Today's 7.8 miles boosted me to 100 [Training Day 151 Tue. 5/31/11]

7.8 miles (plus some that I missed thanks to all the traffic lights / stopping the Garmin!)
1:26 time
10:57 pace

Tonight's run marks 100.09 miles run in May!  I was aiming for 104, but had a house full of sickies.  Including a couple of days I wasn't feeling so hot.  All in all, I did great this month!

{the good} I got out there and did it.  It wasn't raining.  I actually got to see the sun for the entire run.  It was 62 degrees - one of our warmest days yet.  And just in case you didn't catch it above...I made it to the 100 mile mark a second month in a row despite injury & illness.  Woohoo!

{the ugly} The ends of my toes are pretty tender from Sunday's 12.5 mile run.  Oh, and I took a route I never ever take.  I will NEVER do it again.  There were so many traffic lights.  I waited forever and a flippin' day for the cross walks lights to change.  It completely screwed my pace!  I hovered in the upper 9s to low 10s before approaching those damn lights.  They're bad enough during the day,  but rush hour traffic is awful.  Lesson learned! You'll love this one.  The little 6 year old girl down the street saw me as I ran up my driveway.  She rode her bike over to me to say, "WHOA!  You look TERRIBLE!  It must have been a really long one today, huh?". LMFAO!

Shaking out stiff legs with a walk [Training Day 150 Mon. 5/30/11]

Walking
3.5 - 4 miles

We went for a walk before lunch today.  I woke up VERY stiff from yesterday's long run.  On top of stretching today, I wanted to walk a bit.  So I did.  :)

12.5 miles slow miles [Training Day 149 Sun. 5/29/11]

12.5 sloooooowwwww miles
2:23 time
11:28 pace

I knew going into this run...it would be a slow one.  I missed getting in at least 6 miles this week due to my foot/ankle issue.  I'm glad I made the choice to back down a bit because doing so helped my foot a ton.  I also made a point to slow down, find the flattest routes possible, and walk if I felt as though I was pushing it too much.

Miles 1 - 3.5
I felt like I was going to die.  My shins were hurting like mad.  Same with my knee caps (which rarely bother me).  I pulled my back earlier in the week, and it was hurting with each pounding step.  Around mile 3, I saw Kent biking up the road toward me.  He can't run at the moment due to a hip / thigh injury, but he can bike! So we made a plan for me to run, and he would bike all over Vancouver & check in on me from time to time. 

Miles 3.5 - 4
I finally found the love!  Then, I stopped to use the restroom, and fear washed over me.  What if I couldn't find the love again????

Miles 4 - 9.97
The love had not left - YAY!  I was able to pee, jump back into my run, and not take a single walk break for 5 miles straight.  Kent took off toward Hazel Dale on his bike. I zoned out & never looked back.  As a matter of fact, this portion of the run required going up a hellish hill that parallels the Salmon Creek trail. Coming back down is no treat.  You have no choice but to slow down...or fall.

I saw Kent again around mile 8.5 or so.  I don't really remember.  I had already made it back down the big hill, and was getting pretty close to Klineline Park.  He rode alongside me for a while, but then took off to go back through the campus.  I remember taking about a 1 minute walk break at mile 9.  I was starting to feel really tired.  I sucked down my last 2 shot bloks & some water.

Mile 9.97 -10.97
I looked at the Garmin.  It said 9.97.  Next thing I knew, it said I was at 10.97!  I lost an entire mile, and have no clue where my head was during that time.  I take that back.  I did see a woman working in her yard during this mile.  It's a yard I envy. She hollered "hi" from across the street.  I said "hi" back.  I also told her how awesome her yard looks.  I let her know that I run by almost daily, and always admire her yard.  So I stopped for just a few seconds to chit chat with her, then I was off again. 

Mile 11
This one was rough.  I stopped in the American Legion parking lot to stretch my calves.  My body was letting me know that it was time to stop running.  I was stiffening up like crazy, and no longer enjoying the run.  Funny how things change in the blink of an eye during a long run!

Mile 12- 12.5
Kent flagged me down at the 12 mile mark, and told me to watch his bike for him while he went into Albertson's to buy tater tots.  So I did. I also polished off the last of my water during this stop.  Of course, I stiffened even more.  It felt good to get going again!  All I could think of was getting home.  I just wanted to take a shower at this point.  And chug a HUGE glass of water!

{the good} This was Kent's first ride since we moved to Washington nearly a year ago.  It has been really difficult for him to get back into biking since his accident several years ago.  To make a long story short, he was biking home from work, and went head first through the windshield of a pickup truck.  That accident left him partially paralyzed & scared of biking.  I can't say I blame him.  It left me with mixed emotions toward bikes in general.  However, it was nice to see him back in the saddle!

