Race # 4 THE BIG ONE St. George Marathon

Tis done.

I finished. I did almost as well as I wanted to.

Anytime anyone asked me what time I wanted to get, It would change :) At one point I was thinking that I maybe could qualify for the Boston Marathon. HA! OK, so I didn't really think I could but thought maybe on a really good day I could. After talking to a lot of people I thought that anywhere from 4:00:00 to 4:30:00 would be a more realistic expectation.

I said it before. I had no idea what to expect.  Boy did I have no idea.

I would compare it to the difficulty of child birth. I don't feel like it's quite as rewarding, thrilling or empowering, but maybe I will after my legs don't feel like they are recovering from a knife fight.

Before I tell you my actual time let me give you a run down of my entire Marathon experience. This could get long, so grab a snack.

The week before the race my hamstrings started getting really tight for no apparent reason. No amount of stretching helped them and I was getting worried so on Wednesday I called my friend who is a massage therapist for help.

She worked out some nasty knots and the tightness turned to just a little bit of sore muscles which was more familiar and less scary. I was quite worried I would end up pulling a muscle with how tight they were.

Anyway, with that done I was feeling better but that night my son got sick and threw up several times in the night. The next night was thankfully better but I knew Friday night in the Hotel was going to be tough.

I had an Advil PM but it didn't touch my insomnia, I'm afraid it may have made it worse. With my alarm set for 3:45 and the clock burning it's 1:15 in my eyes I took a melatonin and that luckily took affect and soon fell asleep. but 2 hours of sleep. I mean..... OUCH!

I didn't really notice though. Adrenalin does a lot, but I'm sure to some degree it had an affect on my run.

I hopped on the early buses hoping to get an early bird prize. (didn't) And tried to rest on the way up.  When I got up there I quickly spotted a neighbor and I just leached on to her to pass time.


The start line is nice. They have bonfires to keep warm, a HUGE line of bathrooms which I used 3 times before the race. (I know, I'm pathetic) and food and drinks, gloves and Mylar blankets. One thing I can say about this race, they have all the bases covered. I felt like every penny I paid to enter that race was put to really good use. I rarely feel that way. Most of the time I wonder where my money went.


So anyway... Starting line was great! I didn't mind waiting around one bit. On my last trip to the bathrooms I was about the 4th person in line when the gun went off. (no big deal, it's chip timed so your time doesn't start until you cross the start line). I took care of business, threw away my blanket and my water bottle  and started running.


I stuck with my neighbor for the first mile when at some point I lost her. I'm pretty sure I was going faster than she wanted to go but in the end she passed me at some point. She's done 13 of these things, I really should have just stuck with her. I probably would have done better.

Mile 1-4 flew by. I seriously don't remember much other than reading all the silly signs people taped everywhere and feeling like even though the sun wasn't even up, I was hot. This was one of the hottest days for the marathon and got into the 90's outside. The start was probably in the high 50's to 60's.

It's a pretty steady up and down until about mile 7 and that is when you spot it. Veyo hill. It's a biggie! But I was feeling great. So before the 7 mile marker I popped a cliff bar shot. Drank some water and took advantage of no wait for a port-a-potty.  I didn't want to walk the hill when I was feeling so good so I just took it slow. In hind sight...maybe I should have just walked it like I was told. But the top was the first spot of sunlight and I wanted to get the most of my "sun free" running. After the dreaded hill it just gradually goes uphill for about another mile or two.  I still only walked when I was drinking water at the aid stations.

Mile 13 passed and I felt good. The time clock read 2:03:00 which was great since I knew I had about 5-10 minutes on the clock and I was running about as fast as I did my half marathon and I was still feeling alive.

Things started to get harder from here.

At some point the guy holding the 4:00 hr pace balloons past me and they were going too fast for me to keep up.

I looked forward to mile 17 when I would open another cliff bar shot and hope for a caffeine boost.

I made it to 17 and was still feeling ok but this is when my legs started to just hurt with every step. My muscles were angry.

