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Saturday, November 29, 2008

Double Digits!

I can't even believe I'm writing this, but we broke double digits today!! 10.3 miles...
I had the world's worst sleep last night...I don't know what it is, but the nights before runs, I seem to always have odd dreams about my routes and I wake up all night. Quite annoying. So last night, I kept tossing and turning trying to get our route out of my head to no avail. At 4:45, I hear a bedroom door open, and out come two of the kids. Ummm...I DON'T think so! After Chris put them back to bed TWICE, there was no turning back. I was awake for good. So I lay there until about 5:15 and finally gave in and got up.

Now I did have a few things to look forward to this morning before my run. Yesterday I went to Fleet Feet and got myself a new pair of shoes! They're still Saucony, but they supposedly have extra cushioning that is supposed to make them last an extra 50-100 miles. We'll see...(Ok, is it sad that I like to share pictures of my shoes almost as much as I do of my kids??) Aren't they purrty? =)



While I was at Fleet Feet, I asked the gal helping me what I could do about this blister on my big toe that has been plaguing me for the better part of 2 months now. She recommended some running socks that don't have cotton in them...they have that cool "wicking" material that supposedly wicks the moisture away from your skin and then it evaporates. I wasn't really sold on it until I got home from our run and took my shoes off. Holy cow! My socks were almost completely dry! Amazing.

After buying my two new favorite things, the cashier kindly informed me that I'd earned a $25 credit to buy something in the store! Figuring that it will be awhile until I go back, I decided to not let the reward burn a hole in my pocket. =) I went ahead and bought a new running bra. Oh my goodness, the difference that makes! It's like I'm a man when I run now! I'll just leave it at that instead of going into a long description of why I like it so much. =)

Anyhoo, I actually made it the WHOLE run today without stopping to walk at all. I was so happy that I actually did it! Again, around mile 8, my knees felt big time pressure, but I think the shoes helped a bit in that it wasn't sharp pain like I felt before. When we were done, I was hurting pretty bad, but after stretching and my regular post-run routine, they feel good! Just some residual tightness.

Well, this post got to be kind of long...sorry about that. Lots to be excited about! New shoes, new socks, new bra....and 10.3 miles!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Ow-eee!




The training schedule called for 8 miles today, but we ended up doing 9.1 instead. =) Amber picked a beautiful run in Newcastle that was a great balance between gentle slopes and a few killer hills. This morning was the first time the cold weather seemed to affect me at all. It was a cold, crisp morning, and the cold air seemed to freeze my insides. =) After the first few miles, I didn't notice the burning anymore, but I still notice the wheezing a bit now that I'm home.

Knees did pretty good today...around mile 7 or 8 they pulled their same ol' protest, and we walked for about 30 seconds so I could give them a little break. It really irritates me...I hate to make Amber stop, and we're always on the home stretch when I feel like I need to just give them a break so they don't completely go out on me. But, at least it's not happening at mile 4 & 5 like it was before...maybe that's a good sign?

I was limping when I got home, but after stretching and eating breakfast with my cup o' joe, they felt great. Now that it's a few hours later, though, I'm thinking it would be beneficial for me to take an Ibuprofen...I feel the burning in my kneecaps coming on, and I don't want to repeat what happened a few weeks ago. I think Ibuprofen and I are forming a special bond. So, I'm off to pop a pill and maybe ice up a bit...

Sunday, November 16, 2008

It's amazing what a little practice can get you...

Ok, yesterday Amber and I ran 9.5 miles around Loomis and Penryn. I got a gorgeous picture of the sunrise coming up over some beautiful rolling hills and a little pond...and for some reason, the thumbnail of the photo in my phone is great, but when I try to send it or open it, it zooms way in and can't be seen. So, I guess I can't post it here until someone who is more technologically advanced than I am can figure it out for me.

But, onto our run...the middle section between miles 3 and 6 had some great up and down slopes. I had to make Amber walk once on a hill, but I should have just pushed through it. That's easy to say now that it's Sunday, and I'm not suffering through burning calves...oh, well. My knees did pretty good until about mile 7, and I had to ask Amber once again to walk for a few seconds so I could give them a minute to breathe.

I decided this week, I would preempt the excruciating pain I experienced last week and took an Ibuprofen and rubbed some Bengay on as soon as I got home. I don't know if it was that, or if this week's run was just not as difficult as last week's, but my legs were actually just "normally sore." I woke up this morning, and felt great! Yay.

Next week we go back down to 8 miles for our long run...pshaw! Piece of cake! =)

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Amber and I have been looking for someone else to run with us so that in case one of us is sick or can't run, we still have a running buddy. Luckily, she knows someone at her church who wants to start running. So, Heather joined us this morning. We left at 5:30 a.m. and Heather did the first 3.2 miles or so with us. Amber and I intended on running about 4 miles today, but when I got home I mapped our run, and saw we ended up doing 5 miles! I love it when that happens. =)

Onto race day...I can't remember if I wrote on here or not about how we are looking for a 1/2 marathon that takes place on a Saturday. There aren't too many options out there...I found one that's on Jan. 17th, and although I think I could be ready by then, that particular race is in Pacifica, and has a large elevation gain during the race. After last week's hill experience and the pain that ensued when we were done, we decided it may not be the best choice for my first 1/2 marathon. There is one on May 2nd in Sacramento, and although I didn't really want to wait that long to do the race, at least now I'll have plenty of time to get my mileage up and get some speedwork done. Plus, weather will hopefully not be an issue. I set up a new 16-week training program at Runner's World that seems pretty good.

