I was highly motivated after my Christmas brunch champagne consumption, and I knocked out my family's 2011 Happy New Year's card. In the evening, Cliff and I went over to a friend's house and saw some of my friends from high school and their significant others. It was great catching up with everyone... I hadn't seen some of those girls since high school. Plus Cliff and I were amazed at the jumbo shrimp (two thumbs up for the snack food).
The next day was full of eating and drinking. Cliff and I went to Rudy's (Mexican restaurant in Monrovia) with my parents. I got a gigantic (think Chipotle-sized) seafood burrito. After dinner, Cliff and I checked out the Wine Detective on Green/Lake. It was a pretty neat place. We each tried about three 1-ounce samples (about $3) and then we committed to a glass. They hooked us up with a little bit of free wine since we were the only ones there. We also tried some cheese, and the blue buffalo cheese was amazing. Before we racked up a huge tab, we switched locations and headed over to the Yard House on Colorado Blvd. We sat at the bar, and Cliff tried the super stout beer. I had a lemon drop martini and a pear cider and then insisted on ordering an appetizer (half-off) pizza. We had a great time, and it was fun to check out some different places.
Cliff and I attempted a trip to the Santa Anita Mall. My first stop was H&M, and I walked out with NOTHING. I think I'm more successful when my mom is there to tell me what to try on. I have a hard time finding flattering stuff in there. I tend to pick out horizontal stripes and big, poofy sleeves. In the evening we went to dinner with my dad at Di Pilla's on Valley in Rosemead. All three of us ordered the same thing (spinach fettuccine noodles with spinach, Italian sausage, garlic, and olive oil) and gorged on garlic bread. The food was delicious, but the services was pretty bad (but my parents said it's usually good, so I guess it was an off night). Cliff and I rented the Wall Street sequel at Blockbuster and had a lazy night.
Yesterday Cliff and I enjoyed brunch at Twohey's. We had an amazing Egg Beater omelet with spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese. We tried to stay out of the house so my mom could sleep (she worked the previous night), and we went to an early movie. We saw the Little Fockers, and it was surprisingly good and funny. In the evening we went to Applebee's to watch the OSU game, and my brother met us there for dinner and drinks.
I coughed all night and decided to go to urgent care today. So now I'm on antibiotics, and I'm hoping to fight off this congestion stuff before the New Years Eve and New Years Day festivities. I've been lounging around this afternoon, and I just inhaled a gigantic bean and cheese burrito from Pepe's. I am going to have to hit the diet and exercise HARD come January. These last two weeks have been full of gluttony.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Christmas Festivities
On Christmas Eve we went to my Aunt Sally, Uncle Bob, and Cousin Christy's house and had Christmas Eve dinner with the extended family (on my Dad's side). It was fun to catch up with everyone, and dinner was scrumptious. I am seriously hooked on that Costco broccoli salad (with the cashews and raisins). My aunt made a yummy spinach salad, and we also had green beans, ham, tri-tip, homemade buns, and mashed potatoes. I had three helpings of the broccoli salad and three buns (carbs are obviously my weakness). I topped off the meal with some of my cousin's sugar cookies with chocolate and toffee chunks and my aunt's brownies. My uncle also made a really impressive four(?)-layer chocolate cake. And of course there was plenty of wine to wash everything down.
The Family Picture:
Cousin Evan, Brother Aaron, and I with Grandma Marion:
The Cousins (I put my frumpy cardigan on after I realized my shirt was see-through in the pics!):
Cliff arrived at noon on Christmas, so we enjoyed some wine and snacks in the afternoon and then had our traditional prime rib Christmas dinner. My mom does an amazing job. We enjoyed prime rib (cooked perfectly!), twice-baked potatoes, green jello, rolls, green beans, and Christmas cookies.
Family Photo Time:
The lovely ladies (my Grandma Esther stayed with us over Christmas):
We moved the regular Christmas morning activities to the 26th. It worked out well to have the champagne brunch and prime rib dinner on different days. Once again, my mom made a fantastic meal... egg casserole, creamed spinach, fruit salad, and bread (pumpkin & cranberry). There were even frozen fresh strawberries for our champagne. After brunch, we took a few more photos and opened presents.
Spousal Christmas Photo:
Another Family Christmas Portrait:
Christmas Gangsta':
The Family Picture:
Cousin Evan, Brother Aaron, and I with Grandma Marion:
The Cousins (I put my frumpy cardigan on after I realized my shirt was see-through in the pics!):
Cliff arrived at noon on Christmas, so we enjoyed some wine and snacks in the afternoon and then had our traditional prime rib Christmas dinner. My mom does an amazing job. We enjoyed prime rib (cooked perfectly!), twice-baked potatoes, green jello, rolls, green beans, and Christmas cookies.
Family Photo Time:
The lovely ladies (my Grandma Esther stayed with us over Christmas):
We moved the regular Christmas morning activities to the 26th. It worked out well to have the champagne brunch and prime rib dinner on different days. Once again, my mom made a fantastic meal... egg casserole, creamed spinach, fruit salad, and bread (pumpkin & cranberry). There were even frozen fresh strawberries for our champagne. After brunch, we took a few more photos and opened presents.
Spousal Christmas Photo:
Another Family Christmas Portrait:
Christmas Gangsta':
Week #3 (December 20 - 26)... Trying not to break my hip
Run #1 (Monday afternoon): 6.18 miles @ 9:24 (58:04); Downtown/Trinity Trail; Great negative split (out in 29:30-ish, back in 28:30-ish). Ran with a friend, and she wasn't feeling too swell, so we just kept it at an easy pace... pleasantly surprised by the 9:24 average.
Run #3 (Wednesday afternoon): 5 miles @ 8:46 (43:54); Lake Country; Great descend (9:10, 9:01, 8:54, 8:36, 8:12).
Run #4 (Saturday morning): 9.07 miles @ 9:14 (1:23:53); San Marino & San Gabriel; Fun, nostalgic run. Passed by my old elementary, junior high, and high schools and our old house. My right hip was still bothering me though.
Run #5 (Sunday morning): 4.30 miles @ 9:26 (40:38); San Gabriel, San Marino, & Alhambra; I started off super slow and got going after a mile or two. I just wanted to get a short run in before our family's champagne brunch. My hip was still bothering me, but I needed to burn some calories.
Total Weekly Mileage: 31.60 miles
Other Workouts:
Elliptical Machine 30 min
Stationary Bike 20 min
Weights & Abs 20 min
Total Workout Time for the Week: 6:01:58
Run #4 (Saturday morning): 9.07 miles @ 9:14 (1:23:53); San Marino & San Gabriel; Fun, nostalgic run. Passed by my old elementary, junior high, and high schools and our old house. My right hip was still bothering me though.
Run #5 (Sunday morning): 4.30 miles @ 9:26 (40:38); San Gabriel, San Marino, & Alhambra; I started off super slow and got going after a mile or two. I just wanted to get a short run in before our family's champagne brunch. My hip was still bothering me, but I needed to burn some calories.
Total Weekly Mileage: 31.60 miles
Other Workouts:
Elliptical Machine 30 min
Stationary Bike 20 min
Weights & Abs 20 min
Total Workout Time for the Week: 6:01:58
Friday, December 24, 2010
California Pre-Christmas Festivities
Cliff drove me to the airport on Wednesday and we stopped at Italianni's for dinner. They have a nice bar atmosphere there, and the happy hour prices are reasonable ($3.50 for the house red). I ordered the vegetable lasagna for dinner, and I was a little disappointed that it was set in a cream sauce. The vegetable lasagna at Zio's the previous night was better. My flight left at 8:00 pm, and I slept most of the way and tried to ignore my tummy ache. My dad picked me up at the airport, and I didn't get to bed until around midnight (2 am Texas time).
Thursday was full of activities. My mom and I went to PetCo to buy presents for Hank, Lucy, and GusGus. Then we grocery shopped at Trader Joe's, Howie's, and Howe's. After we dropped the groceries off, we headed to the Nordstrom Rack and I spent my $50 Groupon (my first Groupon purchase, and it was quite smooth!). I bought a pair of brown gladiator sandals and a Calvin Klein top. Then I went to TJ Max and bought some picture frames (for gifts) and a couple cheap tops for me, picked up some photos at CVS, and met a friend at Kathleen's for lunch. I hadn't seen her since high school (hooray for Facebook), and it was fun to catch up. I squeezed in a nap in the late afternoon before dinner. My brother and I went out to a club in Hollywood until about 1 am, so it was a pretty late night. We had a good time, and I got to see his new ride and his office. I slept in until 10:30 this morning and felt pretty decent. I hit the gym (24 Hour) for a little over an hour. I am trying to lay off the running for a few days and let my hip flexor heal, although it was still bothering me doing the elliptical, stationary bike, and arm weights. Boooo!
Now time to get ready for some Christmas festivities. Have a merry one!
Thursday was full of activities. My mom and I went to PetCo to buy presents for Hank, Lucy, and GusGus. Then we grocery shopped at Trader Joe's, Howie's, and Howe's. After we dropped the groceries off, we headed to the Nordstrom Rack and I spent my $50 Groupon (my first Groupon purchase, and it was quite smooth!). I bought a pair of brown gladiator sandals and a Calvin Klein top. Then I went to TJ Max and bought some picture frames (for gifts) and a couple cheap tops for me, picked up some photos at CVS, and met a friend at Kathleen's for lunch. I hadn't seen her since high school (hooray for Facebook), and it was fun to catch up. I squeezed in a nap in the late afternoon before dinner. My brother and I went out to a club in Hollywood until about 1 am, so it was a pretty late night. We had a good time, and I got to see his new ride and his office. I slept in until 10:30 this morning and felt pretty decent. I hit the gym (24 Hour) for a little over an hour. I am trying to lay off the running for a few days and let my hip flexor heal, although it was still bothering me doing the elliptical, stationary bike, and arm weights. Boooo!
Now time to get ready for some Christmas festivities. Have a merry one!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Beginning the 50-mile training plan (or lack thereof) - Weeks 1 & 2
So now I’m turning my attention to the Rocky Raccoon 50-miler on February 5. I don’t have a training plan in place, but my goal is to churn out some mileage and build on the Saturday and Sunday runs (12 miles each) that I did this weekend. I am injury prone, so I’d rather load the mileage on the weekend (2 days) versus one long run. I didn't write a training plan because I want some flexibility through the holidays. This was a great start though… 40 miles for the week with a 12-miler on Saturday and Sunday. Plus I traveled to Louisiana Tuesday-Thursday for work, so that threw a wrench in the normal routine.
It's been a bit of a struggle to maintain my weight since I'm back on the sauce, and this is the celebration (eating) season. Hopefully some high mileage will help offset the food and drink!
Week 2 (Monday, December 13 – Sunday, December 19):
Run #1 (Tuesday morning) – 7 miles @ 9:23/mile (1:05:43); Lake Country; I did the hilly Golf Club/Lake Country route and then an additional 3.5 miles around my neighborhood before I headed to the airport.
Run #2 (Wednesday morning) – 4 miles @ 10:00/mile (40:00); Treadmill; Holy hangover. I felt like crud in the morning after too much wine and a bad night of hotel sleep, but I sweated it out!
Run #3 (Friday morning) – 5 miles @ 9:35/mile (47:57); Lake Country; Easy run around the neighborhood. I felt a little sluggish, but I was glad I got it done.
Run #4 (Saturday afternoon) – 12 miles @ 9:21/mile (1:52:12); Trinity Trail (from 7th and Collier); Felt really good and wanted to keep going.
Run #5 (Sunday morning) – 12 miles @ 9:40/mile (1:56:01); Colonial/Overton Park/Foster Park/Trinity Trail; I was feeling a bit sluggish after Saturday’s run, but things got better as I knocked off the mileage.
Total weekly mileage: 40
Other Workouts:
Weights & Abs 17 minutes
Elliptical Machine 50 minutes
Stationary Bike 53 minutes
Walked Dogs 1.5 miles
Total weekly workout time: 8 hours, 22 minutes
Week 1 (Monday, December 6 – Sunday, December 12):
Run #1 (Thursday evening) – 1.75 miles @ 9:29/mile (16:36); Lake Country; This was just a test run to see how my post-marathon recovery was shaking up. My right foot was talking to me!
Run #2 (Saturday morning) – 6 miles @ 9:58/mile (59:48); Trinity Trail; This was an easy run with Stacy and her dogs. I just wanted to get some mileage in, and I felt pretty good considering I did Bikram yoga for 90 minutes before the run.
Run #3 (Sunday afternoon) – 4.25 miles @ 8:55/mile (37:54); Lake Country; I ran this at a good tempo (my body seems to be way more awake in the afternoon/evening) and hit my 1,000th mile for the year.
Total weekly miles: 12
Other Workouts:
Weights & Abs 37 minutes
Elliptical Machine 20 minutes
Walked Dogs 3 miles
Bikram Yoga 90 minutes
Total weekly workout time: 4 hours, 21 minutes
It's been a bit of a struggle to maintain my weight since I'm back on the sauce, and this is the celebration (eating) season. Hopefully some high mileage will help offset the food and drink!
Week 2 (Monday, December 13 – Sunday, December 19):
Run #1 (Tuesday morning) – 7 miles @ 9:23/mile (1:05:43); Lake Country; I did the hilly Golf Club/Lake Country route and then an additional 3.5 miles around my neighborhood before I headed to the airport.
Run #2 (Wednesday morning) – 4 miles @ 10:00/mile (40:00); Treadmill; Holy hangover. I felt like crud in the morning after too much wine and a bad night of hotel sleep, but I sweated it out!
Run #3 (Friday morning) – 5 miles @ 9:35/mile (47:57); Lake Country; Easy run around the neighborhood. I felt a little sluggish, but I was glad I got it done.
Run #4 (Saturday afternoon) – 12 miles @ 9:21/mile (1:52:12); Trinity Trail (from 7th and Collier); Felt really good and wanted to keep going.
Run #5 (Sunday morning) – 12 miles @ 9:40/mile (1:56:01); Colonial/Overton Park/Foster Park/Trinity Trail; I was feeling a bit sluggish after Saturday’s run, but things got better as I knocked off the mileage.
Total weekly mileage: 40
Other Workouts:
Weights & Abs 17 minutes
Elliptical Machine 50 minutes
Stationary Bike 53 minutes
Walked Dogs 1.5 miles
Total weekly workout time: 8 hours, 22 minutes
Week 1 (Monday, December 6 – Sunday, December 12):
Run #1 (Thursday evening) – 1.75 miles @ 9:29/mile (16:36); Lake Country; This was just a test run to see how my post-marathon recovery was shaking up. My right foot was talking to me!
Run #2 (Saturday morning) – 6 miles @ 9:58/mile (59:48); Trinity Trail; This was an easy run with Stacy and her dogs. I just wanted to get some mileage in, and I felt pretty good considering I did Bikram yoga for 90 minutes before the run.
Run #3 (Sunday afternoon) – 4.25 miles @ 8:55/mile (37:54); Lake Country; I ran this at a good tempo (my body seems to be way more awake in the afternoon/evening) and hit my 1,000th mile for the year.
Total weekly miles: 12
Other Workouts:
Weights & Abs 37 minutes
Elliptical Machine 20 minutes
Walked Dogs 3 miles
Bikram Yoga 90 minutes
Total weekly workout time: 4 hours, 21 minutes
Monday, December 13, 2010
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
There is no sign of Christmas in our house... no Christmas tree, no lights, no presents. But I did get mighty festive with the Christmas cards this year. We did a family picture (with four humans and three dogs) on Saturday. My friend Stacy had the photography duties, and I reciprocated for her on Sunday. Fortunately the dogs were pretty good (once we chased down the Bassets). GusGus is such a ham.
I also wrote a newsletter for the first time.
