Good Treadmill Run

It was back on the treadmill for me this morning. My basic plan was to run 30 minutes, but to hit the 5K mark if I had it in me. I remembered to set the incline to 1% at the beginning of the run, and hit the Start button. I ended up going for 45 minutes and 3.4 miles--yay! The pace was a little slower than it has been on the treadmill lately, but the steady incline, eventhough just a little, took its toll a bit, as the plantar fasciitis in my left foot flaired up a little. The foot feels better now.

I'm thinking about running a 5K on Saturday! Hmmmm....

Combo Workout

This morning I ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes (1.43 miles), then spent 20 minutes (3.5 miles) on the recumbent bike. My knees were feeling a little sore going down the steps of my apartment building on the way to the gym this morning, so I felt like I needed to take it a little easy.

On the treadmill, I forgot to set the incline at first, but 3-4 minutes into the run, I set the incline to 1% and left it there. I could feel some difference in the run (not QUITE as easy)!

Back on the Treadmill

I ran a 5K (3.1 miles) in 40 minutes on the treadmill this morning, with some incline (.5% and 1%). It felt pretty good, no foot pain today.

It's still dark during the majority of my workouts now. The seasons are changing, for sure. I'm kinda missing the possibility of running outside in the mornings. Oh, well, at least I'm okay with the treadmill.

I had a checkup yesterday, and was glad to hear my diabetes is still under control with diet and exercise. (Two years ago, I was taking four insulin shots for Type 2 diabetes!) She encouraged me to do the half marathon rather than the marathon at this point.

No Running Today

I decided to give my legs a break from running today, though it was a little tough! (Crosstraining is my friend, crosstraining is my friend!) Instead, I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, and another 15 minutes on the recumbent bike. On this end of the workout, it feels good to have done other exercises. :)

Unexpected Run

I got on the treadmill this morning expecting to run just enough to bumped my mileage up above last week's mileage of 17.85 miles. I only needed less than a mile, but I felt good enough to keep going, so I ended up with 2.73 miles in 35 minutes. That's 20.47 running miles for the week (in addition to the elliptical machine and recumbent bike). It's good to be back to a 20-mile running week!

Back on the Treadmill

I slept in and puttered around this morning, since Tropical Storm Hanna's wind and rain were coming through. I made it to the gym this afternoon, and did 30 minutes on the treadmill for 2.33 miles. Although I usually listen to my iPod during runs, I shook up the routine a little and watched the rest of an episode of "House" on the treadmill's little TV screen, plugging my earbuds into the sound jack. (There's a "House" marathon on the USA network today, and I got sucked in this morning!)

After the treadmill, I got on the recumbent bike for 15 minutes, for 2.55 miles.

Bike Workout

Still tired from yesterday's long run, I hopped on the recumbent bike at the gym this morning, and went 5.25 miles in 30 minutes, a pretty decent pace for me. I'm looking forward to running again, but my legs needed a break today.

I added a little bit of upper body strength training. The 15 lb. kettlebells are still too heavy for me, so I worked with the 5 lb. free weights.

Long Run Early

Since George and I are taking a couple of days off, and Tropical Storm Hannah may drop some rain on us Saturday morning, I decided to get my long run out of the way this morning. I got a late start, though, as I slept in a little. (I had a Junior League meeting last night, and a glass of wine at the post-meeting party at the Franklin Hotel. The meeting and party were fun, but the glass of wine wasn't the best decision for a night before a run!) By the time I started running at Shelley Lake, it was about 8:20, late for me, and already getting warm. I decided to see how far I could go, hoping to do 10 miles, given I was feeling a little blah.

The traffic between home and the lake was a little more congested than I'm used to, but the lake trails weren't as crowded was they are on Saturdays. Even still, I saw another Galloway training group member out running, so it was fun to chat with her for a couple of minutes. :)

I ended up with pesky pain (the usual plantar fasciitis in one and the mystery toe pain in the other) in my feet again today, so I took some walk breaks, but still finished an even 10 miles in 2:44:12, a 16:25 pace! I can tell I'm getting faster (and walking less), and that's encouraging. I need to build some more distance in soon, to make sure I nail the half marathon distance.

Bike Ride

I took it a little easy this morning, doing 35 minutes (6.07 miles) on the recumbent bike. My body and legs are tired this morning, and I gave myself permission not to push it too much. I just enjoyed the time at the gym, listening to podcasts, with the morning news on the bike's TV screen.

Crosstraining at the Gym

This morning I started with a slower run on the treadmill (30 minutes for 2.26 miles), then 15 minutes on the elliptical (1.07 miles), and lastly 10 minutes on the recumbent bike for 1.71 miles. Yes, my legs are feeling tired now!

The City of Oaks/Rex Healthcare Half Marathon that I want to run is just two months away now, on November 2! Yikes! No, I can be ready--and healthy! I can do it!

Speaking of doing it, my running friend Tayler has signed up for Team in Training--yay, Tayler! I'm excited for her, and impressed that she's taken on fundraising in addition to training for her first half marathon in December or January. Her fundraising page is here.

Treadmill and Bike

Although my legs still felt tired from the weekend workouts, I decided to get on the treadmill and see how far I felt like going. I ended up doing 3.15 miles in 41 minutes, a 13 minute m/m pace! Glad to be running a little faster, even if it's on the treadmill. I need to remember to be careful, though, and not go so fast that I get injured again.

After the treadmill, I got on the recumbent bike and did a slower (than yesterday) 2.61 miles in 15 minutes.

Bike Workout

After yesterday's long run and a pretty active evening at the Duke-James Madison U. football game, I woke up tired this morning. I procrastinated for a while, then headed to the gym for a 30-minute workout on the recumbent bike. I did 6.82 miles in 30 minutes, a 4:23 pace--faster than usual for me. I felt spent at 30 minutes, and was relieved to stop. Good workout, though.

On the virtual front, I'm enjoying using the website DailyMile for some tracking and the message boards. Let me know if you'd like an invitation.

Shelley Lake Run

Today I hit the trails around Shelley Lake in Raleigh, hoping to work on my speed a little bit. My goal was to go between 10-13 miles, and I ended up on the low end of that, with 10.25 miles in 2 hours and 55 minutes of running and walking.

I did a 10 mile route that includes part of Shelley Lake and part of the greenway heading toward Crabtree Creek. I was a little worried about getting lost, but it all looked familiar to me, and eventhough I took a wrong turn at one point on the greenway, it was a short path, and I was able to turn around and get back on track easily. (That accounted for most of the extra quarter of a mile in my total mileage.)

I took a pit stop at Crabtree Valley Mall, including filling up my water bottle down by Pottery Barn.

My feet bothered me some, but not as much as during my last 10-miler. I also drank more water, which helped overall. (My sweat didn't smell like ammonia today either, big relief! Sorry if that's TMI!)

My average pace today was about 45 seconds faster than my last 10-mile run, so I'm happy about the progress. At a 17:04 average pace for today, I'm still about a minute/mile slower than I need to be to finish the City of Oaks Half Marathon on time. Granted, this was a training run, but it wasn't even a full 13 miles. I'm hoping I'll get there!

A Little Crosstraining

This morning I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, and 10 minutes on the recumbent bike. I took it easy this morning, saving some energy for a long run tomorrow morning. I hope to go at least 10 miles, but would love to hit the 13-mile mark tomorrow morning and see what my training time is.

Good Run

I hopped on the treadmill this morning and had one of my best runs in a while, 3.11 miles in 41 minutes for a 13:10 pace. I ran the whole time, with no walking breaks (mush easier on the treadmill). I did increase the incline for parts of the run. The best part of the run was that my feet didn't hurt today--yay!

It dawned on me recently to check the time limits for the longer races I'm interested in. The Battleship North Carolina Half Marathon, which I'm already signed up for, has a 3 hour time limit. I'm not sure I could do that yet (did I mention I'm slow!). :-( The Rex Healthcare Half Marathon (which is coupled with the City of Oaks Marathon) has a time limit of three and a half hours, which is a 16 minute pace. Sounds slow, but it has taken me a long time to run the longer distances, using the Galloway run/walk method. The last time I ran/walked with the Galloway group, my pace for a little over 10 miles was nearly 18 minutes per mile! Yikes! I know I'm building my mileage base, but I may not be fast enough to run the half marathon in Raleigh--YET! I need to look for some other half marathons in the area, I think, and check out time limits. Meanwhile, I'll continue to work on my running. Time for some new running shoes, too, I think.

