Today's 2 mile run was made much more difficult actually having to work today! ARGH! I had to wake up early (GASP!) and battle rush hour traffic (NOOO!). I worked for a lovely family today doing Post-Partum support for about 4 hours and was totally zonked afterwards! I don't know how you working momma's do it! When I was done working I stopped at Fred Meyers for gas, but was SO hungry I actually parked the car and went inside for some chicken cutlets :( By the time I got home, I was tired and my belly was full... which both made me not want to run. However, since I really had no reasonable excuse to skip my run I went anyway. I was really happy to have made that decision because JUST as I was about to exit my 'warm up' and start running I received a phone call from a friend. I would have been very embarrassed had she called and I had skipped my run! So, thanks for keepin' me on point Rebecca :)
I have a bunch of 1.5 mile runs and 3 miles runs around my neighborhood, but I hadn't really thought about 2 mile runs! Since this particular training schedule ramps up by 0.5 miles every other week, I'm going to have to be creative about how to add on little amounts of extra mileage. For today's run, I ended up running my normal 1.5 route and then doubling back into my own neighborhood.
Tomorrow I'll be working again and then will have some extra errands to run. Hopefully, Lilah will sit as happily in the stroller tomorrow for our 3 miler as she was today!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Week 4, Day 6 - Rounding Out the Curves
4 miles today. It's a 'milestone' (yuk yuk yuk) in three ways: 1) It's a new 'farthest distance' for my running, 2) It's the first time I've combined 2 different runs (most of my 1.5 mile run plus my 3 mile Popeye's run), and 3) I've now officially finished the 1st of my 7 months of training (Even though in reality I've been running around 6 weeks).
The run started out well enough in the freezing 37 degree temperature outside. I dressed in only some running capris and a long T-shirt. Aside from the very beginning of the run, I felt perfectly temperate nearly the whole time. However, in the beginning, my ankles were feeling really tight which is annoying. Today I suddenly remembered the 6 year old ankle injury I sustained while snowboarding in Breckenridge, CO. It's funny because in all the reading up on marathon trainings I've been doing, I had completely forgotten about it until today! It wasn't a terrible injury - just a bad sprain, but I did get to rock a set of crutches for a few weeks and one of those fashionable air cast boot things for nearly 2 months until it healed. Let me tell you... it was pretty cool. In remembering my old injury, I realized I'll have to be even a little more cognisant of my body while I'm training to ensure I don't reinjure myself. I'm also going to have to do some research on ankle exercises, both stretching and strengthening.
I've been having a little problem which maybe some of my more experienced runner friends can help me with? It seems like no matter how many times I use the restroom before I leave for a run, I STILL have to go pee about 1/2 mile into my runs. Since I'm still running lower mileage I can make it home before it gets really bad, but I know this won't do once I start running 6-7 miles. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to have to plan bathrooms into my long runs or rack up my time for the marathon because I have to hit the porto-potties! Ugh!
The other running-related issue I'm having is my earphones :( I really love my earphones because they are pink (yes, it's vain and I know it), but for some reason they're constantly falling out of my ears. It seems as though I spend 1/2 my runs sticking them back in and it's getting annoying. I have some extra styrofoam cover thingies from a previous pair of earphones, so I'll see if that helps the situation.
In the end, I ran the whole 4 miles very slowly, but I felt really good the entire time. There really was not a single moment I considered stopping or turning home early. By the end of the run, I really felt as though I could have kept going for at least another mile or two. I'm actually a little bummed that this coming week is a step down in the long run mileage and I'm going to have to wait 2 weeks to run 4.5 miles.
The run started out well enough in the freezing 37 degree temperature outside. I dressed in only some running capris and a long T-shirt. Aside from the very beginning of the run, I felt perfectly temperate nearly the whole time. However, in the beginning, my ankles were feeling really tight which is annoying. Today I suddenly remembered the 6 year old ankle injury I sustained while snowboarding in Breckenridge, CO. It's funny because in all the reading up on marathon trainings I've been doing, I had completely forgotten about it until today! It wasn't a terrible injury - just a bad sprain, but I did get to rock a set of crutches for a few weeks and one of those fashionable air cast boot things for nearly 2 months until it healed. Let me tell you... it was pretty cool. In remembering my old injury, I realized I'll have to be even a little more cognisant of my body while I'm training to ensure I don't reinjure myself. I'm also going to have to do some research on ankle exercises, both stretching and strengthening.
