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Today's schedule read...6 miles. Clock was set last night for 5:30. Unfortunately mother nature had other ideas about when I should sleep. We had a very bad storm system come through like a freight train. We ended up hunkered down in the den downstairs until 1:30 watching any shred of news of a tornado on the ground. I then proceeded to take the sleeping pill (which I try to avoid at all costs)...and then I find myself unable to wake up this morning. I was late..which really isn't anything out of the normal. I new that I was taking a 1/2 day so I figured I could squeeze my run in before dinner. Well, after fishing a bit, some shopping and too much dinner (which was a sub sandwich and fries!) I found myself feeling sluggish and my stomach was not a happy camper. I put on some new running gear and hopped on the tready for a 6 mile spin and I bonked at 3!!!!



I feel really yucky. I will never eat fries and then attempt to run again. I will attempt to get up early tommorrow and try again. The schedule is for 3, but I will just consider it a swap. Friday will be rest, but I may sneak a quick 2 miles in to catch up my runs with Nike.com. I have to be at my HQ at 0830 to contribute a little sample in the cup. I just did it 4 weeks ago...I can't believe they are going to test me again! Anyways, I hope that I can find the strength and motivation to get my run in before work and have it "out of the way".



Meb, How do you do it?



Until the next run....

OK...so maybe 8:51 is nothing to brag about...but it has been my fastest mile since my training started almost 4 weeks ago. I have been getting stronger with each day. Of course, I have been eating a little better too....except the Cocoa Puffs I just consumed..lol Hey, a girl has to get her carbs from somewhere.



I only had a 3 miler today. I overslept after tossing and turning for the better part of the night. So, I left work a little early and had my run done before 2000hrs. I know I should get it done in the mornings, but it is sooooo hard to get up these days. Tommorrow I am scheduled for a 6-miler. If I stay on schedule this week, I will have 30 miles for the week....the most miles I have run in a week since June of 2005.



We started a little weight-loss challenge at work yesterday. It has added extra motivation to keep me on track with eating properly. I want to win! (feeling guilty about the Cocoa Puffs now). I think I am the most focused because nobody else seems to be concerned with their food intake...I saw them eating tacos and hamburgers today...lol Our weigh-ins are on Mondays and it will be based on percentage loss not lbs. We will be going for 60-90 days if everyone sticks with it. The prize has yet to be determined, but it will be good I am sure. Just losing some of this weight will be reward enough for me. Almost time for bed....



Until the next run....

Today was the long run and just my luck it was raining. I dreaded the thought of running it on a tready. I took the Princess to mom's house and headed out to McAllister Park. A place that I am not accustomed to running and not familiar with the routes. But, I decided it may be my best option as it is mostly trail and would have some foliage to block some of the rain. I went out a little to fast and struggled to find my second wind. I hit a wall at mile 10 and found myself walking quite a bit. My shirt and shorts were soaked and bogged me down. I was fighting them like a wild cat. I had mud all over my legs from the kick, and I was running cautiously as to not slip on wet leaves. I found some sort of motivation during the last mile and managed to get through it. I didn't have GU or Powergel so I resorted to Tootsie Rolls for mid-run energy. I hate chocolate in my mouth during the run, but sometimes you have to do what you can. I will download this weeks runs to Nike tonight. My legs were very tired so I took a little nap. Tommorrow is a rest/crosstrain day. I may take a shot at Yoga..lol or not!



Until the next run....

I did complete my 6 miler on Sunday, so the rest of the week should have been fairly easy on the legs. I took my rest day on Monday and was set for a 3 miler on Tues, 6 Miler on Wed, and a 3 Miler on Thurs, followed by rest on Friday. Well, it didn't exactly pan out that way. I couldn't get out of bed Tues. It was 'see the the shrink day' and I just wasn't motivated. I vowed I would get it in when I got home, but that didn't happen either. I just didn't have it in me. So, Wednesday I should be really refreshed after 2 days of rest. Guess what? I couldn't get up again. Sluggish and weary....rolled around tossing and turning all night. Not to mention some asshole called me at 1am asking when he could take a drug test...I hung up on him. Again, thinking to myself, I will get my run in during the afternoon or when I get home. Didn't happen.



