Race Photos

Here's the drawing my niece Remington made for us. I'm on the left with Stephanie on the right. Megan Witte (who is also Remi's teacher) is in the middle. Note that she even drew the two of us with yellow hats. :)

My mom and dad took a few pics, along with Shawn. Here are the few I got from mom & dad.

We still don't look quite awake!

Sexy ponchos!

We're kinda blurry, but we're crossing!

Let the tears flow!

Heather's Race

RACE DAY - September 19, 2010

Wooo! Race day!!

Last night I went to bed feeling pretty peaceful and calm for today. The nerves hadn’t quite began. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t sleep worth crap. I was in bed by 10, but it was much closer to midnight before I think I even fell asleep. I was awake a short time later, and that continued on and off all night long. It seemed like I was always awake, so I’m not entirely sure how much sleep I actually got. The more I tried to shut down all my thoughts, the wider awake I became.

My alarm went off bright and early at 5 am, so I’d have a chance to get dressed and eat before Steph and I needed to head to Columbia. I heard my sis up and about, so I knew she was as antsy as I was...or else she would still be in bed. :) We had a quick breakfast, me with toast and yogurt, her with some oatmeal. My nerves started kicking in a bit, so I wasn’t really able to eat much else. We had planned on taking a couple of bananas with us, but completely forgot them at home.

We left the house a little after 6 and made our trek to Mizzou’s campus in Columbia. The skies were turbulent, as it had rained pretty much nonstop throughout the area all night. We hoped it would hold off long enough for the race, or at least be done before it started. It was still dark and gloomy outside, so that did not help my energy level at all.

When we made it to the race site, we mingled throughout all the tents and took some time to head to the ladies’ room before race time. I did NOT want to be running on a full bladder! Soon, our parents, along with Steph’s husband and two girls, met us and they looked over our stuff while we stretched and participated in the group aerobic warm up. If you could call it a warm up. It consisted of about 5 minutes of jumping up and down and stretching the quads. Uh, really? I need a bit more of a warm up than that!

The skies had not looked good all morning, but around 7:20 or so, the lightning and the thunder started...but still no rain. And this was the kind of thunder that pretty much hit right after the lightning, letting us know it wasn’t hitting far away at all. This did not bode well. I had barely wrapped my mind around the race in general, let alone the race in the bloody rain. A few minutes later and the skies opened up for a little downpour. Mom and dad had brought some cheapie ponchos and Steph and I threw those on to try to keep the majority of the rain off of us. We looked mighty fine! The rain continued to sputter on and off, dropping buckets one minute, misting the next.

The race officiates were trying to decide about holding off for 10 minutes or so, or starting on time. I was lost in my thoughts, trying to keep the poncho from sticking to my skin because it was so damn humid out. They decided to continue slightly behind schedule, so we went and took our place among the other runners. It had pretty much stopped raining at this point, but I wasn’t ready to take off my poncho just yet. I didn’t want to ruin my mp3 player, nor did I want to run without music.

Steph and I were nervously bouncing about, waiting for the countdown...I just wanted to start already! The anticipation was killing me. Finally, they started the timed runners (they were giving out prizes for the fastest times). The original plan was to start the timed runners and then 10 minutes later start everyone else who was running, followed by the walkers. Well, as soon as the countdown was over, everyone just started running, so Steph and I both took off with the mob. It was 8:10. I wished her luck and told her I’d see her at the finish line.

I had looked at the race route the night before, so I was pretty familiar with where the mile markers would be. I was determined to finish at least one mile without walking, so I paced myself pretty well and made it up the first hills in stride. Apparently a few of my cousins were on the sidelines, but I completely missed seeing them. Since we were still pretty much in the beginning stages, most of the people were still kind of stuck together. I had to bob and weave to get out from behind the slower runners or the people who had already stopped for a walking break. Between dodging people and trying not to slip on the wet pavement, I guess I ran right by them without seeing them. Bummer. But, at least I know they were there, thanks guys!

About a half mile or so into the race, I realized I would not be able to run with the poncho. I figured I wouldn’t, but wanted to keep it on for as long as possible to stay dry. Well, that idea didn’t last long. I ripped the front open a little to let some air in and it ended up ripping down most of the middle and fell off my right arm. I said eff it, and tried to rip the rest off. That would have been easier had I not tied a knot in it. So, here I am, running, trying not to trip or slip and trying to tear that poncho off without stopping to walk. I finally got it off, while looking like a spaz in the process....I kind of felt like the Hulk ripping his shirt off! I didn’t see a trash can handy and I did not want to run with it, so I just handed it off to some unsuspecting volunteer keeping traffic off the course. Oh well!

As I was nearing the end of the first mile, I was feeling pretty good, a bit winded, but good. I hadn’t quite gotten into a groove yet, but I did finish the mile without stopping. And I was on track with what I usually do for the first mile...right around 11 minutes. At the end of each mile, they had water stations, so I took that chance to down a few gulps of water and walk off some of the exertion. I looked back a couple of times to see if I could see Steph, but there were just too many people.

Also, while I was walking a few times, people were running REALLY close to me, and as I was swinging my arms, I punched one guy in the arm and another girl in the crotch. My bad. But geez, don’t run so bloody close to me! The second mile wasn’t quite as good as the first one. I switched off quite a bit, but I still did more running that walking. I usually tried to only walk on the uphill portions to conserve my energy. It was muggy and cool all at the same time, so sometimes my breath was a bit labored. I rounded the corner to complete mile 2 and I was happy to see the water volunteers once again. But, seriously, don’t fill the cups so darn full! I didn’t want to slow down to drink it, but I think most of it went up my nose or onto the ground, since I was bouncing around so much. I only took two sips before I tossed the rest onto the ground.

The final mile was coming up and I finally hit the sweet spot and fell into a good groove. I was pleasantly surprised that I had no stitch in my side and I was feeling pretty good. Most of the third mile was downhill, which was a relief, but I found that running down the hills was starting to take a toll on my knee. I prayed I could finish without any serious pain and pushed through what was starting. I walked up one small hill, but for the most part ran the entire last mile. I had hit 24 minutes at the end of mile 2, so I knew I had to kick it up a bit to keep under my 35 minute goal.

As I was rounding the last half mile, the emotion of the day started to hit me, but I forced back any tears, trying to save them for when I was done. I didn’t need to be trying to run through tear-soaked AND rain-soaked eyes. The end of the course was to put us into Faurot Field, the football stadium at Mizzou. As I was rounding the lot outside, I was ready to be done already. I wasn’t sure how far into the stadium I’d be running, so I was trying to conserve what little energy I had.

There wasn’t a huge crowd of spectators all day. I’m not sure if it was due to the fact that this was Columbia’s inaugural Susan G. Komen race, or if the weather kept most people at home. But, fortunately, there was a decent number of people in the stadium cheering us on. It spurred me forward and as I saw the finish line in sight, I kicked the speed up to about a 7 and sprinted across the finish line with my arms in the air (I’ve always wanted to do that!)

Holy crap, I’m finished!! Woooooooooooo!!! I looked down at my watch a minute or so later and it said 8:45. So, I finished in under 35, which was my goal. Booyah! They didn’t have a time clock, so I don’t know the exact time, but who cares?! I finished! I finished! I finished! The whole time I ran the rain just sputtered and misted here and there, but pretty much stayed away. Moments after I finished, the downpour started to gain speed. I had no rain gear, throwing away my only defense. Oh well. At least it kept me cool!

I was having trouble gathering my thoughts at this point. My brain was a bit jumbled mess. All I could think about was breathing and getting water. I know I walked around mom and dad and Shawn, but I have no idea what I said or did. I just couldn’t process anything at that point.

I had trouble catching my breath right away and went in search of some water and the bananas they were handing out. I could see people drinking and eating, but couldn’t see where they were. Someone finally told me they were at the other end of the field. Good grief. I started to walk down, but quickly realized it was a lot further away than I anticipated and didn’t think I could make it down and back in time to see Steph cross the finish line. I turned around and headed back in time to see her enter the stadium. As she got closer to the finish, I headed towards her, so we could run across together. I saw her clutching her side, so I wanted to be there to urge her forward. I ran with her the last 50 feet or so, and she made it in under 40, beating her goal as well! Woooooooooooo!

It was an emotional hugfest after that. We were both gasping for air and crying at the same time. Not easy. We were also getting completely drenched. I tried to put my sweatshirt over my head, but that didn’t really help. We quickly stretched and decided that the rain was getting worse and we needed to get to drier land. We headed under the stands, where I FINALLY got a banana, and took a much needed break. At this point the rain was coming down so hard it was difficult to see some of the people on the field. I felt bad for those still running and especially those that were walking. I just thanked God that he let the two of us finish before it started. We still had to make the trek up the hill to our cars and even though I shared an umbrella with my niece, I was still soaked clear to my bones. My shoes were so full of water, they felt like cement blocks. The whole left side of my body was sopping wet and I was tired. T. I. R. E. D. And majorly hungry.

We headed to Bob Evans afterwards, where I ate my weight in omelets, potatoes and french toast. Yum! But, after I ate, I was cold and full of food and just wanted to sleep. My cousin, Angela, was such a sweetheart and let me shower at her house before I headed back to St. Louis. It felt amazing. Although, I’m not sure it was such a good idea. The hot shower just made me sleepier. It was an incredibly long 2-hour drive back to St. Louis!

After it was all over and done with, I was full of so many emotions. Pride at what we accomplished. Exhaustion over the morning and the last 4 months of training. And a little lost as well. It’s over? Really? This has been on my mind for 4 months, what do I do now? Remington, my niece, asked me if I was going to do it again and I told her maybe. Just not anytime soon. :)

Well, we did it. My first 5K is officially over, and despite the craptacular weather, I’m very happy with my finish.

I have to first thank my sister Stephanie for running with me. This has been an amazing journey, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else. You inspire me every day and I’m so proud of you. Thank you.

Thanks to my parents for their support and for standing in the cold rain to watch us. I’m very blessed to have such wonderful parents in my life.

