Ok and OK

It's been awhile! I've been busy!

A couple of days after the Hall of Fame City Challenge Half Marathon, I left for a work trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since my daughter lives in Oklahoma City, I extended my trip through the next weekend to be able to visit with her and her husband. Coincidently, her husband's parentsw ere in town at the same time so we all got to visit. 

My daughter had to work on Friday so that gave me some time to explore the city. I went to the zoo which was really nice, and then to the Stockyards for lunch and to invest in some awe-then-tick cowboy boots! I got to sport them later that night at the Oklahoma State Fair!

On Saturday, my daughter too me on an almost 7 mile sightseeing run. Run is relative though. We had some bursts of running but mostly it was a very slow jog while taking pictures around the city. We finished with a refueling breakfast of breakfast burritos and margaritas. One of my most fun runs, ever.

Last weekend, I felt the need to get in a good, long run. Since it was raining on Saturday and I avoid running in the rain at almost all costs, Amanda and I ran together on Sunday. We got in a good, comfortable 10 miler.

Yesterday, 5 of us ran the Akron Marathon Relay. I had leg 3. It was a perfectly, beautiful day and I felt wonderful on my run. I maintained a sub 10 m/m pace for the 7.5 mile length!

Next up is the inaugural Cleveland Rock and Roll Half Marathon one week from today. I hope the weather is as perfect as it was yesterday!

Hall of Fame City Challenge

Well, the much maligned Hall of Fame City Challenge is in the books. Although the organizers billed it as being flatter than last year, there is no way that it was. The course was pretty brutal. It was early and dark and muggy to boot. Even though my time was not a new PR - it tied my current PR and with all things considered, I'll take it!

However, ever since I've been home, my stomach is rebelling! Good thing I have had nothing else to do today except lay on the sofa and watch the Red Zone channel and follow my Fantasy Football teams! 

I am also packing for a training trip this week. I leave Tuesday for two days of training in Tulsa, Oklahoma and then spending the rest of the week and through the weekend with my daughter in Oklahoma City. I haven't seen her since the wedding in April (unless you count Facetme) so I'm very excited! Hopefully, we'll also get to run together!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and you have an enjoyable week ahead!

Whew! I need a Holiday!

I know. Today is Labor Day. It's a Holiday for most, as it was for me! We spent a fabulous but exhausting weekend on the Bourbon Trail. We started on Friday with a visit to Cincinnati to visit with our son for the day. It's always amazing to get to see him. 

Then, off, bright and early Saturday morning to Loretto and Bardstown to begin the Trail. Sunday was ,ore relaxing as we stayed near Versailles, Harrodsburg and Lawrenceburg. We returned to the Inn around 5:30pm and spent the evening relaxing in rocking chairs on the front porch sipping mint juleps!

I was so empowered to have a wonderful, last, long run of 12 miles last week. Yesterday, I had a good 6 mile taper week run. After I get my eating back on track this week, I think I will be ready for Sunday's Half Marathon! It seems like the last one that I ran in May was SO long ago! Sunday begins a period of four Half Marathons in the next two months. I'm ready for the challenge!

I hope everyone had as wonderful of a weekend as I did!

Almost There!

My next Half Marathon is only THREE weeks away! I had a really good 11 mile run yesterday. My legs are a little sore today. It just makes me look forward to my taper week in two weeks. A 12 mile run coming up this weekend then we'll be celebrating Labor Day on the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky! I'm excited that our trip corresponds with my taper week. I'm really looking forward to a run in Kentucky. It was beautiful running there last year but I'm glad to only be doing about 6 miles or so instead of giving up 2+ hours of my vacation. 

I'm still working on my clean eating diet - or should I say, lifestyle! It's a work in progress but it has been going really well! Dinner today was salmon, corn on the cob and cabrese salad. I did need to have a small glass of wine. I haven't researched if wine is "clean" or not but I'm guessing it's probably not. 

I'm really hoping that next weekend's 12 mile run goes as well as the 11 miler this weekend! Have a great week, everyone!

