OMaD - Week 35

My knee is still acting weird (great...). NCIS season 13 is on Netflix! My boyfriend and my bff JM bonded over raw fish.



August 21 - August 27

Day 234: 9.01 Miles - Ran my miles. I was worried that I may have to cut my mileage short because of my knee. I didn't have any pains, but I could feel my ACL being annoying and my inner shin had a spot that was annoyed too. After my turn around I didn't feel it as much, but I was glad I was done. My boyfriend made me breakfast, and while I iced my knee we got to watch 4 episodes of Stranger Things. We took a break in between to have St. Louis style pizza with my sister. PS... if you haven't watched Stranger Things on Netflix... do it. Goonies crossed with sci-fi. 'Nuff said.

Day 235: 0 Miles - Rest day. I did nothing other than watch TV, snack and watch the family dogs.

Day 236: 5.01 Miles - I was suppose to run 6, but I had to run in my parents' neighborhood park and contend with walking moms who don't like sharing the side wall. Beside that, my knee and lower leg and achilles weren't too happy. So I cut 1 mile off of the run.

Day 237: 0 Miles - I cooked us dinner tonight. Asian pork meatballs with sweet chili sauce (from scratch), roasted veggies and rice noodles. It was pretty good! And I finally got to see NCIS season 13 episodes.

Day 238: 5.01 Miles - Knee and leg feeling a little better. The last three miles I worked on my foot strikes to see if it'd help alleviate any funky feelings, and it did.

Day 239: 0 Miles - I was so tired that I didn't get to the gym to cross-train and I was late to work. I was in a sleepy state all day. I did have enough energy to make some pretty tasty nachos for my MS and I for dinner. My knee started getting shooting pains near the ACL. We're starting to think that it' really isn't the ACL but just a case of Runner's Knee. Irregardless, I don't like it. Boo!

Day 240: 0 Miles - It was a slooww day at work, but it totally got better when my bestie JM came in to do some volunteer work to help me get some things done. Then we met up with the boyfriend from SUSHI! Now. I'm not a raw fish girl (it's the squishy texture) but I did try so uni (sea urchin) and some salmon row. Now bad. Not my favorite, obviously. Lol. Anyway! I finally saw a little bonding between MS and JM, which is prefect because they're two of my best friends and I totally excited that it's happening.


Total Miles this week: 19.03 Miles 

Miles to Date: 440.83 Miles

How was your week?

OMaD - Week 34

OMG! What a weekend! Red-eye flight back home. Jet lag. Marathon training!



August 14 - August 20

Day 227: 0 Miles - Last day in Vancouver! We checked out of our apartment around 11. We explored the city a little more, which was kinda hard cause we were so tired but also cause our backpacks were so heavy! We finally ate some Poutine, which was pretty tasty! I was surprised. Hee hee. Then we hung out at the Seawall for a little bit. We ended up at the airport about 4 or so hours before our flight because we figured we could take a nap at the gate and have easy access to bathrooms. Security wasn't bad and we went to U.S. Customs right after that! Yay! Our flight to Seattle was on a propeller plane, which was so cool and scary! Lol. Then we had a red-eye flight to Dallas (it left at 11:50pm PT and landed 5:30am CT).

Day 228: 0 Miles - Still a travel day, so to speak. 5:30am my mom picked up and took us home. JM got coffee and food and headed out to work (crazy!) and I changed clothes before I left to get to my boyfriends who promised me breakfast. Pretty much after breakfast I crashed on his couch for 2 hours. I was so sleepy the entire day until he took me out to our favorite Tex-Mex place... Chuy's!!!... for some pretty damn good fajitas!

Day 229: 6.01 Miles - Officially first day of Marathon Training! Aaaah! 6 miles in the bag. It was slow and a little achy. The first 2 miles were hard, but it got better after that. I'm hoping that this training season and the more advance plan won't kill me!

