Sunday, December 20, 2015

OMaD - Week 51 Recap

One Mile A Day challenge update...I RAN a marathon this week!!!! Eeeeek!

December 13 - December 19

Day 241: 26.2 Miles - MARATHON DAY! Omigosh! This day hasn't really sunk in. I ran a marathon. I ran 26.2 miles. In fact, according to my Garmin I ran more than that because I went down a little side street to go to a porta potty. A race recap will be coming soon! After the race my boyfriend and my family took me out to eat at Chuy's before we all went to the family house for treats and relaxation.I think my Garmin was showing I ran more than 26.2 Miles, but I can't remember at the moment!

Day 242: 0 Miles - After a Advil night, I felt not too bad in the morning. I was still shuffling around the house. So I totally lounged around until the afternoon, which was when I went Christmas shopping! I could not focus on Christmas at all before the marathon, and now I can! After a couple of hours my feet and back ached. My night was a bit fitful because of my back.

Day 2430 Miles - First day of work! I didn't feel too bad. I did have some aches in my back, and I would have a few twinges here and there. Otherwise, I'm doing pretty good! 

Day 244: 0 Miles - This was a big day of NOPE! and pain. I discovered the painful way that my IT Band is not happy... while I was Christmas shopping! My hip was inflamed to the point that I could see it get puffy! Ugh!

Day 245: 0 Miles - Better than yesterday, but still achy.

Day 246: 0 Miles - Nothing today either. After work I went to another Christmas party.

Day 247: 0 Miles - Nothing after work except... STAR WARS!!!! I want say anything other than it was good! Also, I ate so much candy and cookies this day that I totally passed out on my family's couch afterwards. Hee hee.

Total Miles this week: 26.2 Miles

Miles to Date: 896.68 Miles  




How was your week?

Have You seen the new Star Wars movie yet?











Saturday, December 12, 2015

Marathon Training Monday on a Saturday!!! - Week #17 and Week #18

So here it is! The last Marathon Training Monday (Week #17 and Week #18).

This recap is in addition to my weekly One Mile a Day challenge updates.


R = Rest*
# = Miles
CT = Cross Training

*Rest days I don't do anything other than chill/work/walk 1 mile. I may do light core workouts, especially if I missed it on CT day.


WEEK #17
12/R/6/R/7/CT/R

Monday: 12.02 Miles - Well, my typical Sunday long run was postponed until today because of a weekend full of rain! The run wasn't bad, but I had to deal with the debris that was left on the trail after the lake water receded. I'd came close to spraining my ankle at least one as I ran over some sticks.

Tuesday: 0.00 Miles - I couldn't get myself to wake up and run. My lower half was achy, especially the hip flexors. I realized that I hadn't foam rolled when I got home from the 12 miler the day before. Booo! Well. I after consulting H, I decided to sleep in and rest up. Rest of the day my leg, from the hip through the knee was in painful. Boo!

Thursday: 5.51 Miles - I totally felt like I slacked off a bit today, but I was so tired I didn't realize how late it had gotten this morning! I thought I had just enough time to run at least 6 miles; however, it wasn't just so. To do even run the last half mile I would've been late for work. Ack!

Friday: No cross training today. I felt crummy during work time them I had to do things for my parents.

WEEK #18
8/R/5/R/4/CT/R

Sunday: 8.11 Miles  - I wasn't quite sure what to expect during this run because I had gone to two Christmas parties the night before. Plus, I had been eating more sugar than normal this past week. But the run wasn't too bad! In fact, I ran a 01:30 8 miler, which was exactly what I predicted to my boyfriend who came to the lake and waited for me. During the run I felt good, but I remember being a little achy in my calves because I have a tendency to point my toes when I'm under the covers of a tucked in blanket (weird, I know). After the run I felt confident, which is great! I noticed how I knew exactly how many miles I had left based on my location, which will be nice on Marathon Day because where I had been training is actually part of the race course. I have also noticed that I get a little tired of seeing the same thing every week at least once a week. I'm hoping that this will all work out great on Sunday! 

Tuesday: 0.00 Miles - I was suppose to run 5 miles. But, I had so many things on my mind on top of being tired. After a light breakfast I sat down on my bed to think before I got dressed in my running gear. The next thing I know I was asleep again. I don't think missing the miles would kill me or effect my marathon too much, but I have to admit that it certainly adds a bit of fuel to the marathon day jitters that hit me the moment I got to work! 

Wednesday - No cross training today. I had so much to do at work then I wanted to relax with the boyfriend. I hope the lack of cross training doesn't get me in the end on marathon day!

Thursday: 5.01 Miles - My last training run! Aaaah! I got 5 miles in, which was great. I did five instead of four to sorta help make up for the fact that I missed Tuesday's run. It was a little hard going at first since I hadn't run since Sunday, but after Mile 3 I was loosened up. My pace was a at least a minute faster than my race pace. I didn't bring fuel, and I'm wondering that's way I also felt a little weak at the end (in addition to the pace).

THOUGHTS 
Well, folks. This is it! The last recap of my training before the Dallas Marathon. Apprehension is starting to pop up as I think about the weekend, about how long I will be running (5.5 - 6 hours!), and not hurting myself. I'm starting to question a little my lack of cross training. Will it effect my hips? I'm starting to regret missing some of my runs. I'm sure that it isn't going to ruin my marathon, and it's just part of the pre-race jitters. I just can't help get a little paranoid now. That being said. I can't wait to feel the energy and the excitement that will hit me while I run on Sunday. Stay tuned, everyone!


This is the last Marathon Training Monday Saturday! 
Stay tune for my Marathon Recap!!! 

OMaD - Week 50

One Mile A Day challenge update... And let the marathon day stress begin! 

December 6 - December 12

Day 234: 8.11 Miles - I was hoping that I didn't have a junk run after going to two Christmas parties the night before. The first was a catered company party, which had a nice dish of salmon, chicken and veggies. The dessert was not so great, but when we went to a friend's personal party later that night I had some tasty homemade desserts there. That being said my run was actually pretty good. My calves were a little sore throughout, but nothing that was putting me off. I had a good pace (finished in literally 01:30... which was what I had quoted to the boyfriend). Afterwards I had the best tacos for a breakfast/lunch.