I've been having a little problem which maybe some of my more experienced runner friends can help me with? It seems like no matter how many times I use the restroom before I leave for a run, I STILL have to go pee about 1/2 mile into my runs. Since I'm still running lower mileage I can make it home before it gets really bad, but I know this won't do once I start running 6-7 miles. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to have to plan bathrooms into my long runs or rack up my time for the marathon because I have to hit the porto-potties! Ugh!
The other running-related issue I'm having is my earphones :( I really love my earphones because they are pink (yes, it's vain and I know it), but for some reason they're constantly falling out of my ears. It seems as though I spend 1/2 my runs sticking them back in and it's getting annoying. I have some extra styrofoam cover thingies from a previous pair of earphones, so I'll see if that helps the situation.
In the end, I ran the whole 4 miles very slowly, but I felt really good the entire time. There really was not a single moment I considered stopping or turning home early. By the end of the run, I really felt as though I could have kept going for at least another mile or two. I'm actually a little bummed that this coming week is a step down in the long run mileage and I'm going to have to wait 2 weeks to run 4.5 miles.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Week 4, Day 4 - Just an Extra 100 Lbs? No Problem!
Did I mention running with both kids adds an extra 100 pounds to my workout? Since it's been a while since I took both kids out, I had forgotten about that extra 100 pound thing until.... um...20 feet into my run!!!
Yes, right from the get-go, I was reminded of how difficult it was to push both kids in the double jogger. I made it a little more than 1/2 way through my run when Lilah threw her blanket overboard and I had to turn around to get it. Something about stopping even just once for a few seconds killed the rest of the run for me. It was literally about 5 seconds during which I picked the blanket off the ground, put it back on her and tucked it around her feet. However, after the initial stop I ended up having to stop twice more.... each time for a little longer.
I remember over the summer when I was running all the time with both kids and getting really frustrated because even though I had been running for weeks, I still couldn't make it 2 miles without stopping. Then I had a single morning which I was able to take a run by myself and I able to run 5 miles and still felt great. In truth, I felt so good at the end of the run, I probably could have run farther. So, while it was a real disappointment being unable to go a full mile without stopping, I keep reminding myself pushing an extra hundred pounds will make give me more strength, speed and endurance on the day of the actual marathon.
On a positive note, it was a little warmer today (mid 40's!) and both kids sat happily in the stroller for the duration of the run. Additionally, we went to an event here in Portland called "Zoolights" in which the Portland Zoo fills the whole Zoo with Christmas Lights. It's REALLY an amazing event! We ended up staying for only 1 1/2 hrs, but it was like a whole extra workout running around in the cold with the kids in the double jogger! Here are some pics:
Yes, right from the get-go, I was reminded of how difficult it was to push both kids in the double jogger. I made it a little more than 1/2 way through my run when Lilah threw her blanket overboard and I had to turn around to get it. Something about stopping even just once for a few seconds killed the rest of the run for me. It was literally about 5 seconds during which I picked the blanket off the ground, put it back on her and tucked it around her feet. However, after the initial stop I ended up having to stop twice more.... each time for a little longer.
I remember over the summer when I was running all the time with both kids and getting really frustrated because even though I had been running for weeks, I still couldn't make it 2 miles without stopping. Then I had a single morning which I was able to take a run by myself and I able to run 5 miles and still felt great. In truth, I felt so good at the end of the run, I probably could have run farther. So, while it was a real disappointment being unable to go a full mile without stopping, I keep reminding myself pushing an extra hundred pounds will make give me more strength, speed and endurance on the day of the actual marathon.