So, Thursday I finally drag my butt out of bed and manage to squeak in a measley 4 miler on the tready. It felt pretty good. I wished I hadn't skipped though. The doctor upped my dosage on my drugs, added an anxiety pill and a sleeping pill...that night (without the sleeping pill) I slept 12 hours straight. I was exhausted to say the least. No run on Friday.



Today, I ran 6 miles on the tready. I ran hard. My times are coming down. I will run slow and long tommorrow. I have an 11 miler scheduled. I will have to take the Princess to grandma's so I can run outside. I hope that I can find it within myself to get it done on my own. It will be my longest distance in a very long time. I think these next couple of weeks will really be the determining factor on whether I will be able to continue on with the training for San Francisco. I wished I had a training partner or a coach at the moment. It is so tough to stay motivated when you are not accountable to anyone and the snooze button is so close to the bed.



Until the next run....

Just got done with a 5 miler on the tready. I ran hard. I am getting my times down each day. I have a little soreness in my right inside calf area...but I think it will be ok. Maybe RICE tonight. I am so loving the Nike Sport Kit. It really helps to keep me motivated to see my runs on a screen. I will be pricing my airfare this weekend for San Francisco. Once I buy that plane ticket there is no turning back. I am going to have to recruit some help for those long runs, the 17, 18 and 2x20 milers. I think I can do it on my own, but I will definately need a sitter on those days. I only need 6 tommorrow, so that is why I pushed hard today. I will be a bit more conservative tommorrow. Nice and slow and concentrate on form a little more. My posture is so bad. Until tommorrow....happy running.

We stayed at the Windgate Hotel in Biloxi last night. It was a very nice hotel. I ran on the tready there this morning. It was hot as hell in that tiny fitness room, but sweating was ok. I am just happy to have had the chance to get it done. He and I were fighting so he took Val to breakfast at Waffle House while I took out my aggression on that tready. I only needed 3 today, so pushed a little harder than I had earlier this week. I will rest tommorrow. We just got in and it's very late. We are still fighting...so my sleep will not be well anyway. Thank goodness I don't have to run tommorrow on a poor nights rest. Looking forward to the runs on Saturday and Sunday already. My addiction is back. I love my runs.

We left NC today. I ran 5 miles this morning as planned despite the drizzly nasty rain coming down. It was a nice run as my thoughts were many and therefore the time passed quickly. A boy was hit, run over actually, yesterday along the main road through town. I went to the scene to take lunch requests and saw the markings were the Point of Impact and the place he landed. It was 34 feet. He was 15 years old and is in critical condition, but tonight is still alive. As I ran by that spot today I counted my blessings on being able to do so. I have had that boy in my thoughts for the better part of two days. I continued my run reflecting on my hometown and how I really miss those streets. I was sad to think that today would be my last day for a while. I had planned to stay until Thursday, but he was insistant that we leave today. I drove most of the day. We were on the road for 10 hours and he drove only 2 of them. We have stopped for the night again in Biloxi, MS. I ensured that the hotel has a treadmill and it is operational. I will run my scheduled 3 in the morning before we get on the road. Friday will be a much needed rest day. I am pleased with my consistency since beginning the training. I hope that I will not start to slack off once I go back to work and have long hours to face daily.



Until the morning.....

Saturday I ran the 5 as planned....did a nice run through town around my old neighborhood a few laps around the to track and back to my dads house. My legs were tight and it was very windy, but the scenery carried me home. It is very beautiful here this time of year. I came home dowloaded to Nike and rested a bit.



Sunday I thought I was to run 8, but it was 9 on the schedule staring back at me that morning. Again....cold and windy. I had decided I would run on a dirt track a couple of towns over. I geared up and headed out to get the Long run taken care of. Did a little stretch and YIKES...I had left my Sport Kit. Ok...not to panic. It's a track...I will figure it out. Lap one....a little fast for a 1/4 track...nope its not a quarter...it takes 4 and 1/2 laps to equal 1 mile. Needless to say after running in circles for a while....I lost count! So, I resolved I would just run by time. I am pretty certain I was close if not a little more to 9 miles. I was upset not being able to register the run with Nike. I will be more aware of my sensitive items before departing to run next time.