Christmas cards are turning out to be an expensive endeavor. I addressed nearly 100 envelopes last night, and I have about 40 to go. I still need to buy stamps and make color copies of the newsletter. I'm hoping to mail everything tomorrow morning before I head to Louisiana for work. It takes a lot of effort to be so domestic!
I also wrote a newsletter for the first time.
Christmas cards are turning out to be an expensive endeavor. I addressed nearly 100 envelopes last night, and I have about 40 to go. I still need to buy stamps and make color copies of the newsletter. I'm hoping to mail everything tomorrow morning before I head to Louisiana for work. It takes a lot of effort to be so domestic!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Four Things Friday
1. I'm happy to be back from Vegas, and I had enough second-hand smoke to last me a lifetime. We agreed that our next Vegas trip will be shorter (maybe 3 nights instead of 5). Now I'm back to the normal schedule of working (teleworking today... woohoo) and squeezing in some workouts.
2. I felt like I have recovered well from the marathon. Yesterday I did 35 minutes of weights and 20 minutes on the elliptical during my lunch break. The weight workout included a few minutes on the "treadwall" (a climbing wall that revolves like a treadmill), and my right quad started talking to me. I tried a short run after work. I only did a 1.75-mile loop around the neighborhood, and the bottom of my right foot had a tingling pain. That was pretty odd since usually the top (not the bottom of my foot) bothers me. I have an appointment with Dr. Brian today, so hopefully that will work out the kinks!
3. We had a nice evening out yesterday. We got all gussied (GusGus likes when I use that term) up and went to dinner at O I I Sushi in our neck of the woods and then went to a Christmas party with some friends. I pretty much ate two dinners. I wasn't expecting to eat at the party, but the food was sooooo yummy. Whoever thought to put blue cheese in a biscuit... friggin genius. The red wine and I were a little too chummy, but tis the season.
Spousal Photo:
Stacy and I:
Stacy, Shawna, and I:
4. I'm looking forward to taking a family photo for the Christmas card on Saturday. I think a friend (Stacy) and I are going to swap photography duties, and I will go over to her place on Sunday. Cliff's son/my bonus son (Jordan) is coming in town today, so we will have all four humans and three dogs... wow, that is 20 legs!
2. I felt like I have recovered well from the marathon. Yesterday I did 35 minutes of weights and 20 minutes on the elliptical during my lunch break. The weight workout included a few minutes on the "treadwall" (a climbing wall that revolves like a treadmill), and my right quad started talking to me. I tried a short run after work. I only did a 1.75-mile loop around the neighborhood, and the bottom of my right foot had a tingling pain. That was pretty odd since usually the top (not the bottom of my foot) bothers me. I have an appointment with Dr. Brian today, so hopefully that will work out the kinks!
3. We had a nice evening out yesterday. We got all gussied (GusGus likes when I use that term) up and went to dinner at O I I Sushi in our neck of the woods and then went to a Christmas party with some friends. I pretty much ate two dinners. I wasn't expecting to eat at the party, but the food was sooooo yummy. Whoever thought to put blue cheese in a biscuit... friggin genius. The red wine and I were a little too chummy, but tis the season.
Spousal Photo:
Stacy and I:
Stacy, Shawna, and I:
4. I'm looking forward to taking a family photo for the Christmas card on Saturday. I think a friend (Stacy) and I are going to swap photography duties, and I will go over to her place on Sunday. Cliff's son/my bonus son (Jordan) is coming in town today, so we will have all four humans and three dogs... wow, that is 20 legs!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Las Vegas Marathon Race Report
Leading up to the big day...
Cliff and I flew from DFW to Las Vegas on Friday after work. Everything went smoothly, and we were glad we paid the extra $24 (round-trip total) for the CLS shuttle to and from the airport. We checked in (Fitzgerald's Downtown) and then decided to try the $5.99 prime rib special at the Golden Spike. It was risky putting my life in jeopardy for a $6 dinner, but it made for interesting people watching (including a homeless man at the restaurant counter who tried to pull down his pants to go to the bathroom and a person at the bar who literally fell off the stool unconscious). Saturday was packet pickup, so we took the bus to the Venetian. I didn't buy anything at the expo, but it was fun to look around and try a few free samples. We had a buy one/get one lunch at Four Queens (I tried to stick with something fairly light - a salad, teriyaki chicken, rice, and veggies), and we watched some of the football games and played some blackjack. My shin had been bothering me since Wednesday (when I wore boots to work and did too much walking). I did a good job icing my leg (even at the hotel), and I tried to stay off it as much as I could. It's really hard not to walk around in Vegas though! For dinner we went to Main Street Station. Cliff feasted on the prime rib, and I had a weird mix (pasta, pizza, chow mein, Mexican lasagna, etc.) of carbs. I was proud of myself for making it through two nights in Vegas without drinking, but it was pretty easy to do with my goal in mind (and 5 weeks of sobriety, which gave me plenty of momentum).
Race day...
I got a pretty good night's sleep (I just tried to ignore all of the crazy noise on Freemont) and woke up at 4:30 am, shortly before the alarm went off. I took a hot shower to loosen up a bit, and I ate a banana and a wheat bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. At around 5:30, we walked outside to find a cab. When we did the marathon in 2007, it was much easier logistically because we stayed at the Excalibur, which was a walk away from the Mandalay Bay start line. We figured a cab wouldn't be a big deal, but the cab driver was totally stressing us out about the street closures (even though I had the directions from the race director with me). He did a fairly good job though, and we got to the Mandalay Bay a little after 6 am. It was a perfect amount of time to relax a bit, potty a few times, and get to my coral without too much down time.
I decided on Saturday that I would try running with the 3:50 pace group. I was very confident with my training, and I felt like if I had a fantastic day, 3:50 was within reach. Looking back on it, I wish I had paced with the 4:00 group (or maybe the 3:55 group, if there was one). Just like in 2007, I went out too fast. Of course it felt comfortable and maintable at the time, but I was hurting around mile 11. I really hope I learn my lesson one of these days and try to start conservatively and maybe even negative split to reduce the "I might vomit all over myself" feeling to maybe the last 6 miles instead of the last 15 miles. I am proud of myself for going after a lofty goal and also trying the pace group for the first time. It was fun, and I would love to try running with a 3:55 or 4:00 group in my next marathon. The downside of the pacer was that he ran like the Energizer Bunny through the water stops, and it took a lot of my energy to catch up. I never walked either, but I was slowed down by the congestion/traffic. So here are my splits, and they pretty much tell the story of my race:
Mile 1 - 8:44
Mile 2 - 8:48
Mile 3 - 8:38
Mile 4 - 8:35
Mile 5 - 8:40
Mile 6 - 8:33
Mile 7 - 8:37
Mile 8 - 8:39
Mile 9 - 8:45
Mile 10 - 8:52
Mile 11 - 8:52
Mile 12 - 8:42
Mile 13 - 9:19
Mile 14 - 9:34
Mile 15 - 9:08
Mile 16 - 9:10
Mile 17 - 9:45
Mile 18 - 9:04
Mile 19 - 9:24
Mile 20 - 9:38
Mile 21 - 9:48
Mile 22 - 9:33
Mile 23 - 10:39
Mile 24 - 10:49
Mile 25 - 9:51
Mile 26 - 9:37
Last 0.42 (Garmin) - 4:03 (9:36 pace)
Garmin Total - 26.42 miles, 4:03:56, 9:14/mile pace
Actual results:
Chip Time: 4:03:54
Overall Place: 1616/5106
Division Place: 77/358
Gender Place: 431/2146
My take on my results...
Of course I went through a whole rollercoaster of emotions, including some pretty low low-points, during the 26.2 miles. My main goal was to break 4 hours. By going after my "in the back of my mind but not talking about it much" goal of 3:50, it hurt my chances of breaking 4 hours. But if I had run with the 4:00 pace group and broken the 4-hour mark, I might have regretted not trying the 3:50 pace group. I am very happy that I beat my previous best time of 4:16:58 by 13 minutes. I am grateful that my shin held up and that I have recovered well. Since only a few days have past and I'm already excited about training again, I consider that a success. My mind is in a great place right now. I am looking forward to building on my hard work and achieving some exciting goals in 2011. I have my first "ultra," the Rocky Raccoon 50-miler, in early February. I also want to find a spring marathon where I can go after a sub-4 performance.
A little more personal...
I gave up drinking for about 5 weeks leading up to the race. I also replaced my normal desserts (about 150-200 calories) with sugar-free popsicles. I realized that giving up drinking wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I'm not sure how much it contributed to my weight loss (since I was running, eating healthy, etc.), but I know it definitely helped. I want to continue working on this goal of drinking less and enjoy social functions without feeling the need to drink. I was very pleased with my weight loss. I got down to 146 pounds before the marathon, which is just one pound over my ideal body weight of 145 (since I'm 5'9"). I got down to 150 before our wedding in Mexico, and I hadn't seen 14X on the scale in over a decade. I've gotten a few comments about being "too skinny," but I shrug those off. I was 135 when I was in top swimming shape, and I know I have some fluff to spare. I think 140 would be an optimal distance running weight for me... that would give me 5 pounds extra for leg muscle (because my legs were little twigs when I was swimming). I would like to get to a point where I can maintain a healthy weight and not stress out about it... but is that even possible for a female? I hope so.
Race nutrition:
I ate an expresso Gu at mile 5, a chocolate Gu at mile 10, a strawberry banana gel at mile 15, and a strawberry banana gel at mile 20. I mostly drank water at the aid stations, with the occasional Cytomax. I was a little annoyed at the sponsorship stuff. There were tables and tables of Cytomax before the water at every aid station. I felt like I was stuck in a Cytomax commercial. I think my nutrition was pretty good though. I still need to try training (and racing) with salt tablets. I had a ton of salt on my forehead after the race, and it was pretty warm out there (considering we were running in the desert in December). I didn't have to go to the bathroom at all, and my tummy cooperated. I took two of my anti-acid prescription pills before the race (like I experimented with for my last 20-mile training run), and I think that helps. This was the first time running with the spi belt, and it worked very well. It held all four gel packets and my chapstick, and it was pretty easy to open and close. It jostled during the first 100 feet or so until I got it positioned correctly (glad it cooperated since I didn't experiment with it during training).
Some other random race observations:
The first half of the course was amazing... nearly all on the Strip. I was surprised that we ran the first 12-13 miles with the half marathon runners, because they split off earlier in 2007 (and the course was way different... we went out on the strip and came back down the back alley of the strip). The second half of this race was pretty horrible. I'm not very familiar with Las Vegas streets/geography, but I think we spent a long time on Hacienda. I was anticipating the rolling hills. You can tell from my splits that miles 13 and 14 were uphill, 15 and 16 were relatively flat (we went down a different street), 17 was uphill, and 18-20 were downhill. It perked up my spirits towards mile 20, but miles 23 and 24 were my low point. Around mile 20 I still thought I could break 4:00, but then I started seeing 11:xx on my Garmin. The scenery was horrible. We were in some sort of commercial area near the highway, and I felt like we kept looping around different streets. I turned it around on mile 25 though and was back under 10:00 pace. I really did give it everything I had though. When I saw Cliff around mile 26, the finish line couldn't come soon enough. I don't think I could have gone much futher. I know a lot of that had to do with going out so fast.
My cheerleader...
My husband was a fantastic supporter, and we had a great vacation together. He took care of me on race day, and it was wonderful to see him cheering me on when I felt like death. I hope we can run the half marathon together in the near future and renew our vows (dressed up as Elvis, of coursee).
Cliff and I flew from DFW to Las Vegas on Friday after work. Everything went smoothly, and we were glad we paid the extra $24 (round-trip total) for the CLS shuttle to and from the airport. We checked in (Fitzgerald's Downtown) and then decided to try the $5.99 prime rib special at the Golden Spike. It was risky putting my life in jeopardy for a $6 dinner, but it made for interesting people watching (including a homeless man at the restaurant counter who tried to pull down his pants to go to the bathroom and a person at the bar who literally fell off the stool unconscious). Saturday was packet pickup, so we took the bus to the Venetian. I didn't buy anything at the expo, but it was fun to look around and try a few free samples. We had a buy one/get one lunch at Four Queens (I tried to stick with something fairly light - a salad, teriyaki chicken, rice, and veggies), and we watched some of the football games and played some blackjack. My shin had been bothering me since Wednesday (when I wore boots to work and did too much walking). I did a good job icing my leg (even at the hotel), and I tried to stay off it as much as I could. It's really hard not to walk around in Vegas though! For dinner we went to Main Street Station. Cliff feasted on the prime rib, and I had a weird mix (pasta, pizza, chow mein, Mexican lasagna, etc.) of carbs. I was proud of myself for making it through two nights in Vegas without drinking, but it was pretty easy to do with my goal in mind (and 5 weeks of sobriety, which gave me plenty of momentum).
Race day...
I got a pretty good night's sleep (I just tried to ignore all of the crazy noise on Freemont) and woke up at 4:30 am, shortly before the alarm went off. I took a hot shower to loosen up a bit, and I ate a banana and a wheat bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. At around 5:30, we walked outside to find a cab. When we did the marathon in 2007, it was much easier logistically because we stayed at the Excalibur, which was a walk away from the Mandalay Bay start line. We figured a cab wouldn't be a big deal, but the cab driver was totally stressing us out about the street closures (even though I had the directions from the race director with me). He did a fairly good job though, and we got to the Mandalay Bay a little after 6 am. It was a perfect amount of time to relax a bit, potty a few times, and get to my coral without too much down time.
I decided on Saturday that I would try running with the 3:50 pace group. I was very confident with my training, and I felt like if I had a fantastic day, 3:50 was within reach. Looking back on it, I wish I had paced with the 4:00 group (or maybe the 3:55 group, if there was one). Just like in 2007, I went out too fast. Of course it felt comfortable and maintable at the time, but I was hurting around mile 11. I really hope I learn my lesson one of these days and try to start conservatively and maybe even negative split to reduce the "I might vomit all over myself" feeling to maybe the last 6 miles instead of the last 15 miles. I am proud of myself for going after a lofty goal and also trying the pace group for the first time. It was fun, and I would love to try running with a 3:55 or 4:00 group in my next marathon. The downside of the pacer was that he ran like the Energizer Bunny through the water stops, and it took a lot of my energy to catch up. I never walked either, but I was slowed down by the congestion/traffic. So here are my splits, and they pretty much tell the story of my race:
Mile 1 - 8:44
Mile 2 - 8:48
Mile 3 - 8:38
Mile 4 - 8:35
Mile 5 - 8:40
Mile 6 - 8:33
Mile 7 - 8:37
Mile 8 - 8:39
Mile 9 - 8:45
Mile 10 - 8:52
Mile 11 - 8:52
Mile 12 - 8:42
Mile 13 - 9:19
Mile 14 - 9:34
Mile 15 - 9:08
Mile 16 - 9:10
Mile 17 - 9:45
Mile 18 - 9:04
Mile 19 - 9:24
Mile 20 - 9:38
Mile 21 - 9:48
Mile 22 - 9:33
Mile 23 - 10:39
Mile 24 - 10:49
Mile 25 - 9:51
Mile 26 - 9:37
Last 0.42 (Garmin) - 4:03 (9:36 pace)
Garmin Total - 26.42 miles, 4:03:56, 9:14/mile pace
Actual results:
Chip Time: 4:03:54
Overall Place: 1616/5106
Division Place: 77/358
Gender Place: 431/2146
My take on my results...