{the ugly} The stiffness that came with this run.  I'm so hit or miss with the stiffness.  No amount of pre or post stretching seems to help.  I've been on top of my hydration, shot bloks, protein, etc.  Hmph.

The definition of gullywasher [Training Day 147 Fri. 5/27/11]

7.02 miles
1:15 minutes
10:36 pace

gul·ly·wash·er
[guhl-ee-wosh-er, -waw-sher]
–noun a usually short, heavy rainstorm.

A gullywasher is what I ran into (literally) today.  It started with a few sprinkles.  Before I knew it, sprinkles turned into buckets of water pouring on me.   I haven't seen it rain that hard in a long time.  How fun that I was in it! lol 

I have a few interesting raw spots and blisters, but it was surprisingly a really fun run!  I was sweating like crazy, so the cool rain washing away the sweat felt great.  The only annoyance would have to be all of the raindrops on my lenses.  Without the glasses, rain got in my eyes to the point of not being able to see.  With the glasses, I was a drippy, foggy mess. 

Its been raining a lot lately.  Our rain seems to blow east & cause all kinds of storms/problems for the Midwest.  Sorry Midwest!  I wrote last week about the trail being flooded.  Our long run was stopped short due to the flooding & my ankle/foot hurting.  Well, the ankle is feeling better, but the trail is still flooded.  Check out what I found at the trail head today...

So I headed back the other direction, and couldn't help but take a few pictures of the goslings...

They're so cute!  I headed on home from this point.  So my long run ended up being quite a few miles short.  I'm moving the long run to Sunday.  It's supposed to be sunny Sunday.  I'm not sure my chafed areas & blisters can take any more rainy runs. lol
{the good} The goslings, the rain, the foot not hurting, smelling the BBQ pit smoking away in the Albertson's parking lot (YUM!), getting in 7.02 miles!

{the ugly} The blisters and chafed/raw spots caused by running while soaking wet.  Eeeeek!  This has nothing to do with running, but I miss my BFF.  She's in Texas.  I want to go have margaritas with her & watch Bridesmaids & laugh & have fun!  The amount I miss her today is very ugly, and it deserves to make this list.  I'm tired of not having friends here.  I'm starting to feel like we should have stuck it out in Cincinnati longer to see if a job for Kent ever came along.  Or moved to Dallas instead of here.  Moving to Vancouver required giving up so much.  My job.  My friends.  My entire life.  I hate when I feel this way.  I guess it's time for a change of some sort.  Trying really hard to see the good in it right now.  :(

A hybrid run day [Training Day 145 Wed. 5/25/11]

Running
5 miles
10:45 pace

I started off on the treadmill.  It was raining really hard out, but I needed to get the miles in for the week.  I lasted 1 mile.  My inner ankle was aching while I ran.  More than usual.  The treadmill does that to me.  Whatever is hurting hurts worse when I run on the treadmill.  Anyway, I stopped short & decided to wait until this evening to run.  I'm so glad I did!  The sun decided to come out full force.  You would never know it was dumping buckets of wetness all day by looking outside now.

Push Up Challenge
Day 2 for the push up challenge.  Yep, I'm behind with it.
10
12
8
8
19

I'm off to ice my ankle now....

Figured out what the ankle pain is called

"Posterior Tibial Stress Syndrome"

It sounds just awful doesn't it?  This condition is more common in athletes & runners. The pain is felt along the inner side of the main bone of the leg (tibia), just above the ankle. Usually, there is no swelling. The condition usually responds to non-surgical care within several weeks.  It hurts when I flex my foot a certain way.  It also hurts to simply touch my leg.

So now what?  The checks are things I've already been doing.  X's are things I need to follow through with...

• Ice the area a couple of times per day ✔
• Stretch my calves more ✔
• Use stationary exercise machines for additional cardio X
• Decrease time spent on my feet  X
• Take a dose or two of oral anti-inflammatory pills daily ✔
• Lose weight  ✔

Nothing was said about decreasing my current running mileage.  I need to keep up with my schedule in order to hit a few goals I've set.  Clearly, if things start going downhill even more than what I'm already seeing, I will cut back my mileage.  Goals can always be hit another time if need be.  Especially since these particular goals have been in the works for two years already. I can put them on the back burner one more time if it means walking away from all of this healthy & able to run!

Summer - Fall 2011 Half Marathon Training Schedule

It's time already?  Where in the world did weeks 1-20 go?  I spent a lot of my time running in the dark after work.  Cold.  Rainy.  Typical Washington state winter weather.  It's time to move on.