Day 230: 0 Miles - Rest day!! It was a good day at work. Then I got to my boyfriend's and he was already cooking dinner (a test sample of what he was going to cook at work the next day). Then after that I finally got to watch the first two episodes of Stranger Things! This is the life right here! :-)

Day 231: 5.01 Miles - This one was a little harder than the 6 miler earlier this week. I think the humidity was up, and my pace was faster since I'm trying to stick to the training schedule. There was more walking during this run, but I finished strong though. I wore compression socks for half of the work day then took them off. Then at the very end of the day I squatted down quickly to put away something and I totally hurt my leg from the knee to angle area. I think it's a sensitive tendon.

Day 232: 3.5 Miles -Well, I got up uber early to pack some clothes for my doggy sitting gig for the weekend and to hit the gym. I had a 20 minute easy bike ride. All day at work my leg ached. Awesome. Not.

Day 233: 0 Miles - A nice and quiet day at work. Granted a giant rain storm helped with that. They my awesome boyfriend decided to cook for my sister and I. Yum!


Total Miles this week: 14.52 Miles 

Miles to Date: 421.80 Miles

How was your week?

Marathon Training... It Begins!

All right people! It is time! Marathon Training!

I can't believe that it's time already! I had been hemming and hawing over it for months back in the springtime. I talked to my mom about it. I talked to my boyfriend about it. I decided I would run Dallas again. Then I flipped and wanted to run the BCS. Then I would talk to my running buddy HC about it and I would flip back to Dallas. Then I realized that the BCS would make me happier and more excited than Dallas. So! Back in May I registered for the BCS Marathon on December 11. Aaaah! Once I had registered it was then time to wait. And wait. And wait.


I'm excited that I get to test myself again to see what I'm made of.


TRAINING PLAN 
Well. I'm sticking with Hal Higdon's plan, but I'm gonna try to bump it up a notch by doing the Novice 2 training plan.  Last year I did Novice 1, and I felt it was good schedule to go with. After some thought earlier this year I felt that I needed to get more LSD runs in that were 20 miles long or close to so that I don't hit the wall as hard (preferably not at all) during the race like I did last year during the Dallas Marathon (which reminds me that I never got to post my race recap for that day... oops! You'll get it soon, I think! ).

http://halhigdon.com/training/51143/Marathon-Novice-Supreme-Training-Program

My running buddy HC has decided to try out the Hanson method and will be running 6 days a week. I don't think that's for me. I'm good running 3-4 days a week with strength training mixed in. We'll see how it goes!


To keep myself going here is a nice thing to think about every time I run....

On different occasions, I have had two US Marines say, "F that!" when I told them a marathon is 26.2 miles. Now, if that doesn't make you feel like a badass then I don't know what will!

Are you running/training a marathon this season? 

What marathon training plan do you like to follow? 

OMaD - Week 33

OMG! What a week! First spent the weekend with my boyfriend, then the first part of the week at work, then my best friend JM and I head out to Vancouver for a mini-vaca complete with a half marathon! Plus! Technically (unofficially) BCS Marathon Training begins this week!



August 7 - August 13

Day 220: 0 Mile - A good day, but an upsetting day because I tried to find a new pair of pants. So not only have I gone up a pant size, but I can't fin anything in my size 12 size... I felt so lousy and disgusted with myself. I even snapped at my boyfriend. Thankfully he was understanding and we talked it out, but I shouldn't have taken it out on him.

Day 221: 6.70 Mile - Initially, I was thinking of running 8-9 miles since this week, no matter what, was going to be different than my training schedule. But... it was hot. My back/shoulders were wrecked from sleeping wrong. I didn't want to run another 1.3 miles to get to 8. So I decided to stop at 6.70. P.S. I find that 7 milers are slightly unlucky for me... so I don't run just to seven anymore. I had dinner with my boyfriend since I probably won't see him until I come back next Monday.

