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. :)