those damn horseflies are merciless this time of the year, from June to September they are unbelievable. I love John James Audubon Park, the trails are so challenging and just great but these damn monsters drive me insane! People have given me advice but I just don't know if any of it will work, and I do not want to deal with another episode of running for my life from the tiny little buzzing beast/s.
    Tonight we are running 2.5 miles and Saturday will be 3 miles and the last day of Jumpstart and the beginning of Team 13, I have been feeling strange pains in my chest but I am hoping like hell that it is just side stitch and I should slow my pace the first mile and use it as a warm up. I am so ecstatic, I cannot begin to describe it; I can just feel it in my gut that I will be running the Half Marathon this October! I am no longer feeling any pain or soreness when running, I have even increased my speed to almost a full minute faster and am sub 10 min/mile during training runs - even in this heat!!!!! YMCA's 5k race/training run for the Half is this August and I am so ready for it, the 10k is in September and I have no fear of it!!!!!!! This is such a wonderful feeling; last year I felt hopeless, hell I had my doubts this last Spring but now after looking back on my improvements and all that I have learned - I feel that I am about to cross a milestone (3 to be exact), for almost a year 3 miles has been my wall and I was not able to cross it. Now I know I am going to break through it and move forward..... steadily of course!

Yesterday's Side Stitch

    I am still pretty fired up over this, I was doing really well during the 2 mile run yesterday. I was going to finish under 19 minutes when at a quarter of a mile left, the dreaded side stitch attacked me. I lost about 40 seconds off my time, but I think I have figured out how to fight it. I was going a bit faster than usual, and was taking shallow breaths which apparently helps to cause it so no more breathing shallow. Tomorrow we are doing 2.75 miles so I am not going to push it fast, but stay with Shari and her group which will keep me around 10 to 10:30 a mile, at least until the last mile or quarter mile.
    Fuck the RW forum, at least for now as the majority has become complete jerks and assholes to each other. I was having fun in there and enjoying everyone up until now, of course I did open my mouth on my opinion without reading everything, but a few their reactions were unwarranted.

This Week Needs to End

   This morning's run did not go well at all, I made 2 miles but barely. Tonight we are supposed to run 1.75 so hopefully I will do better with the group rather than by myself. I am determined to run the Half Marathon this year, but if I have to, I will walk some of it because I don't know if I can keep up with my training in this heat which really sucks ass!

This is Not Worth a Title

    Thanks to my DH and the boys, I did not get too much sleep last night..... went to bed around 10:30 but woke up to them talking and shit around 1:30, Cameron came to bed and talked for about 20 minutes about shit. Got up around 5:50 a.m and moved through the house getting ready, did not bother to wake Ethan up because I knew that he probably wasn't ready and he did not set his alarm. I left the house around 6:40 a.m and headed the shop where I left for my run at 7:10 a.m, ended up having to stop and walk a couple of times even though the temp felt amazing. By the last quarter of a mile (did 3 miles total) I had to pee really bad, but I also had to poop also, so after finding a spot in the woods and getting back to running, I felt dirty. It was either hold it all and walk the rest of the way, or empty myself in the woods and finish running.

This Heat Just Sucks

     Although I have improved on my training time, the heat is almost killing me still. I just don't know if I can run in the afternoon with Team 13 this July, but if I am going to get pass 3 miles, then I have to start running with them. This weather just sucks though, and 3 miles isn't much for me anymore even running under 10 minutes a mile.
      Tomorrow night, Jump Start is doing 2 miles but I don't know if I can handle the heat. I might just end up running in my shorts and sports bra because a shirt would probably kill me. I need to find my head band also, to keep the damn sweat out of my eyes.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

         Today I almost did go for a run, my lower butt and upper thighs were feeling very sore from Wednesday morning, but I went ahead and parked at Garvin instead of the river front because I didn't want anyone to see me struggle. Well I am so glad I ran this morning because I ran 3 miles in under 28 minutes!!!!!!!! I hit the 1 mile mark at 9:53 minutes and then the 2 mile mark at 18:43 I think, but finished 3 miles at 27:48 minutes!!!!!! I am so happy I ran this morning, I am getting better and really improving, no longer feeling any soreness or pain in my legs but I was feeling dizzy still. I think that is mainly due to my body trying to adapt to the heat of summer.
       It is exciting to know that all this work and patience is paying off gradually; maybe by the end of Summer or Fall I will be averaging under 9 minutes a mile and running at least 6 miles on my long runs. I will stay patient though and just listen to my body and let it do what's best.