Elliptical Workout

This morning I stuck to the elliptical machine, though I was itching to get on the treadmill. I really wanted to run, but since I've logged miles the past two days, I decided to take a break and do the elliptical. I went 3.35 miles in 45 minutes, a 13:25 pace. I've decided to start working on picking up my pace, so I was pleased to see that the 13:25 pace is a little faster than other elliptical workouts lately.

Good Treadmill Run

I hit the treadmill for a run this morning, with no plan in mind. I ended up running 3.4 miles in 45 minutes with relatively little pain. I did feel a little pain under my right toes, this time only under my "twin" toes. (That's what my family's always called them. My sister has them as well, but we don't know of anyone else in the family who has had them.) I wonder if the pain has something to do with that, but I have the webbed toes on both feet, but the strange pain under-toe only on my right foot. Hmmm....

Elliptical and Treadmill

This morning I did 35 minutes on the elliptical (2.54 miles), then hopped on the treadmill for 15 minutes (1.09 miles). While on the treadmill, I played with the incline a bit. It was a good workout, all in all.

Crosstraining

This morning I did a little bit of several things. I started with 20 minutes on the recumbent bike, then 10 minutes of running on the treadmill, followewd by 10 minutes on the elliptical machine. I had it in me to do a little more, but wanted to be careful with my left foot--the plantar fasciitis is still nagging a bit. Maybe I'll do more later. Or maybe I'll get some rest.

Not-So-Long Run

This morning I decided I didn't feel like a group run, so I did part of my run at Umstead Park, and the rest on the treadmill at the gym. As it happens, I have things to go to four out of the past five nights (including dinner with George's family last night for Barry's birthday). My introverted self needed some alone time, so I slept in a little, and headed over to Umstead Park.

Okay, so it wasn't JUST the busy week that kept me closer to home than the Galloway group's Shelley Lake run this morning. The plantar fasciitis in my left foot is bothering me, and I didn't want to be at the back of the group again this morning!

I did enjoy the time at Umstead, which included some time on dirt roads and the discovery of a lake there. I ended up doing 4.09 miles there, and 4.15 miles on the treadmill at the gym. The 8.24 mile total took me 2:12:20. I wish I could've run longer, but 8+ miles is okay......

Just the Bike

My legs are a bit sore (and I'm a bit tired) from last evening's run at Umstead State Park, so I just did 30 minutes on the recumbant bike this morning.

I'm thinking about doing my long run by myself in the morning. I'm scheduled to do 12 for the half marathon, but have been stuck at 10-ish on my long run Saturdays of late. I'm getting a bit discouraged about talking about my bum feet to the Galloway group; I wonder if they think I'm complaining and not doing anything about it! Truth be known, I have been delaying a bit, since seeing a specialist and getting orthotics, or even getting good running shoes (which I have already)...it all gets expensive, and I'm trying to weigh the foot issues with other things I'm saving for. Orthotics-probably the route I'll go in time, cost $400-500! Yikes! That's on top of decent running shoes, which wear out, and cost in the $100 neighborhood.

In the big scheme of things, this running thing is a hobby of mine, but it's a really important hobby! Would I spend this kind of money on any other hobby? Probably not in one chunk. My feet rarely bother me when I'm going through the day, doing normal things. So, I'll probably start socking money away for orthotics, or wait my healthcare reimbursement account can be flush again. (My current balance is down to a couple of dollars, should've put more in, but didn't anticipate the broken nose plus physical therapy for a groin strain.) That money would be pretax, which is nice, if I can wait a few more months.

Umstead Park Run

This evening I participated in the North Carolina Roadrunners Club's (NCRC) August Trail Series at Umstead Park in Raleigh. Most of the group ran an 8K, but I took advantage of the 5K option. After that first trail run I did with the group last month, I have this fear of coming in dead last, which shouldn't have bothered me like it did.

The last time I did the trail series, later in July, I recognized someone from the Galloway group, who introduced me to some other people. This evening I didn't recognize anyone, though plenty of other people seemed to know each other. How does that happen?! *sigh* I did talk to one lady afterward who, as it turns out, is a physical therapist with plantar fasciitis. I got a good recommendation (I think) from her about a podiatrist for my foot issues. He's at North Carolina Orthopaedic Clinic. I am a bit discouraged at the thought of expensive orthotics, but I'm also discouraged by the pain I feel when I run anything much more than three miles.

I also talked to a guy who was there serving as a medical contact (required for the club's permit to run there this evening), who sounds like he runs about the same pace as me. He said he doesn't run the group events because he's afraid he can't keep up. Boy, could I relate to that!

Anyway, I did run 3 miles this evening, in 43:10, not great, but not bad considering the humidity and the hills.

Outside Walk

I slept in a bit this morning after celebrating George's grandfather's 94th (!) birthday last night in Cary. I was hoping to run this morning, but didn't have the mojo, so I decided to walk outside around the neighborhood. I got in 1.73 miles in 36 minutes. It's a pretty morning, so I enjoyed being outside. Nice change of pace. Maybe I'll get some more exercise in later today.

Combo Workout

This morning I did 15 minutes on the recumbent bike, then 20 minutes on the elliptical. I woke up feeling a little tired this morning, so I was tempted to stay on the bike. I'm glad I pushed myself to work on the elliptical machine too.

Treadmill Run

This morning I did a 5K on the treadmill, 3.1 miles in 40:05, a 12:56 pace. Although I didn't get as much sleep as I would've liked last night, I felt pretty refreshed during the run, and even now. I would've liked to have come under 40 minutes for the 5K, but that's okay.

Yesterday I walked during my work breaks and went around the Trinity Park neighborhood near where I work. I really enjoyed looking at all the houses and yards. I was fascinated by the renovations going on at the Kings Daughters Home on Buchanan, which I hear is being turned into a B & B. I want to keep walking in that area at least to see how progress is going there!

I registered on another running site yesterday, DailyMile.com. It seems to be a good site, another place to track mileage and participate in forums, groups, and such. I'll see how long I can keep yet another site going! BuckeyeOutdoors is still my favorite for keeping track of my workouts.

Elliptical Workout

This morning I did 40 minutes on the elliptical machine. I'm a little sore from this weekend's back-to-back runs, but not too bad.

A Little More

This morning I decided to run outside, which was a nice change of pace. I felt tired, though, from yesterday's activities, so I thought I'd go a mile and see how I felt. One mile turned into three, in 45:16. Though you'd never know it from my time, I did more running than usual. Eventhough I was tired, the hills felt a little easier this morning.

My muscles are a little sore from yesterday's run, but it still felt good to run today, partly to have some time to myself. While I enjoyed yesterday's meeting and dinner, it was a lot of "people time," so I needed some time to myself. Now that I think about it, that's probably why I ran outside this morning, rather than going to the gym where there were other people. Though I'm still tired, I do feel better.

Partial Run

This morning I got up early and was at the gym before 6 AM to run on the treadmill for a while before my 9 AM meeting. I was scheduled to run 10 miles, but ended up doing 4.46 miles of (mostly) running, and then 1.7 miles on the recumbent bike before heading home to get ready for the all-day meeting at ERUUF.

I wish I'd had time to get the whole 10 in, but I was hard pressed to get up early enough to run 10 miles before 7:30 AM, giving me enough time to get ready and get to church in time. (It was a good meeting, and I'm glad I went.)

I watched the end of the women's Olympic marathon tonight, and it was very inspiring. I only caught the last couple miles of the gold medalist, but wow, how impressive! Constantina Tomescu Dita from Romania won in 2:26:44, and is the oldest woman to win the Olympic marathon! Wow!

Yesterday I emailed a lady about the Anna's Angels 10-Miler, which I was considering signing up for. (Since I've run 10 miles or more a few times, I thought it would be a good experience to try a race.) I noticed that the awards ceremony is going to be 2 hours after the race starts, so I emailed the contact person to see if I could run in it, eventhough I knew I couldn't finish it in under 2 hours. (I wasn't worried about being in medal contention!) She replied that the course closed after a couple of hours for safety's sake, so the 5K might be a better option for me. *sigh*

I'm planning to run again in the morning to round out the week's mileage.

