Sunday, April 3, 2011

Sunday Sunday . . .

Great day, great end to the weekend.

Woke to blue skys and some sun -- am I still in Oregon? It was so nice, I'm so ready for spring!

Rolled out of bed to get ready for church -- was surprised that I wasn't sore. I wonder if the two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar every day really is helping with the tightness and stiffness -- I mean, c'mon, I did run 17.6 miles yesterday and no soreness??? No stiffness??? Really, I feel great!

Went to church. The 8 a.m., Solid Rock service. It was awesome, as usual. Phil did the sermon instead of John Mark -- I love listening to John Mark, but I also enjoy Phil. He talked about how following Jesus is like running a race -- that you have to focus, work hard, have self discipline, persevere and have hope. It was an awesome service.

After church I went and picked up the oldest son and then the youngest and we went to the Y and worked out. I couldn't believe how I wasn't in pain, so I ran a couple miles on the treadmill -- nice steady miles that felt good. I feel good!!!

I also did STS #3, plus 20 minutes of abs with Cathe. I'm rocking the workouts for some reason. Don't know what it is but I like it!! =)

I think I ran 34 miles this week - that's the most I've run in a while. Going to try and keep it up -- keep on pushing!!

Planning to run tomorrow morning.

Gotta get to bed!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

My first real long run . . . AWESOME!

I did it!!

Got my rear end out of bed and ran 17.6 miles before 8:00 a.m. I was so excited to actually do it that I was awake at 3:20 a.m. I had put my running clothes on when I got up at 2, just so I'd be ready. I was a little discouraged at 2 because it was raining outside. Not hard, which was good, but it was raining, and I had hoped it wouldn't be raining when I tackled my longest run ever.

I woke up at 3:20 and thought about staying in bed til 3:40, but I wanted to get out of the house by 4 and there were things to do, so I got up! I used the restroom leisurely, weighed myself (140.8), let Trigger out to pee, ate half a banana and drank the Gatorade Pre Workout drink (that's kind of disgusting and kind of good). Then I made myself a peanut butter and honey sandwich and packed all my stuff in my waist pack, put my rain jacket on, strapped on my Garmin and headed out the door. It was 4:05 a.m.

Amazingly it was NOT raining. Not only was it not raining, but the sky was clear and blue in spots and there were stars twinkling like a nice day may possibly be ahead of us. I ran a mile before I had to take my jacket off and tie it around my waist -- it was too warm for the jacket, but I wished that I had remembered to bring my gloves. I was carrying pepper spray in one hand and my Gatorade in the other hand and my hands were freezing. Throughout the run I would switch hands and they would warm up, but they were always cold. I will remember that next time.

I knew I wanted to at least run 16 miles. My longest distance to date was the half marathon 13.1. I figured 16 was a respectable number beyond 13.1 and I wanted to make it. I ran down Sunset to Murdock to Oregon to Tualatin Sherwood. I had just run this way a few days ago and knew if I turned left at Tualatin Sherwood I could make 8 miles by the time I got back to my house. I had considered just running that loop twice to make my 16, but when I neared the intersection I realized I hated that idea. Chances were really very good that after the first loop I'd take my happy ass into the house and forego loop 2, so I turned right and headed to Tualatin.

I kept thinking "you just need to run about 4.5 miles in this direction and then you will be at 8 and you can turn around and head home, sure to hit 16" but 4.5 miles proved to be a lot farther than I thought it was. I ran all the way into Tualatin and then made my way past REI and Whole Foods and into Bridgeport (where there was not a soul at 5:30 a.m.)before the Garmin beeped that I had reached 8 miles so I could turn around and go back home. When I finallly got home I had logged 17.6 miles total in less than 4 hours. A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

I drank pretty much all of my Gatorade on the run, but I didn't eat anything and I felt pretty good. I had to pee around mile 11, but not so bad that I needed to stop before I got home - I was slow, not going to lie about that and I certainly did some walking, but I did it, 17.6 miles. All by myself -- no music in my ear, just my breathing, which I actually have started to enjoy listening too. My breathing tells me how hard I'm working and whether or not I need to slow down. I don't miss the music nearly as much as I thought I would. I actually had my ipod with me because I knew I'd still be out there when the sun came out, if I decided to listen to it, but I didn't. Just me and my breathing.