Day 235: 0 Miles - No cross training today. I totally slept in and acted like a sloth when I wasn't running an errand.

Day 236: 0 Miles - Aaaaand. I got up ate breakfast. Sat down on the bed before I got dressed for my run. Aaaaand. I fell asleep. I had a lot on my mind that day, and I was tired. Sooo. I missed my second to the last run for marathon training. Oh well. I don't think missing 4 miles this week would kill me too much now. Granted, when I got to work, the pre-race stress hit me on top of other work stress. Panic mode was about to happen.

Day 237: 0 Miles - No cross training today either. Work, work, work. Date. Feel calmer about marathon weekend so far. 

Day 238: 5.01 Miles -My last run in marathon training! Aaahhhh! I can't believe it's almost here. I'm still trying to orchestrate this weekend because I have stuff to do, and need to provide info to my family and friends who are coming to the race!

Day 239: 0 Miles - I was off from work today! I got some shopping done to get my Eggo waffles and bananas for Sunday.

Day 240: 0 Miles - Packet pick-up day!!! My boyfriend drove me down to the convention center to join my running buddies. We got our packets, and tried to shop through the vendors. I didn't end up buying very much, but I got my 26.2 car magnet! The Marathon is tomorrow!!!!

Total Miles this week: 13.12 Miles

Miles to Date: 870.48 Miles  




How was your week?











Tuesday, December 8, 2015

OMaD - Week 49 Recap

One Mile A Day challenge update. Second week of taper! First week of December!!!

November 29 - December 05

Day 227: 0 Miles - This would have been my day for my long run, but it was raining so hard I stayed home. I also didn't want to face 12 miles on the treadmill. So I decided to stay home and in sleep in.  It was great! I had a great breakfast then it was onto a day full of fun with the boyfriend.

Day 228: 12.02 Miles - Long run on a Monday! Whew! It was a good run. I averaged 11:50 pace. There was still a lot of debris from the rains. I almost sprained my angle at least once or twice. Not fun. It was cold, slightly windy with an overcast sky. I'm not sure I wore warm enough clothes. For the most part I felt OK, but during the last two miles I was getting colder. I think on my next run I'm going to try out the thermal shirt I got a few months back to see if that will help. Afterwards I had the most yummy tacos from Torchy's Tacos (Dirty Sanchez, yum!!). I should've bought some coffee to warm me up since I could still feel the heat leave my body even when I put on a hoodie, but I didn't. Ugh.

Day 229: 0 Miles - I had my alarms set. I snoozed them. Then I still didn't wake up until 7:30am. My body, especially my hip flexors, weren't wanting me to run. I messaged my running buddy H and I felt better that she thought it was OK to skip the 6 miles today and just rest. Which is what I did. I rested. Had a great breakfast and rested some more before heading to work. The rest of the day my right leg had a tendony/nervy pains that shot down through my knee. Not happy. It hurt!

Day 230: 0 Miles - Date night. But my leg feels a lot better. I should be good to go, hopefully for my run Thursday morning.

Day 231: 5.51 Miles - Well, I overslept. I had to cut my run from 7 miles to 5.5 due to time constraints. Why? Cause I didn't want to me late for work. Oh, well. Any miles is good compared to no miles.

Day 232: 0 Miles - No cross training today. I wasn't feeling too awesome during work, and had chores to do while dog sitting!

Day 233: 0 Miles - What a busy day! I was super busy at work, being on my feet. During my lunch our I ran to Target to get some things. I left work early so that I could pick up my parents' dogs from daycare. Then! I had 45 minutes to jump into the shower, get dressed, and put my hair up in a girly updo. Me and my boyfriend went to two Christmas parties that night!

Total Miles this week: 17.53Miles

Miles to Date: 857.36 Miles  




How was your week?



Tuesday, December 1, 2015

OMaD - Week 48 Recap

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!!! Here's the One Mile A Day challenge update with a delicious feast to boot!

November 22 - November 28

Day 220: 20.03 Miles - I. Ran. 20. Miles!!!!! Whoo hooo! I was actually surprised how well it went. I was expecting to hit the wall at some point, sorta like what I did during my 18 miler, but I never did! Sure, I got tired but there was no exhaustion and big aches and burns. When I finished I was grinning ear to ear. I also felt pretty good too! After foam rolling, shower, eggs and coffee, and a quick nap I was out the door to go to lunch at Chuy's Tex-Mex with my boyfriend (yep, boyfriend) and going to the Galleria. I felt really good until it was bedtime, which was when my body finally got tired and sore.

Day 2210 Miles - No miles or cross-training today. I slept in, made cookies for a party, then spent the afternoon with my mom before to said party for a leaving friend/coworker.

Day 222: 8.51 Miles - Hello taper! I'm so glad I didn't have to run 10 miles again.

Day 223: 0 Miles -  No cross training today. Wednesdays are becoming date night for me and my boyfriend. We had a fun time before heading down to my parents place for the family part of the holiday!

Day 224: 8.57 Miles - Thanksgiving Day! Months ago I was thinking I would do the Turkey Trot with the family, but I never around to planning it out. Then the forecast had lots of rain. So I had full plan of doing my thing on a treadmill. Blah! Well, as it turned out there wasn't rain that morning! So my mom, sister and I made it out to the lake. It was nice and quiet. Barely any cyclists! Then it was a day full of good food! And for once I did not over eat! Yay!!!

Day 225: 0 Miles - The day after Thanksgiving. Whew! I tried doing some stomach crunches and push ups, but that wasn't really happening. At least I tried. My family doesn't do Black Friday. We had plans of going to a tree farm to get a Christmas Tree, but it was raining, raining, raining. I was starting to get cabin fever before I went down for a nap, just to wake up in time to decide on going to Taco Bell for dinner! Haha!

Day 226: 0 Miles - I had to work this day, as usual.

Total Miles this week: 37.11Miles

Miles to Date: 839.83 Miles  




How was your week?
What does your family do for Thanksgiving? 

Monday, November 30, 2015

Marathon Training Monday - Week #15 and Week #16

Omigosh! It's time for Week #15 and #16 recap in my marathon training and the TAPER!! This recap is in addition to my weekly One Mile a Day challenge updates.

