Week 15, Days 2 & 3 - Going Postal

Since last Saturday's post fulfilled my kvetching quota for a while, today's post will be used primarily to pay homage to my awesomeness. I know I should start with yesterday's run, but I'm particularly proud of today's run.... so there.

Since 1912, the inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York city has read:
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.^"

However.... today, I one upped the USPS b/c today there was snow AND rain AND cold and it did NOT stay this runner from the swift completion of my appointed runs.  Today I ran 4 miles in 36 degree rain snow (or maybe snowy rain?) - Boo......Yaa.....  

In stark contrast to last Saturday's run where I was not dressed appropriately (and therefore mostly cold, miserable and wet for 7 miles), today was probably the most appropriately I've EVER been dressed for a run.  I'm starting to realize that my rain/running coat is more awesome than I thought when the weather is particularly bad.....i.e. when it's 36 F-ing degrees outside and I'm very thankful for all the heat it keeps in!  So, I wore my rain coat with a short sleeve polyester T (another key to the rain coat comfort is wearing a short sleeve shirt), capris, a fleece hat (rather than my Ani baseball style cap) and some gloves.  I spent the first mile or so with my hood over my hatted head, but when the wet snowy wind let up a bit, I found myself comfortable enough to take my hood off.  (On a side note, one positive aspect of wearing a real hat rather than a baseball cap is that it keeps your earbuds in!)  Then around mile 2, I even took my gloves off.  Despite the cold wet windy rainy snow, I was perfectly temperate for my entire run :)

On a funny note, around mile 2.5, I was zoning out thinking about G-d knows what rather than watching the sidewalk in front of me and I ended up submerging my entire left foot in a gigantic puddle. For the final 1.5 miles, I just felt my feet going "Squish, clop, squish, clop, squish, clop, squish."  After about 1/4 mile, most of the wetness was finally squished out and it was surprisingly not terrible for the rest of my run.  In truth, my feet were starting to fall asleep a little and it woke them up pretty nice :)

I felt like I was running really strong, zoning out and thinking some thoughts:

1) Showing off: I have to admit there is a piece of me that wants to show off for all the drivers that pass me by when the weather is bad.  It's almost as if I WANT people to think I'm a lunatic for running in that kind of weather!!  And in my head, the more people who drive by thinking, "Wow... that lady is nuts for running in this!", the more I try to look each driver in the eye and put a maniacally look on my face which says, "HELLS BELLS MOTHER-FU**ER!!!!  I AM A BAD ASS RUNNER WHO CANNOT BE DETERRED BY COLD OR WETNESS!!! I HOPE YOU'RE SITTING IN YOUR WARM CAR FEELING LAAAAAAAAAZY!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!"  I want to show them up by running with my chin up, my belly in, a nice stride and a big smile on my face. I guess when I go out in that kind of weather, I get so damned proud of myself I want to show off..... which is why whenever the weather is particularly bad I post it on Facebook within moments of being finished :) Give me mah props bitches!

2) Running with people: I've mentioned several times today that I have some inadequacy issues about running with other people.  I always feel like I need to keep up and if I fall behind then I'm crap, but today I realized I have it all backwards!   First off, there's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition!  I have confidence in the friendships I have with my running buddies and a little bruised ego (usually on my part) doesn't matter.  Second, when I run by myself I do feel really good running in my little world, but running with other people gets me out of my comfort zone to push myself in a way which I just wouldn't do if I was by myself.  I look at my friends who love running up hills and despite thinking they're a little nuts, I find myself trying to love running up hills too! It hasn't worked yet, but I know one day it will!!  They challenge me in gentle non-judgmental ways which makes me want to push harder!  I'm pretty sure that all my best running times have been when I was running with other people..... so lovely lady running buddies.... Thank you :)

3) Shoes: Shoes are supposed to last about 300 miles or 6 months.  I'm pretty sure right now I've run less than 200 miles in my current shoes, but I'm fairly certain they're already going.  Maybe it's due to running exclusively outdoors and generally in rain (Helloooooo Oregon)?  I've started feeling a little bit of knee and hip pain and my shoes just don't seem to have the bounce they once did.... poor shoes :( I always feel so sad putting a pair in the trash. This weekend I'll be running the Ft. Vancouver 10K and will hopefully get a nice fat running store coupon which will be used next week to buy 2 pairs of shoes.  I think that rather than buy 1 pair now only to need another pair by the time the marathon comes around, I'll buy 2 pairs and keep one at work for my Tues/Thurs runs.  This way, by the time the marathon comes around, I'll have a lot less mileage on my work shoes, so they'll be better for the marathon.

4) Races: When I started this odyssey, I only planned to run two races: The Vancouver Marathon, and the Ft. Vancouver 10K b/c it was free with registration to the Vancouver Marathon :)  However, 3 months later, I'm now signed up for 4 races.... which was not anticipated!!!!  This Sunday is the Ft. Vancouver run which will be my first timed run en route to the Marathon.  Then in 2 weeks I'll run the Shamrock run which I look forward to mostly for the dressing up (I was raised with too many Irish not to love St. Patty's Day!) and the beer upon crossing the finish line.  Just this morning, my friend Alycia convinced me via text to sign up for the Portland Rock N Roll Half Marathon on May 20.  Then, finally the Marathon on June 17.  Oddly enough, the first three races fit into my training schedule for the marathon or I wouldn't have signed up.  In my whole life, I've run in TWO races.... now I'm running in 4 races inside of 3 months....It really does amaze me how this marathon training has changed my whole life :)

5) Costs: One of the reasons I took up running was because I thought, "The only costs associated with running are for shoes!".... YEAH RIGHT!!!  I CANNOT believe the small fortune I've spent on running.  My expenses have been as follows: $300 on entrance fees, $60 on shoes, $110 on sports bras, $50 running jacket which only really works in extremely cold temperatures, $20 on an iphone strap for my arm, $10 energy gel packs, $30 hydration belt, not to mention paying parking meters gas (or $230 on a double jogging stroller and $100 for a single jogging stroller). AND.... I'll be spending at least another $300 over before the marathon because I'll need 2 more pairs of Over-Pronator shoes, more capris (One of them developed thunder thigh holes), and I'll probably suck it up and buy a bonafide running jacket which will work better than the one I have. I'm amazed that this so-called "cheap sport" has cost me around $1000 over 6 months...... It's a damned good thing I finally got a job.

So now that I've gone through all the stuff going on in my head during today's run, I no longer have the umph to write about yesterday's run...... it was fine and I ran 3 miles in a nice 9:44 mile pace :)

GOOD NIGHT!