Mile 18 to 23 are kind of a blur. They were hard but I was running most of it. I think I walked the steeper hills. But they still seemed to go by quickly.

Mile 23 held in store a great big brick wall. SERIOUSLY kicked my butt. I think a major mistake was stopping to go pee. Turns out I didn't have anything to pee and the sitting was really hard on my legs. They didn't want to start up again and the battle was on. The is where the child birth comparison came to play.

My mind was doing fine. I was thinking "It's just a 5K. That's nothing!" I wasn't gasping for air in anyway. I was still keeping my two to three step breathing pattern, two steps breath in, two steps breath out (I'm kind of neurotic about my breathing pattern, it's hard for me to run with music because of it) but my legs just wouldn't go. Walking felt fine, in fact I could walk pretty fast so when I just had to walk I would try to pass others who were walking. But running, even when it was really slow was still faster than walking so I did my best.

The last three miles were probably somewhere between 40 and 50 percent walking. DARN!

The 4:15:00 balloons went past me somewhere around the 23 mile marker and that was discouraging. But with the end so close what else could I do but keep going?

After rounding the final turn I kept running because I knew I would soon see my kids. There they were, Roman wanted a five. Shane took pictures to document my pain and the finish line was  taunting me and might as well have been four more miles away, it just wouldn't get closer.

I eventually made it. The clock read 4:27:50. My actual time was 4:23:03

The misters at the end were heavenly but hard to leave. I worked my way through the sea of people who could barely stand or were passed out on the ground and found some food. Suddenly I was STARVING and very thirsty.

I got a huge plate of food and a bomb pop (DELICIOUS!) and headed to where I planned on meeting my family. I actually felt OK. Although there was no way I was going to sit down because there would be no getting up. All of my pain was in my legs.

So, there you have it.

I'm a little disappointed in my time. I thought I would do better. But... It gives me something to work on in the (far distant) future. And now I know what to expect.

At this point I just feel like my legs weren't used to that kind of running. All those little runs I did during the week just didn't prepare my muscles and joints for that kind of torture and by mile 23 they let me know. My aerobic abilities didn't even get pushed to their max I don't think. My mind was still good, I was ready to sprint that last mile if my legs would have done it. So, I will keep all that in mind for the (far, far, distant) future. :)

Maybe more strengthening would have been helpful. I KNOW a running partner would have been helpful (especially on those long long runs). And, experience is definitely helpful.

Now, I will consider this a real success if in a week, I get up, get on my running clothes and keep running. :)

This is it

In about an hour I will be strapping my children into the car and driving away from home towards St. George.

OH. MY. GOSH!

Biggest problem. I would be nervous taking my kids on a two day vacation anyway. A two day vacation where I'm going to come as close as I ever have to killing myself. I don't know. When was this ever a good idea? Ok, So it was a slightly better idea when I had a partner in crime (my neighbor) to keep my mind from thinking about everything too much.

I'm worried about being too tired to function or enjoy. I'm worried about next to no sleep. I'm worried about bored kids, hungry kids, tired kids, sick kids, grouchy husband, being sore, being sick, being tired. Oh, did I mention that?

I don't do well when I"m tired.

Oh well, I got a massage from a friend from High School who is a massage therapist. It was nice. My hamstring is now sore, but at least not strangely tight. I'm not as worried about it anymore.

My stuff is packed now and I'm just waiting for my oldest to come home from school and my husband to come home from work and we will go.

OH! MY! GOSH!

I LOVE carbs!

Yes, we are down to the last moments before the race. There is nothing I can do to improve my training now except eat. :)

I'm good at eating. I've found that I'm really good at eating carbs, which is making my plan difficult.

My plan, after some research on pre-race nutrition, is to deprive my body of carbs for 4 days, then carbo load the last four days. In theory, your body will then over-load the glycogen stores in your muscles because it didn't like the deprivation and would like to avoid it in the future.