More Bike

This morning I did 35 minutes (for 5.71 miles) on the recumbent bike at the gym.

I'm feeling tired this morning, after spending several hours on my feet (a chunk of it on concrete flooring) for yesterday's open house at work. It was a lot of fun, but I can still feel it in my body this morning. I'm surprised I still feel as tired as I do. Wish I could sleep in tomorrow, but I have a meeting at church from 9-4!

Treadmill Run

I did 40 minutes on the treadmill this morning for 3.18 miles. It felt great, wish I could've gone longer. I'm heading to work soon to help set up for our open house. (Can't wait to see people!)

Crosstraining

This morning I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine and 10 minutes on the recumbent bike. Switching around on the machines this week is helping to keep me going. I'm tired this morning after last evening's interview with a Korean documentary crew. I was on the elliptical at the gym already when I realized my v-neck t-shirt was on backward! Hehehe

Variety

Yesterday I did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine. This morning, I ran for 30 minutes on the treadmill, and finished with 10 minutes on the recumbent bike.

Short Bike Ride

This morning I did 30 minutes on the recumbent bike at the gym. I still had some sore muscles from yesterday, and I wanted to save some energy for the day's events (being a Worship Associate at church this morning and lunch aftward with the family). It was a good day, all in all, but I'm looking forward to more exercise tomorrow. (I think I still feel a little gipped from Saturday.)

That Darn Foot

This morning I had a pretty eventful run, eventhough it was cut short (disappointingly, because my feet were hurting). I ran/walked 10.09 miles in 3 hours, 14 seconds.

While I was running near the back of the pack, I got to talk with JoAnn, one of the group leaders. I hadn't had a chance to talk with her before, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her better. She asked what I do, so we talked about libraries and my job for a bit. She told me about a friend of hers who works at Joyner Library at East Carolina University; she decided she wanted a faculty position within the library, so in past few years, she's completed her bachelors degree as well as a masters degree in English. Now this friend of hers is about to start the library science degree program and NC Central, utilizing the online option, at the age of 51! Pretty inspiring! That was great for me to hear.

JoAnn and I also talked about my running goal of the City of Oaks marathon. She suggested (tactfully and kindly) that I consider running the half marathon instead. She has run several half marathons and loves them! I started thinking about it, and how I've felt pretty spent after 10 miles in the past few weeks. If I concentrate on half marathon training, I could continue to build my mileage base, and return to some fall road races without feeling guilty about missing higher mileage runs on Saturdays. I'm still mulling over all of this, but my gut feels relieved when I think about running a half marathon and more 5k and 10K road races.

During one of our bathroom breaks, which happened to be at Crabtree Valley Mall. We were diverted from the door we usually go in because it was still locked--to keep out the line forming for none other than American Idol tryouts! Who knew?!

After I finished 10 miles and veered off from the group, I got to the parking lot, and had a nice chat with Janet and Jeanette, twins training with the Galloway group, who were parked near my car. They're very nice, so I enjoyed talking with them while standing still. :)

I got in the car and headed for the gym, feeling the need to work out some more. I felt a little frustrated and cheated out of a longer run. I went through the McDonald's drive-through and got a Diet Dr. Pepper to rehydrate, and drove straight to the gym. (Since my apartment complex is right across the street, I was a little tempted, but not much.) I did 45 minutes and 3.33 miles on the elliptical, and enjoyed listening to music on my iPod for most of that workout. I still felt bummed about not going 18 miles as planned today, but I felt better.

Afterward, I dropped into the grocery store in the same strip mall as the gym to get some items. When I was ready to check out, I happened to get in line behind several men with Durham Fire-Rescue shirts on. As they were getting their grocery bags together, the cashier reached for my discount card and asked how I was doing. I usually say, "Fine, how are you?" This time I told her I was okay, that I'd just worked out at the gym and was ready to get home. For some reason, she asked how long I'd been at the gym. I told her 45 minutes, but that I'd run for three hours before that. (Okay, she didn't know I was licking some silly wounds!) Well, the Durham Fire-Rescue guy closest to me heard the exchange and did a double take at me, then turned to his cohorts and said, "Dang, she ran for three hours!"

Okay, so that made me feel a little better! :)

Bike Again

I did another round on the recumbent bike, 6.64 miles in 40 minutes. I'm going to be drinking a lot of water today in anticipation of tomorrow's looooonng run. I'm thinking about getting some early miles in, depends on whether or not I can get to bed early!

Elliptical

This morning I did 45 minutes on the elliptical for 3.21 miles. I may join the NCRC this evening for their August trail series. It's hot......

Busy Times

Yesterday morning I did 40 minutes on the elliptical, and I got to bed earrrrrly last night. This morning I got on the treadmill and ran for 30 minutes. It was a little hard to get going, but once I did, it felt great! After the run, I did 20 minutes on the recumbent bike.

The move to the new building for work went well, all in all, and has provided me with some extra physical activity, between unpacking, learning where everything is, and getting to the staff lounge upstairs. I like the new building a lot!

Short Elliptical

This morning I did 35 minutes on the elliptical machine. I woke up late this morning, as I forgot to set my alarm last night, so...a short workout this morning. I'm eager to report to our new work building this morning, so I'm rushing to get in earlier than normal. Wish me luck!

Back on the Bike

This morning I found my way back on the recumbent bike at the gym for 7.21 miles in 45 minutes. Although I'm not in nearly the state I was in last weekend, I still feel the plantar fasciitis going on in my foot, so I decided to take it easy.

Galloway Scavenger Hunt

This morning's marathon training run with the Galloway group was the annual scavenger hunt, this time at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Luckily (for the artwork!) we ran on a trail around the museum and on a nearby greenway, where we had to take pictures to show that we found clues on a sheet of paper.



We used my digital camera, which is how I got the pictures here. Although several more were taken, these are my favorites!








Another picture of my pace group-pretty neat, huh?








Although this wasn't a scavenger clue, it's also along the art museum trail. I though it was interesting, and I was glad I had my camera handy.





Toward the end of the mileage, Gloria (who was behind me with a few other folks) called up to say they were going to the Cloud Chamber. I turned around, followed the sign, and headed down this trail, trying to catch up with them. I came to a spot where I had to choose between going left or right, and there wasn't another sign. I could hear some (non-distressed) voices in the distance and called out, but didn't hear anything back. I decided to turn around and head back to the parking lot and my car.

I ended up clocking 9.71 miles in 3 hours, which included time to stop and take pictures, as well as once when I stopped my Garmin and forgot to restart it. I don't feel as tired now as I did last Saturday, but my feet hurt a good bit during this morning's run. The plantar fasciitis in my left foot stretched out eventually, but the burning in my right foot (under the toe bridge) was a nagging (and sometimes sharp) pain.

More Energy

This morning I feel more rested, which is a relief. I only ran 5 minutes on the treadmill, though, as I wanted to check out some new arch supports. (The plantar fasciitis in my left foot has been bothering me since last weekend's run.) They feel okay, so I decided to save my legs (and feet) for tomorrow's 10-mile run. I hopped on the elliptical and did 40 minutes on it, working the legs but without the impact.

I hope the plantar fasciitis does okay tomorrow morning.

Shorter Workouts

Yesterday I did 35 minutes on the elliptical machine, and this morning I did 35 minutes on the recumbent bike. Needing more time for rest, but have several other things gobbling up that time. *Sigh* In the immediate future, my department moves to a different building this coming weekend, and I'm scheduled to be interviewed by some people from Korea this evening (about the personal health benefits of rice!), so once these immediate commitments are behind me...

Update: I enjoyed my interview with the Koreans about brown rice. I was intrigued and impressed by the process, and they were very respectful and tried to make me feel comfortable. They filmed me making my rice supper, and asked me questions in the living room. They also shot some footage of George and me together, which was nice.

Blah!

Eventhough I got to bed early last night, I'm still feeling tired this morning. Not sleepy, but tired. I thought about taking a break from exercise this morning, but decided to do some time on the recumbent bike and take it easy--did 5.05 miles in 40 minutes, nice and slow. The bike provided some respite for my left foot as well, which is being bothered again by plantar fasciitis.

Since rest alone isn't getting me back to square 1, it's time to concentrate more on some low-sodium nutritional things to help me out. Suggestions, anyone?

