7 mile trail run

I did Run the Rock today.... and at 8 weeks pregnant.
We made horrible time BUT considering that is rained and 500 runners created about 6 inches of mud and slime for the whole 7 miles, I say we did SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!
Although it took me 3 days to warm up after that!! HAHA.
It was probably THE best race I have ever done!!! I wanna do it again next year.... UPDATE: 12/13- We lost our little one. While I do not attribute it to the running, it was on this run that I told my sister and running partner.

Coming and Going....

Well, I do not have splits or stats to report but I have been running!!
I average 2-3 times a week with 1-2 times a week cross training and weights. So, on average... I am getting 4 days that I am actually doing something.
My runs consist of 3-5miles, depending on the day. I have been running with a friend on Wednesday that adds between 1-2 miles to our 3 mile trot. I call it is trot because we are in no way striving to set PR or even come close. No, this is a time to simply enjoy the scenery and each other's company. I am loving it. There is no pressure, no worries, just us girls and the road.
I am hoping to run the 7 mile trail run in Dec. So, it is needed that I start running more competitively but for now, I have enjoyed just running. period. no pretense, no training schedule, nothing. just jogging along and enjoying the journey.

uh, just joking!

I was planning on doing the Rambling Rose- tri. Then I went to register and it was $150 for a charity spot.
So, while the swimming and spin classes were nice and I enjoyed both, when I wasn't hyperventilating.... it is back to running and eliptical.... maybe I will still do the bike sometimes.

Swimming

100ft.-5.53
200ft.-11.47
250ft.-14.43
300ft.-17.43

switching gears...

I am SOOOOO good at starting things and then letting "stuff" get in the way of continuing. I have been running, on average twice a week. My mileage is pretty weak
(2-3 miles) but recently (last week) I decided to start training for a mini-triathlon, which includes a 2 mi. run/250m swim/ 12 mi. bike. So, this week I have done an hour long spinning class on T and Th. Today, I decided to try my body at swimming. I swam 275 ft (need to convert that to meters still) in 20 minutes....yes, I know it is SLOW.... but at least I was able to do it!! Now I need to get faster and combine it with other activities (a run and/or bike). Ah.... life is always moving, yes?

First Race!!

Today was an exciting day... It was Tristan's first race!! She did the 1 mile Fun Run and came in at a time of 12'35"!!! GO TRISTAN!!! She loved that concept that I was her "pacer" and she ran the whole time. A couple times she wanted to walk, as every runner is tempted to do, but she kept the pace and made it the mile without walking or stopping!

I ran another 5K and shaved off a couple more seconds with a time of 29'12"... not bad. I think that is about 40 seconds faster than the 5K two weeks ago (and that is without doing sprint the past two weeks!).

I am also pondering the thought that I am not that competitive.... I enjoy the idea of racing but I don't know that I enjoy the race itself. I think I enjoy the longer distance slower runs that I do weekly... I don't know though, these are just my musings at the moment!

short and easy

Another short and easy run after sprints:
3 miles
35 minutes

sprints

Okay... improvements:

Splits:
1K-6'30"
2K-5'50"
3K-6'03"

short and easy

Short run:
2mi.
19 minutes

sprints

OK, so I thought sprints were going to be hard because I was huffing and puffing and trying to go fast enough. My first time out and already things are not going as planned. I was suppose to run a 6:10 kilometer. I ran too fast but didn't really have a way to gauge it until I was near the end. (actually, I don't exactly how far I ran because I ran to where I thought 0.6 miles ended but I did it in like 5 minutes and so I figured that my calculation was off so I ran another 0.15 mi. to make sure and STILL came in under.
Ugh.
Stats:
Sprints-
1K-5:50
2K-6:00

splits...

My longer training run happened today. My goal was 5K in 34:10, which equal a 6:50 per K average.
The results:
It is amazing how hard it is to run slow... I don't know how to track splits yet on my watch and so I did it mentally.... here is the tally~
splits:
1K-6:30
2K-6:25
3K-7:06
4k-5:29
5k-6:21
Total-31:51
Average-6:22 per K
My total time is accurate but my individual splits may be off a bit-it seems that #3 and #4 are off BUT I was running in the grass on #3 and when I tabulated it, I thought it was way to slow and so I sped up on #4.... but then I got home and realized that of all of the #3 was the closest to what I should have done!!

iPod ambivilence

I ran with my iPod this morning and I am not sure how I feel. Some songs worked great while others were more annoying than anything else. When I needed a faster inspirational song, it seems that a slower mundane song appeared. It was nice to have a faster song and slower song at times because I would speed up on the fast song and grateful for the slower 'catch my breath' song but it did nothing for the goal of keeping an even pace.... Ugh.

Stats:
3.8 miles
no time recorded...just ran
HARD run.

talk, talk, talk

Mary and I ran at the Y again. She talked the whole time!!! It was good for her to get some stuff out and it kept me entertained and going for the full three miles. We didn't track the time.... it kinda bums me out because I WANT to know the time.... It probably took us 30-35 minutes, I would guess but that is an estimation-NOT reliable.

Stats:
3 miles
no time.

finally...

i ran a new course this afternoon while Clay stayed with Kennedy... it was good but I am sore. it was actually a great run... i charged the hills and coasted down the hills!!

Stats:
28 minutes
mileage: yet to be calculated...

Y run...

Running is always easier withe a partner. Mary and I met at the Y and ran 3 miles in 33 minutes. Not the best but not the worst either.