I really need to get some new running shoes, and could order a pair just like my current ones online, but I really would like something a little different. Guess I'll have to make a trip into Fleet Feet soon...I don't want to have to buy another pair before race day in May, so I don't want to do it too soon...

Monday, November 10, 2008

Recovery...

So Saturday after my run, I felt pretty darn good. My legs were a tad sore, but my knees were SO much better than they normally are. I think the Glucosamine I started taking a few weeks ago is actually helping! Usually by mile 4 or 5, my knees are protesting my attempts as an athlete, but last week I noticed a big difference in how they felt. BUT, Saturday evening the repercussions of my 9-miler really started to kick in. During church, I kept sitting down during the songs as I started to feel tightness in my knees and some burning behind them. By about 6:30 that night, behind my knees were burning SO bad...I iced them, but the pain was just burning through it! I didn't have any Ibuprofen, so Chris was a wonderful husband and ran to the store to pick some up for me. He also grabbed some Bengay. As soon as he got home, I rubbed the backs of my knees with the Bengay and took an Ibuprofen. I also kept the ice on for another hour or so. By bed time, I was starting to feel better, but feared what the next morning would bring. =)

I woke up on Sunday and felt great! My calves were sore (and still are), but it was a good kind of sore. No more pain in the knees! I decided to take Sunday and Monday off to let my body re-coop, and we're on for 5 miles tomorrow a.m. Hopefully my legs will be ready to perform by then. =)

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sometimes I surprise myself...

Today Amber and I ran a *beautiful* route up in Newcastle off of Ridge Road. I mapped our run when I got home on MapMyRun and we did 9.1 miles! We did a loop out and back, and the first 1/2 was great. On the way back, though, it was mostly uphill, and I seriously got my bum kicked. I felt bad that I had to ask Amber to walk 4 or 5 times...I need to do more hill running. I am *not* used to it! It ended up taking us around and hour and 45 minutes...not too bad, but quite a bit slower than our normally under-10-minute-mile. Chris was SO sweet and drove out to drive by and cheer us on. After he drove past us, he turned around to head home. About 10 minutes later, though, I spotted them sitting out in lawn chairs and in the van cheering us on! I needed that boost, and I was just so touched that he would care enough to come cheer me on!

I took a few pictures with my phone, and I wish they did the view justice. It was a gorgeous morning for a run...perfect weather and the scenery just reminded me how thankful I should be to be alive and to have the opportunity to enjoy the amazing landscape the Lord blesses us with...






Wednesday, November 5, 2008

9,168!

That's how many calories I burned last month running! Can you believe that?! It's a good thing, too, considering I've been eating my weight in chocolate for the last few weeks. I seriously would have gained at least 5 pounds in the last month if I weren't running. I need to kick this sugar addiction fo' real. I've always had a sweet tooth, but it's out of control now. Having unlimited access to 4 kids' Halloween candy and the excuse that "I can eat whatever I want! I'll run it off tomorrow!" is not a good way to go in the long run (no pun intended). It's been a nice ride, though...

So, how do I break this addiction? I'm serious. It IS an addiction. I went cold turkey a year or so ago, and did great. I only allowed myself to eat baked goods since I LOVE to bake, and couldn't see living without my desserts for the rest of my life. I swore off of candy altogether, and did really well for a few months. I made the mistake of thinking I could re-introduce a piece of candy or chocolate into my life once a week or so, and that was it! I fell completely off the wagon, and it's been downhill since then. I need to just get over this thing and stop giving in to the tempting call of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kats. They really do call me...I can hear them! Can't you??

Saturday, November 1, 2008

First Run in the Rain...

Well, after a fun night of trick-or-treating and contentment with the fact that the rain stopped for a few hours while we went door-to-door, I woke up this morning to more rain. I was hoping Amber was still cool with running, even though we hadn't really discussed what we would do in the event of rain. She showed up right on time at 7:00. It was more like "showers" at the time, not torrential rain by any means. However, I have never run in the rain, and was a little curious to see how running my longest run in conditions I wasn't used to would go.

Initially, it was a little hard to adjust to. It still wasn't all the way light outside yet, and the combination of rain and poor lighting made for some bad visibility. But, after about 20 minutes, it became lighter and it wasn't so bad. Actually, after the first couple miles I started to kind of enjoy it! I felt pretty rugged out there in the rain. I felt like one of those runners who I would pass while driving in my car, and think, "What would possess someone to be out running in this weather?!" It felt good. The time flew by, and in the end we ended up doing 8.5 miles! I'm still a little bit shocked about that. I'm getting so close to double digits! Crazy.