Still Recovering

This morning I did 45 minutes on the recumbent bicycle, as my legs still felt like they needed some recovery time from Saturday's long run. Boy, it really took it out of me! We'll see how I feel in the morning.

Weekend Workouts

Yesterday's long run at Shelley Lake with the Galloway group was an eye opener! I continue to learn lots about my body and what I can do. I'm also learning more about what my body (and mind) need for me to push it to the limit.

16 miles was on the schedule for those of us doing Oct./Nov. marathons. I knew this was on the schedule, and I tried to be ready, but I wasn't as fresh as I would've liked. With group leader Kathy's company again, I ended up walking the last new miles, ending up with about 15.5 miles in a little under 5 hours. Can you say slow?!

Following last weekend's busy vacation (which included hiking), I had a busy work week getting ready for our move. One day I even moved a bunch of boxes and books around, which was a good workout but ended up being physically draining. And then there was the Thurdsay evening run at Bond Park, which was fun, but maybe not restful (especially after working out at the gym that morning!).

Yesterday morning I slept in a tad, so I skimped on breakfast, and ended up sucking down a couple of GU gels--can you believe that?! I need to work on breakfast before a long run, a banana at least!

I drank more water during yesterday's run, which helped a lot. I was glad to have the water bottle with me! We also had a snack stop (with fruit, fig newtons, etc) for the first time, so I enjoyed getting replenished. (The orange slices were especially awesome!)

When I got home, I showered and took a big ole nap! I felt tired for the rest of the day, but my legs started feeling better last night.

Today I've continued to feel tired. Last weekend's run plus hiking aside, this seems to be the longest I remember feeling this tired from a run. I need to figure out how to recover better. Maybe it's a matter of my body getting used to the extra exertion, plus extra rest and water--and good nutrition.

This morning I was planning to go to the gym and ride the recumbent bike, but I didn't feel like getting into my car. I put on my Garmin and went for a 40-minute walk, but the plantar fasciitis in my left foot, which reappeared yesterday, still gave me problems this morning.

I'm glad to have my second 20-mile running week of the month, but this was a hard-fought 20 miles! I'm off to take a nap!

Bike

OK, so I was tired again this morning! That's what I get for doing an evening run--but it was worth it! I did 35 minutes on the recumbent bike at the gym this morning. Tomorrow--long, long run!

Second Wind

I continued to feel tired all morning, but around midday I started feeling better, so I ended up joining the North Carolina Roadrunners Club's Thursday Trail Series at Bond Park in Cary. I did this run a couple of weeks ago and got lost a couple of times, so I was the last one in. This time, I ran a shorter distance (2.72 miles) while most of the group ran about 5 miles. Several of us ran the shorter course, so I didn't feel like a loner on a group run this time, and I enjoyed socializing with the other runners as people came back to the starting area. It turns out there were several Galloway runners there tonight, so it was nice to meet some people from other pace groups and talk about various races.

Another thing that made it fun was that I was a winner in the drawing again! (Last time I won a hydration belt, and I thought the group was trying to tell me something, since I was still on the course when I won it.) This time I won a cute wicking t-shirt! It's a little small for me, so I can swap it at the New Balance running store in Raleigh, I'm told. Sweet! :)

Shorter Workout

This morning I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, and that was it. It felt like plenty!

I got to bed a little earlier last night, after a busy evening of shopping, but I'm still feeling a little sluggish. It feels like it's taking me a little longer to recover from hard workouts. Maybe I'm just stubborn about getting to bed a little earlier on a regular basis. I am doing more long/hard workouts with the marathon training, so in theory I should expect to need more rest. I'm also trying to drink more water, and am contemplating how to change my diet to boost energy without taking a lot of supplements and stuff (beyond a comprehensive multivitamin).

Any ideas, anyone?

More Rest

I got to bed a little earlier last night, and felt more rested when I woke up this morning. I need to continue the earlier bedtime!

I did 50 minutes (3.46 miles) on the elliptical machine this morning. My pace was a little slower than usual for me, but felt fast enough. Perhaps there's still some residual tiredness from the trip. I'm also hyper-aware of this coming weekend's scheduled 16-mile run.

Back Home

This morning I went back to my regular gym, but was still tired from all the weekend's activities. I surprised myself by going 35 minutes on the treadmill (running the whole time) for 2.57 miles, followed by 15 minutes (2.58 miles) on the recumbent bicycle. I'm still tired. Need to make a habit of getting to bed early this week.

Vacation Exercise

George and I have returned from a surprisingly active vacation in Winston-Salem! On Saturday, I got up early and hit the hotel fitness center's treadmill and ended up running 10.31 miles in 2:28:09, a 14:21 pace. For me, that's pretty good! I did more running than walking, instead of doing my usual walk 1/run 1 minute for long runs, because I was in a hurry to finish the 10 miles on my marathon training schedule. I ended up overshooting the 10 miles because I ended up doing the running in segments. (First I had to make a pit stop, then the treadmill would only go 65 minutes, then my paper training log slid off the ledge on the treadmill and got caught in the little red "stop" cord, which made the treadmill stop after 4 minutes and change, stuff like that.)

After that, my legs were pretty tired, but George and I set off for Pilot Mountain State Park. There, we started down an easy path with several scenic overlooks (and chances to rest!). When we came upon a sign for another trail, a "moderate" 0.8 mile loop, George was eager, so I agreed. On THAT trail, we came across yet another trail sign that marked a 2-mile "strenuous" trail. George was beside himself to do it, saying he wanted some strenuous exercise like I'd already had, and he wanted me to come along. I balked in a major way, but finally agreed to go along. Boy, was it strenuous! I thought I was in decent shape, but learned a lot about my legs and 10-mile runs followed by hiking. I was pretty uncomfortable by the end of the hike, and was thankful for an offer of water from another hiker along the trail. I was glad to make it to the end, and learned something about my mental as well as physical stamina.

I didn't get up early to exercise yesterday morning, but George and I visited Old Salem in Winston-Salem yesterday afternoon, and though it entailed more walking, it was informative and delightful, really. My legs and whole body were still tired from Saturday, but I'm glad I did it.

This morning, still in Winston-Salem, I got up early and headed out for a run, but my legs just didn't have it in them. I tried several times to get going, but it just wasn't in the cards. I ended up walking 2.54 miles in 50 minutes around part of the Wake Forest University campus. I'll try running again tomorrow.

Vacation Workout

This morning I had the luxury of staying a little longer at the gym, since I'm off work tody. I started with 15 minutes on the recumbent bike, then 45 minutes on the elliptical, and then six minutes on the treadmill. A little bit of almost everything--it felt good. I could've done more, but George and I are heading to Winston-Salem today!

Blah

This morning I just didn't feel like exercising. I had another late one last night (didn't get home until 10!), so I was feeling sluggish when I stumbled out of bed. The outside air helped, so I decided to run outdoors, first 5 minutes, then another 5 minutes, and I kept going until I'd logged 33 minutes and 2.22 miles. (Cool the way the numbers worked out!) The 14:53 average pace is pretty good, considering my weariness. I'm tired of being tired in the morning, and need to work on winding down and getting to bed at a better time.

I did a run/walk combination again, but this time I tried some different things, like running from point A to point B instead of worrying so much about the time. That was a nice change of pace.

As I type right now, I have the "Today Show" on in the background, and they're covering the Cary, NC, jogger who went missing and was found murdered a couple of days ago. It's a very sad story, and it's made me even more aware when I run outside. I miss my iPod when I run outside, but I usually don't feel as safe when I run with an iPod outside the gym.

Another Elliptical Day

This morning I hopped on the elliptical machine, and got a 45 minute workout in.

George and I met his parents and aunt for dinner at Brixx last night, so as usual, I was tired this morning. When I got to the gym, I thought, "Okay, let's see what 10 minutes of exercise feels like." From there, I just kept adding a little bit until I hit 45 minutes. Sometimes I even had my eyes closed on the elliptical, something I could never do while running, but I was that tired! I'm glad I went and exercised though, and now I feel a little more awake.

On the Run

I almost didn't run this morning, but I'm glad I did! I went to the gym initially, and had to talk myself into getting on the treadmill. When the "increase speed" button on the treadmill's console got stubborn, I got determined to run. So I put on the Garmin (which I had with me) and went running around the neighborhoods near the gym. I ended up going 2.93 miles in 45:42 doing a run/walk combo. I felt a little sluggish at first, but afterward, I felt good enough to get on the recumbent bike at the gym for another 15 minutes.