My goal is to finish in 2:30 or less.  During the Portland Half Marathon, I managed to come in at 2:34 official time....2:29 according to my Garmin.  I would really like to finally make it under 2:30 as far as official race results go.  Of course, the ultimate goal would be to cross the finish line in 2:20 or less (wishful thinking).  Here's my training plan for my June & October half marathons.

Click here to read, download, and/or print my schedule.

A quickie around campus [Training Day 142 Sun. 5/22/11]

3.5 miles (+ additional 1/2 mile walk up Monster Hill)
48:20 time
12:39 pace (included walking up that hill)
{390.74 miles so far this year}

So the pace appears sucky, but it's really not.  This was actually a 4 mile route.  Jody & her husband came over for dinner.  We used that as an excuse to take off for a short run while the men scurried off into the man cave (garage) to chat about bike stuff.  We walked the first half mile, so I'm only counting it as 3.5 running miles even though we traveled nearly 4 miles.  I started the Garmin when we began walking, so it clocked our entire route...including our slow walk up Monster Hill (behind my house). 

During the run, I noticed Jody wasn't talking much.  If I asked her a question, she would give a quick, "Sure...[breathe, breathe, breathe]" or "OK....[breathe, breathe, breathe]".  I on the other hand, rattled on and on and on the entire duration of the run (poor Jody!).  I felt exceptionally good.  Got a lot off my chest.  Remained distracted by my surroundings and constant chatter. 

Well, about 3 miles into it, I realized I was running at a rather comfy pace for me.  If it's a comfy pace for me, that means it's not a comfy pace for Jo.  No wonder she couldn't chat much. She was busy trying to BREATHE! lol  I made mention of our pace, and apologized for not recognizing it earlier.  She asked what our pace was.  It was 13:01 or so at the time, but remember....that included walking up Monster Hill.  I'm sure she was trying to figure out why the hell this little 4 miler was kicking her ass with such a slow pace.  So busy thinking about it, she didn't realize I managed to speed us up even MORE. lol  We ended up with a 12:39 pace for the entire run.  Perhaps not knowing was a good thing.  Maybe if she knew we were averaging in the upper 9s / lower 10s, she would have slowed down.  Our fastest pace, going up hill halfway through the run, was 9:11. I've gotta give her a LOT of credit with this one.  She never complained, and kept up with me the entire time!!!!!!  Go, Jody, go! 

{the good} I went out logged 4 miles of activity before chowing down on BBQ.  

{the ugly} It seemed like a really long 4 miles! My feet were killing me from all the yard work we've been doing.  Lots of shoveling....which I guess ended up being hard on my feet. Especially my right arch.  That's where my foot tends to land on the shovel when I punch down into the dirt.  Man, I'll be glad when this yard is finally landscaped!

12 very long, very difficult miles - [Training Day 140 Fri 5/20/11]

12 miles
2:19 time
11:34 pace
{387.24 miles in 2011}

As the subject line of this post reads, it was a very long, very difficult 12 miles.  However, I did it!  Not only that,  but I'm still alive to tell the tale.  (Always a plus!)

The first issue was the heat.  It was so much hotter that I'm used to....that alone slowed me down.  I've read about this before.  I'm supposed to account for warmer weather & pace accordingly.  I honestly thought I would have more tolerance to the heat since we've only lived in the NW for 11 months.  I assumed I would still have some hot, humid Cincinnati blood flowing through my pipes.  I mean, I'm used to running in 100 degree temps when the humidity levels are 100%.  I've clearly acclimatized to the cooler temps here.  My "Cincinnati blood" theory was not at all true.  Silly me for thinking.  I has sweat dripping from my elbows, rolling down the backs of my legs off my ass, in my eyes - during the entire run. 

My foot / ankle issues are still around, but not nearly as flared up as they were earlier in the week.  I suppose resting them & lots of ice/stretching sessions have helped.  I made sure to go suuuuuuper slow during this run.  I did not push myself at all.  My goals were to...

• keep between an 11 & 12 pace ✔
• take 2 minute walk breaks at least once per mile ✔
• walk if anything from the ankle down starts to feel tweaky or hurt at all ✔
• turn around and go back home if need be (not necessary today) X

Considering there were not one, not two, but three horrific hills to face in this run, on top of the way I was feeling, I think things went rather well!  I ran up two of the three hills. Well, maybe more like 1 1/2. lol  I had times where I thought for sure I was done running altogether, but then I'd pick it up again as though the thought to stop had never crossed my mind.  At one point around the 6 mile mark, I opted to walk somewhere between 4 & 5 minutes.  That little break was much needed.  It really made all the difference in the world for me.  During my walk breaks, I managed to snap a few pictures with my phone.