Good Times!

It's been a really good couple of weeks. I am right where I want to be in my training for my upcoming Half Marathon on September 8th. I got in a good - and pretty speedy - 10 miler yesterday. Hoping to get in two weeknight workouts this week and an 11 miler on Saturday. 

My "clean eating" is going pretty well but with the increase in my mileage, I am hungry ALL the time! I need to be really careful about what I eat when I feel like I am starving! I'm stocked up on Kind bars and I am trying to stick to some organic trail mix. Neither of which are very low in calories but at least they are "clean." One hurdle at a time!

I signed up for the 2014 Flying Pig half marathon this week. The Flying Pig has been my favorite race to date and I'm really excited to be running it again!

What is your "go to" snack when you are increasing your running mileage?

Hall of Fame Run

I was so happy to have achieved my goal of under 10 m/m pace only to come in second to last in my age group. 

On to the next race. My favorite distance in my favorite city. But it's a brand new race and there is a lot of questions in the community about how well it will be organized. No matter what, 6 weeks from today, I'll be running the inaugural Hall of Fame City Challenge Half Marathon.

I'm actually excited to get back into my longer distance training. I had a HORRIBLE (but fun) weekend of eating and drinking. Tomorrow, starts over with eating clean and running long.  I hope when you get off track, you can easily jump right back on board!

A really good week!

My next "big" race is a Half Marathon on September 8th. I'm just starting to ramp up my mileage in preparation. During this time of some shorter runs, I have been focusing on other areas of my fitness. One thing that is going really well is my ongoing effort to eat clean. Other than my protein bars that I have a couple times per week and my ice cream splurges, I have been doing really well! Weekends are still bad. I did enjoy a few beers and some Swedish meatballs during our Ikea run this weekend but I'm pretty proud of myself!

Another new resolution that I started this week - the hottest week of the year, mind you - is to walk one mile everyday at lunch.i read a recent article in Runner's World magazine called "Sitting is the new Smoking" and it scared the crap out of me. I work in a typical office at a desk in a cube all day. I have known that sitting is bad but I always kind of felt exempt since a run several times per week. I also, recently purchased, an Up by Jawbone to help me know when I've been sitting too long and to count my steps. I was surprised how many days that I don't even come close to 10,000 steps.

There is a 1/4 mile walking path around a pond in the office park where I work. It's one building away and, even walking slow so as not to get too sweaty, I can get a mile in in around 25 minutes max. As the weather cooks, I'm sure it will me much faster. That still leaves plenty of time to eat. I'm proud to report that I did my mile everyday this week! I'm looking forward to cooler weather this week and making it two weeks in a row!

Do you have a desk job? How do you keep active during the day?

North Canton 4th of July Run

I am not very excited about these results. I'm not sure what was keeping me from a faster pace. I suspect it was the memory of last year's 100 degree race day and the closest I ever came to vomiting during a run. Other than that, I have no excuse. I felt good and even sprinted at the end. That almost never happens to me in a race. I've usually spent it all before I come close to the finish!

I will have a chance at redemption in a few weeks. The HOF 5 mile race is on the 28th I'll be ready!

On another note, I got an email today reminding me that the inaugural Cleveland Rock and Roll Half Marathon is just 13 weeks away! I am scheduled for the Canton Half Marathon on September 8th but it has been a fiasco since it was announced. I have my doubts as to if it will even take place.

This week is back to relative normal. I hope I get a little higher mileage in during this week. I hope your workout and life plans come together for you this week as well!

Jackson Glow Run

Friday night was our annual, local Glow Run 5k. I ran tis race lady year just a week after my first Half Marathon. I had a hard time with it because I had been doing so many long runs that I really didn't know how to pace for a 5k. I did MUCH better this year!

This isn't officially a PR but I'm tempted to count it because the race where I got my PR did not measure 3.1 miles. It was short and my pace was faster during this race!

This week is going to be tough to fit in some workouts. We have the odd holiday in the middle of the week which includes a 5 mile race. I'd like to get in a good run or steps workout before Thursday. To complicate things, I work the "late shift" this week which means I don't get off work till 6pm.