Thanks to my brother-in-law Shawn and my two beautiful nieces for supporting both Steph and I and for being there as well this morning, even though it was pretty gross out. And thank you to Remington who drew us each an awesome picture of us crossing the finish line. It was awesome.

Thanks to my brother for his support and for cheering us on from Illinois. Sorry you couldn’t be there, but maybe you can run with us next year! ;-)

Thank you my cousins Angela, Terron and Stephen for getting out of bed way too early in the morning to cheer us on. Sorry I didn’t see you as I passed, but I know you were there!

Thank you to ALL of my friends, family and coworkers for your support today and over the last four months. It has really meant a lot to me that you’ve all shared this journey with us. I can’ thank you enough for pushing me out of my comfort zone into something new and unexpected.

And thanks to everyone who donated to a very worthy cause.

Will there be another 5K? Who knows. Never say never, right? But, I think I might take a break from the gym this week. :) We’ll see what happens after that.

Stephanie's Race

RACE DAY - September 19, 2010

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! 5 AM. Oh my. 5 AM. I’m not sure I’ve been up this early since……well, I don’t remember the last time I saw 5 AM. But here it is. RACE DAY.

I woke up pretty groggy, because, as I knew, the night’s sleep was pretty restless.

There was no lingering in bed with hopes of sleeping on into the morning. My sister had driven in and stayed the night. I listened to see if she were awake, too, before I began getting ready. I wasn’t sure how to dress, so I opted for warmth in case it was too cool for my pleasure. I put on my running shorts and my new Susan G. Komen shirt; then, layered on a pair of sweat pants and zip-up hoodie. Ahhhh, nice and warm, as the temp showed 67 degrees outside. Plus it was damp from the night’s storms.

We both sat down and ate a “runner’s” breakfast…… I opted for some oatmeal and Tang; she went for the peanut buttered toast, a breakfast bar, and some yogurt. Both our nerves were “working” and I was hoping my stomach stayed “settled”!

We were out of the house within an hour. My husband and girls were following later and our parents were going to be about a half hour behind us. As we’re heading down the highway, lightning popped in the sky to the north and east. Hmmmm? That is not a good sign!

We arrived in Columbia and found our way to the parking lot behind Mizzou Arena. There were already lots of people gathered on the Mizzou campus between Faurot Field and Hearnes Center. The sun was coming up, but it was a dark, cloudy sky as we gathered our stuff and walked down to the gathering area. Lightning still crashed in the sky……..

My nerves were really making my stomach do somersaults! I tried to focus on all the people, what was under all the tents, etc. Anything to calm my nerves! The crowd was amazing and the energy spread! My adrenaline was starting to flow and I was getting excited as the crowd grew and grew. They had a stage set up and two folks did announcements. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying! It reminded me more of Charlie Brown’s teacher!

As the crowd grew, I saw more of the folks I knew who were from my husband’s school: Megan was there with her brother and his friend; the assistant principal, Greg; Title I teacher, Micky; kindergarten teacher, Michelle; guidance counselor, Cindy; and those I didn’t see but were there: Spec. Ed teacher, Rachel; and 4th grade teacher, Roberta, her husband and son. I also knew some ladies from my church that were attending, but never did see. They announced that over 4,000 people had registered!! Amazing! What an awesome feeling to be a part of this!

Time was fast approaching and so was the thunderstorm from the north……
We waited at the “starting” line when it began to sprinkle and lightly rain. My parents brought my sister and I some disposable ponchos, so we put those on to help stay somewhat dry. We didn’t start on time and I’m assuming it was due to the storm. They announced for the crowd participants to make their way to the “starting” line. As we were standing there, nervous as can be, we tried to keep limber by moving around, jumping up and down, etc. Excitement just took over!

10….9….8….7…..6…..5…..4…..3…..2….1…..GO!!! The mass began to run and here we go! Woo hooo! I can’t believe I’m doing this! I waved to my husband on the sidelines and then set my sights on all the people in front of me. My sister was soon out of sight and I got into the groove of the ‘Stephanie Shuffle’. Megan came running by not too soon after we started and whispered, “you rock!” as she went by. :)

The rain had stopped except for a few sweeps of mist every once in awhile. I soon decided I didn’t need the poncho and ripped it off. I was about ½ mile in when I saw a trash can up on a sidewalk, in which I deposited my poncho.

I loved the cheering squads along the route….most of them, anyways! They were very encouraging and very energetic!

Mile 1! Yeah, I ran to Mile 1, now where’s the water. :) As I approached the water station, I noticed the people in front of me weren’t stopping. Huh? Am I the only one that needs water already? Nope. They were out of water! Dude! Seriously! OK, Steph, you can do this!

The run between Mile 1 and Mile 2 had to be the toughest. I tried to run the downhills and walk the uphills. Lots of jog/walk/jog/walk. But I also wanted to make sure I had the endurance for the last mile…..to finish with jogging. I made it to the mile and a half point to the next water station. Thank goodness! Hydration!

Mile 2. Here we go. The last leg of the race. What was nice was the cool breeze that swept through every once in awhile. I like the fact that I wasn’t dripping with sweat and wiping it out of my eyes the whole time. But I was damp from the misty rain that was here and there.

My heart skipped as I saw how close I was to the “finish line”. Tears started to well up but I told myself I had to save those up for the end. Plus, I couldn’t sob now, I’d mess up my breathing pattern. :)

Downhills are soooo nice. That’s what the last leg of the race was. Nice! We wound down Hospital Avenue, under Stadium Blvd. through the Mizzou tunnel, around the east side of Faurot Field, to enter through the south side of the stadium. As I entered the stadium, I was overcome with emotion: 4 months of training, joy, pride…..
“Lord, let me have the endurance to cross that finish line!”

As I rounded the last corner, I got a severe side cramp. This….is….not….going….to….stop….me!

There’s Heather! We finished the race together! We embraced and then the tears came! What a feeling of accomplishment! How awesome to finish the race! To be a part of something so powerful!

Megan was there, too! Another tearful embrace for me. And my hubby: a kiss of praise and an embrace of pride. Kisses from my two beautiful girls and words of pride from my parents. Words can’t express what I was feeling at that moment.

I finished behind Megan and Heather, but according to them, we all finished in great times!! We watched a couple more people we knew cross the finish line and then we headed to take cover under the “canopy” because the rain started to pour!

And did it pour!!!! Due to the weather, there wasn’t a whole lot of standing around. My family decided to go out to eat breakfast, which was good, because I was hungry! We all went to Bob Evans and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. From there we exchanged “Good-byes” and words of “Thanks” before everyone went their way.

I came home and curled up under the warm blankets and took a nap. A perfect ending to a special day!

Thank you to Megan for encouraging me to be a part of this event and being a very special friend over the past few years.

Thank you to Heather, my sis, for doing this with me. We may have been miles away in our training, but we encouraged one another to do something we never thought we’d do.

Thank you to my husband and girls for standing by me and encouraging me to keep at it! I love you!

Thanks to my parents for supporting Heather and I and coming out to watch us, even in the rain!

And thanks to everyone who laughed their way through Heather and I’s blog, supported us from the sidelines, and supported us monetarily.

I LOVE YOU ALL! And I bid you farewell………..

Stephanie's Training - Week 17

THE FINAL WEEK!

Training Day #51 - September 14, 2010

This week has brought about a much needed attitude adjustment! I’m in much better spirits and have the tenacious need to kick this training into gear! I opted for the indoor run today….the skies were overcast and there was a chance for rain.

I spent some time on weights, oh, how I’ve missed them! I actually needed some good muscle warm-up to get things back on track. I worked out on these for about 20 minutes before heading to the treadmill.

I wasn’t hoping for a record finish, I just wanted to put forth more effort. I programmed in the “5K Loop” and started out with a nice warm up walk. I pushed through some pain and lack of oxygen to finish at 44:28 minutes. Little over my usual but I was happy with the fact that I ran about half the time and walked the other.

Training Day #52 - September 16, 2010 (MY final training run!!)

I, again, ran on the treadmill today. I had to take Charlee to another basketball practice and thought I’d spend my hour and a half wisely.

I went straight to the treadmill and set off on a 10 minute warm up walk. I then set into my jogging pace and jogged for 20 minutes. I closed out my time with a 10 minute warm “down” walk. I finished in about my usual time: 41 minutes or so (I wasn’t watching my time too closely).

I can’t believe that 17 weeks of training have come to a “close”. The race is in three days!
Let’s bring….it….ON!!!!!!!!!!!

Heather's Training - Week 17

Training Day #41 - September 13, 2010

I know I’ve said this quite a bit in the last few weeks, but I can’t believe the lack of motivation I have to run. I kept running through my head of all the things I’d rather be doing tonight instead of running. Dishes, laundry, yard work, cleaning out my closets, wrestling an alligator with my bare hands. You know, all the usual chores. And I nearly talked myself out of running thinking I could run later in the week. Then, to my shock, I realized that I am only free today and Thursday to run, so it’s either now or never. Wonderful.

Off to the gym I went, and I thought maybe I would punch up the speed to try to get it over with faster. Wow, I’m really dumb sometimes. I kicked the speed to 6mph which should equal a 10 minute mile. I was able to finish the first mile in 10 minutes (I was haulin’ the mail), but the last 2 miles were back to the alternating walk/jog because I wore my ass out.

I hopped off for quick 15-25 second breaks more than I would have liked, but I did finish in 33 minutes. Seriously, can I pack up one of these treadmills and take it with me to run on? I’ll return it, I swear!

Wow, only one practice run left until the big race. I gotta say, I’m pretty damn excited about that thought!

Side note: There was a girl on the treadmill next to me that almost bit it when she started running. I felt so bad for her, b/c I know that I’ve come close to tripping as well. But, I still had to giggle. I didn’t feel so bad when later she was yelling at the Monday Night Football game going on, and annoying me in the process.

Training Day #42 - September 16, 2010

Last run before the big race. Wow. Am I really only 3 days away?