Of course I went through a whole rollercoaster of emotions, including some pretty low low-points, during the 26.2 miles. My main goal was to break 4 hours. By going after my "in the back of my mind but not talking about it much" goal of 3:50, it hurt my chances of breaking 4 hours. But if I had run with the 4:00 pace group and broken the 4-hour mark, I might have regretted not trying the 3:50 pace group. I am very happy that I beat my previous best time of 4:16:58 by 13 minutes. I am grateful that my shin held up and that I have recovered well. Since only a few days have past and I'm already excited about training again, I consider that a success. My mind is in a great place right now. I am looking forward to building on my hard work and achieving some exciting goals in 2011. I have my first "ultra," the Rocky Raccoon 50-miler, in early February. I also want to find a spring marathon where I can go after a sub-4 performance.
A little more personal...
I gave up drinking for about 5 weeks leading up to the race. I also replaced my normal desserts (about 150-200 calories) with sugar-free popsicles. I realized that giving up drinking wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I'm not sure how much it contributed to my weight loss (since I was running, eating healthy, etc.), but I know it definitely helped. I want to continue working on this goal of drinking less and enjoy social functions without feeling the need to drink. I was very pleased with my weight loss. I got down to 146 pounds before the marathon, which is just one pound over my ideal body weight of 145 (since I'm 5'9"). I got down to 150 before our wedding in Mexico, and I hadn't seen 14X on the scale in over a decade. I've gotten a few comments about being "too skinny," but I shrug those off. I was 135 when I was in top swimming shape, and I know I have some fluff to spare. I think 140 would be an optimal distance running weight for me... that would give me 5 pounds extra for leg muscle (because my legs were little twigs when I was swimming). I would like to get to a point where I can maintain a healthy weight and not stress out about it... but is that even possible for a female? I hope so.
Race nutrition:
I ate an expresso Gu at mile 5, a chocolate Gu at mile 10, a strawberry banana gel at mile 15, and a strawberry banana gel at mile 20. I mostly drank water at the aid stations, with the occasional Cytomax. I was a little annoyed at the sponsorship stuff. There were tables and tables of Cytomax before the water at every aid station. I felt like I was stuck in a Cytomax commercial. I think my nutrition was pretty good though. I still need to try training (and racing) with salt tablets. I had a ton of salt on my forehead after the race, and it was pretty warm out there (considering we were running in the desert in December). I didn't have to go to the bathroom at all, and my tummy cooperated. I took two of my anti-acid prescription pills before the race (like I experimented with for my last 20-mile training run), and I think that helps. This was the first time running with the spi belt, and it worked very well. It held all four gel packets and my chapstick, and it was pretty easy to open and close. It jostled during the first 100 feet or so until I got it positioned correctly (glad it cooperated since I didn't experiment with it during training).
Some other random race observations:
The first half of the course was amazing... nearly all on the Strip. I was surprised that we ran the first 12-13 miles with the half marathon runners, because they split off earlier in 2007 (and the course was way different... we went out on the strip and came back down the back alley of the strip). The second half of this race was pretty horrible. I'm not very familiar with Las Vegas streets/geography, but I think we spent a long time on Hacienda. I was anticipating the rolling hills. You can tell from my splits that miles 13 and 14 were uphill, 15 and 16 were relatively flat (we went down a different street), 17 was uphill, and 18-20 were downhill. It perked up my spirits towards mile 20, but miles 23 and 24 were my low point. Around mile 20 I still thought I could break 4:00, but then I started seeing 11:xx on my Garmin. The scenery was horrible. We were in some sort of commercial area near the highway, and I felt like we kept looping around different streets. I turned it around on mile 25 though and was back under 10:00 pace. I really did give it everything I had though. When I saw Cliff around mile 26, the finish line couldn't come soon enough. I don't think I could have gone much futher. I know a lot of that had to do with going out so fast.
My cheerleader...
My husband was a fantastic supporter, and we had a great vacation together. He took care of me on race day, and it was wonderful to see him cheering me on when I felt like death. I hope we can run the half marathon together in the near future and renew our vows (dressed up as Elvis, of coursee).
Sunday, November 28, 2010
One Week Left! And the Week 15 Recap.
T-T-T-TAPER TIME! I've been enjoying the rest, and I know I made the right decision to postpone my trip to Tulsa. I'm finally starting to feel better (less congested), and the antibiotics seem to be kicking in. I'm glad I got this over with before the marathon. Everything is lining up well...
1) I'm down to 146.5 pounds. Holy. Friggin. Cow. My "ideal body weight" is 145 (since I'm a 5'9" female... it's 100 pounds + 5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet), and I haven't been this skinny in over a decade. I was around 158 pounds for the 2007 Las Vegas Marathon (4:16 PR), so I am ready to rock this. I might have to buy a new wardrobe though (and maybe thank the Bassets for the tapeworm they gave me?).
2) I'm finally getting healthy. I plan on getting lots of sleep this week and resting up and paying close attention to my nutrition and hydration.
3) The weather forecast looks purrrrrfect. High 59, Low 37, 0% chance of rain. Mostly sunny. Marathon weather can't get much better.
4) I am so confident in the training I put in, and I really think a sub-4 is within reach (although I had a dream last night that I went a 4:04).
The training plan this week called for an easy 3-mile run on Monday, a 5-mile tempo run on Wednesday (with the middle 3 miles at 8:23), and an 8-mile run on Saturday. I actually adhered to the correct days for each run. I know it's important to rest my legs between runs during my taper.
Run #1 (Monday evening): 3.10 miles @ 9:34 (29:38); Lake Country; Easy 5K around the neighborhood. I wanted to get it done and then focus on resting and getting healthy.
Run #2 (Wednesday evening): 5 miles inc 3 miles @ 8:09, 8:20, 8:18 (43:25); Lake Country; I didn't have to try as hard as I thought I would, and I even backed off after the first mile.
Run #3 (Saturday morning): 8 miles @ 9:37 (1:16:55); Lake Country; I started off feeling relaxed and easy, but those last few miles were tougher (and slower).
Total Mileage Planned: 16; Actual Mileage: 16.10
Other Workouts:
Walked Dogs 4.27 miles
Elliptical 25 min
Weights and abs 25 min
1) I'm down to 146.5 pounds. Holy. Friggin. Cow. My "ideal body weight" is 145 (since I'm a 5'9" female... it's 100 pounds + 5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet), and I haven't been this skinny in over a decade. I was around 158 pounds for the 2007 Las Vegas Marathon (4:16 PR), so I am ready to rock this. I might have to buy a new wardrobe though (and maybe thank the Bassets for the tapeworm they gave me?).
2) I'm finally getting healthy. I plan on getting lots of sleep this week and resting up and paying close attention to my nutrition and hydration.
3) The weather forecast looks purrrrrfect. High 59, Low 37, 0% chance of rain. Mostly sunny. Marathon weather can't get much better.
4) I am so confident in the training I put in, and I really think a sub-4 is within reach (although I had a dream last night that I went a 4:04).
The training plan this week called for an easy 3-mile run on Monday, a 5-mile tempo run on Wednesday (with the middle 3 miles at 8:23), and an 8-mile run on Saturday. I actually adhered to the correct days for each run. I know it's important to rest my legs between runs during my taper.
Run #1 (Monday evening): 3.10 miles @ 9:34 (29:38); Lake Country; Easy 5K around the neighborhood. I wanted to get it done and then focus on resting and getting healthy.
Run #2 (Wednesday evening): 5 miles inc 3 miles @ 8:09, 8:20, 8:18 (43:25); Lake Country; I didn't have to try as hard as I thought I would, and I even backed off after the first mile.
Run #3 (Saturday morning): 8 miles @ 9:37 (1:16:55); Lake Country; I started off feeling relaxed and easy, but those last few miles were tougher (and slower).
Total Mileage Planned: 16; Actual Mileage: 16.10
Other Workouts:
Walked Dogs 4.27 miles
Elliptical 25 min
Weights and abs 25 min
Friday, November 26, 2010
Four Things Friday: Post-Gobble Edition
1. Really I just wanted to rejoice on Thanksgiving morning because I was FINALLY (after over a DECADE) under 150 pounds... the notorious Athena status. And to prove this was not some kind of fluke, I was actually 148.5 pounds on Thanksgiving morning and 148.0 pounds this morning. Apparently I didn't do nearly enough damage at the dinner table.
2. So now that my weight has steadily declined and I've put in a fantastic season of marathon training, I'm ready to go after my sub-4-hour goal at the Las Vegas Marathon. If my sinuses would just get on board with that idea, life would be fabulous. I went to the doctor's office on Tuesday and got a shot and some prescriptions (antibiotic, antihistamine/decongestant, and Nasonex), but this weather change just kicked my bootie. It was 83 on Wednesday and in the 20's with the wind chill on Thursday.
3. I was all set to go to Tulsa after Thanksgiving dinner in Ardmore. My bag was packed, the dog beds were washed and put in the car, and all of the dog supplies were bagged up. Then I came to the realization that I wasn't feeling any better (maybe even worse?), and I had to bail on my plans to see Melissa. Hopefully we can reschedule after the Vegas marathon. Plus I'll be more fun (in other words, more of a lush) then. I made a good decision though. I was blowing my nose throughout the trip to/from Ardmore. Plus my back started bothering me A LOT (not sure what was up with that).
4. I'm looking forward to a whole weekend of rest and recovery. I had a great tempo run on Wednesday evening (I was feeling better until the weather changed), and I have an easy 8-mile run this weekend. Woohoo - TAPER! I'm ready to lounge around on the couch and watch some college football (and hope for a good upset to boost the Frogs in the BCS rankings).
2. So now that my weight has steadily declined and I've put in a fantastic season of marathon training, I'm ready to go after my sub-4-hour goal at the Las Vegas Marathon. If my sinuses would just get on board with that idea, life would be fabulous. I went to the doctor's office on Tuesday and got a shot and some prescriptions (antibiotic, antihistamine/decongestant, and Nasonex), but this weather change just kicked my bootie. It was 83 on Wednesday and in the 20's with the wind chill on Thursday.
3. I was all set to go to Tulsa after Thanksgiving dinner in Ardmore. My bag was packed, the dog beds were washed and put in the car, and all of the dog supplies were bagged up. Then I came to the realization that I wasn't feeling any better (maybe even worse?), and I had to bail on my plans to see Melissa. Hopefully we can reschedule after the Vegas marathon. Plus I'll be more fun (in other words, more of a lush) then. I made a good decision though. I was blowing my nose throughout the trip to/from Ardmore. Plus my back started bothering me A LOT (not sure what was up with that).
4. I'm looking forward to a whole weekend of rest and recovery. I had a great tempo run on Wednesday evening (I was feeling better until the weather changed), and I have an easy 8-mile run this weekend. Woohoo - TAPER! I'm ready to lounge around on the couch and watch some college football (and hope for a good upset to boost the Frogs in the BCS rankings).
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Thankful Thanksgiving Post
Husband
Wow, we've been married for 1.5 years now... time flies! It's great coming home to my best friend every night, cooking dinner, relaxing, and spending time together. The vacations aren't too shabby either!
"Bonus Kids"
I got two kids without ever having to change a diaper!
Parents
It's tough living so far apart from my parents. I'm hoping they retire in Texas, but we'll see what the future holds. My parents are two of my best friends, and they are always there for me. I'm very fortunate, and I really appreciate everything they have done for me. I'm looking forward to going home for Christmas and spending some time with the fam!
Brother
Even though we don't get to see each other much, our relationship has gotten better over the years. I can always count on Aaron, and we talk to each other about anything and everything. Plus "sibling nights out" are always fun (and entertaining)!
Furbabies
We've gone back-and-forth over whether to keep Hank and Lucy, the abandoned Basset Hounds I found during a lunchtime run on the Trinity Trail. By back-and-forth, I mean I had to convince Cliff. It is a LOT of work caring for the "brood" of three dogs. The Bassets are very vocal, and they tend to whine and bark. This is rather ironic, since they didn't utter a sound the first few days we had them! I think they have two years' worth of sounds pent up in them, ready to be let out. I remember Shawna saying, "you don't find dogs, they find you." In this case, it was totally true. These dogs just tugged at my heart strings the minute I saw them. In fact, I started crying (but I guess that's not too unusual for me). It's been rewarding giving them a good, loving home. After we bought GusGus, I felt like we had a responsibility for rescuing a dog. I never expected caring for three furbabies, but sometimes life is unexpected. It's funny to think back a few years, when I didn't even really like dogs!
GusGus has been handling all of this with mixed emotions. He likes to play with the hounds, and it's funny to watch him push his toys towards them and then snatch the toy before they have a chance to get it. GusGus loves keep-away. The three dogs also play tug-of-war together, mainly with the "stuffless" animals. On the other hand, all three dogs demand a lot of attention and affection. GusGus can get a little stand-offish when he sees the Bassets snuggling with me on his spot on the couch. I try my best to maintain equal opportunity snuggling though!
Health
I am very thankful that I am in relatively good health and that I'm able to stay active. After I quit swimming, I went through a difficult time where I felt pretty lost not having goals to shoot for. I started masters swimming shortly after I quit college swimming, and I made some wonderful friends who introduced me to running and triathlons. I ran my first marathon was in December 2003, dabbled in the triathlon scene, and then realized that running was my favorite. I'm excited for the Las Vegas Marathon next weekend, where I hope to break 4 hours. I've had a great season of training, including three 20-mile runs and some good tempo and speed work. I've put the work in, so now I just have to race smart and enjoy the day! Also, I'm about 10 pounds lighter than I was during the 2007 Las Vegas Marathon, so that should help speed me up!
Wow, we've been married for 1.5 years now... time flies! It's great coming home to my best friend every night, cooking dinner, relaxing, and spending time together. The vacations aren't too shabby either!
"Bonus Kids"
I got two kids without ever having to change a diaper!
Parents
It's tough living so far apart from my parents. I'm hoping they retire in Texas, but we'll see what the future holds. My parents are two of my best friends, and they are always there for me. I'm very fortunate, and I really appreciate everything they have done for me. I'm looking forward to going home for Christmas and spending some time with the fam!
Brother
Even though we don't get to see each other much, our relationship has gotten better over the years. I can always count on Aaron, and we talk to each other about anything and everything. Plus "sibling nights out" are always fun (and entertaining)!
Furbabies
We've gone back-and-forth over whether to keep Hank and Lucy, the abandoned Basset Hounds I found during a lunchtime run on the Trinity Trail. By back-and-forth, I mean I had to convince Cliff. It is a LOT of work caring for the "brood" of three dogs. The Bassets are very vocal, and they tend to whine and bark. This is rather ironic, since they didn't utter a sound the first few days we had them! I think they have two years' worth of sounds pent up in them, ready to be let out. I remember Shawna saying, "you don't find dogs, they find you." In this case, it was totally true. These dogs just tugged at my heart strings the minute I saw them. In fact, I started crying (but I guess that's not too unusual for me). It's been rewarding giving them a good, loving home. After we bought GusGus, I felt like we had a responsibility for rescuing a dog. I never expected caring for three furbabies, but sometimes life is unexpected. It's funny to think back a few years, when I didn't even really like dogs!
GusGus has been handling all of this with mixed emotions. He likes to play with the hounds, and it's funny to watch him push his toys towards them and then snatch the toy before they have a chance to get it. GusGus loves keep-away. The three dogs also play tug-of-war together, mainly with the "stuffless" animals. On the other hand, all three dogs demand a lot of attention and affection. GusGus can get a little stand-offish when he sees the Bassets snuggling with me on his spot on the couch. I try my best to maintain equal opportunity snuggling though!
Health
I am very thankful that I am in relatively good health and that I'm able to stay active. After I quit swimming, I went through a difficult time where I felt pretty lost not having goals to shoot for. I started masters swimming shortly after I quit college swimming, and I made some wonderful friends who introduced me to running and triathlons. I ran my first marathon was in December 2003, dabbled in the triathlon scene, and then realized that running was my favorite. I'm excited for the Las Vegas Marathon next weekend, where I hope to break 4 hours. I've had a great season of training, including three 20-mile runs and some good tempo and speed work. I've put the work in, so now I just have to race smart and enjoy the day! Also, I'm about 10 pounds lighter than I was during the 2007 Las Vegas Marathon, so that should help speed me up!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Week 14: Taper, where are you?
