Marathon

    The marathon was not a success in the strickest sense of the word. I was fighting the start of a cold the previous week, so I did not run much. Then as I got out of the RV to get my race packet, I hit my knee on the door. The first 13 miles felt great. My knee started hurting at mile 16. I ran 1 more mile then made the agonizing decision to start walking. After walking the next 2 miles to the middle where my family was waiting to see me pass, I knew that I could not walk 8 more miles. I also did not want to permanently injure myself. I am glad that I tried it though. The road to the marathon was exciting and challenging, and I look at that big picture when I say "Running Towards a Marathon".

Blisters with 6 days until the marathon :(

    Well I ran a great 6 miles on Monday 9/5 then started to feel like I am getting a cold. I took off the rest of the week. Feeling a little better, I decided to do 90 minutes of walk/ running on Sunday. A little over an hour in, I began to feel like I was getting blisters on the back of both feet. Same socks, same sneakers that I always wear so I don't know why. Maybe because I was walking part of the way. Of course, I forgot my cell phone, so I took my shoes off and walked the 2 miles home. It was horrible. Now the bottom of my feet hurt as well. Not sure what I will run this week. Marathon in 6 days!!

The end is in sight!

   After my long run last weekend, I started off with 4 miles on Monday. Then I ran 2 on Tuesday, but I was so busy that I did not run again until Sunday. I ran only 2 miles for a total of 8 all week. That is probably too big of a taper! With 2 weeks to go, I will try to stay on schedule and stay healthy :)

Ready for my taper :)

   I do not have that much to say this week other than that I ran 19 miles on Saturday and walked 2 miles. I ran on the dirt path by my house, and it got to 80 degrees out by time I was done. My toes hurt, and it was hard, but I did have enough water and gel. I have 1 blister, but I am ready to run the marathon in 3 weeks. Bring it on :)

Easy Run

    My week was very easy. I intended to run more during the week, but I only ran 1 time. I ran 2 miles on Monday which was 2 days after my long run. I could feel it in my knees, but I felt strong. Then I walked 3 miles on Wednesday too. My easy run on Saturday went well. It felt like heaven to only run 7 miles. Walk 3; ran 9 total.

20 mile run

   I went into my 20 mile run as if it was the marathon. I will admit that it was very hard. At first I was disappointed because I had to walk/run the last 2 miles, but now 2 days later, I have decided it was a learning experience. I did many things well, but there are other areas I need to work on. I need more water for one thing, but on race day that won't be a problem with the drink stations. In addition, I hated running with cars which also won't be a problem race day. I also need to work on my pace during the next 5 weeks. If I had kept on pace, I would have been almost done with all 26 miles instead of just 20 after 4 hours and 45 minutes of running. I am beginning to believe that I can do this :)

I am NEVER doing a marathon again!

   After my 18 mile run last Sunday, I did not run again until Saturday. I only ran 7 miles, but I felt great and ran back at my 12 minute pace. I felt good when I woke up Monday, but after working all day, I was sore by Monday night. I felt pretty good by Thursday, but since I had plans Thursday and Friday, I could not run until Saturday. This is too much work; It is too hot out, and I am not having fun. I will follow this through, but I will not train for a marathon again. ..maybe a 1/2 marathon only :)

Ran 18 miles :)

   This week was my week of cross training since I was on vacation. I walked all over Old San Juan, hiked in the rain forest and kayaked. I did not run at all this week. I made sure that I was well hydrated before my run today. I set my alarm for 6am, had my coffee and bagel with peanut butter, then headed out at 6:45. It was hot, and I had minimal water left during my last 3 miles. I kept repeating the word push and counting to 100 over and over during the last 5 miles. My toes hurt some, but the pain was more manageable after no heels or flip flops all week. I am so happy that I ran 18 miles today. It took me 3 hours and 50 minutes, and I was exhausted when I was done, but I did it!