Week 14, Day 6 - I've been a naughty blogger :(

I know, I know... it's been nearly 2 weeks since I've blogged :(  Don't worry... I've been doing nearly all of my runs :) Now here I am at the end of week 14 - which means I'm nearly 1/2 way through my training program and to tell the truth there's been so much going on in my little land, I wasn't quite sure I've wanted to write it all down just yet. 

First we'll talk about today's 7 mile run in Portland which started at the Marina, down the waterfront to Burnside to Broadway, then up Broadway to Terwilliger to Barbur.  7 miles was a new distance for me since I've started running again and a new long distance for my running buddy Marie.  Once again, we ran the route of the Shamrock run which is a really tough ginormous hill.  However, today's source of difficulty was actually weather.  It was 38 degrees and raining hard, but it was the type of rain which you could tell would be snow if only it was a few degrees colder.  The rain came down in big gloppy puddles to splash on us and the wind chilled all our wet spots as we ran into it.  I've come to realize the jacket I purchased a few weeks ago isn't very good for running despite the tag saying so.  It certainly keeps the rain out, but there's virtually no ventilation so it gets really hot inside and I can hardly wear it for more than the first mile of a run.  So today, I was in a cotton long sleeve T.  I kept thinking of my backpacking class "Professor" saying, "Cotton Kills!!!" because it keeps cold and wet for a long time increasing your susceptibility to hypothermia (yes, my University allowed us to take a Backpacking "class" for credit as a sport).  By the end of the 7 miles I was freezing and very thankful for my foresight to have left a dry shirt in my car to change into. 

I was a little worried about running with Marie today, because as I've noted on several entries, the woman is fast like lightning - especially on hills.  On last week's 6 mile ran she was so fast that I actually lost sight of her around mid run!  Thankfully, due to her inner Californian being developmentally unused to the snow, she got cold enough that she had a hard time running and I was actually able to keep her within sight for most of the run and was even able to pass her... it was only for a hot second, but it did wonders for my confidence level :)  (is that wrong of me to think like that?  You know I love you Marie!)   I couldn't help myself from thinking of the old fable of the tortoise and the hare.

Despite the cold rain, tough hills and length of the run, we finished with a strong 10:46 min/mile pace which I'm really proud of.  Also, we had gotten stuck at a few traffic lights, so I don't feel too bad about shaving off 10 of those seconds to say our pace was closer to 10:36 min/mile.  Yay us :) 

Next week Marie, Michelle and myself will be running the Ft. Vancouver 10K.  I'm excited for my first real chipped race in preparation for the Marathon.  AAAAnnnd.....Registration is still open if anyone feels like joining us:
http://energyevents.com/fortvancouverrun


So what's going on in my head?  a lot:
1) work -
I really love my new job.  I enjoy the work itself, my new co-workers, the schedule and especially the nice weekly paycheck :)  However, I'm flippin exhausted. I now have2 days to do all the things that I used to have 5 days for AND I have both kids in tow for everything.  I haven't yet had a single morning or afternoon to lay low and even vaguely relax.  So, even though I've been doing most of my running, by the end of the day I just don't seem to have the energy to sit down and blog.  Hell... I've barely check my e-mail in 5 weeks!  I'm going to try to do a better job about blogging.  I've had 4 people chastise me about it within 24 hours and it made me realize how irresponsible I've been by disappointing my 'fans' :)

2) sleep
Lilah is back to keeping us up all night again.  She had a cold for several weeks and ended up back in our bed due to our own anxieties :(  Lately, she comes into bed around 2am, then tosses and turns until it's time to wake up at 7am.  Last night I decided to dig in my heals and start sleep training again.  She woke at 3am and I let her cry it out for nearly 90 minutes, but she won the battle and ended up back in our bed. I'm hoping that by the time she goes to college, she won't want to sleep with us anymore.

3) diet
I was trying to continue doing South Beach Diet and when that failed, I was trying to just cut out carbs... but the truth is I was feeling pretty run down most of the time.  I even started taking Multi-Vitamins again to try to get some more energy.  However, I guess my body needs fried chicken and wine to function reasonably.  Somewhere between working again, not getting sleep and running a lot, I need to eat DAMMIT!!!  I've seriously been feeling like Chris Farley in this old SNL skit:

So, I guess the diet is on hold for now.

4) Runner's Lull
I have no idea if this is a real thing, but I do know it's a Nomi thing.  I feel as though I'm always getting excited about something and I start into some process, then I get bored and bail on the whole thing.  I don't know if it's true, but it's one of those things I feel about myself, i.e. the Diastasis training, dieting, being a Doula.  Yet, I always seem to find a reasonable excuse for why I can't continue on, i.e.  I can't diet and run at the same time!?!?!?.....so I quit.  Lately, I just haven't really felt like running, then I'll forget my shoes at home one day, or get busy with a project on another day, and before I know it I haven't run on a single Thursday in 6 weeks.  Maybe it really is because I'm so busy at work, or still not sleeping, or just having a hard time motivating myself, but this is the part where I wonder if this is the beginning of the end for yet another commitment I've made.  Am I going to start coming up with more and more reasonable excuses for not running?   I don't want to quit, but lately it's becoming more of a struggle to actually get my shoes on my feet.   AND.... of course the kicker is that I generally feel so awesome at the end of my run that I get mad at myself for knowing I almost didn't go.  
5) Confidence -
Last week I ran with two amazing friends and they totally smoked me.  It's embarrassing to admit how embarrassed I actually was to be unable to keep up with them.  Logically I'm well aware everyone runs at different speeds, we all have off days, that my goal in this whole process is simply to cross the finish line uninjured and WHO CARES how long it takes me?!?!?  However, after my run last week I questioned whether I really had the proverbial cajones to run a marathon.  I was able to keep up for nearly the first 3 miles, but then they pulled away and a few minutes later were completely out of sight.  Running so slowly and so far behind my friends made me think the most terrible thoughts about myself... that I'm fat and dumpy and if I can't keep up with my friends, then I obviously have no reason to think I could possible fulfil the massive undertaking of running a marathon.  It made me feel like a fool to think I could and a fraud for telling people I was going to even try (let alone blog about it).  My sister says this is the very reason why she doesn't want to run with anyone.... because when she runs alone she feels on top of the world, but running with someone else simply reminds her of her own self perceived inadequacies.  But, what do you do when you fall off a horse?  You get back on!!  Although I wouldn't really know due to my fear of horses, you get the jist.  And I went out again with 'Marie the Nimble' and actually managed to hold my own :)

Wow... this was actually harder to write down than I thought it would be.  And please don't worry for me....somewhere between all the things going on in my life and my head, I'm not going to give up.  I'm going to keep running and moving towards my goal and I'm going to kick the Marathon's ass even if I come in last place. 