The problem. EVERYTHING I love to eat and makes my tummy happy is filled with carbs. Seriously! Cereal... nope, rice, nope, tortillas, bread, crackers, nope, nope, nope.  I haven't gone 100% without carbs though. That can't be good for you.  I'm just trying to cut back where it's totally obvious.

When day 4 comes though (tomorrow-ish) I'm going to carb up baby! I've got a nice stack of bagels calling my name, bananas, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, bread mmmmm.

I don't know how anyone can do the whole low carb diets. I would die!

I LOVE CARBS!!!!

Oh and there is the subject of sleep that haunts me. Already I'm having bad dreams about the race. Last night I had a dream that I didn't even wake up until I was miles into the race (don't ask me how this is possible) But when I did finally "wake up" I couldn't move very well and OH! I had pee!!!! I finally came across a port-a-potty and was able to go... at which point I really woke up in a panic because I was worried I had peed in the bed. Wouldn't that have been interesting. Don't worry, I didn't But I did REALLY have to go.  End of sleep for me.

I'm hoping the Advil PM helps me out the night before the race. I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

The finish line

The race is nearly a week away! OH. MY. GOSH!

What was I thinking? I'm not even excited. I'm terrified!

I'm afraid to have any expectations whatsoever for fear of failing misserably.

Four hours of running !!!! What was I thinking???!?!??

I will say this though... I can run a mean 3 miles ;)

My hips no longer bother me, but now I have a new nagging pain in my hamstring. I have to stop and stretch it often and it hurts on and off durring the day as well. It seems so deep in my leg that it's hare to pinpoint or rub, So I stretch and stretch and stretch more

I hope it doesn't give up on me. That is actually my biggest fear is that I will get hurt. I'm not worried about being so tired. I expect it. I just worry about not finishing.

Two weeks from now it will be over and I can run if I want to, not because I have to. Translation= I probably won't get my self out there very much.

race # 3.5

So, I hadn't planned on running another race but I can't pass up on a free race to test my speed.

My high school has an Alumni race every year. I did it last year and gasped my way through 3-9 minute miles. It was kind of embarrassing considering I had been running all summer. I wasn't prepared though. Grass and hills were something I had not done in a long time. That is all the race is.

This year was a little different. I've been running.... A LOT!

And I've been running more hills (see previous post). I was ready to go kick butt...at the rate of about 8 minute miles. :)

So, I went, I ran and I totally surprised myself.

I ran three rather consistent 7:25 miles. My finish time was faster than I've been since my high school days. 23:00:06 or something like that. :)

I felt pretty good throughout too.  Thank to my friend Dorothy for pacing with me for most of the race and keeping me going.

so YEA!

I'm still aiming for 9 minute miles on the marathon though. Not that I'm going to even wear a watch. But I just can't see myself going much faster for that long.

the one where I "ran" the twenty miles

So yeah, I did actually run the twenty miles and lived...barely.

I made the mistake of making the first ten miles kind of tough. I ran  up to the hobble creek golf course and back. In a car it seems like nothing but running it is not an easy run. Lots of up and downs with about 500 ft elevation difference.

Not to mention that I had to start my run before 5 pm to finish before it got dark. It was hot, and miserable.

I've been wanting to run this route all summer but never had a good opportunity. It's a little scary to do alone because there isn't a whole lot of foot traffic along the trail and there some very secluded areas where bears and cougars while rare and not typically aggressive, are still there. And I can't guarantee that I don't look like an injured animal when I run. HA! I decided to be brave and do it anyway. I'm glad I did but It would definitely be less scary with someone. Luckily the scariest thing I saw was a tiny little snake that was about the size of a pencil.


I got a drink at the park on the east side of the golf course and headed back down.

When I got home from that leg I didn't want to continue. I was pretty tired. But I gagged down a cliff shot and left home... again.

This time I went and ran my "around Mapleton" route. It's actually more like 8 miles but I figure with the extra hardness of the first part and I think I went a bit farther than 10 miles on that part so all in all I probably went closer to 19 miles. I made it home just as it really got uncomfortably dark.

