Monday: Group Power & 3 Miles
I so did not want to get up early this morning and I am surprised I did. I feel like I have been dealing with some off and on anxiety lately. Thankfully it went away mid morning and I felt "normal" the rest of the day. I made it through Group Power and I did really well. The lunges were so much better--no knee strain at all. I am going to try and increase my weight a little bit on Wednesday...if I make it there. It really is a battle to get out of bed.
I did my three miles on the treadmill afterwards. I can't stand the treadmill, but I had a better experience this time around. I did the 5K mode and the time we by really fast. Since I came from Power I ran at a slightly slower speed. I think I could have increased it as time went on, but I was a little lazy.
Tuesday: 5 Miles
I did my 5 mile route that goes by Sumpter Park and I love, love, love this course. I see so many runners. The hills are doable. It is quiet, scenic, and almost refreshing. I kind of look forward to it. Aside from my right heel hurting, it went really well. I was a little more fatigued than normal at first, but once I got to Holder Street which about a mile, I felt better.
Why did it turn into Week #4. After talking to Trena Monday I realized her reception will probably be over by 5:00 PM on October 9th. That would give me more than enough time to go to Portland, get a decent night sleep in a hotel, and run the Portland Marathon the next day. If we could find a sitter, Rob could come with me Saturday night and possibly watch me start on Sunday. It makes more sense than running the Columbia Gorge two days after our vacation to Arizona. Where I might add we will be hiking and I might pull something. Which is exactly what happened when we went to Belize. I could not run for two weeks and almost had to drop out of a race. I would love to not have the marathon hanging over my head while on vacation. I get very, very nervous before races and I cannot imagine how I am going to feel before the marathon. Probably not as bad since it is my second time through. Trena's wedding will be a great distraction. I would LOVE to do Portland again since I know the course better and I can run with a pacing group. It is a better marathon for rookies. I still consider myself a rookie because I have not done many long races. There are hills, but not as many as Columbia Gorge. The course for the most part is pretty flat. I will make a final decision next. For now, I am training like I am doing Portland which is two weeks earlier...and puts me at Week #4. It also means I have do 11 miles on Friday. Bleck.
Wednesday: Group Power
And I slept. With our evenings so full lately and being so busy with VBS, I cannot get up at 4:48 AM twice a week. Now that Kara is sleeping until 7:30 AM or 8:00 AM, I can now run at 6 or even 6:30. It is really hard to get up for Power twice a week. I am so dead by 9:00 PM at night. I drag in the afternoon. Once our schedule lightens in a couple weeks, it might be more realistic. Or else I can go to an evening Power. Right now it is not possible. I feel my body and mind need a day off midweek. I am still keeping up with the running and working out five days a week. I think that's pretty good considering my demands at home. I felt so much better that I slept until 7:30 AM. I felt good all day long.
Thursday: 3 Miles
So nice to be able to run at 6:30 AM and sleep that long. When Kara was getting up at 6 or 6:30 I had to try and be out the door at 5:30 AM. I ran my old 3 mile route from when we first moved here which is down Liberty to Vista and back. I was in the mood for something boring and uneventful. It was a good run. The little hills I used to struggle on are now so easy.
Friday: 11 Miles
Skipped the long run due to some scheduling conflicts. I did not cross train either. I did go swimming. But I took both Hailey and Derek. Playing with them in the pool doesn't really count as exercise. I needed the sleep. Our evenings have been so busy lately. I know I made the right decision
Saturday: Cross Train
I did the long run this morning and I started at 6:10 AM and finished shortly after 8:00 AM. I expanded my route from last week and ran up to Mildred which is a perfect running neighborhood with rolling hills, picturesque. quiet, and I saw a hanful of runners as well. I started out feeling kind of crummy like I was dragging. But I felt better around Mile #3. Ironically I felt the best around Mile #8. Usually by this point I start to drag. The Battlecreek stretch is getting much easier. I hardly noticed the hills. I refueled and drank Vitamin water at every light (which was maybe three or four at the most). I ran the whole way except I walked about a quarter of the massive hill on Vista. It was a crazy insane hill. I did not waste my energy running up the whole thing. Plus I was like at Mile #9 by that point. I also walked before the little hill on Browning around Mile #10 more to refuel. I was starting to feel a little dehydrated. I felt great when I came home. Aside that my right heel starting hurting again and my right ankle feels strained. But I don't think it classifies as an injury.
I am doing Portland for sure. I am really pumped up about this! I was open to doing Columbia Gorge and looking forward to seeing more of the gorge. But Portland works out much better with our schedule and will be a better race for me overall.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Week #1
Total miles run this week = 20 miles
Total time of weight lifting = 60 minutes
Total swimming time = 40 minutes
Weight = 121
Sunday: Rest
Yes! Rested. Missed church too. Kara cannot go in the nursery with a cold, coughing, and mild diarrhea. I don't think it's serious, but could be serious for the littler babies. I still took her to the Open House and also got my Team Winter gear! Yay! Very cool to talk to Dawn and Winter while Ruger played with my kids. Neat family doing very awesome things for prostate cancer awareness!!
Monday: 3 Mile Run & Group Power
First went to Group Power at 5:15 AM. Felt awesome! Good workout. Starting to really enjoy weight lifting and increasing my weight.
Total time of weight lifting = 60 minutes
Total swimming time = 40 minutes
Weight = 121
Sunday: Rest
Yes! Rested. Missed church too. Kara cannot go in the nursery with a cold, coughing, and mild diarrhea. I don't think it's serious, but could be serious for the littler babies. I still took her to the Open House and also got my Team Winter gear! Yay! Very cool to talk to Dawn and Winter while Ruger played with my kids. Neat family doing very awesome things for prostate cancer awareness!!