Only three. Count 'em  - three. 1. 2. 3. more weeks until Marathon! That's one and half more updates for Marathon Training Monday! Ahhh!

R = Rest*
# = Miles
CT = Cross Training

*Rest days I don't do anything other than chill/work/walk 1 mile. I may do light core workouts, especially if I missed it on CT day.


WEEK #15
14/R/10/R/10/CT/R

Sunday: 14.02 Miles - This was a ROUGH 14 miler!!! I don't regret going to the concert or anything of the like because if I was at work I could've have done the very same, but on carpet. After spending a couple of days I think that my lower half hit the wall was due in part to the fact that I haven't been doing very well on actually taking my iron supplement, which helps with my muscle fatigue. Then I also think it's just to the point that I ham tired in general, and I'm almost to the peak of my training. Here's to hoping that I surviving November... let alone the marathon it self! 

Monday: 3.1 Miles - Cross Training on Monday! Whoo hoo! I cycled a 5k to help with any residual soreness from the crappy run the day before. Granted it's been so long since I was on a gym cycle that my butt hurts from the saddle (and still does two days later!!).


Tuesday: 5.01 Miles - Ok, so I didn't get my 10 miler in, but I have Friday to hopefully get the last 5 in. I had to run this on the treadmill, so this was definitely a mental strengthening run. The first mile sucked and wanted to quit. After my first 2 mile interval it wasn't because I was technically almost half done. I had to push myself and set the speed of the mill a lot fast to squeeze in a final 5th mile in before the machine hit the 5 minute cool down after an hour timer. Man! That was cool and challenging at the same time!

Thursday: 10.03 Miles - Whew! Compared to the other runs this week, this was a good run. I decided to try out the 1 mile/ 1 minute walk intervals instead of the 2/1 interval that I've been training this entire time. I felt better, or at least didn't didn't get tired as quickly. I think I'm going to give that a try for my 20 miler on Sunday.

Friday: 3.1 Miles - Well, I'm trying on catching up the shortened run on Tuesday. Technically I have still 2 more miles to go, but I decided that I'm not going to run them.


WEEK #16
20/R/8/R/9/CT/R

Sunday: 20.03 Miles - Holy cow! I've reached the peak of my training! And it went really, really well! I never hit the wall in muscle aches or burns or overall fatigue. I decided to run the new 1 mile / 1 minute rest interval instead of 2/1 interval I had been training with. Every other mile (odd miles starting at Mile 5) I would take a bite of my fuel. I did have to stop at a porta potty a few times because I always felt like I had to pee. I was worried I was going to hit the wall at Mile 16 or 18, but I never did. It certainly helped that I mentally broke my run down into sections, which helped in reassuring I had X amount of miles left to go. I was so happy when I finished. I was smiling really big and I did a giant fist pump! After this run I know now that my body can carry me up to the last 10k of the marathon, which is when the race truly begins.

 Tuesday: 8.51 Miles - And so it begins! The taper! Yes! Ran around the park near home. It wasn't a bad run, but I remember that I'm not a huge fan of running longer than 6 at this particular park.

Wednesday - No cross training today.

Thursday: 8.57 Miles - Happy Thanksgiving! I was fully expecting to run on a treadmill today due to the rain. A fact that made me happier that I didn't sign up for the Turkey Trot this year.  However, I woke up and there was NOTHING! So, after a taking my time my mom and sister, and I made it out to the lake do our thing. So nice!

THOUGHTS 
Hello Taper! Even though I feel so accomplished in running 20 miles last Sunday at the peak of my training, I certainly am thankful for the tapering of miles. I'm looking forward to see if I can make it the last 10k of the marathon.

Stay tuned for the recap of Week #17and Week #18! 

Monday, November 23, 2015

OMaD - Week 47 Recap

One Mile A Day challenge update... and the week before Thanksgiving! Whah???? Time is flying!

Oh! And it came to my attention that I've been number my Weekly Recaps wrong for almost two months! So! This recap is actually Week 47!


November 15November 21

Day 213: 14.02 Miles - It was the hardest 14 mile run ever today. My mind was starting to get into the game when I parked at the lake, but my body wasn't agreeing with it the moment I began to run. I kept telling myself, once you get past mile 2 it'll get better. It sorta did, but after the turn around it sucked more and more. My legs and hips were definitely feeling the standing for 1.5 hours on a concert floor at that punk rock concert the previous Friday. Ugh. But I pulled through and finished. Then I got home just in time to eat something before heading out to do my turn of working a Sunday.

Day 214: 3.1 Miles - I  finally cross trained!!! Hee hee. I got myself to hit the gym and spin a 5k distance to help with any aches I had left from the Sunday LSD. Then I it was off to do errands and enjoying a day off from work. 

Day 215: 5.01 Miles - It finally stopped raining when I got myself to the gym (I only had time to get to a treadmill before work) to get at least 5 miles in. Now I have to see if I can get an additional 5 in on Friday. Ugh.

Day 216: 0 Miles - No cross training. Running Buddy H was telling me she was switching her intervals from 2 miles down to just 1 mile with a 1 minute walk in between. Apparently her runs have been much better since then. Hmmm. Something to consider.

Day 217: 10.03 Miles - So, yes! I did the 1/1 interval instead of the usual 2/1 during my 10 miler. I have to say that I didn't get tired as quickly and the run didn't feel as torturous, which was quite nice. I think I'll give this a try for my 20 miler on Sunday.

Day 218: 3.1 Miles - Caught up some on my the mileage that I missed on Tuesday. There wasn't enough time to do all 5 miles so the last 2 will be sacrificed so that I could get to work on time then have time to go to the grocery store, eat and relax.

Day 219: 0 Miles - Nothing today. It's called resting up for the 20 miler tomorrow morning!!!!

Total Miles this week: 35.26 Miles

Miles to Date: 802.72 Miles  




How was your week?

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

OMaD - Week 46 Recap

Second week of November and the 37th week of my One Mile A Day challenge!