Good enough.

Surprisingly, I probably felt best in mile 16-18 or so. 12-15 were absolutely dreadful.

It's all down hill from here right?

I can't believe my race is going to be longer than that. Whoever does these often is just plane crazy. So many hours of running. I'm starting to decided that I really LOVE running 5k races.

The dreaded day

Today is the dreaded day.... I guess.

I run 20 miles tonight. And I LOATH this day. I couldn't sleep last night... like all the nights before my long run I just can't stop thinking about running enough to get a good solid sleep in.  I wasn't even possitive that I was going to do my 20 miler today and I still couldn't sleep.  I've gotta do something about that. I can't imagine running a marathon on 4 hours of poor sleep. But at least I have lots of practice at running on next to no sleep.

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

As soon as Shane gets home from work I will quickly feed my family, jump into my running clothes and run, and run, and run, and die, and run some more. The goal is to make in home before dark. Actually I will probably run two 10 mile loops so that I can go to the bathroom, get a decent drink and contemplate skipping the second loop all together.

a little more than 4 weeks and it will be history. The pain, I'm sure, will not be.

I read an article about doing sprints to keep your twitch muscles in check so that even when you are exhausted you can keep a good turnover. This is really what I need because I get really slow and worn out and all my runs aren't really improving my form, just my endurance. But the thought of doing sprints after my runs makes me want to barf. I did some yesterday. Maybe every other time? 

I'm ready to go back to running 3-5 miles 3 days a week for the heck of it.  chances are, I won't even be able to keep that up. SIGH

Race #3

Race #3 is over! Ok, this was actually the one I was most looking forward to. I really liked my last 1/2 marathon. It was fulfilling, easier than I thought it would be and actually quite nice.

The morning started early. 4:30 to be exact and I was tired from not sleeping well. I've got to figure something out before we hit St. George. Tylenol PM or something. It's so frustrating to not be able to turn off my brain and sleep.

I had a small bowl of cereal and headed out the door to pick up my packet since I didn't want to drive up to Orem to pick it up the day before.

I got there early enough that there was a moderate amount of people, but not tons. I was able to park easily and quickly gather my timing chip and bib #.

I got on a bus that quickly left the park. I was sure this was going to be a more organized race than my last 1/2 marathon.

well.... it was only slightly better.

I got off the bus about 1/2 hour later and started walking to the start line which was "just up the hill".

Nearly 1 mile later I was a little irritated. It was a pretty big hill and I didn't want to hike so far before running 13 miles. But oh well. So I found my place around the 9 minute mile pace marker and started stretching. And I stretched and stretched and sat, and stretched, and waited, and walked around, and got a drink and waited and stretched .... for over an HOUR!!! And of course it was freezing.

They started 45 minutes late. UGGGG

I did talk to some really nice girls while I waited though.

So the gun FINALLY goes off, although I don't think there was actually a gun, I think they just said GO. 2 minutes later I was across the start line and we were off.

Besides feeling like my muscles were already out of juice before I even started I felt great, so I went with it. I was probably running around 8 minute miles for the first 5 or 6 miles.

But the late start made the heat sort of miserable. By the time we lost a lot of elevation in those first miles it was just plain hot.

I usually just go past most of the water stations but I HAD to get water. It was hot and I was tired.

Unfortunately, I also HAD to pee. Darn it!!!! At mile 9 there was one last port a potty and I stopped to make myself more comfortable because there were only two girls waiting. But I waited for two minutes without the current person coming out. Watching my time slow before my eyes was killing me so I ran on, wishing and hoping for another potty in vain. It really made me wish I had just stopped earlier but I didn't need to go then.

I think in St. George I will make a point to just go every 7 miles or something so I don't get stuck like this.

Around mile 10 Shane was at an intersection with the kids. It was nice to have them there when I was so dead, but mostly my mind was on my bladder. They continued to meet me a few times in the next mile or so, then they had to head off to Soccer practice so I was back to focusing on finishing.

