What a Week!

... And don't think I mean that in a good way!  I realized today, after running 11 miles with a new friend I met at our weekly training run and running some extra unintended miles with her, that I ran 33 miles this week.  On top of that, my most weekly mileage ever by the way, I also did a killer strength session on Tuesday that caused me mucho soreness for multiple days.  On top of that I did a Yoga Workout and an Ab workout on Thursday after my run.  On top of all of this... I totally ate healthy and cut my calories.  I was tired this week!!!  I did lose 1 pound. 1.  1 pound.  Crap.  The last couple of pounds are doozies I find.  I will weigh in tomorrow morning to see for sure since I haven't weighed since Thursday morning, but for some reason, the weight seems stuck right around 125.  Booooo.

I'm proud of my 33 miles though.  Very proud.  And I will take a day off tomorrow. And it's suppose to rain so I may or may not lay on the couch most of the day with the iPad and Netflix.  After Church of course. :)

Chasing

  I made a bad decision to run 5 miles this morning with some friends.  My legs are continually tired for some reason.  I ran 8 Friday and 6 yesterday but thought I could keep up for 5 miles, even though these two girls are much faster than me.  We started ok though I was having some stomach issues... mile 1.  (We ran these miles are much faster than my tempo run, actually much faster than my goal 10k pace).  Mile 2: I am fading now.  Sara is way up ahead a couple hundred yards and JW is in between Sara and me.  Mile 3 proved brutal... did I mention the 30 mph winds seemingly pushing me backwards?  Stomach pain.  I can still see JW - just keep her in site!  Mile 4.... stomach pain!! I can barely see JW but am determined to keep up.  What is wrong with me?  Mile 5: Just suffer push through one more mile.  I finished the 5.  I have to remember that I didn't feel the greatest, my legs are still not back for some reason, and the windy conditions were tough.  Chasing is a pain in the rear.  But it pushed me beyond what I would have done on my own.  I am wiped out for some reason.

Weight Loss Challenge:
I am currently trying to restrict my calories a bit in order to lose some weight.  This isn't helping my energy level, though I am eating many small snacks instead of my usual meals.  I started at 126.6 lbs this morning.  I am going to weigh again on Thursday.  My goal is to get down to 120 lbs. or close to it by my 1/2 marathon in March (towards the end of March).  We'll see if my plan works as I weigh in twice a week.

  Why is it always so BUSY?  I haven't been able to go to our group run Saturday mornings in like 4 weeks.  And I'm not making this weekend's either.  I really need it this week because it's been hard for me to get back into training mode after the race.  But I am giving it up for a night out in Nashville with my hubby. :)  Bonefish Grill is calling my name... bangbang shrimp, ahi tuna - YUM!!!

  I did spend some quality time with my treadmill today.  I realized I could watch Netflix on the Ipad while I ran... which is excellent... and I never watched LOST so I thought, why not start from the beginning?  The only problem is I can't hear it.  My pounding is so loud, and I'm trying to read lips, and I'm afraid this may lead to a treadmill catastrophe if I keep it up.  Ever tried to read lips and keep your balance and posture while running on the treadmill?  Not easy!!!  Somehow, I have to figure out how to hear it!  Still, it's an awesome setup and I'm excited.  Suppose to meet a friend for 8 miles in the morning if it's not raining!  Yay!!  It's warming up!!

 

3 Tangent Tuesday

Random Tuesday Tangents about me:

1) Really, the main reason I love going to movies is for the fatty, overpriced x 1 million, greasy popcorn.  Butter?  Yes, Please!  We don't go much.

2) I always thought I wanted a little girl who looked like me (prideful much?), but I got 2 boys who look like my husband and they are the SWEETEST little guys.  Wouldn't trade them for anything.

3)  Mizuno For Life is my new motto.  Love my Mizuno running shoes.  I cheated on them a bit with a couple of pairs of Brooks, but I'm going back if they'll have me.  MFL!!

Do you like going to the movie theatre?  What kind of shoes do you run in?  Give me your 3 Tuesday Tangents!

PR!!

Woo Hoo!!  Yesterday I ran the Cedars of Lebanon Frostbite 1/2 marathon in Lebanon, TN.  I ran a 1:54:35!!  The course was hillier than I anticipated, with ice still on parts, and over a mile on a gravel trail, but I felt really great and ran hard which is unusual for me.  I think my consistent training is paying off!!  Left you will see my pre-race breakfast of crunchy peanut butter and banana on whole wheat thin bagels toasted. The race didn't start until 11 am which threw off my usual pre-race routine.  I had to eat more than normal to keep me going.


