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