On a positive note, it was a little warmer today (mid 40's!) and both kids sat happily in the stroller for the duration of the run. Additionally, we went to an event here in Portland called "Zoolights" in which the Portland Zoo fills the whole Zoo with Christmas Lights. It's REALLY an amazing event! We ended up staying for only 1 1/2 hrs, but it was like a whole extra workout running around in the cold with the kids in the double jogger! Here are some pics:
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Week 4, Day 3
Went on my 3 mile run today with my friend from last week. Same as last week, it's a darned tootin good thing she had her son in the stroller b/c once again I don't think I would have been able to keep up with her otherwise! It was really cold again, but we faced the weather and won! YAY! I have a couple of 3 mile runs around my neighborhood depending on my mood. Today we decided to go down by Costco, around the school, and through an older neighborhood. They say smell is the sense most connected to memory and somehow running through this old, wooded neighborhood made me a little homesick for Yorktown Heights. My house growing up backed to a little forest which was actually land owned by the Power and Gas companies. Somehow, the smells of pine, fallen leaves, frost and dampness brought me back to being a little kid trudging through the yard near our little forest.
Adding to the feeling of homesickness from the smells of the little forest was the brisk sunny day which reminded me of a perfect NY winter day. Really the thing I miss the most about where I grew up is the weather. We had 4 distinct seasons which really epitomized what the seasons were supposed to be about. Fall was cool with beautiful leaves of red, yellow and orange. Winter had a smattering of snow, and especially on the coldest days of the year the sun always seemed to be shining with ferocity over a piercing blue sky with hardly a cloud in sight. In Oregon, by contrast, there's really only 2 seasons - Summer and Winter. The rain usually starts in mid September and doesn't break until July 5th. We have an amazing 2 1/2 months of sun, but then it's straight back to wetness for the other 9 1/2 months :( Sometimes, I find the months of gray skies and relentlessly steady showers to be depressing and oppressive. However, the last few months have been really more of NY weather than Oregon.... which I have no complaints about :) For whatever reason, we had a really lovely fall with lots of bright colors and now the winter has been filled with lots of cold, sunny days. If the winter continues this way, I'll be very happy transforming into a winter runner.
Lately, I've been listening to LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem (Thanks RG) pretty much non-stop. I really love running with music and I think it's time I creating my marathon playlist. Feel free to give me some suggestions! Some of my playlist wishlist for now(in no particular order):
American Woman (Kravitz OR Guess Who)
Anticipate (Ani D.)
BOB, So Fresh & So Clean, Ms. Jackson, Hey Yah (Outkast)
Bring Me To Life (Evanescence)
To Hard To Handle (Black Crowes)
You Don't Know Me (Ben Folds)
No Rain (Blind Melon)
Run Around & Hook (Blues Traveler)
Shut Up & Where is the Love (BEP)
Almost anything from Manu Chao
King of Spain & Spiderman (Moxy Fruvous)
Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter (Nina Simone)
Family Affair & Rainy Dayz (Mary J. Blige)
Izzo & All I Need & Empire State of Mind & Hard Knock Life (Jay Z.)
Whatcha Say (Jason Derulo)
Rudy Can't Fail (The Clash)
A Girl Like You (Edwyn Collins)
Mirror In the Bathroom (The English Beat)
My Name is Jonas & In the Garage (Weezer)
Seven Nation Army & Black Math & The Hardest Button To Button (White Stripes)
Water Falls (TLC),
Under Pressure (David Bowie & Queen)
New Slang (The Shins)
Low Rider (War)
Human, Mr. Brightside (Killers)
Allison Road (Gin Blossoms)
Two of Us (Aimee Mann & Michael Penn)
Two Step (Dave Matthews)
Jolene (Dolly Parton)
Save Tonight (Eagle Eye Cherry)
La Tortura (Shakira)
Spiderwebs, Just a Girl, Excuse Me Mr, Sunday Morning (No Doubt)
Lose Yourself (Eminem)
Ramitas De Violet (David Broza)
Daria, Perhaps, I Will Survive (Cake)
Black Horse & The Cherry Tree (KT Tunstall)
Poker Face, Just Dance & Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)
ET, Waking Up In Vegas (Katy Perry)
Turn Of the Lights (Nelly Furtado)
Walk Away (Kelly Clarkson)
Crazy In Love, Single Ladies (Beyonce)
Say My Name, Jumpin Jumpin (Destiny's Child)
Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People), ANDDDDD.....
Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO)
Adding to the feeling of homesickness from the smells of the little forest was the brisk sunny day which reminded me of a perfect NY winter day. Really the thing I miss the most about where I grew up is the weather. We had 4 distinct seasons which really epitomized what the seasons were supposed to be about. Fall was cool with beautiful leaves of red, yellow and orange. Winter had a smattering of snow, and especially on the coldest days of the year the sun always seemed to be shining with ferocity over a piercing blue sky with hardly a cloud in sight. In Oregon, by contrast, there's really only 2 seasons - Summer and Winter. The rain usually starts in mid September and doesn't break until July 5th. We have an amazing 2 1/2 months of sun, but then it's straight back to wetness for the other 9 1/2 months :( Sometimes, I find the months of gray skies and relentlessly steady showers to be depressing and oppressive. However, the last few months have been really more of NY weather than Oregon.... which I have no complaints about :) For whatever reason, we had a really lovely fall with lots of bright colors and now the winter has been filled with lots of cold, sunny days. If the winter continues this way, I'll be very happy transforming into a winter runner.
Lately, I've been listening to LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem (Thanks RG) pretty much non-stop. I really love running with music and I think it's time I creating my marathon playlist. Feel free to give me some suggestions! Some of my playlist wishlist for now(in no particular order):
American Woman (Kravitz OR Guess Who)
Anticipate (Ani D.)
BOB, So Fresh & So Clean, Ms. Jackson, Hey Yah (Outkast)
Bring Me To Life (Evanescence)
To Hard To Handle (Black Crowes)
You Don't Know Me (Ben Folds)
No Rain (Blind Melon)
Run Around & Hook (Blues Traveler)
Shut Up & Where is the Love (BEP)
Almost anything from Manu Chao
King of Spain & Spiderman (Moxy Fruvous)
Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter (Nina Simone)
Family Affair & Rainy Dayz (Mary J. Blige)
Izzo & All I Need & Empire State of Mind & Hard Knock Life (Jay Z.)
Whatcha Say (Jason Derulo)
Rudy Can't Fail (The Clash)
A Girl Like You (Edwyn Collins)
Mirror In the Bathroom (The English Beat)
My Name is Jonas & In the Garage (Weezer)
Seven Nation Army & Black Math & The Hardest Button To Button (White Stripes)
Water Falls (TLC),
Under Pressure (David Bowie & Queen)
New Slang (The Shins)
Low Rider (War)
Human, Mr. Brightside (Killers)
Allison Road (Gin Blossoms)
Two of Us (Aimee Mann & Michael Penn)
Two Step (Dave Matthews)
Jolene (Dolly Parton)
Save Tonight (Eagle Eye Cherry)
La Tortura (Shakira)
Spiderwebs, Just a Girl, Excuse Me Mr, Sunday Morning (No Doubt)
Lose Yourself (Eminem)
Ramitas De Violet (David Broza)
Daria, Perhaps, I Will Survive (Cake)
Black Horse & The Cherry Tree (KT Tunstall)
Poker Face, Just Dance & Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)
ET, Waking Up In Vegas (Katy Perry)
Turn Of the Lights (Nelly Furtado)
Walk Away (Kelly Clarkson)
Crazy In Love, Single Ladies (Beyonce)
Say My Name, Jumpin Jumpin (Destiny's Child)
Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People), ANDDDDD.....
Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO)
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Week 4 (FINALLY!), Day 2
After 6 days of coughing my brains out, I finally got back on the road today for a crisp 1.5 mile run! YAY!!!! However... I was just about to hit "Publish" on today's blog when I glanced up at my schedule and realized I was SUPPOSED to run 2 miles today! BOOO!!!!! Oh well. This is one of the many reasons I decided on a 30 week training schedule (not to mention a extra week thrown in here and there) - right?