I'm also fairly certain my lack of blogging is simply a symptom of the larger disease of self doubt.... If no one notices my non-blogging, then no one will notice my non-marathoning - right? So, if you notice me slacking on my blog again, please feel free to yell at me :)  Much like running, sometimes it's hard to start writing, but once I start I find the process enjoyable and am always happy to have finished another entry.   

Week 13, Day 2 - Happy Valentine's Day!

Today was a pretty good 3 mile run.  I decided to repeat my run from last week running around the Xerox campus, then around the field-y park (mostly b/c I haven't discovered any other routes yet).  The run itself felt pretty good, but it was VERY windy outside.  I felt like no matter which direction I turned, I was still running against the wind which was a little frustrating.

WARNING!!!  THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH CONTAINS CROTCHETY BITCHING OVER SOMETHING STUPID...READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK:
There's a certain sense of camaraderie among runners..... I always want to give other runners the props they deserve when they're out cruising the cement.... That's nice - right?   Also, when I see people running who are clearly out of shape or overweight, I always want to shout out, "GREAT JOB!!  KEEP IT UP!!!"...also nice!  However, today, this older lady walking her dog "GREAT JOB!! KEEP IT UP!!ed" me and royally aggravated me!!  First of all, in order to hear what she said, I actually had to slow down and take my earphones out which was annoying enough, but it also made me wonder if I had looked as though I needed someone to cheer me on?  Did I look like I was struggling or overweight?  I don't think so... When I'm pushing the kids in the stroller or when I was out walking while pregnant, I enjoyed people's encouragement... I was like, "Hell's bells biznatch!  I AM doing something awesome & thanks for recognizing!"  However... today was a completely different story, I've been running for 4 months now and thought I was actually starting to look slightly fit.  I know this woman was obviously just trying to be incredibly nice by encouraging me and I'm also aware that I'm being crotchety and oversensitive, but the truth is she pissed me off something terrible.... It really made me rethink wanting to give encouragement to other runners too.  From now on, I'm pretty sure I'll be keeping my mouth shut.

In other news.  I went out yesterday to buy a hydration belt.  I purchased one which is nearly identical to Michelle's from this past Saturday.  It has 2 big bottles which fit in little compartments over the small of my back.  It also has a nice sized pouch which can hold keys and gel packs. Even though I only ran 3 miles today, I decided to take it out with me just to see how it felt running with water. I thought for sure the sloshing would drive me crazy, but I didnt' feel it at all and couldn't hear it over my music.  I'm going to have to figure out how to jimmy the belt part better b/c the excess belt strap ended up kind of flapping in the wind.  Maybe this weekend I'll run out to Joanne fabrics for some Velcro to see if I can stitch something on there.   It was actually really nice to have some water with me and was pleasantly surprised how nice it was to be able to take a big schlug ever 1/2 mile or so! 

The water must have made a good difference, because my running time was only a 9:41 pace mile!  That's actually my best pace since 1/4/2012! 

Lastly, I'd like to get some props for my commitment to my running.  Today was the first day I was invited by co-workers to go out for Thai lunch and I turned them down in order to run :(  I very much wanted to go with them, but with the Shamrock only a few weeks away and all the runs I've missed in the last few weeks, I just couldn't skip my run today.  Hopefully they'll invite me again some other time.

Week 12, Day 6 - SIX miles!

Today I got up to SIX miles!  Wahoo!  Now I'm only 3.2 miles away from the 15K Shamrock Run, which is 5 weeks away :)  Before you read too far, I'm giving warning that I'm actually pretty tired, so I apologize in advance for all the 1/2 thoughts and choppy paragraphs....

Today, I was lucky enough to run with my friend Michelle around Lacamus Lake in Vancouver, Washington.  It was a 3 mile In&Out gravel path with a gorgeous lake on one side and a lovely wooded area on the other - Marie, you would have LOVED it!!! 

I had been nervous because of 1) missing so many runs over the last few weeks, 2) drinking too much wine last night, 3) a new mileage to conquer, 4) I was running in an unfamiliar place, and 5) today I was running with a bonifide marathon finisher who runs long distances on a regular basis.  However, I have to say I was really very happy with my performance.  The beginning of the trail started with a couple of up & down dips which didn't seem much of a challenge, but Michelle warned me they would be MUCH more difficult on the way back.

I've mentioned in previous posts that I prefer to run loops rather than In & Outs, today I noticed a real benefit to I&Os which I had never really anticipated! Instead of thinking of the run as a 6 mile run, the I&O almost forced my brain to think of the run as two 3 mile runs... which is much more doable and less threatening!  For some reason... the same 3 miles I struggled with last Thursday, seemed like nothing today :)

So, the run was really great.  The scenery was gorgeous, the weather was perfect, I had a great running partner... oh, and my music was fantastic.  Michelle had a little chuckle at me as I rocked out out Ben Folds.  Everything was awesome and fantastic....until the last mile.....uggghhhh....  That last  mile, all my energy went out of my and I thought I was going to die.  It was quite literally a fete of self control not to stop 1/2 mile short of my goal.  And those quaint little up & down dips from the first mile, came back to KILL me on the last mile..... but I did it.  I made it 6 full miles with only one quick break at the mid-way point to stretch and drink some Gatorade.

So... the results!  I averaged an even 10 minute mile :)  However, thanks to amazing modern technology, I got a full per-mile summary.... check it out!

Analyzing workout...
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Summary	00:59:47	6.0 mi	10:00
Split	Time	Distance	Pace (avg)
1	00:09:35	1.0 mi	09:33
2	00:10:00	1.0 mi	09:58
3	00:10:05	1.0 mi	10:04
4	00:11:35	1.0 mi	11:32
5	00:10:15	1.0 mi	10:11
6	00:09:55	1.0 mi	09:52
7	00:00:15	0.0 mi	13:35

Week 12, Day 4 - Finally healthy!!!!

Last week, I ran on Wednesday, but felt SOOOO awful on Thursday that my new boss actually sent me to Target to get cough medicine for myself.  I realized that for the last several weeks I've been battling a cold and losing. The truth was I had only been letting myself get marginally healthier before I would continue training which would set the cold back to the beginning.  I would skip a run, feel better enough to do the next run, then feel worse again and miss another run.  I've basically missed 1-2 runs per week due to sickness for 4 weeks in a row which culminated to missing THREE runs in week 11.  I obviously wouldn't be able to make it to the marathon if things continued this way, so I decided the best course of action would be to take a full week off to get back to 100%! und I did....

So, here I am back to healthy! 

