As you might already know, I have been having all kinds of lower leg pain for the past couple of months. In May, I did what I always do when I begin to feel shin splints - I bought new shoes. In the past, that normally solves the problem and I can run pain free once more. This time, the pain just kept getting worse.
I know shin splints aren't terribly serious, but they hurt like hell and can make a run pure torture! Well, I finally broke down and saw a dr today. Her advice....no running for a minimum of FIVE DAYS! Okay, so it could be worse, but that seems like a lifetime to me. Especially when the mileage is increasing so quickly (8 miles last week, 10 this week, 12 next week!) Doesn't she know I am in training???? Doesn't she know how much I enjoy eating my WW "activity points"???
I had never seen this particular Dr before, but I really liked her (despite her advice). She asked lots of questions and I felt that she was actually listening to me. (I've had several experiences with drs lately where I felt like my visit was a total waste of time.) And, she is also a runner, which is a plus. She was very nice about the news and gave me the "I know you don't want to hear this..." speech. She said she wanted to be aggressive about getting the inflammation down, so she prescribed a super, duper anti-inflammatory and gave me some print-outs of info about shin splints. I am supposed to ice for 20 minutes every 3-4 hours (or as close to that as possible). After a few days of that, I am supposed to add some stretches to the routine. After 5 days, she said to try to run a short, easy run. If I feel pain, I am supposed to call her and let her know. If there's no pain, I can gradually add more running.
Honestly, I went in knowing exactly what my diagnosis was. I just wanted reassurance that there wasn't a stress fracture or anything. It's amazing what medical information you can find on the internet, because even the information she gave me looked vaguely familar. (Hmmm...do you think one day we won't even need drs for our little aches and pains?) I also knew that the best cure would be rest, but I just needed a "professional" to tell me. That, and I didn't want to give myself permission to not run. I could totally disregard her advice and run anyway, but deep down, I know it's what's best. I could not run for 5 days now and finish training for Chicago with fewer aches and pains. Or, I could push myself to run anyway and risk making things worse and not being able to run Chicago at all. The choice is obvious.
So...no 10-miler tomorrow and no 5K on the 4th. Guess I better dust off my pilates and buns od steel dvds for now. And, since I don't have to get up at 5 am tomorrow morning to run, I am doing what normal people do on Friday nights....I am having a big glass of wine! Pino Grigio...it's all I have in the house at the moment, but it is quite yummy!
Drink, ummm, I mean Run long and Livestrong!
Friday, June 30, 2006
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Luke's run...sort of
I was debating all day about 1) whether I wanted to run at all (my shin has been aching all day), 2) if I did run, did I want to run with the group at Luke's or 3) if I did run, did I just want to go to the park for a loop? I decided on running with the group from Luke's.
With the 18-wheeler mishap on I-10, I was just happy to arrive at Luke's with time to spare. Much to my surprise, I learned that there was no run tonight because it was inventory night at Luke's! Lucky for me, there were a few other folks who were missed this announcement last week and we had a small, informal running group. I was happy that Mary Jane could make it and I had a chance to meet a few other folks.
We ran to Shepherd, crossed Allen Parkway and ran along the bayou. We reached Waugh, turned around and headed back. I forgot my watch and have no idea of the distance, temp or humidity. By about 1/2 way into the run, my shins were killing me! Mostly on the left, but even the right leg was aching. I was happy to make it back to Luke's, because by the end of the run, my legs hurt with every step and they ached the entire drive home. I am very annoyed by this pain. I want to run, but my legs do not!
Today at work, I made a dr's appointment to everything checked out. Unfortunately, with my insurance changes this year, I can no longer see my favorite Ortho (Dr. Provenzano). Bummer! Last year, I had terrible case of achilles tendonitis the week before the 25K. Dr. P and physical therapist, Harris (who is also a marathoner), had me up and running in no time! I ran and finished the 25K with no problem! My new Ortho is not available until the 17th, so tomorrow's appointment is with my regular dr.
Running Stats
Conditions - Upper 80's/Low 90's, high humidity
Running time - 30 min
Distance - ~2.5???
Pace - ???
WW Stats
Pts used - 30
Activity pts earned - 4
Flex pts used - 6
Flex pts remaining - 12
Run long & Livestrong!
With the 18-wheeler mishap on I-10, I was just happy to arrive at Luke's with time to spare. Much to my surprise, I learned that there was no run tonight because it was inventory night at Luke's! Lucky for me, there were a few other folks who were missed this announcement last week and we had a small, informal running group. I was happy that Mary Jane could make it and I had a chance to meet a few other folks.
We ran to Shepherd, crossed Allen Parkway and ran along the bayou. We reached Waugh, turned around and headed back. I forgot my watch and have no idea of the distance, temp or humidity. By about 1/2 way into the run, my shins were killing me! Mostly on the left, but even the right leg was aching. I was happy to make it back to Luke's, because by the end of the run, my legs hurt with every step and they ached the entire drive home. I am very annoyed by this pain. I want to run, but my legs do not!
Today at work, I made a dr's appointment to everything checked out. Unfortunately, with my insurance changes this year, I can no longer see my favorite Ortho (Dr. Provenzano). Bummer! Last year, I had terrible case of achilles tendonitis the week before the 25K. Dr. P and physical therapist, Harris (who is also a marathoner), had me up and running in no time! I ran and finished the 25K with no problem! My new Ortho is not available until the 17th, so tomorrow's appointment is with my regular dr.
Running Stats
Conditions - Upper 80's/Low 90's, high humidity
Running time - 30 min
Distance - ~2.5???
Pace - ???
WW Stats
Pts used - 30
Activity pts earned - 4
Flex pts used - 6
Flex pts remaining - 12
Run long & Livestrong!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Late run
Okay, this motherhood and marathon training thing is getting more difficult as the kiddo gets older. Last year, my little cutie was going to bed at 7 or 7:30 pm, which left me plenty of time to get ready for work, run and gasp, watch tv even! Now, at 1 1/2, I am lucky to get the her into bed by 8:30 or 9:00 pm! And, with the hubby's schedule change, we don't get to share in responsibilities anymore. Too bad, because with him, she goes to sleep in 15 minutes...with me, it's more like 30 minutes to 1 hour! I have come to realize that I will just have to get my runs in any way I can...5 am, 10 pm, whatever it takes.
Tonight was a treadmill run. The training schedule called for 30 minutes easy. I think my gait must be different on the treadmill, because within 5 minutes, I felt the familiar aches in my lower legs. Shin splints? Guess I better ice! I did get to watch 30 minutes of really cheesy tv (MTV - The Hills). Tomorrow, is a 35 minute tempo run and I am hoping to meet up with the group from Luke's.
Running Stats
Conditions - treadmill
Total Run Time - 30 minutes
Distance - 2.66 miles
Pace - 11:16
Splits
- mile 1 - 11:05
- mile 2 - 11:17
- .66 - 7:38
WW Stats
Pts consumed - 21
Activity pts earned - 4
Flex pts used - 0
Flex pts remaining - 18
Run long & Livestrong!
Tonight was a treadmill run. The training schedule called for 30 minutes easy. I think my gait must be different on the treadmill, because within 5 minutes, I felt the familiar aches in my lower legs. Shin splints? Guess I better ice! I did get to watch 30 minutes of really cheesy tv (MTV - The Hills). Tomorrow, is a 35 minute tempo run and I am hoping to meet up with the group from Luke's.