Running in the Rain

   So after my rough run last weekend, I took the whole week off. My toes hurt, my calves hurt, and it was really hot out anyway. So Saturday morning, I headed out for my run. After mile 1, the rain started to come down. I decided that I might as well keep running since if it rains Marathon day, I would keep running. Unfortunately, my toes started cramping at mile 5. I ended up running only 8 miles. I could deal with the rain, but I need to figure out this toe issue since the Marathon is 8 weeks away :(

I learned some lessons this weekend :(

   The week started off strong. I ran 1 1/2 -3 miles on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Even though some runs were harder than others after working all day, I was feeling great. I knew that Sunday was going to be hotter than Saturday, so I was planning on getting up for an early run Saturday morning. Knowing full well I was running the next morning, I went to a surprise birthday party Friday night. I made mistake #1 when I put on a pair of 4 inch heels. Mistake #2 were those glasses of wine. Mistake #3 was ALL the food that I just kept eating from the buffet. Mistake #4 was only sleeping 6 hours after working at 630 all week. I was planning on a 19 mile run. The first 6 miles went well, then my toes started hurting/cramping. The next 9 were pure torture until I walked the last mile home. My toes actually still hurt. On the positive side, I brought a perfect amount of water bottles (5) for my run. Live and learn. Run and learn :)

It is hard to run in this heat!

   I walked 6 1/2 miles on Monday, then ran 4 miles Tuesday and ran 2 miles Wednesday. I took off running Thursday and Friday to get ready for my long run on the weekend, but ended up driving to look at colleges, so I could not fit a run in this weekend. I did walk another 4 Sunday, but it was too hot to run since I slept in until 11am. Luckily, I am ahead of schedule, but I must do a long run this weekend :)

11 weeks until Erie Marathon

  With only 11 weeks to go, I need to make my running a priority. I ran 15-17 miles this week but all on 1 day. I ran the first 15, but then it started to get too hot, and I ran out of water, so my last 2 miles was a walk/run. That was on Friday, and I had walked on Monday and Tuesday and then Saturday for a total of 11 miles. It is more challenging to run when it is so hot out. I am pretty committed to my long weekend runs, even setting an alarm to go out at 6 or 7am, but I am afraid if I don't push myself to run during the week, I am just setting myself up to fail or to get injured. It is only 11 weeks that I need to make my running come first. I vow here to do better next week!

Walked more than I ran

   Well I keep falling behind on my posts. The week of June 20-26, I walked 9 miles and ran 8 miles.

Officially signed up for the Erie PA Marathon...send positive thoughts my way :)

    So after last week of zero running, I came back strong. I walked 7 1/2 miles and ran a total of 21 miles. I ran 2 1/2 in Florida on Monday which was hard in the heat, then I ran 3 miles Friday. I set my alarm on Saturday for 6 am and got up to run 15 1/2 miles. It took me 3 hours and 4 minutes. It was a good run with only the last mile being pure torture. My toes were hurting, and it was getting hot out, but I felt good. Now that I signed up for the September 18th Marathon in Erie, PA, I am ready to start my 12 week countdown. I still don't understand how the longest training run is only 20 miles, but I will try to follow the training schedule. I need to run 3 evenings a week too, so it will be an tough 12 weeks. Send positive  thoughts my way :)

Running in Florida

   So the week of June 6-12 was a very bad week of running. I was in Florida and did walk 4 miles most days. I ran 0 and walked 12 miles:(

Hard to run in the heat

    So today I started out for a run at 920am. Since it was such a hot weekend, that was too late in the day for me. I ran 8 miles then walked the last mile. My intention was to run 12 miles, but I started to feel weird. I think that I was a little dehydrated even though I drank 3 1/2 water bottles while running. I wanted to push myself and go further, yet after hearing that a 22 year old man died while running the half marathon yesterday, I decided to listen to my body. Although I do not know the circumstance or cause of his death, I can imagine that after months of training, it would be hard to stop because of the heat on race day. His death makes me think about what I would do if I needed to stop during the marathon. I hope that I could be wise and listen to myself. I really want to train for and run a marathon, but not at the expense of my life. I need to remember that on runs like today. This is suppose to be fun!