Monday: 3 Mile Run & Group Power
First went to Group Power at 5:15 AM. Felt awesome! Good workout. Starting to really enjoy weight lifting and increasing my weight.
Then I ran 6.21 K at the Summer Solistice Run. It was one of my best races! I felt like I was flying. It was fun to run with Josiah. At times he struggled to keep up with me, but he was determined to beat me. He passed me right at the finish line. It was the first time I raced with a running partner. I took third in my age category. The weather was absolutely perfect for racing. It was wonderful to have Rob and the kids cheering me on. I loved the course especially some of the running in the woods and on trail. It was very well organized!
Tuesday: 5 Mile Run
I ran five miles at 5:45 AM. I did the five mile course I did last Friday. The weather was perfect for running in the morning. Sunny and starting to warm up. I love the Sumpter School neighborhood...quiet and peaceful. There were other runners and dog walkers out. I felt a little lagging and sore at first from running the night before. Once I hit the second mile, I felt pretty omfortable.
Wednesday: Group Power
I could not get up this morning. Tuesday was a somewhat stressful and anxiety ridden day due to a few different instances. It was a not bad day...I actually had the most fun with the kids than what I had in a long time. I got A LOT done around the house. Just a few different things that stressed me out and affected my sleep. I fell back asleep after the alarm went off. I woke up again shortly after 5 AM and I knew I would not be able to make it in time. So I opted for going back to sleep. Wednesday is my optional day anyway. If I'm following Hal's plan, I don't really have to work out. I just find Power more effective if I go twice a week.
That's why I ran three miles in the evening. I figured I can cross train on Thursday, long run on Friday, and go to Saturday Power. That's the plan anyways. Things come up and they change. I ran my four mile route...just ran to Boone instead of Kuebler which shaves about mile off of it. It might be more like 3.5. Not totally sure. My right heel is hurting again. It stopped hurting around Mile #2. I have never had this before and I don't know if it's my shoes. It's not bad enough that I can't run on it. It comes and goes. I didn't have any heel pain on Monday at all. Other than the heel pain I tackled the hills on Boone pretty well.
Rob and I also started ab workouts again. We're committed to doing them twice a week.
Thursday: Run 3 Miles
Since I ran three miles the night before, I did my cross training. I was welcomed to the gym by the fire alarm going off. No one seemed that concerned and the manager was fixing it. Kind of glad it was going off already rather than when I was in the middle of a workout or worse yet in the shower.
I swam about twenty minutes. Ten minutes of that was freestyle with the kickboard. The rest of the time I did three full laps with breaks in between each lap. Wow, it was so hard. It is a challenge to keep my form together. I feel exhausted by the end of it. I am slowly making progress though.
Also checked my weight. I am 121!! Woo hoo! Could hardly believe it. I discovered two things--1) I have adapted better eating habits. I was not as religious with keeping track of WW points in the last week and I still lost weight. I didn't really change my eating habits at all--just splurged a little at Melissa's Open House on Sunday 2) I do gain about one or two pounds when it is that time of the month. This happened last month as well.
Friday: Run 8 miles
I procrastinated and ran in the afternoon. It was nice running in the afternoon, but I am finding I like the long runs in the early morning. Less traffic. It is cooler out. Then it's done and I can start my day. Because I was up later Thursday night, I opted to wait until Kara's morning nap. Then I had too much VBS stuff I had to get done. So I put it off until Kara's afternoon nap. It was warm and in the high 70's...a little too warm. I drank a whole bottle of vitamin water throughout the run.
I did a very similar route I did two weeks ago except for a few changes at the beginning and end. I ran by four parks--Sumpter, Wes Bennet, Morningside, and Hilltop. I did the strentch of Battlecreek/Pringle which is challenging and super hilly, but I really enjoyed it again. I avoided Madrona this time and ran up Harris. It was a huge hill again, but slightly drawn out. I ran up and down lots of hills around mile three and four and then in the last two miles and felt like I tackled them better. I did not have to stop and walk at all. I did walk by Morningside Park more for the purpose of getting a full drink of vitamin water. I did not want to dehydrate.
No major pain or injury right now. I did ab workouts with Rob again Wednesday night and slightly sore from that.
Saturday: Group Power
We were out late Friday night with Jennifer's wedding. We got up at 7 because all three kids were awake. I was not motivated enough to go to Power. I had to finish up the VBS stuff I did not get done yesterday.
So I went to the pool during Kara's afternoon nap. There were like seven people total in the whole facility. No one was at the gym. The weather was perfect and we were planning on going downtown in the late afternoon. I had enough time to squeeze in a swim.
I did the normal twenty minutes of swimming...similar to Thursday. I am still making very slow progress and would like to book another lesson with Kim. I just can't really afford it right now. I have too many other things to pay for. I think I am trying to go too fast. When I run I get "in a zone" where I think about life, play a song in my head, and relax. My non-running friends don't get how I can relax while I am running. I can't get this way when I swim. Not even close. So it's just going to take a bit of practice.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The week of June 13th
I took a little break from the intense workout this week. Part of the reason was I am running a race Monday night. I also thought it would be good to rest up before I officially start the marathon training. I slept in until 7 most mornings this week. Crazy that 7:00 AM is now sleeping in! That used to so early for me. The kids have been sleeping later too. Kara gets up around 7:15 now and Hailey and Derek anywhere from 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM. One morning this week they got up at 9:30 AM! We had a couple late nights so I was not surprised. Hailey actually took some afternoon naps this week as well.
Anyway I am going to start doing weekly posts and write what the training log requires me to do that week and what I actually did. Hopefully they will be the same or at least close to it.