Stats:
3 miles
33 minutes
11 min/mile
5.45 mi./hr

Test

2 miles
20 minutes 19 seconds

1st mile- 10 & 43
2nd mile- 9 & 36

yeah...

Treading on the Mill

3 miles
average speed 5.5
Nasty and boring on the treadmill....

Speed, not distance

So, on the advise of a 'trainer' I am suppose to be working on short sprints until I get back into the groove and can do distance.
So, I ran at a good clip today. My goal was 15-20 minutes. I intentionally held a pace that kept my breathing labored. This created windedness as I went up the hills but I really wanted to concentrate on keeping a faster pace. I achieved my goal!!

Stats:
1.7 miles
17 mins.
10 min/mi.
6 mi./hr.

NO WALKING!!!!!!!!! I am officially "running"!!

Stroller Power

Mary and I pushed strollers today. It was good...actually alot better than last week when I about laid down on the pavement and gave up. We did 3.3 miles and talked the whole way. I can't even remember what we talked about but jabbering up the hills made them alot more surmountable!! I didn walk some but mostly I ran. Good run!

Stats:
3.3 miles
41 minutes
12.42 min./mi.
4.83 mi./hr

Am I dead yet??

TOUGH TOUGH run.... I went around a large 4.1 mile loop that was uphill 75% of the last 2 miles. There was a good hill that lasted over a 1/2 mile. It almost killed me. I didn't make it up that hill or any hill after that. I walked quite a bit in the last 1 1/2 miles. I made decent time but was exhausted and completely spent by the time it was over!!

Stats:
4.1 miles
47 min.
11.46 min/mi.
5.23 mi./hr.

short sprint

Today was not a run day but I ran 1/2 mile while waiting for Mary to get to the Y to do weights.
I did pretty good. I knew that I didn't have much time and so I thought I would run short but faster.
Went pretty good.

Stats:
.57 miles (a little over a 1/2 mile)
6 minutes
5.71 miles/hour
10.5 min/mile

Holy Crap!!

Mary and I ran today for 30 minutes with the stroller. I thought I was going to DIE!! Just pass out and give up the ghost. We ran the 1.7 loop and then went a bit farther. It is very good that Mary can encourage me to go farther because I was "kicking and screaming" the whole time!!

Stats:
2.3 miles
30 minutes
13.04 min/mi.
4.6 mi./hr.
walk/run
WITH STROLLERS!!!

The hills of Parkwood

"when I run I feel God's pleasure"- Chariots of Fire

This is my mantra. This has been my running mantra and I was so grateful for the dear lady that reminded me of it this morning. I did not want to run today. DID NOT!! I got dressed but had to call Mary to encourage me to actually get on the road. So, my goal this week was SLOW but DISTANT. So, I set my goal high and went for the 3 mile loop around Parkwood. The first mile was really good. The second mile was surprisingly pretty good. The mile marker 2 and 3 were walls but as I press through I found another "stride" that I could just run and not think or commiserate. When the hills got tough and I wanted to quit at the wall, I reminded myself that when I run, God finds pleasure in me. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. God is simply delighted in watching me do it-run. He created me to be active, fit and healthy and it gives Him pleasure to watch me. I surpassed even my lofty goals today!! I even ran an additional .3 miles past my road to the stop sign and back. WOW, what a rush!

My stats:
3.6 miles
42 minutes
5.14 mi./hr.
11.67 min./mi.
ALL Running!!!

Running track

So, I went to the Y today. I had to take Tristan to school and so I figured that since I had to get dressed, it would be easier to just go to the Y from there.
The treadmills were all full and so I decided to run the track. I wasn't thrilled because it takes 14 laps around to equal a mile. Talk about running is circles and getting nowhere!!!!!!
Surprisingly, it was considerably easier than the treadmill. On the treadmill, I have to focus on finding distractions. As I ran, I was able to find distractions naturally-people walking in front of me, people playing b-ball below me, counting down on my fingers the lap count, etc. It was actually a really good run. I set out to accomplish 2 miles and 30 minutes. I ended up crushing my goals!! YIPPEE!!!

My stats:
46 laps= 3.22 miles
41 minutes
4.8 mi./hr.
12.42 min./mi.
all running, no walking!!

A day at the gym

So, Mary and I were suppose to meet to runt together. It rained. So, we decided to meet at the Y. I lost my keys. By the time I got to the Y, Mary had to leave. I did the treadmill by myself. I walked/ran for 30 minutes. LONG and torturous. If I never do it again, it will be too soon!!!!!!!!
My stats:
2.5 miles
30 minutes
ran 15 minutes, then cycled:
walked 1-2 minutes, run 4-5 minutes

MISERABLE!!!!!!!!

Day Two

Things went better today. I did the same 1.7 mile loop but managed to run the whole way!! I went the opposite direction in the loop as to avoid the long and steady incline that got the best of me yesterday. This way I got one major hill and one moderate hill rather than several LONG and steady uphills. The downside to this though was the 'home stretch' was uphill.... NOT FUN!
My stats:
1.7 miles
21 minutes
All run, no walk

Yeah!

Day one

Well, I am running again but feeling quite intimidated because it has been 6 months and Mary and Grace have already been training for several weeks.

Today I ran 1.7 miles in 22 minutes. I walked for about 3 minutes. It was HARD and I was panting and falling out once I hit the living room carpet!

BUT I did it!!