{These ducks clearly thought I had grub for them when I started rattling the ziplock baggie I use to sweat proof my phone. lol} 

 

{QUACK!}

{The flower field co-op is in bloom!}

{So, so, so pretty!}

{the good} I did it!  After my failed attempt earlier in the week for a long run, I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish what I started.  I won't be able to hit my mileage goal for the week, but I came damn close & feel good about the efforts I made. 

{the ugly} Sweaty, stinging eye lids.  I hate that my own sweat burns my face so much.  Ick.

My arms, chest and back muscles are KILLING me! - [Training Day 139 Thursday 5/19/11]

That pec fly weight machine is kicking my ass!  My arm pits hurt like you would not believe.  Wait.  You would believe it because you're an active person, too.  You know the exact arm pit pain I speak of!  Feel sorry for me.....

Elliptical
30 minutes
Incline set @ 2 for first 2 minutes
Incline set @ 4 for the rest of my ride

Stair Master
20 flights of stairs
I intended to do a full 30 minutes on this machine, but my left IT band was feeling tweaky.  It's usually the left one that gives me hell.  So I'm going to attack this one with ice & stretches before it gets out of control.  :)

Weights
Machine #1 Abs 2 reps of 12 x2 @35 lbs
Machine #11 Pull Over 2 reps of 12 @ 35lbs
Machine#10 Pec Fly 1 rep of 12 @ 35 lbs

100 Push Up Challenge Day 1/Week 1
10
12
7
7
forgot to do the last set!!!!!  (oops)

The long run that wasn't meant to be? [Training Day 138 Wed. 5/18/11]

7.5 miles
1:32 time
12:15 pace
{375.24 miles run so far this year}

OK, so the pace isn't horrible considering all of the set backs we ran into, and the giant hill we walked up thinking it would save my foot some drama and trauma.  Hills are always pace killers for me...especially when I choose to travel up them even slower than usual.  That 12:15 pace tells the tale of the run that wasn't meant to be.  The tale includes:

A) my crappy attitude going into the run
B) being forced to change our route at mile 6 due to flooding
C) my increasing foot/ankle pain (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!)

Let's start with "A".  I so did not want to run today.  I knew my foot and ankle have been bothering me.  I'm letting that get to me mentally.  I know better, but it's happening anyway.  Once we started running, I felt fine & wanted to keep going.  Then "B" rolled around.  The trail was completely flooded out.....

 Told ya.  It was as far as the eye could see, well above ankle deep, and we couldn't tell how far out into the tall, tall grass the water stretched.  So there was no way to simply walk around the water.  The flooding is super strange considering it was fine Monday evening when I was out there running, and we haven't had any big rains since.  So we were not expecting to run into this issue today at all.  At this point in the run, we decided to take a longer route to skirt around the trail altogether.  Adding at least 2 miles onto what was already going to be close to a 14 mile day.  [groan]  This is the part where "B" merged into "C".  I let it get to me.  The thought of running an additional couple of miles on top of what we had already planned sent me over the edge.  We also stood there long enough trying to come up with a plan that I cooled off a bit, and my foot began to stiffen & ache even more.  So I called it off.  We turned around & ran another 1.75 miles to McDonald's (are usual stopping point after looping the trail), grabbed a Coke, started walking home.  That's when we heard my sweet husband honking his horn at us.  He came to rescue his limping wife.  He earns a couple of extra feathers on his angel wings for that one. 

This was the run that wasn't meant to be.  I'm now forced to revamp my training plan for the week.  I would take the week off totally, but I have a half marathon coming up in about 3 weeks.  I've got my sights set on a time goal, and would rather not take any time off at this point.  My game plan for now is to make sure I get to the gym each day for a week to use the elliptical to keep up my endurance/cardio.  I'll keep my run days set as such, but shorten the mileage for each run.  Jody offered to try the long run again next week if my foot is feeling better.  I hope my foot is feeling better by then, and we're able to follow through with that plan.

Wish me luck!

{the good} I tried my best. I got in 7.5 miles plus hill work.  (I was actually having a really great run until we stopped at the flooded out portion of the trail.)

{the ugly} The two F's...flood....foot.  :(

I finally started weight training again! - [Training Day 137 Tues 5/17/11]

Not only have I started the 100 push up challenge, but I hit the gym tonight with full intentions of getting back into weight training.  I'm starting off with teeny tiny baby steps.