Running Stats
Conditions - treadmill
Total Run Time - 30 minutes
Distance - 2.66 miles
Pace - 11:16
Splits
- mile 1 - 11:05
- mile 2 - 11:17
- .66 - 7:38
WW Stats
Pts consumed - 21
Activity pts earned - 4
Flex pts used - 0
Flex pts remaining - 18
Run long & Livestrong!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Early AM run & a PSA
I am beginning to like the early AM runs! I got to the park this morning at 5:40 am for a 50 minute run. The weather was awesome - cool (yes, you read that right - cool!) and low humidity! Very rare for Houston in June, so I was glad I could be out running early enough to enjoy it! If you haven't noticed, I hate the heat. I know a lot of people who love to get all sweaty because it makes them feel like they've really gotten a good workout. That's not me...all I need are my achey muscles to tell me I've gotten a good workout!
My run was pretty uneventful. Coach Tom sent us a link last week to this great Pace Training Calculator on the Runner's World website. He cautioned us against running our training workouts too fast. According to the pace calculator, I should be running my "tempo" pace runs at 11:00 min/mile. So, I decided to go with it. I made my way around for a loop. Along the way, I noticed a group of 5 runners coming from the opposite direction. They were all side-by-side and taking up the entire path. As the approached, I realized that no one in their group was planning to move, so I was forced to pretty much hop onto the grass. So, naturally, I made a mental note to add a PSA in today's blog....please remember runner ettiquette boys and girls -run 2 or 3 abreast please!!! Okay, PSA over.
So, I ran a loop and then kept going until I had run for 10 more minutes (which was a little past the 3/4 mile marker), turned around and headed back. I actually made it back to the mile 0 marker with about 1 1/2 minutes to spare, so I jogged a tad bit further and then walked back. I felt great! Heck, I think I could have kept going a few more miles!
After getting ready for work, I treated myself to a smoothie...this was after I checked them all out on the web last night to determine which ones had the lowest point content. Turns out, the Raspberry Sunrise only has 6 points! I added some "Diet Down" to it, although I have no idea what that really is! My luck it's not diet-ish at all and is actually supposed to make you gain weight!
Running Stats
Conditions - great! 70 w/50% humidity
Running time - 50 minutes
Splits -
mile 1 - 10:57
mile 2 - 11:06
mile 3 - 10:59
mile 4 - 11:03
.6+ - 6:35
WW activity pts earned - 6!
My run was pretty uneventful. Coach Tom sent us a link last week to this great Pace Training Calculator on the Runner's World website. He cautioned us against running our training workouts too fast. According to the pace calculator, I should be running my "tempo" pace runs at 11:00 min/mile. So, I decided to go with it. I made my way around for a loop. Along the way, I noticed a group of 5 runners coming from the opposite direction. They were all side-by-side and taking up the entire path. As the approached, I realized that no one in their group was planning to move, so I was forced to pretty much hop onto the grass. So, naturally, I made a mental note to add a PSA in today's blog....please remember runner ettiquette boys and girls -run 2 or 3 abreast please!!! Okay, PSA over.
So, I ran a loop and then kept going until I had run for 10 more minutes (which was a little past the 3/4 mile marker), turned around and headed back. I actually made it back to the mile 0 marker with about 1 1/2 minutes to spare, so I jogged a tad bit further and then walked back. I felt great! Heck, I think I could have kept going a few more miles!
After getting ready for work, I treated myself to a smoothie...this was after I checked them all out on the web last night to determine which ones had the lowest point content. Turns out, the Raspberry Sunrise only has 6 points! I added some "Diet Down" to it, although I have no idea what that really is! My luck it's not diet-ish at all and is actually supposed to make you gain weight!
Running Stats
Conditions - great! 70 w/50% humidity
Running time - 50 minutes
Splits -
mile 1 - 10:57
mile 2 - 11:06
mile 3 - 10:59
mile 4 - 11:03
.6+ - 6:35
WW activity pts earned - 6!
Monday, June 26, 2006
One more thing...
I did lose a 1/2 lb this week. Not as good as last week, but I kind of went over my points on Thursday and Friday - both celebratory and nervous eating. This week will be better!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Whew!
Running Stats
Conditions - 6:15 am, 80 degrees (some humidity)
Running Time - 1:36
Distance - 8 miles
Pace - 12:00 (not bad!)
I passed my PHR certification exam!!! I'm relieved to have that out of the way. So, no more studying until grad school starts in August. Now, I can kick back and read some fun books...between the PHR and the GMAT the only thing I've read since March are study guides!
Saturday's 8 mile run began at 6:15 at Luke's. We were doing a West U, Rice run. The temp was about the same as last week, but with less humidity. As always, the first couple of miles seem to be the hardest. In those first minutes of running, the little aches and stiffness make themsleves known. Luckily, once the 1st few miles are over, I seem to get into a groove and it's not so bad.
We started on Peden and jogged to Dunlavy. When we finally made it to Rice U, Felix and a few others were there. Someone asked us how far we had run....when Mary Jane replied that it had been about 3 or 3 1/2 miles, I couldn't believe it! Oh my God, it had felt more like 5! (Again, those tough 1st few miles.) I thought for sure that we were at least at the 1/2 way point. But, a quick glance at my watch confirmed it...we had only been running for 40 minutes. However, unlike last week, after another mile into the run, I began to feel good. Continuing on didn't seem like such a struggle (physically or mentally). It was hot and there were a few minutes that I questioned my sanity (as always). But, by the time we made it round the Rice loop and back onto Dunlavy, I still felt pretty good.
When we made it back I was sad to see no frozen washcloths left. I figured just getting some cool water and gatorade would be good enough. Heading back to my car, I realized that I forgot my towel. It's essential when running in warm weather! Not only can you towel off some of the sweat, it makes a nifty seat cover and you don't have to stick to you seats on the drive home. Here are some other things I like to have handy in my car on hot running days:
comfy sandals
bug spray (darn mosquitoes)
Aleve (or other NSAID)
wet wipes
blister pads (you just never know!)
One last thing...I just wanted to take a sec to send many prayers to my cousin Ron. He's leaving this week for Iraq. He's not a soldier, although he once was and flew helicopters in Desert Storm. He's a wonderful guy with a great wife and 2 kiddos. He and his family recently returned from Belgium, where they were missionaries. Before that, they were in Russia. He currently works for the state dept and is being sent there for work. Godspeed Ron - be safe and hurry home!
Run long and Livestrong!
Conditions - 6:15 am, 80 degrees (some humidity)
Running Time - 1:36
Distance - 8 miles
Pace - 12:00 (not bad!)
I passed my PHR certification exam!!! I'm relieved to have that out of the way. So, no more studying until grad school starts in August. Now, I can kick back and read some fun books...between the PHR and the GMAT the only thing I've read since March are study guides!
Saturday's 8 mile run began at 6:15 at Luke's. We were doing a West U, Rice run. The temp was about the same as last week, but with less humidity. As always, the first couple of miles seem to be the hardest. In those first minutes of running, the little aches and stiffness make themsleves known. Luckily, once the 1st few miles are over, I seem to get into a groove and it's not so bad.
We started on Peden and jogged to Dunlavy. When we finally made it to Rice U, Felix and a few others were there. Someone asked us how far we had run....when Mary Jane replied that it had been about 3 or 3 1/2 miles, I couldn't believe it! Oh my God, it had felt more like 5! (Again, those tough 1st few miles.) I thought for sure that we were at least at the 1/2 way point. But, a quick glance at my watch confirmed it...we had only been running for 40 minutes. However, unlike last week, after another mile into the run, I began to feel good. Continuing on didn't seem like such a struggle (physically or mentally). It was hot and there were a few minutes that I questioned my sanity (as always). But, by the time we made it round the Rice loop and back onto Dunlavy, I still felt pretty good.
When we made it back I was sad to see no frozen washcloths left. I figured just getting some cool water and gatorade would be good enough. Heading back to my car, I realized that I forgot my towel. It's essential when running in warm weather! Not only can you towel off some of the sweat, it makes a nifty seat cover and you don't have to stick to you seats on the drive home. Here are some other things I like to have handy in my car on hot running days:
comfy sandals
bug spray (darn mosquitoes)
Aleve (or other NSAID)
wet wipes
blister pads (you just never know!)