I wasn’t looking forward to running. I almost talked myself into just “resting” before the big race. You know, I didn’t want to pull or strain anything to keep me from running on Sunday. I nearly bought that crock of BS, but then I told myself I needed one final run. One final time to prove to myself I could do this. And I did.

Once my warm up walk was over, I set the treadmill at a steady 5.4 (no 6 mph this time!) and I took off. My mp3 player started playing Loud by Big & Rich and wow, was that an instant energy boost. I cleared my head, cranked up the volume and let myself run in time with the music. I became absorbed in what I was doing and didn’t even notice the first 3 or so minutes that went by. I repeated the song, since it was doing such a great job at keeping me focused and motivated. So much so that I listened to the song 4 times in a row, to round out my first mile in a little over 11 minutes. Holy shit. Who knew one song could be that much of a boost? It probably helped that I was choreographing a cha cha in my head while I was listening to it. I tend to do that with music that I hear...choreograph dance routines like I’m on Dancing with the Stars or something. Dorky? Yes. But, it’s effective.

I switched to a fast walk and walked less than a quarter mile before I ran again. I finished the final 3/4 without taking any breaks. Another quarter mile walk, and then the final 3/4. I did start to lose my stamina a bit in the last mile, and I had to break for 10-20 seconds here and there. But, the last 2 minutes, I kicked it up to 6.2 mph to make up some ground. I finished at 34:23. Mission accomplished.

I really can’t believe it’s been four months already. I clearly remember that day back in May when I started this crazy journey and how much I would have rather jammed a fork in my eye than run for 30 minutes. I remember how opposed to treadmills I was. Now, they’re more like that one family member everyone has. You’re not a fan of them, but you tolerate them because you have to. And eventually you decide they’re not all that bad. I remember all the nights I went to bed with pain in my shins and my knees. I remember talking to my sister about our victories and failures, and listening to her journey, so similar to mine. I remember the first time I ran for 5 minutes without needing a break and what a small victory that was. And then 10 minutes and then a full 20 (although that last one didn’t happen as often as I would have liked). I remember what it was like when my pants were starting to fit looser and I could salsa dance longer without getting winded. I remember what it felt like to hear my aunt had lost her battle with cancer. I remember why we're running this race. And why we went through this crazy journey.

I’m excited about Sunday, a little apprehensive as well. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m also looking forward to being finished with it! I can’t say if I’ll continue to run 3 times a week, but I don’t think I’ll give up running altogether. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a fan of the way it’s making my booty look. But I think I may take the next week or so off. Just to give my body a rest. :) We’ll see how it goes.

Wish us luck and the next time you hear from me, hopefully I will have killed this race. Watch out cancer, you’re going down! I’m about to open a can of whoopass on your....ass. Wait..... ;-)

And a big big thank you to my sister for giving me the motivation I know I never would have had, had I done this alone. And for taking the journey with me and keeping a record of it, even though I know she didn’t want to in the beginning. I love you and can’t wait to complete this journey with you.

Heather's Training - Week 16

Training Day #39 - September 7, 2010

Betsy joined me at the gym tonight. I needed the motivation to get my butt movin’. We weren’t planning on trying to pace each other, it was just nice to have a running buddy. I got there a few minutes before she did, so I was able to get my warm up walk and stretch done before she got there.

I hit 15 minutes at a good run before I took a break. I was wheezing pretty bad at that point. Damn seasonal allergies. I wasn’t quite at 1.5 miles, but I needed to walk it out for a bit. The remaining time was spent walking and running on and off, with a few pauses in the time to catch my breath.

Just like all my runs, it wasn’t pretty, but I got the job done. I finished in 34 minutes on the nose and I was very glad to be finished.

There’s a good possibility that I wouldn’t have ran the entire 5K if Betsy wasn’t there. I spent most of the last 20 minutes counting down the time one second at a time. But, I figured if she was still running, I could do the same. Turns out my running was what was keeping her going too. Hey, whatever gets it done!

Training Day #40 - September 11, 2010

This week has been so crazy. My assistant is out on emergency medial leave, and September marks the beginning of our busiest season at work. So, I’m doing two full-time jobs right now. Not. Fun. I tried to get to the gym more than once this week, but each time, I was so close to falling asleep that I knew it would be a crappy workout. I was in bed by 9:30 last night, I was so tired. Because of that, I woke up bright and early this morning, and decided to get a quick run in before my charity Bar Bounce started. (Basically, I’m paying money to a charity to get to do a bar crawl all afternoon. Hey, it’s for a good cause. ;-)

I didn’t have a lot of time, but wanted to get something in. I hit the gym at about 8am, still kind of in a sleepy fog and without eating any breakfast. Not the best of ideas, but it’s what I had to work with.

I ran for a mile before stopping and then walked a quarter mile, ran a quarter, walked a quarter and then ran the last quarter. I finished two miles in 22 minutes. Not bad on an empty stomach. That’s an 11-minute mile average. I’ll take it. By the time I stretched and got home, I had enough time to shower and get ready for the bar bounce. I wish I had more time to finish the third mile (who am I kidding, I really don’t!), but I did get something in. I also count the full day of yard work earlier in the week and a night of salsa dancing as two great workouts!

Holy crap, 8 days! :O

Stephanie's Training - Week 16

Training Day #49 - September 7, 2010

I don’t have any exciting words or funny gym stories to share………
Today was a “must” run to catch myself back up. I have been finding every excuse NOT to run. Yesterday was supposed to be my scheduled run, but with it being Labor Day and family things to do, I just didn’t make it to the gym.

I slept in this morning and after rousing myself out of bed, realized I had better get my butt to the rec center. My body was tight and sore from, my best guess…..not running for several days! Imagine that. :)

I started out with some stretching. I MUST get this body limber again before hopping on the treadmill. I opted to set the treadmill for 30 minutes. Reason: I’m finding it hard to have the time to squeeze in an almost hour of workout…….LOTS of things to do!
It wasn’t pretty, but at this stage of the game, I’m at least ON the treadmill! I walked for 10 minutes, ran for 10, walked for 5, ran for 5. I completed 2.04 miles in 30 minutes.

‘Ya know, I agree with my sister: I’m going to finish that race on Sept. 19th. One way or the other! But running IS NOT my new hobby!

Training Day #50 - September 9, 2010

I’m glad that the finish is in site! And those words I’ll repeat on Sunday, September 19th. :)

I worked out today during another of Charlee’s basketball practices. I haven’t been feeling well for about a week plus. Just a nagging “blah” feeling, of which, I’m tying to the stress my husband and school have been going through. I know it has transferred down to the girls and I. I don’t feel like eating much at one setting and even when I do eat it doesn’t taste great. I just feel like I have a “pit” sitting in the top of my stomach that won’t go away. It’s also not annoying enough that I’m concerned. I’m sure life will resume back to some sense of normalcy in the weeks to come.

I programmed the treadmill for 30 minutes again today. I started with a steady walk for about 5 minutes and then increased my speed to a jog. I jogged until the 16 minute mark; walked another couple of minutes and jogged until the 23 minute mark. That’s all I had in me…….I walked the rest of the time to reach my 30 minute mark.

I didn’t end up with time for a third run this week. Oh, well;-)

Stephanie's Training - Week 15

Training Day #46 - August 30, 2010

Another Monday has rolled around and I can’t quite believe that I’ve been training for 15 weeks. I’m beginning to wonder if I reached my plateau a couple of weeks ago, because I’m feeling “sick” of running. I find it difficult to find the time and the desire, but here I am, another day, another run.

My girls had friends over today so it was not possible to run this morning, so my wonderful husband gave me a ring towards the end of his workday and asked if I wanted to workout with him. That was the motivation I needed, so off I went to the rec center.

I hopped onto the treadmill next to the bike that Shawn was using. I plugged in the “5K Loop” and began with about a 6 minute warm-up walk. I proceeded to close to 17 minutes and talked myself into a “break”. From that point on I took several quick “breaks”; but, as usual, I finished in my average time.

Training Day #47 - September 1, 2010

For my entry today, I need to give a short background of what’s been going on at my husband’s/daughter’s school.

Our community passed a bond to have MAJOR renovations done to our existing K-8 building over the summer. My husband, being the superintendent, has been handling the “ins-and-outs” of a large construction project and this week was the culmination of several things: 1) project still not complete, 2) school is supposed to start in a week, and 3) staff returns. With the return of staff comes the combined efforts of all to move an entire middle school from our gymnasium (where ALL has been stored for the summer) back into classrooms. Sound like a workout!? You bet ‘ya!

I didn’t run today, but I sure wore a hole in the concrete down the halls of Sturgeon! I couldn’t even begin to guess how many steps/miles I walked today. Volunteers worked from 8am to 3pm and some beyond that.

That should fully constitute my workout today!

Training Day #48 - September 3, 2010

I feel like I should just “copy and paste” from Wednesday’s blog. Today was a slight repeat of my previous training day. I didn’t go in to help at school until after lunch; but, I stayed until at least 4 or after. Another hard day’s work of running a dolly or carrying a box or mopping a floor……….

Is it me or are my blogs getting shorter and shorter?? Must be ready to reach September 19th.

Note: Today is a somewhat “breezy” day and I’m a wuss when it comes to cooler weather. Well, I reached in the closet to pull out a pair of jeans…..I’m feeling pretty confident with this summer’s workout regiment that they should fit a little looser!

Seriously? No extra room! I still had to “wiggle” them up my hips! Now that is just NOT encouraging. :(

Heather's Training - Week 15

Training Day #37 - August 30, 2010

Who wants to either a) run alongside me with a cattle prod to keep me motivated or b) drive alongside me and pelt me with rocks if I slow down? Seriously, how can it be this bad now? I think I hit my plateau a few weeks ago and it’s been downhill ever since. Good grief. I really wish this race was here already so I can just get it over with. I keep trying to think of the reason that I’m doing this, but the other side of my brain keeps interrupting by saying “Screw running, it’s naptime!” I’ve been a bit stressed lately, so I haven’t really had the mental capacity to deal with running. I had hoped it would actually clear my head, but it’s the complete opposite. Running gives me lots of time to think and worry about all the stuff I have going on. So, I guess I’m just trying to finish running as quickly as possible so I can get stuff done.