Weight Machines
Machine #1 Abs 2 reps of 12 @ 35 pounds
Machine #2 Pullover 1 rep of 12 @ 35 pounds
Machine #3 Pec Fly 1 rep of 12 @ 35 pounds

35 pounds was the lowest I could get the machines set to for some reason.  There was an option for 20, but I couldn't get the little peg thingy in the hole all the way. [That's what she said!]  I was too lazy to ask anyone for help.  I'm tried.  I'm grouchy.  I don't have the patience to stand there listening to someone blab on and on about the proper way to do X, Y, and Z.  So I opted to figure it out on my own. Luckily, I've used similar machines for several years when we lived in Ohio, and remembered how to set them up.  Anyway, my arms are quivering like mad.  I have a long run tomorrow, and I'm not sure my arms will be able to do their arm thing once I start running.  Yep, they're that worn out.  And I started off light.  I haven't done any weight training since we moved from Ohio.  I had quite a track record there at our local Y.  It's sad (and scary) to see how quickly what I worked for decline.  Though, it has been nearly a year since we moved.  Man, time slips away almost as fast as under worked muscle tissue!

My foot / ankle / leg is still bugging me.  BLAH!  I wore those shoes to the gym thinking, "It's only the gym.  What can it hurt to wear them there?"  Silly me for thinking!  I felt the inside of the shoes, and compared them to my current favorites.  The arches are CRAZY high compared to the others.  I'm thinking back to the time I got my current favorites.  They did this same thing to me.  They bugged me all damn winter.  I'm pretty sure this style/model of Saucony is not the correct shoe for me.  This is my fourth pair of this particular model.  The first two felt GREAT.  What happened?  Perhaps it's time to stop opting for stability shoes?  Maybe after two years of running, I've gotten strong enough to not need as much support?  Could that really be possible?  We'll see.  I'll make a trip to the running store next week.

Elliptical
I also spent 30 minutes on the elliptical machine.  I went a bit slower than normal since my foot hurts.  I also kept the incline on the basic setting.  Went 2.25 miles total.

One Hundred Push Ups Challenge (eeeek!)

So, I finally took some time to read through the blogs listed on my blog roll.  [I wish I could take time to do so everyday!]  Anyway, I ran across Jen's latest post about the one hundred push up challenge.  I started clicking links.  Next thing I knew, I was on the floor doing the "initial push up test".  Can I just say, my poor wrists will probably never be the same again. My arms are shaking like rubber bands right now!

The One Hundred Push Ups Challenge is a training guide to getting you from 0 to 100 push ups in only six weeks.  Sound impossible?  It sure as hell does to me, but I'm going to try it anyway.  After losing 80 pounds, I have a lot of "loose skin" on my arms.  Otherwise known as, "bat wings".  They're not pretty, folks.  I must get rid of them.  Just last night, I was telling my husband that I need to start working on upper body strength.  This challenge is the perfect thing to get me going, and hopefully keep me motivated for six weeks.  Thanks for blogging about it, Jen!

I decided to do the full-on "real" push ups.  Not the girly style I did back in grade school during the annual Physical Fitness Test.  My physical therapist has me doing one minute planks several times a week for strength training...so I opted to stick with the full on, boy style format.  I was able to do 12 before my arms gave out on me.  If you can do 11-20, your first day workout is as follows (with a 60 second break between sets):

Set 1  10
Set 2  12
Set 3  7
Set 4  7
Set 5  max you can do before pooping yourself (at least 9)

Anyway, check it out for yourself.  See if it's the right kind of challenge for you by visiting the One Hundred Push Up Challenge web site: http://www.hundredpushups.com/index.html.  They offer apps for smart phones to help you keep track of your progress. 

Happy push-upping!

8:04 pace, baby! - [Training Day 136 Mon. 5/16/11]

6.5 miles
9:43 pace
1:03 time
{367.74 miles so far in 2011!}

So this run basically sucked donkey balls.  My right foot was KILLING me.  It has been bugging me for days now.  I keep trying to ignore it.  Rest it.  Ice it.  Elevate it.  Walk a little more.  Sigh.  Due to the pain in my foot, I decided to make it an interval run.  I finally stopped running, and started walking back to my car.  Literally three steps into the run, Kent said his hip was hurting too much to run at all.  He's pretty competitive & macho with his running & biking.  When he says it hurts....I know he means business.  You know what this means, right?  It means I'm on my own from here on out with training runs.  Thank God for my sister in law who graciously runs most of her weekly long runs with me! 

Hmmm, I can't help but think of those new shoes I've been wearing.  Hmph! 

However, there was a shiny, bright, beautiful light of hope.  The first mile I ran felt as though someone picked me up by the back of my shirt & carried me down the trail.  I looked down, and my pace was 8:44.  Next thing I knew, I had finished the entire first mile in 8:04!!!!!!!!!!!!  Check it out....

{the good} For sure the first mile pace!

{the ugly} My poor foot.  My husband's poor hip.  Sigh.