For my first run in a week, I did a 3 mile route through the Xerox campus and around local park. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my headphones at home, but I was able to stick my iPhone in a little pocket on the shoulder of my new rain/running jacket with the volume up loud enough to hear it as I ran.  I really love to run with music and I've always had this little fantasy about creating a vest with speakers on it that I could blast my music out to all the other runners on the trails and let them enjoy my music as much as I do.  On one hand, I know it's kind of obnoxious to think people would love my music and I know people would probably just be annoyed.  But on the other hand, my music is friggin awesome and I think if people heard it they wouldn't be able to stop themselves from running with me just to sing along.  In my little fantasy, I start off running alone, but one by one people come running up to listen to my music and by the end of the run, it's like ME in the middle of this HUGE mass of people all rockin-out/running to, like, Eagle Eye Cherry.... or something....

So...... The run started off going through the Xerox campus then across the way to a loop around a park. The road through Xerox was literally just a little road connecting the parking lots, but on the right side it was all green and foresty with a nice smell. The park is kind of funny, it's like they had this big piece of land the developers didn't know what to do with, so they make a 1.5 mile loop around the perimeter and just left the middle as a big field with some trees.... if feels more like a deserted school campus than a park, but there's some nice birds that fly around which are fun to look at. 

The weather was nice and cool...it felt like it could start raining any second, but it didn’t. Since it was my first day back, I definitely didn’t push it too hard. I felt pretty good for most of it, but the last ½ mile actually got pretty tough. The last .2 was really the most difficult. At the distance where I usually push hardest to improve my time and finish strong, today it felt hard finish at all.

When I got back to the office, I struck up a convo with a gal I sit near.  She was telling me  her boss recently decided  to run a ½ marathon and put her in charge of organizing it. So, she's drawn up a training schedule and is recruiting a butch of ladies from the office to train together. The ½ marathon will be the week after my marathon, so obviously we’ll be running different mileage on training days, but I figure I could always start my runs with them then finish my additional mileage on my own or with whoever wants to join me.  It seems like a good way to get to know some of my coworkers. I've always felt like I was kind of a loner at work and in some respects it made me sad.  I always wanted a crew of people to go for lunch with, or maybe drinks after work or even hang out with on weekends.  I had it for a short time at Schwabe, but somehow it fell apart after one particular summer.  I would like to actually have a crew of people to hang out with at work and I think this would be a good avenue to create friends and work-out buddies.  I hope it actually happens :)

I'm a little nervous about this week's 6 mile run.  I was sore after my 5.5 mile run the other week becuase I hadn't been keeping up on my mileage and I'm sure this Saturday will be really tough too.  I'm going to make a concerted effort to stretch really well before and after the run.  I

Week 11, Day 2 - Stopping to get Lost in the Roses

Just when I thought I was finally all better, this morning I woke up with a sore throat and a voice like Kathleen Turner.  Either I have the cold that keeps on giving, or I contracted yet another virus :( Luckily, today was my day off from work, so I got to spend at least part of the morning being quasi lazy.

Today was yet another 3 miler.  I'm starting to get bored of this distance which isn't too good b/c I'll be running 3 miles 4x this week (not to mention another 25 times on top of that before the marathon!), but I suppose I should be thankful for shorter distances while I have them.....especially if my immune system is going to continue allowing these nasty colds into my body!

My mother was kind enough to watch the kids for me while I ran today which was great.  The only quasi-downside was that I was running in her neck of the woods and wasn't quite familiar with the area.  It was easy enough to map out the run on-line, but my mom's neighborhood is a newer walled neighborhood which with a lot of dead ends and little paths with only one way road in and out.  I would have had to run around the neighborhood 15 times to equal 3 miles, so I just basically ran down the road from my mom's neighborhood and back.  A hard part about not knowing the area is being unaware of sidewalk issues.  Luckily, the sidewalk only ran out once (and it luckily continued on the other side of the street), but there were A LOT of driveways where the sidewalk dips down to meet the road which made the route feel like I was running moguls.

The other downside of running in unfamiliar territory is the probability of getting lost!  I'm sure any of her neighbors who are reading this will laugh themselves to death over this.... but I got lost!  When I got back into her neighborhood, I hooked right to finish the last part of the run on the outskirts of the neighborhood before finishing in the middle.  However, I ended up literally running in circles for the last .2 of the run because the roads are all dead ends and I didn't realize there was a path connecting them all!  OOPS!

Here's a map of the last portion of my run.  My path is is red:

So..... my time today ended up being 3.01 miles in 31:30 which comes out to a 10:30 mile pace... which I think was totally zonked by my running in circles for the last few minutes rather than gunning it for the last 1/4 mile which is what I usually do :(  I wasn't really pushing myself today b/c I'm still feeling pretty phlegmy, but I do hope there is a time in my future where I will feel 100%... as in healthy AND well rested.... hopefully.

I'm looking forward to my 3 miles tomorrow with a gal from the new job.  Like I had mentioned, the only way I'm going to be keeping up with her is b/c she had knee surgery recently.... although it's hardly keeping her from running several times a week and playing basketball. I'll let you know how it goes!

Week 10, Day 6 - Zombie Running...it's the new trend!!

I had NO sleep last night...maybe not 'no' sleep, but very little.... with lots of interruptions :(  Lilah's been a little under the weather, so my night went as following:
10:45 - Sleep (we had company until 10:40)
11:30 - 12:30 - Lilah up, gave her Tylenol, eventually pull her into bed with me
1:45 - Lawrence finally comes to bed
2:30 - Finally bring Lilah back to her own bed b/c 3 in the bed wasn't working!
3:30 - Ari up b/c the cat woke him up
4am - Ari finally back to sleep after a prolonged fight about another glass of milk(which I lost).
4:30 - Lilah back up, give her another dose of Tylenol and wait for it to take effect
5:30 - Finally back in bed
7am - Up for the day :(

I had been a little nervous about today's run because I had missed 3 of my runs over the last 2 weeks and today was another new distance for mileage.  However, once I realized how tired I was, I became VERY nervous.   However, consider I had already missed 3 runs in the last 2 weeks I couldn't skip out on my long run.

Once again, I decided to follow Marie's advice and focus on the distance rather than push myself for time, so before actually running out the door I chugged a cup of coffee to help me with my energy levels for the new distance.  Surprisingly enough, once I really got started I actually started feeling pretty good with some nice energy!  It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and a sky of blue.  I wore only some capris, a synthetic t-shirt and took off to some good music :) 

I took the hills nicely and really had no troubles for most of the run.  Around mile 3 my legs started feeling a little tired, but I didn't feel any need to stop.  Some Weezer and Cake did wonders for my temperment :) Around mile 4.5 my hips started hurting which made me a little nervous.  I haven't really had any hip pain on my runs before and since it was in both hips rather than one, I think it's more of an issue of forgetting to stretch and being very tired.  Hopefully I'll get better sleep in the future and start remembering to stretch beforehand!

