Getting in the Groove

1) Walked 3.02 miles (50:02 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.3 miles (16:02 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.37 mile (6:06 min) on the treadmill to cool down
4) Rode 1.8 miles (10:05 min) on the recumbent bike
5) 4 sets (10 reps) of bicep curls

The running felt strong enough to go a little faster--yay! I was tempted to go for another minute or two, but since the distance is a new post-injury record (okay, barely!), I decided to continue to take it easy--hard as that can be sometimes! I've still got time to work on my base mileage before official marathon training starts, in addition to working on weightloss, hydration, and overall good nutrition. I decided to add a little strength training to the end of my cardio workout for good measure.

More Painless Running

1) Walked 0.62 mile (11:06 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 2.17 miles (35:05 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 1.27 miles (16 min) on the treadmill
4) Rode 2 miles (10:02 min) on the treadmill

It's funny how excited I am about running again today, eventhough it's so little! I ran about a minute longer (and .07 mile longer) than yesterday, a drop in the bucket...but a pretty significant drop in the bucket for me! Patience!

Monday Walk/Run

1) Walked 3.36 miles (40:03 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.2 miles (15:07 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.60 miles (10:07 min) on the treadmill

It was exciting to be able to run for 15 minutes straight! I did feel a little off balance overall, though, like I'm still favoring a bum hip, but trying not to. Hmmm.

Slow and steady.....

Sunday Weariness

I felt pretty weary this morning when I got up, so it was easier than I expected to take a break from running today, after yesterday's successful test run! So I walked on the treadmill and did some strength training instead.

1) Walked 2.31 miles (45 min) on the treadmill
2) Bicep curls (thumbs up) 2x10 reps, 10 lb weights
3) Bicep curls (palms up), 2x10 reps, 1o lb weights
4) Tricep extentions, 2x10 reps, 10 lb weights

When I arrived at the gym, I was happy to see a fellow treadmiller, a lady I hadn't seen in a while and whose presence I'd missed. I learned that she'd been visiting her home country of Vietnam, a country I'd love to visit. It was a treat to talk to her today, more than we ever have before. She said she could tell I'd lost weight, which made me feel good too! But even without that, it was fun to get to know a fellow exerciser a little better!

Running Success!

I tried running again today, and it felt good ! Yay! I need to remember to take it easier tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's what I did today:

1) Rode 11.13 miles (65 min) on the recumbent bike, when it stopped at the max time "allowed." I restarted it immediately, and rode 3.58 more miles (20 min).
2) Ran 0.55 mile (7 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 1.45 miles (25 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 0.56 mile (7:06 min) on the treadmill

I'm logging this several miles after finishing the workout, and am muscle-sore, but the right hip issues are nothing to speak of. I hope that sticks! :)

Friday Cardio

I'm feeling the occasional twinge in my right hip this morning, so I decided to take a break from trying to run again today. I walked 3.42 miles (60 min) on the treadmill, then rode 1.80 miles (10 min) on the recumbent bike. Still aware of my right hip after the workout, will be glad when I'm back to normal and not thinking about it.

Meanwhile, I'm back to recording my weight on Fitday.com, and am enjoying that, especially with some weightloss success this week. I'm eager to keep that going, and am trying to come up with some motivational mantras. One I came up with this week was, "Eat like a marathoner!" Well, sometimes I could imagine marathoners eating a good bit, but....eating healthfully, for sure. Tweaking that, I could saw, "Weigh like a marathoner," but that will take a while. I need something more immediate to inspire me.

Weightloss mantra ideas welcome here.

Back to (a little) Running

I started out by walking for an hour (3.53 miles) on the treadmill, and it felt sooo good to get back to some cardio after yesterday's strength training. (My arms are a little sore today, by the way, but it's a good sore!) Then I decided to see what some running felt like, so I tried, and actually went for three minutes (0.23 miles) on the treadmill. I am feeling my right hip now. It doesn't hurt, per se, but I know it's there. I will continue to take it easy, and will likely pass on the running tomorrow.

I've been exchanging some emails from a fellow Galloway group runner, who ran the Outer Banks Marathon last year, and it's been very enlightening. Among other things, she's reminded me of the importance of running my own "race," whether in training or in a race setting.

Strength Training Day

Today, I decided to give my hip more of a rest. I rode the recumbent bike for 1.74 miles (1o:13 min), then did some strength training.

1) 4 sets of bicep curls using 10lb dumb bells (2 sets with palm forward, 2 sets with thumb forward)
2) 1 set of tricep extensions with a 10lb dumb bell
3) 2 sets of 10 on the vertical chest machine using 50 lb weights

I would've done more machines, but I looked at them and just didn't have it in me to do the seat adjustments today. Something so simple, but I just didn't feel like it! I miss my cardio and running!

A Lighter Tuesday

Today, I just walked 1.07 miles in 21 minutes on the treadmill. I feel myself heading toward a rest day, which I really feel I need, but it's sooo hard to give up the exercise, even for the day! Exercise is for my body, for the most part, but there's also a mental component, how the exercise makes me feel about my body, the sense of accomplishment I have when I exercise right off the bat, before I do anything else.

BUT...I really want to heal, and have my body as healthy as it can be, when I really start ramping up the marathon training!

Monday, Monday

I woke up tired today, and my hip's a bit sorer than I'd like, but not as bad as it was a week ago. Yesterday was a busy day, standing on my feet at church a good bit of the morning, then visiting with family for the rest of the afternoon, so that explains a lot of the weariness.

This morning, I rode the recumbent bike first, 7.4 miles in 45:04 minutes. Then I walked 0.75 mile in 15:07 minutes. I wanted to take it easy, but wanted to burn calories too. *sigh* I may need to take a total rest day soon.

Meanwhile, I lost 4/10 of a pound when I got on the scales this morning, and am pleased with that, since I had a yummy brunch at Watts Street Grocery (a local restaurant) yesterday. Since I'm not back to running yet, I'm glad I'm losing some weight in the mean time.

Short Sunday Workout

I had a short workout today, as I helped out at both services at church today, and had to be there at 8:30 AM. I walked 1.06 miles (20:05 min) on the treadmill, then rode 1.76 miles (10:01 min) on the recumbent bike. It helped me wake up and get the blood pumping for the day.

A Half Marathon on the Bike

Well, I decided to hold back on running either the half marathon or the 5K this morning. I knew I'd probably try to go faster than I should on the 5K race, and running the half marathon distance was out of the question.

So, I headed to the gym and hopped on the recumbent bike first. Several miles into the ride, I wondered if I could go 13.1 miles on the recumbent bike. I decided to give it a try and see how I felt. I ended up overshooting the half marathon distance to hit a multiple of 5s in the exercise minutes category. (It adds up to extra points earnings with SparkPeople and the Presidents Challenge to do multiple of 5s in exercise minutes. An odd little motivator, but there it is!)

1) Rode 13.35 miles (1 hr, 5min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.90 mile (15 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.16 mile (2:07 min) on the treadmill--this I shouldn't have tried, especially last, after 90 minutes of working out already. I'm not quite ready for running action yet, so I'm relieved I didn't go to Raleigh for the races today. I'm getting closer, but not quite there yet.

Friday on the Bike

Today I rode 10 miles (56:04 min) on the recumbent bike, then walked 0.31 mile (6 min) on the treadmill. Day #2 of no running was a little easier to take than yesterday. I know the sooner I heal, the sooner I'll start running again and training for the Outer Banks Marathon (225 days and change away!).

Meanwhile, I've found some stretching exercises to do for the hip area that's sore, so I'll start doing those soon.