Here's my tentative plan for the week:

Monday: fast 2 mile run

Tuesday:  AM-cross/strength training, PM-steps or 5ish mile run

Wednesday:  fast 2 mile run or cross/strength training (dependent upon Tuesday night's workout)

Thursday:  5 mile race

Friday:  cross/strength training

Saturday:  ugh-who knows! I'm afraid nothing since we are hosting a big picnic! Hopefully, I can have everything together the night before and I can get up early enough to get in a couple miles.

How do you work in training during busy weeks?

I Suck...

... At blogging! 

I never seem to have anything prolific to share!

While there hasn't been anything earth shattering, my friend, Amanda, and I ran a Color Run last week. It was so fun!

It was an hour's drive but we went up the Thursday before to pick up our packet and make a stop at the nearest Trader Joes to us. That bought us a little extra time on Saturday morning. We didn't have to leave until about 5:45. That is LATE compared to getting up at 2am for the Disney Princess Half!

Oddly enough, when I stopped to get gas at 5:30am, the only other person at the gas station also had on a Color Run shirt! I 'm embarrassed that I was too delirious to make conversation. 

Amanda is on vacation this week so I am on my own for runs. I'm hoping to get in a mid-week 5 to 6 miler and I'd also like to get down to the monument for some steps.  I need some extra workouts since I had a HORRIBLE food day today:  stuffed French toast for breakfast and I just had a mint Oreo blizzard for an after dinner treat. I promise to get back on track (literally) this week!

I hope you have a wonderful week and keep on YOUR track!

Tornadoes and PR's

What a week! My daughter lives on the south side of Oklahoma City just on the border of Moore. The massive tornado of May 20th scared all of us!

Since she was texting me while it was happening, I knew she was ok. In fact, I really didn't know how bad it was until later in the day since I was at work and hadn't seen the news!

After all that excitement, my friend, Amanda and I ran the Medina Half Marathon on Saturday. It was a preview run for the 2014 inaugural Half Marathon and it was FREE! Who could pass THAT up? The course was flat and scenic. The temperature was in the 40's with bright sunshine. The perfect conditions for a new PR! The race wasn't chip timed but as far as I'm concerned, my time is official!

I hope I don't have quite as much excitement this week but just in case, I started off my day today with a good 8 mile run. My legs aren't too happy about it right now but after all the food I ate yesterday, I hope it helps my waistline! The rest of the week's plan looks like this:

Tuesday - cross train-most likely abs since my legs are not happy

Wednesday - am-some kind of cross training, pm-a harder workout-run, hill work or monument steps

Thursday - some kind of cross training

Friday - short 2 mile run

What is your plan for the week? How will you work off the calories from this weekend's cookouts?

It's Been A While!

I made it through the next batch of weeks. I ran the Cincinnati Flying Pig half marathon a few weeks ago. It has been my most fun run so far and I cannot WAIT to do it again next year! I even managed another PR even if it was by less than a minute. My new best half marathon time is 2:27:20 and this was a challenging course so I am thrilled!

I got a couple of really good (but shorter) runs in while I was in Tampa. This weekend, a local town gave free registration to their "trial run" for a projected half marathon for next year. It looks like they want runners to come run the course and provide feedback. It's free and they are giving away prizes. Okay! I'm signed up! Why not add another half marathon for the year?!

Most of the runs I am signed up for during the rest of the summer are 5k's and 5 milers. It will be a great way to keep in shape for the two half marathons that I will be running this Fall. 

Have a wonderful week and I'll let you know how the Medina half marathon turns out!

Ahhhh and a heavy sigh

I successfully made it through the last couple of weeks. By successfully, I mean I'm still breathing and just a little bit easier.

I recovered from pneumonia, married off my daughter, completed the Spring Conference for my job and ran my third Half Marathon with a new PR by 9 minutes! It's been a whirlwind. Now I get to "slow down" for two weeks before I travel to Cincinnati to run another Half Marathon and a week later, travel to Tampa for some work and play.