Today's Run and Amazing Hurdle

      I beat my PR!!! My PR was my first 5k race last year on August 7, 2010 at 29:58 minutes. Today's training run I ran 29:39 minutes, before today I hadn't been able to come within one minute of my PR and today it didn't really feel like I was making much effort! I mean, the usual soreness from my knees when I push it a little but that was it! I can't believe I beat my PR during a training run, I am so excited!!!! I have been really concerned for the last couple of weeks since I started running 3 miles, and today must be a sign that I am doing something right!

No Rain this Week..... so far

    Yesterday afternoon I went out with Shari's group and ran 3 miles, I would say around 31 minutes total. Wasn't bad and I didn't feel too much pain so I think I am actually improving, hopefully 3 miles will become my base mileage (in about 1 month). Jump Start will begin on May 24 (can't wait!!!!!) and they will start at 1 mile, I know that is a bit easy for me now but it will help me correctly improve and increase mileage their way. I think I will work on my pace during the first 2 or 3 weeks of Jumpstart, right now my pace is around 10 to 11 mpm and that is when I am running more than 2.5 miles. I still haven't decided if I am going to do another 1 mile run in the morning on those days that Jumpstart runs or just add a trail run to make up for the lost mileage???? I just want to do it smart and right, I do not want to injure myself again, I want to run the Half Marathon in October. Tomorrow my sister Shauna is supposed to run with me and the group, we probably will not run 3 miles but maybe 2 miles instead. It all depends on how she wants to do it, I also have a race Saturday at Audubon State Park (5k) and then I am pretty much done with races until August.

Making up For Yesterday's Missed Run/Race

    This morning I went to Audubon and ran the Back Country trail again, I actually cut about a minute off my time from last Thursday's trail run. I was not prepared for the 80 degrees though, I think if it hadn't been so hot that early in the morning, I might have done even better, it was only 2.35 miles so darn it. My last race until August is this coming Saturday (unless I register for another) and that one is at Audubon so I am excited! I need to start going back to the gym more often , my ass is starting to show some wrinkley cottage cheese look at the bottom near my upper thighs, actually I probably need to be doing a lot more lunges.

This Day Sucks

    The Newburgh Rivertown Trail 5k was today, but not so much due to the weather but more due to the fact that I want my husband to be at my races so bad that I will let him make me be late to my race.  We live about a 10 minute drive from Newburgh, and we left about 10 or 15 minutes before 9 (the race). Parking was like 3 or 4 blocks away, so as it was 5 minutes til 9 and we were still about 5 or 9 minutes way and so I reluctantly decided to not do it because I am sick of getting there late and feeling rushed along with my nervous feelings as well. But I won't so badly for him to come to my races, but he is a pro when it comes to procrastination even with his own things to do, and it so aggravating because I like to be on time and even early to things. After races, I decide that I won't take him along or wait for him but then the next race comes along and I know that if I don't wake him up and bring him along, he won't get there until after the start or even show up to my race. This sucks, I guess I will have to make up the run tomorrow morning.

Saturday's Race at Valhalla

    I think I forgot to post about this, it was a small race, great but I think only around 40 runners. Again, I kept my pace slow out of fear that my IT band would act up or some other stupid body part. I am hoping that with Jumpstart and building my mileage from 1 mile to 13 with them will help me get over this anxiety. This last Saturday's race wasn't awful, but at 31:54, I am still 2 minutes slower than my first 5k race pace and that is a little aggravating.

My New Shoes!!!

 The Dirty ones are not new, I bought them somewhere around February or March this year and I have used them about 3 or 4 times now. Yesterday my two new pairs of shoes were delivered, the Pumas Spectana 1 and my new pair of Brooks Ravennas! I have yet to try either of them out, but tomorrow I go and run with Shari and her group, so I think I might try the Pumas since my old pair are Brooks Ravennas (I know how they feel). I have a race this Saturday, and it will be difficult to decide which ones I should run in, I am just extremely excited to have them!!!

Yesterday - Running with Shari and group

   After noticing my complaining on facebook about how much I couldn't wait for Jump Start to begin, Shari invited me to her running group on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. I was a little nervous to say the least because I am very quiet and shy, but the ladies were awesome and nice, very talkative. We ran 4 miles, I made a friend with a lady named Marie though she pronounces it like Maurien almost I think. She stuck with me around mile 2 and the rest, we probably walked for 2 or 3 minutes for .4 miles because I told her about the pains I have been having lately so she didn't want me to hurt myself. I had a great time and can't wait til next Thursday and especially Jumpstart now, Marie and Shari and them will be doing marathons next Saturday while I am doing a 5k. I just purchased two new pairs of running shoes, I think my Ravennas are aging and that might be why I have been have a lot of aches and pains. One new pair are Ravenna (again!) and the other pair are Pumas, they have good reviews so I figured I would try them and rotate my shoes during runs. I think our time was around 45:00 minutes.