On the Elliptical

This morning I did well to get in 30 minutes on the elliptical. I'm still feeling tired, possibly from the 13-ish mile run on Saturday, followed by 8 miles on the recumbent bike yesterday. I wonder if the tiredness could be from something else, but the weekend workouts are probably the culprit.

On the Bike

I'm feeling tired this morning, and my hamstrings are sore, to boot. I made it to the gym this morning and did 46 minutes on the recumbent bycicle. I'm even more tired now. I wonder if I could've just used a day off from exercise. George and I are joining his family for brunch in a bit, but I see a nap in my future, like this afternoon!

I ran 20.88 miles this past running week, the first time I've had a 20-mile week in quite a while! Yay!

Long Run with Galoway Group

This morning I joined the Galloway training group again for our weekly long run. Different people are running different distances now, based on their target races and how they're feeling. I ran with the 14/15 min. pace group again, and was glad I did this morning, as I needed to pace myself pretty slowly for the scheduled 14-mile run.

Most of the pace group did 10 miles. At the end of the 10-miler, the only other person who wanted to go farther was Kathy, one of the group leaders. After a restroom break at Crabtree Valley Mall, the two of us took off again. (Unfortunately, I forgot to restart my Garmin Forerunner at first, but I remembered eventually!) I enjoyed talking with Kathy some more. She was good company for the extra 3 or so miles. My Garmin clocked 12.83 miles in 3 hours, 36 minutes, for a 16:50 average pace, pretty good considering we did a run/walk/run the whole way, except for the last mile or so, which we walked because my left leg was bothering me a bit again.

I'm feeling pretty decent, but need to take a nap this afternoon since George and I have plans tonight.

Time on the Bike

After yesterday's workouts and lots of work-related walking, I am tired and sore this morning. I spent 30 minutes on the recumbant bike this morning, and couldn't wait to finish the very minimum minutes I try to do on a daily basis.

Bond Park Run with NC Roadrunners

I decided to join the Thirsty Thursdays July Trail Series of the North Carolina Roadrunners Club for their run at Bond Park last night. It was a 5K run for everyone last night, but it turned out to be a little longer for me!

I started out being able to keep the last person in view, but then they rounded a corner, and on down a bit, I totally missed a turn! By the time I figured out which way to go and did some backtracking, they were long gone. I was relieved to see the white arrows again periodically.

A while later, I saw another arrow that turned, but I didn't know if that was supposed to be the direction we took after the nearby tunnel, or if it meant to turn around. I went through the tunnel and made a left--for a while. Turns out I was supposed to turn around BEFORE the tunnel--and head BACK! Ack!

I did have a map, which wasn't very helpful for my first time running Bond Park. Thankfully, there were others out running and walking as well, so I asked for directions a couple of times to make sure I was heading in the right direction. I did enjoy the park when I wasn't worried about catching up or finding my way back to the boat house. I even spotted a bunny rabbit. :)

Needless to say, I was the very last one of the group to finish, so much so that someone from the group came looking for me. Funny thing is, I actually won one of the door prizes they were offering--a cool looking hydration belt! Figures that my name must've been called and I was STILL out on the course. ;-) (Guess they figured I needed some extra hydration if I was going to be running that long!)

I ended up running/walking 3.74 miles, thanks to the missed turns, in 54 minutes.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to go back next week. If I do, at least I'd know better which way to go! What would you do?

Running and Elliptical

This morning I ran on the treadmill for 21 minutes, then hopped on the elliptical for 21 minutes. Why 21 minutes each? I'm not sure, except that it felt like I was pushing past 20 minutes on each machine, a little extra umph.

I think I'm going to try out the North Carolina Roadrunners Club's "Thirsty Thursdays" July Series this evening. I'm not much of an evening runner, but I decided to try out another social running event. It looks like they're offering some cool door prizes, another reason to try it out! :)

Shopping for Endurance Gels

Yesterday after work, I decided to stock up on some Gu Gels. I have some Honey Stinger Gels coming in the mail from Amazon.com (where they're cheaper than in the stores if you get free shipping), but I wanted to stock on Vanilla Bean (my favorite flavor) Gu Gels while I'm waiting for the Honey Stingers to arrive. Would you believe I stopped at THREE stores before I found what I wanted?! First I stopped at Omega Sports off of 15-501, but they only had Espresso and Chocolate-flavored Gu Gels, not so refreshing during or after a run, in my book. Next, I went to Dick's Sporting Goods, in the same strip mall. They had some other brands, but no Gu Gels that I could find. (I'm partial to Gu Gels, because they have about a quarter of the sodium of the others endurance gels, and I'm watching my sodium.)

I finally went to REI across from SouthPoint (AGAIN), where I was able to buy two BOXES of Vanilla Bean Gu Gels, plus an assortment of some other flavors to try. Unfortunately, there were only two boxes, or I may have bought at least one more. There are 6 in each box. Sometimes I use them during the week, in addition to my Saturday long runs.

I still like SportsBeans, and while I saw an assortment of them yesterday in the three stores, I've found that ordering them online from the SportsBeans website is handy.

Do you use endurance gels, drinks, bars, or other such things? If so, which is your favorite brand and flavor? Where do you like to buy them?

Low Battery

I was going to run outside this morning, but when I powered up the Garmin, it announced with a beep that it had a low battery. (I know how that feels sometimes!) I went to the gym and did 31 minutes on the treadmill for 2.63 miles, then hopped on the bike for 15 minutes (2.67 miles).

Back on the Elliptical

Today I did 41 minutes on the elliptical machine for 3.02 miles. I feel a little weary after a busy Monday; I wonder, too, if I'm still a little "hung over" from all the running I did over the weekend. I'll take some walk breaks at work today to help get my exercise minutes higher.

Shorter Workout

My legs are tired this morning, so I stopped after 35 minutes on the recumbent bike, going 6.67 miles. Not a bad workout after a busy running weekend.

Can't Believe I Ran Again!

I got to my car this morning, intending to drive to the gym, but I ended up turning toward Brier Creek instead. I fired up my Garmin Forerunner and ran/walked 4.36 miles in 1:05:00! As much as I enjoyed being around people at Friday's race and yesterday's group run, I really enjoyed running by myself this morning.

Three days of running in a row, probably not so good. My legs feel suprisingly good today, considering.

Another Galloway Long Run

This morning I met the Galloway Training Group at Shelley Lake again, and decided to go with the 14/15 group again, especially since I did the 4-mile race yesterday. We did five 1-mile repeats with the intent of practicing getting closer to race pace. With the 14/15 pace group, the first couple of miles were that way, but the last three were slower. With my tired race legs, I didn't mind the slower pace. I started out as one of the faster people in the group this morning, but by the end I felt tired enough to slow down and talk more with people.

The group leader and I got things straight in terms of mileage this morning. Last week I was a bit discouraged because the group went a shorter distance than was on my training schedule for the City of Oaks Marathon, and the group leader insisted that 10 miles was correct. Well, it turns out that because I'd just (re)joined that group, she didn't know what my target race was, and no one else was planning to do the City of Oaks Marathon at the time. (Another pace group member has since let her know that it's her target race too.) I didn't think to tell her either.

I enjoyed talking with Leigh Ann this morning; she works with diabetics, so we had a lot to talk about. I also had fun getting to know Janet, whose twin sister, Janette, is running with the 13 pace group.

Because of the intended speed work, I ended up doing 8.02 miles in 2:15 today--faster than last Saturday, but a slower overall pace than yesterday (big surprise). I enjoyed the earlier meeting time today.

Four on the Fourth

I've been missing the road racing circuit lately, as I've been concentrating on Saturday long runs with the Galloway Training Group. So, today being Friday, July 4, I had a couple of races (at least) to choose from in the Triangle area, and opted for the Four on the Fourth in Carrboro, put on by the Cardinal Track Club.

The weather was really pretty, though a little hot and humid. The course was fairly flat, which was nice too! We ran through some neighborhoods near the start and finish lines at McDougal Middle School. There wasn't a lot of crowd support, but the people who were out were very nice. While I appreciated everyone who was out clapping for us, I especially liked seeing parents out with their kids, encouraging even us back-of-the-packers. What a cool way for parents to model good sportsmanship to their children!