I also think it may be time to start experimenting with gel packs and sport drinks on my runs.  If anyone has any tips about which ones to try and how to do it, it would be much appreciated!

Finally, I came back to my neighborhood with only 1/10 of a mile left and something a big scary happened.  When I was approaching the street to enter my neighborhood, I noticed a man standing on the opposite side of the street I was running down.  He had greasy looking hair, scraggly beard, shorts, and an old track suit jacket on.  Immediately he struck me as a guy I wanted to stay away from me, but as soon as he saw me, he crossed over to my side of the street and started walking towards my direction.  As I approached, he slowed down as if he was waiting for me... which made me even more nervous :(  I was cautious on my approach and slowed a bit to see what he was going to do.  As soon as I was within a few feet of him, he started talking to me.... I have no idea what he said b/c all the 'red flags' in my head were going off!  I just yelled, "Sorry I can't hear you" and took off as fast as I could around the corner until he was out of sight.   It was a good reminder that running alone as a woman can make me into a target and it's essential to keep my guard up at all times.

My end result was 5.5 miles in 56:43 which comes out to 10:22 min/mile pace... which is a-ok with me :)

It's now about 6 hours after my run finished and I have to admit my legs are a teensy bit sore.  I could be because of the tired or lack of pre-stretching, but I'm guessing it's because of the slacking off of my runs over the last few weeks.  Now that I'm going to start my second week of the new job and I'm feeling a little more comfortable,  I'm going to do a better job of sticking to the training schedule!

Week 10, Day 4 - 1/3 Way Through Training!

Wow... I'm in week 10!!  When did that happen?!?!?!?.... oh yeah... while I wasn't blogging... oops!

Well, this past week has been C-R-A-CRAZY!  The abridged version is that I got sick, Ari got sick, it rained cats and dogs and I started my new job. 

Now for the backtrack:
I DID, in fact, run my 3 miles last Wednesday. I don't remember anything about it other than knowing I ran it, but that evening my throat started getting a little sore, so I decided not to run on Thursday.  By Saturday morning I was feeling much better and since the sun was shining and it was warmish, I decided to go for another 3 miler. It was good right until I hit mile 3 and the heavens opened up with rain.  I felt like I was running under a waterfall the rain was coming down so hard and plentifully.  I guess I should have been happy I didn't get pneumonia, but instead I was upset that my cold came back full force and totally zonked me all day Sunday :(

Monday I started my new job!!  They have a gym which I thought would be good over the next few months!  Tuesday I skipped my run again (bad bad!!) because it was raining hard again and I decided against taking the kids out in the rain.  The shades on the double jogger are much better at protecting the kids frun sun than rain :( 

I was VERY much looking forward to running at the new job (even though I realized I had forgotten deoderant).  However, it turned out the gym was for employees only and I am technically a contract worker :(  So..... once again, no run :(  For a moment, I thought I might have to give up the marathon b/c they're no way I could train properly if I wouldn't be able to run 4 days out of the week - right? However, just as I was going to give up hope, I asked if I could still use the showers if I ran outside.... and they HR rep said YES!  He even sent out an e-mail to some other runners in the company who gave me some routes around the neighborhood :)  They're all MUCH more serious runners than I am, but one nice lady just had knee surgery (so it looks like I may be able to keep up with her) and we're going to go for a run together next week. 

FIIIIIIIIINALLY, I got out today :)  There's a 1.5 mile park loop around a field nearby and it was really nice.  I doubled back, but accidently turned off the MapMyRun on my phone at 2.19 miles, so I don't know exactly how far I ran or my pace per mile. 

I'm looking forward to running 5.5 miles on Saturday, although having missed so many runs inthe last week, I'm also a little nervous :\

Week 9, Day 2 - Running in the Snow

Well.... I suppose that title is a bit misleading.... I ran in what was previously snow... or may have been snow if it had been warmer!

This morning we woke up to the Oregon version of a winter wonderland... meaning there was about an inch of snow on the cars, none in the streets and the temp was around 38 :)  Although it was legitimate snow coming down from the heavens!  We had a great time at 8am putting the kids in warm clothes and running around outside. 

As for the actual run, it was only a 2 miler and my stats were 'ok' at 10:32 min/mi.  It was about 17 seconds slower than my run exactly 1 week ago.... I'm not sure if I can blame it on the rain, baby? Although Lilah did drop her Toy Story Woody doll and I had to go back, but I can't imagine that would have taken more than 10 seconds.  I know, I know... I hear many of you saying, "Nomes, you're being too hard on yourself again!" and I understand that, but for a measly 2 miles, I thought I would see some improvement.  Oh well. 

The run actually started out with my ankles feeling a little funky..... It didn't hurt, but it felt like I was running on rubber for some reason.  Luckily the issue resolved itself about 50 feet into the run.  Overall, it was a decent run and I felt pretty good.  It was VERY wet outside. I used my new jacket and it worked just fine protecting me from the rain, yet not letting me get too hot.

As for my diet... I'm already getting frustrated.  I kept to the diet now for 5 days now and haven't seem much movement on the scale.  On one hand, I'm glad it stopped going up... but I wanted to see a little more come off.  My biggest problem so far seems to be the evening hours.  I eat well all day, then for dinner I want to eat a lot and then have a snack afterwards (you're supposed to have a snack on the diet).  Last night and tonight I did a little better with the portions, but last night after dinner I ate a jello and put whipped cream on it... which would have been ok, but after I finished the jello I filled the container up again with more whipped cream which I ate by itself.  Tonight I did ok again at dinner, but now it's been less than two hours and I'm trying desperately not to oversnack.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see about tomorrow.

Week 8, Day 7 - Finally getting to the X.T.

So, I finally honored my Sunday workout commitment!  raahhhhh.....

As I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to do some kind dancy video workout b/c I thought 1) it would be fun for the kids, 2) it would be fun for me and 3) it would be better for Lawrence than me leaving for an hour to go to a gym.

As it turns out... none of the above reasons proved realistic :(

I tried a couple of stores to find a decent dancy work out video and I was floored by how nearly all the videos are either Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser OR Dancing With The Stars people - neither of which really appealed to me.  I finally settled on one CD which promised Hip Hop, Belly Dance, Salsa and Jazz Dance.  It sounded promising and was reasonably priced so I purchased it.  However, the on-line reviews were TERRRRRRible..... So I'm going to take it back :(  Then, I discovered Netflix actually has a few exercise videos which I could stream from our PS3!  Most of them were either Yoga or Pilates (which I'm not interested in), but I found one cardio dance which had decent reviews, so I gave it a shot.