I stuck to the plan this week and did an easy 4-mile run, a speed workout, and a 12-mile long run. Now I'm just hoping I can get over this congestion/sinus thing. IIIICCCCKKKYYY.
Run #1 (Tuesday afternoon): 4.05 miles @ 9:31 (38:31); Lake Country; Easy recovery run. Felt pretty good considering I did the 20-miler two days ago!
Run #2 (Thursday afternoon): Speed Work: 8 miles, inc 4 x 1600 in 7:51, 7:58, 8:05, 8:04 w/ 800 jogs (1:10:02); Downtown/Trinity Trail; I was pretty solid and consistent, and there was a bit of a headwind on the way out and tailwind on the way back. I was happy with the 7:59 average on the fast miles, especially since I wasn’t running on a track. My workout called for 7:55 pace, but that was close enough.
Run #3 (Saturday morning): 12 miles @ 9:54 (1:58:51); Trinity Trail/Overton Park/Foster Park/Overton Park/Colonial/Trinity Trail; I felt like crap. I had a sore throat, and I was pretty exhausted from Sunday’s 20-mile run and Thursday’s speed work. Thank goodness I had Derek and Stacy to run with, because this was a challenge.
Total Mileage Planned: 24 miles, Actual Mileage: 24.05 miles
Other Workouts:
Elliptical Machine 1 hour, 10 min
Weights & Abs 30 min
Walked Dogs 5.25 miles
Ooooh, and I got down to the Athena cut-off weight (exactly) this week. Only 5 pounds to go to hit my "ideal body weight" (145 pounds for a 5'9" female). This was the exact same weight I was when we left for our wedding in Mexico, and it was VERY short-lived. Hopefully the second digit of the scale will read a sweet, sweet "4" to me this week.
Run #1 (Tuesday afternoon): 4.05 miles @ 9:31 (38:31); Lake Country; Easy recovery run. Felt pretty good considering I did the 20-miler two days ago!
Run #2 (Thursday afternoon): Speed Work: 8 miles, inc 4 x 1600 in 7:51, 7:58, 8:05, 8:04 w/ 800 jogs (1:10:02); Downtown/Trinity Trail; I was pretty solid and consistent, and there was a bit of a headwind on the way out and tailwind on the way back. I was happy with the 7:59 average on the fast miles, especially since I wasn’t running on a track. My workout called for 7:55 pace, but that was close enough.
Run #3 (Saturday morning): 12 miles @ 9:54 (1:58:51); Trinity Trail/Overton Park/Foster Park/Overton Park/Colonial/Trinity Trail; I felt like crap. I had a sore throat, and I was pretty exhausted from Sunday’s 20-mile run and Thursday’s speed work. Thank goodness I had Derek and Stacy to run with, because this was a challenge.
Total Mileage Planned: 24 miles, Actual Mileage: 24.05 miles
Other Workouts:
Elliptical Machine 1 hour, 10 min
Weights & Abs 30 min
Walked Dogs 5.25 miles
Ooooh, and I got down to the Athena cut-off weight (exactly) this week. Only 5 pounds to go to hit my "ideal body weight" (145 pounds for a 5'9" female). This was the exact same weight I was when we left for our wedding in Mexico, and it was VERY short-lived. Hopefully the second digit of the scale will read a sweet, sweet "4" to me this week.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Week 13: The Last Big One!
This week’s training plan called for an easy 5-mile run, a 5-mile mile tempo run (with 3 miles at 8:23/mile), and a 20-mile run. I actually stuck to the plan (gasp). I was so happy with the tempo run and long run that I blogged about each one separately. Now I have 3 weeks until Vegas, and I’m excited to rest up!
Run #1 (Monday afternoon): 5.06 miles @ 9:50 (49:46); Downtown/Trinity Trail; Easy run with Kit
Run #2 (Thursday afternoon): Tempo: 5 miles, inc 3 miles @ 7:39, 7:57, 8:16 (42:35); Lake Country; Wow. I was bummed because I thought I was running close to 9-minute miles instead of 8-minute miles, and I didn’t figure out the math until my warm-down mile. Excited for Vegas!
Run #3 (Saturday afternoon): 3.13 miles @ 9:15 (28:56); Lake Country; Easy run to loosen up before Sunday’s big 20.
Run #4 (Sunday morning): 20.09 miles @ 9:20 (3:07:49); Fort Worth Marathon (Trinity Trail); Negative split (1:34:24/1:32:42) and maintained a steady, consistent effort.
Planned Mileage: 30, Actual Mileage: 33.28
Other Workouts:
Elliptical 30 min
Weights & abs 53 min
Walked Dogs 7.21 miles
Run #1 (Monday afternoon): 5.06 miles @ 9:50 (49:46); Downtown/Trinity Trail; Easy run with Kit
Run #2 (Thursday afternoon): Tempo: 5 miles, inc 3 miles @ 7:39, 7:57, 8:16 (42:35); Lake Country; Wow. I was bummed because I thought I was running close to 9-minute miles instead of 8-minute miles, and I didn’t figure out the math until my warm-down mile. Excited for Vegas!
Run #3 (Saturday afternoon): 3.13 miles @ 9:15 (28:56); Lake Country; Easy run to loosen up before Sunday’s big 20.
Run #4 (Sunday morning): 20.09 miles @ 9:20 (3:07:49); Fort Worth Marathon (Trinity Trail); Negative split (1:34:24/1:32:42) and maintained a steady, consistent effort.
Planned Mileage: 30, Actual Mileage: 33.28
Other Workouts:
Elliptical 30 min
Weights & abs 53 min
Walked Dogs 7.21 miles
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Fort Worth Marathon 20-Miler Race Report
After a week of indecision, I decided on Friday to suck it up and enter the Fort Worth Marathon 20-miler even though the Elton John concert was at 8:00 on Saturday night. Since I gave up drinking until after the marathon, dinner at Joe T's and the concert at the Fort Worth Convention Center didn't affect me like they could have! I managed to get almost 7 hours of sleep last night (went to bed at 11:40, got up at 6:35). I wanted to run a steady, consistent pace and not push it too hard. I was thinking of the 9:30-9:45 range.
I scarfed down a wheat bagel with fat-free strawberry cream cheese for breakfast and headed to LaGrave field (home of the Fort Worth Cats). I had about 30 minutes to spare, so I got my chip and went to the bathroom twice. I decided to pitch the sweatshirt and just run with a t-shirt and shorts even though it was 37 degrees at the start. My hands were pretty cold for a couple of miles, but then I was fine.
My first mile was a little quick (9:17) until I shook off the race excitement. Then I settled in and kept track of people in front of me to push myself more. There was a girl in a light blue jacket who I spotted, and she stayed ahead of me for about 3/4 of the race. It was fun to keep track of her and eventually pass her. There was a guy going about the same pace as me, so he, another girl, and I ran together through miles 8-12ish. We were getting really frustrated. There were two water stops early on (at miles 1 and 2) and then none of the water stops had cups. So I took a Gel at mile 5 (and also miles 10 & 15) and didn't get water until around mile 8. Fortunately a volunteer gave me a plastic water bottle which I carried with me until mile 19. I swear, I've had the worst luck with water at races. I think the race director tried too hard with other snazzy things (like showers and fajitas after the race) that the smaller things (like water cups and the turn-around signs) were neglected. I would have missed the turn-around if it weren't for the guy I was running with.
My first 11 miles: 9:17, 9:27, 9:28, 9:21, 9:26, 9:30, 9:26, 9:22, 9:29, 9:34, 9:30
The two people I was running with stopped at a water fountain. I detest stopping, so I kept going and kicked it up a gear. It was fun passing a whole bunch of people and feeling good at the end of a race.
Last 9 miles: 9:18, 9:15, 9:12, 9:15, 9:09, 9:11, 9:18, 9:11
I was really pleased that I was able to negative split (1:34:24, 1:32:42), keep a steady effort, and run significantly faster than my marathon PR pace of 4:16:58. My 20-mile pace would have been a 4:04:32 marathon. My training has given me a lot of confidence heading into Las Vegas, where I hope to crush the 4-hour mark.
Garmin distance and time: 3:07:49, 20.09 miles (avg pace 9:20/mile)
My chip fell off during the race, so I probably won't be in the official results. Hopefully that won't happen in Vegas! I was happy that my car key stayed on my shoelace though... that would have been much more of a pain to lose!
I grabbed a banana and headed home, and I was way too excited to scarf down some blueberry panacakes leftover from yesterday morning. So I hopped in the swimming pool to ice down my bottom half, took a hot shower, chowed down on some breakfast, and then headed to Subway and bought lunch. I just inhaled a footlong Subway Club and about a pound of Baked Cheetos. I was starvin' marvin'!
Now it's TAPER TIME!!!
I scarfed down a wheat bagel with fat-free strawberry cream cheese for breakfast and headed to LaGrave field (home of the Fort Worth Cats). I had about 30 minutes to spare, so I got my chip and went to the bathroom twice. I decided to pitch the sweatshirt and just run with a t-shirt and shorts even though it was 37 degrees at the start. My hands were pretty cold for a couple of miles, but then I was fine.
My first mile was a little quick (9:17) until I shook off the race excitement. Then I settled in and kept track of people in front of me to push myself more. There was a girl in a light blue jacket who I spotted, and she stayed ahead of me for about 3/4 of the race. It was fun to keep track of her and eventually pass her. There was a guy going about the same pace as me, so he, another girl, and I ran together through miles 8-12ish. We were getting really frustrated. There were two water stops early on (at miles 1 and 2) and then none of the water stops had cups. So I took a Gel at mile 5 (and also miles 10 & 15) and didn't get water until around mile 8. Fortunately a volunteer gave me a plastic water bottle which I carried with me until mile 19. I swear, I've had the worst luck with water at races. I think the race director tried too hard with other snazzy things (like showers and fajitas after the race) that the smaller things (like water cups and the turn-around signs) were neglected. I would have missed the turn-around if it weren't for the guy I was running with.
My first 11 miles: 9:17, 9:27, 9:28, 9:21, 9:26, 9:30, 9:26, 9:22, 9:29, 9:34, 9:30
The two people I was running with stopped at a water fountain. I detest stopping, so I kept going and kicked it up a gear. It was fun passing a whole bunch of people and feeling good at the end of a race.
Last 9 miles: 9:18, 9:15, 9:12, 9:15, 9:09, 9:11, 9:18, 9:11
I was really pleased that I was able to negative split (1:34:24, 1:32:42), keep a steady effort, and run significantly faster than my marathon PR pace of 4:16:58. My 20-mile pace would have been a 4:04:32 marathon. My training has given me a lot of confidence heading into Las Vegas, where I hope to crush the 4-hour mark.
Garmin distance and time: 3:07:49, 20.09 miles (avg pace 9:20/mile)
My chip fell off during the race, so I probably won't be in the official results. Hopefully that won't happen in Vegas! I was happy that my car key stayed on my shoelace though... that would have been much more of a pain to lose!
I grabbed a banana and headed home, and I was way too excited to scarf down some blueberry panacakes leftover from yesterday morning. So I hopped in the swimming pool to ice down my bottom half, took a hot shower, chowed down on some breakfast, and then headed to Subway and bought lunch. I just inhaled a footlong Subway Club and about a pound of Baked Cheetos. I was starvin' marvin'!
Now it's TAPER TIME!!!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Killed it on my tempo run
I decided to do my 5-mile tempo run (middle 3 miles @ 8:23 pace) today. I walked each dog around the 3/4-mile neighborhood loop (and racked up 2.25 miles) and finally got out on the road just before noon. It was pretty warm for November (68 degrees) and slightly breezy. My first mile was pretty good for warm-up (9:19). I kicked it into high gear, and for some reason I did the math wrong in my head at the 2-mile marker and I thought I split just under 8:40. So based on that cruddy math, I thought my 3rd mile was just under 9 minutes and my 4th mile was around 9:20. I was getting frustrated, because I worked hard. I was wondering how on earth I would hold 9:09 pace for 26.2 miles. I blamed it on everything - the weather, my tiredness, walking the dogs beforehand, etc. Then as I was warming down, I realized I'd finish in 42 minutes and change. That's when I redid the math and realized that my splits must have been much faster. I couldn't wait to go home and go through the Garmin history. I busted through the door and exclaimed to my husband, "9:19, 7:39, 7:57, 8:16, 9:21!!!" I was so excited! I can't remember ever breaking 8-minute mile pace on a run (since maybe middle school??). I took my shoes off and iced my feet in the pool while I updated my Facebook status (such a dork, I know this). HOW FRIGGGGGGGIN EXCITING!!!
A Federal Holiday Thirteen
1. Hooray for the day off. 10 hours of sleep is just what I needed. I was going to try to stay up a little late last night, but I started falling asleep on the couch before 9. I'm a big baby.
2. And also a BIG thank you to the men and women serving our country and to our veterans!
3. I had a little case of the "ohhhh I can make those runs up" last week, which resulted in four consecutive days (Friday-Monday) of running.
4. Now the right big toe is a little sore, and that's the sign that my foot is a bit jacked up.
5. I rested on Tuesday and did a gym workout (no running) yesterday. Now I have to decide if and when to do my tempo run and long (20-mile) run this week before taper.
6. I haven't had an alcoholic beverage or a dessert (excluding my 15-calorie popsicles) since Halloween. Willpower!
7. I almost kissed the scale this morning when she read 151.0.
8. I think 145 for the marathon is definitely within reach. My "ideal body weight." That sounds so warm and fuzzy.
9. My friend (Diane) and her baby (Andrew) are staying over tomorrow night. I'm excited to catch up with Diane (she lives in Houston now) and the dogs are excited for a little human playmate.
10. The Elton John concert is this Saturday night at 8 pm! Woohoo! I am going to be the DD, which will also help me say "no" to the sauce (especially the margarita pitchers at Joe T's!).
11. The Fort Worth Marathon and 20-miler are on Sunday morning. I am a wee bit tempted to do my 20-miler then since it's an organized race (and it will give my footsie a few days to heal). Saturday is going to be a late night though. Decisions, decisions!
12. It looks like we're keeping the Bassets!.... for now ;)
13. And while I'm typing this, GusGus and Lucy are biting each other to determine dominance.
2. And also a BIG thank you to the men and women serving our country and to our veterans!
3. I had a little case of the "ohhhh I can make those runs up" last week, which resulted in four consecutive days (Friday-Monday) of running.
4. Now the right big toe is a little sore, and that's the sign that my foot is a bit jacked up.
5. I rested on Tuesday and did a gym workout (no running) yesterday. Now I have to decide if and when to do my tempo run and long (20-mile) run this week before taper.
6. I haven't had an alcoholic beverage or a dessert (excluding my 15-calorie popsicles) since Halloween. Willpower!
7. I almost kissed the scale this morning when she read 151.0.
8. I think 145 for the marathon is definitely within reach. My "ideal body weight." That sounds so warm and fuzzy.
9. My friend (Diane) and her baby (Andrew) are staying over tomorrow night. I'm excited to catch up with Diane (she lives in Houston now) and the dogs are excited for a little human playmate.
10. The Elton John concert is this Saturday night at 8 pm! Woohoo! I am going to be the DD, which will also help me say "no" to the sauce (especially the margarita pitchers at Joe T's!).
11. The Fort Worth Marathon and 20-miler are on Sunday morning. I am a wee bit tempted to do my 20-miler then since it's an organized race (and it will give my footsie a few days to heal). Saturday is going to be a late night though. Decisions, decisions!