Went for a run outside in the nice weather and I swapped back and forth between walking and running. Finished a little over 2.5 miles before the sun started to set. Not impressive at all. Blech.

I really need to kick things up a notch if I’m going to be ready for this race in 3 weeks. Again, does anyone want to run with me?! Please!

Training Day #38 - August 31, 2010

Found someone to run with me. My friend Chris volunteered, or rather, I volunteered him. He warned me he wouldn’t be able to keep pace with me, but I told him I didn’t care. I just needed the motivation. And it really seemed to help. Somewhat.

I decided to just go back to the basics and try run/walking again like I did in the beginning. It seems the only way to go right now and keep my sanity. So, we headed to Francis Park, which is close to my house. The great thing about this park is that the sidewalks aren’t full of tree roots and it’s roughly a mile all the way around. I think it’s a bit over, in fact.

We started out at a brisk walk and I was walking ahead of Chris the whole time. Really? He has longer legs than I do. This is starting to be a weird trend. We walked the first quarter and then started jogging. Chris quickly overtook me and off he went. See, this makes more sense. Longer legs=longer stride ( ;-) just kidding, sis!) He quickly took a break and I passed him up and made it to the end of that quarter. He was still behind, so I ran back to get him and then we walked to the end again. The next quarter was started with a run and we booked it all the way to the end, and then the last quarter was a half walk/half run. One mile in roughly 15 minutes. Hmmm, a bit slow but I’ll take it. The next mile was very similar, start the quarter with a walk and then finish with a run. Chris and I did’t really see each other until the end when I went back to get him.

I did a little over 2 miles in the 30 minutes. That’s better than I anticipated. I also got to practice hills. Glorious hills. I didn’t feel too bad when I was finished, and probably could have finished another lap, but I didn’t really have time to. It was getting close to dusk and Chris had to leave. I didn’t really want to stay by myself when it was getting dark even though there were tons of people around. I like to be on the safe side, not to mention the mosquito population comes out at this time. Plus, I’m swamped with crap to do, so it was off to home to shower, eat and buckle down on projects. Lovely.

I’ve decided not to beat myself up over the fact that I’ve regressed some. I will finish the race on the 19th. I know that I can. I may not finish in a time that I’m completely thrilled with, but I will finish. And I have to remember that that is the third most important thing. The first is that I’m raising money for a great cause. And the second is that I’m running in honor of all the people who’ve had or currently have breast cancer. Finishing in a record time is so much farther down the priority list.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to finish in under 35 minutes. We’ll see what happens!

Training Day #38 - September 4, 2010

Had a pretty good run today. I’m kinda shocked. I called my sister earlier to chat about a few things, but we ended up talking awhile about how we’re both kind of burnt out with running right now. I think maybe we should have started our training a month later than we did, so we wouldn’t feel this way now! We’re both pretty busy, with her family headed back to newly renovated school, and me dealing with my assistant out on emergency medical leave. So, the last thing either one of us want to do, is run.

I surprisingly woke up with an over abundance of energy today. Good thing too, I have a ton to do today on this gorgeous Labor Day weekend. After lunch, I opted to go to the gym rather than running outside. I know it’s a beautiful day, but I really needed the ego boost that running on the treadmill gives me. And for the most part, I didn’t disappoint myself.

I ran for 1.5 miles before taking a break, but even then, I was still feeling good. Not horribly winded and my body wasn’t yelling at me. I walked for a few minutes and then started running again. A few minutes later, and my body started yelling. Actually, it was just my knee. It was screaming in agony. This is the same knee that occasionally acts like someone is jabbing it with a hot poker. And today, it decided to be ornery. The last mile or so of my training was walk/run/walk/run every minute or so. That’s about how long I could run before it started hurting. At which point, I’d start walking. That was a bit disappointing.

I finished in 34:52, which considering the circumstances, is phenomenal. I probably could have shaved 2 or 3 minutes off of that had I been in tip top shape, but I’m very happy with that finish. I’m still kind of amazed at how much energy I had and that the only thing stopping me from running was my knee and not my lung capacity.

I think, even if the weather is nice, I may finish my training on the treadmill. I don’t know if that’s the best way to go, since I don’t have a lot of training running on concrete, but I like being able to know how long I’m running, and being sure I run the entire 3.12 miles. We’ll see how it goes.

Good gravy, only two weeks left!

If you want to donate, but haven’t had a chance to, be sure to log on to my site or my sister’s to donate. And make sure you contribute to us specifically. My aunt and uncle were incredibly generous to the cause, but they ended up donating to the overall fund, rather than to us individually. ;-)

Heather's Training - Week 14

Training Day #36 - August 23, 2010

Poopy day at work today, so I wasn’t really in the mood to run. I was, however, in the mood to go for a walk to clear my head. And it just so happened that the weather was gorgeous tonight, which allowed me a nice night for it. It’s starting to get darker earlier, so I had to head out soon after heading home. If I waited too long, the skeeters would be out to get me.

I tried resetting my pedometer, to get a better distance calculation, but I had to either set it for running or walking. Since I did a little of both, I figured the distance wouldn’t be correct. Oh well, I reset it anyways and hoped for the best.

I had a few close calls tonight, between the numerous sprinkler systems strategically placed in my path, to the near collisions with some motor vehicles popping out of the alleys. It’s amazing I actually made it home in one dry piece.

I forgot my watch, so I’m not sure how long I was actually out for, but I covered a span of nearly 2.5 miles. Or so my pedometer said. Probably can’t really trust it. But, I tried an alternate route than what I usually do around town, so there’s no telling how far it really was. Oh well, it was good to be outside to enjoy the fabulous weather.

I can’t believe the race is in less than a month. I’m really ready for it to be here. My friend Betsy made a good point when she said that on race day, my adrenaline will be pumping with the big crowd and I’ll be able to push myself farther than I’m able to when I run by myself. I believe she’s right, which is why I’m ready to get to race day, so I can stop having non-productive training sessions. lol

Side note: I wasn’t able to completely escape the mosquitos. Two of them had their way with me and left their mark on my legs. B*stards.


This week turned out to be crazy busy at the beginning of the week. I only had three days to get a ton of stuff done before my niece came to visit for her birthday weekend with me. Needless to say, I didn’t get a chance to work out again before she got here. I did, however, do a TON of walking while she was here. Between walking around the Arch grounds, the Zoo and the Botanical Garden, I’d say I was able to do my workouts. Just in a different manner.

Next week, it’s time to kick things back up and make it happen. Only 3 weeks til race day. Oh good Lord! :o

Stephanie's Training - Week 14

Training Day #43 - August 23, 2010

I feel like I’m becoming a broken record……

Another day, another run.

I’m not as motivated this Monday morning as some of my other Mondays. It follows a busy weekend and not a lot of rest.

Today was one of the last “hot” days for awhile, so Megan and I decided to try and beat the heat. We met fairly early, strapped on our music players and set off. We visited for quite a while…..I mean we hadn’t seen each other in a week. :)

We set off on a quick-paced walk through the bustling town of Sturgeon. Weather wasn’t too bad, a little sweat a brewin’……..

From what I gathered from Megan we walked about half our distance before we decided to kick it into jogging mode. Off we went……

I managed to muster enough to jog the rest of the distance back to the “start” line. Funny thing, though, I decided to take a bit of “advice” from my sister. She had read or heard that runners should drink ‘heavily’ (water, that is!) about a half hour before their run. It helps build their “endurance” and then you only need small sips throughout……

So a half hour before I went to town, I drank a hefty sized glass of water with my breakfast…something I usually don’t do. I also took a last minute restroom break on my way out the door…..you know, just to make sure.

Not even 15 minutes into our walk…….I have to PEE!! Great. How is one to walk, and then jog, with a full bladder! Well, there wasn’t exactly a great “restroom break” stop along the route, so I just held it…..and held it…..and held it.

By the time we reached the rec center, where we had begun, I bee-lined it to my van to get my key card and raced into the building to the restroom! Aahhhh!

Mental note: Drink as little as possible before the race. Really don’t need a potty break at The Heidelberg in the middle of my race!

Training Day #44 - August 25, 2010

What a beautiful morning! The temperature has dropped and what a morning to walk….I mean jog.

Met Megan again this morning, fairly early. This time, though, my joints….ALL of them from the hip down were ACHING!!! Not just a little bit…..a WHOLE LOT! Aging is not a great thing.

I thought that perhaps as we warmed up that the pain, as usual, would subside.

NOPE!

Not too long into our walk, Megan asked me if I felt like jogging……Ummmm, can I be honest and say “no way!” Well, I was honest. I didn’t feel like jogging. She didn’t either….sore knee and lots of site-seeing for her the next few days.

We decided we’d quicken our walk and go a little extra distance to get in a good work out this morning. It was a good work out….got my heart rate up. But, Oh….my…goodness. Where is the Advil! I think I need to invest in some Icy Hot!

So far, this is not a week I’d like to have in my blog at this stage of the game! But I guess when our bodies know they need a break, they sure have a way of telling us to “Slow down!”

Friday is a new day. We’ll see what happens.

Training Day #45 - August 27, 2010

I truly had resigned myself last night that there was just NO time today to squeeze in a workout. I mean, I’m planning a large get-together for my husband’s 40th birthday……I have yard to mow, errands to run, house to clean, cakes to bake, etc….etc….etc….

So when, oh when, will I find time to run…….

Inner voice. That inner voice…..it’s called “Guilt” today.

I was up at 7, out the door to Centralia by 8, and headed back to Sturgeon to pick up the steaks for tomorrow by 9. I knew I couldn’t pick up my steaks until around 9:30 so “Guilt” pipes up and lets me know…..”You’ve got time to run.” Huuhhhhh.
Yes, yes I do.