Yesterday was a rest day. It was a bad day overall, so I am glad I didn't need to run. He was being a total jerk and I hurt someone. I felt sick all day and cried most of it. I did alot of driving and thinking.



I woke up this morning...still a little sore from the long run. The IPOD was dead so had to wait a bit to charge it up. I drank an Atkins shake which I normally would drink afterwards so I was a little sloshy! I ran on the road 1.5 miles out and back. It is beautiful out today. Still winds 5-10mph but warmer. At the half-way point I stripped my jacket and tied it around my waist and ran back. There was quite a bit of upward slope on the way out, but worked in my favor coming home....and the 2 dogs that chased me were extra motivation!!!



I don't know when we are leaving to go back to Tx. I am on for a 5 miler tommorrow and 3 on Thurs which I may have to move to Friday, if I can't get it done on the road home.



Happy running.

I am on vacation in NC at the moment. I ran a quick 3 on Tuesday morning on the tready before hitting the road. I also did a 1/4 mile to calibrate the IPOD with my shoe.



So, we get on the road around 1100hrs. We decided we would stop in Gulfport or Biloxi for the night. I searched online from the truck for a hotel with a fitness center with a treadmill. Luckily we found one fairly simply. We get checked in and while he and Val slipped into PJ's I went down to check out the gym. OUT OF ORDER!!! I was so mad. I tore the sign off and hopped on anyways. It was the belt. With an allen wrench I could have fixed it myself, but unfortunately I didn't pack one!



So, by the time we arrived Wednesday night it was too late to get it done. I then decided I would run the 5 on Thursday and 3 scheduled for Thurs on Friday the rest day.



I found a nice little track here in town. Although the thought of running in circles wasn't my idea of a fun run, I went for it. I did 5 miles. It was my first run off the tready. It was not easy, but it felt good. My legs were a little tight when I got up this morning. There is a slight hill behind the dug out (track is around a baseball field) so was challenging my legs every couple of minutes. I felt good about the run and downloaded my data to Nike when I got home.



Today I did run the 3 as planned. I was trying to hold back a bit, but somehow ended up less than my target pace. I guess the feeling of fresh air and the beatiful dogwoods that surround the track had me a little more spirited than I had imagined.



I feel really good at the moment. I registered for Cali last night. I will be reserving my flights soon. Tommorrow is a 5 and another 8 on Sunday. It is pretty chilly here and also windy. These are not conditions that I am accustomed to, but so far have fared well.



Until the next run....

Today was the first long run of my training. 8 miles. I was a little apprehensive about accomplishing it. So, for a little motivation I downloaded a few new tunes for the IPOD. As I sit here smelling like a daisy...I am relieved that it's over. It took me forever, but it's done. And although I am still slugging along, I can already feel strength returning to my legs. The fascia on the right foot is ok for the moment. It is a beatiful day outside and I want to wear flip flops and show off my newly primed black and white polka dotted toes, but will need to wear a more supportive shoe...lol Tommorrow is a cross training day. Will probably calibrate the Nike's with the IPOD for the upcoming week and maybe a little ballet for old times sake. I am elated at my accomplishment this week. Although I didn't start out the week right, I finished it out on top. I think I deserve new shoes! lol

Empty stomach and full bottle of Propel. Slugged along at first afraid that if I jetted out to fast I would fade. So was a little conservative. Was thinking about the run/walk programs. Run 10-11 minutes and walk a couple. So that is what I did today, just to ensure success. Total mileage was 6 miles, but ran only 5. It is the mileage scheduled for today. Tommorrow is the first 8 miler. I haven't been outside 5-6 miles in many months. So, it will be tough no doubt. I also wore a blister on the top of my foot wearing the cute but not so comfortable clogs. I had a pedi and foot massage....focusing on the fascia a bit on the right foot. It is tight, but not unbearable. The reality of that will be apparent in the morning after the pressure has been off of it overnight. All in all, I am feeling pretty good about this week. I am of course short those 3 miles as I just didn't feel like "getting it done" yesterday. I was a scheduled rest day, but wanted to make up for missed mileage on Tues. Oh well, must be more focused next week and not step on the training plan. So, again tommorrow is the first 8 miler....I can do this.