November 8 - November 14 

Day 206: 18.01 Miles -  Omigosh! I ran 18 miles! The day before the run I was getting nervous. My Running Buddy H and a fellow runner E (both of whom are training for the same marathon) were in a group chat with and talked about their run. Oy! Jitters were in my tummy! Well, that morning I was up at the lake by 7:30am. I eventually zoned and kept on calculating which distance to run to before I turn around. I turned at Mile 8 then ran a mile on a side trail to make it a total 18 Miles. The last two miles was when my legs and hips were beginning to hit the wall. They were tired. They were achy. I pushed through. I walked a bit more during those two miles, but I'm not complaining too much. After my run I made it hope and rested for a bit before I spent the day with a friend who had a birthday!

Day 2070 Miles - I. Did. Nothing. I probably could've hopped on to a cycle to spin for a bit or try out some  yoga again, but I was so lazy. It was a sloth day.

Day 208: 9.08 Miles - Survived rush hour and got to the lake for my run. It's so nice not having to worry about looping at my other park.

Day 209: 0 Miles - I went out with a friend after work so no cross training again.

Day 210: 10.01 Miles - I was finally able to zone in on this run, which made it go way better. I am starting to feel the constant tiredness and the aches more and more the further I go into this marathon training.

Day 211: 0 Miles - I tried to go for a little yoga today, but I failed again. Yoga is hard!!! I had the day off, which was great. I was able to work on getting my apartment cleaner, I got to visit my parents then go hang out with a good friend and experience a punk rock concert with him and his buddy.

Day 212: 0 Miles - Another day off and it was AWESOME not doing anything!

Total Miles this week: 37.10 Miles

Miles to Date: 767.46 Miles  




How was your week?

Marathon Training Monday - Week #13 and Week #14

Sorry, y'all! I'm one day late in my update for Week #13 and #14 finished in my marathon training! This recap is in addition to my weekly One Mile a Day challenge updates.

R = Rest*
# = Miles
CT = Cross Training

*Rest days I don't do anything other than chill/work/walk 1 mile. I may do light core workouts, especially if I missed it on CT day.


WEEK #13
12/R/9/R/9/CT/R

Sunday: 12 Miles - Well, I had contemplated running the Dallas Running Club's annual DRC Half Marathon because I didn't want to see it happen while I was running solo at the lake. But I had some reservations because of costs, timing, and so on. Plus, I knew I'd be eating some junk food at a Halloween Party the night before. So! Instead I went to a park closer to home and found a way to do 12 miles. It was torturous! I didn't have too much trouble, but I felt slow. Plus, at Mile 10 or my achilles was achy, which is new for me. Hmmm.

Tuesday: 5 miles - I woke up late and only had time to run 5 miles. I'll make the 4 later on this week. 

Wednesday: No cross training tonight. 

Thursday: 9 Miles - Well, all week forecast said it was suppose to rain. Thus, I already knew that I'd probably hit the gym's treadmill this morning. I got out of bed and it was wet and gray out. Then as I was walking to the gym and just as I started running it began to rain. Then it stopped. And did rain again from what I could tell. You know what, though, if I had run outside it would have rained. Heehee. I kept the treadmill simple. Flat, flat, flat, flat.

Friday: 0.00 Miles - Yeeeeeah, I didn't finish my training schedule for this week by getting in a 4 miler. Oh well. I think I can get away with slacking off a little bit. I'll just make sure it doesn't happen from now on. 

WEEK #14
18/R/9/R/9/CT/R

Sunday: 18.01 Miles - Oh, yeah!!!! Despite being nervous leading up to the run, I did a really good job! I was worried that I would have to break down my 2 mile intervals into 1 mile intervals. I know that would've been OK to do because it was what my body would, but it deviates from my training plan, which sometimes I don't like. Well, for the most part I did not have to break it up. I did stop at a nasty porta-potty at around Mile 14 (ick). Then when it came to finishing Mile 17 I had to walk a bit longer than my 1 minute rest period. I had to give my quads and hammies a little longer rest before I finished the last mile. For the most part I did not mentally hit the wall, which was great! Running Buddy H lopped the lake twice to get the needed miles and I was sooooo not about to do that because I knew it'd break me mentally more than anything. I'm glad I made it through this run. I do wonder how I'm going to feel when I do 20 miles in two weeks let alone the full 26.2 miles in December!

Tuesday: A good 9 miler this morning. My legs, especially one hammy was sore from Sunday. Even though I was technically within my pace range it felt like I was working harder than normal. I did have a frightening eyeful experience in the porta-potty this morning too. Ick. But when you gotta go you gotta go.

Wednesday: No cross training today. I'm going to try to do some yoga or spinning at least on Friday. I promise! 

Thursday: 10.01 Miles - I had a late start, but it wasn't bad. I got into the zone and didn't have much challenges until a hill close to the 5 mile turn around. My muscles were getting sore towards the end. I didn't have time to foam roll before heading to work since I only had 45 minutes to get clean, get dress and cram some food before heading out again.

Friday: I tried to do a little yoga, but I failed. Herrrumf.

THOUGHTS 
After completing the 18 miler, I've come to the conclusion that my legs will forever be in a state of soreness and the muscles being tight. I recover for the most part only to run another long run that will bring back to achy state again. I tried hard to foam roll the moment I get home and before I hop into a hot shower. Now, I really need to try to get cross training in.

Also, I'm not sure if I feel ready for the marathon. I'm sure that's normal. I do feel that if I can hit 18 miles again (and will have to do so two more times this year) I should be able to go further than that. We shall see! 

Stay tuned for the recap of Week #15 and Week #16!

Monday, November 9, 2015

OMaD - Week 45 Recap

Omigosh! We're right into November!!! Here's my weekly update to my One Mile A Day challenge.

November 1 - November 7 

Day 299:  12.00 Miles - It was the day after Halloween. I tried hard not to pig out on junk food , but I still ate it (and what I had was oh so good!). My 12 miles was less than stellar. I'm glad I managed to do it all in spite of feeling a little off and having to deal with running a park that I think isn't built for long distance miles and was having some trail closures due to high rain water. I did it though. Then I proceeded to have one of the best days I've had in a long while! 

Day 200: 0 Miles - I rested and chilled with my family, some of which were visiting from out of town. 

Day 201: 5.19 Miles - I woke up late because my body didn't want to leave a comfy bed. I only had enough time to comfortably fit in 5 miles before I had to get ready and head out for work. I'll have fit in a 4 miler on Friday sometime. Ugh.