Day 222: 0 Mile - Spent the morning getting things ready for my trip to Vancouver! Only two more days! I'm starting to stress out about getting everything done and to get everything packed into my backpack (that's right, people, I'm only traveling with a backpack!).

Day 223:  0 Mile - Last day of work before flying to Vancouver! My nerves are all over the place!

Day 224: 0 Mile - Today's the day! My bestie and I got up uber early to have my mom take us to the airport. Security wasn't bad, which is always my worries. We got to Seattle with 30 minutes to spare, whew! Canadian customs wasn't too bad either. I got to say, the moment we walked outside of the airport it felt AH-MAZING! We took the Skytrain into downtown and we walked to our Airbnb host and apartment. We were so excited to be here. Then we passed out for a nap before waking up and getting some tasty ramen on Robson street and going to a Whole Foods before walking along the Seawall.

Day 225: 0 Mile - First full day in Vancouver! We went to the convention center to get my package. Surprising, the SeaWheeze you don't wear a shirt bib - just two chip ribbons for your shoes. I really like the little duffel bag, sunglasses and water bottle that came with my swag. I wasn't able to go to the Lulumon store because of the CRAZY line to get in. Plus, I knew things would be expensive. After that JM and I explored and went to Granville Island! Such a fun place! The fruits there looked amazing! For dinner we went to a little grocery store, Urban Fare, to get some hot food at their cafe. I had prime rib, roasted potatoes and veggies. Yum!
 
Day 226: 13.66 Miles - Race day! I got up before dawn and watched the sky and water change colors as the sun came up. I was nervous because I felt a little out of place since I'm not much of a girly, yoga, Lulumon runner than a LOT of these runners are. But I had fun once I started running in my Beef Team jersey. The course was really pretty and quite hilly. I think I started out too fast, but my Garmin didn't help me with because of the buildings I running between. My overall time was 03:00:06, which is 20-30 minutes slower than normal. I knew the hills were going to get me along with the fact that I had walked around the city the day before. Plus, I did have to the bathroom that was off course cause I couldn't wait in a porta-potty line at the next water station. After the getting some more swag and skipping out of the food line, JM and I went back to the apartment for breakfast, a shower, and nap. After that we explored Chinatown, Gastown, then made it the shuttle for Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which was amazing! At the end of the day I had ran/walked 22 miles! Whoa!!!  I wore my compression socks during the first part of city exploration, which helped a lot!


Total Miles this week: 20.36 Miles 

Miles to Date: 407.28 Miles

How was your week?

OMaD - Week 32

Getting back to my current schedule and one week till SeaWheeze! 

July 31 - August 6

Day 213: 0 Mile - Sunday was a hard day. I wasn't feeling awesome on Saturday. This morning I was overwhelmed with stress and disappointment about lots of things. That made my stomach hurt even more. My boyfriend was awesome and sat me on the couch so he could help talk out my feelings. Then we had some muffins before going out for breakfast, which unfortunately turned out to be pretty lousy. It also made both of us feel bad too. We made it to the grocery store to pick up stuff the day, but we pretty napped the afternoon away. We felt better later in the evening, but our stomachs weren't completely up to par. Thankfully we were able to eat a good sandwich for dinner.

Day 214: 10.01 Miles - I took my time getting ready for my run cause I knew my system was working on getting rid of whatever had made me feel funny aaaallll weekend. But I finally made it out to the lake. The run wasn't too bad. Definitely better than some. But the last 2 miles I had to do a lot of intervals. Run for a little bit. Walk. Run. Walk. Run. Walk. It was just so hot. But I got 10 miles down. I know that the SeaWheeze Half Marathon is going to be a challenge since the course is hilly, but it will be at least 10 degrees cooler in temperatures. I can't wait!

Day 215: 0 Mile - Instead of going to the gym I rest and got some things down at home. I also got my schedule all figured out for my marathon training! I start next week, technically, but not really hot and heavy until after I get back from Vancouver!