I emailed the race director of the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon yesterday, to see if I could switch to the 5K, and he said I could. With rain in the forecast for tomorrow morning, though, I might just pass and do some lighter stuff in the gym. Tonight, I'll do the pertinent RICE steps(RestIceCompressElevate), though I don't know that I need to compress this injury.

Thursday Workout

1) Rode 6.32 miles (35 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Did 1.65 miles (20:05 min) on the elliptical
3) Walked 1.2 miles (20:06 min) on the treadmill

This is the first time since late November that I haven't run at least a little bit. My hip is still sore, so I've decided to scale back on the running first and see if that helps. I hope I don't have to quit exercising altogether, but it may boil down to that.

Of this morning's exercise, the bike riding felt the best, maybe because I did it first!

Wednesday Morning Workout

1) Walked 3.57 miles (1:05:00) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.15 miles (2 min) on the treadmill

The running just didn't work. The right hip (flexor?) still hurts. Bummer! *sigh*

Ouch!

My right thigh and hip (sort of ) area are still sore today. They felt better when I got up, but when I exercised, and afterward now, not so much. What does this tell me? Hmmmm. Anyway, I accomplished a little:

1) Walked 2.35 miles (40 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.90 mile (11 min) on the treadmill. Went until I felt a sharper twang, had to stop!
3) Walked 0.66 mile (12 min) on the treadmill, slower pace.
4) Tried running long enough to get the extra tenth of a mile of running in, couldn't do 30 seconds. Bad news there.

So, when do I know when to take a rest day? I'm so bad a taking rest days, I don't think I've missed a day of running since I had the flu in November. That might have something to do with why I'm hurting, huh?! Still, I love the calorie burn from running to help with my weight loss efforts. What do I do?! Grrrr!

Meanwhile, there's a good chance of thunderstorms on Saturday morning, half marathon day. Hope things change!

Monday Workout

I woke up this morning with a sore right thigh and hip joint, plus still a little tired from Saturday's long run. (Gotta get to bed earlier!) So, today's workout was a bit of a patchwork quilt.

1) Walked 1.8 miles (30 min)
2) Ran 0.15 mile (2 min)
3) Walked o.63 mile (10 min)
4) Ran 1.5 miles (18:05 min)
5) Walked 0.63 mile (10:05 min)
6) Ran 0.42 mile (5:07 min)

Bleh.

Meanwhile, the weather forecast on this morning's newscast showed a 50% chance of rain for Saturday, the day of the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon. Eh. I hope it's not another rainy race day!

Sunday Morning Workout

1) Walked 1.21 miles (20:05 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.26 miles (15 min) on the treadmill
3) Rode 2 miles (10:10 min) on the recumbent bike

I'm just plain tired today from yesterday's long run. I wanted to work out longer, but my legs are just plain tired! That's understandable, but I'll be glad when the long runs don't take such a toll on my legs.

Saturday Run (mostly) at Shelley Lake

This morning I decided I was up for a change of scenery, so I headed to Shelley Lake to do my long run. The parking lot was pretty full, and I soon learned that the Annual Huck Finn Fishing Derby was being held today. Here's a cute article about a previous year's Huck Finn Fishing Derby at Shelley Lake. Despite the extra cars, I saw several Gallowayers gathering for group runs or walks, and it was fun to catch up a little! I walked with three of them for a little while, then took off!

I wasn't sure how long I was going today, but I knew it needed to be "long." I'd added some new songs to my iPod before I left home, for extra ammunition. I ended up going 9.05 miles in 2:30:15 in the beautiful weather, and saw several other Galloway run/walkers on the trail while I was at it! I worked on walking faster during my walk breaks, and the music helped my running go a little faster too, I think, so my average pace was 40 seconds faster today than it was during my last long run 2 weeks ago. (Last weekend I had a 5K race.) I'm happy about the faster pace, especially since the pain is back under the bridge of my right toes. I think a doctor's appointment is eminent, especially with marathon training just around the corner.

After the Shelley Lake run, I ran by the public library for some books I had on hold, then stopped by the gym. I decided to run on the treadmill for a while to work on speed when tired. I was just going to do a mile, but ended up doing 2.15 miles in 25:09 minutes, a decent pace for me any day of the week! So, I ended up with 11.2 miles for today, decent mileage (but not too much?) the week before a half marathon.

I got a little sun on my face today, and wonder if any readers have suggestions for sunscreen for the face, something that won't melt and dribble into my eyes (ouch, sting!).

My running, walking, and biking mileage for this week have all surpassed last week's mileage totals! Yay!

Friday Workout

1) Rode 5.22 miles (30:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.90 mile (15:07 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 2.26 miles (26:02 min) on the treadmill

I also got on the vertical left left again and did 4 sets of 5 reps each. I realized my ab muscles were sore, eventhough I did it two days ago! Ouch! I need to keep working on my abs--I can tell I REALLY need it!

Thursday Walk/Run in New Shoes

First I walked 0.87 mile in 15:03 minutes to warm up, feeling a little sluggish. Then, I managed to run 3.77 miles in 45:01 minutes! It's a slower pace than I've done lately, but it felt good to slug it out. I wore my new Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9s, which had nothing to do with my sluggishness (at least I don't think so!), and almost everything to do with my being able to last an hour of walking, then running, this morning.

I was sore in the hips this morning when I got up, very likely from yesterday's reps on the vertical leg lift thing at the gym. I didn't take the time to do it again this morning, but plan to make it a regular part of my workout. I'm excited about having a new addition to my workout plan!

Wednesday Workout

1) Rode 5.37 miles (30:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 1.01 miles (16:06 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 2.15 miles (25 min) on the treadmill

I also did 4 sets of 5 reps on the vertical knee raise. I haven't done any core work in, like, forever, so this was a little hard for me to do. I can tell I need to strengthen my abs, so this should be good for me, right? :)

I've decided to really work on the weight loss again, so I don't have to carry any more extra weight than I have to during the marathon. No doubt about it, weight can slow a body down. I recorded my weight yesterday, and much to my suprise, I was UP 2/10 of a pound today! WAAAA! Not the encouraging start I wanted on the diet front, but I must remember the big picture.

First Marathon!

Big news! I've signed up for my first marathon, the Outer Banks Marathon on November 8! I have lots of time now to train (and stay healthy!). I'm nervous, but excited too!

I've also decided to use it as a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham. I visited there last month as a volunteer stint with my Junior League committee, and it really made an impression on me! My fundraising goal is $500, and my online fundraising page is here.

More to come!

Tuesday Workout

1) Walked 1.26 miles (20:05 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.37 miles (38:03 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.66 mile (10:07 min) on the treadmill

I also walked from West Campus back to my work building after a meeting, about a 30-minute walk.

Looking on the Bright Side

A little while ago, I received an encouraging comment on my race report from the Run for the Oaks in 2007, and it was fun to reread my excitement over finishing in 46 minutes and change! I totally missed the Run for the Oaks last year due to a broken nose, so I hit a course record this year--in the rain! Eventhough I wish I'd gone faster this year, it's nice to be reminded of overall progress. The comment poster for the two-year-old race report is anonymous, but I thank him or her for the encouragment--and the neat reminder that running is, indeed, a journey.

Monday Morning at the Gym

1) Rode 5.45 miles (30 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.61 mile (10:02 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 3.11 miles (35 min) on the treadmill

I've pretty much decided to run the Outer Banks race this year, and am trying to decide between the full marathon or the half. It's nice having a little extra motivation during my morning workout as I ponder that.