One last thing...I just wanted to take a sec to send many prayers to my cousin Ron. He's leaving this week for Iraq. He's not a soldier, although he once was and flew helicopters in Desert Storm. He's a wonderful guy with a great wife and 2 kiddos. He and his family recently returned from Belgium, where they were missionaries. Before that, they were in Russia. He currently works for the state dept and is being sent there for work. Godspeed Ron - be safe and hurry home!
Run long and Livestrong!
Friday, June 23, 2006
I'm in!
I just had to pop in and post my news...I am going to grad school in the fall!
Yep, I got accepted into the Saturday MBA program that I had applied to. I was getting a little worried, since the application deadline was getting close and those darn GMAT people had a "glitch" that caused a big delay in sending out my scores. But, I got in! Now, I just have to figure out how to balance school with marathon training and work...not to mention being a wife and mommy!
I have one more test - my PHR certification test for work. It's Sunday at 8am. If you're the praying type, please send some good luck prayers my way. If your not the praying type, any kind of good luck vibes sent my way will work too!!
Run long & Livestrong!
Yep, I got accepted into the Saturday MBA program that I had applied to. I was getting a little worried, since the application deadline was getting close and those darn GMAT people had a "glitch" that caused a big delay in sending out my scores. But, I got in! Now, I just have to figure out how to balance school with marathon training and work...not to mention being a wife and mommy!
I have one more test - my PHR certification test for work. It's Sunday at 8am. If you're the praying type, please send some good luck prayers my way. If your not the praying type, any kind of good luck vibes sent my way will work too!!
Run long & Livestrong!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Good day for a run
After making 2 attempts at running in the AM and being rained out, I finally made it to the park this morning! Normally, Wednesday mornings don't work, because of the hubby's work schedule. But, he happened to get off work early, which gave me an opportunity to try it again.
I arrived around 5:50 am and the temp actually felt great! Of course, the humidity felt like pea soup, but it was much better than running in the evenings after work! I am always amazed at how many people are at the park in the wee hours of the morning. Then, I realized that this was my 1st weekday morning run at the park that wasn't a holiday. Usually, I am NOT a morning person...I am usually an evening runner. The difference in the temp alone might convince me to change my ways.
I started at the Tennis Center, did a little stretching and was off. I started out a little faster than I was used to, but of course, I am also used to running in 95 degree heat which tends to slow me down. About a 1/2 mile into my run, I ended up right behind two men talking about hiring, resumes and interviews. Ugh! I had to deal with that stuff all day, the last thing I wanted to do was hear about it during my run. So, I opted to run ahead of them...which didn't last for long. When I stopped for water on Memorial, they quickly caught up and jogged past. I decided to walk for a few seconds, so I wouldn't end up right behind them again. Running to me is therapeutic...I like to blow off steam, ponder silly questions and sometimes think of nothing at all. Talking about work during a run is just not my idea of fun. In fact, last year in HoustonFit, we banned the subject of work from our early morning LR discussions.
The rest of my run went well. I once again accidentally turned off my stopwatch, but did manage to track my time based on the 5/1 cycles. When I made it back to my starting point, I thought, why not keep going until you reach the 5K marker? I had done the 2.9 mile loop in exactly 29 minutes and felt pretty good. So, I kept going. I saw the 3 mile marker and looked ahead for the 5K marker. I know it's there somewhere, but somehow I missed it. I finally stopped when I got to the next 1/2 mile marker and headed back to the Tennis Center. I looked again for the 5K marker, but didn't see it. I know I'm not crazy...there used to be a 5k marker there somewhere! Anyway, I finished with a little stretching, utilized the showers and went on to work! It really feels great to 1) already have 1/2 my commute over before I run and 2) have already run for the day and have my evening free to spend with the hubby & kiddo and my studying!
Running Stats
Time/Temp: 5:50 am, 80 w/high humidity
Distance: 3.4 miles
Run time: ~33:53
Pace: ~9:58 (very good for me!)
WW Stats (Tues)
Points used: 32 (darn kolache!!!)
Activity pts earned: 0
Flex pts used: 12
Flex pts remaining: 12
Run long and Livestrong!
I arrived around 5:50 am and the temp actually felt great! Of course, the humidity felt like pea soup, but it was much better than running in the evenings after work! I am always amazed at how many people are at the park in the wee hours of the morning. Then, I realized that this was my 1st weekday morning run at the park that wasn't a holiday. Usually, I am NOT a morning person...I am usually an evening runner. The difference in the temp alone might convince me to change my ways.
I started at the Tennis Center, did a little stretching and was off. I started out a little faster than I was used to, but of course, I am also used to running in 95 degree heat which tends to slow me down. About a 1/2 mile into my run, I ended up right behind two men talking about hiring, resumes and interviews. Ugh! I had to deal with that stuff all day, the last thing I wanted to do was hear about it during my run. So, I opted to run ahead of them...which didn't last for long. When I stopped for water on Memorial, they quickly caught up and jogged past. I decided to walk for a few seconds, so I wouldn't end up right behind them again. Running to me is therapeutic...I like to blow off steam, ponder silly questions and sometimes think of nothing at all. Talking about work during a run is just not my idea of fun. In fact, last year in HoustonFit, we banned the subject of work from our early morning LR discussions.
The rest of my run went well. I once again accidentally turned off my stopwatch, but did manage to track my time based on the 5/1 cycles. When I made it back to my starting point, I thought, why not keep going until you reach the 5K marker? I had done the 2.9 mile loop in exactly 29 minutes and felt pretty good. So, I kept going. I saw the 3 mile marker and looked ahead for the 5K marker. I know it's there somewhere, but somehow I missed it. I finally stopped when I got to the next 1/2 mile marker and headed back to the Tennis Center. I looked again for the 5K marker, but didn't see it. I know I'm not crazy...there used to be a 5k marker there somewhere! Anyway, I finished with a little stretching, utilized the showers and went on to work! It really feels great to 1) already have 1/2 my commute over before I run and 2) have already run for the day and have my evening free to spend with the hubby & kiddo and my studying!
Running Stats
Time/Temp: 5:50 am, 80 w/high humidity
Distance: 3.4 miles
Run time: ~33:53
Pace: ~9:58 (very good for me!)
WW Stats (Tues)
Points used: 32 (darn kolache!!!)
Activity pts earned: 0
Flex pts used: 12
Flex pts remaining: 12
Run long and Livestrong!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Rain, rain go away!
Okay, I know the forecast said rain for Monday and Tuesday morning, but more often than not, the forecast is off. Sunday night, I packed up my work clothes and everything I needed to get ready for work on Monday AM with the intention of getting to the park no later than 6AM for a 35 minute run and going from there to the office. I woke up at 3:45 am Monday to the sound of my dog whining - he was not liking the rumbling of thunder coming from outside....I wasn't liking it either! I usually don't run in the AM, but I figured I would try it on Monday and Tuesday, so I could devote the PM hours to studying.
Unfortunately, I woke up to the sound of rain again on Tuesday as well. No running for now!
I am hoping to get in a run on Thursday afternoon...I know one run is not going to be good when it's time for the LR on Saturday, but I have no choice this week. The studying has to come 1st...then, after Sunday, I will be all done!!! I can't wait! My hubby has also planned a post-exam lunch for me, which I thought was really sweet. And, the best part - he even suggested that lunch include a margarita (or two)! What a guy!
Running Stats
NONE!
WW Stats
Points consumed - 20
Activity Pts earned - 0
Flex Pts used - 0
Run long and Livestrong!
Unfortunately, I woke up to the sound of rain again on Tuesday as well. No running for now!