Wow...the last 2 weeks have gotten away from me

   This will be short since I have been too busy to blog. During the week of May 23-29, I walked 15 miles total with only 1 run on Saturday of 9 miles. Falling back to my weekend running only. I need to make myself a priority on my long to do list:(

Beautiful Weather

    I will say that the weather has a tremendous influence on me when I am out running. Although the warmer weather made my run more enjoyable and inspired me to get outside, I need to bring more water on my runs. I ran 6 1/2 miles on Saturday, plus 4 miles today. I did set out to run 7 miles, but since it was so hot, and I only had 2 water bottles, I ended up walking the 3 miles home. I hate when that happens. I ran on the dirt path by my house since that is easier on the joints. I felt so strong and was enjoying the run, but I just could not keep running :(  I ran a total of 10 1/2 miles and walked 14 1/2 for a grand total of 25 miles!!

Lost 9 pounds :)

   So after starting my training in January, I have lost 9 pounds and took 2 inches off of my waist. I am so happy with this loss. I have been struggling these last couple of years as I get older with the weight gain, and I was afraid that it was impossible to lose. I would like to lose more before the Marathon, but this seems like a nice, slow steady pace to lose. I did run 7 1/2 miles and walked 9 for a total of 16 1/2. I would like to find time to run a little more this week too.

Running towards a marathon: Ran 14 1/2 miles...took almost 3 hours :)

Running towards a marathon: Ran 14 1/2 miles...took almost 3 hours :): " Well I ran 14 1/2 miles on Saturday. I was trying for 15 but I had to walk the last 1/2 mile. That is still the farthest I have ever ru..."

Ran 14 1/2 miles...took almost 3 hours :)

     Well I ran 14 1/2 miles on Saturday. I was trying for 15 but I had to walk the last 1/2 mile. That is still the farthest I have ever run. I am not sure why I am procrastinating signing up for the Erie Marathon, but I think I will be ready by September for it. I am ahead of schedule, but I may slow down increasing miles until July when the 12 week training officially starts. I ran only 1 other mile this week, but I did walk 13 miles too for a 28 1/2 mile total!

Feeling stronger

   Although I did not run as much this week after my 12 mile run last weekend, I am feeling stronger. I can feel and see a noticeable difference in my legs. My clothes are a little looser ,and I think that I look much firmer. Since I started this exercise campaign with Taylor, Morgan, Sydney and Emily the end of March, I have walked/ran over 100 miles. That alone feels like quite an accomplishment. I ran 8 miles total and walked 9 for a total of 17 miles. With the end of the school year approaching and Spring arriving, my schedule is getting quite packed. This will pose an obstacle in my training schedule. I am going to try to stay on track and continue on my path to a Marathon!

12 Mile Run

   With the holiday yesterday, I did not have time to blog, but I am excited to say that I ran 12 miles on Saturday. It took me 2 hours and 20 minutes. I felt strong and so proud of myself. I think I will sign up for the Erie Marathon! I ran less miles all week for a total of 15 miles then I also walked 8 :)

Ran 2 miles in 20 minutes 49 seconds

    I ran 12 miles total this week and walked 8 miles for a total of 20 miles although my longest run this week was only 4 miles. I started out intending to run 6, but I was tired; it was windy and the dirt path seemed harder to run on. I had read that running on a dirt path is a little easier on your knees, but it is a little hilly too. I ended up walking the last 2 miles back home. I did however have my best 2 mile time ever. I ran it in 20 minutes 49 seconds. I have a personal goal of running it under 20 minutes someday soon. The funny thing about all this running and walking is that I think that I look better, yet the scale shows that I went up 1 pound. I better start watching what I eat. I read an article that said to take apicture of everything before you eat it, then you will have a visual document of your eating habits after the week. Maybe I will try that.

I am getting my kids to exercise

   I ran 9.6 miles on Saturday for a running total of 17 miles for the week plus 8 miles of walking. That was a great week for me :)
     I read once that a person needs to do something 60 times for it to become a habit. I had an epiphany while running a couple weeks ago about getting my kids to walk or run. I decided to track our walking and offer a cash incentive at the end of 100 days. Jim and Emily wanted to do it as well. It was to start April 16th, but I ended up starting it early since they seemed excited about the idea. I had always thought that if they saw me run and the fact that I really enjoy running, they might want to try it too. Occasionally, we would walk as a family, but never that consistently. The six of us walked around 40 miles combined this week. Let's see if after the 100 days, it really is a habit, and they continue without the cash incentive.