So off to the rec center I go. I knew then that I wouldn’t be able to run my full 3.1 and opted to run for 30 minutes and get whatever distance I could squuueeezzze into that 30 minutes.

At first I thought I’d just walk the whole time…..knees and ankles were still pretty achy. But after 6 minutes, I pushed the speed up to 4.8 and set into a jog. I was able to jog to the last 10 minutes, took a 3 minute walk break and then finished the rest out in a jog.

My final distance was 2.15.

Got my workout in……even amidst all the “stuff” to do!! :)

Heather's Training - Week 13

Training Day #34 - August 16, 2010

Wow, I can’t even describe what I’m feeling right now. Pretty much anger and disgust at myself. I don’t know what my deal is lately, but I can’t seem to find the energy to pick my nose, let alone run for 3 miles. So, pretty much, I don’t really want to talk about it. It wasn’t my worst time, but it wasn’t my best. I finished, barely. I mean seriously, I barely made it a mile before I thought I was going to die. Ridiculous. Better luck next time I guess. My sister and I are going to try to run together this weekend, so I’m hoping she’ll give me the motivation I’m needing.

Side note: Bought a pedometer. But, I clearly didn’t set my stride properly, b/c after the treadmill said 3.12 miles, my pedometer said 1.85 miles. Hmmm. I guess I shouldn’t have tried to run through the house to measure my stride. Clearly, that was an incorrect measurement.

Training Day #35 - August 21, 2010

Um, so yeah, crazy busy week this week. Not a single day available for a run, unless I wanted to go around 9:30 at night. I’m not really a fan of that. I intended to go last night when I got home from work, but I was rocking the beginnings of a migraine all day, so I was not a happy camper. (I have never experienced a migraine in my life, so this was a new experience for me. And one I was not fond of.)

Today I headed back to the homestead for a family reunion tomorrow. Steph and I agreed that we should try the race route once before the big day to see what we’re up against and decide if we’ll be able to run together. Neither one of us wants to slow the other down, but it would be nice to cross the finish line together.

I headed to Columbia in the late afternoon, arriving around 4. The sun was shining brightly, but there was a fairly decent breeze that kept it from being unbearable. Steph and I set out on the course and bam, right ahead, a giant hill. WTF. Lovely. We decided to warm up using the hill for a walk and at the top kicked in our run.

My sister had warned me about the Stephanie Shuffle, but I didn’t believe it to be true. She has a few inches on me and her nickname growing up was Legs for crying out loud. I figured she was over exaggerating and we’d keep up with each other nicely. About 35 steps later and she was no longer at my side. 35 after that and I couldn’t hear her behind me anymore. We ran until the next intersection to turn at, and I had to wait a few seconds before she caught up with me.

Nope. Not going to be able to run together. She runs just fine, she just doesn’t cover as much ground as I do. ;-) We continued with a walk, run, walk, run, walk run until the end of our route. And I have to say there is a bit more of an incline on some of the streets than I had hoped for. But, that’s part of the challenge, right? I guess I’ll just need to add some inclines to my treadmill runs in the next month (ha, that’s funny).

Despite our chatting and walk segments, we still finished in 40 minutes. Not bad. I think we’ll be just fine. I just need to get us some brightly colored hats or something so we’ll be able to pick each other out in the crowd.

Love you sis, and I think your Shuffle is cute. :)

Side note: We’re running on Mizzou’s campus and kids were back for school starting on Monday. Dear lord, when did these college kids get so young?! We passed dozens of kids out and about and I swear they looked 15. Good grief, I’m getting old!

Stephanie's Training - Week 13

Training Day #38 - August 16, 2010

Monday.

Tired.

Sore.

Nope. Don’t feel like running today.


Training Day #39 - August 17, 2010

I felt really guilty for not running yesterday, but I think my body needed a big-time break.

This morning the alarm rang at 7am (we’re trying to get back in the groove for school---we’ll work up to 6am later). I knew it was going to be a nice morning. I truly believe the weather forecaster!! :) I gathered my running clothes and quickly got ready. I wanted to be back before Shawn had to leave for work.

I already knew I was taking a right out of my driveway this morning and taking a straight shot to the highway….about 7/10 of a mile. The trek to the highway has some nice inclines, so I decided to walk to the highway to warm up. When I reached the highway, I turned myself around and started my jog back to the house.

The gravel was much nicer to me than my last outdoor/country run. The morning was beautiful. I was able to jog back to the house and quickly got a shot of H²O from the water bottle I left at the end of the driveway. I about drowned myself….the water shot out a little too fast and went up my nose. Not so great when you’re puffing for air and suck water down your lungs! Geez.

I quickly turned around and headed back to the highway, walking, of course. And, again, at the end, I turned around and headed home, jogging. All in all, it was approx. the distance I needed to get in and with the weather so nice, it was a good jog.

I’m looking forward to my run on Thursday. We’ll be camping at Mark Twain area and it should be a beautiful run.

Training Day #40 - August 19, 2010

Mark Twain Lake. Ray Behrens area is where we arrived this morning. We got our camper set up and quickly meandered our way to my in-law’s camper. (They're camp hosts.) We visited for a bit and then headed out on the boat for some relaxing time and some tubing………..

Um, did I forget something! Oh, yeah, I was supposed to run today……….oops! Let’s look towards morning for that…….

Training Day #41 - August 20, 2010

Again. Felt guilty for skipping my run yesterday. But, it was too long of a day…….

Anyways, I had a cruddy nights sleep in the camper….always do the first night. I was up early to pee, of course, and decided I couldn’t hold it any longer. While I was up, I decided to throw on my running clothes and get this over with.

The morning was gorgeous! Shawn and I had done a quick trip estimate in the van the night before to decide the route. I strapped on my MP3 player and grabbed my water bottle and off I went.

I walked a short distance to warm up and then began the Stephanie Shuffle. I jogged along the campground site for approx. a half mile and found my way out to the campground entrance. I then set my sights for the almost mile to the check-in station (up where my in-laws were). It was a scenic view and enjoyable jog.

I turned around at the main entrance and then set out back to the campground.

I wasn’t looking forward to the run BACK……..I was going to have to run UP two hills……they weren’t so intimidating on the run DOWN them. I trudged along and found my way to the top of the first hill. (I had the Rambo theme playing in my head!)

Then came the second hill.

No Rambo theme.

I walked it.

Got to the top and turned into the campground to head towards “home”.

Not quite 2.5 miles.

Now time to hit the boat and enjoy some more R&R!!

Training Day #42 - August 21, 2010

Dragging total butt today…..again.

Another crappy night’s sleep in the camper. Going to have to muster up some energy today. :)

Today’s run is in Columbia. The race route. My sister and I arranged earlier in the week to get together so she could “see” the race route and get a feel for it. She is also in town for our family reunion. :)

We met this afternoon, just as the clouds cleared out and the sun….hot, so hot….was shining down.

We haven’t had the opportunity to run together in any of our training thus far, so this was going to be great to see how we kept up with each other.

We started out with a walk to warm up and to get to our “first” turn through campus. We then kicked it in……

There it was. The Stephanie Shuffle. I’m a little taller than my sis and should have length in my favor.

Nope.

I believe I surprised her with my itty bitty stride. :)

We cruised along and I really heaved today. I was tired and it was HOT! I purposely left my water bottle (a first for me) and really regretted doing so! But, really, where was I going to put it? I soooo needed some refreshment more times than I can count. Sad part….I was relying on a measly piece of chewing gum to create spit to keep myself hydrated. I soon realized I couldn’t even make spit and soon launched my gum out (on accident…good thing no one was in front of me!)

We split our time by walking/jogging and still we made it back to the car in approx. 40 minutes. Sweet. I’m still sticking to my average.

I enjoyed running with my sister and getting a feel for our “Day of Glory”. We’ll both finish that race………maybe not together……or maybe we will. :)

LOVE YOU, HEATHER!!

Stephanie's Training - Week 12

Training Day #35 - August 9, 2010

Today is actually Thursday and I’m trying to think back to my Monday and Wednesday runs….the week has kind of ran together AND I’ve procrastinated in doing my blog!

Monday was my 35th training day. I can’t quite believe it. I’ve got to look back though and be really proud at how far I’ve come and those “running” with me. I was really hit tonight with what a TRUE journey this has been. Dedicating my body and my time to such a great cause does my heart good. We never know what life has before us or our loved ones. We can live life without hope and without faith and be bitter when life deals us a blow OR we can live life FULL of hope and with a SOLID faith in our CREATOR and turn to Him when life deals us an unwanted event. So many women are struck with breast cancer each year….a number I can’t truly fathom. My dedication, my sweat, my tears, my pain is only a small sacrifice for the thousands of women who have passed on, are dealing currently, or are proud survivors of such a vicious disease. Let me honor you!!!

Now with a tear in my eye, let me tell you of my success on Monday. It began as most of my training days have: weights and then onto the treadmill. I’m becoming rather bored of weights, but I know I need to keep up with them to help tone my muscles. But it’s hard to stay focused and do them for more than 10-15 minutes.

After the doldrums, Megan and I hopped onto the treadmills, entered “5K Loop”, and off we went. I warmed up with a walk for the first 4 minutes and then knew my next 5-10 minutes of jogging would be my usual struggle to find my groove.

I didn’t disappoint myself…….the next 16 minutes were a struggle. It takes some focus to find that groove, but I found it and wasn’t feeling too bad. It’s definitely getting easier to stay in the groove.

As I was reaching the 20 minute mark, I was having a two-sided conversation in my head: “You should keep running, don’t stop!” and “You should stop, you need a breather!”

Well, the first voice won. I’m noticing that it’s harder to get back into my groove if I stop for a short bit than to just push through the pain and lack of oxygen to gain my “second” wind. So I kept running…………

And kept running……

And kept running……..

Did I mention I was still running! :)

Now during all this running, my two voices were SCREAMING and arguing with each other (LOL!!)

39:22 That was my finish time…..AND I RAN THE WHOLE TIME!!!! WOO-HOO!!
What an awesome feeling!