Post-race Workout

1) Ran 2.57 miles (30:05 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.62 mile (10:04 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 1.73 miles (20 min) on the treadmill

It's still raining like crazy here, so I did a gym workout this morning. I probably would have done the treadmill anyway to work on my speed a bit. I'm sore today from yesterday's 5K race, which surprises and disappoints me a bit. Based on my time, it wasn't that impressive a performance, and the course has less hills than the Run for the Roses (where I ran a little faster). What gives?! Ah, well, I need to shake it off and set my sights on the Raleigh Rocks Half.

Race Report: 2009 Run for the Oaks

I ran the Run for the Oaks 5K this morning! Though it didn't turn out like I'd planned or hoped, I had fun, and I'm definitely glad I did it!

1) The weather. It was raining and in the 40s--the whole race. I knew this was in the weather forecast, but when I headed out the door, it wasn't raining (yet--or again, I should say), so I was hopeful. Ha! By the time I got out of my apartment complex, there were sprinkles on my windshield, and it got a bit harder. Not gully washer, though. Still doable for the race.

2) The team. This race had a corporate team component, where female and male teams from a same employer could sign up for team award eligibility, in addition to running as an individual. I thought it would be fun to try to get a library team together, so I sent out an email blast and got five interested women! Earlier this week, it whittled down to three, the minimum number for a team, but alas, there were two of us left standing at race time this morning. Although Amy and I didn't make enough members for an official team today, she was a great sport about coming anyway (from Hillsborough to Raleigh, no less!), and it was a lot of fun to see and talk with her outside of the work arena.

3) My finishing time. Official times haven't been posted yet, but I think I finished around 41 minutes, much slower than I'd hoped, considering I've been working on my speed more lately. I'll blame it on the rain.

On a bright note, I saw several online acquaintances in person this morning, meeting some for the first time! Shout-outs to Cindy, Mary, and Margett for being out there this morning. I also caught up with Louise (from the Frozen 5K, the Run for the Roses water stop, and numberous other races) for a bit, which was fun too. Another nice surprise was running into coworker Colleen, and meeting her boyfriend and father briefly. In ACC Basketball Tournament news, the Duke t-shirt I wore for today's race garnered a couple of comments about last night's game, which Duke won by one point!

UPDATE: Chip time 40:37, Gun time 41:01

Friday Workout

1) Walked 1.22 miles (20 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.2 miles (36:02 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.64 mile (10:03 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 0.55 mile (6:06 min) on the treadmill, a little speedwork at the end

Tomorrow's the Run for the Oaks 5K, and there's an 80% (some places say 90%) chance of rain tomorrow! Since I've organized a team from work for the team competition, we're all like, "Okaaayy, I'll be there!" I'll tell ya, though, after surviving the Frozen 5K back in January, what's a little rain?! I'm gonna do it!

Thursday Workout

1) Rode 6.24 miles (35:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 1.02 miles (17:04 min) on the treadmill
3 Ran 2.81 miles (31:05 min) on the treadmill

The run was at an 11:04 average pace--yay! Making speed progress! I know it must sound like a snail's pace to others, but I'm encouraged.

In walking and biking news, I've already surpassed last week's walking and biking totals, so I need to work a little more on my running mileage between now and the end of the weekend, since I'll be doing a 5K race instead of a long run on Saturday. (Rain, rain in the forecast, go away!)

Wednesday (Mostly) Running

1) Ran 1.35 miles (16:10 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 2.15 miles (25:06 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.62 mile (10 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 0.51 mile (6 min) on the treadmill

Feeling a bit sore afterward. Good workout overall, though.

Tuesday Run

1) Ran 3.14 miles (36 min) on the treadmill. Had to make a pit stop.
2) Ran 1.05 miles (11:15 min) on the treadmill. 10:42 avg. pace is my fastest in a while! :)

Wish I'd had longer to workout, but have an early-ish meeting at work. Maybe I'll take a walk later and enjoy the beautiful day.

New Workout Week

1) Ran 2.1 miles (25:15 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.61 mile (10:05 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.92 mile (11:04 min) on the treadmill
4) Walked 0.62 mile (10:01 min) on the treadmill
5) Rode 2.02 miles (11 min) on the recumbent bike

It felt good to get over an hour of cardio in this morning!

Sunday Morning Workout

1) Walked 1.23 miles (21 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.50 mile (6:06 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.63 mile (11 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 0.50 mile (6:06 min) on the treadmill
5) Rode 1.05 miles (6:01 min) on the recumbent bike

Felt a bit tired and sore from yesterday's 10-miler, so I decided to take it easy today. I ended up with 26.29 miles for the week, up from last week's 20.10 weekly mileage. Pretty good improvement, though last week was a down week.

Saturday Long Run/Walk

I finally got another long training run/walk in today, a 10.01 mile run/walk on the American Tobacco Trail. It was a beautiful day to be out, though I wish I'd started earlier, because it started to warm up! It took me 2 hours and 53 minutes to finish, but I was determined to get a 10-miler in today, in training for the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon later this month! Woohoo!

Friday Treadmill Workout

1) Ran 0.80 mile (10 min)
2) Walked 0.30 mile (5:01 min)
3) Ran 0.91 mile (11:03 min)
4) Ran 1.71 miles (20 min)

Enjoyed playing with the pacing on the treadmill this morning. I had extra energy after yesterday's short run. Wish it had fallen differently, because I need to do a long run tomorrow.

Thursday (Kinda) Short Run

1) Ran 1.23 miles (15 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.90 mile (10:12 min) on the treadmill

Okay, so I slept in a bit this morning, after a Junior League meeting kept me out a bit later than normal. Plus, it was my first night of sleep without a mid-night coughing spell, and I think my body enjoyed the extra sleep. Then, there was the whole thing where I forgot to set my alarm clock last night, and was thankful that George got me up (though an hour later than I'd planned!). I had an early (for me) meeting this morning, so my workout was short. That was probably a good idea after yesterday's long-ish run.

Wednesday Running

1) Ran 3.16 miles (37:03 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.26 miles (18:04 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.32 miles (5:01 min) on the treadmill

It felt great to have a strong run after Tuesday's blah effort!

Tuesday Morning Blahs

1) Rode 2.61 miles (20:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.56 mile (10:01 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.16 mile (2:05 min) on the treadmill

Talk about the workout blahs! Ick! I think it was a combination of things this morning. I had a hard workout yesteray, and my legs feel much more tired than usual this morning. Add to the tiredness the fact that I had my bimonthly small group meeting last night and didn't get home until nearly 10 PM, and then was up in the middle of the night with a coughing spell.

In hindsight, perhaps I could've pushed myself a little harder this morning, but I could tell I was just plain tired. And there's always tomorrow. I'm just used to being a little more consistent with my running miles and longer workouts during the week. Maybe there's something to alternating hard and easy days. What's your experience with that?

On a positive workout note, I did enjoy reading some of Charlaine Harris's Dead Until Dark while I rode on the recumbent bike. I've read all or part of three ofther mystery series of hers, so I decided to start at the beginning with the Sookie Stackhouse books.

Monday (Snow Day!) Workout

1) Ran 1.26 miles (15:01 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.75 miles (20:16 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 1.04 miles (12:02 min) on the treadmill
4) Walked 0.65 mile (1o:13 min) on the treadmill
5) Ran 0.73 mile (8 min) on the treadmill

I had today off due to a snow day at work! It felt good to relax for a bit before going to the gym, and I even thought about taking a "snow day" from working out, but once I was there, I decided to take advantage of having a day off to work out a little bit harder. Once I got through one run, I decided I had more umph in me, so I'd run more! The first run was at an 11:55 min/mile average pace, the next two at 11:34, and the last at 10:57, which felt quick but good. I don't feel like I left much at the gym this morning. After lunch, it felt great to be able to take a nap!

