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!