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!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
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).
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