I finished the four mile race in an unoffical (Garmin 205) time of 51:16. The Garmin actually showed 4.02 miles for that time, a 12:46 min/mile average. I did a run/walk combo, and was hoping to finish in under an hour. I'm thrilled to have an average pace below 13 minutes for the 4 miles. I ran more in the earlier miles, walked more in the later miles. I ended up finishing the race with a nice lady whose name I didn't even get, but I enjoyed talking with her as we ran/walked a good portion of the race near each other.

The only odd thing about the morning was having to do with the timing chip. As I was walking toward the registration area this morning, I noticed nobody with race numbers had timing chips on their shoes. I was suddenly a little disappointed, and was surprised at myself for missing the detail that timing chips weren't going to be used for this race. (It's okay if races don't-though most do these days--I just like to know, one way or the other.) When I registered and got my race number, it turned that the chip was in a pouch on the back of the race number! Interesting! The volunteers said there would be a place at the end of the race to put the pouch with the chip. Once I crossed the finish line, someone pulled out a yellow piece of paper that was in the pouch, but he missed the chip. I spotted a box full of the pouches with the yellow sheets (and chips) still inside beyond the finish line. I pulled the pouch with my timing ship apart from my race number and asked the nearest official-looking person about it. He hesitated, but put in it the box I'd spotted and said they'd work it out. I hope so! ;-) If not, at least I have my Garmin time.

This was my first 4-mile road race, so I'm excited about having this PR of 51:16 to break in the future.

UPDATE: Official results are in, and my chip time is 51:17:34. I finished 400th out of 411 finishers. The age group posted results only went three deep.

How Much Is Too Much?

I had some leftover energy last evening, so I went to the gym and got on the recumbent bike for 30 minutes, then hopped on the elliptical for 21 minutes. Add this to the 41 minutes I walked yesterday morning, and I think I overdid it yesterday! This morning I'm more tired than I was yesterday morning, so I stuck to the recumbent bike for 40 minutes.

Morning Walk

This morning I was pretty tired, mostly from yesterday's day trip to Merchants Millpond State Park and other spots between here and there, but perhaps from yesterday morning's workout as well. So, I just decided to walk this morning, and ended up going 2.3 miles in 41:07 minutes. That's a 17:53 average pace, which is pretty good for me, as I've been a slow walker in the past. Being under 20 minutes per mile is an improvement. The marathon training must be paying off! ;-)

I went to Weight Watchers to weigh in this morning, and have dropped 9.2 pounds in two weeks, which is pretty exciting. (I lost 5 lbs the first week, and 4.2 pounds in the past week!) The weigh-in receptionist said if I had another big loss this next week, then we might think about adding a point to my daily total (I'm doing the Flex Plan). I just smiled, but didn't mention that I've had a hard time staying under my points total as it is, but I'm still losing weight. I doubt that'll last for long, and I'll need to be more diligent with the points when my rate of weight loss slows down. Funny thing is, when I logged my new weight on Weight Watchers' eTools this afternoon, the site had me retake the Points Quiz, and it took a point AWAY from me! Ha!

I stopped by REI AGAIN this morning on my way home from WW, and stocked up on energy gels again. They're still having a sale on selected food products, so I decided to try a couple of different flavors of the Hammer Gel, Apple-Cinnamon and Raspberry. I tried them this afternoon, and while they were okay, I still like their Vanilla the best. Of the Gu Gels, I like the Vanilla Bean the best so far, so there is a trend. Ya know, I haven't heard anyone else mention the vanilla, but I've heard folks talk about the chocolate and espresso flavors. I think I'll continue to prefer a lighter flavor for pre/post workouts.

Treadmill Run

Eventhough I'm on vacation, I got up just a little later than usual, and headed for the gym. I did 30 minutes on the gym to warm up, then hopped on the treadmill for 30 minutes. It felt so good I bumped up the speed, as well as the incline, and clocked 2.55 miles! Granted, it helps some having the treadmill belt pulling you along. Still, I'll take the 11:45 avg. pace (no walk breaks!) today.

Thinking about running a Friday race. Suggestions from my North Carolina readers are welcome!

Meanwhile, I'm off to explore the NC countryside in an effort to visit some more counties on my North Carolina Odyssey Project. I'll be posting pictures and what not on that blog soon.

Tired

My legs felt sore this morning, and I felt generally tired, so I did 31 minutes on the recumbant bike at the gym, and called it at workout. I'll be off of work the rest of the week, so I look forward to some extra exercise, as well as some R & R.

Another Run/Walk Morning

This morning I headed back out for a run/walk, against some better judgement, considering I had a long run 24 hours earlier. I felt a little better about yesterday's run with time, but I needed to prove to myself that I could stretch myself, especially without someone else setting my pace.

I decided to drive to the park for the run. The gates were already open when I got there at 7:30, a little late for me. The signs say the park doesn't open until 8, so I was surprised that I didn't have to park along the road and jog in. At first I thought, "Oh cool!" But I ended up have to share the roads with some cars and the air with a few swarming buggies. It felt good to get a good run/walk in though, 4.05 miles in a little over an hour.

For good measure, I stopped at the gym on my way home and got 20 minutes in on the recumbant bike. It was nice to show myself I still had some energy left.

After being a bit out of sorts over yesterday's long run, I really enjoyed running on my own. My introverted running self got recharged.

Off-Beat Morning at Shelley Lake

This morning I joined the Galloway group for the regular Saturday morning long run. The yellow sheet with our target training schedule said that today would be a 12-mile run. I've been wondering all week whether to stick with the 13:00 pace group or go back to the 14/15:00 pace group, which I ran with on my first week with the Galloway group.

Once I got to Shelley Lake (where the group met to run this morning), I had a hard time finding a parking place, for starters. The Raleigh Galloway training group as a whole is nearly 400 strong, and while there are group members absent on any given Saturday, there are still a lot of group runners there each Saturday morning. As it happened, the local Team in Training group was out running around Shelley Lake too, in addition to the normal traffic (which often includes some North Carolina Roadrunners Club running groups too). Crazy tight parking, but I ended up creating a parking place under a tree, so my car was nice and cool when I got back to it.

I found my 13:00 group leader and told her I was going to join the 14/15:00 group today, and she said, "Okay, well go ahead and sign in on our board." Another 13:00 pace groupie overheard me, and it turns out her mom is one of the 14/15:00 group leaders, so she introduced the two of us. That made me feel a little better.

Once I got to my adopted group, I asked about the 12 mile plan for today, and the leader said, "NO!" This group was running 10 miles, all we needed, considering the planned races, she said. She was adamant about it. I backed off, but felt a little put off. I was already feeling a little tenuous over switching groups.

Today was group and pace group picture day. I participated in the Raleigh group photo. My 13:00 pace group opted for a pace group photo, but the 14/15 group I was running with today wasn't going to stay for a photo, so off I went with them, missing out on the photo shoot with the folks I've been running with for several weeks. So, I was still feeling a little out of sorts.

We walked for a little bit to warm up as usual, then we started the 1 minute run/1 minute walk ratio. Without meaning to at all, I was at the head of the group, sometimes by a good bit, and the leader lady had to keep calling me back to run with the group. This was pretty frustrating--for both of us, I'm sure. I introduced (or reintroduced) myself to everyone in the 14/15:00 pace group, and they're a friendly and determined group of people. I found out that another lady in the group, Gloria, is also planning to run in the City of Oaks Marathon, and that was a treat to learn. After a while, a lady in the pace group came up to me and asked if she'd like me to have her run with me in the 13:00 pace group for a while, then rejoin the 14/15:00 group later in the run. I jumped at the chance! Nancy turned out to be a long-time runner (and professional personal trainer) who's running as a guest with her sister, a first-time runner in the 14/15:00 pace group. It was nice to be back with the 13:00 group, still at the back of the pack but with willing company.

At the half-way point, we rejoined the 14/15:00 pace group, and at first I felt a little out of sorts again, as people were already into conversations. But I overheard Gloria talking with another lady about music, and the other person mentioned a washboard band she was in while in school. The school I went to had a washboard band, so I started singing their theme song and suprised her! Yes, it turned out we'd been to the same school, St. Mary's, though at different times. She graduated from the junior college division when the school had one, and I graduated from the high school part several years before. Still, it was great fun talking to her about it! To add to the connections, we found out our first-date anniversaries with our boyfriends is the same day-Halloween! :) Unfortunately, I don't remember this person's name, so I'll have to get it next time.