I am trying to think what I did this week. Tuesdays are usually the long and busy day around here. I took it completely off. I skipped Group Power on Wednesday and chose to sleep instead. On Thursday I almost did not get up because I had the alarm set wrong. Kara woke up at 5:30 AM and woke me up. She put herself back to sleep. I did not even have to go in there. As I left the church burgular alarm was going off. I walked over to church to make sure it was indeed the church and not a car alarm. I was trying to decide whether I should wake up Rob or try to find his keys and shut it off myself. I know the code so I know how to turn it off. Rob has as many keys as a jail keeper so it would take forever to figure out which key opens the fellowship hall. Thankfully it turned off by itself. By this time it was close to 6:00 AM. I figured I would not have enough time to get a good swim in and take a shower. So I opted for running instead on the treadmill. I hate the treadmill. I think it's because I have no iPod or headphones to hear the TVs (mine went through the wash and I haven't replaced them yet). I just get SO bored. On Friday which would be yesterday I ran five miles. I picked a route which I absolutely enjoyed. I purposely ran by Sumpter Park because I organized a MOPS event there in July. Someone recommended it, but I hadn't been there yet. It's a really nice park and it was very shady. I am going to try and take the kids there sometime in the next few weeks. I ran around that neighborhood until I hit Sunnyside and then took that by Woodmansee Park ending on Idylwood and back home. The only problem with the route is there were not too many hills. I need to run on more hills. I think I can detour on to Baxter and that will give me two huge hills to tackle. I am going to play with the route a little more. I do eight miles on Friday. Today I swam for twenty-five minutes. I am still not confident with my laps and feel like my form is still off balance. I think I just need to practice. I just can't get to the pool more than once a week right now. I think it will work to swim Saturdays. The pool was not very busy except for when water aerobics started. But they don't use the lap pool at all.
Eating wise, I did better this week. I did not count points at Scott and Nancy's party. It was too hard with all the little finger food. My best guess was I used most of my activity points. I also gained a pound, but I figured that would happen. When I hit that certain time of the month my weight goes up. I'm at 124 today. I've done really well on weekend. Tomorrow will be tough again with Melissa's Open House, but I am going to try to count points from it.
I think we're going to pick up our Team Winter tomorrow. Yay! Can't wait to wear my Team Winter running shirt!
Anyway I am going to start doing weekly posts and write what the training log requires me to do that week and what I actually did. Hopefully they will be the same or at least close to it.
I am trying to think what I did this week. Tuesdays are usually the long and busy day around here. I took it completely off. I skipped Group Power on Wednesday and chose to sleep instead. On Thursday I almost did not get up because I had the alarm set wrong. Kara woke up at 5:30 AM and woke me up. She put herself back to sleep. I did not even have to go in there. As I left the church burgular alarm was going off. I walked over to church to make sure it was indeed the church and not a car alarm. I was trying to decide whether I should wake up Rob or try to find his keys and shut it off myself. I know the code so I know how to turn it off. Rob has as many keys as a jail keeper so it would take forever to figure out which key opens the fellowship hall. Thankfully it turned off by itself. By this time it was close to 6:00 AM. I figured I would not have enough time to get a good swim in and take a shower. So I opted for running instead on the treadmill. I hate the treadmill. I think it's because I have no iPod or headphones to hear the TVs (mine went through the wash and I haven't replaced them yet). I just get SO bored. On Friday which would be yesterday I ran five miles. I picked a route which I absolutely enjoyed. I purposely ran by Sumpter Park because I organized a MOPS event there in July. Someone recommended it, but I hadn't been there yet. It's a really nice park and it was very shady. I am going to try and take the kids there sometime in the next few weeks. I ran around that neighborhood until I hit Sunnyside and then took that by Woodmansee Park ending on Idylwood and back home. The only problem with the route is there were not too many hills. I need to run on more hills. I think I can detour on to Baxter and that will give me two huge hills to tackle. I am going to play with the route a little more. I do eight miles on Friday. Today I swam for twenty-five minutes. I am still not confident with my laps and feel like my form is still off balance. I think I just need to practice. I just can't get to the pool more than once a week right now. I think it will work to swim Saturdays. The pool was not very busy except for when water aerobics started. But they don't use the lap pool at all.
Eating wise, I did better this week. I did not count points at Scott and Nancy's party. It was too hard with all the little finger food. My best guess was I used most of my activity points. I also gained a pound, but I figured that would happen. When I hit that certain time of the month my weight goes up. I'm at 124 today. I've done really well on weekend. Tomorrow will be tough again with Melissa's Open House, but I am going to try to count points from it.
I think we're going to pick up our Team Winter tomorrow. Yay! Can't wait to wear my Team Winter running shirt!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Training starts Monday!!!!
Marathon training starts on Monday!! This is pretty close to Hal Higdon's Marathon plan. The only change is I am doing six days of workouts instead of five. Hal has four days of running with one day of cross training. I am not sure where he puts weight training in there. But I want to continue with Group Power because I know it helps me tremendously. But Wednesday is Group Power only which is no cardio. It could be some weeks I skip it entirely and make it another rest day. I don't have to do Power twice a week. Also swimming on Saturday might be tough as we've had busy, busy weekends lately. There's been hardly any time to get away. I think if I'm committed to it, it can work. I do have the option of going to Saturday Power and swimming Wednesday morning or in the evening. The first long run is eight miles and I am so glad I am already past that. The last time I started marathon training I was not even up to three miles yet! I went out and ran three miles after I had only run one a couple days before! I am glad I have been running on a regular basis for two months.