Needless to say, I have been squeezing in workouts whenever I can get them. I hope to be back to a regular schedule soon but I felt really good running the Half yesterday and I hope I can get enough workouts in during the next couple weeks to make a good showing at The Flying Pig!

Here's the tentative workout plan for this week:
Monday: 2 mile run
Tuesday: cross train abs and/or butt
Wednesday: cross train am, 5 mile run pm
Thursday: cross train
Friday: 2 mile run
Saturday: 6ish mile run

I hope everyone has a wonderful and productive week!

The best laid plan....

Remember that cold I was catching a week ago today? Thursday it was diagnosed as pneumonia. Needless to say, my training plan was out the window this week. I actually got in some decent cross training on Monday and a 2 mile run on Tuesday before my body just gave out on Wednesday. Yesterday, I was scheduled to run 9 miles. I WALKED 2 - slowly. I finally got my appetite back today - just in time for Easter Dinner - and I finally feel some of my strength finally returning. I can't imagine what this is going to do to my training for my Half Marathon on 4/20 but all I can do is the best I can do!

I know I probably got sick from all the traveling and activity that has been going on in my life since the middle of February but it is not going to slow down until at least the end of May. I hope my health, strength and stamina holds out!

This weeks semi-plan:
Monday: 2 mile run
Tuesday: cross train
Wednesday: am cross train, pm run - I'm hoping for 5 miles.
Thursday: cross train
Friday: 2 mile run
Saturday: run. I don't know how far. I will have to play it by ear. Right now, I hope 8 or 9 miles.

How to you get back to your training after an illness?

Hanging on

It has been an insane couple of weeks but I'm doing my best to hang on to some bit of sanity. I was proud of myself that I was able to run each of the 3 mornings that I spent in Puerto Rico. 2 three milers and 1 5.5 miler. I ran on a KILLER golf course on the side of a 300 foot cliff. The hills were MASSIVE and combined with the heat, even these short runs were quite the workout!

I didn't get to run in St. Louis but got a good 4 miler in as soon as I got home. I also participated in a Zoomba class this week which all culminated in a super fast 8 mile run yesterday. 1:24 for 8 miles made me happy!

This week should be relatively normal but, of course, now I am trying to catch a cold. I have laid on the couch all day sucking on Cold-eez and vitamin C lozenges. Thankfully, we have Friday off work. I am going to need it to get caught up on wedding preparations!

I am just going to take training one day at a time and get in as many miles as possible prior to my 2 half marathons in a 3 week period on 4/20 and 5/5!

A New Week, a New Trip!

Last week's training went really well. I only missed my Wednesday morning run due to about 2 inches of slush on the roads! This week's plan will be affected by yet another trip. This time we are headed for Puerto Rico on Thursday. I REALLY hope to be able to fit in a good long run. At least 7 miles. My tentative plan looks like this:

Monday: 2 miles
Tuesday: morning-cross train, evening-5 mile run
Wednesday: cross train
Thursday: travel day
Friday or Saturday: 7 mile run. The other day will be cross training

The craziness begins in earnest from now until the end of May!

Hey, Look! A Blog!

Do I still have one of these things? I know I took some time off from blogging. I was right. After my last 12 mile run (almost a month ago) I was ready! The PHM was a BLAST! I wish I had a better finish time but I had a wonderful time doing the race. I'll give a more complete recap soon. The heat and humidity resulted in me not being able to get my breathing into a comfort zone and all of the stopping for pictures messed with my head but I didn't mind that part!

After spending a FANTASTIC week at Disney World, I'm ready to get my diet and training back on track TOMORROW! Saturday is the Nike Women's virtual 10k and the next half marathon is April 20th!

My tentative plan for the week is:
Monday - 2 mile run
Tuesday - Cross train
Wednesday - 2 mile run
Thursday - morning cross train, evening 4 or 5 mile run
Friday - Cross training
Saturday - Virtual 10k

Here's a couple PMH pictures:

I'm Ready!