Day 202: 0 Miles - No walking. No cross training. I hung out with a friend after work, and I don't regret it one bit!

Day 203: 9.00 Miles - It was suppose to rain, but it didn't when I was running on the gym's treadmill. After almost two 1 hr sessions I got 9 miles in. Whew! Then I feel asleep after a shower, breakfast and a nap and only had 15 minutes to get ready for work! Agh! I made it just in time.

Day 204: 0 Miles - I didn't make up the last 4 miles that was part of my training schedule. I needed to go shopping for some things (that's right, needed) and by the time I came home I was tired. I think it's OK to slack off just a little right?

Day 205: 0 Miles - No miles or too much cross-training today. I was up on my feet for a few good hours at work, and they're tired. I have to be ready for my 18-miler on Sunday! Aaaah!

Total Miles this week: 26.19 Mile 

Miles to Date: 730.36 Miles 




How was your week?

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

OMaD - Week 44 Recap

It's the last week of October! What happened to the month? Where did it go! Well, either way here's my weekly update to my One Mile A Day challenge.

October 25 - October 31

Day 292: 16.06 Miles - The rain threatened to ruin my LSD! I kept on waking up in the wee hours of the morning to listen for rain. Then all of a sudden I woke up and there was nothing. I checked the weather. Small percentage of rain. Ah! I got up, prepped and headed out to the lake. Done! Mwahaha! I had a totally awesome breakfast afterwards too.

Day 2930 Mile - I slept in. I cleaned my apartment - including dishes! I walked around Barnes and Noble (I hope I'm not the only one who doesn't like the way they organize their books!) and bought a new RW and some yummy coffee. It was a nice relaxing day!

Day 294: 8 Miles - This morning was nuts! I didn't get my but moving fast enough to get out the door for my run. By the time I was able to all I could do was go to the gym and run 4 miles on a treadmill. Then I had to get clean so that I could go to my dentist appointment to keep my teeth awesome. When I got off of work I headed back to the gym and ran for another 4 miles on the treadmill. So, there. I can say I ran 8 miles today! 

Day 295: 0 Mile -No cross training this day. I was tired from my weird training schedule last yesterday. Then after work I went out with a friend, and by the time I was home I wanted to sleeeeep!

Day 296: 9.05 Miles - I got my butt in gear and made it through rush hour traffic so I could run the miles at the lake and not at the smaller park near my home. I got in the zone pretty quickly, which was nice. I also had just enough time to get clean and head out to a Target for some apples that I all of sudden was craving (I was also craving waffles and a full on egg breakfast, but I knew that couldn't happen) and some coffee. But I didn't eat very well because of my time constraints and I had a sugar crash when I got to work. Thankfully my mom came to my rescue and brought me more coffee!

Day 297: 0 Mile - No miles or cross training again. I got catch up with a friend on the phone.

Day 298: 0 Mile - It's Halloween, people! I went to a party instead of doing something fitness wise.

Total Miles this week: 33.11 Mile 

Miles to Date: 704.17 Miles  




How was your week?

Marathon Training Monday - Week #11 and Week #12

Week #11 and #12 finished in my marathon training! This recap is in addition to my weekly One Mile a Day challenge updates. I've decided to mix up my marathon training schedule a little bit (thanks to my running buddy H) to see if it will help me out in timing in relations to getting to work. To know more read here.

R = Rest*
# = Miles
CT = Cross Training

*Rest days I don't do anything other than chill/work/walk 1 mile. I may do light core workouts, especially if I missed it on CT day.


WEEK #11
15/R/8/R/8/CT/R

Sunday: My first 15! Whoo hoo! It was actually went really well, despite the bit of jitters I had leading up to the run. I had a really good night the evening before (I made headway on my apt cleaning and Pandora was on a roll with good tunes.) I ran 7.5 miles around the lake, hitting the trails that I haven't seen for a while. Some the trails weren't smooth, which may have aggravated my hip flexor a bit, but it wasn't too bad. It certainly made me take it nice and steady. Around Mile 10 or so I was starting to feel a bit sore in the hips, but I was still going strong. I totally killed it the last mile though, which felt awesome. I had a big ol' grin on my face when I finished. I did it!

Tuesday: A good 8 miler a the local park. There's a section of the park where there is a bit of a windy road surrounding several soccer fields. It is a mile all the way around. So! today, I ran around it four times to build up the miles to 6 before heading back toward the car for the last 2 miles. Not too bad.

Wednesday: Actually.... I did some light core work and arm work! Whoo hoo! I'm trying!

Thursday: Another 8 miles. I did the same route as I did on Thursday. It was a little harder this morning to get in the groove of running, but once I was in the 1 mile loops it wasn't too bad. There is a bit of humidity in the air since rain is suppose to hit North Texas soon, but about half way through my run a nice strong wind came in and would cool me down. Niiiice.

Friday: A little more cross training done! I did some push ups, sit ups, then a little weights. I tried out the Beginner Class by Rebecca Pacheco with Runners World, but it was difficult. I think part of it because I hardly ever do yoga, and it's hard to do everything the right way when you're trying to watch someone do it on you phone! I'll keep giving it a try to see if I can get use to it!

WEEK #12
16/R/8/R/9/CT/R

Sunday: Whew! 16 miles in the bag! I was worried that the rain was going to stop my weekly plan, which mean I would have to run the LSD on Monday (boo!). I kept on waking up in the wee hours of the morning to listen for rain. I would hear the drip, drip, drip and I would go back to sleep. Then I, all of a sudden, woke up and I heard nothing. I looked at my weather app and saw that there was little to no chance of rain for the rest of the day. Ah! I had to go! The run itself wasn't too bad. I felt good for the most part after the first mile, which was always a little rough. I turned around at Mile 7.60 instead of Mile 8 because I got caught up in a thought in my head, but I made up for it at the end of the run. At about Mile 10 my thighs were definitely becoming sore, but at least it wasn't my hips. The last mile I totally picked up speed to get it done. I certainly felt accomplished!

Tuesday: 8 Miles - Because I had a dentist appointment that I didn't want to move to another day (seriously, there wouldn't have been a better day) and because I did get myself out of bed fast enough I had to split my 8 miles into 4 miles in the morning before the day could begin and 4 miles after the day has ended. All on the treadmill. Oy! It was good. I'm not a huge fan of treadmills, but for today it worked. It would also work on a rainy day (and the run isn't an LSD!!!!).