Sunday Morning Run/Walk

This morning I ran 2.5 miles (30:07 min) on the treadmill, and walked 0.11 mile (2:04 minutes), again on the treadmill. My main exercise goal for the day was to get in 2.4 running miles in to top 20 miles for this week. It felt good to hit that goal, especially since I've been fighting a cold for the last few days. When I ran my first half marathon in November, I ran 14 miles and change the week after, so I feel like I'm building some endurance, doing 20 miles the week after a 20k race. Slow but steady.

In other goal news, I hit 103.8 miles for the month of February. Not a record month, but I'm still on track for 1000 miles in 2009. (This time last year I'd already been sidelined with a groin injury, and the broken nose was just around the corner!)

Saturday Workout

1) Ran 0.79 mile (10 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.36 mile (6:01 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 3.43 miles (40 min) on the treadmill
4) Rode 5.54 miles (30:01 min) on the recumbent bike

One of the best workouts I've had in a few days. Although I missed doing a long run, it was raining, and I'm recovering from a cold. This workout cleared my head, and my congestion is better, but the cough was exacerbated. Took some cough medicine at home. Now I'm feeling tired, but pretty good.

Friday Workout

1) Ran 3.06 miles (36 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.61 mile (10:01 min) on the treadmill
3) Rode 1.8 miles (1o:01 min) on the recumbent bike

I still feel snotty today, but slightly better. Feel like the cold it breaking up a little. I have about 6/10 of a mile to run so hit the 100 mile mark for the month of February! Unless I take a turn for the worse, I'll be able to get that in tomorrow morning without too much trouble.

Thursday Workout

I was feeling the effects of my bad cold this morning (and they've persisted throughout the day! Phfhfpfpphf!) So, I didn't get much of a workout in this morning, but at least it was something.

1) Walked 1.17 miles (20:09 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.24 miles (15 min) on the treadmill

Wednesday Workout

1) Walked 0.82 mile (15:01 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 2.08 miles (25:03 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.11 mile (2:01 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 1.02 mile (11:10 min) on the treadmill

It was a decent workout, considering I was coming down with a cold. Ugh! I don't seem to have a fever, but am congested and have an achy throat. Ick. I'll do what I can this week, and hope I'm well enough to do a long run on Saturday.

Catching Up On Workout Posts

Monday, 2/23:
1) Ran 1.2 miles (15:03 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.35 mile (6:07 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 1.25 miles (15 min) on the treadmill
4) Rode 2.7 miles (15 min) on the recumbent bike

Tuesday, 2/24:
1) Walked 0.57 mile (10:05 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.01 miles (35:05 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.53 mile (6:04 min) on the treadmill (decided I had a little left in me)
4) Rode 2.14 miles (12 min) on the recumbent bike

The Day After

I'm a little sore today from yesterday's race, but not as bad as I expected. I managed to get in 90 minutes of exercise this morning, which is actually more than usual. Instead of finishing a book before I worked out this morning (something I did twice last weekend!), I took a book with me and finished it on the recumbent bike.

1) Rode 10.39 miles (1 hour) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.30 mile ( 5:11 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 2.14 miles (25 minutes) on the treadmill

Race Report: 2008 Coach Bubba 20K

The day of the Coach Bubba 20K, my first at that distance, finally arrived this morning! It was a chilly, but pretty morning, cold enough for half-way leggings and a long sleeve shirt, but not cold enough for me to bother with a hat and gloves.

It was fun running into some people I knew before the race, including Susan from the Junior League and Rey from previous races, and George ran into Jack from the Cary library. During the race, I chatted with a retired Duke political science professor, and passed Cindy from blogging/Facebook/Twitter on the trail.

I really enjoyed the course, though the first part of it had some hills. We started in downtown Durham, then went through the Forest Hills neighborhood before hitting the American Tobacco Trail. Once I got on the ATT, I felt like I was on my home playing field.

I only had to make one pit stop this race, which was a relief! During the half marathon I ran in November, I had to stop at every porta-john, and I knew I needed to work on my food intake during race week! It worked, with only the one stop this time--yay! I also worked on drinking plenty of water this past week, and got to bed early the past three nights. All of this worked in my favor.

Even still, I was the last person in the field for most of the race, with the police car hovering behind me for most of the course that was on the streets. Once I got over being irritated at hearing the police car so close by, I was resigned to the fact that I might come in last, and that I'd be okay with it. (Not thrilled, but okay!) It wasn't until the last three quarters of a mile that I passed a couple of people, and that just happened by plugging along. It wasn't a race at that point, but a run to finish, a goal to complete.

At one of the street crossovers while I was still at the back, I told the police officer holding traffic that I was it, and he replied, "You may be it, but you're an inspiration." That was a nice little lift for this back-of-the-packer.

I'd definitely recommend this race to others! Kudos to the Carolina Godiva Track Club and all the volunteers! I'll update with an official time later.

UPDATE: My official time was 3:02:31. I came in 453 out of 455 runners, 12 out of 12 in my age group, and 200 out of 201 female finishers. One of the most telling stats for me, though, was my average pace of 14:43 minutes per mile. In the last longer distance race I ran, the City of Oaks Half Marathon in November of last year, my average pace was 15:13 minutes per mile. I'm thrilled to have made a 30 second improvement in that average over a 10+ mile race!

Friday Light Workout

1) Ran 1.25 miles in 15:13 minutes on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.60 mile in 10:13 minutes on the treadmill
3) Rode 4.41 miles in 25:03 minutes on the treadmill
4) Did 0.43 mile in 5:06 minutes on the elliptical trainer

It felt strange holding back on the workout today, but I hope it will pay off tomorrow at the Coach Bubba 20K Race. So far, I haven't been very good at tapering for races in the past. I felt like I needed to burn more calories today. We'll see tomorrow.

The short elliptical workout was an afterthought on my way out of the gym. I don't think I've been on the elliptical all year. Just needed a little umph.

Thursday Workout--Tapering

1) Walked 0.28 mile (5 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.28 mile (5 min) on the treadmill (again)
3) Ran 2.21 miles (26 min) on the treadmill
4) Rode 1.78 miles (1o:01 min) on the recumbent bike

It was hard to stop at 2.21 miles of running, but I felt like I needed to. I still have running energy left, but my legs are bit sore from working on running faster this week. Saturday's 20K (12.4 miles) race will be here soon enough, and I want to have fresh legs.

Wednesday Easy Day--Not

I'm sleepy tired this morning, got to bed too late, but went to the gym anyway. I thought I'd take it easy today, but I ended up being able to push myself harder than expected. I'm glad, because I'd wanted a solid mid-week workout before slowing down a bit for Saturday's Coach Bubba 20K Race.

1) Walked 1.18 miles (20:05 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.45 miles (40:01 min) on the treadmill (still under a 12 minute pace--yay!)
3) Rode 1.80 miles (10 min) on the recumbent bike

Tuesday On the Go

1) Walked 1.55 miles (26 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.04 miles (35:03 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.25 mile (4:03 minutes) on the treadmill

The running continues to be a little faster this week, though I slowed down a bit from yesterday. I'm working on weekday training runs at below a 12 minute per mile average pace, with weekend long runs being slower.

Monday Run

What a difference a week makes! Last Monday I was feeling blah, barely did any running. Today--much better!

1) Walked 1.02 miles (17 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Ran 2.23 miles (25 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.53 mile (8.08 minutes) on the treadmill
4) Ran 1.13 miles (12:04 minutes) on the treadmill (fastest avg pace in months!)
5) Rode 1.8 miles (10 minutes) on the recumbent bike

I'm taking today off from work, and it feels nice to put a hard workout in and have a chance to relax now.