Training Day #36 - August 11, 2010

Megan and I were joined today by 3 other members of our running “team”. Today we went to Columbia to check out the race route.

We all hooked up in the Hearnes Center parking lot, which we assume will be the general area of the “Start/Finish” line on September 19th.

The race route will take participants on a journey up and around the University of Missouri.

With great company in tow, we all set our pace. Walking was the pace today. We wanted to get a feel for the terrain. The “faster” gals set out about 2 blocks ahead of us “slower” gals, but all-in-all we finished just over an hour. It was a good thing, too……storm clouds were CLOSE and looming!!! We made it back just in time. :)

The route will be challenging (to me at least!). There are a few “hills”!

Training Day #37 - August 13, 2010

Tired today. Achin’ muscles today.

It was another humid morning so inside is where Megan and I trained today. Both of us were dragging today. I didn’t want to set my hopes too high today….Monday was long gone and I wasn’t sure I had it in me to run the whole time.

I was sore from the hips down. My knees were really talking to me and my ankles today were rather sore. I’ve come to accept the daily pains in my legs, but today…..not so much!

And because of my less than thrilling attitude, today’s blog entry will be short… and to the point.

Hopped on the treadmill, set out on a nice walking pace for the first 5 minutes, then kicked it in. I ran to the 20 minute mark and just had to take a break. Well, that “just had to” attitude bit me in the rear about 12 minutes later when I needed, yet again, a break.

I knew I should have just kept running and screamed my way on through the pain and oxygen loss.

I also decided I like Megan’s IPhone app that says the treadmill’s distance for a 5K is actually finished at approximately 2.9 miles.

I kicked in the last minutes in a jog and went to 3.0 and called it “quits”!

That’s it.

Not proud……..

Now where’s the Advil!

Heather's Training - Week 12

Training Day #31 - August 9, 2010

Walked to the gym tonight. I’m surprised my shoes didn’t melt into the asphalt. I really wasn’t in the mood to run, but I’m never in the mood to run, so that’s not at all surprising. I had some errands to run after work, so I didn’t get to the gym until close to 7:30. It took a lot of willpower to even get up and go. I thought the gym would be fairly empty this late in the evening, but turns out it was busier than I thought.

There was only one treadmill that I saw open and a girl had just left it to get on the elliptical. When I walked up to it, none of the lights on the screens were on, nor was the TV, so I assumed it was broken. I absentmindedly pressed a button and when nothing happened, I hopped off to wait my turn for a free t-mill (hmmm...t-mill...that sounds dumb, I won’t use that again). Two seconds later a guy walks up behind me and asks if I’m going to use that treadmill and I said no, that it doesn’t work. He presses a button and it starts right up. Wow, I felt like a jackass, and that’s exactly what I told him. He kind of looked at me like I was an idiot, then walked away, so that made me feel extra special. Turns out I had hit the “Stop” button before, which naturally meant nothing was going to start blinking. Sometimes I wonder about myself.

The run was nothing special. It was a bit of a lung struggle due to the humidity in the air, so I was sucking wind big time. I finished 2.75 miles in 30 minutes, and the 5K in 33:30. The last 4 minutes I was up to 6.5 on the treadmill to try to beat my time, but I realized that was a really stupid idea. My face looked like a beet when I was finished. I was kind of all over the place with my run speeds from a 5.4 to 5.7 then 5.5 then 5.9 then 6.0. I just need to find a pace that works best and stick to it the whole time.

Random spotting at the gym: Beefy No Neck. This guy was seriously nothing but muscle. His arms wouldn’t lower completely and there was nothing to define his neck from his head. Good grief buddy, it’s okay if you miss a day at the gym, or 50. Get a hobby.

Training Day #32 - August 11, 2010

33:07. Best time yet. I planned on running a full 2 miles before I took any breaks, and I did that in a little over 21 minutes. Sometimes it amazes me that I can actually do that. I’m honestly not sure how I accomplished it today, seeing as how it was triple digits outside and only about 4 degrees cooler than that at the gym. I don’t know why they don’t turn the A/C up. It’s not like people are standing around or sitting to get cold. And if they are, well they clearly shouldn’t be at the gym.

I took a couple breaks in the last 12 or so minutes, but all in all, it was a pretty good run. I did 2.8 miles in 30 minutes, which is a record for me. I even ran at 6.0 for a song and a half at the end. Go me.

Side note: Had on a red tank top tonight. You couldn’t tell the difference between it and the shade of my face/neck/arms after my run. Awesome.

Training Day #33 - August 14, 2010

It’s not a bad day out this morning, but I still decided to go to the gym instead of running outside. The clouds can be deceiving of the fireball behind them. I did walk to the gym and was amazed at how semi-pleasant it was.

I got really bored today. And bored very quickly. At 1.5 miles (15-1/2 minutes), I was antsy and really wanted to do something else. So, I hopped off the treadmill and ran over to the machines. I did some calf raises, some lat pull-downs, tricep push-backs, you know, the usual. Then, I headed back to the treadmill for the final mile and a half. I have no idea what made me split the time up. It’s not like they’re going to give us a time out during the race to work on our quads. But, I just needed something to break up all the running today. Wow, has it really come to the point where a 5K BORES me?! Good grief, this is weird, unfamiliar territory.

It was probably around 33 minutes total for the entire run. I didn’t pay too much attention to the exact times. I did buy a cheap pedometer at Target though, to better calculate my outdoor run times. I haven’t taken it out of the packaging yet. I guess it could be a good gauge to see if the treadmill is correct with its distance as well. I was running at a good 6.0 speed for a lot of my runs, so that’s pretty wild.

I just had a thought. Wouldn’t that be bad if the treadmills were off and I wasn’t actually running a full 5K all of these times? Shit. I don’t really want to think about that.

Stephanie's Training - Week 11

Training Day #32 - August 2, 2010

We’re at Tan-Tar-A Resort down at Osage Beach for a couple of days. My husband has his annual Superintendent’s Conference and the girls and I usually tag along for some much needed “away” time.

I’m headed down to the resort’s gym to do my daily run. In all the years we have been coming down here, I’ve never set foot in this place to actually exercise. It’s usually been just a “walk through” to the indoor pool. :)

Anyways, I had the girls and knew they would grow bored quickly, so I had them each bring a book to read. I parked them in a couple of benches near the closest treadmill.
Now these treadmills were state of the art….they had bells and whistles all over them….I like these!

I have to admit I was pretty hesitant today….especially after last Friday’s run. I wasn’t sure if I should just take off and jog until I needed a break or set intervals to walk/run. I decided I’d take the latter. I wanted to survive to run another day, so let’s take things slow and do some intervals.

These treadmills had the “5K loop” option. I started off with a good 5 minute warm-up walk and then took my speed up to 4.8 and jogged for 10 minutes. That was my interval today…..walk 5/jog 10.

That was a good interval and I felt really good today. No weird sensations or dizziness. I completed the 3.1 miles in approx. 41:34 minutes, which is about a minute over last Wednesday’s run. Not too bad. I can handle that. :)

And, can I take one of these machines home with me…….. :)

Training Day #33 - August 4, 2010

We returned home from the Lake yesterday, so it’s back to the rec center I go. I guess I’m going to have to settle for the “plain jane” treadmills. :)

I realized when I got to the rec center that I forgot my MP3 player. I had unpacked it and set it on the counter. Well…..just going to have to find an interesting show to watch, I guess.

I spent about 15 minutes on the weights and then headed to the treadmill. I turned on the TV and found the “Bonnie Hunt Show”. And on after that was “The Price Is Right”. I really don’t know what it is about that show…….maybe since I haven’t seen it in ages…….maybe that is what makes it soooo interesting..

I plugged in the “5K Loop” program and off I went. I warmed up with a 5 minute walk and then set the speed at 5.0 and took off on my jog. I ran for 10 minutes, needed a break, and walked for 2 minutes before jogging again. I ran another 10 minutes and this time took a 3 minute walk break. At this point, I’m getting close to the “down hill slide” and kick up the speed to 5.0 to jog. I got to about 2/10ths of my distance left and kicked up my speed to 5.5.

THAT TOOK EVERY OUNCE OF FOCUS!! AND MUSTERING ENOUGH OXYGEN TO FINISH!

I hit the 3.12 miles and my time………a new goal….40:12! Ten seconds faster!

OK…..time….to……recover……..whew!!!!!!!!!!

Training Day #34 - August 6, 2010

Nervous? Anxious? Not sure what the pit in my stomach represents, but I know it makes me a little nervous to know I’m running with Megan outside today. I’m not nervous about Megan (chuckle)….I’m nervous about the outdoors part. ;) I get a little anxious at the challenge.

I met Megan at her apartment. We stretched and off we went. We decided to set a good walking pace for the first mile or so and then we kicked it in. I let Megan know that if she needed to run on ahead, I’d catch up……..at some point. I wasn’t sure how far I’d be behind her but I didn’t want to stifle her run.

I was gasping at first. Really trying not to hyperventilate. I kept breathing in-and-out so quickly, that I had to focus hard on controlling and taking deep in-and-out breaths.

I also had carried along a water bottle. I knew it would be cumbersome, but that I also wouldn’t be able to make it without it. I switched it from one hand to the other and realized that was jacking with my rhythm. I had pockets today and slid that down into my pocket. Good thing the ‘ol shorts had drawstrings!! It was cumbersome in the pockets, but I could deal………

I didn’t have a way to keep track of distance or minutes between my running and walking intervals. I just ran til I needed to quit and took a short walking break, then was back at it.

It was a nice morning which really helped. The breeze was great to keep somewhat cool.

The last leg of the run was a few blocks away and I was doing pretty well. Megan was about 3 blocks ahead of me. As I rolled to the “finish line”, I was proud of my run today. Not fully where I want to be, but great for the first attempt outdoors.

Megan uses her IPhone and the cool app that goes with it to keep track of her efforts and according to her, we ran in 39:?? (I don’t remember the seconds, but I sure remember the minutes!) I would say that I can consistently run the 5K in approx. 40 minutes. That’s encouraging to me. :)

Let’s see what next week brings!!