Wednesday: No cross training today.

Thursday: 9.05 Miles - Dare I say this was slightly easy? I made it out to the lake and just zoned in for most of the run, which was nice.

Friday: No cross training. I had stuff to do! Hee hee.

THOUGHTS 
My mind is a little foggy on this, but I want to say that the last two training weeks weren't so bad! I certainly impressed myself when I ran 15 and 16 miles! Whoo hoo!

Stay tuned for the recap of Week #13 and Week #14! 

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

OMaD - Week 43 Recap

I'm still at it! The weekly update to my One Mile A Day challenge. So far, it looks like I've been averaging miles every other day. Hmmm.

October 18 - October 24

Day 285: 15.02 Miles- Whew! I ran my first ever 15 miles this day. It was good, a little achy at the end of it, but I finished really strong. I had a great to-go brunch afterwards before I headed onto work for a few hours. Then! I had a my Beef Team webinar to learn more. Very exciting and busy day!

Day 286: 0 Miles - I may have walked a mile around the mall with my friend this day, but I'm not sure. I was definitely sore from yesterday's run, that is for sure.

Day 287: 8.02 Miles - I decided to give the potentially new marathon training schedule a go. So! Instead of running 4 miles today then 4 miles on Friday, I ran 8 miles this morning. It was a good run.

Day 288: 0 Miles - I had a day off from work today, which was nice.I did some light core and arm work. Nothing big, but it's better than what I've done before (aka what I haven't done!).

Day 289: 8.02 Miles -  The miles were a little harder to run this morning than on Tuesday, but it wasn't so bad once I got the 1 mile loop that I use to easily add mileage. Plus there was a pre-rain (at some point it's coming!) wind came in an cooled some of the humidity off. 

Day 290: 0 Mile - Rain. Work. Rain. No time to walk. I did do some push ups and a bit of yoga. I tried out the Beginner Class by Rebecca Pacheco with Runners World. It was HARD! Maybe it's because I was trying to watch what she was doing. It's kind of funny. At the SeaWheeze Half Marathon there will be lots of fun yoga stuff to do. I have less than a year to get into this yoga stuff

Day 291: 0 Mile - More rain. Work. Rain. I almost was in a car accident because of some bad driving doing an illegal turn that cut right into my lane. I am soooo glad that I had paid all that money to get a tire sensor repaired so it knew when it needed to use ABS! Then I had a horribly awkward night on a date. I want to forget this day cause it makes my shudder. 

Total Miles this week: 16. 04 Mile 

Miles to Date: 671.06 Miles  




How was your week?

Sunday, October 25, 2015

OMaD - Week 42 Recap

What a week! Here's my One Mile A Day update (which is a bit late!)!

October 11 - October 17

Day 278: 13.23 Miles - Half Marathon Day! Me and my running buddy H drove to Tyler well before dawn to run the Tyler Rose Half Marathon. We ran this race last year as part of our Four Seasons Challenge. This is a good race that had plenty of perks, such as actually scheduled right around the time one's full marathon training schedule requires a half, indoor and outdoor bathrooms, portable showers and spot to hang out before and after the race! I'll have a full recap soon!

Day 279: 0 Mile - Slow, lazy day that I spent at my parents' place.

Day 280: 4.02 Mile - Well, I got four miles in before heading out to movies with a good friend. We saw "Pan." It wasn't bad at all. I can see where the reviewers were coming from, but I liked it. Plus, High Jackman was awesome, as usual, and that Garrett Hudland is very dishy! (How have I not heard or seen of him until now, seriously???). I didn't have to go to work today, which was nice in some respects, but it stung nonetheless. Long story short, a guy I started seeing was a jerk and uninvited me to a special event that I had pulled strings to get off work for. Boo.

Day 281: 0 Mile - Why I was grumpy-ish all day, I'm not sure. But I was. I didn't care that I didn't do core work at all. I went and played Cards Against Humanity again after work. I was asked a question during a break that got me thinking... what do I like to do when I'm not running. Uuuuh. I don't know any more! 

Day 282: 7.01 Mile - Finally got my butt out there to run. It wasn't bad. Just long. At some points, especially towards the end, I started thinking about how the mileage will just keep on increasing and how I'm suppose to get in all these miles in before work. I actually started thinking about how I could change my locale on some runs and just show up at work and quickly clean myself up in the bathroom. Hmmmm.

Day 283: 3.15 Mile - Got my miles in. Got clean, got coffee and breakfast, and was still 5 minutes early to work! Yay! 

Day 284: 0 Mile -No miles logged in today. I decided that I would clean my apartment! Shock!!! I got the Pandora app working on my Smart TV and I totally got some great tunes playing to keep me going. I made progress! I have floors! Haha!

Total Miles this week: 27.41 Miles 

Miles to Date: 655.02 Miles  




How was your week?

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Marathon Training Schedule Switcheroo

So, for anyone who has been around the blog knows already that I'm in the middle of my first marathon training. I started out with this training schedule, which has been going really well. However, recently I've been wondering how I'm going to pull off running 4-5 miles before I have to get to work in the morning (with the idea that I would not be running before dawn.) 

My running buddy H faces a similar dilemma, and she's a  full time working mom. The other week she found this marathon training schedule on Running with Skissors - the "Busy Mom on the Run Marathon Training Plan." This schedule has you running on three days a week with three days of cross training and a rest day (but you know me, cross training days and rest days are almost the same).




Well, knowing all to well that I need to try to get my cross training back on track all the while still be being rested (and a life, hopefully) I thought that this may be worth a try!

 What I found interesting though is that Hal Higdon approved this training plan too, which is what sold H on this schedule (she really likes him). Perhaps I'm a lemming in some way, but I'm trying it out.

So far I followed this schedule for Week #11 and it wasn't bad. Granted I haven't done a lot of the cross training portion yet, but I'll get back to it (I know, I know I say that all the time).

We'll see what happens in the coming week. I have an appointment or two and there is RAIN right now in North Texas, which may mess up my running next week. Hmmm. It can't be too easy right?