I continued to be at or near the front of the group, until we stopped for our final bathroom break at one of the park's restrooms. I wasn't going to go, but decided to at the last minute. While I was in the restroom, I thought someone else was still in there, so I said through the walls, "I'll be out in a minute," assuming "she" was heading on outside. When I got outside, though, there wasn't a single person in the running group left, and I wasn't sure how to get back to the parking lot! It was a surreal feeling, really. I decided to start heading in the opposite direction from the one we came in, and hoped to seeing something or someone familiar. I came to a fork in the path before that happened, but I saw someone coming toward me who looked friendly. I asked her which was the way back to the Seratoma Arts Center parking lot. (The arts center is next to Shelley Lake, and the parking lot there is the biggest of the Shelley Lake parking lots.) Her response: both ways! The expression on my face must've read: Okay, so which way is shortest?! She pointed to the left, and asked if I were part of the Galloway group. It turns out she was too, and was already done and walking around a bit. It was nice to meet someone new and have a little company for the walk in.

I ended up doing 10.01 miles in 2:54:00. I had to walk around the parking lot to log 10 miles on the Garmin, though I probably did a little more than 10. (I forgot to start the Garmin up at the very beginning, and then forgot to restart it after a couple of water stops.) My left leg bothered me again this morning. Susan suggested it might be Illotibial Band Syndrome or something similar, and she could be right. *sigh*

Once back in the car, I tried a Gu Gel I bought at REI earlier this week. This particular flavor was called Espresso Love, which is coffee flavored and has extra caffeine, among other electrolytes and vitamins. As much as I like the smell of coffee (not to mention the taste of coffee ice cream!), I'm not a big coffee drinker, so the taste of it after a run (did I mention it was hot outside this morning?!) wasn't very refreshing. Bleh! Oh well, it's fun to try different things, especially with recommendations from others. I still have a Vanilla Bean flavored Gu Gel to try, and a Honey Stinger Ginsting-flavored gel to test drive too. (The Honey Stinger Banana flavor sounds good to me, but didn't see it at REI.)

On her way out of the parking lot, Gloria passed me, rolled down her window, and asked me if I would be back next week. I smiled, and told her I would. (It was nice to be asked, eventhough she was probably alluding to the holiday weekend next weekend.)

I need to decide what to do about the pace group thing. I feel like I'm in between pace groups and don't have a comfortable "home" group, at least for now. There are worse problems to have, I know, but this is a several-month commitment of Saturdays I've signed up for (there was money involved) , and I don't want to dread going. There were certainly several bright spots today, mostly involving people instead of running, though. Perhaps I need to rethink my running goals for the rest of the year, and remember that the City of Oaks probably won't be my last marathon, and that the social aspect of running is a lot of run.

Have you been in a similar situation? If so, I'd welcome your insights!

Just the Bike

Just felt plain tired this morning, even with a pretty good night's sleep, so I just did 30 minutes on the recumbant bike this morning. I hope I can get to bed at a decent time tonight. A 12-mile long run is scheduled for tomorrow.

Trip to REI

I shopped at REI across from Southpoint for the first time tonight, and I must admit I really enjoyed the store! It made me want to go hiking and camping! I stocked up on SportsBeans, and got a couple of gu flavors to try. I also got this ball thing on the left to try on my feet, especially for the plantar fasciitis in my left. It's under my foot as I type, and it feels so good to roll my foot on it!

Now George is rubbing the ball on my shoulders and neck--ahhhhhhh (he's hired!)!

The Elliptical is My Friend

I got on the elliptical this morning and just stayed there! Lasted 50 minutes on it, which was fun. Worked up a good sweat.

I don't know what I'm going to do about my second run of the week. Tomorrow SHOULD be a rest (or at least a non-run) day, since I have the long run coming up on Saturday. If I end up going with the slower paced group on Saturday, I could get away with a run tomorrow, though, I bet. Decisions, decisions. I COULD crosstrain tomorrow, see how the run goes on Saturday, and run again on Sunday if I'm feeling up to it.

Some Running

This morning I finally got back to running--yay! I was tired this morning after a busy evening yesterday, so I didn't really feel like running when I started. Once I got my legs moving, the fog cleared from my head, and the running felt pretty good. The weather helped-a very pretty morning, if not a little humid. I ran/walked for 40:32 minutes and 2.61 miles. Afterward, I hopped on the recumbant bike at the gym for another 15 minutes.

No Running Today

When I got to the gym this morning, it was pretty crowded (a lot like January, with New Years Resolution-ers), so I got on the elliptical machine for 20 minutes. Then I noticed a treadmill was open, so I wiped down the elliptical and moved over to the treadmill. Well, it turned out the one empty treadmill was broken! :-( So...I got BACK on the elliptical for another 15 minutes. I like the elliptical, but I'd had my heart on some running today.

Tomorrow, I hope to run!

More Crosstraining

This morning I did 10 minutes on the recumbant bike, then did 41 minutes on the elliptical. My leg muscles are feeling a bit tired this morning, hence the shorter workout. I did some stretching at home after my workout.

In the Gym

This morning I did 25 minutes on the recumbant bike, then 25 minutes on the elliptical machine. My legs felt pretty good today, after some soreness overnight. Felt really good to work up a sweat, even in the air conditioning. Afterward, I did a bit of upper body strength training, first with a kettlebell, and then with some free weights.

Weight Watchers is going well, all in all, so far. One of the great benefits so far is that I'm drinking more water.

Long Run Day, Galloway Style

This morning I joined the Galloway training group again for a long run. We met at Raleigh Running Outfitters, and had a 10-mile run planned. We ran around Shelley Lake this morning, and ended up running 10.33 miles. It took me 2:45 minutes today, a little slower than last week, which was a little discouraging. I had trouble with the outside of my left leg again, so I ended up walking the last two miles or so, this time with Meri. We were the last of our group to come in, but the 14/15 mile pace group was still behind us.

It makes me wish there was an in-between pace group, say a 13:30 group. The 14/15:00 pace group is too slow for me personally, but this 13:00 pace group seems a little fast for me right now.

I don't want to quit going to the Galloway group training runs, as I do enjoy the comraderie and advice I get from the fellow runners. I'm glad I finished the "run" this morning, and we did walk that last bit at a brisk pace, faster than I would have by myself.

In other positive news, I'm now over 50% of the way toward finishing the Platinum Award in the President's Challenge! I started working on this program on October 3, 2006, and I finished the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards in pretty quick fashion. The Platinum Award will take me a while, for sure. (Though these long training runs are helping me out a bit!) It's nice to have something long term to shoot for, even if it's not a really big deal. I haven't ordered any of the awards for previous level completions, but if they offer something for the Platinum level by the time I get there, I might just order it. It'll be like a finisher's medal for a very long race. ;-)

Back in the Gym

After two days of running outside, it felt pretty good to be back in the gym. I did 10 minutes on the recumbant bicycle, my first time on it this workout week. Then I got on the elliptical machine for 35 minutes.

I rejoined Weight Watchers Wednesday evening, so yesterday was my first day of counting points on the Flex Plan. I'm glad to be keeping track of my food now, which will be a good habit to get back into. I signed up for the monthly pass to save money, and it also qualified me for eTools free. So I can keep track of my food and points online on the Weight Watchers website--right up my alley! (Thanks, Beth, for the inspiration!)

I'd gotten back onto the website SparkPeople earlier this week. The food and exercise tracker didn't do it for me, though. And while you get points for doing different activities on the website, they don't get you anything (except for a virtual trophy). With Weight Watchers, you get activity points for exercise to add to your food points total, which is a little more motivation for me.

Umstead Park Run

I returned to Umstead Park this morning for a run, as I wanted to be able to take a break from running tomorrow before Saturday's long run. Yesterday's run was a little blah, so I was wondering how today's run would go. I ended up going 3.05 miles in 43:31 minutes, two minutes per mile faster than yesterday's pace. :-) I feel good about being able to pick up the pace today!