It was the Crunch Cardio Salsa and it actually started off just fine.  The instructor was peppy w/o being too annoying and the steps started off nice and easy.  As I had planned, Ari started doing all the dancing with me and we had a good time :)..... for about 4 minutes.  Then, the steps got a little harder he laid down on the ground to try to intentionally trip me up... which he thought was hilarious.  Lawrence ended up having to take the kids upstairs while I 'danced the fat away' thus zonking intentions #1 & #3.   Then when the steps got a little harder than doing a vine step with a shimmy, I started getting lost and there went intention #2 :( 

I guess it was kind of fun and I worked up a little bit of a mist (not quite a sweat) - definitely low intensity.  Maybe I'll start pairing the video with some strength training.  I'm going to try the video again next week... but mostly because I've always wanted to learn how to salsa, samba and meringue :)

I'm staying true to the diet which has been a little hard.  I'm definitely noshy rather than hungry,but it's been hard not to finish off the kids' lunches or have a few morsels of Pirate's Booty.  The scale went a little up from yesterday, but as I mentioned yesterday, I knew I had to do a better job of eating actual meals and then spacing the snacks 2 hours later.  I really think I did that today.  I was very careful and I hope I'll see results tomorrow.  The one terrible thing I do to myself when I diet is to weigh myself every 20 minutes.  I literally run upstairs every time I have to pee to weigh myself before and after... it's nuts and I know it, but right now I'm not going to do anything about it!

Tomorrow's a rest day and I'll hopefully be able to eat decently.  I also finally got a multivitamin which I'll begin tonight.

Week 8, Day 6 - 5 Big Ones

Hit the 5 mile mark today :)  It's been a long time since I've run 5 miles and it felt like a real achievement.   I ended up running the 'hill' that always makes me a little anxious, then around the Nike campus, past Popeye's (coming from the East rather than the South, there's no smell!), down Walker to 170th and home.  Most of the run I felt really good and am happy to report that after running the OHSU/Terwilliger hills, my local hills aren't so bad! The end of the 5 miles was welcomed, but I certainly wasn't ready to collapse at the 5 mile mark.... which is pretty awesome :)  I'm now nearly 12 hours post-run and still have no achy-ness!

It was very cold in the beginning and drizzling a little bit.  Once again the wind was blowing really hard against me which made it a little hard to breath as well as giving some unwanted resistance against my running. I didn't want to wear my regular rain coat b/c I know it would get real hot real fast, so instead I wore my fleece which may not have been the smartest move either.   About 1/2 way through the run, I ended up taking the fleece off b/c I got too hot, but then my belly got all numb under my shirt!  It was a really weird sensation to have most of my body all revved up, but not have any feeling in my belly :/  It was almost like wearing an undershirt.... but not.  HOWEVER, this afternoon, I happened to stumble upon a really nice water resistant running shell that happened to be on super sale! I haven't been able to find them for less than $70, but this one was on sale for $50 AND I had a 20% off coupon.  I'll be super excited to try it out on Tuesday - especially b/c the iPhone arm band thing is a bigger pain in the butt than I thought and my new jacket has a special pocket JUST for my iPhone!  Wahoo! :)

Cool tidbits of the run are that I actually used the "Pause" function on the MapMyRun app.

Annoyances of the run are that my earphones kept falling out, I had to stop to retie my shoelaces 2x, and my pace per mile today was a whopping 10:43 :(  I'm going to say having to retie my shoelaces probably added 40 seconds onto my time (I tried counting while tying)  which would drop my PPM down to approximately 10:39.... I guess I'll take it. 

I keep telling myself that long runs are about distance, not time and I shouldn't be worried about a 10:39 PPM on my long run - right?  Also, I know I didn't push as hard as I could because it was a new distance and I didn't want to burn myself out.  There were several times that I was actually singing along with my music while I was running... which means my heart rate wasn't too high.  According to Monique, having the lower heart weight is actually better for weight loss... so I'm ok with that.

Speaking of weightloss....I'm trying really hard to stay on this South Beach Diet.  I only really started on Thursday and have lost 4 lbs so far, which is probably just water weight.  Supposedly, the pounds just melt off during the first two weeks in which all carbohydrates and sugar (including fruits) are prohibited, but you can eat pretty much as much lean protein and veggies as you want.  I don't know about melting pounds... I also thought that was supposed to happen with breastfeeding, which totally didn't happen for me :(  A big part of the plan is to eat actual meals and then have a snack 2 hours after the meal.  Mostly I've been grazing throughout the day, then having a good dinner.  Tomorrow I'll try to focus more on eating 3 solid 'meals' and then snacks 2 hours later like I'm supposed to.  I guess I'll just have to check the scale again in the tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow... For the last 8 weeks, I've been ignoring my 'Sunday Walks' that I'm supposed to be doing with my training.  I think the smarter thing for me to do, is just jump into the cross training that I'm supposed to be starting in week 13.  I'm considering getting some Zumba or dancing videos that I can do with the kids... they love music and dancing :)  My biggest problem with exercise videos in the past is that the kids want to jump all over me while I'm doing it... so I'm thinking we'll have more success if I can find a video where they can participate - right?

Hasta Manana!

Week 8, Day 3 & 4 - Game Changer

So, not only did I forget to blog yesterday, but I didn't run today!  OY VA VOY!

We'll start with yesterday:
Yesterday was VERY cold and windy.  The temperature was supposedly 44 degrees, but all I know is yesterday's 44 degrees felt a heck of a lot colder than Tuesday's 37!  The clear blue sky, shining sun and the weather channel's "44" degrees duped me into wearing only capris and a long sleeve shirt, and it was SO cold and windy it took me a FULL mile to warm up.... not to mention my nose was dripping the whole time :(

My mile/pace for yesterday's 3 miles ended up being 10:17, which at first glance seems pretty crummy considering I ran a 10:15 min/mile with Lilah on Tuesday..... however... I did get stopped at BOTH lights that I usually jaywalk on.  In fact, the 2nd light didn't seem to recognize that I had hit the stupid button and it took an entire light cycle for me to be able to finally cross.  I'm not sure exactly how long I stood there, but it was most of BEP's "Shut Up."  So, considering my extended light stoppage combined with the blistering cold wind seeming to blow against me for most of the run... I'm not going to put too much stock into my 10:17 time... In fact, I'm unofficially considering it as 9:17 which is an improvement ;)

On the plus side, I felt really powerful during the whole 3 miles.  I was especially proud of how I felt on the hills.  I think running the Terwilliger/OHSU hill has really helped with my general fear of running uphill and I look forward to my Saturday 5 miler!