I am hoping to get in a run on Thursday afternoon...I know one run is not going to be good when it's time for the LR on Saturday, but I have no choice this week. The studying has to come 1st...then, after Sunday, I will be all done!!! I can't wait! My hubby has also planned a post-exam lunch for me, which I thought was really sweet. And, the best part - he even suggested that lunch include a margarita (or two)! What a guy!
Running Stats
NONE!
WW Stats
Points consumed - 20
Activity Pts earned - 0
Flex Pts used - 0
Run long and Livestrong!
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Bad run
You know how you have those days when you feel like you can run forever? It doesn't happen often enough, but occasionally, everything clicks and I have a crazy burst of energy and feel great during an entire run!
Well, exactly the opposite happened to me on Saturday's run. I arrived at Luke's a little after 6am and took the time to stretch and chat with the other runners. We were doing a little more than 7 miles - heading N. on Shepherd, taking some side streets to Jackson Hill, eventually making our way down Washington and Center St to Heights Blvd. The turnaround was 12th street and then we would retrace our steps back to Lukes.
I started the run feeling great. Julie and I ran together and I felt we were going at a decent pace. Then, somewhere around 7th street, I started really feeling the heat and humidity. By 9th, I needed to walk before it was time for the 5/1 walk break. My head felt like it was going to explode and I just felt, I don't know, tired? Julie was nice enough to walk with me and I ran again after about a minute. I made it to 12th, turned around and a few blocks later I told Julie to go ahead. I've pooped out in the heat before, but this felt different. Honestly, I considered sitting down on one of the benches on Height Blvd and not running another step. Then, I figured I would eventually have to get back to Luke's and the day would not get any cooler, so I opted to keep going.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the heat and humidity. Coach JoAnne was right behind me and we continued the run together and later met up with Pam and a few other runners. We took a few extra walk breaks, but eventually made it back. Here's the best part...there were frozen washcloths waiting for us! It was just what we needed to cool off! (Thanks to the coaches who provided these!)
Overall, I was disappointed with my performance. Of course, I had to over-analyze everything...was it the chicken salad I had for lunch rather than my usual baked potato? Did I hydrate enough the day before? Did I start too fast? Was I too concerned with losing weight that I didn't eat enough carbs? Is this going to happen next week too? After all, it's only going to get hotter and the mileage is going to get longer. Or....did I just have a bad run? It happens! It wouldn't be the 1st time and definitely won't be the last. I hope that was all it was...but, it does make me worry a little.
On a happier note, I did lose 2.4 lbs my 1st week back in WW! Yes, I was doing the happy dance! That's what I love about WW - what other diet let's you eat Tex-Mex, have a margarita and few oreos and still lose weight? 13.6 more lbs to go!
Running Stats:
Time - 6 am
Weather - 82/80% humidity
Distance - 7.1 miles
Pace - 12:40
WW Stats (Sat)
Points consumed - 33
Activity pts earned - 10
Flex pts used - 3
Flex points remaining for week - 32
WW Stats (Sun)
Points consumed - 28
Activity pts earned - 0
Flex pts used - 8
Flex pts remaining - 24
Total weight loss - 2.4 lbs
Well, exactly the opposite happened to me on Saturday's run. I arrived at Luke's a little after 6am and took the time to stretch and chat with the other runners. We were doing a little more than 7 miles - heading N. on Shepherd, taking some side streets to Jackson Hill, eventually making our way down Washington and Center St to Heights Blvd. The turnaround was 12th street and then we would retrace our steps back to Lukes.
I started the run feeling great. Julie and I ran together and I felt we were going at a decent pace. Then, somewhere around 7th street, I started really feeling the heat and humidity. By 9th, I needed to walk before it was time for the 5/1 walk break. My head felt like it was going to explode and I just felt, I don't know, tired? Julie was nice enough to walk with me and I ran again after about a minute. I made it to 12th, turned around and a few blocks later I told Julie to go ahead. I've pooped out in the heat before, but this felt different. Honestly, I considered sitting down on one of the benches on Height Blvd and not running another step. Then, I figured I would eventually have to get back to Luke's and the day would not get any cooler, so I opted to keep going.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the heat and humidity. Coach JoAnne was right behind me and we continued the run together and later met up with Pam and a few other runners. We took a few extra walk breaks, but eventually made it back. Here's the best part...there were frozen washcloths waiting for us! It was just what we needed to cool off! (Thanks to the coaches who provided these!)
Overall, I was disappointed with my performance. Of course, I had to over-analyze everything...was it the chicken salad I had for lunch rather than my usual baked potato? Did I hydrate enough the day before? Did I start too fast? Was I too concerned with losing weight that I didn't eat enough carbs? Is this going to happen next week too? After all, it's only going to get hotter and the mileage is going to get longer. Or....did I just have a bad run? It happens! It wouldn't be the 1st time and definitely won't be the last. I hope that was all it was...but, it does make me worry a little.
On a happier note, I did lose 2.4 lbs my 1st week back in WW! Yes, I was doing the happy dance! That's what I love about WW - what other diet let's you eat Tex-Mex, have a margarita and few oreos and still lose weight? 13.6 more lbs to go!
Running Stats:
Time - 6 am
Weather - 82/80% humidity
Distance - 7.1 miles
Pace - 12:40
WW Stats (Sat)
Points consumed - 33
Activity pts earned - 10
Flex pts used - 3
Flex points remaining for week - 32
WW Stats (Sun)
Points consumed - 28
Activity pts earned - 0
Flex pts used - 8
Flex pts remaining - 24
Total weight loss - 2.4 lbs
Friday, June 16, 2006
Study, study, study...
Not much to report.
I took Wednesday off and met up with some friends at Chuy's for dinner and of course, Margarita's! It was wonderful to catch up with some of my former co-workers from the now defunct Andersen! I managed to not do too bad with the diet. I did have too many chips, but not as many as I would have normally had!
Yesterday, I skipped running in order to study some more. I will run with the Houston Fit group on Saturday, but will probably have to take a little hiatus next week in order to really "cram". My exam is next Sunday, so I'm down to the wire here! I had a little panic attack when I realized that I had only reviewed about 1/3 of the material covered on the test. Yikes!
Since this blog is supposed to be about running, I will stop rambling now. I'll update again after Saturday's LR.
Run long and Livestrong!
I took Wednesday off and met up with some friends at Chuy's for dinner and of course, Margarita's! It was wonderful to catch up with some of my former co-workers from the now defunct Andersen! I managed to not do too bad with the diet. I did have too many chips, but not as many as I would have normally had!
Yesterday, I skipped running in order to study some more. I will run with the Houston Fit group on Saturday, but will probably have to take a little hiatus next week in order to really "cram". My exam is next Sunday, so I'm down to the wire here! I had a little panic attack when I realized that I had only reviewed about 1/3 of the material covered on the test. Yikes!
Since this blog is supposed to be about running, I will stop rambling now. I'll update again after Saturday's LR.
Run long and Livestrong!
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Whew, another hot one!
Before I left work, I checked weather.com. It was 98 outside with a "feels like temp" of 100 and 30% humidity. (That's "dry heat" in Houston) Sure enough, when I left work yesterday, the tempature gauge in my car read 100. Confirmed....it's damn hot!!! Amazing, on my parent's side of the world (N. Houston), it was windy, overcast and actually raining. Go figure.
By the time I made it to the park, the wind was picking up a little and the temp was only 93. Remind me to never again complain when it's only 85 degrees! I was complaining back in April & May when it was in the 80's. What I wouldn't do to get those temps back! After some stretching, I headed for the loop. Today's training schedule called for 40 minutes. After about 5 minutes, I felt the nagging pains in my lower legs again. It makes me mad when my body feels good one day and bad the next! I decided to take it easy and set my watch for 5/1s.