John James Audubon State Park

    I am so glad I got up this morning and went running, not just running but I went to John James Audubon Park and ran on the Back Country Trail(BCT); from Warbler Road to the BCT trailhead is .5 miles, the BCT is 1.6 miles before it reaches the midsection of the Wilderness Lake Trail which is a total of 1 mile, so .5 miles to the trailhead that reaches back to Warbler Road then .25 miles to the parking lot. So I would say it was a total of 2.85 miles with me probably running 2 miles and walking around .8 miles including the first .5 miles. I took photos and worked on catching my breath, I am still new to trail running and these trails aren't for beginners. Here are some photos;

Getting over the Hump

     I am beginning to wonder if I will ever get past 3 miles a run, if it isn't my IT band, it is my knees, if it isn't them then it is my foot. I just can't seem to push past this 3 mile barrier, not even with 3 miles being my long run once a week. I went for a 2.36 mile run on April 7th, but must've forgot to log it, my knees were hurting afterwards but my foot wasn't really. Yesterday evening I went for a 1.20 mile run at Howell Wetlands, partially boardwalk and trail for 13:05 minutes so I am putting it around 1.20 miles though I can't really map it. I didn't feel pain really, but it was very humid and I was sweating bad. I am determined to get past this stupid barrier so I am just going to keep running, May is coming very soon and Jumpstart will begin and hopefully with their much better scheduling and 10% increase, I can get past 3 miles.

Body Language

     I learned the hard way to listen to what my body is telling me, last year it took a serious IT band injury to remind me that I am not invincible and that my body is always talking to me. I had a race today at 10 a.m. but when I woke up at 7:45,  I just had this gut feeling that if I ran this race I would regret it. The cramping tightness in my arch has not gone away, and last night I started to feel pain on the outside of my left knee, I asked my mom, my sister and hubs what I should do, but even though they said the same thing that I was thinking, I had already decided not to run the race. That choice hurts, and angers me, but I know 99% that it was probably the right decision I hate feeling like I have given up on something, but last Saturday I ran the Johnnie Sue's Lace Up Against Cancer 5k, and the Saturday before that I ran the St. Patrick's Day Run of Luck 7k, and did pretty well on both of them. I now have a month until my next race in April, and then at least 3 races in May but 2 for damn sure. I am going to take it easy this weekend, do some strength training and stretches and then get back out there  on Tuesday, my brother wants to start working out again...... so I have got figure up a schedule for all this now.

Tomorrow's Race

   I should be excited about tomorrow's race, but yet again I am worrying over a strange cramping, this time in the arch of my left foot. It is beginning to concern me after what some people have said, but I am hoping I make through this race, because I will have a month to heal before my next race. My left knee is also hurting a bit, on the outside of it, I ran 2.77 miles and am feeling it slightly. Not to mention I have been doing stretches and dancing around and lunges as well. God I really hope I survive this without any serious injuries 

Wesselman's Woods Nature Trail

    This morning I went to Wesselman's Nature Preserve to run the 1.8 mile trail, probably ended up running 1.65 of it though. It was probably a little more challenging than the road, so I will definitely have to practice more if I am going to run the Audubon 5k Race on May 14th which has a whole lot more hills and root systems. for 1.65 miles I did 18:00 minutes, so that averaged 10:55 a mile for me on this particular trail which would be about 31:65 for 3 miles on this same trail. Going with that and not having ran the Audubon trail yet, I would probably do around 35 to 40 minutes on their 5k.

Johnnie Sue Lace Up Against Cancer

    Wow, today's race was pretty damn good. Out of 133 finishers, I placed 44th place! I was a little concerned there when I had seen the numbers of bibs, before then I wasn't sure how I would do in a race with less than 300 people.  I was also a little concerned when my pace wasn't very fast, I did 32:49, making it 10:34 a mile. Tomorrow I am going to run the trail at Wesselman's Woods, as long as my legs are up to it.

Today's Run

    Today I went ahead and ran (after running yesterday for 2 miles) after the alarm guys finally finished up at 1p.m. and ran 2.50 miles with 26:56 time. I am pretty amped up and excited for Saturday's race,  I feel myself getting stronger and more confident with these races. Tomorrow I am probably going to take a break though, let my body recover for Saturday's race, on Sunday I will do leg strengthening exercises and core workouts.

Today's Run in B-E-A-UTIFUL Weather

     I was actually able to get out and run today, honestly I was getting a little worried there around 2:00 p.m and the alarm guys were still out here working on the shit. I wanted to go to the Newburgh Rivertown Trail, but a lot of it is underwater =( and that really sucks. So instead I went to the Evansville Riverfront and ran 2.04 miles for 22:34 which wasn't bad for training, I kind of wished I had ran a little faster though. This is only training runs and I am still working on my base runs, but I think I am getting close to breaking past my 3 mile wall.