It was a very cold 27 degrees this morning, but I since I had a lot of things to do this afternoon, the choice was either to run at 9am in the below freezing cold or not at all.... so I chose 9am in the below freezing cold. I knew my body would warm up a bit from running, but I was concerned about Lilah staying warm in the stroller. Little Lilah was all dressed up in her fleece PJs, fleece sweatshirt, winter hoodie coat, scarf, and two thick blankets. She seriously looked like she was wearing a Peptol Bismal colored birqa, with only her eyes and bridge of her nose visable. The poor kid was under so many layers I'm not sure if she could move, but since she stayed quiet, I'm guessing she was happy :)
The sun was shining and I had Monique's words echoing in my head that once I started running I would feel 20 degrees warmer, so I dress myself lightly for 47 degree weather! I wore running pants, a long sleeve T-shirt, a light weight rain jacket, stretchy gloves and my usual Ani Difranco "Car Tires & Chicken Wire" baseball hat. At first the cold was absolutely biting and I completely second guessed whether I should have run at all. Now, Hilary's words were echoing in my head about being so cold I couldn't feel my butt! However, I was pretty surprised around 1/3 through the run when I ended up taking off the gloves and unzipping my jacket because I was too warm! Wonders never do cease to amaze me :)
After 5 days of not running, still being slightly sick, and the frigid temperatures, it was certainly not the easy 1.5 mile run I had been hoping for. There were several times I considered turning towards home or stopping to walk, but I perservered and made it to the end of the run w/o stopping. It was a hard run, but a good one nonetheless.
Tomorrow is my 3 mile run which should also be interesting considering the cold.... but at least I won't have Lilah with me which should lighten the load.
Also, hopefully tonight I'll be able to make it through the night withought coughing my head off, Lilah tossing around too much (did I mention since her seizure she's been sleeping with us again?), or staying up too late reading my new book (I started the Hunger Games trilogy, finished the first book in less than 2 days and I can't put the friggin thing down!!).
Finally, I've decided I'm not going to post EVERY day... just every running day. So, barring any unforeseen circumstances or simply a need to purge my brain into cyberspace, I will only be posting 5 days a week. Now that we're in full swing of the training, I've realized the idiocy of posting, "So... um.... it's a rest day! That's all folks!" I love you all dearly, but this is simply the way it needs to be. I hope you can all make it through your days without reading my blathering about myself :)
It was a very cold 27 degrees this morning, but I since I had a lot of things to do this afternoon, the choice was either to run at 9am in the below freezing cold or not at all.... so I chose 9am in the below freezing cold. I knew my body would warm up a bit from running, but I was concerned about Lilah staying warm in the stroller. Little Lilah was all dressed up in her fleece PJs, fleece sweatshirt, winter hoodie coat, scarf, and two thick blankets. She seriously looked like she was wearing a Peptol Bismal colored birqa, with only her eyes and bridge of her nose visable. The poor kid was under so many layers I'm not sure if she could move, but since she stayed quiet, I'm guessing she was happy :)
The sun was shining and I had Monique's words echoing in my head that once I started running I would feel 20 degrees warmer, so I dress myself lightly for 47 degree weather! I wore running pants, a long sleeve T-shirt, a light weight rain jacket, stretchy gloves and my usual Ani Difranco "Car Tires & Chicken Wire" baseball hat. At first the cold was absolutely biting and I completely second guessed whether I should have run at all. Now, Hilary's words were echoing in my head about being so cold I couldn't feel my butt! However, I was pretty surprised around 1/3 through the run when I ended up taking off the gloves and unzipping my jacket because I was too warm! Wonders never do cease to amaze me :)
After 5 days of not running, still being slightly sick, and the frigid temperatures, it was certainly not the easy 1.5 mile run I had been hoping for. There were several times I considered turning towards home or stopping to walk, but I perservered and made it to the end of the run w/o stopping. It was a hard run, but a good one nonetheless.
Tomorrow is my 3 mile run which should also be interesting considering the cold.... but at least I won't have Lilah with me which should lighten the load.
Also, hopefully tonight I'll be able to make it through the night withought coughing my head off, Lilah tossing around too much (did I mention since her seizure she's been sleeping with us again?), or staying up too late reading my new book (I started the Hunger Games trilogy, finished the first book in less than 2 days and I can't put the friggin thing down!!).