12. It looks like we're keeping the Bassets!.... for now ;)
13. And while I'm typing this, GusGus and Lucy are biting each other to determine dominance.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Week 12: (Semi) Recovery Week
First off, I'm kicking some bootie on the weight loss. I should definitely be under wedding weight for the marathon (and out of the Athena category). I gave up alcohol and desserts (well, I'm treating myself to two of those 15-calorie Crystal Light popsicles after dinner). My first test was family dinner night, and my second (and more difficult) test was watching the TCU football game (GO FROGS!). It's sad that 5 weeks without alcohol and dessert is a big deal, but that's the world I live in (and usually it's a fun world full of red beer and Smart Ones frozen treats).
This was a recovery week, which came at a perfect time. I was exhausted, and I went to bed at 7:00 or 7:30 on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I had a lot of Combined Federal Campaign responsibilities with the breakfast trolley and our gift basket silent auction. So all three of my runs were pushed back to the end of the week, which probably negated some of the "recovery" effect. The training plan called for two 8-milers and a 7-miler.
Run #1 (Friday afternoon): 7.16 miles @ 9:15 (1:05:54); This was my first run since Sunday's 16-miler, and I just took it one mile at a time. I was happy with a 9:12 average since I was running without much effort.
Run #2 (Saturday morning): 9 miles @ 9:54 (1:29:09); This was my first run in the COLD (38 degree) temps this season, and it took awhile to get going (10:35, 10:10, 10:07), but we finished it up strong (9:32, 9:29).
Run #3 (Sunday afternoon): 8 miles @ 9:24 (1:15:10); I was dreading this run after cleaning all morning, but I felt better about life once I got out there. My right foot is a little sore from three runs in a row. Plus I started the run with a steep hill (Golf Club).
Total Weekly Mileage: 24.16 miles
Other Workouts:
Stationary Bike 50 min
Elliptical Machine 30 min
Weights and abs 23:30
Walked Gus 1.5 miles
Other Random Note:
I'm at 876 (running) miles for the year. I think this will be my first year to hit the momumental 1,000!
This was a recovery week, which came at a perfect time. I was exhausted, and I went to bed at 7:00 or 7:30 on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I had a lot of Combined Federal Campaign responsibilities with the breakfast trolley and our gift basket silent auction. So all three of my runs were pushed back to the end of the week, which probably negated some of the "recovery" effect. The training plan called for two 8-milers and a 7-miler.
Run #1 (Friday afternoon): 7.16 miles @ 9:15 (1:05:54); This was my first run since Sunday's 16-miler, and I just took it one mile at a time. I was happy with a 9:12 average since I was running without much effort.
Run #2 (Saturday morning): 9 miles @ 9:54 (1:29:09); This was my first run in the COLD (38 degree) temps this season, and it took awhile to get going (10:35, 10:10, 10:07), but we finished it up strong (9:32, 9:29).
Run #3 (Sunday afternoon): 8 miles @ 9:24 (1:15:10); I was dreading this run after cleaning all morning, but I felt better about life once I got out there. My right foot is a little sore from three runs in a row. Plus I started the run with a steep hill (Golf Club).
Total Weekly Mileage: 24.16 miles
Other Workouts:
Stationary Bike 50 min
Elliptical Machine 30 min
Weights and abs 23:30
Walked Gus 1.5 miles
Other Random Note:
I'm at 876 (running) miles for the year. I think this will be my first year to hit the momumental 1,000!
Week 11... A Little Late!
The training plan called for an easy 6-mile run, a 7-mile tempo run (with the middle 5 miles at tempo), and a 16-mile run. I wanted to do some speed/track work, but my brood of dogs made things a bit more difficult.
Run #1 (Tuesday afternoon): 6.10 miles @ 9:26 (57:33); Downtown/Trinity Trail; An easy run was a nice break from my hectic day of selling food! I enjoyed being outside.
Run #2 (Wednesday evening): 4.15 miles @ 9:27 (39:13); Golf Club/Lake Country/Ironstone; Good hill workout. My back was a little sore, but it was a nice break to get outdoors (and out of the house).
Run #3 (Friday afternoon): 6.26 miles @ 9:36 (1:00:06); Downtown/Trinity Trail; Ran with a good friend during our lunch break.
Run #4 (Saturday afternoon): 4.20 miles @ 9:24 (39:30); Lake Country; It was a little hotter and I wasn't in the mood to run. Once I got out there, I felt okay. I just wanted to take it easy since my long run was the next morning.
Run #5 (Sunday morning): 16.10 miles @ 9:49 (2:37:55); Trinity Trail; This was speedier than last week's run. I wasn't as (sleepy) tired, but my legs were still pretty sore. I ran the first 6 miles with Dan and Christie and then did 10 miles with my iPod. I had two miles over 10:00 (mile 5 at 10:06 and mile 8 at 10:04). My fastest mile was the last mile split - 9:34.
Total Weekly Running Mileage: 36.81 miles
Other Workouts:
Walked Gus 3.88 miles
Run #1 (Tuesday afternoon): 6.10 miles @ 9:26 (57:33); Downtown/Trinity Trail; An easy run was a nice break from my hectic day of selling food! I enjoyed being outside.
Run #2 (Wednesday evening): 4.15 miles @ 9:27 (39:13); Golf Club/Lake Country/Ironstone; Good hill workout. My back was a little sore, but it was a nice break to get outdoors (and out of the house).
Run #3 (Friday afternoon): 6.26 miles @ 9:36 (1:00:06); Downtown/Trinity Trail; Ran with a good friend during our lunch break.
Run #4 (Saturday afternoon): 4.20 miles @ 9:24 (39:30); Lake Country; It was a little hotter and I wasn't in the mood to run. Once I got out there, I felt okay. I just wanted to take it easy since my long run was the next morning.
Run #5 (Sunday morning): 16.10 miles @ 9:49 (2:37:55); Trinity Trail; This was speedier than last week's run. I wasn't as (sleepy) tired, but my legs were still pretty sore. I ran the first 6 miles with Dan and Christie and then did 10 miles with my iPod. I had two miles over 10:00 (mile 5 at 10:06 and mile 8 at 10:04). My fastest mile was the last mile split - 9:34.
Total Weekly Running Mileage: 36.81 miles
Other Workouts:
Walked Gus 3.88 miles
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday Thirteen... The life of a foster mom.
1. Life has been absolutely CRAZY.
2. I found the abandoned Bassett Hounds, Hank and Lucy, during a run on the Trinity last Wednesday.
3. They stayed with Auntie Shawna for two nights and then Cliff and I took them to the vet on Friday and brought them home with us. They have been here ever since.
4. I thought Gus was high maintenance after he got fixed, but that was nothing compared to two conehead dogs. For some reason Hank is much more uncomfortable than Lucy, and I thought the surgery was a little more "severe" for females? Hank kept me up until 1:30 am on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, when I finally figured out a sleeping arrangement for the dogs and humans.
5. Now that Hank and Lucy have recovered a bit from surgery and they are getting used to me, their personalities are starting to show more. Gus and I are getting way too attached :*(
6. I had to laugh this morning when I walked into the patio (after hearing Gus let out a little growl) to find Lucy sleeping on Gus's bed. And Gus was a pretty good sport about it! This is where I would insert the cute picture, except my home laptop won't copy and paste.
7. Lucy also discovered the dog door (which Gus uses to run outside and hide his toys so he doesn't have to share), but her conehead won't allow her to squeeze through.
8. Last night the DFW Bassett Hound Rescue Group emailed me and said a family in Burleson with 2 kids and no pets is interested in adopting my foster furbabies. They deserve a fantasic forever home!
9. Running has been going swell. My tempo runs have been SPEEDY and my long runs have been BREEZY! I have one 20-miler left, and I've already done TWO! I've never trained this hard for a marathon before, and I think I'm setting myself up well to break 4 hours.
10. I'm also doing well on my diet and nutrition. I'm down to 154.5, which is only 4.5 pounds over my lowest pre-wedding weight. And it's not just a "154.5 for a day and back up to 158 the next day" type of fluke. I'd definitely like to be under 150 for the marathon, and 145 would be spectacular.
11. I have a 16-mile run this weekend, and I will probably switch things up and do the run on Sunday so I can get a little saucy on Friday night when we go see our favorite cover band (Incognito) at the bar up the street.
12. I'm trying to decide when to cut the alcohol. I know now would be best (for weight loss), but then I think about all of the fun stuff coming up (like the Elton John concert!).
13. And while maintaining this kennel at our home, I'm also co-chairing the Combined Federal Campaign at work. This has taken a lot more time than I realized, but at least it's for a good cause!
2. I found the abandoned Bassett Hounds, Hank and Lucy, during a run on the Trinity last Wednesday.
3. They stayed with Auntie Shawna for two nights and then Cliff and I took them to the vet on Friday and brought them home with us. They have been here ever since.
4. I thought Gus was high maintenance after he got fixed, but that was nothing compared to two conehead dogs. For some reason Hank is much more uncomfortable than Lucy, and I thought the surgery was a little more "severe" for females? Hank kept me up until 1:30 am on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, when I finally figured out a sleeping arrangement for the dogs and humans.
5. Now that Hank and Lucy have recovered a bit from surgery and they are getting used to me, their personalities are starting to show more. Gus and I are getting way too attached :*(
6. I had to laugh this morning when I walked into the patio (after hearing Gus let out a little growl) to find Lucy sleeping on Gus's bed. And Gus was a pretty good sport about it! This is where I would insert the cute picture, except my home laptop won't copy and paste.
7. Lucy also discovered the dog door (which Gus uses to run outside and hide his toys so he doesn't have to share), but her conehead won't allow her to squeeze through.
8. Last night the DFW Bassett Hound Rescue Group emailed me and said a family in Burleson with 2 kids and no pets is interested in adopting my foster furbabies. They deserve a fantasic forever home!
9. Running has been going swell. My tempo runs have been SPEEDY and my long runs have been BREEZY! I have one 20-miler left, and I've already done TWO! I've never trained this hard for a marathon before, and I think I'm setting myself up well to break 4 hours.
10. I'm also doing well on my diet and nutrition. I'm down to 154.5, which is only 4.5 pounds over my lowest pre-wedding weight. And it's not just a "154.5 for a day and back up to 158 the next day" type of fluke. I'd definitely like to be under 150 for the marathon, and 145 would be spectacular.
11. I have a 16-mile run this weekend, and I will probably switch things up and do the run on Sunday so I can get a little saucy on Friday night when we go see our favorite cover band (Incognito) at the bar up the street.
12. I'm trying to decide when to cut the alcohol. I know now would be best (for weight loss), but then I think about all of the fun stuff coming up (like the Elton John concert!).
13. And while maintaining this kennel at our home, I'm also co-chairing the Combined Federal Campaign at work. This has taken a lot more time than I realized, but at least it's for a good cause!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Week 10
The training plan called for an easy 2-mile run on Monday, a speed workout on Wednesday (which I replaced with a tempo workout), and a 20-miler on Saturday.
Run #1 (Monday morning) - 4 miles @ 9:49 (41:13); Lake Country; Cruised 4 miles nice and easy. I was grumpy.
Run #2 (Wednesday afternoon) - 6.07 miles @ 9:32 (57:55); Downtown/Trinity Trail; The Bassett Hound rescue mission run!
Run #3 (Thursday morning) - 7.05 miles, inc 5 miles @ 8:44, 8:30, 8:28, 8:24, 8:27 (1:02:31); Downtown/Trinity Trail; I did next week's tempo run instead of a speed workout. I was very happy with my pace. It felt easier than last week, and my legs were more tired this time around (since I wasn't coming off a rest week).
Run #4 (Saturday morning) - 20 miles @ 10:17 (3:25:57); Trinity Trail; It was warm and humid, and I went through a ton of water. I ate a Gu/Gel at miles 5, 10, and 15. I was under 10-minute pace on the first 10 miles, and then I started dying. Fortunately Stacy was there to run the second half with me. Even though I was super tired and probably had no business attempting a 20-miler, I got it done. So that was a great accomplishment mentally - to push myself when I was pretty much a disaster!
Total Weekly Mileage: 37.32 miles
Other Workouts:
Weights & abs 50 min
Elliptical machine 50 min
Walked Gus 4.5 miles
Run #1 (Monday morning) - 4 miles @ 9:49 (41:13); Lake Country; Cruised 4 miles nice and easy. I was grumpy.
Run #2 (Wednesday afternoon) - 6.07 miles @ 9:32 (57:55); Downtown/Trinity Trail; The Bassett Hound rescue mission run!
Run #3 (Thursday morning) - 7.05 miles, inc 5 miles @ 8:44, 8:30, 8:28, 8:24, 8:27 (1:02:31); Downtown/Trinity Trail; I did next week's tempo run instead of a speed workout. I was very happy with my pace. It felt easier than last week, and my legs were more tired this time around (since I wasn't coming off a rest week).
Run #4 (Saturday morning) - 20 miles @ 10:17 (3:25:57); Trinity Trail; It was warm and humid, and I went through a ton of water. I ate a Gu/Gel at miles 5, 10, and 15. I was under 10-minute pace on the first 10 miles, and then I started dying. Fortunately Stacy was there to run the second half with me. Even though I was super tired and probably had no business attempting a 20-miler, I got it done. So that was a great accomplishment mentally - to push myself when I was pretty much a disaster!
Total Weekly Mileage: 37.32 miles
Other Workouts:
Weights & abs 50 min
Elliptical machine 50 min
Walked Gus 4.5 miles
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Week 9: Pickin' up the Tempo
Haha I love a good running pun. Tempo? Get it? The schedule called for a 4-mile easy run on Monday, a 7-mile tempo run on Wednesday (with the middle 5 miles at 8:38/mile), and a 16-mile long run on Saturday morning. I was spot on with the schedule and I was very pleased with my tempo run and long run.
Run #1 (Monday early afternoon): 4.05 miles @ 9:29 (38:25); Lake Country; I felt a bit better on Monday compared to Sunday. My splits were good for an easy run - 9:37, 9:33, 9:21, 9:25. My glutes and hamstrings were tight.
Run #2 (Wednesday morning): 7 miles with middle 5 miles at 8:26, 8:29, 8:29, 8:31, 8:27 (1:01:36); Trinity Trail; Wow, I got after it and did a great job. I didn't realize my mile splits were so consistent. It was a tough workout, but I felt great about the results!
Run #3 (Saturday morning): 16 miles @ 9:45 (2:36:12); Trinity Trail/Overton Park/Foster Park/Overton Park/Colonial/Trinity Trail; I felt pretty good and my last mile was 9:18. I was tempted to get next week's 20-miler done, but I only had two gel packs with me.
Total mileage: 27.05 miles
Other Workouts:
Weights and abs 1 hr, 21 min
Elliptical machine 50 min
Walked Gus 3.39 miles
This post is going to be short and sweet because I have a million things to go and I am STRESSED!!!
Run #1 (Monday early afternoon): 4.05 miles @ 9:29 (38:25); Lake Country; I felt a bit better on Monday compared to Sunday. My splits were good for an easy run - 9:37, 9:33, 9:21, 9:25. My glutes and hamstrings were tight.
Run #2 (Wednesday morning): 7 miles with middle 5 miles at 8:26, 8:29, 8:29, 8:31, 8:27 (1:01:36); Trinity Trail; Wow, I got after it and did a great job. I didn't realize my mile splits were so consistent. It was a tough workout, but I felt great about the results!
Run #3 (Saturday morning): 16 miles @ 9:45 (2:36:12); Trinity Trail/Overton Park/Foster Park/Overton Park/Colonial/Trinity Trail; I felt pretty good and my last mile was 9:18. I was tempted to get next week's 20-miler done, but I only had two gel packs with me.