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Group Power & Run
Tuesday - Run
Wednesday - Group Power
Thursday - Run
Friday - Long Run
Saturday - Cross Train (Swim)
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Group Power & Run
Tuesday - Run
Wednesday - Group Power
Thursday - Run
Friday - Long Run
Saturday - Cross Train (Swim)
Monday, June 14, 2010
June 13 & 14
Yesterday I took Hailey running with me again. She didn't really want to go. But she got super upset when I told her she could not run in a race in August if she didn't go running. I felt guilty. I struggle between the balance of pushing kids to do things even when they don't want to versus letting them make their own choices. I have always had regrets that I did not stick with soccer or track or clarinet etc. Then again if someone would have pushed me, I might have still quit. I was never driven until my 20's. I want Hailey to experience a lot of different sports and activities, but I do want her to become discipined and stick with things. We'll see where it goes.
After evening church I ran four miles. I did my old four mile route I used to do when we moved here...when I didn't know the neighborhood yet. It brought back memories. It also reminded me of why I hate running on Kuebler. Too busy. Too many cars. Too boring. I felt really strong and it was a nice way to end another Sunday. My Sundays lately have been rough due a lot of reasons I can't really get into. It doesn't have to do with Rob or people at church. It is kind of complicated to explain. Maybe I can formulate it into a blog post one of these days.
This morning I went to Group Power. Me and like ten other people...where was everybody? It felt so good to stretch my muscles. I was so sore from Friday. I also pulled a muscle in my neck. I do this a lot when I sleep on it funny. I often get a "stiff neck" once or twice a year. Power really helped. I have felt no pain in it since. It felt really good.
I realized that I was getting lazy with Weight Watchers and exceeding my points again. And it was a week when we were home so I don't really have an excuse. I am making better choices now. Yesterday I was even under my daily points by the end of the day and I had three meals and a snack. It's going better. Hopefully I'll see the results when I weigh in on Friday.
After evening church I ran four miles. I did my old four mile route I used to do when we moved here...when I didn't know the neighborhood yet. It brought back memories. It also reminded me of why I hate running on Kuebler. Too busy. Too many cars. Too boring. I felt really strong and it was a nice way to end another Sunday. My Sundays lately have been rough due a lot of reasons I can't really get into. It doesn't have to do with Rob or people at church. It is kind of complicated to explain. Maybe I can formulate it into a blog post one of these days.
This morning I went to Group Power. Me and like ten other people...where was everybody? It felt so good to stretch my muscles. I was so sore from Friday. I also pulled a muscle in my neck. I do this a lot when I sleep on it funny. I often get a "stiff neck" once or twice a year. Power really helped. I have felt no pain in it since. It felt really good.
I realized that I was getting lazy with Weight Watchers and exceeding my points again. And it was a week when we were home so I don't really have an excuse. I am making better choices now. Yesterday I was even under my daily points by the end of the day and I had three meals and a snack. It's going better. Hopefully I'll see the results when I weigh in on Friday.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
June 10, 11 & 12 and the weird guy who might be on the wanted list!
On Thursday I went swimming in the morning. Again tried to get up at 5:30 AM. Got to the pool by 6:00 AM. I swam a full lap again. I did swim for a total of about twenty minutes. Again it is really exhausting. I feel like I am getting the hang of it more each time. It was nice swimming twice this week. If I can get over there an evening this week, I am going to try to do twice a week again.
Then Friday was my long run. I mapped out a route that would take me past four parks so I could get water or use the bathroom if I needed to. I intentionally planned streets where I knew there would be hills. The alarm went off at 4:50 AM. Like usual I did get out the door until 5:25 AM. As I started running down Hrubetz, I saw a couple runners and walkers. Then I saw this strange looking guy who gave me the creeps. You could tell he was not going anywhere...not headed to the bus stop, not walking to the grocery store, not really having any destination. He was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt and black shoes. When I went past him he would run for a little bit and then walk. You could tell he wasn't really exercising. I turned down Lone Oak and hugged the sidewalk. I kept a look out for him and was even going to duck into some shrubs. I lost sight of him. I turned down Boone. When I got to Commercial I saw the billboard at Commercial and Kuebler. It flashes everything from ads to events in Salem to missing children to people who are wanted by the Salem Police. It flashed a picture that looked like the guy I just saw and he was wanted by the police. I was not sure if I was freaking out and maybe my mind was running away with me. I happened to have my cell phone with me and I called the non-emergency number. The dispatcher said they could not really use my tip unless I was seeing the guy as I spoke to her or it had been a few minutes. By the time I saw the guy about 10-15 minutes had passed and she said it was too late. Honestly those pictures are blurry and only show the face. It could have easily been someone else. After talking to my neighbor today, she said they have lived in our neighborhood for fifty years and have never been broken to. She said there is very, very little crime and most of it is domestic. But what if it was him? I've questioned if it's safe to run outside alone. I don't run in the dark unless I'm with someone. I take the cell phone on long runs (maybe I should on shorter runs too). I always run in busier areas or safe neighborhoods. I see tons of other runners that are mostly women running alone. I think you always have to be on guard. This is one the reasons that I think should someday take karate with Rob. Right now our schedule and finances will not allow it.
Anyway the hills were brutal. It was sometimes a constant uphill/downhill. I think the uphills are more mentally challenging for me. I can do them well. I actually only stopped to walk for around three minutes going uphill on Madrona. That hill is a killer. I almost thought about running to Liberty and calling it good. By the time I got to the Madrona hill I had only run 5 1/2 miles. It's amazing how your body adjusts and you do gain a second wind. Honestly by the time I hit eight miles, I felt strong and could have gone longer. The 5 1/2 - 7 1/2 mile stretch was brutal and I really struggled. It was completely different from last week's run. Last week I was mostly on flat terrain with two little hills at Bush Park. I was pleased I only walked about three minutes total. It made me scared to do my long run next week. I really, really hope the hills get easier. I guess they can't get harder.