Finally, I've decided I'm not going to post EVERY day... just every running day. So, barring any unforeseen circumstances or simply a need to purge my brain into cyberspace, I will only be posting 5 days a week. Now that we're in full swing of the training, I've realized the idiocy of posting, "So... um.... it's a rest day! That's all folks!" I love you all dearly, but this is simply the way it needs to be. I hope you can all make it through your days without reading my blathering about myself :)
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Week 3b, Day 5 - Mommy Sick Day
Ughh. I'm glad I stayed in on Thursday because the full bulk of this cold hit me on Friday. I think if I had run Thursday it would have hit me much worse, so I'm glad to have had the good sense to stay in. However, last night I was feeling bad enough that I fell alseep on the couch, the Husband made dinner and I went to bed early w/o blogging. Today is Saturday morning so I'll blog twice today. I'm already feeling better today than yesterday, but I'm still not so sure running 3 miles today will be the smartest thing to get over this cold. We'll see how I feel this afternoon.... maybe I'll just walk the 3 miles instead. I was so upset with myself for messing up my training schedule, but now I'm glad for this 're-do' week so I won't have to feel too guilty for skipping my runs.... I suppose this falls into the "everything happens for a reason" category.
It's really tough to be sick as an adult. I still remember when I was 18 living in Israel and got sick for the first time w/o my Mommy. I longed for some chicken soup, TV and TLC, but got none. For the first time in my life I realized being an 'adult' had a downside!! There was no one to take care of me when I wasn't feeling good :(
Now as a Mommy, it's a whole new level of adulthood. When you're a mom, there are no 'Sick Days' so you can sit in bed, drink tea and get better. As a sick mommy, not only is there no one to take care of you, but you have to take care of other people!!!!! WTF!! Despite feeling like crap, you still have to wake up at the crack of dawn, brush teeth, make meals, ensure naps, take the kids to soccer & dance, clean the house, do the grocery shopping, and give baths & be in charge of bedtimes. Only after everyone else is taken care of, you can finally crash into your own bed and pray everyone will sleep through the night.... which is generally when they don't.
I think someone out there needs to start a "Mommy Sick Day" business. Basically you call a service to send over a 'Grandmotherly' woman to take care of your kids, make you some some soup & tea, clean your house and start dinner in the crock pot, so I (or some other hypothetical Mommy) can finally take an uninterrupted nap and feel better. There... I just gave someone out there a million dollar idea and all I ask is to use the service for free when I need it :)
It's really tough to be sick as an adult. I still remember when I was 18 living in Israel and got sick for the first time w/o my Mommy. I longed for some chicken soup, TV and TLC, but got none. For the first time in my life I realized being an 'adult' had a downside!! There was no one to take care of me when I wasn't feeling good :(
Now as a Mommy, it's a whole new level of adulthood. When you're a mom, there are no 'Sick Days' so you can sit in bed, drink tea and get better. As a sick mommy, not only is there no one to take care of you, but you have to take care of other people!!!!! WTF!! Despite feeling like crap, you still have to wake up at the crack of dawn, brush teeth, make meals, ensure naps, take the kids to soccer & dance, clean the house, do the grocery shopping, and give baths & be in charge of bedtimes. Only after everyone else is taken care of, you can finally crash into your own bed and pray everyone will sleep through the night.... which is generally when they don't.
I think someone out there needs to start a "Mommy Sick Day" business. Basically you call a service to send over a 'Grandmotherly' woman to take care of your kids, make you some some soup & tea, clean your house and start dinner in the crock pot, so I (or some other hypothetical Mommy) can finally take an uninterrupted nap and feel better. There... I just gave someone out there a million dollar idea and all I ask is to use the service for free when I need it :)
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Week 3b, Day 4 - I'm lame... I know it...
I bailed on my run again today. I'm in the place where I'm on the fringe of sick... you know what I mean? If I take a day and rest, I'll get over it in a day or so, but if I push myself, I'm sure I'll only get worse. To be honest, I was feeling kind of crumy yesterday and I went for the 3 miles anyway. I felt great... until it was time to go to sleep. Additionally, I haven't been sleeping very well and it's been adding to my 'on-the-verge-of-sick'-ness. So I'll rest today, tomorrow is another rest day, then Saturday will be a 3 miler. I figured because of my adding mistake, this will be one of the few times in the next 6 months that I kind of can take a day or two off. Don't worry.... I'm going to run this marathon.... I just want to be somewhat healthy!
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