My Running Meditation

    When I run, I sometimes think about where I am headed in life and all that I want to accomplish. I have ideas for books that I want to write and goals that I want to reach. Other times, I just enjoy the run and try to relax and clear my mind. When the run gets too hard, I focus on an issue I want to resolve. If I begin to think about stopping before my planned running time, I just repeat the word "push" over and over. It sort of works like a running meditation. That is how I felt at the end of my 8 mile run yesterday, but I made it. My legs were tired and my toes were cramping, but it felt so good when I finished. I ended up running 12 1/2 miles and walking 7 miles this week! 
   

Two great Days of Running :)

   Even though it was chilly out, I had a great weekend of running. It may be confusing, but from now on, I am going to discuss my week of running from Monday through Sunday. Sunday seems to be an easier day to blog, and I hate writing about my week of running without including my Sunday run. After last weekend in Memphis, I was tired all week and only ran 2 miles on Thursday. I went out at 830am Saturday not sure of how far I could run. The wind was bitter on my face, but since the snow is finally gone, the bike path was open. I ran from Jim's house in Wheeling to Lake Arlington then back. I estimate it to be approximately 7 miles. The last mile was hard and my toes started to hurt, but I felt good. I started out today in my neighborhood thinking that I would do 2 or 3 miles, but felt so strong again that I ran 5.3 miles. It was still cold, but at least the sun was shining. And yes, I did put sunscreen on my face!

Should have ran in Memphis

   So after my best week running, the kids and I road tripped to Memphis for the weekend. It was 9 hours there on Friday, and 9 hours back on Sunday since I had to work at 630am Monday. The weather was beautiful, and I did bring running clothes, but I just was too tired after museums, walking around and Graceland. I did just run 2 miles, but that is for this week. Last week was 3 days of running for a total of 7 miles. I will get a long run in this Saturday, so check back soon for this week's update!!

I ran 1/4 Marathon today (6 1/2 miles)

   So it is getting a little easier every week. Although I have a little cold, this was my best week yet. I ran 14 1/2 miles total with today being a 6 1/2 mile run. It took about 1 hour and 22 minutes, but the first 3 miles were pretty easy at that pace. There is a Chicago Half Marathon May 15th that I may sign up to run. If I continue to be able to increase my miles, I am definitely on track to be able to run it. As I sit here typing this, I can feel a slight soreness in my left knee, and I also have some soreness in my right shoulder. I am not sure if I am holding my shoulders too tight while running. I will make a better effort to hold them more relaxed and shake them out while running. I did not start the energy packets while running yet, nor did I run with water today. Once it warms up, I will need my water bottles, but maybe if I run any further than 6 miles, I should be sipping also. I am going to try to hold off on the energy packets, so that I don't get too relient on those for a burst of energy. I am feeling positive about my running!

250 minutes aerobic exercise a week = significant weight loss

    According to Health Magazine, a person needs to exercise 250 minutes a week in order to have significant weight loss. Since my running pace is approximately a 12-13 minute pace, I would need to run 18/19 miles a week to have an impact on my weight without changing my caloric intake. I am quite below that amount of exercise, but since I am feeling better from my cold as well as my other health issue, I am ready to push it hard this month.
    I ran 6 miles total this past week. I was able to maintain an 11 minute pace on the treadmill Friday for 2 miles which was really good for me. My goals, other than increasing my mileage in preparation for the marathon, are to lose at least 15 pounds and maintain an 11 minute pace for the marathon. Although I count my week of training from Sunday through Saturday, I was able to run 4 miles today towards my next weeks miles. It was a struggle yet I felt good. I really enjoyed listening to my music and being alone with my thoughts as I ran.

A Big Roadblock in My Training

   So between having a cold and an additional medical issue, I have not been able to run since Sunday when I ran 3 glorious miles. I guess I ran almost 1 mile on Monday too, but since the road was icy, I cut my run short. It has been a challenge not to run when I do not feel well. The medicine they put me on for the medical issue might also make me gain weight, so I really want to go out running to offset that. I will blog again when I am able to go out and run!