That last mile was tough. MAN it was tough. But I made it and was happy to see the clock say 1:56:36 as I crossed.

I met my goal. I finished faster than last time by 6  minutes. I would have loved for it to be by 13 minutes but I will take what I get.  My chip time was 1:54:56.

Subtract the two minutes I stood in line for the potty and maybe a 1/2 to another minute for the time I lost for being so darn miserable at the end of the race because I needed to go to the bathroom and that gets me pretty close. :)

Anyway, It was a good race. I realized that I probably need to be eating a touch better these next weeks. It can't hurt. My muscles felt empty through almost the entire race and I think it was a result of my diet. And maybe I took it a little too easy the prior weeks.

I'm still alive, my quads ache and I walk like I've been riding a horse but that only means I'm getting stronger right? At least that's what I'm telling myself.

So... Here we go.. we're down to the wire.

A big 20 mile run to complete in two weeks and then we are on our way to St. George baby! Wa Hoo!!!!

3 days

Only three days and I've got another race.

I'm basking in this lovely low key week, although I blew it and had two hamburgers and a hotdog before running last night and ended up cutting my run even shorter and walking home. My stomach was protesting wildly.

I did grab a couple of big rocks and swung my arms profusely like professional speed walker in order to have some good come of my poor dietary decisions.

I got an email from the people who direct the race I'm running on Saturday. It's content was a little irritating. Here are the exact words from start to finish:

"Being one of the last accepted registrants, We are asking for your cooperation to please load the first group of buses at 5:00 am in order to get all buses to the drop off area early enough to start the race on time.  We appreciate your help in doing so.  Have a great race!"

Why is that irritating? Well, let me tell you:

First, I say, you snooze you loose. And... I was in the very first group of buses on my 1/2 marathon last year. BIG, HUGE, GINORMOUS, GARGANTUAN mistake.

I sat on that bus for an hour before it even budged, FREEZING my rear off and gnawing on a piece of cardboard, oh... I mean a snickers marathon bar. Then I stood at the start line for another hour and half wanting to die because it was so cold and nothing was happening while the last buses came up the canyon. But that was a different, VERY poorly organized race with even more runners.

Unless they make an effort to assign buses ahead of time based on what order you signed up for the race. I say a big FAT middle finger to your unsigned email. SORRY :)

Don't get me wrong. I WILL be there at 5 because I want to be able to find a place to park (there are something like 300 spots for the 1500 runners), I'm not driving to Orem to get my race packet, (ok, I might) but if I don't make it then I'm going to have to pick it up the morning of the race, and I don't want to get left behind. Sorry, but if you think I'm getting on that first bus you are mistaken! And sorry, everyone who signed up for the race did so within something like a 9 hour window.  First and last means NOTHING. AND...I will have a great race, thank you!

Another note, I have finally secured what I think will be acceptable lodging in St. George. What a pain! Three reservations, about 20 phone calls and a few sleepless nights and I think we're set. Two nights in St. George ought to be nice. I just wish it was in February when I'm sick and tired of the cold weather.

A new record

Last weekend I ran the farthest I've ever run... EVER in my entire life. I went 17 miles.

Boy it was tough to run that far all by myself. 

I left home around 5:45 am which was also very hard. I don't like running in the dark and while I could see the signs of morning creeping over the edges of the mountains it was still quite dark.

Luckily, anyone in their right mind is asleep at 5:45 on a Saturday morning and I could basically run in the middle of the road where I could more easily see my surroundings. Everyone in their right mind may be sleeping, but I worry about the one's who aren't "in the right mind". For the most part I try not to worry about what could happen to me when I'm out running by myself, but worry about it just enough to stay out of harms way the best I can I guess.

Strike #3. I am so slow to wake up in the morning. I just drag and drag and drag. It seriously takes me 5 miles to feel like I'm awake. Last Saturday was no different.