Have you ever changed your training plan half way through?



Wednesday, October 21, 2015

2015 Tyler Rose Half Marathon Race Recap

I am a badass. I know I said that before, in my last half marathon recap, but seriously! I did kick butt during this year's Tyler Rose Half Marathon!

I ran this race last year as part of my Four Seasons Challenge with Mellew Productions. For the second year in a row this race has proven to be rather nice. I wish I had taken some pictures throughout the morning, but I didn't. Oh, well. I can't win at being an awesome blogger all the time!

It all started out with leaving town at 5am with the hopes that my phone GPS won't get us lost in the dark, in the middle of nowhere (I did print out a map just in case). When we eventually found our way to Hwy 20 outside of Terrell we had to stop at Buc-ee's to get a muffin (we were hungry and didn't know what to expect at the race). Food in hand then tummy we continued on our way. We arrived with about 45 minutes to spare (whew!).

We got our packets and our cozy feeling hoodies (it's going to be yummy during the cooler weather!). The pickup up was really simple and quick, which was awesome, especially after going through the worry of race day pickup at an out of town race. Then it was on to join the indoor bathroom line before gear check. After all said and done, we had 15 minutes to join the back of the group at the Start line.

The weather was nice - around 65 degrees or so by the time we were there. I knew that once the sun came out it would be warmer regardless. It was a little rough deciding if I should change into a running tee instead of my tank top. But, in the end I was glad I decided to keep the tank on.

THE COURSE
The course is definitely hilly, but nothing that I could not handle this time around. This was definitely not like the Badass Brazos Half Marathon course with its mountains! For the most part I ran up every single hill (See I told you I was a badass and killed it!).

Course support was minimal, but nice nonetheless. The first water station wasn't until after Mile 3, which was a little rough for H, who was planning on only walking at the water stations. I had played along with that idea, but after Mile 4 I decided that I would pick up a 2 mile interval plan instead. I followed that idea for the most part, but I did pause to stretch or walk through a water station/crest of a hill or two when I needed. I did see numerous medics around, which was nice. I didn't see very many porta potties (perhaps 3 all together), which felt like not enough. Thankfully I had no GI problems this time around, and I didn't have to worry about it. But I would've been up shit creek (haha!) if I did because of the minimal amount of potties.

Since Heather and I had 1.5 hrs to kill in the car that morning, we didn't talk much during the race. However, for the most part we stayed together. It wasn't until the last few miles did I leave her in my dust. She had an achy knee, and I finally did all the number crunching and figured if I dug deep enough and make it up the last hill OK I could possibly PR.

At the end, as you are finishing off Mile 13 there is one big hill you have to get up with oncoming traffic to your right. It's a little rough when you're tired, but it's totally do able. Then you, after turning left to head back to the Rose Garden, there are smaller rolling hills to get up. It totally reminds me of the Austin Half Marathon (Enflield Hill at 12 and the little monster of a hill at 13). But I did it and ran up it all!

The finish is a bit tricky in the fact that once you enter the garden and pass under one timing chip sensor you still have to turn right and run down the perfectly green lawn to the real finish line. The first sensor is great in the fact that they know who you are and they will announce your name as you come running in (I love that!). You have to slow down quickly after you cross the finish so that you don't run into other runners, medal givers, water givers or trip into the fountain behind everyone.


FUELING
Well, since I'm marathon training right now and thinking about fuel I thought I'd mention my fueling. I can't take certain fuels one would find at a running store because of my thyroid pill (no calcium, no vitamin C, no iron for a few hours after taking it). So! I obviously went with what I've been trying out on my training runs - blueberry Eggo waffles with peanut butter. I tore the waffles into pieces and made little sandwiches. It was kept in a ziploc baggy and McGyvered to my belt. It worked out well. No tummy troubles, as I mentioned earlier. At around Mile 5 I took a bite. During the later miles though I eat a bite or two. I did notice that I would get a hunger cramp because I didn't eat enough and the water made it a little worse. I would have to walk a little, but after I got some more fuel in I felt better. Whew!

POST RACE
After H crossed the finish line we headed indoors. We both loved smelling the heavy rose scent that the Center had (which was probably a good thing because there were lots of runners this year!). We grabbed some food - Kellogg Nutri-Grain bars and a egg, potato and cheese tacos. Yum! We got our bags for gear check. Then we headed out to the showers! Yes, showers! Thanks to the Green Acres Baptist church for bringing their shower truck! Inside the trailer (sectioned off Men's/Women's) were three shower stalls. There was a little stool in front of each stall. In the stall, behind the curtain, was the shower head and a soap dispenser with body soap/shampoo combo. The knob was a bit high above your head, if you were short (which I'm not). I brought a camping towel to use, but apparently I you could ask for a towel. I also brought some face soap in my hopeful attempt to not break out again! There wasn't any air circulating in the showers, so you were still a little sweaty when you get dressed, but it was totally worth it all. I loved the moment we stepped out and the cooler air hit us and cooled us down. Aaaaaah!

We found my car, and we headed straight to Chuy's Tex-Mex! One of my most favorite places to go after a race. I asked for a big ol' cup of unsweet tea (a rare thing for me) and a big ol' cup of water. So good. Then chips and salsa. Then chicken fajitas! So good! Yum!

Then it was off back to Dallas.

OVERALL THOUGHTS 
Thinking back on it now, this is such a good race. The course is nice with lots of pretty houses to look at. Mile 10 - 11 are flat, which helps when you're trying to pick up momentum at the end (which I totally took advantage of!). There were hills to make to challenging just enough, but nothing too hard. The spectators on the course were nice and cheered for you even if you were a stranger (just like Austin). The start/finish venue is nice. It had indoor pluming, tables and chairs to sit at, indoor gear check, a rose garden to take pictures in (gah! I can't believe we did the whole thing without taking a picture. That's so unlike us!). There was plenty of parking. There was a shower truck. Nice.

WOULD I RUN THIS RACE AGAIN
Yes, definitely!

FINISH TIME
02:34:38 - that's a PR, baby! 



Did you race this weekend?






Image(s) found here.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Marathon Training Monday - Week #9 and Week #10

Week #9 and #10 finished in my marathon training! This recap is in addition to my weekly One Mile a Day challenge updates.