Heather's Training - Week 11

Training Day #28 - August 2, 2010

One word: redemption. I figured going into tonight’s run, anything had to be better than the crap I did last week. Fortunately, I did do much better and was back up to where I was the week before.

Since it’s hot enough to bake a cake in my car, I headed to the gym and hopped right onto my favorite treadmill. I decided to do a full 5-minute warmup before I started my run, because, to be honest, I was terrified of how I would do. Last week’s disaster was still fresh in my mind and I wanted to prepare myself.

After the 5 minutes were up, I set the treadmill for a run, covered the screen and away I went. I was determined to finish at least four songs before I stopped, took a break or looked at the screen. I didn’t accomplish the last one, I looked after song 3, but I didn’t stop running! I miraculously ran for 18 WHOLE MINUTES before my legs ever got a break. Hot. Damn. During the second song, I really wanted to stop, but I forced my brain into not being a wimp and pressed right on through. At minute 18, I really needed a water break and a quick breather. I wasn’t doing too bad at this point, but figured I should give myself a hot second to recover. Then, I was back at a run until minute 24 when I decided to walk it out for a few minutes. Minute 26 until the end wasn’t pretty, but I finished.

It’s weird how after the first 5 or 6 minutes, I got into a groove and didn’t feel too bad. The moment I took that first break, the rest of the run was run/break/run/break/run/walk/run/break. I just couldn’t get my stride back, and after each quick break or walk, my muscles would get tight and then running was that much more difficult. I think once I can build up the stamina to run the entire thing, I’ll be much better off. I need to stop stopping (that’s an awesome phrase).

In 30 minutes, I completed 2.71 miles, with the full 5K in 33:58. I was determined to finish under 34 minutes, so the final 15 seconds or so were at a massive run to get it all in. Success. Not my best time so far, but it comes in a close second, so I am perfectly happy with that. And like I said, wayyyy better than last week.

Side note to the guy next to me: please recognize the fact that you’ve decided to run random increments at 11 or 12 mph. No one else is making you run that fast. There is no need to smack the treadmill or drop 85 F-bombs. You did this to yourself jackwad. Now shut the hell up.

Second side note: While I thought it was a good idea to eat some Honey Nut Cheerios before I hit the gym (a little carb-loading), the nutty burps I was straining to hold in the entire time were not pleasant at all.

Training Day #29 - August 4, 2010

Sweet sassy molassey, it’s hot. When I walked into the gym tonight, the air was heavy with humidity and sweat. Blech. I knew immediately it was going to be an unpleasant run. I’m glad I’m training this time of year for this though, rather than in January and February. Lots of people stay away from the gym in the summers due to busier schedules and lots more activities outside. Which is great for me, because I don’t have to fight for a treadmill.

I started with my 5-minute warm up since I drove to the gym instead of walked. Hey, it was 99 degrees out. I’m not at all ashamed about cranking the A/C in the 5 minutes it took me to drive it. After that I plugged 5.5 into the run speed and away I went. It was a bit more difficult to get going than it was on Monday. I think it had a lot to do with the heaviness in the air. Even though the air was on, the gym was still a sweltering sweatbox (say that 5 times fast). I just felt like I couldn’t get complete full breaths. I eventually worked out some kind of rhythm, but I couldn’t keep from staring at the screen and time ticking oh-so-slowly by. I tried covering it with my towel, but about every minute and a half, I had to remove the towel to wipe down. Maybe I need to start bringing another towel with me. Or maybe they need to invent the shower treadmill that sprays you with cold water as you run. I imagine that could be a bit of a death trap though.

I was determined to finish 20 minutes without a break and that proved to be harder than I thought. I thought my lungs were going to collapse, followed immediately by my knees and my ankles. But, somehow, I kept going, despite the ragged gasps of air. I needed to prove something to myself, and that was that I can do this. I’m strong enough to make it. And I did. As soon as that clock struck 20:00 though, I hopped off for a quick drink and tried to get my breath in check. After about 15 seconds and half of my water bottle gone, I was back on and switched to a fast walk for another minute or so. The last 10-12 minutes were run/break/run/break, etc, with only one more minute of a full walk.

I managed 2.78 miles in 30 minutes with 3.1 miles in 33:10. YES! After reading my sister’s blog and seeing that her treadmill considers a 5K 3.12 miles, I ran that little bit extra and finished in 33:20. The last minute and a half, I had the speed up to a 6.7 and I was bookin’ it. It took all of my concentration to focus what little energy I had left into not tripping. I have never been happier than I was when I pressed that cool down button. Good Lord, I was dripping sweat everywhere. I’m surprised I didn’t slip on it after the bucketful that fell onto the belt.

Side note: I’m not a fan of triple-digit Midwestern summer days.

Second side note: I’m glad we’re running this race mid-September. Although in Missouri, that could still mean it could either be snowing or 95 degrees out. Let’s hope for somewhere in the middle.

Training Day #30 - August 7, 2010

Running outside stinks. Can’t they just get hundreds of treadmills that we could run on for the race? That’s totally reasonable, right?!

Considering the heat we had earlier this week and will have next week, this morning was gorgeous. Low to mid-70’s when I headed out, which was great. Until I started running. By the time I finished, it was hitting the low-80’s. :( I set off through the neighborhood today, rather than heading to the park like last week. I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with the hills this morning. Running through the neighborhood is nice, except for the sidewalks. I have to concentrate so much on not tripping on anything and paying attention to sprinklers so I don’t get doused (although that actually feels good on a hot day!) I could have run on the street, but St. Louis City drivers sometimes leave something to be desired. And I wasn’t looking to get run over today.

I did a quick warm up walk to the corner and then away I went. I’m pretty sure of the route now, as far as distances go, so I was able to run over a mile before I got winded and needed a break. And I was right on track with a 10-11 minute mile that I’ve been doing on the treadmill. That made me feel really great. The remaining two miles weren’t as pretty, and I needed a few more walk breaks than I’d like to admit, but they weren’t terrible.

There’s a two-mile route that I run that goes from my house around the neighborhood and back around to my house. I didn’t take any water with me b/c I hate carrying a water bottle when I run, so after the 2 miles, I stopped in to the house and chugged some agua. Then, I was back at it again.

I also know the half mile mark from my house, so I ran that, turned around and came back home for the last leg. All in all, I finished in a little over 35 minutes. Considering the amount of times I stopped to walk, I’m happy with that number. I really thought it would take me longer outside. I'm reasonably certain that I completed the entire 3.1 miles, but I'm seriously thinking about getting a pedometer to be sure. I can't trust my car's odometer completely.

I’m pooped now. In the half hour I was outside, the temp rose considerably and I drank about a gallon of water when I got back to the house to hydrate.

Side note: I’m thinking maybe dodging cars to run in the street might be better than dodging cracks and tree roots on the sidewalks. Either way, it’s an obstacle course running near my house.

Second side note: SIX WEEKS LEFT!!!

Heather's Training - Week 10

Training Day #25 - July 26, 2010

Worthless run tonight. Absolutely worthless. I’m bloody exhausted and probably shouldn’t have gone to the gym at all, but part of this process is pushing me to not skip out on these workouts. Screw that, I should have just gone to bed like I wanted to. I only ran a mile and a half tonight. I was so tired I didn’t feel like I could even pick my feet up for one more step. So, I just quit, stretched, headed home for a shower and I’ll be off to bed shortly. At least I ran something.

Side note: I just read that back to where I said “I only ran a mile and a half” and I had a brief flashback to high school when I couldn’t even run a quarter or half mile without wimping out and stopping. A lot has changed since then...

Training Day #26 - July 28, 2010

I think I should just scratch this week. I’m still tired and so not in the mood to run. I walked to the gym and immediately started my run. I ran for a little over a mile before I hopped off to take a breather and then switched to a walk. At around minute 14 or 15, my friend stopped me to chat. I paused the treadmill to talk and it only pauses for 60 seconds. I’ve never let the pause minute tick down all the way, so I didn’t know what to expect. I figured the treadmill would just start up again. Nope. It completely cleared out everything I had just done. Dammit.

After my chat, I hopped back on for another mile and barely finished. I just called it quits after that. I was kind of in a foul mood at this point due to my exhaustion and lack of running skill. So, I have no idea what my final time or distance was. But, really, at this point, I didn’t care.

Good grief, I had such a great week last week. Poop.

Training Day #27 - July 31, 2010

Ran outside today. Wasn’t as bad as I thought. Although I think it might have been better on any day other than this week. It rained last night, so it was kind of cool this morning. At least cool for the end of July in the Midwest. It was still muggy though, so I definitely had some sweatin’ goin’ on. But at least there was a nice breeze and it wasn’t 95 degrees out.

There is a park very close to my house that equals a little over a mile all the way around. I figured I would bust out 3 laps and see how long it took me. My body had other ideas.

The first lap wasn’t bad. I made it around in about 12 minutes, including 2 or 3 minutes of walking for the giant hill (I wasn’t in the mood to try to run up that thing). I stopped at my car for a quick water break and to towel off. Shortly after I started my second lap is when the trouble began. I went salsa dancing a few nights ago and I think I pulled/twisted something on my left leg. My calf, shin and ankle started giving me problems with every step I ran. I tried stopping to stretch it out and then walked for a bit which loosened it up some. I tried running again and it flared up once more. I said eff it and just finished the second lap with a walk.

30 minutes had gone by at the this point, so I was tempted to stop, but I wanted to at least finish the 3 miles, even if it was just walking. So, I pushed through and walked the last lap the entire way. I wasn’t happy with my outcome today, but I didn’t want to force anything either and hurt myself even more. Can I get a do over for this week?

Hopefully next week will be a fresh start and back up to where I was last week. Here’s hoping. Only 7 weeks remain. :S

Stephanie's Training - Week 10

Training Day #29 - July 26, 2010

Running outside…….in the country…….on the gravel……sounds OK, right?