It was hot, damn hot, and I tried to stay as close as possible to the line of trees that provided at least a little shade. I made it to the fountain on Memorial and wondered what happened to the breeze I felt when I got out of my car? It seemed to have disappeared. I continued and felt good until I reached the less shady side of the loop. I thought it was hot before, it was really damn hot on this side in direct sun! I made it to the next water fountain and drank again. I tried splashing a little water on my face and neck, but the water was warm and didn't help much. As I got closer to the tennis center, I saw an oasis...it looked like a Luke's Locker tent with GATORADE! Oh wait, it was a Luke's tent and there was gatorade! I downed a cup, thanked the man at the tent and moved on. (THANKS SO MUCH LUKE'S!) Apparently, they are there every Tuesday...now, I know what days I need to run at the park.
I made it to my starting point again, looked at my watch and saw that I needed about 8 more minutes. As much as I wanted to just go to my car, I decided to suck it up and continue. I jogged to the corner of the picnic loop and Memorial and back. This is another one of those runs when I wonder why I live in Houston. I love the city, but I can't stand the heat. Then, my mind starting wondering - where is the weather nice this time of year? San Diego, Boston? Oh well, I am here and I just have to accept that this is just the way it is...jeeze, and these aren't even the really hot months yet! I have a feeling that I will be utilizing the treadmill a lot more in the weeks and months to come. Thank God for the treadmill!
Run Stats:
Total run time - 40 minutes
Mileage - ~3.3 miles
Pace - 11:48
WW Stats:
Points consumed - 28
Activity pts earned - 5
Flex pts used - 3
Total points for day - 23
Flex points remaining for week - 18 (plan to use these tonight on Margarita's!)
Stay cool!
Run long and Livestrong!
By the time I made it to the park, the wind was picking up a little and the temp was only 93. Remind me to never again complain when it's only 85 degrees! I was complaining back in April & May when it was in the 80's. What I wouldn't do to get those temps back! After some stretching, I headed for the loop. Today's training schedule called for 40 minutes. After about 5 minutes, I felt the nagging pains in my lower legs again. It makes me mad when my body feels good one day and bad the next! I decided to take it easy and set my watch for 5/1s.
It was hot, damn hot, and I tried to stay as close as possible to the line of trees that provided at least a little shade. I made it to the fountain on Memorial and wondered what happened to the breeze I felt when I got out of my car? It seemed to have disappeared. I continued and felt good until I reached the less shady side of the loop. I thought it was hot before, it was really damn hot on this side in direct sun! I made it to the next water fountain and drank again. I tried splashing a little water on my face and neck, but the water was warm and didn't help much. As I got closer to the tennis center, I saw an oasis...it looked like a Luke's Locker tent with GATORADE! Oh wait, it was a Luke's tent and there was gatorade! I downed a cup, thanked the man at the tent and moved on. (THANKS SO MUCH LUKE'S!) Apparently, they are there every Tuesday...now, I know what days I need to run at the park.
I made it to my starting point again, looked at my watch and saw that I needed about 8 more minutes. As much as I wanted to just go to my car, I decided to suck it up and continue. I jogged to the corner of the picnic loop and Memorial and back. This is another one of those runs when I wonder why I live in Houston. I love the city, but I can't stand the heat. Then, my mind starting wondering - where is the weather nice this time of year? San Diego, Boston? Oh well, I am here and I just have to accept that this is just the way it is...jeeze, and these aren't even the really hot months yet! I have a feeling that I will be utilizing the treadmill a lot more in the weeks and months to come. Thank God for the treadmill!
Run Stats:
Total run time - 40 minutes
Mileage - ~3.3 miles
Pace - 11:48
WW Stats:
Points consumed - 28
Activity pts earned - 5
Flex pts used - 3
Total points for day - 23
Flex points remaining for week - 18 (plan to use these tonight on Margarita's!)
Stay cool!
Run long and Livestrong!
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Running in the dark
Today's Houston Fit schedule called for an easy 35 minutes. By the time the kiddo was in bed and the hubby was home from martial arts classes, it was after 8:30pm and I really didn't feel like running on the treadmill. I evaluated the situation outdoors - it was getting cooler and while the sun was going down, it was not really "dark" yet. I decided to grab my pepper spray and head outdoors!
I started my run by jogging to the park nearby. It's a park where baseball and softball teams come to practice and families come to picnic. By the time I made it there, it was almost completely empty and the last remaining family was packing up and leaving. Since it was getting darker, the place was a little eerie. I set my watch to do 5/1s and realized that I made it almost back to the area where I entered the park before hitting the first walk break. Ummm, I guess the dark made me a little nervous, because I was doing my own form of speedwork and didn't even realize it! I decided to leave the park and run on the streets instead. There wasn't much lighting in this part of the park and the streets are pretty well lit (well, in the areas where the streetlights are actually working...I noticed many of them were not working last night).
I ran up and down the streets closest to my own. For some reason, I feel safer when I stay closer to home at night. I was amazed at how many of my neighbors were outdoors at that time. That also made me feel a little safer for some reason. Of course, seeing them got me to thinking about how I don't know many of my neighbors. These folks could be robbers or murders for all I know, which made me chuckle to myself...I highly doubt that, but I guess you never know.
I thought I was getting pretty close to my 35 minutes, but when I looked down at my stopwatch, I realized that at some point I had accidentally turned it off! Ugh, my watch read 7:52. So, I tried to remember how many walk breaks I had taken to calculate how long I had been running. I decided to run for another 10 minutes just in case.
All day, I have been stressing about work, about my GMAT scores, about my upcoming PHR exam. There's something about running outside and running alone that is very therapeutic...and, I'm assuming, much cheaper than a therapist. When I arrived back home, I felt less stressed and I ended with some stretching. I was happy when I realized my lower legs felt pretty good...some little aches, but not too bad!
Here are my stats (sort of):
Temp - I forgot to check
Distance - I have no idea
Run Time - 35-40 minutes I think
Pace - no clue
Here are my WW stats:
Points eaten - 27
Activity points earned - 4
Total points used - 27-4 = 23
Flex points used - 3
Flex points remaining for the week - 21
(I am still trying to figure out how to post the WW info, so bear with me!)
Take care,
Run long and Livestrong!
I started my run by jogging to the park nearby. It's a park where baseball and softball teams come to practice and families come to picnic. By the time I made it there, it was almost completely empty and the last remaining family was packing up and leaving. Since it was getting darker, the place was a little eerie. I set my watch to do 5/1s and realized that I made it almost back to the area where I entered the park before hitting the first walk break. Ummm, I guess the dark made me a little nervous, because I was doing my own form of speedwork and didn't even realize it! I decided to leave the park and run on the streets instead. There wasn't much lighting in this part of the park and the streets are pretty well lit (well, in the areas where the streetlights are actually working...I noticed many of them were not working last night).
I ran up and down the streets closest to my own. For some reason, I feel safer when I stay closer to home at night. I was amazed at how many of my neighbors were outdoors at that time. That also made me feel a little safer for some reason. Of course, seeing them got me to thinking about how I don't know many of my neighbors. These folks could be robbers or murders for all I know, which made me chuckle to myself...I highly doubt that, but I guess you never know.
I thought I was getting pretty close to my 35 minutes, but when I looked down at my stopwatch, I realized that at some point I had accidentally turned it off! Ugh, my watch read 7:52. So, I tried to remember how many walk breaks I had taken to calculate how long I had been running. I decided to run for another 10 minutes just in case.
All day, I have been stressing about work, about my GMAT scores, about my upcoming PHR exam. There's something about running outside and running alone that is very therapeutic...and, I'm assuming, much cheaper than a therapist. When I arrived back home, I felt less stressed and I ended with some stretching. I was happy when I realized my lower legs felt pretty good...some little aches, but not too bad!