Total mileage: 27.05 miles
Other Workouts:
Weights and abs 1 hr, 21 min
Elliptical machine 50 min
Walked Gus 3.39 miles
This post is going to be short and sweet because I have a million things to go and I am STRESSED!!!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thursday Thirteen: Soreness
1. Yesterday was a KiLLA. I drove to work early and did my tempo run. It was a perfect route since I had a mile on 7th Street to warm-up and cool-down between my 5 miles on the Trinity. I think that's the fastest tempo run I've ever had - 8:26, 8:29, 8:29, 8:31, 8:27.
2. My marathon training plan from runnersworld dot com called for 8:38 tempo pace. Does that seem a little odd since my marathon goal pace is 9:09? Does the "Smart Coach" just want to push me super hard so a sub-4-hour marathon is guaranteed? The "Smart Coach" is a sneaky snake!
3. So I was already hobbling around a bit after that brutal morning run, and then I did the Muscle Flex class at Club Fed since it was our instructor's last day. I am proof that these things are difficult for a tall, uncoordinated white woman.
4. Needless to say, I've been popping the Advil and wondering what I'm going to do for a workout today since my legs are whimpering.
5. Wow, so I'm on Week 9 of a 16-week marathon training plan. That means I'm over halfway there! Yikes!
6. Now it's time to book our trip to Las Vegas. I'm definitely excited to run that course instead of White Rock. Hip, hip, hooray! Plus there is no blackjack in Dallas.
7. I have a 16-mile run this Saturday. My plan is to knock that out early and then go camping (where I will crash in our tent at about 8 pm).
8. Next weekend is one of my two difficult weekends. If I don't travel for work next week, I might try to squeeze in a 20-miler on Friday morning. We have a wedding to go to on Saturday night, and I don't want to be a party pooper (which I will be if I run 20 miles that morning). Tricky, tricky.
9. There are two 20-mile races offered in Fort Worth, the Honored Heroes Run (next weekend, the morning after the wedding) and the Fort Worth Marathon. The Fort Worth Marathon is the morning after Elton John. I was looking forward to taking advantage of at least one of these opportunities, but I don't think either will work for me. Oh, well.
10. I booked my ticket to California for Christmas. I am excited to spend some time with my family and see my extended family on Christmas Eve. Cliff will join me in California a few days later. Buying those tickets was an expensive endeavor.
11. Work has been CRAZY BUSY for me the last week or so. GusGus is angry that I hardly ever work from home these days. Hopefully things will calm down in the next month or so. I want a happy furbaby.
12. We've been on a bit of a bean kick lately, meaning we've had beans for dinner four nights over the past two weeks. I guess that is kind of an Okie thing? It's a yummy concoction though - pinto beans, shrimp, okra, light sausage, etc. Plus we added some brown rice to it and Cliff made some cornbread.
13. I'm at a standstill with my weight. I'm slightly under my 2007 Las Vegas Marathon weight, but I'd like to lose about 10 pounds. I think I'm going to cut out alcohol about 4-6 weeks out, which is coming up! EEEEEK!
2. My marathon training plan from runnersworld dot com called for 8:38 tempo pace. Does that seem a little odd since my marathon goal pace is 9:09? Does the "Smart Coach" just want to push me super hard so a sub-4-hour marathon is guaranteed? The "Smart Coach" is a sneaky snake!
3. So I was already hobbling around a bit after that brutal morning run, and then I did the Muscle Flex class at Club Fed since it was our instructor's last day. I am proof that these things are difficult for a tall, uncoordinated white woman.
4. Needless to say, I've been popping the Advil and wondering what I'm going to do for a workout today since my legs are whimpering.
5. Wow, so I'm on Week 9 of a 16-week marathon training plan. That means I'm over halfway there! Yikes!
6. Now it's time to book our trip to Las Vegas. I'm definitely excited to run that course instead of White Rock. Hip, hip, hooray! Plus there is no blackjack in Dallas.
7. I have a 16-mile run this Saturday. My plan is to knock that out early and then go camping (where I will crash in our tent at about 8 pm).
8. Next weekend is one of my two difficult weekends. If I don't travel for work next week, I might try to squeeze in a 20-miler on Friday morning. We have a wedding to go to on Saturday night, and I don't want to be a party pooper (which I will be if I run 20 miles that morning). Tricky, tricky.
9. There are two 20-mile races offered in Fort Worth, the Honored Heroes Run (next weekend, the morning after the wedding) and the Fort Worth Marathon. The Fort Worth Marathon is the morning after Elton John. I was looking forward to taking advantage of at least one of these opportunities, but I don't think either will work for me. Oh, well.
10. I booked my ticket to California for Christmas. I am excited to spend some time with my family and see my extended family on Christmas Eve. Cliff will join me in California a few days later. Buying those tickets was an expensive endeavor.
11. Work has been CRAZY BUSY for me the last week or so. GusGus is angry that I hardly ever work from home these days. Hopefully things will calm down in the next month or so. I want a happy furbaby.
12. We've been on a bit of a bean kick lately, meaning we've had beans for dinner four nights over the past two weeks. I guess that is kind of an Okie thing? It's a yummy concoction though - pinto beans, shrimp, okra, light sausage, etc. Plus we added some brown rice to it and Cliff made some cornbread.
13. I'm at a standstill with my weight. I'm slightly under my 2007 Las Vegas Marathon weight, but I'd like to lose about 10 pounds. I think I'm going to cut out alcohol about 4-6 weeks out, which is coming up! EEEEEK!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Week 8 - Recovery Week
The schedule called for three 7-mile runs, and I actually stuck to that (and added an extra 4.22-mile run on Monday). I was debating running the Lost Dog in 20K in Dallas on Sunday to get some speed work in, but it didn't happen. Instead, I hopefully rested my body enough to start next week feeling a bit fresher. I've been doing a great job knocking the long runs out on the weekend, but I really need to do my speed and tempo work. So that will be the priority during the next training cycle.
Run #1 (Monday morning): 4.22 miles @ 9:25 (39:45); Lake Country; I felt a bit more sore than I did on Sunday, and I think the 20-miler caught up with me. Very pleased with a 9:25 average on an easy run though!
Run #2 (Tuesday morning): 7 miles @ 9:53 (1:09:14); Downtown/Trinity Trail; Wow, the 20-miler caught up with me. My abductors (or adductors, whichever are on the inside) are really sore and tight.
Run #3 (Wednesday morning): 7 miles @ 9:36 (1:07:14); Downtown/Trinity Trail; I felt better than yesterday, especially after I warmed up (around mile 3).
Run #4 (Sunday morning): 7 miles @ 9:21 (1:05:31); Lake Country; I felt like crud today, but I pulled it together and talked myself into running the whole 7 miles. I had a nice descend - 9:29, 9:24, 9:29, 9:21, 9:18, 9:21, 9:05.
Other Workouts:
Swam 3,000 yards (52:05)
Elliptical machine 30 min
Weights & abs 20:32
Walked Gus 6.13 miles
Run #1 (Monday morning): 4.22 miles @ 9:25 (39:45); Lake Country; I felt a bit more sore than I did on Sunday, and I think the 20-miler caught up with me. Very pleased with a 9:25 average on an easy run though!
Run #2 (Tuesday morning): 7 miles @ 9:53 (1:09:14); Downtown/Trinity Trail; Wow, the 20-miler caught up with me. My abductors (or adductors, whichever are on the inside) are really sore and tight.
Run #3 (Wednesday morning): 7 miles @ 9:36 (1:07:14); Downtown/Trinity Trail; I felt better than yesterday, especially after I warmed up (around mile 3).
Run #4 (Sunday morning): 7 miles @ 9:21 (1:05:31); Lake Country; I felt like crud today, but I pulled it together and talked myself into running the whole 7 miles. I had a nice descend - 9:29, 9:24, 9:29, 9:21, 9:18, 9:21, 9:05.
Other Workouts:
Swam 3,000 yards (52:05)
Elliptical machine 30 min
Weights & abs 20:32
Walked Gus 6.13 miles
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Week 7... Putting some work in before a recovery week
The training plan called for a 2-mile easy run, a 6-mile tempo run (with the middle 4 miles tempo), and a 20-mile long run. Once again, I replaced the tempo run with hills and trails. I plan on doing some tempo and/or speed work next week since it's recovery and I'll be running less miles.
Run #1 (Monday Morning) - 4.23 miles @ 9:15 (39:09), Lake Country (The cool weather was amazing, and it didn't take much effort to run close to marathon goal pace.)
Run #2 (Tuesday Afternoon) - 5.05 miles @ 9:42 (48:59), Downtown/Trinity Trail (My quads were really sore, but I pulled it together the last mile.)
Run #3 (Wednesday Morning) - 3.35 miles @ 9:36 (32:10), Golf Club/Lake Country hill workout (I felt much better than Tuesday, and it was fun to feel the downhill speed of 7-something/mile.)
Run #4 (Wednesday Afternoon) - 3.60 miles @ 11:55 (42:54), Sansom Park trails (My back was pretty sore. I got through it though, and I was pleased with another "double run" Wednesday.)
Run #5 (Saturday Morning) - 20 miles @ 10:11 (3:23:34)*, Trinity Trail/Overton Park/Foster Park/Colonial/Trinity Trail
Run #6 (Sunday Afternoon) - 4.15 miles @ 9:13 (38:19), Lake Country (I wanted to hit 40 miles for the week, so I ran on a rest day. Cliff and I did the first mile together in 9:23. Then I was 9:25, 9:05, and 9:03. I felt great considering I ran 20 miles yesterday, and my second half was under marathon goal pace!)
*Long Run Stats:
Mile Splits: 10:16.60, 10:00.13, 9:51.62, 10:19.87, 10:28.25, 10:19.83, 10:36.62, 10:36.03, 9:53.94, 9:58.37, 9:56.15, 9:42.69, 9:45.75, 9:59.23, 10:14.16, 10:13.53, 10:05.66, 10:16.92, 10:30.65, 10:26.57
First half: 1:42.21; Second half: 1:41.11; Total time: 3:23.32 (20 miles, 10:10/mile)
Stopped at 3.0 miles (picked up Shawna) and 12.86 miles (bathroom break)
Gu at 5 miles, Gel at 10 miles, Gu at 5 miles
Wow, this run seemed pretty easy! I tried to maintain a 10-mile mile pace, and I negative split by a minute.
Total Miles for the Week: 40.38
Other Workouts:
Stationary Bike 60 min
Weights & Abs 45:54
Elliptical Machine 30 min
Walked Gus 7.5 miles
Run #1 (Monday Morning) - 4.23 miles @ 9:15 (39:09), Lake Country (The cool weather was amazing, and it didn't take much effort to run close to marathon goal pace.)
Run #2 (Tuesday Afternoon) - 5.05 miles @ 9:42 (48:59), Downtown/Trinity Trail (My quads were really sore, but I pulled it together the last mile.)
Run #3 (Wednesday Morning) - 3.35 miles @ 9:36 (32:10), Golf Club/Lake Country hill workout (I felt much better than Tuesday, and it was fun to feel the downhill speed of 7-something/mile.)
Run #4 (Wednesday Afternoon) - 3.60 miles @ 11:55 (42:54), Sansom Park trails (My back was pretty sore. I got through it though, and I was pleased with another "double run" Wednesday.)
Run #5 (Saturday Morning) - 20 miles @ 10:11 (3:23:34)*, Trinity Trail/Overton Park/Foster Park/Colonial/Trinity Trail
Run #6 (Sunday Afternoon) - 4.15 miles @ 9:13 (38:19), Lake Country (I wanted to hit 40 miles for the week, so I ran on a rest day. Cliff and I did the first mile together in 9:23. Then I was 9:25, 9:05, and 9:03. I felt great considering I ran 20 miles yesterday, and my second half was under marathon goal pace!)
*Long Run Stats:
Mile Splits: 10:16.60, 10:00.13, 9:51.62, 10:19.87, 10:28.25, 10:19.83, 10:36.62, 10:36.03, 9:53.94, 9:58.37, 9:56.15, 9:42.69, 9:45.75, 9:59.23, 10:14.16, 10:13.53, 10:05.66, 10:16.92, 10:30.65, 10:26.57
First half: 1:42.21; Second half: 1:41.11; Total time: 3:23.32 (20 miles, 10:10/mile)
Stopped at 3.0 miles (picked up Shawna) and 12.86 miles (bathroom break)
Gu at 5 miles, Gel at 10 miles, Gu at 5 miles
Wow, this run seemed pretty easy! I tried to maintain a 10-mile mile pace, and I negative split by a minute.
Total Miles for the Week: 40.38
Other Workouts:
Stationary Bike 60 min
Weights & Abs 45:54
Elliptical Machine 30 min
Walked Gus 7.5 miles
Friday, October 1, 2010
A Tardy Thursday Thirteen
1. The Kings of Leon concert last week was a lot of fun. I only knew a few songs, but that’s what happens when you only own one album. We had great seats, and I really liked the outdoor venue at Fair Park.
2. We bought Elton John tickets for his performance at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Saturday, November 13. Cliff used the “best available” option, which unfortunately resulted in paying more money for cruddy seats. At least we got tickets though (it’s a relatively small venue).
3. Contador? Tisk, tisk. Tainted meat? Really?!?!
4. We want to see Wall Street 2, but Cliff is such a fan of the original movie that I’m afraid it might be a disappointment… especially given the reviews.
5. TCU remains undefeated. Thank goodness they get this amazing iron skillet after defeating SMU last week.
6. I’m the co-chair of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) this year. Wowzers… lots of meetings and a big time commitment, but at least it’s for a good cause!
7. I'm supposed to do my long run (20 miles) tomorrow morning, and I have plans to meet people. Now my schedule changed, and next week (which is supposed to be my recovery week) looks much better for a 20-miler. Blahhhh.
8. I've been slacking on my tempo and speed workouts. Now that the weather has gotten cooler, I need to suck it up. It's funny how I think running 16 miles is easier than a tempo or track workout. It's the puke feeling (when I go fast) that gets me.
9. The hubby has been SUPER busy at work and I have been feeling mighty fortunate. Things have started to pick up for me though, and now I'm a little stressed going into next week.
10. At least Cliff's "SUPER busy" translates into overtime. What? Wifey is going to Express?
11. I'm already looking forward to the Columbus Day holiday on Monday, October 11. This time of year is fantastic with the random holidays.
12. I need to decide when to go home to California for the holidays. Right now I'm leaning towards coming home for Christmas and seeing if Cliff wants to fly out to California and join me after Christmas. We need to discuss this though. It would be easier to make a decision if the flights ($400+ each person) weren't so crazy expensive.
13. Since the Thursday Thirteen was extra tardy, I totally slacked on the pictures during the second half of this (which looks much more plain and boring compared to the first half).
2. We bought Elton John tickets for his performance at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Saturday, November 13. Cliff used the “best available” option, which unfortunately resulted in paying more money for cruddy seats. At least we got tickets though (it’s a relatively small venue).
3. Contador? Tisk, tisk. Tainted meat? Really?!?!
4. We want to see Wall Street 2, but Cliff is such a fan of the original movie that I’m afraid it might be a disappointment… especially given the reviews.
5. TCU remains undefeated. Thank goodness they get this amazing iron skillet after defeating SMU last week.
6. I’m the co-chair of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) this year. Wowzers… lots of meetings and a big time commitment, but at least it’s for a good cause!
7. I'm supposed to do my long run (20 miles) tomorrow morning, and I have plans to meet people. Now my schedule changed, and next week (which is supposed to be my recovery week) looks much better for a 20-miler. Blahhhh.
8. I've been slacking on my tempo and speed workouts. Now that the weather has gotten cooler, I need to suck it up. It's funny how I think running 16 miles is easier than a tempo or track workout. It's the puke feeling (when I go fast) that gets me.
9. The hubby has been SUPER busy at work and I have been feeling mighty fortunate. Things have started to pick up for me though, and now I'm a little stressed going into next week.
10. At least Cliff's "SUPER busy" translates into overtime. What? Wifey is going to Express?
11. I'm already looking forward to the Columbus Day holiday on Monday, October 11. This time of year is fantastic with the random holidays.