Well, let’s weigh the pros and cons of today’s walk/jog:

PROS:
1. Early to rise means a decent morning…..somewhat cool..ER, less humid.
2. Bonding with nature. Getting to enjoy the sounds and smells of the country.
3. Time to reflect on my inner self.
4. Change of scenery.
5. Challenging my physical endurance.

CONS:
1. Early to rise doesn’t mean it is necessarily less humid or cooler! My shirt was soaked by the time I returned to the house.
2. Bonding with nature. Oh….my….heavens! What is that awful smell? I quickly found out a poor raccoon (I think that was a raccoon!) didn’t survive a nightly jaunt across the road. Talk about trying to breathe through your mouth! Blaahhhhh! :(
3. Flies. Flies. And more flies! Not only did the “house” flies decide I was a target in their sights, but the horse flies decided I was to be a tasty morning treat. Thank goodness none got a bite!
4. GRAVEL. Enough said! At least on the route I took this morning. Note to self: Take a right out of the driveway next time.
5. My physical endurance wasn’t much today. I had a hip not wanting to wake up and a side cramping. Is it just that it’s Monday or is that an indicator of getting old!

2.6 miles in 40 minutes. Not too great. I’m going to chalk it up to being Monday!

Training Day #30 - July 28, 2010

With three girls in tow, I headed to the rec center to meet Megan today. My niece is in town spending some time with us and knew the three little ones could keep busy shooting baskets and watching TV in the lounge while I used the treadmill.

We did our usual weight training and after, we set forth to the illustrious treadmills to program in my first full 5K.

The treadmills have a program setting for a “5K Loop”. We decided we’d run/walk what each of us could until we completed the 3.1 miles. Talk about setting your psyche up for a challenge!
We turned on the good ‘ol “Price is Right” and strapped on our music players and off we went.

I’m noticing my first minutes of jogging are a struggle, but the positive part is knowing I settle into a good groove thereafter. After about 10 minutes, my body AND my lungs found their niche and I was feeling good! I set the speed at 5.0 which is a little faster than my Stephanie Shuffle on the streets.

I jogged real smooth to about the 15 minute mark and took a quick 2 minute walk and then was back at it. I did my best to not watch the computer screen.

I was feeling really good!

I did notice about 2/3 of the way through; fatigue was knocking on my door. I had to slow my speed down to 4.8 to sweat through the last mile to the finish.

And there it was……..the finish! 3.12 miles (that’s what the machine declares as a 5K) in 40:22 minutes with only a total of 9 minutes of walking….the rest was jogging, Baby!

What an accomplishment…..for ME!!

Training Day #31 - July 30, 2010

My intentions were super today. My children and niece (who had been visiting for the past couple of days) were picked up early by my parents. They were whisked away for a fun-filled day with Grandma and Grandpa at their work, then off to spend the night and have some quality time with their grandparents. Great! That worked in my favor, because I knew I could start my workout pretty early to beat the heat.

I had to run to the neighboring town of Centralia to go run errands at the pharmacy. I already had decided I would “map” out a route approx. 3 miles to run in town. Well, this morning turned out great as far as the weather goes. I loaded up all the kids, kissed them good-bye and soon set out for Centralia. All was going well.

I took care of my errands at the pharmacy and asked the clerk if the school track was open to the public. She nodded to a local patron behind me and they both agreed that “yes” it is open for public use. Great! I could track my distance better than running around town. So I headed down the road to the High School with hopes of circling the track numerous times. I was a little concerned that the redundancy would get to me, though. Is a 1600m a ½ mile or a mile? My thoughts, were that I’d be running around that track about 24 times. :(

As I approached the parking lot, my gaze shifted to the clouds rolling in from the west. I had heard the weather forecast for today and the chance of “pop up, severe storms” was a good possibility. Are you kidding me?! Again!!!!!!!

I got out of the van, stared at the clouds and decided it was not worth it. So I hopped back in my van and drove back to Sturgeon, headed towards the rec center. I was glad of my decision because in the 10 minute drive it started to sprinkle and was a steady rain when I reached the rec center. (And by the time I was done with my workout, it was flat pouring!!!)

I skipped weights today, since I knew my run would take approx. 40 minutes. I had things to do at home. I plugged the “5K Loop” program into the treadmill and set forth. It was a really rough start, but I knew from Wednesday’s run, I would be OK after a set amount of minutes. But, MAN, my knees ached and my breath was pretty catchy.

I warmed up with about a 2 minute walk and then increased my speed to the 5.0 I’ve been used to. I listened to my MP3 player with its one-working ear piece (what’s up with that!) and tried to settle into my pace. It took about 10 minutes to find my groove. I settled in and was feeling pretty good. I took a couple “one-minute” walk breaks after about the 16 minute mark. Not bad! At 26 minutes, IT hit! I started to get blurry eyed, and light-headed. Ummmm….what is going on? I slowed down to a brisk walk hoping to catch my breath and set things right, so I could keep going. Then at 28 minutes I was feeling worse for wear and quickly slowed my pace to 3.2. I was thinking that all I needed was to steady my breathing and slow things down.

Nope!

I quickly lowered my speed to 2.5 and was at the 30 minute mark when I decided I had no idea what was going on but if I kept pushing myself something terrible might happen. I decreased speed to “cool down” and pressed the “stop” button at 31:22. I had gone 2.2 miles and really needed to sit down!

It took me a few minutes to get over the “motion” of still moving and catch my breath. I quickly recovered to normal and left the gym miffed!

Heather's Training - Week 9

Training Day #22 - July 19, 2010


Lots of cute boys at the gym tonight. Lots of cute boys to distract me. Unfortunately, they couldn’t quite distract me enough to get my mind off of running. I’ve decided to start doing the full 3.1 miles from now on in whatever time it takes me. I shouldn’t have any problems keeping that under 36 minutes at my current pace, so I don’t see a reason not to strive for it each time now. I need to run that much anyways, so I might as well get used to it now. I’m sure I will eat these words though.

I only did a 2-minute warm up to start and then punched my 36 minutes in and away I went. I was kind of random tonight in my intervals. I started with 2-min walk/4-min run, then 1-min walk/5-min run, and then from there it was all over the place from anywhere between 1-2 minute walk and then run for as long as I could. I hopped off the treadmill a few times to catch my breath rather than switching to a walk. I’m not sure that’s the best approach because I should be trying to build up my lung capacity, but I really don’t give a rat’s behind.

I did have a bit of motivation when a cutie patootie hopped on the machine next to me. I had just started a run segment and thought he might motivate me not to stop. That idea didn’t last long. I realized when he was bumping his speeds up to 9.5 for a minute at a time that I really wasn’t going to be impressing this guy with my measly 5.6 pace, red face and raspy breath. Oh well. It was worth a shot.

In 30 minutes, I finished 2.67 miles and completed the 3.1 miles in 34:45 minutes. Another day, another run down.

Side note: The guy at the treadmill next to me when I first got to the gym was wearing big dark J-Lo type sunglasses and a thick sweatband. He looked like a 70s porn star. Awesome.

Training Day #23 - July 21, 2010

Thanks to my sister for her inspiration today. She texted me after her run today and I was incredibly proud of her dedication and results. I decided to kick things up a notch myself and see if I could keep up with her. :)

I headed to yoga first, which is always a nice de-stresser and then hit the treadmill. I started with a 5-minute warmup and then set the timer to 36 minutes. I didn’t even start with a walk. I just punched 5.4 into the speed and off I went. I was incredibly surprised with myself. I ran for 10.5 minutes without even really realizing it. This could be contributed to the fact that my towel was covering the monitor. I realized I needed a drink and was curious as to how much time had gone by. I was expecting 6-8 minutes, so I was pleasantly surprised at that number. I hopped off for a few quick seconds to grab a drink and towel off. I have found that trying to do these things while at a full run is not recommended.

I ran for another 7 or so minutes and needed a break, so I slowed down the speed to a brisk walk and pounded that out for 2 minutes. Then, I was back at the run and finished with 2.71 miles in 30 minutes. I probably could have finished a bit more if I upped the speed, but I didn’t want to pass out. I walked two more minutes and then ran to finish the 5K in 34:31, beating my time from Monday. Score.

I owe you one sis!

Side note: Mini Almond Joys are a fabulous after-run snack!

Training Day #24 - July 24, 2010

It is effing hot outside. Good grief. I need to start running outside, but I didn’t make it up early enough to miss the fireball blazing in the sky. So back to the gym I go. Saturdays at the gym are my favorite. Very few people to get in my way and no waiting on any of the machines.

I drove to the gym since I had an errand to run afterward (and perhaps because I didn’t feel like sticking to the pavement while I walked), so my warm up walk was a bit longer than I have been doing. Then it was game on. 36:00 on the clock and 5.4 on the speed. I made it a little over 13 minutes today without having to stop, lean on the treadmill, take a drink of water or towel off. Sweet sweet progress. What helped that was covering the timer with my towel and pushing myself to finish 4 songs before I even attempted to look at the time. I was so proud of myself.

I took a moment to pause the treadmill, wipe the sweat and take a few deep breaths, then I set the speed to 4.5 and continued with a brisk walk for 2 minutes. After minute 15:00, I started up with the running again.

Unfortunately, the second half wasn’t as pretty as the first half. It seems like after the first break, I felt the need to take more breaks than I really needed to. So, the last half was definitely a mind game. I didn’t walk too much more, but I did pause another time to catch my breath, but not let the time tick away. A few times using the handrails to support myself, but all in all, it wasn’t super ugly. I finished, didn’t I?!

I cleared 2.73 miles in 30 minutes with my total 3.1 completed in 33:42. Sweet sassy molassey kids. I think that calls for some ice cream, don’t you?

Side note: When you’re working out or running with your iPod, do you ever catch yourself kinda groovin’ to the music? Well, I do. And it looks pretty ridiculous when I’m trying to run AND subtly jam to the beat of Tone Loc. I must look like I have some kind of nervous tic or something.