I got in all of the distance and speed I was looking for this past week. I will be out of town Tuesday though Thursday of this week but I am not even going to worry about running those days. I am mentally completely ready for PHM and I am tapering the next two weeks.

The last time I did a 12 mile run was on 6/2/12. It was at a 12:09 pace. I am so impressed with myself for how far I have come in 8 months. I can't wait to run this race - TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY!

On a side note, I registered for my fifth Half for 2013. I think I'm crazy but that's okay. It feels so good!

MIA and SAD (this post was from 2/5)

.... I think I totally screwed up this post by editing it and saving it wrong. It's all out of order now!

Ugh. It's that time of year. The Holidays are over but it is still dark, cold, and snowy. Last year, running through the winter helped with my Seasonal Affective Disorder tremendously. This year - not so much. I know I feel a million times better than if I weren't running but I am frustrated and sick of trying to run in the snow.

I ran the Chase Your Shadow 5k this past Saturday. I was so pumped! I was feeling so good and really thought I could best my previous PR of 28:50 until we got several inches of snow Friday night and the wind chills were -2. Bubble burst. It was way too slippery to PR.

I haven't had a long run since the dreadful and painful 11 mile run almost two weeks ago. I need to get in some serious miles this week and then taper for PHM! So far, so good. I got 2 miles in yesterday and 4 today. Hoping for 4 or 5 on Thursday and then 12 on Saturday!

My last bit of news is that I registered for the Flying Pig Half taking place on May 5th! Gotta have a reason to keep training!

A Bad Case of the Runs

Yep. In more ways than one.

Yesterday was an 11 mile run. It was crappy (pun intended). I don't know what happened. I have my "pre long run" routine down pretty good and I didn't think I changed anything. After much introspection, I think it might have been a lack of hydration on Friday. I was really busy at work and I know I didn't drink as much as I have in the past.

It figures. The weather was almost perfect. I'd have liked about 10 more degrees of heat but the sun was shining and the trail was perfectly dry. This week will be another story. We're expecting our coldest air of the last several years. Some mornings will be below zero. I think I have enough warm clothes. It will certainly be a trial!

What do you do when your GI tract doesn't cooperate with your long run?

I'm a Runner!

I haven't posted much because there is nothing very earth shattering to share. Training is going even BETTER than planned. Way ahead of schedule and a better pace than I ever anticipated! Just crossing fingers than everything stays on track.

The one exciting thing that happened this week is that I became a runner on Wednesday night. I started running "for real" in January of 2012. I ran 8 races in 2012. But, no matter what, I never really felt like a "runner." Not even after I ran my first half marathon.

Wednesday night, Amanda and I went for our normal5 mile mid week run. About2 miles into the run, I realized I wasn't going to make it because I had to pee so badly. But the bathrooms at the park where we run are locked during the winter. I started to consider options but, really, the best I could come up with was to pee behind a tree while Amanda stood guard. I couldn't stop giggling but when all was said and done, for the first time, I actually felt like a real RUNNER!

I hope I don't have to use that option again anytime soon, but now I know that if I have to, I can!

Best wishes to everyone running in Disney World this weekend and I can't wait to be there in just about 6 more weeks!

Happy New Year!

Saturday's run was scheduled to be 10 miles but it was unexpectedly cold, windy, snowy and icy. We were only able to finish 6 miles.

Today is the first day of the new year. The first day of my 13 in 13 race challenge. I'm off to a good start! Amanda and I ran our first race of the year. A hilly, icy, cold 5K. My time was almost 4 minutes slower than the 5K Turkey Trot in November but the weather and course conditions were partially to blame.

We are still ahead of schedule for our Princess Half Marathon. Over the weekend we were able to add the dining plan tour trip for a reasonable price and today I paid off our balance. It will be here before we know it.

It was, apparently, a busy "running" day today as I also registered for my 3rd half marathon for 2013 (but chronologically, it will be number2).

Looking forward to our training continuing to go well. How is the beginning of our new running year shaping up?