Sunday at the Gym

I got another late start to working out today, as I was finishing yet another book! I'm on a bit of a roll with the reading, but I'm glad I started exercising earlier today than I did yesterday!

1) Rode 3.6 miles (20:02 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.64 mile (11 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.41 mile (5:10 min) on the treadmill, had to make a pit stop
4) Ran 3.60 miles (41:07 min) on the treadmill

I've noticed that whenever I have to stop running on the treadmill for a quick break, the next round on the treadmill is often a good bit faster. What's up with that? Guess part of it is warming up.

Saturday Long Run/Walk

Today I went the American Tobacco Trail to get my long run in, and ended up doing a run/walk combo of 7.04 miles in 1:58:00. Let me tell you, it was a long stretch! I didn't get started until late (sometime between 11:30 and 11:40), as I sat down to read some in a book and ended up finishing it! So that was my own fault, and perhaps part of the reason why I had a hard time focusing during today's outing. *Sigh* Well, I knew it might be tough, but my goal was a 10K today, and I went past that, so it'll be okay. And on a bright note, the weather was beautiful, and I ran into Susan's husband on the trail. (Susan, if you happen to read this, feel better soon! Hope to see you at Coach Bubba!)

I'll get some more running mileage in for the week tomorrow morning.

Friday Walk/Run Workout

1) Walked 1.18 miles (20:01 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 4.22 miles (50:00 min) on the treadmill

It felt good to push myself on the treadmill again. I was tempted to get off and ride the recumbent bike, but I decided I needed some more time on the run. I'm glad I did.

Thursday Workout

1) Rode 3.54 miles (20:06 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.58 mile (10 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 3.35 miles (40:09 min) on the treadmill

My legs are a little tired from yesterday morning, and my body's a little tired from a busy last evening. I'm just glad I got over three miles of running in today; I'm still playing a bit of catchup.

I'm trying to get a "corporate" team together for the Run for the Oaks in mid-March. So far, two other library employees are interested, which, with me as the third, would make the minimum of a team! Yay! I hope it all works out!

A Longer Run Today!

1) Walked 0.27 mi. (5 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 4.40 mi. (52:07 min) on the treadmill
3) Rode 1.26 mi. (7:01 min) on the recumbent bike

It was satisfying to get a solid, longer run in this morning. My legs weren't as tired after taking a couple of easy days in the gym. Now I need to get my mileage back up a little.

Tuesday at the Gym

1) Walked 0.85 mi. (15:03 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.22 mi. (15:03 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.30 mi. (5:03 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 1.24 mi. (15 min) on the treadmill
5) Rode 3.09 mi. (17:01 min) on the recumbent bike

I just felt like breaking things up today! I think I'm getting my sea legs back to running, bit by bit. Still, it's unusual for me to have so many more biking miles than running miles for the week. I'm sure it'll even out in time.

Slow Monday Workout

1) Rode 6.29 miles (35 min) on the recumbent bike.
2) Walked 1.03 miles (17 min) on the treadmill.
3) Ran 0.40 mile (5 min) on the treadmill.

I'm still pretty sore and tired from the weekend's long run and 5K. I should've just not run today, but I'm stuck on this not-taking-a day-off-from-running streak. I hope I don't get knocked off by overtraining. Must be careful.

Race Report: 2009 Run for the Roses

It was a beautiful afternoon for a 5K, and I was registered for the Run for the Roses 5K in Raleigh! The race start was at 2 PM, so I was able to go to church first, and changed into my running clothes afterward so I could drive straight to Raleigh.

I arrived at the Halifax Community Center in plenty of time to find and meet Pauline, a Facebook friend and fellow runner, for the first time today! We've run in at least a couple of races together (including last year's RFTR) without meeting, so it was great to meet her today! I also saw Louise (from the Frozen 5K, the Resolution Run, and other races around here!) at the mid-point water stop. It was a treat to see a familiar face there--thanks for volunteering, Louise! Ray from the Apex Turkey Trot and other Second Empire Series 5Ks last year was out as well, and a newcomer to the Triangle struck up a conversation with me--turns out this was his first race since moving here from New Jersey. He was loving the weather, and his child was signed up for one of the kids' races following the 5K. (The kids races are always sooo cute!)

I knew today's race would be a little slow for me, coming at the end of a fairly high mileage week (didn't quite make 30 miles), a long run yesterday, and a pretty good workout on the recumbent bike at the gym this morning. Still, I was hoping to come in under 40 minutes. The hills in the race were a little tough as I remembered, but I stuck pretty closely to the 3:1 run/walk ratio I started with. (A couple of times I extended it to 4:1 or 5:1, if I caught the downside of a hill!) I ended up coming in at around 40:45, but am waiting for official results. While I'm a little disappointed in my time, it was great to run outside and see so many people out running!

UPDATE: Gun time was 40:50, chip time was 40:28.

Easy Sunday Morning Workout

1) Rode 8.06 miles (45:02 minutes) on the recumbent bike, while finishing Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.
2) Walked 0.27 mile (5 minutes) on the treadmill.

This was a leisurely workout, since I have the Run for the Roses this afternoon. It feels strange not to have run already, but my legs are kinda tired as it is, from yesterday's workout. Hope I make it through the race okay. This was the race where I injured myself last year, and I really, really don't want to repeat THAT!

Race report later!

Long Run Plus

1) Ran 7.05 miles (1:48:00) at Shelley Lake, the best long run I've had in a while! The pace was a little faster than normal, partly because I tried a different strategy, I think. Instead of watching my Garmin for scheduled walk breaks, I used the songs on my iPod instead. I accidentally set the iPod to shuffle songs, but it turned out to be a nice change of pace from my workout playlist. I decided to run through at least one whole song (sometimes two if I was feeling strong), then talk a fast walk break for part of a song, then run the rest of the song and the next. The weather was clear and cold, but a long sleeve shirt and long stretchy shorts kept me plenty warm. I saw a few familiar runners at Shelley Lake, which was fun.

2) Rode 4.20 miles (21 minutes) on the recumbent bike at the gym.
3) Walked 0.35 mile (6:01 minutes) on the treadmill.
4) Ran 0.57 mile (7 minutes) on the treadmill. Just because.

Now I've run a tad longer this week than last, and I still have tomorrow's 5K race (the Run for the Roses). If I run a little extra, I'll have another 30-mile week under my belt for the year. I'll see how I feel tomorrow.

TGIF Workout

1) Walked 0.58 mi. (10 min) on the treadmill to warm up.
2) Ran 3.02 mi. (37 min), including two 1-min. walk breaks, on the treadmill.
3) Rode 3.4 mi. (17 min.) on the recumbent bike.
4) Ran 0.51 mi. (6 min.) on the treadmill to finish with a strong, faster pace run at the end of my workout, to practice running faster after I've been pushing myself for an hour or so.

I'm glad today is Friday! It's been a busy week at work, and I've been pushing the running miles a little bit as well. I tried signing up for the Krispy Kreme Challenge 5K yesterday before lunch, and the race is full! Wow! Over 5000 registered runners, and ESPN is covering it, to boot. Ah, well! Maybe next year. (I looked for another race to do tomorrow in its place, but nothing nearby intrigued me.) Meanwhile, I'm still signed up for the Run for the Roses 5K on Sunday.

Gutting It Out

1) Rode 4.28 miles (25:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.28 mile (5 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 1.62 miles (20:01 min) on the treadmill. This segment was pretty slow going and took me a while to warm up. Had to stop for a restroom break.
4) Ran 1.75 miles (20:09 min) on the treadmill. This segment went much better. I felt perkier and was able to speed up.