My blog ate your comments! (Anyone else having issues with Blogger?)

FYI, many of you left fabulous comments for me regarding my recent half marathon & other blog posts.  Blogger was having some sort of temper tantrum for a day or two, and deleted them ALL.  Ugggg.  I am so sorry. I have no idea what was going on, but none of your beautiful, supportive words made it through.  When I tried to publish the comments, I received an error message for each one that stated "comment does not exist".  I know they do exist because I received emails stating what you had to say.  So please know, I did get to read your thoughts, but nobody else will.  So sorry! However, I want to say...

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME & SENDING SOME RUNNING LOVE MY WAY!!!!! 

XOXO,
Heather

6.62 in new shoes & warmer temps [Training Day 133 Thur. 5/12/11]

6.62 miles
1:08:50 time
10:23 pace
{361.24 miles of pavement pounding so far in 2011!}

The Run
It felt good to get out, but my body felt heavy & uncooperative.  Could be the new shoes (read about them below).  Could be the hill work.  Could be that I'm super bloated.  Could be the warmer temps (also below).  Could be running in the evening vs. morning.  Could be that I chose to drink coffee all day instead of water.  Basically, it was a lot slower & sloppier than planned. 

{the good} The sun was out!  I didn't start off freezing cold for a change, and I actually got to run with bare arms (short sleeves)!

{the ugly} Legs that felt as though they were full of wet sand!  Going up the monster hill behind my house was for sure more walking than running.

My newest gear!

New Shoes
I picked up new shoes about a month ago. (Along with new Skirt Sports Women's Under Skirt Capris & injinji liners.  The tights are my favorite new piece of running gear! I'll write up a blog post for them another time.)  For some reason, I kept forgetting neglecting to break in the shoes.  I know why.  I seem to have more "long runs" now than I used to.  Short runs, which are typically 3 - 4 miles in my opinion, are no longer are part of my routine because I totally burned out with them during winter months.  I like to wear my comfy favorites during long runs instead of breaking in new shoes.  That means anything new never has a chance!  I've been forcing myself to wear these newbies the past few times running, and my feet are KILLING ME.  I'm wondering if I need to go back to the shoe store & try a new brand / style.  That has happened to me before.  We'll see how I feel a week from now.  I plan on wearing them for all of my day to day errands, work, cooking, cleaning, kid wrangling, costco'ing, etc. for the next few days to see if I can get them in a not-so-stiff state. 

Warmer Temps
We finally hit the 70s here in Washington.  To me, it felt like 89. lol  I was so hot and sweaty during this run, I thought I would puke.  It's strange how our bodies adapt to the climate in which we dwell.  When we lived in Ohio, I thought 70 felt cool.  I would have paid anything to run in 70 degree temps on a 97 degree day with 100% humidity.  I've officially turned into a weather wuss since moving to Washington!

What's Your Weekend Plan?
I'm scheduled to have a nice, slow long run tomorrow (Saturday).  I'm not sure which route I want to take, what pace I'm aiming for, or how far I want to go.  It will be at least 10.11 miles since that's the shortest of the long run routes from home.  I'm on my own tomorrow, so I can pretty much do whatever I want for this run.  I might just head out the front door & go where my legs take me.  I'll be wearing my old shoes, though! lol  What do you have planned as far as exercise goes this weekend???

Solitary Six (plus) midweek miles - [Half Marathon Training Day 131 5/11/11]

6.55 miles
The Garmin is charging....will have to post time details later.
{354.62 miles hammered out so far in 2011!}

New route.  I like it.  I plan on taking it more for my midweek runs.  For some reason, MapMyRun said it was supposed to be 7.11 miles.  My Garmin clocked it at 6.55.  Hmph.  I never turned it off (including during a bathroom break - ooops), so I'm not sure where the discrepancy is coming from.  Then again, MayMyRun has never been the same as my Garmin.  I'm not sure why I'm as shocked as I am. lol

{the good} I went out and did this run before it started dumping buckets of rain!!!!!

{the ugly} When I stepped out of the restroom, I took a deep breath, and swallowed a bug.  All the way down my throat.  It was beyond gross.

Hippie Chick Half Marathon Race Recap - [HM Training Day 128 5/8/11]

13.1 miles of official half marathon goodness brings me to 348 miles run so far in 2011!

I ran the Hippie Chick Half Marathon in Hillsboro, Oregon Sunday morning with my sister in law, Jody. Though we were threatened all week by local weather media, the clouds came and went without any action for the most part.  There were a few sprinkles around mile 11, but they only lasted a few minutes. 