I loved running on Battlecreek when it turns to Pringle. It doesn't feel like you're in the city and the rolling hills were perfect. You can even see the mountains. It was my favorite part of the run. Once I hit Madrona, I felt crummy. I'm going to play around with the route a little bit for next week.
On Thursday night I also went running with Hailey again. So fun! We both love it! She ran and walked a half mile again. We are going to try do it three times a week. I am going to see if we can run on Willamette University's track.
The last few days I have had some encouraging words from friends and family about Team Winter. I feel like my spirits were lifted. It is a matter of trust. Worrying accomplishes nothing. So happy to be a part of Team Winter.
Then Friday was my long run. I mapped out a route that would take me past four parks so I could get water or use the bathroom if I needed to. I intentionally planned streets where I knew there would be hills. The alarm went off at 4:50 AM. Like usual I did get out the door until 5:25 AM. As I started running down Hrubetz, I saw a couple runners and walkers. Then I saw this strange looking guy who gave me the creeps. You could tell he was not going anywhere...not headed to the bus stop, not walking to the grocery store, not really having any destination. He was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt and black shoes. When I went past him he would run for a little bit and then walk. You could tell he wasn't really exercising. I turned down Lone Oak and hugged the sidewalk. I kept a look out for him and was even going to duck into some shrubs. I lost sight of him. I turned down Boone. When I got to Commercial I saw the billboard at Commercial and Kuebler. It flashes everything from ads to events in Salem to missing children to people who are wanted by the Salem Police. It flashed a picture that looked like the guy I just saw and he was wanted by the police. I was not sure if I was freaking out and maybe my mind was running away with me. I happened to have my cell phone with me and I called the non-emergency number. The dispatcher said they could not really use my tip unless I was seeing the guy as I spoke to her or it had been a few minutes. By the time I saw the guy about 10-15 minutes had passed and she said it was too late. Honestly those pictures are blurry and only show the face. It could have easily been someone else. After talking to my neighbor today, she said they have lived in our neighborhood for fifty years and have never been broken to. She said there is very, very little crime and most of it is domestic. But what if it was him? I've questioned if it's safe to run outside alone. I don't run in the dark unless I'm with someone. I take the cell phone on long runs (maybe I should on shorter runs too). I always run in busier areas or safe neighborhoods. I see tons of other runners that are mostly women running alone. I think you always have to be on guard. This is one the reasons that I think should someday take karate with Rob. Right now our schedule and finances will not allow it.
Anyway the hills were brutal. It was sometimes a constant uphill/downhill. I think the uphills are more mentally challenging for me. I can do them well. I actually only stopped to walk for around three minutes going uphill on Madrona. That hill is a killer. I almost thought about running to Liberty and calling it good. By the time I got to the Madrona hill I had only run 5 1/2 miles. It's amazing how your body adjusts and you do gain a second wind. Honestly by the time I hit eight miles, I felt strong and could have gone longer. The 5 1/2 - 7 1/2 mile stretch was brutal and I really struggled. It was completely different from last week's run. Last week I was mostly on flat terrain with two little hills at Bush Park. I was pleased I only walked about three minutes total. It made me scared to do my long run next week. I really, really hope the hills get easier. I guess they can't get harder.
I loved running on Battlecreek when it turns to Pringle. It doesn't feel like you're in the city and the rolling hills were perfect. You can even see the mountains. It was my favorite part of the run. Once I hit Madrona, I felt crummy. I'm going to play around with the route a little bit for next week.
On Thursday night I also went running with Hailey again. So fun! We both love it! She ran and walked a half mile again. We are going to try do it three times a week. I am going to see if we can run on Willamette University's track.
The last few days I have had some encouraging words from friends and family about Team Winter. I feel like my spirits were lifted. It is a matter of trust. Worrying accomplishes nothing. So happy to be a part of Team Winter.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Add on from the last post
I also forgot that on Tuesday night I went swimming. I finally swam a whole lap non-stop. But it was TOUGH! Twenty minutes swimming is about all I can do. Maybe that will increase someday.
I also mapped out a nine mile run for this weekend I am pretty excited about. I'll pass three park--Wes Bennet, Morningside, and Hillview. I'll probably hit some good hills too. They say you should do your long runs on flat courses. Columbia Gorge is very hilly so I want to keep up with the hills. I need that endurance!
I decided not to get my Team Winter website everyday. The donations or lack thereof was causing me too much anxiety. I know I will generate some more donations and I will be making my own contribution soon. With potty training, Kara's bad nap schedule today, and VBS planning--I don't need the extra stress right now. I am hopefully going to the Vinecki house next week to pick up Team Winter t-shirts. I am looking forward to that. I watched one the videos again on the Team Winter website and it reminded me why I am doing this. Even if my contribution is small, every little bit helps. I have to remember that.
Funny gym obsevation today - The song we do the shoulder workout is the most bizarre song I have ever heard. It reminds me of an 80's super hero cartoon. It's hard to do the workout because I just can't take it seriously. :) There is also this lady who seems really kind. I would probably enjoy talking to her if I felt like carrying on a conversation at 5:15 AM--I'm usually a zombie. She always goes ahead of the instructor. She always finishes everything first. It kind of bugs me. I don't like standing in back of her because it throws me off. Why can't she go in sync with everyone else?