I've signed up the the Run for the Oaks on March 14!

Wednesday Run

1) Walked 0.60 mile (10:14 min) to warm up.
2) Ran 2.50 miles (30:13 min) on the treadmill before needed a bathroom break
3) Ran another 1.75 miles (20:11 min) on the treadmill.

Today's runs felt so, so much better than yesterday's! Whew! :)

I just found out I have this Saturday free after all, so I may run in the Krispy Kreme Challenge after all. We'll see.

Booking My Tuesday Run

1) Ran 3.67 miles (45 minutes) on the treadmill. This was a hard run for me, pretty much the whole way. I had to coax myself through each mile. I usually like the treadmill okay. I think I was just tired, sore, and cranky. The run didn't help much of anything, so I was glad to stop today.

2) Walked 0.35 mile (6 minutes) on the treadmill.
3) Rode 2.15 miles (12 minutes) on the recumbent bike.

I decided to change my rewards schedule to every 2.5 lbs, since the weight was coming off so slowly, and today I surpassed my first mark in this new weightloss journey to my goal weight! I decided to order inexpensive ($5-sih) books for the 2.5 marks, and slightly more expensive ones for the multiples of 5. I ordered Jane Eyre (which I may have read, but can't remember, so I think I'm long overdue for a read or reread!) for the weight loss, and threw in The Thirteenth Tale for surviving the run this morning. I am helpless. It wasn't even that long of a run, but it was just hard! :P Books are my new junk food. So there. I said it.

My Amazon wishlist is getting out of control, by the way, but includes a 24-pack of bottled water! I'm seriously thinking about ordering it next time I need bottled water! I live in a third floor apartment without an elevator, which is wonderful exercise, but less that charming when I'm carrying water in bulk up the stairs. Having it delivered to my front door sounds delightful!

Monday at the Gym

1) Rode 4.5 miles (25:10 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Ran 2.57 miles (30 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.31 mile (5 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 1.04 miles (12:03 min) on the treadmill

Working hard to pick up the pace a bit with my running, so I think the walk break in between is a nice respit for my legs.

Sunday Morning Workout

1) Rode 5.34 miles (30 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Ran 3.03 miles (35 min) on the treadmill

Ended up with 26.03 running miles for the week, which isn't bad. I'm looking forward to 30+miles/week being the norm. Bit by bit!

Saturday Long Run

After a long week with lots of work meetings plus some after-work obligations, I decided to skip the running group and run by myself today. I needed the alone time in a bad way. I decided to head for the American Tobacco Trail, my current favorite place to run. I was feeling groggy and cranky, and when I got to the trail, I still didn't feel like running. I decided to take it slow, do all the walking I needed to do, and so what I could accomplish. I ended up covering the same mile or so stretch of the trail that was closest to my car, since I didn't know how long I'd feel like going. Back and forth, back and forth. I ended up run/walking 5.21 miles in 1:30:00. It was slow going, and the groggy crankiness didn't lift until nearly the end.

Afterward, I stopped by Bull City Running, a new running store in the shopping center near the American Tobacco Trail. I bought some Gu Gels to give them some business; they were very friendly. I also returned some library books and stopped by the grocery store, THEN I went to the gym. I thought I might ride the recumbent bike, but I decided to hit the treadmill, and ended up going 3.54 miles in 40:09 minutes, a much better clip (and no walking) than the ATT run.

I ended up with 116.16 miles for the month of January, beating my previous high of 114.3 from January 2008, exactly one year ago! Woohoo!

Friday Workout

1) Rode 2.68 miles (15:01 minutes) on the recumbent bike.
2) Walked 1.22 miles (20:03 minutes) on the treadmill.
3) Ran 3.03 miles (35:03 minutes) on the treadmill. This run was at a faster average pace than I'm used to, and it felt good to work on running faster.

Tomorrow I hope to run in the neighborhood of 10 miles. We'll see how my legs feel tomorrow morning after this morning's something of a speed workout.

Thursday's Workout

1) Rode 4.42 miles (25 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Ran 2.08 miles (25:02 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.36 mile (6:01 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 1.02 mile (12:03 min) on the treadmill
5) Walked 0.51 mile (10:06 min) on a walk break at work

I've decided to try a reward system (again) for losing weight: every time I lose to a multiple of 5, I'm going to order something off of my Amazon Wishlist. I tried this before, and got away from it over the holidays. Well, I'm at it again, and have already ordered my first "prize." Now I'm shooting for the next one! I have a long wishlist, so I'm going to see how this goes! :) Since I last tried this method, I've signed up for Amazon Prime, so now I get free 2-business-day shipping on most items. That's a decent turnaround time, nice and quick for this reward thing, and it's at my doorstep when I get home from work. Fun!

Wednesday Morning Workout

1) Rode 4.46 miles (25 min) on the recumbent bike while I waited for a treadmill to open up.
2) Walked 0.61 mile (11:06 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 3.44 miles (41 min) on the treadmill

The run felt good, and I was sorry I ran out of time before I needed to go get ready for work. I guess I need to get to the gym earlier, huh?!

Tuesday Workout

1) Ran 0.40 mile (5 min) on the treadmill. Shins were a little sore.
2) Walked 1.23 miles (20:03 min) on the treadmill. Shins better.
3) Ran 3.06 miles (37:02 min) on the treadmill.

Moral of the story: warm up first!

I'm still tired from last week's run and Sunday's daytrip to the beach. I'm off to stretch out on the couch and read.

Busy Start to the Week

Yesterday I didn't have time to blog, becasue George and I drove down to Emerald Isle, NC, for the day to visit family. I did get up early and ran for 30 minutes (2.44 miles) on the treadmill. At the beach, we had a nice walk on the chilly beack, 1.55 miles in 34:34. I ended up being just two tenths of a mile from hitting 30 running miles for the week, and I was plenty sore to show for it! If I'd realized that at the gym, I may have gutted it out, but I really didn't need to--in the big scheme of things.

I was still tired this morning, partly from last week's mileage, and partly from driving nearly 400 miles roundtrip yesterday, but I still made it to the gym. Here's my workout:

1) Walked 1.76 miles (30:07 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.22 miles (15:01 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked another 0.60 mile (10:07 min) on the treadmill because the bikes were occupied
4) Rode 2.02 miles (10 min) on the recumbent bike

It's unusual for me to have more walking miles than running miles in a running week (which starts on Monday for me). That'll change soon!

Big Running Morning

1) Ran 1.75 miles (20:04 minutes) on the treadmill at the gym near home. After this run, I drove to Raleigh and met a new Meetup group at Bruegger's. The group is planning to train together for the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon, and this was the initial meeting. After the brief meeting, we walked over to Fleet Feet and did the group run they'd advertised.
2) Ran 4.17 miles (57:40 minutes) in a neighborhood near the Fleet Feet store. It was fun to meet some other area runners and get to know them a little better. The time and the miles went quickly.
3) After running some errands, I went to the other gym I belong to, and ran 2.57 miles (31 minutes) on the treadmill there. The facility is very nice, but the treadmills aren't quite as high tech as my other gym. In addition to fewer gadgets and buttons, the treadmills there are set to go into cool-down mode after 30 minutes. After wrestling with it for a minute, I decided to take a bathroom break, then I went back to it.
4) One last treadmill run, 1.86 miles in 22:01 minutes.

That's 10.35 miles in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 45 seconds. Eventhough it wasn't continuous, it was mileage on my feet. I'm tired, but I feel good.