Here are my stats (sort of):
Temp - I forgot to check
Distance - I have no idea
Run Time - 35-40 minutes I think
Pace - no clue
Here are my WW stats:
Points eaten - 27
Activity points earned - 4
Total points used - 27-4 = 23
Flex points used - 3
Flex points remaining for the week - 21
(I am still trying to figure out how to post the WW info, so bear with me!)
Take care,
Run long and Livestrong!
Monday, June 12, 2006
Not much to report
Yesterday was an official "rest day", so I didn't run. I did feel the need to do some kind of exercise, so I took the kiddo on a 30-minute walk through the neighborhood. It was nice to be outdoors, even if it was hot!
Also, I did want to share my pics from the Astros game that we went to last week. The tickets were the freebies from the Astros Race for the Pennant, which I am running in links below:
http://www.karenthibodeaux.com/Image.asp?catalogID=942474
http://www.karenthibodeaux.com/Image.asp?catalogID=942470
Here's the family while watching batting practice:
Here's the view of the field from our nosebleed seats:
Finally, here is the kiddo eating popcorn...do you think she likes it?
My WW stats for today:
Activity points earned: 3
Flex points used: 7
Total points used: 30 (20+7 flex+3 activity)
Run long and Livestrong!
Also, I did want to share my pics from the Astros game that we went to last week. The tickets were the freebies from the Astros Race for the Pennant, which I am running in links below:
http://www.karenthibodeaux.com/Image.asp?catalogID=942474
http://www.karenthibodeaux.com/Image.asp?catalogID=942470
Here's the family while watching batting practice:
Here's the view of the field from our nosebleed seats:
Finally, here is the kiddo eating popcorn...do you think she likes it?
My WW stats for today:
Activity points earned: 3
Flex points used: 7
Total points used: 30 (20+7 flex+3 activity)
Run long and Livestrong!
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Houston Fit - Week 1
Today was the 1st day of HoustonFit's training for the fall marathons! A majority of the group will be running the Chicago, New York or Marine Corps marathons, but there are folks training for a few other marathons as well.
It started as a very warm morning - 78 and according to weather.com only 46% humidity, but I really don't believe it...it had to be more like 90%...at least that's what it felt like. We all met up at Luke's and I was surprised to see that the fall group is much larger than I anticipated. When I trained for NYC three years ago, I think our group was half this size. It was awesome to see many familiar faces - Pam, Mary Jane, Gayle, Fred, Julie, John, Debbie, Alisa (sp?), JoAnne and many more!!! I also thought back to the last time I ran a fall marathon...I didn't really know anyone on the 1st day other than my good friend Marlina. I also met quite a few new people, which was great too!
We did a variation of the rose garden run. I have no idea of the splits, but as our coach advised, we did keep the pace comfortable. I was really looking forward to today and training again, but after about 15 minutes, I did my usual "what the hell was I thinking?" thoughts and tried not to voice any major complaints about the heat. (Um, John was doing the complaining for the whole group!) :-) By the time we made it to the halfway point, I was okay and enjoying the run and catching up with my friends. It was kind of like the old, "so, what did you do over the summer?" thing that I did in grade school in the fall when we all returned from summer vacation. Mary Jane had just returned from what sounded like an awesome biking vacation, another member of the group just bought a home, a couple of folks told us about their experience in the Paris Marathon, etc.
On the way back, we had a little confusion about the route and we ended up going the wrong way (that's what we get for not paying better attention!). But, we all knew where we were headed, so we eventually made it back!
So, here are the stats:
Time: 6:45 am
Temp: 78
Humidity: 46% (???)
Miles: ~6
Time: 1:18
Pace: 13 min (too slow, but it can only get better!)
I am also re-commiting to my healthier eating starting today. I have been going to Weight Watchers for several months now, but I have been slacking off! I will lose 5 lbs, then gain it back, lose it again, then gain it back. I gained 8 lbs last year during marathon training, plus already had 7 pregnancy pounds left to lose. This year, I am determined to get my weight back down! So, to keep myself accountable, I am also going to start recording my WW points used, points earned and my weight loss right here (in front of God and everybody!). Jeeze, if that doesn't make me accountable, I don't know what will!
Just a little background on the WW thing - about 6 or 7 years ago, I had gained a lot of weight after getting married. I lost 32 pounds on WW and became a lifetime member. I kept it off up until I got preggo. It's a great program!
Points used: 26
Activity points earned: 8
Have a great weekend!
Run long and Livestrong!
It started as a very warm morning - 78 and according to weather.com only 46% humidity, but I really don't believe it...it had to be more like 90%...at least that's what it felt like. We all met up at Luke's and I was surprised to see that the fall group is much larger than I anticipated. When I trained for NYC three years ago, I think our group was half this size. It was awesome to see many familiar faces - Pam, Mary Jane, Gayle, Fred, Julie, John, Debbie, Alisa (sp?), JoAnne and many more!!! I also thought back to the last time I ran a fall marathon...I didn't really know anyone on the 1st day other than my good friend Marlina. I also met quite a few new people, which was great too!
We did a variation of the rose garden run. I have no idea of the splits, but as our coach advised, we did keep the pace comfortable. I was really looking forward to today and training again, but after about 15 minutes, I did my usual "what the hell was I thinking?" thoughts and tried not to voice any major complaints about the heat. (Um, John was doing the complaining for the whole group!) :-) By the time we made it to the halfway point, I was okay and enjoying the run and catching up with my friends. It was kind of like the old, "so, what did you do over the summer?" thing that I did in grade school in the fall when we all returned from summer vacation. Mary Jane had just returned from what sounded like an awesome biking vacation, another member of the group just bought a home, a couple of folks told us about their experience in the Paris Marathon, etc.
On the way back, we had a little confusion about the route and we ended up going the wrong way (that's what we get for not paying better attention!). But, we all knew where we were headed, so we eventually made it back!
So, here are the stats:
Time: 6:45 am
Temp: 78
Humidity: 46% (???)
Miles: ~6
Time: 1:18
Pace: 13 min (too slow, but it can only get better!)
I am also re-commiting to my healthier eating starting today. I have been going to Weight Watchers for several months now, but I have been slacking off! I will lose 5 lbs, then gain it back, lose it again, then gain it back. I gained 8 lbs last year during marathon training, plus already had 7 pregnancy pounds left to lose. This year, I am determined to get my weight back down! So, to keep myself accountable, I am also going to start recording my WW points used, points earned and my weight loss right here (in front of God and everybody!). Jeeze, if that doesn't make me accountable, I don't know what will!
Just a little background on the WW thing - about 6 or 7 years ago, I had gained a lot of weight after getting married. I lost 32 pounds on WW and became a lifetime member. I kept it off up until I got preggo. It's a great program!
Points used: 26
Activity points earned: 8
Have a great weekend!
Run long and Livestrong!
Friday, June 09, 2006
2.9 at the park
Yesterday, I met Roni at the park for a loop. It was a pretty hot day - 91 degrees (but "feels like" temp of 93), but luckily, only 40% humidity per weather.com. Hey, it's Houston! I'll take 40% humidity over the usual 100% any day!
With the heat, we decided not to worry too much about our speed...we knew it would be slower, as that seems to be the norm with these temperatures. The goal was to just get the mileage done! I figured, even with the heat, it was better than watching mindless chatter on the tv while running on the treadmill.
So, we started out at a decent, but slower-than-usual pace. We also tried to stay closer to the trees, since there was a little more shade there. In my heat-induced delirium, I thought up a name that I thought would be great for a band - "Too Little Shade". What do you think???
We chatted at first, but by the time we made it 1/2 way around the loop, we had both stopped talking. A little later, we decided it was just too hot to attempt conversation. We did stop at 3 of the 4 water fountains...it was too hot not to! The best fountain was the one at the tennis center where the water is refreshingly cool. I splashed some on my face and neck, which kept me cool for all of maybe 30 seconds. We finished the loop in 32:30, which considering the temperatures, I think is pretty good!