I also mapped out a nine mile run for this weekend I am pretty excited about. I'll pass three park--Wes Bennet, Morningside, and Hillview. I'll probably hit some good hills too. They say you should do your long runs on flat courses. Columbia Gorge is very hilly so I want to keep up with the hills. I need that endurance!
I decided not to get my Team Winter website everyday. The donations or lack thereof was causing me too much anxiety. I know I will generate some more donations and I will be making my own contribution soon. With potty training, Kara's bad nap schedule today, and VBS planning--I don't need the extra stress right now. I am hopefully going to the Vinecki house next week to pick up Team Winter t-shirts. I am looking forward to that. I watched one the videos again on the Team Winter website and it reminded me why I am doing this. Even if my contribution is small, every little bit helps. I have to remember that.
Funny gym obsevation today - The song we do the shoulder workout is the most bizarre song I have ever heard. It reminds me of an 80's super hero cartoon. It's hard to do the workout because I just can't take it seriously. :) There is also this lady who seems really kind. I would probably enjoy talking to her if I felt like carrying on a conversation at 5:15 AM--I'm usually a zombie. She always goes ahead of the instructor. She always finishes everything first. It kind of bugs me. I don't like standing in back of her because it throws me off. Why can't she go in sync with everyone else?
June 6 - 9
I took Sunday off from all the running on Friday and Saturday. Sunday turned out to be a crummy day for various reasons. Running probably would have helped boost my mood. I also did not want to overdue it. The weather was not nice enough to take the kids to the park or go walking with them.
Rob and I stayed up later than usual on Sunday watching some documentary. I did not want to get up for Power because I only would have gotten six hours of sleep. So I went running at 6:00 AM. I ran my three mile route. I felt a little sore coming off the weekend, but it was a good run.
Yesterday I meant to get up and go running. The alarm went off and I felt so tired. I felt like my body was telling me I had to sleep or I would not be able to function. I had planned to go running at Rob's lunch. We were sitting on the patio. It was finally warm out. We were having a lot of fun in the backyard. So I put it off until the evening. That meant I stayed in running clothes all day without showering--kind of gross. I don't usually do that.
Hailey has been asking me to take her running. So I ran with her to Lone Oak and back (a little less than a half mile). We ran/walk. She loved it and so did I. It was pretty fun. Willamette Valley Roadrunners hosts cross country nights in August and kids six and under can run 500 meters. Hailey says she wants to try it. If she continues to be interested and motivated, I'll keep taking her. It's a nice warm up for me. After she went to bed, I ran my regular two mile route. I felt like I kept my pace faster than normal. It's hard beleive a few months ago two miles was the most I could run. Now it's a breeze. The rain was starting to come down and it was getting cooler out. I don't like running in the evenings, but sometimes it is a nice break from the morning.
This morning I did get up for Power. I felt like a zombie when I got there. Once I got into the workout, I felt good. She didn't change the workout very much from last week. So I knew what to expect. I think I am going to try to increase my weights on back and legs. I could probably increase it on the lunge track, but I'm too chicken. The lunges hurt today. I worry about my knees. I had pretty bad knee problems in high school which my doctor diagnosed as bursitis. Whenever I get injured it's always that area or the area in back of the knee.
Official marathon training starts for me a week from Monday! I am pretty excited!
Rob and I stayed up later than usual on Sunday watching some documentary. I did not want to get up for Power because I only would have gotten six hours of sleep. So I went running at 6:00 AM. I ran my three mile route. I felt a little sore coming off the weekend, but it was a good run.
Yesterday I meant to get up and go running. The alarm went off and I felt so tired. I felt like my body was telling me I had to sleep or I would not be able to function. I had planned to go running at Rob's lunch. We were sitting on the patio. It was finally warm out. We were having a lot of fun in the backyard. So I put it off until the evening. That meant I stayed in running clothes all day without showering--kind of gross. I don't usually do that.
Hailey has been asking me to take her running. So I ran with her to Lone Oak and back (a little less than a half mile). We ran/walk. She loved it and so did I. It was pretty fun. Willamette Valley Roadrunners hosts cross country nights in August and kids six and under can run 500 meters. Hailey says she wants to try it. If she continues to be interested and motivated, I'll keep taking her. It's a nice warm up for me. After she went to bed, I ran my regular two mile route. I felt like I kept my pace faster than normal. It's hard beleive a few months ago two miles was the most I could run. Now it's a breeze. The rain was starting to come down and it was getting cooler out. I don't like running in the evenings, but sometimes it is a nice break from the morning.
This morning I did get up for Power. I felt like a zombie when I got there. Once I got into the workout, I felt good. She didn't change the workout very much from last week. So I knew what to expect. I think I am going to try to increase my weights on back and legs. I could probably increase it on the lunge track, but I'm too chicken. The lunges hurt today. I worry about my knees. I had pretty bad knee problems in high school which my doctor diagnosed as bursitis. Whenever I get injured it's always that area or the area in back of the knee.
Official marathon training starts for me a week from Monday! I am pretty excited!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
June 4 & 5
Big running weekend!
Yesterday I ran eight miles. I drove to Bush Park and parked the car in the lower lot. Then I did two full laps around the park (which amounted to around three miles), then ran downtown to Riverfront Park, did two laps around Riverfront, ran back to Bush and did a final lap around Bush. The weather was a little gray and cool, but I did not get rained on. Some of the paths at Bush were very muddy and wet, but were still doable. It was an awesome run. It was one of those days I felt like I could run forever. I felt like I could go on for miles. I felt SO strong. I think the change of scenery helped. I love running downtown, but I hit a lot of lights going back from Riverfront to Bush. I found the pedestrian bridge that goes from Riverfront to Wallace Marine Park. I might try it next time. Or else the bike path that goes from Commercial Street to Minto Brown Park.