Friday Run

This morning I ran 3.1 miles in 36 minutes on the treadmill, and that's all I did. I got sidetracked taking care of things at home before the run, including a stopped-up toilet--ugh!, and I had time limits on the end of my workout because I needed to take my car in to get serviced before work. It was a good run though--I sped things up and felt pretty strong!

Thursday Workout

1) Ran 3.43 miles (42 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.60 mile (10 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.68 mile (8:04 min) on the treadmill
4) Rode 2 miles (11:08 min) on the recumbent bike

I've already walked more this week than I did last week, so I'm pumped about that. Hopefully I'll log a few more miles than I did last week. I tried to work on that today with the second run. I was happy with my first run on the treadmill, but still had some energy after my walk, thanks to a decent night's sleep last night.

I'm a little bummed that one of my favorite podcasts, "Confessions of a Runner," is no longer going to be around. Jodi, the podcaster, completed her goal of marathon at the Walt Disney World Marathon earlier this month, and has decided to move on to other projects. I can understand that, but I'll miss her Mississippi accent that reminded me a little of Alabama, and her stories about running on the Gulf Coast. Thankfully, there are lots of other running podcasts to listen to!

Wednesday Workout

1) Ran 1.21 miles (15 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Walked 1.25 miles (20:01 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Ran 2.10 miles (25 minutes) on the treadmill
4) Rode 2.05 miles (11:03 minutes) on the recumbent bike

I've taken to splitting my treadmill runs up into two parts, divided by a walk, with some frequency lately. Other than the occasional bathroom break, I'm not sure why. Maybe it's breaking up the monotony a bit, though I generally don't mind the treadmill

Indoor Run

We woke up to snow this morning! It was so pretty, but I didn't have any desire to run in it! Brrr-not today! I did go to the gym (my normal thing), and enjoyed watching the snow fall as I ran on the treadmill.

1) Ran 2.51 miles (30:04 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.61 miles (10:07 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Rode 1.08 miles (6:01 minutes) on the recumbent bike

The gym was almost empty this morning because of the snow, just a few other diehards. It reminded me a little of the Frozen 5K Race on Saturday. :)

Holiday Workout

I had today off for the Martin Luther King, Jr, holiday, so I spent some extra time working out this morning. It felt great, and I got to take a big ole nap afterward. I still feel a little tired and sore, so maybe I overdid it.

1) Walked 2.15 miles (41 minutes) outside, which felt great!
2) Ran 1.71 miles (20:03 minutes) on the treadmill, had to take a bathroom break
3) Ran 2.3 miles (26 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Rode 2.24 miles (10 minutes) on the stationary bike

Last night, George and I watched our recorded episode of "The Biggest Loser," and while I was on the treadmill, I kept thinking of the contestants and how fast they were going on the treadmill! It inspired me to speed things up a notch, so I'm feeling it now-whew!

Sunday Workout

I made it back to the gym today. While it's warmer outside than yesterday, being back on the treadmill was comforting and warm this morning!

1) Walked 1.5 miles (25:01 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.07 miles (37 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Rode 2.03 miles (10:01 minutes) on the recumbent bike

My shins are feeling better than they were a couple days ago, though I can still feel them a bit today. I want to go exercise some more--a little excess energy. Maybe I'll clean the apartment instead! At least I already have 20 running miles in for this week. Not a stellar performance, but a decent base mileage.

Race Report: Frozen 5K Race, Cary, NC

This morning, I ran in the inaugural Frozen 5K Race at Bond Park in Cary. When I left home, the temperature was 11 degrees, colder than I'd like, but I'd aready registered for it, so I felt like I had to do it!

Bond Park is a pretty plan to run in in Cary. There's a lake, some ball fields, a ropes course, and probably other facilities there. I ran there a couple of times last summer with the North Carolina Roadrunners Club, as part of their summer trail series. The first time I ran there, I took a couple of wrong turns, and they ended up sending the course sweeper out to find me! Needless to say, I was a little concerned about wrong turns this morning, but fortunately, there were volunteers at nearly every place there were options of which way to turn. Thank goodness I guessed right at the spots that weren't manned!

The race was pretty low key, with early registration only, a cap of 185 runners, and no timing chips. In fact, there wasn't even a big clock at the end, just manual timing by someone at the end. Everyone was handed an index card after we crossed the finish line with our place in the race (I got #133), and we had to handwrite our names and bib numbers on the back of our finishing numbers! It felt very low tech and homey, rather refreshing, really.

I officially met Louise there, a lady I've seen at a number of races over recent years. I also met her friend, Jen, and a lady (no name) from Waterville, Maine. Nice to meet new folks and out names with faces.

I wore a long sleeve t-shirt over a short sleeve, and long tights, as well as cotton gloves. It all felt decent once I got moving. Once I started, I was glad I didn't have a hat on. I don't do caps well.

I ended up with a time of 40:34 for the 5K, pretty slow, even for me. I decided to take it easy because of the pre-shin splints (self diagnosed). No long run today, going to take it easy for the rest of the day. A Duke basketball game comes on this afternoon, so there's a good excuse for me to just hang out! :)

Friday Workout--Blah!

1) Walked 1.18 miles (20 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.23 miles (15:01 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Rode 2 miles (11:08 minutes) on the recumbent bike

I didn't sleep well last night, and this morning, I'm feeling twinges of shin splints! I mentioned it on Twitter and DailyMile.com, and have gotten some good advice (stretches and ice).

Thursday Gym Time and Frozen 5K

1) Ran 0.39 miles (5 min) on the treadmill, had to take a bathroom break
2) Ran 3 miles (36 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.67 miles (11 min) on the treadmill
4) Rode 1.21 miles (6 min) on the recumbent bike

Yesterday I signed up for the Frozen 5K Race Saturday morning in Cary, before looking to see that the low Friday night is predicted to be 12 degrees, and Saturday's predicted high is 36 degrees. At least this will force me to do SOME running outside on Saturday. This will be a low key race, no timing chip or big clock, and a cap of 185 runners. Small race, for sure. May end up being at the end of the line at the finish, but at least I'll be out there.

Wednesday Workout

1) Ran 2.55 miles in 31 minutes on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.33 miles in 6 minutes on the treadmill
3) Ran 1.24 miles in 15 minutes on the treadmill
4) Rode 1.07 miles in 6 minutes on the recumbent bike

Overslept this morning, as I forgot to set my alarm last night. Feel better for having gotten a full 8 hours of sleep! Wasn't planning to run all that much today, but got a second wind after I got warmed up.

Tuesday Workout

1) Walked 0.56 miles (10 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.05 miles (36:06 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Rode 4.36 miles (20 minutes) on the recumbent bike

I've remained a little sore throughout the day. Hmmm. Probably the run/recumbent bike combo. I usually do about 5-6 miles max between the two, so today was a little more.

Is It Monday Again?

This morning, the treadmills were full when I got to the gym, so I started with the recumbent bike, riding 6.26 miles in 30 minutes. When I finally got on the treadmill, I ran 3 miles in 36 minutes.

One new habit I've started in this new year (and in my new paper exercise journal) is writing down the time I start my daily workout. It might be interesting to note any patterns. I would like to start getting to the gym earlier, too.

Today for the first time, I logged the number of hours I slept last night in one of my online training journals (BuckeyeOutdoors.com has a space for it). That could be useful information as well.

Tired Sunday

I'm dragging today after yesterday's long run, so it was nearly 12:30 before I got to the gym! I started by walking in the neighborhood near the gym for 31 minutes (1.67 miles). Then I went inside and ran 31 minutes (2.6 miles) on the treadmill, and rode 4.12 miles (20 minutes) on the recumbent bike. It was a decent workout, just wish I'd started earlier in the day. I usually feel better when I work out in the morning.