Ah, another day of running! I once again had the nagging aches in my legs, but it was not as bad as the day before. Much to my surprise, when I arrived home with dinner in tow, my sweet kiddo was already asleep! So, I actually had a little time to sit down and study, while icing my legs. I'm not used to the house being so quiet, but I did enjoy it while it lasted!
With the heat, we decided not to worry too much about our speed...we knew it would be slower, as that seems to be the norm with these temperatures. The goal was to just get the mileage done! I figured, even with the heat, it was better than watching mindless chatter on the tv while running on the treadmill.
So, we started out at a decent, but slower-than-usual pace. We also tried to stay closer to the trees, since there was a little more shade there. In my heat-induced delirium, I thought up a name that I thought would be great for a band - "Too Little Shade". What do you think???
We chatted at first, but by the time we made it 1/2 way around the loop, we had both stopped talking. A little later, we decided it was just too hot to attempt conversation. We did stop at 3 of the 4 water fountains...it was too hot not to! The best fountain was the one at the tennis center where the water is refreshingly cool. I splashed some on my face and neck, which kept me cool for all of maybe 30 seconds. We finished the loop in 32:30, which considering the temperatures, I think is pretty good!
Ah, another day of running! I once again had the nagging aches in my legs, but it was not as bad as the day before. Much to my surprise, when I arrived home with dinner in tow, my sweet kiddo was already asleep! So, I actually had a little time to sit down and study, while icing my legs. I'm not used to the house being so quiet, but I did enjoy it while it lasted!
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Dreadmill day
Last night, I managed to run 3 miles on my treadmill. Honestly, once I got going, it wasn't too bad! I took my mind off the boredom by flipping between some silly show on MTV (The Hills?) and some child celebrity - "where are they now?" show on E!. Nothing like a little mindless tv for a distraction!
Total run time was 33:12 and I ended with some extra stretching. I'm still having those pains in my lower legs, so I put an ice pack on each leg for about 15 minutes afterwards.
By the way, here's a link to my race photo from Saturday's Houston Heights 5K....
http://www.eventpictures.com/app/event/zoomPictures?eventInstanceId=6280&picture=932750#thumbs
Run long and Livestrong!
Total run time was 33:12 and I ended with some extra stretching. I'm still having those pains in my lower legs, so I put an ice pack on each leg for about 15 minutes afterwards.
By the way, here's a link to my race photo from Saturday's Houston Heights 5K....
http://www.eventpictures.com/app/event/zoomPictures?eventInstanceId=6280&picture=932750#thumbs
Run long and Livestrong!
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Lazy girl
Okay, call me lazy!
By the time I made it home from work, did all the normal things to get ready for the next day, got the kiddo into bed, and changed into my running clothes it was 8:40 pm. I walked to my treadmill, stood on it, stretched and decided that I just didn't feel like running. Weird! It occurred to me (thanks to my good friend Marlina), that I only have 2 more weeks of studying before I have to take the certification exam for my job. The dear old "Professional Human Resources" (PHR) certification....and I am no where near being ready! So, as I stood there on my trusty "dreadmill", I decided that I should study for the next couple of hours instead.
Part of me thinks that the lack of desire to run on my treadmill is also partially due to me being really spoiled. I have really gotten used to running with my friends, Pam and Kay, at the park. Running with friends is soooo much more fun than running on a treadmill...even when the treadmill is in the nice, cool A/C and directly in front of a tv.
I also know that once HoustonFit starts up again on Saturday, I will have to stick to my weekday runs. Right now, just for this week, I still have an option. :-)
I will try it again today. I brought my running clothes to work, but just checked the weather forecast and it is going to be 94 today. That, paired with the humidity, makes for a miserable after work run. Sounds like a good treadmill day to me!
Before I forget....Kudos are in order for fellow blogger and HoustonFit-er, Bob! He PRed in the Houston Heights 5K on Saturday!!! Wooohooo Bob!
Run long and Livestrong!
By the time I made it home from work, did all the normal things to get ready for the next day, got the kiddo into bed, and changed into my running clothes it was 8:40 pm. I walked to my treadmill, stood on it, stretched and decided that I just didn't feel like running. Weird! It occurred to me (thanks to my good friend Marlina), that I only have 2 more weeks of studying before I have to take the certification exam for my job. The dear old "Professional Human Resources" (PHR) certification....and I am no where near being ready! So, as I stood there on my trusty "dreadmill", I decided that I should study for the next couple of hours instead.
Part of me thinks that the lack of desire to run on my treadmill is also partially due to me being really spoiled. I have really gotten used to running with my friends, Pam and Kay, at the park. Running with friends is soooo much more fun than running on a treadmill...even when the treadmill is in the nice, cool A/C and directly in front of a tv.
I also know that once HoustonFit starts up again on Saturday, I will have to stick to my weekday runs. Right now, just for this week, I still have an option. :-)
I will try it again today. I brought my running clothes to work, but just checked the weather forecast and it is going to be 94 today. That, paired with the humidity, makes for a miserable after work run. Sounds like a good treadmill day to me!
Before I forget....Kudos are in order for fellow blogger and HoustonFit-er, Bob! He PRed in the Houston Heights 5K on Saturday!!! Wooohooo Bob!
Run long and Livestrong!
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Checking in...
Well, my 4-day weekend came to an end yesterday, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I didn't get a chance to run, but I did want to pop in and for a quickie post.
We had a family outing to the beach and then went to the Astros game yesterday using the free tickets from the Astros Race for the Pennant the weekend before. (Gotta love the free stuff!) The seats were a little high up for my husband's liking, but I loved being directly behind home plate! You could really see the strikes from there...not that I was really watching the game...I was too busy entertaining my 1 1/2 year old! She is a total Mommy's girl and wanted to be next to me the entire time. So, even though I didn't run on Monday, I felt like I got a thorough workout chasing her around, lifting her onto the seat, bouncing her up and down, keeping her from eating popcorn off the floor, keeping her shoes on, keeping her from bothering the folks in front of us, etc. Whew! I had no idea taking a toddler to a baseball game could be so exhausting!!! We did end up with a baseball from batting practice though...one of the perks having a cute kid with you...the players are suckers for that!
Anyway, I will be trekking on the treadmill tonight and will report on that excitement tomorrow!
Run long and Livestrong!
We had a family outing to the beach and then went to the Astros game yesterday using the free tickets from the Astros Race for the Pennant the weekend before. (Gotta love the free stuff!) The seats were a little high up for my husband's liking, but I loved being directly behind home plate! You could really see the strikes from there...not that I was really watching the game...I was too busy entertaining my 1 1/2 year old! She is a total Mommy's girl and wanted to be next to me the entire time. So, even though I didn't run on Monday, I felt like I got a thorough workout chasing her around, lifting her onto the seat, bouncing her up and down, keeping her from eating popcorn off the floor, keeping her shoes on, keeping her from bothering the folks in front of us, etc. Whew! I had no idea taking a toddler to a baseball game could be so exhausting!!! We did end up with a baseball from batting practice though...one of the perks having a cute kid with you...the players are suckers for that!
Anyway, I will be trekking on the treadmill tonight and will report on that excitement tomorrow!
Run long and Livestrong!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Houston Heights 5K
Yesterday, I ran the Houston Heights 5K for the 1st time!
My hubby convinced my nephew, Stephen, to run the race with me and it was great to have him there. Stephen ran track at his high school for the 1st time this year and has really enjoyed running, but this was his 1st street race. The night before, I gave him a run down on how the race works - the water stops, the route, the finish line, etc. He informed me that he had run a 3-miler at school in about 23 minutes, but that he hadn't run in the past month, so he was not going to "push it". I had to laugh...even not pushing it, I knew he was going to finish much, much faster than me.