And last but not least. I chose a route that was good because I knew there were bathrooms and water through most of it. But I really should have run it backwards. I ended up running east in Spanish Fork for about 3 miles. If you don't know much about Spanish Fork, you still probably know that it's always windy there. ALWAYS! There is this canyon and they have 6 huge windmills at the mouth because, in the morning especially, the wind blows so hard all the trees grow at an angle. I was running straight into it.

I did somehow make it home. It only took me three hours. ONLY! Ugggg. I'm tired again just thinking about it.

Then I come home to a family all fresh and ready to play and work all day.

Mileage like this will not be missed and will never be in my voluntary running schedule. That's for sure!

Surprisingly my muscles didn't really hurt after the run, it was my bones. All up and down my legs the bones and joints hurt. And why wouldn't they? Seriously, running for 3 hours straight (ok, so I walked a little) is a LONG TIME!

And to think I will probably, hopefully, maybe run just an hour longer than that and 9 more miles than that seems impossible. Yet, totally do-able. Factor in a lot of adrenalin, and about 7,000 running partners as well as a big ol' helping of satisfaction and I just might make it.

Last week was a relaxed week with three glorious days off. The coming week is even more relaxed with three days off and low mileage then WHAM! A big fat 1/2 marathon on Saturday. I really can't wait. It should be a good race.

My half marathon last year was good. I was not prepared and had only run maybe 7 miles at the most but still ran the entire way and finished in 2 hours flat. My only goal this year is to beat my time.

The only thing that could get in my way would be a bathroom break. Darn bathroom breaks!

So... I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Oh where, Oh where?

Well, This is turning out to be quite the short little blog.

Curses!

Curses I tell you! My husband has been sent back into the ranks and has been gone for three weeks.

Training for a Marathon is not for the faint, the weak, or the women without their childrens' father.

I HATE the treadmill, although it has been easier than before. I actually made it 12.5 miles the other day. I was supposed to run 16 miles, but after three hours I was done. Don't worry, I actually walked two of the miles while I chatted with Shane on the phone. My hip was screaming and I had spent my only 3 hours of peace for the day on a whiney torture device. I was done.

Only three more runs on the treadmill and hopefully we will be out of the woods and it can go about it's rightful duties as a coat rack.

Adding insult to injury. literally. My neighbor, who has been kindly donating her son as a babysitter while we run together, broke her toe.

She's out, and I'm so sad. It was so nice to have someone to run with and a nice young man to watch my kids and save me from that wretched machine in our basement.

I also wanted to have somone at the race who could calm my nerves and keep me focused.

Guess I'm on my own.

As far as my actual runs go. They have gone well. I shortened my long distance runs because my current schedule was killing me. And August was set to have 3-20 mile runs. THREE!!!! Too many! The way I have it now is more comfortable and more realistic. I DO have a family to take care of, even if a major player is out of the game for a while.

I can't believe it's almost August! I have a half Marathon in something like 4 weeks. I feel prepared for that one. I know I can run 13 miles. I've done it before. This Marathon though... It's like a distant dream, or some pending doom.

Or like having your first baby. Everyone can tell you how it's gonna be but until that baby makes it's way out of your body... There is no comparison.

And with that.... I say good night. Happy running :)

Race #2

Ah the freedom run.

I ran this race last year. My time was 57:18.... or something like that.

I believe I started training only one month before running it. So surely I could run it faster this year right? RIGHT?

I wasn't so sure. I feel so slow.

Last year, about 5 miles in I wanted to die. And the last mile is almost entirely up-hill. Mix that with a major need to use a bathroom I had to stop and walk. I hate it when I just HAVE to stop running. It's so hard to get started again and I see my time just exponentially rise before me. But I'm not the type to pee my pants and keep on running. Especially when I'm running a 9 minute mile. Even the bushes or a well placed port-a-potty are bellow ruining my time and walking for a bit.