Splits:
mile 1: 8:29
mile 2: 8:36
mile 3: 8:57
mile 4: 8:40
mile 5: 9:00
mile 6: 8:31
mile 7: 8:39
mile 8: 9:13
mile 9: 8:13
mile 10: 8:43
mile 11: 8:52
mile 12: 9:11
mile 13: 8:35
0.14 : 6:02

WOW!! 8:43 Average pace which is GREAT for me.  My last PR was 9:09 Average pace on a similarly hilly course.  3 months ago I would have thought you were crazy if you told me I could run this pace for a 1/2 marathon.  It's amazing what you can train your body to do!  Cool trophy above for finishing 3rd in my age group!

A little off...

  Sometimes I feel like I could write on my blog forever, while others I just feel I have very little to say.  I'm going through a weird time right now, so maybe that has something to do with it.  I haven't run much, been feeling very fatigued this week.  I did get 3 in on the treadmill last night after taking 2 days off.  I am going to try again to run tonight, and then elliptical tomorrow and friday before Saturday's 1/2 marathon.  Or maybe I'll take Friday off too.  The kids got out early again today for snow, so far we are at 4 inches, and no school tomorrow.  But it's suppose to warm into the 40's for Saturday and continue to climb which psychs me up!!  That's shorts weather for sure!! Maybe.

  Hoping to run around 1:58 or so.  I will for sure update my blog with a race report afterwards, and hopefully will be out of my writing funk by then.  Happy running to you!

Giveaway...

No, not me silly, I don't have enough people yet for that :) - But Hungry Runner Girl does... go HERE to enter it.

Basketball Game + Treadmill = New PTR

That's right folks, I just set a new PTR a mere 5 days after I set a new PTR.  Just did 9 watching a basketball game.  Not much more to say than AWESOME!  I managed 30 this week somehow and they were all on the treadmill due to... guess:

a) husband out of town
b) crappy weather
c) sick kids
d) all of the above

Right.  You are right, no matter which one you chose.  And you are Awesome.

Endorsement

  WARNING:  I'm about to endorse a product so... listen up.  I have super sensitive skin, like super, super sensitive.  I have to use hypoallergenic products, can't use the sweet smelling bath and body works stuff, or anti-aging creams without super red, scaly skin - beautiful I know.  Anyway, I was looking for a new facial moisturizer and went to The Cosmetic Store in Cool Springs last year.  I asked the girl that worked there what she thought and she instantly took me to a new product they had that she LOVED:  Skin Retreat by Ekoh.  Now I LOVE it.  It's also not expensive, about $40 a jar, and it makes my face feel so moisturized and soft.  Made with all natural ingredients, this stuff ROCKS.  There is also a scrub you can use that is FANTASTIC.  I am about to be on my third jar.  Find it here.

Twinge...

  The last few times I've been running I've had "twinges" here and there.
Twinge: def. noun a weird acute pain that occurs in runners that makes them wonder if they should quit or just push through, and has them second guessing the whole run, especially if it comes and goes more than once.

 Now that you have an understanding of a twinge, I would like to elaborate on mine.  Twinge #1:  Right knee under patella (probably runners knee); usually happens later in runs or afterwards.  Twinge #2:  Inside left knee- have no idea what this could be but it is sharp and annoying.  Only hurts sometimes, not every run.  Twinge #3: Top of left foot; every 1/2 mile to mile, very sharp acute pain.  Ouch.  Almost stops me in my tracks.  This happened for the first time today.  Really not fun.

Since I don't know what these pains are really, I will, like other runners I know, continue to ignore them until they blossom into something serious enough to put me on my butt.  I'm sure it won't be long.

3 Tangent Tuesday

For the 3 of you that read my blog... ok, 2 because my husband doesn't count, I am going to start a 3 Tangent Tuesday where you tell 3 random things about yourself (idea courtesy of Hungry Runner Girl), or more likely, I will write 3 random things and no one will comment because no one reads this.  :)

1)  I don't let my kids win when we play games.  I usually try really hard to win because a) I'm competitive and b) it makes them try harder and want to get better to beat mom.

2)  I love it when we can stay in PJ's all day.  ALL DAY!!

3)  I have 4 significant scars on my body - 3 are from having skin cancer, or pre- cancerous moles removed, one is from jumping on the bed when I was two and busting the bridge of my nose.  Nice.

Ok, so your turn.