Saturday Long Run

This morning I hit the American Tobacco Trail for my long run, and it felt so good to run outside again. I decided to try a run/walk ration of 5:1, and that worked out really well, by and large, for the first 6 miles. The plantar fasciitis in my left foot has been acting up again, and at mile 6, it hurt bad enough that I needed to do more walking. Bummer. Even still, I ended up doing 8.1 miles in 2 hours, 22 minutes, an average pace of about 5 seconds faster than last week's long run. I'll take that mini-victory!

I discovered that the Circle K convenience store/gas station does not have public restrooms, but the Rite-Aid drugstore does! Woohoo! I used it both on my way out and on the way back. It's only a mile into the run from where I park, but it sure did come in handy. The Solite Park restrooms, at mile 2 from where I park, are closed for the season. These are good things to know!

I noticed a couple of running groups out on the ATT, both of whom passed me. I'll be glad when I'm fast enough to join a regular running group! While running, I thought about forming a running group for people my speed (who want to speed up too!). Hmmmm.

Friday Workout

1) Ran 3.34 miles in 40 min. on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.35 miles in 6 min. on the treadmill
3) Biked 2.03 miles in 10 min. on the recumbent bike

The workout felt pretty good, especially considering I accidentally left my iPod at work yesterday! I found an extra pair of earbuds at home, and plugged them into the TV monitor attached to the treadmill at the gym, and watched the news instead. Perhaps the change of pace was good.

I also renewed my membership in the North Carolina Roadrunners Club, and signed up for another 5K, the Run for the Roses in Raleigh.

I've started reading a couple of books about marathoning:

1) Run Your First Marathon: Everything You Need to Know to Reach the Finish Line, by Grete Waitz
2) Marathon: The Ultimate Training and Racing Guide, by Hal Higdon

I hope they'll be informative.

Thursday Workout and Fall Race Update

The gym was still pretty crowded with the Resolution crowd this morning, but I was able to get a decent workout in.

1) Ran 3.14 miles on the treadmill in 38:03 minutes
2) Walked 0.50 miles on the treadmill in 6:11 minutes
3) Biked 2.15 miles in 12 minutes

This afternoon, I noticed that the City of Oaks Marathon and Half Marathon have tentatively been set for November 1. That's cutting it close to the annual anniversary trip George and I usually take the end of October. (Our first date anniversary is on Halloween!) Sooo, I also found out that the Outer Banks Marathon and Half Marathon are on November 8! The timing seems better, and it would be a neat trip! Also, I've heard that marathon is rather flat (except for the bridge), and could be a great first marathon. I wonder if I could be ready for a marathon this year. I'd all but talked myself out of that goal for this year, thinking that another year of base mileage would be good for me. But what if I could do it?!

Well, I'll see how the Coach Bubba 20K next month goes. Raleigh Rocks Half in March will be a good indicator of my progress as well. Stay tuned!

Wednesday Workout

1) 3.34 mile run on the treadmill (40 minutes)
2) 0.30 mile walk on the treadmill (5:10 minutes)
3) 2 mile recumbent bike ride (11:04 minutes)

Still struggling to get to the gym and feeling pretty sluggish after. Perhaps I need to work on the nutrition end of things, and make sure I get to bed. I'll work on drinking more water today.

Tuesday Gym Workout

1) Run 3.02 miles (36 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Walk 0.60 miles (10 minutes)
3) Bike 1.08 miles (6:02 minutes)

The gym is getting a little more crowded with New Year's Resolutioners. It's nice seeing the fresh faces. I've been having to push myself to get to the gym this week. I think I got spoiled being able to run outside while out on vacation. Now it's just too dark in the morning before work for me to feel safe running outside. I do find that once I'm at the gym, and going on the treadmill even, it's easier to put one foot in front of the other.

I did do a little bit of free weights work on my arms before I left the gym this morning, and that was a nice change of pace.

Monday Workout

Okay, so I didn't get to bed early enough to wipe out yesterday morning's tired feeling! Oops! I return to work this morning after two weeks off, so it's back to the routine. I woke up about 3:30 this morning, and never got back to sleep. Not part of the routine. Zzzzz. So, my gym workout routine was a little off today.

1) Run 2.01 miles, 25 minutes
2)Walk 0.64 miles, 11 minutes
3) Run 0.40 miles, 5 minutes
4) Bike 3.21 miles, 16 minutes

Tired Workout

I'm still dragging after yesterday's 8-miler. I started with 32 minutes (6.02 miles) on the recumbent bike, then ran 15:08 minutes (1.25 miles) on the treadmill, and finally walked 5:05 minutes (0.30 miles) on the treadmill. Blah, tired.

2009 Running Goals

I've been mulling over my 2009 running goals lately, trying to decide how big or specific to be. I also mulled over whether or not the go for a full marathon this year. I decided I wouldn't push it this year, but continue to work on my base mileage and speed. If the marathon happens this year, okay, but at this point, I'm thinking 2010 will be the marathon year. So, for 2009:

1) Run 1000 miles this year.

I tried to do this in 2008, but with injuries early in the year, I wasn't able to catch back up.

2) PR in the half marathon.

I ran my first half marathon in November 2008, and I want to put the things I learned from that race into action and run a faster half marathon time in 2009. I've already signed up for the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon in March.

3) Race a new distance.

I've already signed up for next month's Coach Bubba 20K. It'll be my first 20K, so it'll be an instant PR, the time to beat when I get around to another 20K!

Tough Long Run

I hit the American Tobacco Trail again today with plans to do another long run. Two late nights this week have taken their toll, but I decided to gut it out, no matter what. It was a beautiful morning to be out, and I needed to get the mileage in. I ended up run/walking 8.01 miles in 2:21:01, a slow run/walk pace. The plantar fasciitis in my left foot is acting up again, and I'm still feeling it as I type. It's turned out to be a pretty high mileage week, so I may take it easy for a day or two.

More Gym Time

I went back to the gym this morning, planning to take it a little easy. I'm still a bit tired and sore from yesterday's race and extra running.

I started with 0.88 miles (15 minutes) of walking on the treadmill, followed by a 3-mile run (36:08 miles). Then I biked 3.1 miles in 16 minutes. Still tired and sore. Since I'm still on vacation, I'm off to take a nap--because I can! :) Need to rest up anyway, for what I hope will be a long run tomorrow.

First Run of 2009: Race Report for Resolution Run

Last night I decided to get up and run the Resolution Run in Raleigh this morning. The decision suprised me, since I was at a New Year's Eve dinner and party at the time, and it was cold outside, so I knew it would be cold this morning!

Although I didn't get to sleep until after 2 AM, I decided to go for it anyway. The morning was cold, indeed, but a nice one otherwise. Okay, it was a bit windy too! The nippy weather gave people something else to talk about though, which was nice.

Although the race was a bit hilly, it was a decent one for me. While I'm still waiting on the official results, I finished in about 38:12, just a few seconds slower than my last 5K. Considering the lack of sleep, plus the wind and the hills, I'm not disappointed, really. And I loved starting out the year with a 5K!

Afterward, I stopped at the gym. (Yes, I'm crazy!) I ran another 1.39 miles (17 minutes) on the treadmill, walked 0.30 miles (5:06 minutes), then rode the boke for 12 minutes (2.4 miles).

This afternoon, I am tired and sore, for sure! George and I met his cousin, Jacob, in Cary for lunch. Afterward, they decided to head for a local used book store. I would've loved to join them, but I decided to come on home. Time to stretch out on the couch with a book! Zzzzzz

UPDATE: Official time for the Resolution Run was 38:11. The picture above is a shot I took of myself before the race, trying out my new digital camera.