R = Rest*
# = Miles
CT = Cross Training

*Rest days I don't do anything other than chill/work/walk 1 mile. I may do light core workouts, especially if I missed it on CT day.


WEEK #9
10/R/4/7/3/R/CT

Sunday: 10.01 Miles - A good LSD (It feels a little weird saying that still!). Great weather (hello, capris and tee shirt!). The lake wasn't too crowded. I didn't get momentarily stuck in the porta-potty like last week  (did I mention that in the last recap? The door was stuck in the bottom corner. Umm. Yeah!). My hips were getting tired, which makes me think I really need to get back to cross-training and work on my core and hips! Oh! When I was hitting the last few miles, and I was at Mile 7.3 I passed a golf course with a club house. I swear to God I smelled the glorious smell of BACON! Wow! What a motivating smell! I really wanted a good breakfast afterwards.

Tuesday: 4.02 Miles - I switched my miles as to where I will run 4 on Tuesday for a couple of weeks so that I'm not going crazy on Friday morning trying to get the miles in before leaving for work at 8:30am! I only have a couple of weeks of this until I have no choice.

Wednesday: Nothing. I'm not sorry. But I know I need to force myself to get back into it.

Thursday: 7.01 Miles - I. Did. Not. Want. To. Run. This. Morning. It took me forever to get my butt off the couch and dress in my running gear. My stomach was a little achy. I might have been dehydrated (when am I not?). I had no motivation. But I knew I had to run. So I forced myself up. For a change in scenery (technically) I drove to White Rock Lake during rush hour traffic (smart, right?). Then I forced myself to run. I was so slow. At least 30secs to a 1 minute slower in pace per mile. Yeah. Awesome. Oh, and it was humid and warmer than it has been. Awesome. Not. I did see a beautiful Great Dane doggy named Titan (awesomely perfect name for such a big dog!). Well. The run was done and over with, and I didn't wimp out. 

Friday: 3.11 Miles - Surprisingly, this run was normal. Whah?! My speed was back to normal for a Friday run. My cadence was up. Huh! Well. I'll take it! 

WEEK #10
13/R/4/7/3/R/CT 

Sunday: 13.23 Miles - I mixed up my training schedule again. My running buddy H and I drove to Tyler to run in the Tyler Rose Half Marathon. It was a really good race, and I killed it! I'll have more to share in my race recap. But I have to share (again!)... I PR'ed! Wasn't planning on it (even though I said it would be nice) and pretty much ran a pace that was between 11:30 - 12:30/mile up until Mile 12 or so. That was definitely when I knew a PR was possible (if I could make it up the last hill), and I pushed it. Anyway! Read the recap when I get it posted.

Tuesday: 4.02 Miles - Ran around my parents' neighborhood, which was nice cause it was a change of scenery. I also ran with my replacement Saucony Omni 12s that I bought a while ago on sale. At first I was worried about the arch support in one of the shoes, but mid run it felt better. Hopefully they'll work out great for the second half my training.

Wednesday: You know the drill by now. No cross training. I'm a slacker!

Thursday: 7.01 Miles - Got my butt out the door and ran the 7 at a park closer to the house. It wasn't bad, but it got me to thinking about increasing mileage and the idea of doing it all before work (thankfully I go into work at noon on Thursdays).

Friday: 3.15 Miles - Miles around my home. A usual, I push myself on this run because I have a small window to get the miles in.

THOUGHTS 
Well, Week #9 was hard after doing the Sunday 10. Week #10 was better complete with a great race that Sunday. Unless the upcoming Daylight Savings Time is going to help me out, I'm seriously starting to wonder about getting all the miles in during the week before work. Tuesday and Thursdays aren't so bad, but Friday is the hardest one. Interestingly enough, running buddy H shared a Hal Higdon approved training schedule that combines miles during the week. Hmmmm. I'm intrigued. More on this later.

Stay tuned for the recap of Week #11 and Week #12!

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Whew! 15 Miles. Work. Webinar.

Yeeeeah. What a LONG day! One for the books in some respects. I'm tired, but I wanted to type this up while there is still a bit of lingering excitement left in me. Let's see.

First off...

I RAN 15 MILES TODAY!

Sorry. Didn't mean to yell. Ok, not really sorry. I ran 15 miles today. It is the first time EVER that I have ran past 13.5 miles in my little running life! 

The weather was perfect. 55 degrees just after dawn. I started with usual route, but extended 3.5 more miles so that it equaled 7.5 miles at the turn around point. It wasn't bad. Plus, I was able to use the White Rock Lake Trail so that I could avoid cars and cyclists for the most part. Some the trail has been redone, which feels amazing! But some are still untouched and were rough and hard to run on. I'm wondering if that didn't help my hip flexors after awhile. At the turn around I felt good. When I got the last four miles my hips were getting a tired, and I could feel my upper abs work out.

I listened to Pandora's "Halestorm" station, and it was awesome. Though I kept on giving "thumbs up" to the songs I like (to help customize it better), and that wore my phone's batter down. Nonetheless, it didn't die on me, which is good cause I needed my tunes and my mom was Live Tracking me through my Garmin.

Afterwards, I stretched by my car for a bit before going to Good2Go Taco, which has awesome breakfast tacos! The line was long, and I really wanted to say, "I just ran 15 miles. I should be allowed cut the line." But I was a good girl. Hee hee. I got my yummies to go, and so did not take a picture because I scarfed it all when I had the chance to eat it!

Secondly...
After running I had to work 5 hours today. I had literally a 15 minute snooze between my shower and when I had to get ready to go to work... with enough time to get a venti size cup of coffee at Starbucks. I also bought some water and a rice crispy treat.

Work was good. I have to walk around a lot, which meant that I didn't seize up. At first walking was hard, but I loosened up a bit. By 4pm, however, I got a headache because I needed more food. I spent the rest of the last hours of work debating on what I should eat for dinner. Fooooood! I got a Chipotle salad and a large tortilla. So good!

Thirdly...
I virtually attended my BEEF Team webinar that gave me the smarts on what I'm to expect in 2016 as I become a Beef TIP. It all sounds really awesome! I can't wait to get more involved and improve myself nutritionally and for being involved in a community like this!

Hope you had a great weekend!