Run of Luck 2011

      I can honestly say I am proud of myself, the race went well overall though near the beginning I found that a lot of walkers were in the middle and in the way of runners. So I was about 2 minutes behind the line longer than I should have been, but I made up for it. The race was around 4.30 miles I believe, at mile 4 my watch said 42:38 so I don't that that was too bad for 4 miles. Since I hadn't made it to 3 miles in over a month. I won't see my actual race results probably until tomorrow or later tonight though, like I said 2 minutes will have to be added onto the 45:25 that I had when I passed the finish chute. At this moment it looks like I might have another race in just a week......... it is only a 5k so it shouldn't be too awful.

Tuesday's Run

    I was able to run today, I bumped it up from 2.20 miles to 2.68 miles and was definitely feeling the burn and soreness. Unfortunately I have a race coming up next Saturday and it is a 7K which is 4.3 miles. I have less than 2 weeks to start comfortably running 3 miles.

A couple runnings not blogged

Okay to make it short, Monday (02/21/2011) I ran 2.22 miles in 22:24 minutes which cut 1 minute off my Saturday run. Then Wednesday I ran another 2.22 miles in about 2:20 seconds, the cold was really taking a toll on me.

Today's Run

      Cameron and I ran 1 mile and walked .40 miles, then after I had fixed him Cream of Chicken and crackers, I went for a 2.22 mile run, did it in under 24 minutes which I feel is pretty good after hustling to keep up with Cameron's strides. He can already feel himself getting stronger, pretty soon he'll be running a mile no problem. All in all I ran 3.22 miles today, not quite together but with 15 minutes between the 1 mile and the 2.22 miles which is still pretty good.


     Alright, I might keep this blog up as well since running is a big part of my life now.

This Morning's Run

This morning I ran by myself, yesterday's run wasn't enough for me but I know my husband can not overdo it. Yesterday we did about a mile, but this morning I ran 2.15 miles; there was some soreness in my knees but not much to worry about. My runny nose is making it difficult but I will push past it, this cold won't last forever! Tomorrow I am probably going to the gym for upper body work out, and then Saturday Cameron (hubs) and I will do our 3rd run, I won't worry about it being the long run of the week yet however, I will probably run again that day by myself to make up for it. 

Feeling the Urge to get Out There

This beautiful weather definitely has me yearning to go outside and run now. Though I probably won't be able to run again today, because we won't get home until nightfall and I don't know our new area well enough yet.  I will be going out tomorrow morning and running a 2 mile stretched I mapped out from our home. I am excited for this gorgeous weather and hope that it stays a while longer.

Our 2nd Day running Together

I won't be having that title on everyone of them, I mean I am not that obsessive or crazy. Today our trail was 1.14 miles and we probably ran about .90 of it, my husband still needs  a bit of walking with these so he doesn't injure himself. He doesn't seem to show any issues on speeding up, his pace was a lot faster than mine but my legs are a lot shorter haha.

Our 1st Day running together

Alright, we've figured out a few issues my husband might be having. His past injury (he broke his left foot a long time ago) is most likely going to affect him, and we'll be searching for a decent pair of shoes now. I believe we aimed for 2 miles (wasn't a good idea) and ran a total of about 1.75 miles with walking the other .25 miles. The 45* would've felt great if the wind hadn't made it feel like 30 something.

Sorry for the Lack of Running

It is true that I haven't ran in almost a month, I had reluctantly decided to focus on my weight training so that I didn't feel like I was going backwards instead of forward. Well now today has brought some really good news, my husband has decided that he is going to run with me! I am extremely excited to hear this and hopefully he will stick to it. I was hoping to get back to running this weekend but unfortunately my sinuses have kicked in and have struck hard. So hopefully this coming week or next weekend I can get back into running and my husband will join me.

A New Year, A New Plan

Friday December 31, 2010 I had ran 3.08 miles and was feeling a bit but I believe that was mainly because I had done squats the day before. Now for this New Year I have made a few changes to my exercise routine, two of the days that I run (Monday and Wednesday) will be followed by strength training on the legs, while Tuesdays and Thursdays will be upper body and Friday will focus strongly on my core. Saturdays will go back to being my long runs.  Today I had ran 3.06 miles in about 33 minutes, it felt a lot colder out there and my left knee was acting up just a little bit. After that I had gone to the gym to start my new training plan and focused on the legs. I feel pretty good but have a feeling I am going to be sore by tonight or tomorrow.

Today: Ran 3.06 miles

Strength Training: Squats (4 sets of 10), Seated Leg Curls (5 sets of 10), Leg Extensions (5 sets of 10), Calf Press/Raise (4 sets of 15), Hip Abductor (4 sets of 10), Hip Adductor (4 sets of 10)

A beautiful day for running, the temp was around 25 degrees and plenty of sunlight.