I love the feeling that comes from pushing just a little too hard

  This was a great week for running. The weather was a little warmer, and the sun was even shining some of the days. I still only ran 4 days this week, but I logged a total of 10 hours. This is the most consistent I have run in 8 years (actually probably ever). There were times in the past that I ran 10 or 12 miles in one day, yet I hardy ever ran more than 2 or 3 times a week. I really thought that it was impossible to run after working on my feet taking care of infants all day. I ran 2 miles and felt strong on Tuesday after working 8 hours. I did get off early and had only worked 5 hours on Friday, but I ran 5.2 miles that afternoon. About 1 1/2 miles in, I felt really strong and knew that I was going to try for 5 miles. The running path in my neighborhood is still covered with patches of snow, so I ran on the street. I was tired at the end, but the sun was shining, and it felt so good to push myself. That evening, I could feel the run in my legs every time I stood up or went down the stairs, but even that made me smile. It felt wonderful!

4.2 miles this week :)

   It was a little cold this week, but once the weekend arrived, the sun was shining and the temperature crept upward. I had run 3 miles Sunday on a treadmill then 1 mile on Monday, but I did not run again until Saturday. It was still a little cold out , but the sun was shining as I started out for a run. I ran in my neighborhood which even with the snow is a beautiful place to run. I knew that I wanted to run as long as I could which turned out to be 4.2 miles. The last half  mile was hard, but I felt so strong. It always amazes me that with training, you can continue to run farther and farther. I may run slowly, but it feels so good to push myself to run farther than what I feel that I am capable of doing.

Treadmill Running

    I luckily ran 3 miles on Sunday then 1 mile on Monday before the Blizzard of 2011 hit Chicago. Now I am stuck running indoors on a treadmill :(
I walked 1 mile Wednesday, but since my goal was to run 4 times a week, Friday and today were running days. I came to Jim's last night, and we went out for Italian. I ate half of my spaghetti but too many pieces of bread, then I came back to his place to run. The mile was torture, but I did it anyway at 730pm. Then today I got up and ran 2 miles again. Thank goodness for treadmills since the roads are still too dangerous to run on. I think that treadmill runs are much harder than running outdoors though, and I do not enjoy it. There is a new (I think this is the second year) half marathon in May that I am toying with the idea of running. I would need to up my long runs this month quite a bit though. I still have not paid for the Erie Marathon in September although I did request the Friday before and Monday after off from work. What do you think, should I do the 1/2 in Chicago in May and the Erie Marathon in September?
     My healthy eating went pretty well this week although the Superbowl Party tomorrow will be a train wreck! lol

Time to eat healthy now

   After 4 weeks of consistent exercise, I am ready to take the next step. I took a hard look at my eating habits, and it was not a pretty sight. I have always been pretty active and up until the last couple of years, I could lose weight fairly easy. I have never been thin, but I would like to think that I have been considered a "healthy weight" most of my life. I, however, have never been a very healthy eater. I eat my fruits and vegetables, but I am an admitted cookie and candy junkie. I do keep moving up 10 pounds for every decade of life even while running for most of the last 8 years. I have never been one to shy away from telling anyone who wanted to know my age and my weight. I am 46 years old and with slight trepidation, I will tell all of you that as of last Monday, I weigh 150 pounds. After last weekend, I stepped on the scale and was surprised to see that I had gained 4 pounds over the weekend. I have not gotten weighed since and have tried not to make numerous excuses for this big weight gain. I have always been an avid reader of fitness and health magazine, so I can't really say that I am surprised. Did you know that 10 M&M's is approximately 45 calories? I have been known to eat 20-30 times that amount in an afternoon. It is, however, my favorite candy!
    I took a hard look at my diet and have made some changes. I stayed around 1400 calories today, which based on the rumbling in my stomach is considerably lower that my usual caloric amount. I will try to eat more of my calories from fruits, vegetables and proteins and less from candy, cookies and carbs. It is a healthy eating plan that I have used throughout the years. I do not see it as being on a diet since I would like to make some permanent changes to the way that I eat. My cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar is still good at my physicals, but I would like to keep it that way. So now in addition to blogging about my running, which by the way, is going great; I will also write about my eating. I ran 6 miles last week and walked 1 mile. I always begin my new week on Sunday, and I would like to say that I ran 3 miles today! It was hard, and I wanted to stop after the first 2, but I did it and feel proud of myself. Off to read my "Runner's" magazine.