12. I need to decide when to go home to California for the holidays. Right now I'm leaning towards coming home for Christmas and seeing if Cliff wants to fly out to California and join me after Christmas. We need to discuss this though. It would be easier to make a decision if the flights ($400+ each person) weren't so crazy expensive.
13. Since the Thursday Thirteen was extra tardy, I totally slacked on the pictures during the second half of this (which looks much more plain and boring compared to the first half).
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Vacation in the Bahamas
My review of the Sunrise Beach Clubs and Villas is posted here.
One of the many nights at Viola's (with our Skittles shots):
Snorkeling on the booze cruise adventure (before we boozed it up):
GusGus the Lobster (he was only $20):
I was a good girl, so I got a treat at Ben and Jerry's (apparently I wasn't good enough to get the "Vermonster" though):
One of the many nights at Viola's (with our Skittles shots):
Snorkeling on the booze cruise adventure (before we boozed it up):
GusGus the Lobster (he was only $20):
I was a good girl, so I got a treat at Ben and Jerry's (apparently I wasn't good enough to get the "Vermonster" though):
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Week 6
My training plan for last week included an easy 2-mile run, a speed workout (7 miles with 3 x 1 mile @ 8:05), and an 18-mile run. I replaced the speed workout with a hill workout and trail run (double!), and I shortened the 18-mile run to only 15 miles (due to the faster pace and the bad weather).
Run #1 (Monday morning): 4.25 miles @ 9:47 (41:36) – Cruised through the neighborhood. My quads were a bit sore from Saturday, but I felt decent considering I was recovering from a 16-mile run.
Run #2 (Wednesday morning): 3.37 miles @ 9:41 (32:40) – Ran up Golf Club and down Lake Country for a good hill workout.
Run #3 (Wednesday afternoon): 4.23 miles @ 12:16 (51:57) – Trail run at Sansom Park (green and blue routes with Shawna). Wednesday was a double workout day!
Run #4 (Thursday afternoon): 2.55 miles @ 8:55 (22:46) – Squeezed in a quick run around the neighborhood before we left for the Kings of Leon concert.
Run #5 (Saturday morning): 15 miles @ 9:39 (2:24:46)
10.6 miles with the RVC - 1:39:58 (9:26 avg) - 5.85 miles on the Trinity, water stop, 4.75 miles on the road, water stop
4.4 miles with Shawna along the Trinity - 44:48 (10:11 avg)
Gu at about 5.5 miles and 11.5 miles
Mile Splits: 9:31, 9:14, 9:27, 9:32, 9:16, 9:17, 9:31, 9:27, 9:13, 9:49, 9:40, 10:11, 10:25, 10:16, 9:50
Total Miles: 29.40
Other Workouts:
Weights and abs (52:31)
Elliptical machine (50 min)
Stationary bike (50 min)
Walked Gus 8.25 miles
Run #1 (Monday morning): 4.25 miles @ 9:47 (41:36) – Cruised through the neighborhood. My quads were a bit sore from Saturday, but I felt decent considering I was recovering from a 16-mile run.
Run #2 (Wednesday morning): 3.37 miles @ 9:41 (32:40) – Ran up Golf Club and down Lake Country for a good hill workout.
Run #3 (Wednesday afternoon): 4.23 miles @ 12:16 (51:57) – Trail run at Sansom Park (green and blue routes with Shawna). Wednesday was a double workout day!
Run #4 (Thursday afternoon): 2.55 miles @ 8:55 (22:46) – Squeezed in a quick run around the neighborhood before we left for the Kings of Leon concert.
Run #5 (Saturday morning): 15 miles @ 9:39 (2:24:46)
10.6 miles with the RVC - 1:39:58 (9:26 avg) - 5.85 miles on the Trinity, water stop, 4.75 miles on the road, water stop
4.4 miles with Shawna along the Trinity - 44:48 (10:11 avg)
Gu at about 5.5 miles and 11.5 miles
Mile Splits: 9:31, 9:14, 9:27, 9:32, 9:16, 9:17, 9:31, 9:27, 9:13, 9:49, 9:40, 10:11, 10:25, 10:16, 9:50
Total Miles: 29.40
Other Workouts:
Weights and abs (52:31)
Elliptical machine (50 min)
Stationary bike (50 min)
Walked Gus 8.25 miles
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday 13... Back in the Groove.
1. Last week was a little crazy... got home from the Bahamas on Monday night and worked in El Paso Wednesday-Friday.
2. Then the weekend came and I got my 16-miler done on Saturday morning and I was looking forward to a pretty relaxing weekend... until I ended up drinking for almost 12 hours. Eeeeeek!
3. 12 hours sounds like a lot, but it was justified. Stacy and I went to the Pour House for lunch (and the Bloody Mary bar!) before the TCU game at 3:30. Then we tailgated (with Sweet Tea vodka, because we are gurrrrly like that) while the Frogs destroyed the Baylor Bears. We picked up her dogs, dropped them off at my place, and headed to Taste of Italy for dinner (BYOB, so we brought the Mac Shack Chianti). We finished up the night at The Eagle's Nest (the bar up the street from my house) and danced to some lovely Incognito tunes before the sugary Red Bull got the best of us.
4. Seriously, I think our blood glucose hit about 500 from that Red Bull. Lesson learned: stick to the sugar-free (or just order vodka soda).
5. So I didn't go to bed until about 12:30 on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and then the dogs like to wake up nice and early. I was looking forward to some sleep this weekend, but that killed it for me. The previous night I let Gus sleep with me and he managed to #2 at 11:30 and then I woke up to a nice little surprise at 4:00 am before I got up to meet my run group.
6. I was a Fatty McFatterston after the El Paso trip (where I managed to consume crazy amounts of good food in such a short time frame) and tailgating on Saturday added to my fattness (even after running 16 miles). So I was ready to hop back on the wagon on Monday morning.
7. Somehow I'm 8 pounds less than I was on Sunday morning. My body is weird like that. But I will take it. Maybe the double run workouts yesterday helped. I ran the crazy hills around Golf Club and Lake Country and then hit the Sansom Park trails in the afternoon with Shawna.
8. I really want to post some pictures and spice things up on here, but my laptop won't paste into Blogger. What the heck? My work computer does it just fine.
9. I wrote a review of the Sunrise Villas for Trip Advisor, but my review still hasn't posted. I did blast the service at one of the restaurants though, and that is up. So once I get my act together, I will post my review (which kind of sums up our vacation) and some pictures of the Bahamas and El Paso.
10. Tonight Cliff and I are going to the Kings of Leon concert in Dallas. I'm the DD (since I have to work in the office tomorrow and Cliff has the day off), so I'm going to wear my responsible adult pants.
11. It looks like I'll be running 18 miles on Saturday morning at 6 am, departing from Hoffbrau.
12. Is the new Wall Street movie out yet? That might have to be a weekend activity, because Cliff is really excited about it (and I am semi-excited).
13. Elton John is coming to the Fort Worth Covention Center on Saturday, November 13. That kind of foils my Fort Worth Marathon/20-miler plans on Sunday, but Cliff and I have been wanting to see him in concert (and sometimes music has to take priority over running!).
2. Then the weekend came and I got my 16-miler done on Saturday morning and I was looking forward to a pretty relaxing weekend... until I ended up drinking for almost 12 hours. Eeeeeek!
3. 12 hours sounds like a lot, but it was justified. Stacy and I went to the Pour House for lunch (and the Bloody Mary bar!) before the TCU game at 3:30. Then we tailgated (with Sweet Tea vodka, because we are gurrrrly like that) while the Frogs destroyed the Baylor Bears. We picked up her dogs, dropped them off at my place, and headed to Taste of Italy for dinner (BYOB, so we brought the Mac Shack Chianti). We finished up the night at The Eagle's Nest (the bar up the street from my house) and danced to some lovely Incognito tunes before the sugary Red Bull got the best of us.
4. Seriously, I think our blood glucose hit about 500 from that Red Bull. Lesson learned: stick to the sugar-free (or just order vodka soda).
5. So I didn't go to bed until about 12:30 on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and then the dogs like to wake up nice and early. I was looking forward to some sleep this weekend, but that killed it for me. The previous night I let Gus sleep with me and he managed to #2 at 11:30 and then I woke up to a nice little surprise at 4:00 am before I got up to meet my run group.
6. I was a Fatty McFatterston after the El Paso trip (where I managed to consume crazy amounts of good food in such a short time frame) and tailgating on Saturday added to my fattness (even after running 16 miles). So I was ready to hop back on the wagon on Monday morning.
7. Somehow I'm 8 pounds less than I was on Sunday morning. My body is weird like that. But I will take it. Maybe the double run workouts yesterday helped. I ran the crazy hills around Golf Club and Lake Country and then hit the Sansom Park trails in the afternoon with Shawna.
8. I really want to post some pictures and spice things up on here, but my laptop won't paste into Blogger. What the heck? My work computer does it just fine.
9. I wrote a review of the Sunrise Villas for Trip Advisor, but my review still hasn't posted. I did blast the service at one of the restaurants though, and that is up. So once I get my act together, I will post my review (which kind of sums up our vacation) and some pictures of the Bahamas and El Paso.
10. Tonight Cliff and I are going to the Kings of Leon concert in Dallas. I'm the DD (since I have to work in the office tomorrow and Cliff has the day off), so I'm going to wear my responsible adult pants.
11. It looks like I'll be running 18 miles on Saturday morning at 6 am, departing from Hoffbrau.
12. Is the new Wall Street movie out yet? That might have to be a weekend activity, because Cliff is really excited about it (and I am semi-excited).
13. Elton John is coming to the Fort Worth Covention Center on Saturday, November 13. That kind of foils my Fort Worth Marathon/20-miler plans on Sunday, but Cliff and I have been wanting to see him in concert (and sometimes music has to take priority over running!).
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Weeks 4 and 5
Week 4, my recovery week, coincided with our vacation to the Bahamas. My training plan called for three 6-mile runs at an easy 10:12 pace. Cliff and I managed to do two runs. My first run (Wednesday) was 3.35 miles at 9:23 pace (31:25 total time), and I really exerted myself. The heat and humidity got to me, and it seemed like quite a big workout for only 3.35 miles. The second run (Thursday) was 2.93 miles at 9:27 pace (27:42 total time), where I ran 2.53 miles and then tacked on another 0.4 miles when I ran to the liquor store (obviously you can tell where my priorities are on vacation!). I also did a short (17:05) open water swim on Tuesday, and Cliff and I walked along the beach for 20 minutes. That was the extent of my exercise during my recovery/vacation week, but it was worth it. I needed time to relax with my hubby and enjoy myself. I'm glad I squeezed in my 14-mile long run the day before we left! I still need to write my Trip Advisor review and update my blog with some pictures.
This week...
My training plan has an easy 2-mile run, a 6-mile tempo run (with the middle 4 miles at 8:38 pace), and a 16-mile long run. I ended up tacking on a bit more (post-vacation guilt), resulting in 30.65 miles for the week.
Run #1: 4.10 miles at 9:46 (40:02) - Ran with Kit at lunch time, and the humidity made it more difficult than we were expecting.
Run #2: 6-mile tempo run (10:09, 8:59, 8:59, 8:55, 8:53, 10:07) - I missed the 8:38 goal, but I was happy with the slight descending of my splits and staying under goal marathon pace (9:09).
Run #3: 4.55 miles at 9:53 (45:00) on the treadmill - I felt horrible when I woke up, but this run started my day off on a good note, and I burned a fraction of the calories I ate the previous night at Cattleman's.
Run #4: 16 miles at 10:04 (2:41:09) - Derek, Christie, Shawna, and I met a big group at the Will Rogers stadium, and we ran the new Cowtown half marathon course and tacked on a few miles at the end. My mile splits were 9:25, 9:43, 10:16, 9:39, 10:03, 10:28, 10:16, 10:19, 10:02, 10:50, 9:53, 9:50, 9:56, 10:02, 10:17, and 10:02. There was a bit of fluctuation due to the hills (for example, the big hill on Main heading into downtown resulted in the 10:50 split). It was a nice change to run a new course that I wasn't familiar with, and it was good to practice running on the pavement (instead of the Trinity Trail, which is much more forgiving).
Other Workouts:
Weights and abs (42:17)
30 min on the elliptical machine
Walked Gus 3.75 miles
I'm still trying to decide on whether I want to try the Heels and Hills and Him Half Marathon next weekend (since I haven't raced in awhile) or stick to my training plan and do an 18-mile long run. I need to focus on my nutrition and cut back on the alcohol after adding on some pounds from the Bahamas vacation, El Paso work trip, and TCU tailgate.
This week...
My training plan has an easy 2-mile run, a 6-mile tempo run (with the middle 4 miles at 8:38 pace), and a 16-mile long run. I ended up tacking on a bit more (post-vacation guilt), resulting in 30.65 miles for the week.
Run #1: 4.10 miles at 9:46 (40:02) - Ran with Kit at lunch time, and the humidity made it more difficult than we were expecting.
Run #2: 6-mile tempo run (10:09, 8:59, 8:59, 8:55, 8:53, 10:07) - I missed the 8:38 goal, but I was happy with the slight descending of my splits and staying under goal marathon pace (9:09).
Run #3: 4.55 miles at 9:53 (45:00) on the treadmill - I felt horrible when I woke up, but this run started my day off on a good note, and I burned a fraction of the calories I ate the previous night at Cattleman's.
Run #4: 16 miles at 10:04 (2:41:09) - Derek, Christie, Shawna, and I met a big group at the Will Rogers stadium, and we ran the new Cowtown half marathon course and tacked on a few miles at the end. My mile splits were 9:25, 9:43, 10:16, 9:39, 10:03, 10:28, 10:16, 10:19, 10:02, 10:50, 9:53, 9:50, 9:56, 10:02, 10:17, and 10:02. There was a bit of fluctuation due to the hills (for example, the big hill on Main heading into downtown resulted in the 10:50 split). It was a nice change to run a new course that I wasn't familiar with, and it was good to practice running on the pavement (instead of the Trinity Trail, which is much more forgiving).
Other Workouts:
Weights and abs (42:17)
30 min on the elliptical machine
Walked Gus 3.75 miles
I'm still trying to decide on whether I want to try the Heels and Hills and Him Half Marathon next weekend (since I haven't raced in awhile) or stick to my training plan and do an 18-mile long run. I need to focus on my nutrition and cut back on the alcohol after adding on some pounds from the Bahamas vacation, El Paso work trip, and TCU tailgate.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Week 3
The plan for this week was a 4-mile easy run (10:12 pace) on Monday, a 5-mile temp run (with 3 miles @ 8:39) on Wednesday, and a 14-mile easy run (10:12 pace) on Saturday. I modified the plan and replaced the tempo work with last week’s speed workout. Since we are leaving on vacation, I got my long run done on Friday morning.
Run #1 - Monday morning (79/82 degrees) - Easy Run - 4 miles @ 9:31 pace (38:03)
Run #2 - Tuesday morning (81/86 degrees) - Speed Run - 5 miles, inc 2 x 1600 w/ 800 jogs (8:17.58 and 8:32.58; 48:01)
Run #3 - Friday morning (72/72) - Long Run - 14 miles @ 9:57 pace (2:19:11)
Monday’s run felt pretty decent. I was hurting during the track workout on Tuesday morning. Next time I will go to a better track (like Saginaw High School) that is even. The Lake Country Christian School track is right up the street, but it’s uneven and not very fast. My long run felt good, especially with the cooler temperatures. I was pretty consistent:
9:23.12, 9:49.26, 9:58.09, 9:57.17, 9:53.12, 9:53.46, 10:03.23, 9:58.62, 10:05.38, 10:03.75, 10:12.84, 9:52.98, 10:08.46, 9:52.81
I started Downtown (Taylor and 13th) and ran down Taylor. My Garmin gets distracted by the big buildings on Taylor. It actually said I ran 8:18.46 for the first mile, so I tacked on 0.12 miles to the end of my run and added that to the first mile. I know the first mile was faster because I felt pretty good and the downhill on Taylor gave me some speed, but not 8:18 speed. My first half was a tad bit faster because I had a headwind going out and a tailwind coming back. I was happy with how I did since I ran by myself and kept my average under 10:00 and didn’t have to give too much effort.