OK, I've sat on this topic for days now.  Trying to come up with something to say. I really have nothing!  I'm grasping at straws when I try to think about the good and the ugly of it all.  I feel the need to lay all my cards on the table for you to see.  Let's start with the ugly ones, and then finish it off with some positives.  I'm determined to have more positives than negatives.  :)

{the ugly}

1.  Lack of "cheerleaders" on the course.  OH MY HELL!  It was so quite you could have heard a mouse squeak.  We would  run by a couple of people now and then, but they were clearly on the look out for a specific hippie chick, and made no effort to cheer on the crowd. How lame!  There were a few supporters out there cheering us on, but it was by no means a cow bell cheering crowd.  I never realized how much fun the Flying Pig Marathon events were until running a cowbell-less race.  A huge part of what made those events so much fun were all of the cheering crowds clanging their cowbells! 
2. The expo sucked.  It was held in a tiny conference room, and I'm pretty sure I felt a couple of hands reaching down my purse as I tried walking through the room (exaggeration).  It was beyond crowded in both the packet pick up room AND the vendor room.  You couldn't tell where lines ended or began.  It was also so busy we couldn't look at the stuff vendors brought.  Not that there were many of them there.
3. Come race day, none of the vendors stuck around after the race!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hello, Jamba Juice.  Runners are hot and thirsty AFTER the race....not before.  Duh!
4. The course sucked donkey balls.  It was a double loop that required running through a business park area a good 1.5 to 2 miles of the run....and then again during the second loop.  There are so many beautiful places to run in Oregon.  I can't imagine why they picked that area.  Then again, I have no idea what it takes to coordinate a race.  However, I did pay to participate & expected this to take place at a TOTALLY different location described to me as one of the most beautiful parks in the Portland area.  So....shame on them for changing locations without saying anything ahead of time. 

{the good} 

1. There were LOTS of porta potties along the course!!!!!  Every 2 miles or so.  Huge plus considering this was an all chick race! 
2. I only say two snakes, and they were both dead! (Seeing a snake while running makes me pee myself a little, and it's no fun to run in pee pee tights.)
3. The kiddy run was fun to watch.  Lots of kid participation (over 1,000 'lil runners!).
4. I got to do this with Jody, one of my favorite running buddies!  It was her first ever half marathon, and I'm so glad I ran ever step with her.  It made it so much more fun than hammering out 13.1 "looping" miles on my own.  :)
5. I got to be there when she crossed the finish line.  She worked so hard to prepare for this race!
6. It didn't dump buckets of rain like it should have!!!!!
7. I called my mom within the first mile or two to wish her a Happy Mother's Day, and let her know I was dedicating this race to her.  Am I the sweetest kid in the world or WHAT????  :)

This was my third half marathon.  I wasn't highly impressed with the event.  More disappointed if anything.  It was almost as though the folks in charge of it were doing it because they thought people were expecting them to.  There was no passion put into it.  It was just kind of.....mehhhh.  I'm not exactly sure why I'm feeling this way!!!!  It was by far the best half marathon experience I've had.  I didn't drag my leg behind me crying due to severe pain the entire way.  No diarrhea (for me, anyway).  I didn't end up in the medic tent with  my shirt off, highly confused, and stuffed full of IVs once it was over.   All I can think of is...well...four things.

• I run this distance each week so I'm probably getting bored with it & need to work on shaking things up a bit (like working on getting faster!)
• I very much dislike running an unknown (to me) route when it's not one close to my house.  I am a creature of habit.  I need to know evvvvvverything ahead of time (very type A).  Seeing a map isn't good enough.  For some reason, if a new route is close to home, I'm OK with it.  Go figure!
• I've participated in Disney races AND The Flying Pig (Cincinnati).  There's so much hype and energy put into those events....it's really hard to beat them.  I probably shouldn't compare them all, but it's difficult not to. 
• I had a horrrrrrrrrible migraine the day before.  When I woke up Sunday morning, I could feel it coming back.  Luckily, running seemed to scare it off for a bit.  However, I've not felt "normal" since Friday.  So maybe my lack of oomph is more health/hormonal related issues than anything else?  Who knows.  I did it. I got some new *bLiNg* for participating.  (I run that far each week, and nobody is standing on my front porch handing me a medal when I'm done.  So, all in all, it was a good day. lol )  

PS...Our Mother's Day festivities after the race were the best part of my day.  We had everyone over to grill out, and  chug wine, and talk for hours on end.  This is our first Mother's Day celebrating with family in 6 or 7 years!  I came home to a clean house, gifts, happy children...plus I managed to get in my long run for the week.  What a great day!