Day 216:  0 Mile - I so totally did not feel well today. I managed to get through work with very little appetite. Thankfully, I was feeling better toward the end of the day. I survived traffic to arrive at my boyfriend's place with him already cooking an awesome dinner. After that, it was lounging on the couch and watching a movie. Just what I needed.

Day 217: 6.20 Miles - Man, it was hot today. Thankfully, there was a section of my run that was wooded and completely in the shade. So, I went back and forth for quite awhile to gain mileage. It was a little bit of a challenge to finish the last mile or so, but I did it! I'm so ready for cooler weather! It was a great to come home to a package with my new running shoes and CEP knee-high compression socks! I'm step closer to being ready for marathon training! Eek!

Day 218: 0 Mile - Busy and yet slow day at work. I'm so ready for the weekend. I also had a tough day emotionally.
 
Day 219: 0 Mile - Tomorrow is my weekend!


Total Miles this week: 16.21 Miles 

Miles to Date: 386.92 Miles

How was your week?

OMaD - Week 31

This was definitely wasn't as crazy as last week!

July 24 - 30

Day 206: 0 Mile - I totally slept in after the little adventure my boyfriend I took to Austin. I had to work this day, which was one reason why we only went down for the day (the other reason... money!).

Day 207: 4.60 Miles - It's been a week since my fall at the end of my run that caused a whole lot of blood and stitches. The wound has been healing just nicely and I haven't felt anything bad. So I decided to go for a run on the treadmill. I chose the gym because (1) it's air conditioned. It's uber hot out, you guys! Yikes! and (2) if my Frankenknee wasn't liking the running movement I could just walk back home in just a couple of minutes. It turned out not so bad. Yay! I was definitely tired at he end, but I was happy I made it past a 5k. I'm gonna try again later this week (depending on what day I get the stitches removed). I'm feeling better about everything especially since my half marathon in Vancouver is coming up in 2.5 weeks! Ack!

Day 208: 0 Mile - I totally slept in instead of going to the gym to cycle this morning. I'll take it before I have to really start getting my butt in gear for Marathon Training that starts in a couple of weeks!

Day 209:  0 Mile - It was a looong day. I pretty snacked all day long on fruit and crackers. By the time it was dinner time with my boyfriend I was happy that he decided that it was time to go out to HopDoddy's for delicious burgers and fries!

Day 210:  6.22 Mile - I headed back to the gym today for the treadmill since it was already 80 degrees out 6:30am. Boo! And that's with a cloudy sky! I was feeling pretty good for the first hour, which was about 4.60 miles. So I decided to go for a little longer. 10k, people! I think what helped was that I took it a little slower during the first mile. I was also keeping my form up an clean because, well, cause I was a little pissed at this woman who came into the gym after me and put the R&B music channel on the gym TV and was blasting it really loud. Just for her to do weighted ball and some so arm curls for no more than 30 minutes... in her little out fit and mix-matched socks (she wasn't wearing shoes). I could hear the crappy music (sorry to any readers who like R&B) even though I was blasting Netflix through my earbuds. I turned the music when I came to a running break after she had left the gym and the music blaring. Ugh! But on the bright side.... I feel good. Nothing hurt too much, and I'm happy to say that my knee's stitches are feeling good.

Day 211: 0 Mile -I had the day off! I spent the morning waiting to get my stitches out. It turned into a 3 hr way, but thankfully most of it was at home. After that I had lunch with my two best friends at P.F. Changs to celebrate all of our birthdays! I love it that we have the same birthday month. Then I spent the evening with my love. We had pizza and a movie date in the comfort of AC and his couch.
 
Day 212: 0 Mile - I love my job, but on Saturdays, especially, I just want to sleep in and have fun with my family. After work, my boyfriend took me to one of his chef friend's house to enjoy some BBQ and mac and cheese. It was very tasty!


Total Miles this week: 10.82 Miles 

Miles to Date: 370.71 Miles

How was your week?