Running News

Well, I registered for a race today with my sorority "mom". We are going to be running the Rock N Roll Chicago Half Marathon on Aug 14th. I am psyched. Although I was hoping for a full, I think that a half will be awesome. I was so burnt out after I ran the DSM marathon that I didn't run for over a month afterward! I have heard that it is not uncommon to be back to running after a week of a half marathon. I am hoping to do a better job of maintaining my training habits this time around!!!

Progress: Yesterday was my best workout in a while. I have a Y membership now, so I have been lifting (some), swimming/treading water (some) and running (mostly). Last night I ran 3.5 mi in 25 mins. I think that's a pretty good pace, though I did walk some of it. I also biked 4.5 mi in 25 min. Was a good day! It is so much easier to stay on track when you have TV and games to distract you! I am so happy it is getting warm outside. It was a great day at work, too- I ate lunch from a campfire, fished, walked trails, etc and got PAID for it. Love my job... It is so true that seasonal jobs are the best jobs around. The only downfall is that they are seasonal!

I am going to go to the Y while I am still motivated. I hope to get a 5 mi run in by the end of the week, so I guess it will need to be today or tom (as I have a busy weekend planned at work). I will let you know how it is going! In other news, after 4 wks of concentrated diet/exercise effort, I am down about 6 lbs. Hard to say for sure, I have a crappy scale (not digital) but I definitely look and feel thinner. Off to the gym!

This just in

I am signed up for another marathon. (In my head, anyway.)

Although I know it will be hard to train for on my own, not knowing the trails, working crazy hours, etc., I now know I can do it (after completing the DSM IMT in about 1:45:00 almost 3 years ago). I have promised my sorority “mom” that I would run the 2011 Chicago marathon with her, so I am committed to making it happen. Here is a copy of my workout schedule. I will not be able to follow it to a “T” because of my crazy job (outdoor ed at a NE state park), but it will give me some guidelines. I will typically have Mon and Tues off and weekends are super busy at work, so I made my long day Sunday so I can recover on Mon and have Sat off.

I didn’t realize how close we live to sketchy neighborhoods until I started running and reached a turn-around spot quickly! I’m sure I would be fine, but I don’t want to run there in the dark… Sad- I prefer to run in the evenings, especially when it’s warm out. We live in a pocket neighborhood that is pretty nice, but technically rural route. Thus, we don’t have a lot of sidewalks, and we aren’t far from the interstate. I think I will need to drive somewhere for my long runs, or possibly do a couple loops at work…. Although I dread doing that because it is super hilly! (Maybe if I run hills, I can knock a few miles off my goal for the day?) I plan on bringing my bike to work and using it from time to time, especially if I have a split-schedule day.

Today I ran with Rudy, my Chihuahua x rat terrier (?) mutt. Needless to say, we didn’t get too far, and the stop:start ratio was ridic. Of course, he wants to smell/pee on everything. (I hope he gets better, but it really wasn’t that bad for his 3^rd time running with me. He’s like a little kid: sprint, jog, and stop on a dime. Repeat ad infinitum.) I stepped in a pot hole on the way out the door, so I was sore before we even left the parking lot.  :/  I got a really bad ankle sprain in HS playing tennis one summer, which eventually turned to tendonitis after taking a few weeks off to recover and quickly trying to train for cross country. As a result, my left ankle is about half the size and strength of my right, so it buckles all the time. I tried to do some rehab on it when I was on the rowing team at Iowa, but got caught up in the busy life of a student-athlete and didn’t make much headway.

One other barrier I will have to deal with is my asthma. Just when I think I am rid of it, over it, “sayonara wheezing,” it comes back with a vengeance. I haven’t used my inhaler in months, and suddenly last night, the night before I planned to start my workout regime, it’s back, and bad. As much as I love spring, it has never agreed with my little lungs. Freaking humidity. If it would just rain, or not rain, I would be fine. It’s the inconsistency that messes me up.

Ryan and I are also on a new eating plan. He went to Complete Nutrition (like a local GNC) and came home excited. We’ve only been doing it for a week now (though Easter was pretty much a bust) but we’ve both lost some weight, I think. It’s hard to say much about it so far, but I’m not that hungry on the diet, and I feel good. We have to be better off. We are supposed to have a protein and carb for breakfast, a protein, carb, and veggie for lunch, a protein for a snack, and a protein and veggie for supper. We haven’t been following it perfectly, but it’s definitely an improvement! We pretty much ate whatever sounded good before this. We’re also taking supplements. I am hoping to lose about 25 lbs. Of course I know that weight is a terrible way to measure health, so I’m not stuck on numbers. I would like to beat my marathon time, though! The numbers I am focusing on right now are 3 and 26.2. My goal is to run at least 3x/wk up until my marathon (Oct), which is 26.2 miles, as all marathons are.

We are planning on getting a Y membership, so that will help out on rainy/scorching days. I really want a treadmill, but… only have like 600 sq ft to work with. Meh. Someday!

Now accepting applications for a running buddy! *

With Love, 

Me

*Ryan and Rudy, you have no choice. You’re in.

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Scratch that, the Chicago is full. But I will be running something, somewhere this fall. Ponder...

Oh, and I obviously got the dog I wanted. :) I wanted a giant pooch, but not having a giant yard, apt, or bunny, I figured that a mini was better. He's awesome. But someday, I will have a big fluffer!