When I got home I stretched out and came in -- feeling elated at what I had done! It finally feels like a true fact that I can finish a marathon!! I mean after all, I only had less than 10 more miles to go (albeit the HARDEST 10 miles) and I would have run a marathon.

Took a nice hot shower, weighed myself again (139.0) posted my accomplishment on Facebook, ate a bowl of museli and almond milk and then ate my peanut butter and honey sandwich and here I am sitting here typing my blog entry. Really happy at what I've accomplished.

Got a day ahead of me. An appointment with Kenny at 1 (yay) and then the boys and I are going to go to the movies and then I'll come home and go to sleep for a while =) Thinking about lying down for an hour now, before I have to get ready to go see Kenny -- however, I am quite afraid that if I lay down for an hour I will not be able to get up due to stiffness -- but maybe not. I had two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to try to avoid that. Hopefully it'll work.

Alrighty -- first goal completed -- as I've said before I am very pleased with myself!! Awesome day!

Oh, and a week from today I'll be in San Francisco!! YIPPEE for me!

Peace

Friday, April 1, 2011

April 1, 2011

Weight: 141.6
Waist: 31" (at the bellybutton) ~ 29" a little above bellybutton
Thighs: 22 1/8" (both)
Hips: 37 1/4"

Didn't run - decided not to push it before I run long tomorrow. Tapering is important whether I understand it or not.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Short & Sweet . . . .

Well, Thursday is over . . . already. Really this week has been a blur, in a good way, but a blur nonetheless.

A week from tonight I will be all giddy and excited because next Friday I will be boarding a plane for San Francisco. My most favorite city in the whole wide world. To do what? Run!!! With 3 extra days to just BE in the city. I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm giddy now, dammit! I can't believe I'm actually doing it. So happy that I am, though.

I have breakfast with a girlfriend I haven't seen in many, many years scheduled for Saturday morning and lunch with a girlfriend I love dearly, but whom I've never met on Saturday afternoon. Then I'm hoping that my ex-brother-in-law and his partner will be in town and available to have dinner with me Saturday night! That would just make it perfect, really. Perfect. God is so good to me, I have a feeling things will work out.

Today I did not get up and run because I stayed up way to late. 10 o'clock is way to late for me these days! Certainly to late to be up if I want to get up at 4 a.m., and run. So I didn't get up. I actually didn't get up til quarter to 6 and I try to leave for work by 6:25 at the latest. It was rushed, to say the least.

Didn't run, but I did lift weights -- did Cathe's STS Disc #2 -- feeling good about that. I was really sore today, from STS #1 on Tuesday, but once my muscles got worked out I felt better. I anticipate sleeping good tonight and getting up to run in the morning.

Secretly I want to run my 8 mile loop again tomorrow but I question whether I should considering I have ever intention of running at least 16 on Saturday. We shall see, we shall see. I'll never know if I don't try. . . right?

Good things that happened today.

1) There was very little rain and a great deal more sun than we Portlanders have seen in a while.

2) My beau gave me two free Blazer tickets he received for test driving a Kia so that I may take my youngest son to the game on Tuesday evening.

3) I had a pleasant conversation with my landlady today.

4) Tomorrow my oldest son comes for the weekend.

Things I am thankful for.

1) My healthy and happy children.

2) My loving and lovely mother who lives with me during this season of her life.

3) My beau who loves me differently than any man has ever loved me.

4) My job which is beyond awesome and a great opportunity that I'm not even sure I totally grasp right now.

5) That, by the grace of God, I can run!

Good Night!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wednesday is over already . . . . WOW!

I can't believe it's the end of Wednesday. Seems it was just Monday and Friday was just a faint shadow in the distance. Time is flying!!

I got up and ran this morning!! Not only did I run, but I ran 8 miles!! Awesome! I got out a little late and even had the audacity to consider NOT running when I woke at 3:50 from a deep sleep and tried to convince myself that the deepness of my sleep meant I needed more and should reset the clock to 5:30 (from 4:10). I actually did reset the clock, but then I laid there for 8 minutes and then jumped out of bed and got ready. I got out of the house by 4:10 and ran the route I had mapped out in my mind. It was a nice steady 8 miles and I feel good about my performance. Amazingly, I really didn't feel to stiff throughout the day. If anything the pain I felt today had nothing to do with the running, but everything to do with the lifting!! My chest hurts to the touch, my shoulders hurt when I move and my biceps cry out when I bend my arms -- it had been a long time since I lifted, obviously.