**SIDE NOTE***Let's visit this potty issue for a minute. SERIOUSLY!!! As if having children, raising them, having no life, no money, stained clothes, stretched skin and no sleep wasn't enough. It has go and totally mess with your bladder. Even now, I have to be sure there is a potty every six miles or I'm in trouble. I feel so OLD! Old and slow. **back to the subject**

I know, time doesn't matter, but I'm a racer. A slow one, but a racer nonetheless. Even when I say time doesn't matter, it still matters. It's what keeps me going.

So anyway, I signed up again this year with the only goal of beating last years time.

How did it go?

Great! I managed to keep a 8:22 mile pace with a total time of 52:18. I was 31st in my division. 422 place out of 1233.

I feel a little better about my speed. At least I'm improving and all this running isn't for nothing. How cool would that be if I had that kind of pace in the marathon? (not counting on it)


Anyway, In true freedom run fashion, the shirts were useless and ugly. Of course, that's just my opinion but you would think they could get a decent shirt out there. It seemed to look best on the people with a little more meat. It just looked so misfitting on me I couldn't wear it. :(

Two races down, two to go.

It's going to be a long hot July and August.

Supposed to...

This week is supposed to be pretty intense. Running wise anyway.

5 miles, 4X800, 4 miles, rest, 4 miles fast, 14 miles.

Instead I think this is how it's going to go:

4 miles (I walked over a mile of it), rest? or maybe 2 slow miles, 4 miles, 3 miles fast, 5-7 miles.

I have a race on Monday (10K) and while my time doesn't matter, I don't want to die. And it would be nice to have a better time than last year.

We started off the week with 4 hours in the E.R. in the middle of the night. Monday, I could barely stand up, let alone run.

I just think this week isn't the week to push it.

Speaking of pushing it. I'm not getting any faster. I'm stuck in my nine minute miles like a fly stuck on a fly trap.

Actually, I have no idea how fast I'm running really. I don't run with a watch. All I know is that if I run 3 miles, I get home 30 minutes after I left, if I run 12 miles, I get home 2 hours after I left.  I know... that's 10 minute miles, but I do walk and stretch a little in there accounting for the extra time. ;) I just feel like I'm not getting any faster at all.

Oh well, here goes another week.

A day of rest

I think I'm going to look forward to Thursdays this summer. It is my "rest" day. (along with Sunday, but that day is filled with church responsibilities and such and is exhausting on a whole new level)

Things are starting to pick up on my running schedule. My lovely 3 miles runs have now turned into 4 mile runs, and next week will be 5 mile runs! SCARY!

I haven't run mileage like this since highschool and I was young and had not given birth 3 times. I didn't have little people waking me at all hours of the night and my meals were pretty much made for me.

On a fantastically positive note, I'm getting my apatite back. Do you know how long I've gone since food was simply something to cure hunger pains? Just about since I was pregnant with Roman. It's been over 6 years now!

The other day I made some of my sisters Rhubarb crisp. I devoured it and was so absolutely satisfied afterward. It was like heaven.

I may be able to pin this wonderful development on running. I don't know, but I like it!

This week I did intervals again. And will continue to do intervals just about week. This time it was 4 X 800's. I took my kids to the track hoping they would play happily in the sand pit while I ran around and around. No such luck. Ezra cried so I had to push him and Marisa. Uggg. Talk about exhausting. I guess it's can only be good for my training to push them but it's so hard. They weigh a combined total of 60 lbs and the stroller is something like 15 lbs.  75 lbs I'm pushing around! As soon as the wind pushes against us even a little I feel it.

I'm not against just letting Ezra cry until he gives up and starts playing, but the whole town was at the track that morning. I didn't want to seem cruel... even though I am... a little. :)

Vacation

I haven't been writing about my running because I was on vacation in Ohio.

Never fear though, I ran dilligently and I think I only missed one day.

Wow! Talk about training. Just go from a place with litterally no humidity to a place with 80% humidity.

My first run was a simple 4 mile run and I nearly died. I probably walked over 1/2 mile and came home just dripping with sweat.

I shortened my long runs two miles because It became really hard to cool down with all the humidity. So my 8 mile run was actually just over 6 and my 10 mile run was 8.5 miles. They were still quite the work out.