Now, Today:
I got the news yesterday, but mostly it effected today's news..... I am (almost) officially employed!  I've taken on a "too good to be true" Part Time Long Term Temporary position at an awesome company for a great salary with NO billing!  YAHOO!!  The only bad part is that I have to schlep to Wilsonville, but from the sound of it, the commute won't be all that different from schlepping into Portland except I won't have to pay for parking or walk 7 blocks to work :)  So today I had to schlep into Portland to fill out paperwork for a background check and tomorrow will have to take a drug test, hence the 'almost' referenced above.  Today ended up being such a michigas of a day that by the time I got home (after being out with both kids for over 5 hours!), I simply couldn't find the energy to run with both of them for 2 miles. 

Dont' fear... I'll get 'er dun tomorrow :)

Game Changing:
A new job will be testing my commitment to my running.  I'll now be working on 2 of my 4 run days which might make it difficult to run the mileage I need to commit too. The new job has a nice gym and seems to have some cool running trails in the area, but I'm not sure how I'm going to finagle my longer Wednesday runs once they get into the higher numbers.  I've been running a solid 3 miles on Wednesdays since the beginning of the training, but in another month I'll be bumping it up to 4 miles, then every 2 weeks it goes up another mile until the apex at in May where I'll need to find 2 hours in the middle of my work day to run 10 mile and then take a shower :( 

I know at my old firms we had plenty of Marathoning people...if they can find a way, I will hopefully be able to run too.... we'll see!


OH YEAH... The Diet:
I nearly forgot to talk about the diet.  I was going to start yesterday and actually did pretty good job, until Lawrence took out a bottle of wine we had been saving to celebrate my new job :)  So, yesterday was my practice run!  Today was my first official day on the diet.  It went well... especially considering my headache from drinking too much wine, Lilah being up at 3am, and the craziness of the day itself!  Hopefully tomorrow will go well too.

Week 8, Day 2

Today's run was a quick 2 miler with Lilah.  I had some tummy problems which made me a little nervous before the run, but luckily they cleared up by the time I got out... which ended up being about an hour after I was initially planning on going.

The weather was a perfect 39 degrees, although it felt warmer! Lilah luckily stayed happy for the whole run and wasn't even interested in her goldfish or juice, but was perfectly content to simply watch the world roll by. 

I never really felt the need to stop, but going up the Baseline ascent I did get a little tired and started doing some interval running.  This method of running has been really helpful!  I think it's really helping my time because the run seemed to fly by!  Today's mile pace was 10:15 min/mi with 1 little Lilah in the stroller.  I think an extra 48 seconds per mile when pushing a stroller with a toddler in it is acceptable.  Hopefully, my times across the board will start decreasing with my increased mileage.

However... one thing that is INcreasing is my weight :(  I've read in many different articles about how running a marathon is not really a good way to lose weight b/c when you exercise, you tend to eat more!  Well..... this has certainly been the case for me :(  The damage isn't terrible yet at just 2-3 lbs, but since I still had 15 lbs from my pregnancy with Lilah, these new pounds are making me even more annoyed.  I had to admit that I really haven't been doing much in the ways of watching my food intake though.  So starting tomorrow, I'll be trying the South Beach diet again.  I think I failed in it last time b/c I tried to use all their recipes rather than just adjusting my current eating habits to coincide with the SBD's rules.... so that's what I'll be trying to do starting tomorrow.  The diet works that I basically shun all carbs for 2 weeks (like a detox period), then start reintroducing some whole grains and fruits. 

So, starting tomorrow, I'll be logging my food and weight fluctuations along with my running stuff.  However.... for tonight, I'm gorging myself :)

Week 7, Day 6 - Shamrock Training Part Deux

Today Marie and I revisited the ginormous OHSU/Terwilliger hill from last week.  I was a little nervous b/c last week's time/pace was such a disappointment to me at 11:38 min/miles with  so many stops and no kids (and yes I know I was being too hard on myself).  This week, we did 3 miles instead of 4.5, but Marie also had her little boy with her in the stroller.  On one hand I was hopeful that b/c we were doing less mileage we could shave some time off last week, but once we added the baby in the stroller I knew we would end up adding time onto our pace :(  On the other hand, last week I stopped so many times on the ascent I thought maybe I should just forget our time and focus on my goal to be simply making the whole run w/o stopping!

The run itself was actually pretty nice.  Running through the hills has lots of forresty areas on both sides and the air feels clean and fresh.  The weather was in the 40's and felt like it could start raining at any second, but never actually did. I wore only my capris, a long t-shirt and my Ani hat.For whatever reason, there was like a thousand other runners on the road and they all seemed to be running opposite us so we got lots of smiling, nodding faces giving us encouragement :) 

I'm truly amazed by my friend who absolutely smoked me even though she was running with her son in a stroller (up a ridiculous hill) and I just had myself.  Towards the middle of the run I actually had to tell her not to wait up for me and not to talk to me b/c I couldn't chat and run at the same time!  The run was really hard, but I eventually got into a 'zone' and I didn't even notice the plateau which immediately proceeds the last ascent to the restaurant which lives at the crest of the hill, so our descent felt like a prematurely happy surprise.

Before we started today I was determined not to stop running of my own volition, but was secretly waiting for the one street we had to cross so I could take a quick stop to rest while waiting for the cross walk (this particular intersection is, in fact, simply too dangerous to jaywalk)... However, some other runner (not Marie) got to the light ahead of me so the flippin walk signal came on just as I approached.... so no rest for me :(  In the last 1/4 mile, I tapped all my reserve energy to run as fast I could possibly muster and was actually able to catch up to Marie.... literally as we crossed our proverbial 'finish line.'

When Marie pulled out her phone to check our 'stats' I cringed b/c the run felt incredibly long and I knew we were probably running 12-13 min/miles.  So, I was shocked when she told me we had actually been running at a 10:43 min/mile pace!!  Wahoo!  We had shaved 53 seconds off our time from last week WITH a child in tow AND I had made the whole run w/o stopping to run a single time.  Ummm....... WINNING!!

This weeks run really helped my confidence :)   After today, I really believe I might be able to do the Shamrock run w/o embarrassing myself... and hey, the 9.3 miles of the shamrock is over 1/3 the distance I need to do for the marathon.  I know there is quite a difference between 9 miles and 27 miles, but I suddenly feel like the marathon is a real thing which might possibly be within reach of a non-athlete mom like myself :)  Next week I do 5 miles and I'm really looking forward to tackling the hill again :)

Week 7, Day 4 - And then there were 3

Today I ran with both kids for 2 miles and it was SOOOOOO tough.  I set my MapMyRun app, but really wasn't sure what to expect.  It must have been a while since I ran with both of them (I'll have to check my previous posts), but I was suprised how hard it was to push them both for the whole 2 miles. 