I had a better week. With potty training Derek and dealing with the nasty weather, I felt overwhelmed by all the noise and all the demands. On Thursday morning I had Derek on the potty screaming, Kara screaming in her high chair, and Hailey asking me to glue this tiny dimed sized magnet she decided to throw against the wall. Plus I had soap on the stove (we started making our own laundry detergent). She kept asking for the glue over and over again. I felt like 1) asking her she really thinks gluing a silly magnet is important to me considering everything else I have going. 2) throwing the magnet out the window 3) screaming. Thankfully I didn't do any of those three things. I got Kara out of her chair and into her crib, got Derek back into his pants, got the soap off the stove, and even found the glue and fixed Hailey's magnet. It is draining and takes every ounce of energy out of me to act the way I'm supposed to and not this crabby, edgy, mean Amy.
When I run, all this escapes me. I never wear an iPod (I don't own one anyway) because running is my solitude. I love the sounds of nature. I love being entertained by the thoughts in my own head. I feel free. I feel confident. I feel like I can tackle the world. When I come home these feelings last a little while.
Today it was a nice warm spring day. I ran four miles and did the neighborhood back behind Roths. This is a great place to run because it is quiet, there's hardly any traffic, and there are hills. I need to do more hills. The Columbia Gorge Marathon is a hilly course and is challening. I questioned whether I can do it. It's only my second marathon. I do pretty well on hills. I got really used to them when we lived close to the dunes in Michigan. I want to be more comfortable with them because they are mentally challenging for me than physically. I only run on the treadmill once a week. I do three to four runs outside so I know I am getting good cross country type training.
Today was a little harder run. It took a mile before I finally felt like I was "in the zone." I did enjoy the hills today and did not have to stop and walk at all.
Trying to decide whether I want to skip Power one day this week and run instead and then do an extra workout of swimming. Or else try to get over to the gym an evening this week and swim. We're going to try and have our garage sale this weekend so ideally I'd like to do my long run on Thursday. Rob and I are trying to do ab workouts three times a week. We did them Thursday night and I wasn't quite as sore this time. He needs to keep doing them so he can test for his next belt in the late summer/early fall. The evening hits and we're so tired that we lose all motivation. Who wants to do stomach crunches at 9PM at night!?
Hoping to raise more funds for Team Winter. Trying to get the word out there. God put this charity on my heart and I'm trusting He will provide.
Yesterday I ran eight miles. I drove to Bush Park and parked the car in the lower lot. Then I did two full laps around the park (which amounted to around three miles), then ran downtown to Riverfront Park, did two laps around Riverfront, ran back to Bush and did a final lap around Bush. The weather was a little gray and cool, but I did not get rained on. Some of the paths at Bush were very muddy and wet, but were still doable. It was an awesome run. It was one of those days I felt like I could run forever. I felt like I could go on for miles. I felt SO strong. I think the change of scenery helped. I love running downtown, but I hit a lot of lights going back from Riverfront to Bush. I found the pedestrian bridge that goes from Riverfront to Wallace Marine Park. I might try it next time. Or else the bike path that goes from Commercial Street to Minto Brown Park.
I had a better week. With potty training Derek and dealing with the nasty weather, I felt overwhelmed by all the noise and all the demands. On Thursday morning I had Derek on the potty screaming, Kara screaming in her high chair, and Hailey asking me to glue this tiny dimed sized magnet she decided to throw against the wall. Plus I had soap on the stove (we started making our own laundry detergent). She kept asking for the glue over and over again. I felt like 1) asking her she really thinks gluing a silly magnet is important to me considering everything else I have going. 2) throwing the magnet out the window 3) screaming. Thankfully I didn't do any of those three things. I got Kara out of her chair and into her crib, got Derek back into his pants, got the soap off the stove, and even found the glue and fixed Hailey's magnet. It is draining and takes every ounce of energy out of me to act the way I'm supposed to and not this crabby, edgy, mean Amy.
When I run, all this escapes me. I never wear an iPod (I don't own one anyway) because running is my solitude. I love the sounds of nature. I love being entertained by the thoughts in my own head. I feel free. I feel confident. I feel like I can tackle the world. When I come home these feelings last a little while.
Today it was a nice warm spring day. I ran four miles and did the neighborhood back behind Roths. This is a great place to run because it is quiet, there's hardly any traffic, and there are hills. I need to do more hills. The Columbia Gorge Marathon is a hilly course and is challening. I questioned whether I can do it. It's only my second marathon. I do pretty well on hills. I got really used to them when we lived close to the dunes in Michigan. I want to be more comfortable with them because they are mentally challenging for me than physically. I only run on the treadmill once a week. I do three to four runs outside so I know I am getting good cross country type training.
Today was a little harder run. It took a mile before I finally felt like I was "in the zone." I did enjoy the hills today and did not have to stop and walk at all.
Trying to decide whether I want to skip Power one day this week and run instead and then do an extra workout of swimming. Or else try to get over to the gym an evening this week and swim. We're going to try and have our garage sale this weekend so ideally I'd like to do my long run on Thursday. Rob and I are trying to do ab workouts three times a week. We did them Thursday night and I wasn't quite as sore this time. He needs to keep doing them so he can test for his next belt in the late summer/early fall. The evening hits and we're so tired that we lose all motivation. Who wants to do stomach crunches at 9PM at night!?