On Saturday morning, we arrived early enough for Stephen to register for the race. On our way back from putting Stephen's t-shirt in the car, we joined Pam for a little warm-up jog on the jogging path. When we returned, we met up with Kay. Kay and I had agreed to meet at the chip pick-up, but when Stephen and I arrived, I discovered that this was not a chip-timed race. Luckily, Kay usually runs in a bright, very hard to miss baseball cap, so I figured finding her would not be a problem. We headed over to the start and met up with Bob, who introduced me to fellow blogger and Houston Running Bloggers President, John Walk. I just recently joined the Houston Running Bloggers, so it was great to meet him in person! Stephen decided to move a little closer to the front of the group...I figured he took a look at all of us "slower" folks and decided he needed to be up near the faster, younger folks.
When the gun went off, it took me about 20 seconds to cross the start line and it took a few blocks for the crowd to thin out a bit. I did notice that the route was, for the most part, nice and shaded. I am terrible about remembering to catch my splits with my watch, but I remember that according to the gun time, we finished our 1st mile in about 10:40. At about 1 1/2 miles, I started getting pooped out and took a quick walk break. Until then, I was running with Kay - who still looked strong and kept on truckin' it. At mile 2, the gun time was 21:35, so I knew I needed to pick up the pace a bit to at least beat my time from the Astros 5K last weekend. I did take another walk break between mile 2 & 3 and finished (according to my watch) in 32:21. That's 10:47 mile/minute pace, so I am not really to pleased with that. I will have to work to beat it at the 4th of July race in uptown park, although I know it will be pretty hot by then. This weekend, I remembered that my PR of 29:50 was accomplished on a wonderful February day when the weather was perfect - around 50 degrees, no humidity and not a cloud in the sky. Then, I wondered if I would ever beat that in the heat of the summer. I know it's possible...tough, but possible!
The afterparty was nice. There were breakfast tacos, juice, fruit and the usual stuff. I had more time to catch up with my running buddies and enjoyed meeting a few new folks too. Houston has a great running community! Oh and Stephen finished in a little over 30 minutes...he did admit that he walked a lot of the last mile. He said his hip was bothering him a little. He did say that he had a good time and may even try to run the 4th of Juky race with me.
Finally, I had a great time watching the kids run their 1K. I hope my kiddo is interested in running when she is that age. I would love to cheer her on in a 1K, 5K, 10K or maybe even a marathon one of these days.
Run long and Livestrong!
My hubby convinced my nephew, Stephen, to run the race with me and it was great to have him there. Stephen ran track at his high school for the 1st time this year and has really enjoyed running, but this was his 1st street race. The night before, I gave him a run down on how the race works - the water stops, the route, the finish line, etc. He informed me that he had run a 3-miler at school in about 23 minutes, but that he hadn't run in the past month, so he was not going to "push it". I had to laugh...even not pushing it, I knew he was going to finish much, much faster than me.
On Saturday morning, we arrived early enough for Stephen to register for the race. On our way back from putting Stephen's t-shirt in the car, we joined Pam for a little warm-up jog on the jogging path. When we returned, we met up with Kay. Kay and I had agreed to meet at the chip pick-up, but when Stephen and I arrived, I discovered that this was not a chip-timed race. Luckily, Kay usually runs in a bright, very hard to miss baseball cap, so I figured finding her would not be a problem. We headed over to the start and met up with Bob, who introduced me to fellow blogger and Houston Running Bloggers President, John Walk. I just recently joined the Houston Running Bloggers, so it was great to meet him in person! Stephen decided to move a little closer to the front of the group...I figured he took a look at all of us "slower" folks and decided he needed to be up near the faster, younger folks.
When the gun went off, it took me about 20 seconds to cross the start line and it took a few blocks for the crowd to thin out a bit. I did notice that the route was, for the most part, nice and shaded. I am terrible about remembering to catch my splits with my watch, but I remember that according to the gun time, we finished our 1st mile in about 10:40. At about 1 1/2 miles, I started getting pooped out and took a quick walk break. Until then, I was running with Kay - who still looked strong and kept on truckin' it. At mile 2, the gun time was 21:35, so I knew I needed to pick up the pace a bit to at least beat my time from the Astros 5K last weekend. I did take another walk break between mile 2 & 3 and finished (according to my watch) in 32:21. That's 10:47 mile/minute pace, so I am not really to pleased with that. I will have to work to beat it at the 4th of July race in uptown park, although I know it will be pretty hot by then. This weekend, I remembered that my PR of 29:50 was accomplished on a wonderful February day when the weather was perfect - around 50 degrees, no humidity and not a cloud in the sky. Then, I wondered if I would ever beat that in the heat of the summer. I know it's possible...tough, but possible!
The afterparty was nice. There were breakfast tacos, juice, fruit and the usual stuff. I had more time to catch up with my running buddies and enjoyed meeting a few new folks too. Houston has a great running community! Oh and Stephen finished in a little over 30 minutes...he did admit that he walked a lot of the last mile. He said his hip was bothering him a little. He did say that he had a good time and may even try to run the 4th of Juky race with me.
Finally, I had a great time watching the kids run their 1K. I hope my kiddo is interested in running when she is that age. I would love to cheer her on in a 1K, 5K, 10K or maybe even a marathon one of these days.
Run long and Livestrong!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Ouch
Since I've been experiencing some lower leg pain for the past week, I decided to take it easy this week. I figure since HoustonFit starts up again next week, I will give the legs a bit of a rest. I would hate to overdo it, make matters worse and then not be able to train.
Tuesday night I did my usual core conditioning exercises and worked on my arms with some free weights and pushups. I am determined to get rid of that nasty flabbiness of my upper arms!
Wednesday, thanks to the rain, I decided to run 30 minutes on the treadmill (boring!). I barely made it 20 minutes into my run when my lower legs couldn't take it anymore. I don't know what that's about...the pain is not in my shins, but not in my calf, just somewhere in the middle. I used the RICE technique, so I hope that will help. I will take it easy until the 5K on Saturday. Kay and I were planning to do a Memorial loop before the race, but now I'm not so sure.
I did find out that registration has already closed for the Chicago Marathon! I am so glad that I didn't procrastinate (as I tend to do) and I registered over a month ago. So, I am all set...I have my flight booked, hotel reservations, race registration paid for and even tickets for the architectural boat tour purchased. It's tough not having any other plans to make...now I just have to train and hope I survive the long training runs in the Houston heat! I'm not good at waiting, so I know October will not come quick enough.
Speaking of waiting, I am still waiting for my "official" GMAT score and to hear back from the MBA program I applied to...it's taking waaaay too long and patience is not my forte'! Keep your fingers crossed that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.
Take Care!
Run long and Livestrong
Tuesday night I did my usual core conditioning exercises and worked on my arms with some free weights and pushups. I am determined to get rid of that nasty flabbiness of my upper arms!
Wednesday, thanks to the rain, I decided to run 30 minutes on the treadmill (boring!). I barely made it 20 minutes into my run when my lower legs couldn't take it anymore. I don't know what that's about...the pain is not in my shins, but not in my calf, just somewhere in the middle. I used the RICE technique, so I hope that will help. I will take it easy until the 5K on Saturday. Kay and I were planning to do a Memorial loop before the race, but now I'm not so sure.
I did find out that registration has already closed for the Chicago Marathon! I am so glad that I didn't procrastinate (as I tend to do) and I registered over a month ago. So, I am all set...I have my flight booked, hotel reservations, race registration paid for and even tickets for the architectural boat tour purchased. It's tough not having any other plans to make...now I just have to train and hope I survive the long training runs in the Houston heat! I'm not good at waiting, so I know October will not come quick enough.
Speaking of waiting, I am still waiting for my "official" GMAT score and to hear back from the MBA program I applied to...it's taking waaaay too long and patience is not my forte'! Keep your fingers crossed that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.
Take Care!
Run long and Livestrong
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