There were a few instances running up Baseline in which the road ascends (I don't think it counts as a hill even under my terminology!) and I really considered stopping to walk.  However, at this point in my trainin, I really don't think I can give up on a two mile run - even when I'm running with both kids.   So, for the first time, I tried the interval running which Marie suggested last Saturday on the Terwilliger/OHSU hill.  I guess I naturally do a form of interval running where I run as hard as I can until I feel like my legs will give out, then I'll walk until I think I can run again.  However, my 'running' intervals generally get shorter and shorter until I just can't go anymore.  So today, I followed Marie's advice as to what Interval Runnins is supposed to be and ran in intervals of faster and slower... but NO walking.  So for 2 telephone poles I would run as hard as I could (while pushing 100 pounds of kids), then I would run as slow as possible for 2 telephone polls.  I was suprised how it really seemed to help improve my stamina, not to mention my time!  I really felt it was possible for me to tap that extra strength under my tiredness for 40 feet, then slowing down felt like a vacation without the need to stop!

So, for my stats for 2 miles with kids:

Duration: 23.12
Distance: 2 miles
Pace: 11:37 min/mile

It's interesting that my pace running with 2 kids is the same pace for running up gigantic hill last Saturday.... I think I can improve my running time with both the kids AND up the ginormous hill :) 

So, now that I have this fancy shmancy app telling my pace/duration/etc, I'm going to add another page onto my blog where I'll keep track of my distance, pace and how many children I'm running with that day :)

Week 7, Day 3 - Naomi, Princess Road Warrior Brite!

Today was another 3 miler.  After Saturday's sluggish time and not getting to run yesterday, I was REEEEEALLY looking forward to today's run.  However... Lilah's fever made a reprise in the middle of the night :(  My mom said she could come watch Lilah for a little while, but there was only a small window of time during which I could actually take my run.  It turned out there was only ONE available appointment among all the doctors at the Pediatrician's office, I had a few morning errands I simply HAD to do (sick kid and all) and my mother's had a few appointments around town too..... and I grabbed my window enthusiastically!

Getting out there felt G-R-E-A-T. The weather was in the low 50's and only slightly overcast.  I wore only a T-shirt and capri's, but never felt cold or hot.  I put my music on, walked out the front door and was in my own little world. 

Not to mention it was my 1st time using my new MapMyRun app on my new iPhone (Did I mention that I got a new iPhone??????).

Running makes me feel instantly stronger, healthier, faster, thinner... even my skin feels tighter and glowing-er.   Today I felt like a princess warrior transforming the depressing Oregon surburban winter landscape into rainbows and glitter!!  Unstoppable and awesome..... just like Xena.... or maybe more like Rainbow Brite.

When I finished my run and looked at my final times I was really pleased.  The MapMyRun app is SOOO awesome.  It tracks Start time, End time, Duration, Distance, Pace, Calories burned, a map of the route with mile markers and even elevation!  Apparently, if I log online I can access more stats, but I haven't taken advantage of that function yet. It even gives the option to pause the workout if I get stopped at a traffic light or something (although I usually jaywalk because I'm such a rebel).  

So my stats for today were:
Duration: 29:48
Distance: 3.12
Pace: 9:37 min/mile
Calories Burned: 348

I feel like at this point in my training I should be running below a 10 minute mile when I'm sans kid & stroller. So, 9:37 feels pretty awesome.... however.... I don't intend to stay there.  I don't think I'm capable of running a 7 minute mile like my athletic husband, but I wouldn't mind bringing it down to a 9 minute mile by the time the marathon comes around..... Don't know if it'll actually happen.... just sayin it would be nice :)

Marie said something last Saturday after our run which only really hit me yesterday.  She said long runs are for distance NOT for time....Shorter runs are for improving time.  I think I'm going to take her advice to heart and push harder on my Tues, Wed & Thurs runs. 

Week 7, Day 2 - Little Sick One :(

One of the reasons I named this blog, "Running with Diapers" is to try to convey that this blog is not JUST about me, but my experience of trying to be a mother AND training for a marathon. That being said....I didn't get out for my run today because Lilah was sick :(

I was actually really looking forward to the run today!  Especially after gorging myself over the holiday weekend, I was pretty exciting about getting my body moving! (not to mention burning a few calories!)  The sun was shining, it was gorgeous and it looked like a beautiful day....BUT, I never made it through my front door :(

When my little Lilah gets a fever (even as low as 99.8) it can lead to a seizure, so we take any and all fevers extremely seriously. Last night's fever was the highest she's ever had at 102.3 so we were slightly freaking out.  I went to bed at 8:45 so I could give her a dose of Tylenol and pull her into bed with me.  It worked out fine until I woke her up for the 12:45 dose of Tylenol when she decided she didn't want to go back to sleep, but rather wanted to go downstairs to play. Luckily, my amazing husband took her downstairs to entertain her for a while so I could get some sleep. She woke up around 7:30AMish and her fever finally broke!  I may have slept for nearly 11 hours, but it was probably one of the most restless sleeps I've ever had.... probably second to the night in the hospital last month. 

Tomorrow I guess I'll just jump right into my 3 mile run.  It's supposed to be partially sunny and in the mid 50's :)  It should be nice.

Week 6, Day 6 - Shamrock Training

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! 

Yesterday I ran the OHSU hill as my first step towards training for the Shamrock run 15K which is March 18.  I had done the run 3 years ago (right before Ari's first birthday) and I have to admit, the big hill up past OHSU was just as difficult as I remembered it. 

Since most of my runs so far have been rolling hills (if you can even call them that!) rather than steep inclines, I told myself to take the hill easy and keep a nice slow pace going up.  I didn't want to push myself too hard and knew long before I started that I wouldn't be able to run the whole thing without stopping.   I was lucky enough to run with my friend Marie again which was lovely :)  She used her MapMyRun app to record our time/pace/distance once we started.  I never usually time myself for my runs so I was really interested to see how we would do.

Throughout the run, I was pretty satisfied with my effort.  We made it about 2.5 miles (I'm guestimating) before I needed to walk and then we ran in intervals until we crested the hill.  Once over the big bad main crest, we ran for the rest of the trail without stopping.  Overall, I felt great and had a wonderful sense of accomplishment at the end......until Marie pulled out our stats. 

We had run 4.68 miles in 53 minutes which gave us approximately a 11:30 minute/mile pace.  .... I was tremendously dissapointed.  LOGICALLY, I know it was a very steep hill for which 11:30 is pretty decent, I'm still at the beginning of my training, and this was my first big hill in a good long time, etc. However, when I had done the Shamrock run 3 years ago, I ended with a 9:30ish pace.  Again, logic says the 2nd half of the run (which we didn't do yesterday) is all downhill which would have greatly improved my time - not to mention that was 1 baby and 15 pounds ago :(

So... The plan is that I'm going to download the MapMyRun app and for my long run every week I'm going to run that hill.  By the time March 18th is here, I'm going to kick it's ass.