Hoping to raise more funds for Team Winter. Trying to get the word out there. God put this charity on my heart and I'm trusting He will provide.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
June 1 - 3
So I said it was would be quite humorous if my weight was down. Well actually it is. I am down 123! I haven't weighed this low since I was at Calvin. Wow! Who would have thought? I weighed myself on Tuesday, but I don't trust our cheap Wal Mart scale. I thought it was a little "off." The scale at the gym this morning confirmed it. It was the same. So maybe the fattening foods on the church campout did not set me back too far. I am pretty sure I was dealing with a female problem last week that was causing a weight gain.
On Tuesday I ran three miles at 6:30 AM. Kara slept in! Finally. I knew it wouldn't last as she's had early mornings again the last two days. At least I am getting great night sleep. Who would have thought? Three months ago I was lucky if I slept more than a two hour block. Anyway I ran my two mile route but went up to Ewald. It was a great run and before the rain hit. I felt super strong. Sometimes taking a couple days off helps you come back even stronger.
Yesterday I made it to Group Power. Again the shoulders track was so tough! I couldn't believe how hard the upright rows were for me. While everyone was dying on biceps, I felt like I was kicking butt. Rob and I are also trying to do abs workouts in the evening. He gets these hard core ab workouts at karate. He taught me some Friday night and I swear my abs were sore all day Saturday and Sunday. At first I thought I was getting gastroenteritis again, but it was muscle soreness. We were going to do them Tuesday night, but the Council meeting went too late. I was exhausted by 10 PM. Potty Training Round Two is going much smoother than Potty Training Round One. It is still pretty tiring. I feel like I am earning a Masters Degree in multitasking.
After Group Power I ran two miles on the treadmill. I didn't feel very good and I usually don't after Power. I was probably a little dehydrated. I actually felt the best once I was fifteen minutes into it, but I had to get back home by 6:45. Not sure about the new treadmills. I need to figure out how the programs work on it. I kept my speed lower like at 5.8. Had I not come from Power I could have done 6.2 like I was doing before.
Today the alarm went off at 4:50 AM. I didn't make it to the gym until 5:50 AM. I swam for twenty minutes. My goal is to swim one full lap without taking a breather in between. I still can't do it! Swimming is still tough for me. My rotary breathing is better. I daresay my form is smoother. It is still utterly exhausting. Maybe next week I can complete a lap. I'd like to add another swimming workout. I am thinking if Rob has a lighter week, I'd like to get an evening swim session in and maybe take myself out for coffee afterwards. Could have used it this week, but time did not allow it.
It looks like I won't be doing the 5K with the stroller. Kendra's stroller has a flat and I don't want to try and take the tire off and fix it. We tried putting air in it twice and it was deflated within a couple minutes. I also don't feel like buying my own jogger because they are way too expensive. We're slowly graduating out of the stroller phase anyway. I realize Kara will be in a stroller for awhile, but I am at the point where I am getting rid of baby items and not buying new ones. I am going to do Tracey's 6K in late June. I just saw there is an 8K in McMinnville in July...that might be a fun one. I would LOVE it if Team Winter would sponsor a 5K, but they are doing a bunch of triathalons right now. The fact I don't own a functioning bike and can't swim more than a length...I guess I have to stick with running.
On Tuesday I ran three miles at 6:30 AM. Kara slept in! Finally. I knew it wouldn't last as she's had early mornings again the last two days. At least I am getting great night sleep. Who would have thought? Three months ago I was lucky if I slept more than a two hour block. Anyway I ran my two mile route but went up to Ewald. It was a great run and before the rain hit. I felt super strong. Sometimes taking a couple days off helps you come back even stronger.
Yesterday I made it to Group Power. Again the shoulders track was so tough! I couldn't believe how hard the upright rows were for me. While everyone was dying on biceps, I felt like I was kicking butt. Rob and I are also trying to do abs workouts in the evening. He gets these hard core ab workouts at karate. He taught me some Friday night and I swear my abs were sore all day Saturday and Sunday. At first I thought I was getting gastroenteritis again, but it was muscle soreness. We were going to do them Tuesday night, but the Council meeting went too late. I was exhausted by 10 PM. Potty Training Round Two is going much smoother than Potty Training Round One. It is still pretty tiring. I feel like I am earning a Masters Degree in multitasking.
After Group Power I ran two miles on the treadmill. I didn't feel very good and I usually don't after Power. I was probably a little dehydrated. I actually felt the best once I was fifteen minutes into it, but I had to get back home by 6:45. Not sure about the new treadmills. I need to figure out how the programs work on it. I kept my speed lower like at 5.8. Had I not come from Power I could have done 6.2 like I was doing before.
Today the alarm went off at 4:50 AM. I didn't make it to the gym until 5:50 AM. I swam for twenty minutes. My goal is to swim one full lap without taking a breather in between. I still can't do it! Swimming is still tough for me. My rotary breathing is better. I daresay my form is smoother. It is still utterly exhausting. Maybe next week I can complete a lap. I'd like to add another swimming workout. I am thinking if Rob has a lighter week, I'd like to get an evening swim session in and maybe take myself out for coffee afterwards. Could have used it this week, but time did not allow it.
It looks like I won't be doing the 5K with the stroller. Kendra's stroller has a flat and I don't want to try and take the tire off and fix it. We tried putting air in it twice and it was deflated within a couple minutes. I also don't feel like buying my own jogger because they are way too expensive. We're slowly graduating out of the stroller phase anyway. I realize Kara will be in a stroller for awhile, but I am at the point where I am getting rid of baby items and not buying new ones. I am going to do Tracey's 6K in late June. I just saw there is an 8K in McMinnville in July...that might be a fun one. I would LOVE it if Team Winter would sponsor a 5K, but they are doing a bunch of triathalons right now. The fact I don't own a functioning bike and can't swim more than a length...I guess I have to stick with running.
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