It has been a challenging week

   So after 23 days, I have run 13 times with my miles reaching 18 miles plus some walking and 20 minutes of elliptical training. It has been a challenge this last week with snow and cold temperatures in Chicago. I used Jim's treadmill and the fitness center where I live some days, but most days I bundled up and ran outside. I have never run with my winter coat on before! On Thursday, I was tired and had stopped at the grocery store on my way home from work. By time I got home and brought the groceries in, the sun was setting. So I put on my running shoes and a hat and took off for a quick (ok really an 11/12 minute mile) run with some groceries in the trunk and the garage door open. When I walked into the house, my kids wanted to know where I was. I truly did not think they would notice me gone for those 12 minutes, but apparently, they did. Lesson learned, I will tell them in the future. I knew though that if I didn't just force myself to go right then, I wouldn't make it back out. I was too tired and feeling lazy. I know that as I increase my mileage, I won't be able to just run in my clothes (which I have also never done before), but hopefully by then it will be a habit I can't break. I read that it takes on average of 66 times to make something a habit. I am on the road there!

Baby It's cold outside!

   My first two weeks of training are done. I ran 5 miles total the first week, and 6 miles this week with 2 of the runs being 2 milers. I think it is easier to build up to doing one 5 mile run than running 4 days a week especially in this cold. I have to admit it felt exhilarating though to feel that cold and alive, but I was glad it was only 1 mile. I know that this is good for me to step out of my comfort zone and train differently too. I have been running for 7 or 8 years steadily but never 4-5 times a week. It feels good to make myself a priority and just go out and run:)

Training began January 2, 2011

    So after work today, I put on my running clothes and headed out for a 1 mile run. I decided that in order to break the habit of only weekend running, I was going to devote the first couple months of training to getting accustomed to running 4 or more times a week. In order to do this, I knew that I had to start small. My training so far has been 1 mile Sunday(1/2), Tuesday(1/4), Thursday(1/6) then 2 miles Saturday(1/8). I started again this Sunday(1/9) with 1 mile. I decided to run today(1/10) since I am busy after work tomorrow and have a staff meeting tomorrow night, but my normal days will be Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for now.
   Today, in my thoughts I envisioned going for a 2 maybe even 3 mile run. It was chilly out, but I dressed warm and the sun was shining. I really enjoy running and was looking forward to it as I dressed. It really is the only time that I am alone with my thoughts and I love how strong I feel when I run. The second that I started running though, I realized that my body could not do what my mind wanted. My legs were sore from the start, and I immediately felt tired. I ran the mile as fast as I could (about 11-12 minutes), then came home dreaming of having Tuesday and Wednesday off :)

My Running History

   I ran in high school to spend time with my father, but I never was really a runner. I even did track Sophomore year of high school to get involved, but I remember that I nearly died when we went out for a easy 3 mile run to start with. I had terrible shin splits and struggled just to run at all. My college and post college years consisted of on and off running to get in shape. I could never really progress beyond the 2 mile run. Then came the years when I had my three children that even the word "running" was a distant memory. Around 1998, I slowly started to run again but once again on and off. In 2003, I got serious and started truly becoming a runner, a slow runner but a runner nevertheless. Over the next 8 years, I have run a few 5K's and even 2 Half Marathons. In 2006, I ran the Half Marathon in Chicago, IL in 2:52, then in 2007, I did the Half Marathon in Lake Zurich, IL in 2:32. Ever since then, I have wanted to do a Marathon. I am what they call "a weekend warrior". I train well on Saturday and Sunday, but during the week when I am working and have 3 teenagers waiting for me to get home, I am lucky if I run at all. That is all changing as of January 2, 2011 when my training began....