So I think I decided that I can run long this Saturday without leaving Sherwood. I ran 8 miles this morning on a simple loop - I could do the loop twice for 16 miles and change it up a little more to make it interesting. Still thinking on it.

I did stop by the running store on my way home to pick up some possibilities for fueling en route. Bought some stinger chews and some stinger goo that's pure honey and then the lady talked me into some other kind of gel to try that didn't seem so thick. The PDX Running Chicks suggested other things like pretzels, vegetable broth and candy -- but they all pointed out its a very individual thing. I have to find what works best for me. It's definitely a process.

I'm so happy with my performance today though!! I intend to try and run tomorrow as well, maybe not 8 miles, but I want to get out there and run. Feel like I'm on a roll. And then tomorrow is another lifting day too -- I hope I'm able to lift the weights!!!

Finding it hard to believe tomorrow is the last day of March - already.

Time is flying by!!

Peace.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Rainy blah kinda day . . . .

Didn't run today. . . chose not to get up.

Aunt Flo came to visit, I'll blame the lack of running on her, thank you very much.

Had a good day at work; a nice dinner with my beau and then I came home and worked out.

I use to lift 3 days a week, at least, but that has fallen off and I miss it. I think I naturally have definition in my arms, but when I work out the definition is greater and the comments are constant. I miss that, shallow as it may be. Summer is coming (although its hard to believe that when you live in Oregon) and I will again earn the right to bare arms. Tonight was Cathe's STS Disc 1. It's a 3 month program, 3 lifting days a week -- if I see this through I will be completing STS about the time I get ready to run the Vancouver Marathon. That seems like a worthy feat. So I'm on it.

Tomorrow it is my intention to get up and run, rain or not. This is Oregon after all. If you can't run in the rain, you pretty much CAN'T run.

Still thinking about running long on Saturday. . . even told the beau and he was dully impressed with my intentions. I'm excited at the attempt.

It's off to bed for me.

Feeling strong, feeling happy, feeling quite blessed.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Monday is outta the way . . . .

I usually don't run on Mondays. I have a ton of excuses for not running on Mondays. All of them lame, but convenient. "It's the first day of the work week, I need my sleep" is the one I usually use when I turn over and reset the clock for 5:30. Today, however, I got my butt out of bed and went for a run.

This is especially noteworthy because my boys woke me up at midnight to have me set the oldest up with Netflix on his Xbox 360. See, their spring break had one more day so they could be up til all hours of the night without issue. So, they woke me at midnight and then again I woke up at 3 a.m. to find the youngest still up but "getting ready to go to sleep." I certainly expected my inner wimp to reach out and reset the clock. But she didn't do it!

Clock went off at 4:25 and I was up and out in 10 minutes flat. It was a glorious morning, not to cold (the school sign said it was 41 degrees)and of course there were very few people out. I thought I'd run my normal 45 minute run which amounts to about 4 miles give or take, but I surprised myself and extended the run and made it a nice and easy 6.05 miles in a little over an hour. I was pleased with myself and how good and pretty effortless the run seemed. I'm not fast by any means, but it still felt effortless and thats when I know I love running as much as I think I do.

After starting the day with a run, it's very hard for the day to be "bad!" This is the God's honest truth. It just can't be bad. When crappy things happen I'm able to say "well, at least I ran this morning." And everything is right in the world.

I love running.

Thinking about running long this coming Saturday morning. When I say "long" I mean longer than I've ever run at one time. For me that would be anything over 13.2 miles. If I had a specific goal I would say I would like to run 15 or 16 miles, but truthfully if I could run 14 I'd be happy. My mission between now and then is to find something to carry to fuel my body while I run OTHER THAN gatorade. Gatorade is so sugary and I just don't like it that much. If I don't find a suitable replacement I'll probably use Gatorade, but I'd rather not so I'm checking out the possibilities.

The idea of running long on Saturday is very exciting. . . I think I'm going to do it, now I just have to decide where to run. . .

Decisions, decisions!