Other Workouts:
3 weight workouts: 1:27:37 total time
30 minutes on the stair stepper
Walked Gus 6 total miles, walked on the beach for 20 minutes
Run #1 - Monday morning (79/82 degrees) - Easy Run - 4 miles @ 9:31 pace (38:03)
Run #2 - Tuesday morning (81/86 degrees) - Speed Run - 5 miles, inc 2 x 1600 w/ 800 jogs (8:17.58 and 8:32.58; 48:01)
Run #3 - Friday morning (72/72) - Long Run - 14 miles @ 9:57 pace (2:19:11)
Monday’s run felt pretty decent. I was hurting during the track workout on Tuesday morning. Next time I will go to a better track (like Saginaw High School) that is even. The Lake Country Christian School track is right up the street, but it’s uneven and not very fast. My long run felt good, especially with the cooler temperatures. I was pretty consistent:
9:23.12, 9:49.26, 9:58.09, 9:57.17, 9:53.12, 9:53.46, 10:03.23, 9:58.62, 10:05.38, 10:03.75, 10:12.84, 9:52.98, 10:08.46, 9:52.81
I started Downtown (Taylor and 13th) and ran down Taylor. My Garmin gets distracted by the big buildings on Taylor. It actually said I ran 8:18.46 for the first mile, so I tacked on 0.12 miles to the end of my run and added that to the first mile. I know the first mile was faster because I felt pretty good and the downhill on Taylor gave me some speed, but not 8:18 speed. My first half was a tad bit faster because I had a headwind going out and a tailwind coming back. I was happy with how I did since I ran by myself and kept my average under 10:00 and didn’t have to give too much effort.
Other Workouts:
3 weight workouts: 1:27:37 total time
30 minutes on the stair stepper
Walked Gus 6 total miles, walked on the beach for 20 minutes
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Thursday Thirteen: Dark cloud hanging over me (literally)
1. I saw Suzy Hoover’s (Season 2 of Biggest Loser) post about a 3,000 sit-up challenge in September, and I decided to give it a try. That will be something easy to do in the Bahamas.
2. This weather has totally messed with my schedule. Yesterday was a “rest” day, and I ate some extra carbs and went to bed early in anticipation of getting my 14-mile run done this morning.
3. I set my alarm for 4:05 am, and Cliff and I woke up to a crazy storm at 3:50. Running in the rain would have been nice, but the lightening was a little freaky.
4. So the run has been postponed until Friday morning. I’ll hit the gym during my lunch break for some weights and cardio.
5. I’m getting my hair cut and highlighted at Shelton’s this afternoon at 3:45.
6. I’m also treating myself to a pedicure (or, as Gus would say, pawdicure) after my run on Friday. I thought I’d do everyone in the Bahamas a favor by giving my nasty runner’s feet a little TLC.
7. Just a few more days and we’ll be relaxing on the beach in THE BAHAMAS!
8. I have one day in between vacation and a (work) trip to El Paso. Busy, Busy!
9. Netflix is making me mad. All four TV shows that I want to watch had a wait, so we ended up with disc 1, season 1 of Jersey Shore. I indulged yesterday (before Cliff got home from work).
10. We saw the new Will Ferrell movie (“The Other Guys”) last weekend. I appreciate an accountant who makes me laugh, so it wasn’t horrible. It just wasn’t one of his best. And was that rumor about Mark Wahlberg having three nipples really true? Because I think about that every time I see one of Marky Mark’s movies.
11. I’ve lost a few pounds, and I’m staying pretty consistent with my weights, especially considering I haven’t really been depriving myself. I’m sure I can undo all of the progress with 10 days in the Bahamas though.
12. So apparently my cousin’s cousin (yeah, I realize this sounds like a stretch) is on the next season of Hell’s Kitchen. I do not know her personally, but now we’re Facebook friends, and maybe she’ll let us eat for free at her restaurant when she wins ;)
13. Speaking of reality TV, we’re sucked into Big Brother (and at this point, I can’t really decide if I want Lane, Britney, or Ragan to win) and I’m pretty fond of Master Chef (even though there are obnoxious commercial break suspense moments like Hell’s Kitchen).
(Bonus) 14. GusGus has a Facebook page now, and he wants you to friend him!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Week 2 Recap
The plan for this week was a 5-mile easy run (10:12 pace) on Monday, a 5-mile speed run (with 2 x 1600’s at 8:09) on Wednesday, and a 12-mile easy run (10:12 pace) on Saturday. I modified the plan and replaced the speed work with last week’s tempo workout. Also, I added a bit of mileage with some short runs on Tuesday and Friday.
Run #1 - Monday morning (83/85 degrees) - Easy Run – 5.10 miles @ 9:58 pace (50:51)
Run #2 - Tuesday morning (84/89 degrees) - Medium Intensity Run - 2.50 miles @ 9:07 pace (22:47)
Run #3 - Wednesday morning (71/71 degrees) - Temp Run - 5.00 miles @ 9:53, 8:43, 8:39, 8:25, 9:38 (45:20)
Run #4 - Friday morning (73/73) - Easy Run - 3.25 miles @ 9:45 pace (31:41)
Run #5 - Saturday morning (67/67) - Long Run - 12.00 miles @ 9:55 pace (1:59:04)
I was so excited about my pace on the tempo run. I descended the three miles and beat my 8:39 goal pace. I did this run in my neighborhood too, so it included hills (and wasn’t flat like the Trinity Trail). My long run also went well. I started off very slow (10:37 first mile) but gradually picked it up. I negative split (1:00:42/58:22) and finished in a 9:27 (last mile). The cooler temps definitely helped me out. I can't wait until Fall!
Other Workouts:
3 weight workouts: 1:47:03 total time
1 hour and 10 minutes on the stair stepper
Swam 3100 meters (1:09:08) at a masters swim practice
Walked Gus 12 total miles
Run #1 - Monday morning (83/85 degrees) - Easy Run – 5.10 miles @ 9:58 pace (50:51)
Run #2 - Tuesday morning (84/89 degrees) - Medium Intensity Run - 2.50 miles @ 9:07 pace (22:47)
Run #3 - Wednesday morning (71/71 degrees) - Temp Run - 5.00 miles @ 9:53, 8:43, 8:39, 8:25, 9:38 (45:20)
Run #4 - Friday morning (73/73) - Easy Run - 3.25 miles @ 9:45 pace (31:41)
Run #5 - Saturday morning (67/67) - Long Run - 12.00 miles @ 9:55 pace (1:59:04)
I was so excited about my pace on the tempo run. I descended the three miles and beat my 8:39 goal pace. I did this run in my neighborhood too, so it included hills (and wasn’t flat like the Trinity Trail). My long run also went well. I started off very slow (10:37 first mile) but gradually picked it up. I negative split (1:00:42/58:22) and finished in a 9:27 (last mile). The cooler temps definitely helped me out. I can't wait until Fall!
Other Workouts:
3 weight workouts: 1:47:03 total time
1 hour and 10 minutes on the stair stepper
Swam 3100 meters (1:09:08) at a masters swim practice
Walked Gus 12 total miles
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Long Run Saturday (12 Miles)
I did my 12-mile run by myself on the Trinity Trail. I added an extra 2 miles on River Park when I was doing the 183 access loop so I could hit 12 miles without having to cross University (so I could resist the temptation of getting in my car at mile 10). I started off very slow and sore. I was surprised at how slow (10:37), but the trail was dark and it was hard to see. I did a great job descending the first 6 miles. My big toe (right foot) started hurting a bit around the halfway point (and my right foot had felt sort of "jammed" when I woke up the morning). I eased up a touch, but I still wanted to break 2 hours. I felt great towards the end with just a little bit of general soreness. I made the mistake of leaving my sunglasses in the car, and I really could have used them for the last half of the run.
First Half: 10:37, 10:16, 10:12, 10:09, 9:51, 9:34 (1:00:42)
Second Half: 9:57, 9:44, 9:53, 9:41, 9:38, 9:27 (58:22)
Total Time: 1:59:04 (9:55/mile average)
It put me in great spirits to be out there with everyone else. I talked to a few random people (both on the Trinity and around my neighborhood when I walked Gus before and after my run), and this great weather must have the same effect as taking happy pills. I guess when the heat index makes it close to 90 in the mornings, 67 is like Christmas in August.
It was also nice to wake up early and feel semi-decent after not drinking last night. Usually I have at least a few drinks on Friday night, and I know that must affect my long runs.
Now I have to figure out when to squeeze my 14-miler in before we leave for the Bahamas. Fortunately I worked an extra hour on Friday and I have an hour of comp time to use next week. So I can do my run early in the morning, get to work a bit later, and still leave at a decent time. I'm planning on making an appointment with Dr. Brian to have my feet worked on before I attempt 14. I really need my right foot popped. It always jams up right near my ankle, and I think that is what causes the toe pain.
Time to enjoy the rest of my weekend!
First Half: 10:37, 10:16, 10:12, 10:09, 9:51, 9:34 (1:00:42)
Second Half: 9:57, 9:44, 9:53, 9:41, 9:38, 9:27 (58:22)
Total Time: 1:59:04 (9:55/mile average)
It put me in great spirits to be out there with everyone else. I talked to a few random people (both on the Trinity and around my neighborhood when I walked Gus before and after my run), and this great weather must have the same effect as taking happy pills. I guess when the heat index makes it close to 90 in the mornings, 67 is like Christmas in August.
It was also nice to wake up early and feel semi-decent after not drinking last night. Usually I have at least a few drinks on Friday night, and I know that must affect my long runs.
Now I have to figure out when to squeeze my 14-miler in before we leave for the Bahamas. Fortunately I worked an extra hour on Friday and I have an hour of comp time to use next week. So I can do my run early in the morning, get to work a bit later, and still leave at a decent time. I'm planning on making an appointment with Dr. Brian to have my feet worked on before I attempt 14. I really need my right foot popped. It always jams up right near my ankle, and I think that is what causes the toe pain.
Time to enjoy the rest of my weekend!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday Thirteen: Calorie Consumption and Burnage
1. I came close to eating a whole cheesecake last night. It was yummy, but I have dessert remorse this morning.
2. The older I get, the worse my “next morning” wine headache becomes.
3. When my Dad visited last weekend, we definitely indulged.
4. On Friday, we had a drink at The Usual and then tried Nonna Tata. They have a great relationship (you can order food from Nonna Tata while drinking at The Usual and we brought our glassware from The Usual into Nonna Tata). The food at Nonna Tata was amazing. I had the smoked salmon pasta, and we shared the tiramisu for dessert. Scrumptious! Good thing I ran 10 miles the next morning and burned a few calories.
5. On Saturday, we had dinner at Lambert’s. That is one of our favorite restaurants, but I think this was the second time in a row that Cliff had to take his steak back (overcooked). You can’t beat the green chili grits though.
6. After a weekend full of calories, I was looking forward to getting back on track this week. I was doing pretty well until I got totally derailed by a cheesecake!
7. The “cold front” arrived on Tuesday night, and it has been amazing to wake up to temperatures in the low 70’s (with little humidity). I feel totally spoiled right now.
8. I took advantage of the cooler weather and did my tempo run yesterday morning. I had a tempo run on last week’s schedule but I replaced it with trail runs. This week was supposed to be a track workout, but I decided to do the tempo workout instead. I did 5 miles with the middle 3 miles at a goal of 8:39 pace. I went 8:43, 8:39, and 8:25, which was an outstanding pace for me, especially in our hilly neighborhood. *Patting myself on the back*
9. Netflix is not cooperating with us lately. I have four different series (Lost, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, and The Closer) in the queue and I can’t get any of them. We might have to make it a Blockbuster night. We watched a few movies (“Shutter Island” and “Whip It”) after we finished Dexter (amazeballs), but I am ITCHING to watch the last season of Lost!
10. I have a 12-mile run on the schedule for Saturday morning. I’m actually looking forward to it (gasp). The weather should be a little cooler (low- to mid-70s), and I like long runs that don’t exceed 2 hours. I get a big sense of accomplishment, but I’m not hurting too badly for whole day.
11. I’m going to meet Cliff up in Ardmore this weekend. If we drive separately, I can do my workouts in Fort Worth (run on Saturday and swim on Sunday), leave the pooper (GusGus) at home, and stop at the GAP outlet in Gainesville.
12. We are a little over a week out from our Bahamas trip! Woohoo! I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone by. It seems like we JUST went to Mexico.
13. I think Cliff and I are going to have a little happy hour date today after work since we carpooled. The new restaurant (Boo Ray’s) about 2 miles from our house has $1.50 pints of good beer (Rahr, Sierra Nevada, etc.). You can’t beat that deal (although last time I got Michelob Ultra and it was like drinking soda water).
2. The older I get, the worse my “next morning” wine headache becomes.
3. When my Dad visited last weekend, we definitely indulged.
4. On Friday, we had a drink at The Usual and then tried Nonna Tata. They have a great relationship (you can order food from Nonna Tata while drinking at The Usual and we brought our glassware from The Usual into Nonna Tata). The food at Nonna Tata was amazing. I had the smoked salmon pasta, and we shared the tiramisu for dessert. Scrumptious! Good thing I ran 10 miles the next morning and burned a few calories.
5. On Saturday, we had dinner at Lambert’s. That is one of our favorite restaurants, but I think this was the second time in a row that Cliff had to take his steak back (overcooked). You can’t beat the green chili grits though.
6. After a weekend full of calories, I was looking forward to getting back on track this week. I was doing pretty well until I got totally derailed by a cheesecake!
7. The “cold front” arrived on Tuesday night, and it has been amazing to wake up to temperatures in the low 70’s (with little humidity). I feel totally spoiled right now.
8. I took advantage of the cooler weather and did my tempo run yesterday morning. I had a tempo run on last week’s schedule but I replaced it with trail runs. This week was supposed to be a track workout, but I decided to do the tempo workout instead. I did 5 miles with the middle 3 miles at a goal of 8:39 pace. I went 8:43, 8:39, and 8:25, which was an outstanding pace for me, especially in our hilly neighborhood. *Patting myself on the back*
9. Netflix is not cooperating with us lately. I have four different series (Lost, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, and The Closer) in the queue and I can’t get any of them. We might have to make it a Blockbuster night. We watched a few movies (“Shutter Island” and “Whip It”) after we finished Dexter (amazeballs), but I am ITCHING to watch the last season of Lost!
10. I have a 12-mile run on the schedule for Saturday morning. I’m actually looking forward to it (gasp). The weather should be a little cooler (low- to mid-70s), and I like long runs that don’t exceed 2 hours. I get a big sense of accomplishment, but I’m not hurting too badly for whole day.
11. I’m going to meet Cliff up in Ardmore this weekend. If we drive separately, I can do my workouts in Fort Worth (run on Saturday and swim on Sunday), leave the pooper (GusGus) at home, and stop at the GAP outlet in Gainesville.
12. We are a little over a week out from our Bahamas trip! Woohoo! I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone by. It seems like we JUST went to Mexico.
13. I think Cliff and I are going to have a little happy hour date today after work since we carpooled. The new restaurant (Boo Ray’s) about 2 miles from our house has $1.50 pints of good beer (Rahr, Sierra Nevada, etc.). You can’t beat that deal (although last time I got Michelob Ultra and it was like drinking soda water).
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