One day I decided to do some lunges in hopes of strengthening my silly hips. HOLY COW! I was in pain for an entire week for that stunt. I guess I haven't been using that muscle AT ALL when I run. But my hip has felt a little better so I think I better keep it up.

Also, I got my official results from my 5k and was slightly disappointed. My actual time was 27:11. I wish I could use the excuse that it took 5 minutes just to get across the start line, but 'tis not so. There were 178 runners. Still, At least it wasn't 30 minutes. :)

Now we are back home and I am totally enjoying my low mileage week. 3-3 mile runs with a 6 mile Saturday. I wish they were all so easy.

Race #1

I just finished my first race of the season. It was a last minute decision to run a 5K for the community food bank.

Because my husband is still out of town I had to farm out my oldest and push my other two in the stroller.

I was worried about pushing the stroller because I haven't been training with the stroller. At all.  If it's even slightly uphill or windy Its like pushing a car. Not really, but it definitely wears me out and slows me down.

This race was a great stroller race though. There was only the slightest uphill (and by that I mean, nearly non-existent for anyone not pushing a stroller) for the first half of the third mile.

Another nice thing is that it was a tiny race. I didn't have to spend the first mile just getting out of the pack and finding my pace, which can be hard enough without a double wide stroller to manuver. It was probably anywhere from 200-300 people. Honestly, I'm horrible at guessing.

I met my friend Kaci at the race. It was so nice to see her again. We ran cross country together in High School and she was ALWAYS faster than me.  She still is, but we had some good times back then and she amazes me. She ran a 10K last year when she was 8 months pregnant. I could never! Well, besides my extremely defective hips, I could never find motivation to exercise more than walking when I'm pregnant.

Anyway, The kids were angels the whole race. I didn't have to stop once and I felt great.

I have no idea what my time was but from what I could gather, it was somewhere in between 23 minutes and 25 minutes. The results are supposed to be emailed to me, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I couldn't be happier. I love 5K's they are just so fun. And they don't wipe me out for the day...or week.

5K down, 10K, half and full marathon to go.

I'm wondering what I can do for my hip. It just aches. I probably need to strengthen it somehow.

It begins

I started running.... again in February. I just made it a point to go three times a week.

This week is my first official week of training. I've got it all mapped out on my calendar.

But... when I made the calendar I didn't know my husband (a.k.a hold down the fort while I run man) would be leaving me for two weeks to go hob-nob with the moose and elk in northern Montana.

I hate the treadmill more than I hate just about anything. So.... It's now Thrusday and I've gone running one time this week. I decided to count a trip to the zoo and a few walking laps around the park while my son played T-ball as cross training.

But up until he totally left me stranded here ;) I've been going running 4-5 days a week with my longest run topping out at 8.5 miles.

I'm feeling pretty good but I am totally scared for the weeks where the shortest run is 5 miles. and the longest is almost two times longer than I have ever run continuously in my entire life. I'm not sure I have it in me. I'm not sure my hips can take it. I know how to wrap a knee, and an ankle, but hips? This could get interesting.

Thank goodness my man returns soon. I want to burn the treadmill! BURN! **insert evil laugh here**

Welcome

Well Hello there.


I decided to start this blog to take advantage of the time I waste on the internet and maybe get a running journal from it.

I recently found out that I was selected in the lottery for the St. George marathon this year and my lofty goal of running a marathon became much more real. And much more scary.

I've always been a runner but have been on a 6+ year hiatus due to having 3 children.

I did manage to run a half marathon last summer and I was amazed at how much easier it was to get back in shape (well, relatively back in shape that is) this spring since I hadn't had a child in between. :) But my child bearing years have done their damage and I'm slow and my hips are permanently changed but I'm determined to do this anyway.

I may be sharing this blog with friends who also want to record their running experience this summer.  We'll see.

Oh, and the title.... When you have two Thomas and Friends fans in the house... you go with what you've got. :)