50 followers, 50 half marathons, and my new long term goal

I realized today that I have 50 blog followers.  That's such great news because I honestly had no idea anyone would actually read my crazy blog posts about each training run! lol  But I love that you all do!  (I read your blogs, too.)  In honor of my fabulous 50 followers, I've decided it's time to come up with a new long term goal.  I've been thinking about this one for a while, but today seems like a good day to announce it...

I'm going to run 50 half marathons by my 50th birthday.  I have 11 1/2 years to work on it at this point in time.  I've already run two (Disney Princess & the Portland Half Marathon).  I'm set to run three this year alone, and I'm seriously considering a fourth.  That would mean just 4 per year from here on out.  Training runs don't count.  They must be official race events.  My sister in law brought up a good question.  What if I run a full marathon?  Do I get to count it as two half marathons???  I don't know.  I for sure get to count it as one.  I'm not sure what to do in that situation, and I'll probably wait until I actually cross that bridge before making a decision.  Until then, I'm off to work on my goal...

6.5 miles with two KILLER hills [Half Marathon Training Day 124 5/4/11]

6.5 miles
1:22 time
12:44 pace
{334.97 miles run so far this year!}

I know...I ran 10.5 miles Tuesday,  I really had no business running another 6.5 the next day, but Jody and I had already planned on running together.  We wanted a midweek run before the Hippie Chick Half Marathon rolls around this coming Sunday.  I also thought it would be a good way to "shake it out" after exceeding my pace goals & fartleks during Tuesday's 10.5 miler.  Shaking it out happened.....until the two hills rolled in around mile 5.  They just about pushed me over the edge! lol  I walked up those hills which really killed our pace (sorry, Jo!).  I snagged our Garmin info for Jody.  She was curious to know what the elevation chart looked like.

{the good} I got to run with Jody!  She lives really close to the river.  I snapped some pictures of the fisherman that were out and about.  It doesn't seem like it by looking at a picture, but it was quite a sight in person!  All those little black spots are actually fishing boats.  Check it out....

To my left....

...and to my right.

{the hills ugly} Those two hills at miles 5 & 5.64 on the elevation chart.  I love that hills are making me stronger, but after a rather challenging 10.5 mile run the day before....hills were not something I was craving.

Weeding out the negatives with a 10.5 mile run [HM Training Day 123 5/3/11]

10.5 miles
1:49 time
10:24 pace
{328.47 so far this year...1,000 still seems so far away!}

I did it.  I went out for a longer run on my own.  Very unlike me. Today's run was unplanned.  Unexpected.  Impromptu.  Much needed.  I won't go into too many details, but this involves weeding highly toxic people out of my life.  These are people who should have been given the boot long ago.  I'm too old to deal with negative energy.  I'm too tired to continue taking their abuse...hoping they will change.  Nobody wants to be trapped in the chaos I call "my brain"...so I'll stop chattering on about it here and now.  I know my fellow runners are highly aware of the reasons we must hit the road when stress comes a knockin'!  Especially for those of us who tend to eat our feelings instead of finding a healthier outlet.  lol

I stopped a lot during this run.  Not to walk.  Just to....stop.  Maybe 5 or 6 times.  I would just stand there in a daze at times.  Twice, I stood there long enough for my Garmin to go into sleep mode!  I needed to be in my own head, but not moving.  I realize that sounds strange, but that's where I was at the time.  A few times, I made good use of the moment by snapping a few pictures of the beautiful spring we're having here in Washington.  [Thought I got a few shots of the pink tree blossoms, but they're not on my phone for some reason.  Hmph.]

The turtles of Salmon Creek

Close up of the turtles catching some rays

The breaks were nice.  Beyond nice, actually.  They gave me time to digest the fact that people can be nasty, cruel, rude, and abusive, and it's my job to leave their negative asses in the dust & find beauty elsewhere.  'Cause I'm sure not going to find any beauty in them!  Running on a sunny spring day worked its magic for me.

{the good} 1) Getting out there & running.  2) Doing something good for myself instead of eating my way through a stressful day.  3) Managing to fit in a longer run today even though my schedule didn't really have any wiggle room for that amount of time.  Life will go on.  It's time for me to put others on the back burner for a while.  4) Running the first 6 miles in the 9 minute pace range!!!!!!  [My goal was a 5k, but once I hit that mark, I felt as though I could keep up that pace another 3 miles.]  Check it out:

{the ugly} I started off with a jacket.  WHY DID I WEAR A JACKET?  I knew it would warm up today.  I watched the news this morning, and hung on to each word Rhonda (our local weather gal) said.  Uggg.  I was so hot...I thought I would puke.  Seriously!  I wore it all of 1.5 miles before having to stop, peel it off of my sweaty body, and then tote it with me around my waste the next 9 miles.  I think this proves I was in my own world long before leaving the house! lol