I think one reason I've been feeling some blahs with my running lately is that my target race is in November. I need goals a little closer in. One of my next goals will be to run a 5K without walk breaks, like I used to be able to do before the injuries.

Another Run/Walk Morning

This morning I ran/walked for 40:11 minutes, going 2.47 miles--not a stellar pace, but I got out there. I ran outdoors in a nearby neighborhood, and it felt cooler this morning--very nice!

Just Walking

I just didn't feel like getting into my car this morning before I need to for work (thanks to last night's after-work meeting from 7-9 north of Hillsborough), so I fired up the Garmin and took a 46-minute walk. I feel better for having walked, but am still very tired. I'll be heading to bed early tonight!

Back on the Elliptical

I did 50 minutes on the elliptical machine this morning. Had meant to get to the gym in time to go a full hour, but it didn't happen today. I've decided to try to do more on the elliptical this week, since it burns more calories. Last week I did more on the recumbant bike, over 18 miles, but only 4 miles on the elliptical. Today I did 3.78 miles, so a good start to the week already!

55-minute Workout

I couldn't bring myself to run this morning, still a bit tired from yesterday's run. Instead, I did 40 minutes on the recumbant bike, which I enjoyed a lot. Wish it burned more calories, but it was nice just to peddle for a while. Then I did 15 minutes on the elliptical machine, and actually worked up a sweat there. It was hard to get my legs moving on the elliptical at first, but it felt good once I got going.

Another Galloway Long Run

I joined the Galloway running group again this morning, and according to my Garmin, I went 10.41 miles in 2:45:01. I started out feeling strong, but was feeling tired and tight in my left leg by the end. A couple other group members walked the last mile or so with me, and I really appreciated that. We ran in Cary this morning, including two loops around Lake Pine, near where George used to live. (Since I've been home this morning, I've discovered a neat blog about Lake Pine, which includes some wonderful pictures. I'd recommend checking it out!)

How can I make these long runs easier? Is it just a matter of doing them, and building endurance as I do the base mileage? Perhaps I should look at nutrition and stretching throughout the week, too.

The social part of the Galloway running group is getting me up on Saturday mornings--and getting me through the distance, too. I don't always want to be the caboose, though. I know, I know, it's not about who's first or last, so part of what I need to work on is mental toughness, perhaps.

All on the Bike

This morning I ended up doing a 36 minute workout, all on the recumbant bicycle. I was tired from the get-go, but knew I'd feel better after doing some sort of workout, so I just settled in and peddled for a total of 6.2 miles. I do feel more awake, but think I still have some legs left for tomorrow's long run, which will be 10 miles.

Nice Outdoor Run

Yesterday I did 15 minutes on the recumbant bicycle, and 25 minutes on the elliptical. Had a busy day, too rushed to blog in the morning, and too tired last night!

This morning I decided I needed a change of routine, so I got going a little earlier and drove over to Umstead Park for my run. It was so peaceful! I even saw a couple of deer, in addition to the birds and squirrels. The rolling hills were a pretty good workout, to boot. I went 2.58 miles in 41:24.

A Little Bit of Different Things

This morning I did 10 minutes on the recumbant bike, 15 minutes on the elliptical, and 30 minutes of walking outside. I enjoyed doing a variety of things today, especially since my legs are still feeling a little tired from Saturday's long run. I plan to return to running tomorrow.

Back at the Gym

It felt good to workout indoors today, as it's going to be another hot weekend day here. I did 20 minutes on the recumbant bicycle, then 30 minutes on the elliptical machine. I finished with 5:22 on the treadmill. I enjoyed the crosstraining, but I'm still a little tired from yesterday's long run, I think.

I've been thinking lately about how expensive running can become! Running has been touted as an inexpensive and easy sport to get into, and I suppose it CAN be. I guess it depends on what your goals are. For me, the cost of running has increased as my goals have gotten bigger. The more expensive shoes and clothing, the hydration and nutritional needs of longer distances, entry fees and travel costs for races, and the Galloway training group fee, they all add up. There are lots of benefits for me, though, so I'm going to keep at it!

Another Long Run-Yay!

I ran with the Galloway group again this morning. I was worried about the heat beforehand, so on the way to Raleigh, I listened to my workout playlist on the iPod to get pumped up. I also had my new wicking tshirt on and new water bottle in hand. We met at the Omega store at North Hills, which I'd never been to, so it was fun to see that area. It's a very nice outdoor mall, and it happened to have a farmers market going on by the time we finished our run, which was a nice touch. (I didn't do any shopping, since I was tired and had just gotten some goodies at the Duke Farmers Market yesterday.)

With all the prep shopping and things I did remember for this morning's run, when I ran into Susan I realized I'd forgotten my Garmin Forerunner! Argh! Thankfully, Susan allowed me to bug her periodically for distance updates, plus the final distance and time.

Our 13-minute pace group took a couple of long rest/water stops at the restroom area at Shelley Lake, plus what seemed like a couple of long walk breaks (where there were a lot of hills). I think our total time (2:18:40) for the 8.25 mile run would've been shorter if we'd run more. I was eager to keep going when we were stopped for the restroom breaks, but didn't mind walking the hills too much. The area under my toes on my right foot was bothering me again today. I was able to run through it, but my runs would be a lot more comfortable if that pain would go away.

Thanks to Susan, I tried some Sports Beans for the first time today, and they were yummy! I must get some myself!

I decided to pass on the Run for the Quay 5K this morning. I enjoyed running it last year, but decided to keep on track with the longer run this morning. I hope to get a race or two in this summer, though.

Back on the Elliptical

I did 45 minutes on the elliptical this morning. It was nice to be back inside, but I still got pretty hot toward the end of the workout. (Big surprise, huh?!)

I got a water bottle from Fleet Feet in Carrboro last night, and the wicking shirt came in the mail a couple days ago, so I'm hoping I'll be ready for tomorrow morning's 8-mile run!

Slow Trot

This morning's outdoor run was a bit tough! It's getting warmer and more humid, even early in the morning-ick! So I did more walking than usual, and ended up going 2.9 miles in 50:11 minutes. I'm glad I got out there, but it wasn't a very satisfying run. I wonder if I should start running on the treadmill during the week. Hmmm.....

For the past two days in a row, I've measured my walking to/from my car, plus some walking breaks, with my Garmin, and I've walked over two miles each day (in the heat), in addition to the morning workouts. I wonder if that's part of the reason I'm feeling a little sluggish this morning.

Crosstraining

This morning I did 35 minutes on the elliptical, then 10 minutes on the recumbant bike. Felt good to do something besides running this morning, oddly enough.


Yesterday I had my last appointment with the orthopaedist. I've been so impressed by the doctor and medical staff there each time I've been. She (the doctor) was pleased with my progress, but wants me to stretch twice a day!

I took my Garmin 205 to work with me yesterday, and put it on for several walking opportunities: to and from the orthopaedist, a walk break around campus, and the walk back to my car after work. I ended up logging over two walking miles, very cool!

Run Outside

I hit the roads this morning in a nearby neighborhood, running 2.24 miles in 31 minutes. I'm still feeling a little tired from weekend workouts plus a meeting after work last night (got home about 9:30-ick!), so I was on the fence about running. I'm glad I did, even if it wasn't a very fast pace (13:51 avg. min/mi), even for me. After listening to a couple of podcasts on my iPod, I switched to my workout playlist, and that helped perk me up a bit.

Outside Walk

This morning I was heading to the gym, but just couldn't get in my car just yet, so I ended up going for a really nice walk (1.81 miles) outside! It was a beautiful morning, so I enjoyed it a lot. Since I'm still tired from yesterday's hard workout (just a day after Saturday's long run), it was nice to have a fairly easy walk.

I ordered a wicking shirt for running from Amazon.com last evening. (Amazing what you find on Amazon!) I hope it makes it here before Saturday morning. I have a busy week, and in-store shopping isn't normally one of my favorite things (unless it's a bookstore!).

Long Workout

This morning I started with 15 minutes on the recumbant bike at the gym, then got on the elliptical machine. I'd planned on going to run outside after a little while on the elliptical, but I got on a roll, listening to podcasts and music on my iPod, and went for a while hour on the elliptical! After 75 minutes total, I figured I didn't need anymore exercise for now, especially after yesterday's long run. I'm a little tired now, but it's a good tired.