June Mileage

June 1
1 mile, courthouse loop

June 2
1.5 miles, McKenzie Woods

June 3
1 mile, treadmill

June 4
1 mile, Madison St

June 5
1 mile, treadmill

June 6
1 mile, to Webster St and back

June 7
1 mile, courthouse loop

June 8
2 miles, Wyche St/Hospital Loop

June 9
1 mile, treadmill

June 10
3 miles, Grandma Loop

June 11
1 mile, treadmill

June 12
1 mile, treadmill

June 13
1 mile, treadmill

June 14
1.5 miles, beach

June 15
1 mile, beach sidewalk

June 16
1 mile, sunburnt, treadmill

June 17
1.5 miles, beach

June 18
5 miles, around town

June 19
1 mile, sprint, to Clay St and back

June 20
1 mile, treadmill

June 21
1 mile, treadmill

June 22
2 miles, Madison St

June 23
1 mile, treadmill

June 24
1 mile, treadmill

June 25
3 mile, around and about

June 26
4 mile, extended Grandma loop

June 27
3 miles, with Mom to Watson's and back

June 28
1 mile, treadmill

June 29
2 miles, with Justin

June 30
4 miles, to track, around, and back

June Total: 50.5 miles
May Total: 43.5 miles
Total Since May 13th (Run 1 of 365): 88.5 miles

Planning Ahead

I LOVE some types of planning. I love planning events: parties, showers, weddings, etc. Sometimes, I get really obsessively wrapped up in planning lessons and activities for my students. What I'm not really into, however, is the type of day-to-day planning that makes life in general run smoothly. It's not that my life is running off the tracks or anything, but I could probably use a little more structure. So I'm not doing things like running on the treadmill a few minutes before midnight, going to the grocery store twice in one day, or locking my keys in the car twice in one week. Actually, I doubt any amount of planning will ever keep me from repeatedly locking myself out of vehicles/homes/school trailers.

I've been using my summer break so far to get caught up and really feel quite accomplished with all the little things I've done so far. None of these events are really great feats, but they were simply not happening during the school year.

I've already got my hair cut, been to the dentist, scheduled an eye appointment, took the kitten to the vet, deep cleaned (most of) the house, got my car inspected, renewed my car registration, weeded and fertilized the garden, started my marathon training, washed pretty much every stitch of clothing in this house, and a done a few little other things here and there.

My Runner's World Marathon Plan outlines what I'm going to run every day, but I'm going to try and go the extra step and plan ahead for where and when. Even though I wasn't feeling real jazzed about it right when I got up, I went ahead and hit the road because I knew it was only getting hotter. Three minutes in, I was so grateful. So, since this is Week One of my sixteen week schedule, I think I should start some routines to keep me on track. Each week, I'll post my training "plan" on Sunday or Monday (yes, I realize that already puts me behind on this week) so I can look ahead and avoid late night long runs on the treadmill.

*If you have this month's RW (Runner's World) and see the plan, you have an idea of what I'm doing. The "First Timer" modificiations for the their plan are reducing the Sunday long runs by 2 miles each week (building only to 20, instead of 22), just doing 3-4 miles on Wednesdays and Fridays instead of the quality runs, and rest on Saturday.*

Monday (Yesterday)
Walked/Ran with Justin, got in at least 2 miles of running

Tuesday (Today)
4 Miles, Morning to Track and Back

Wednesday
RW says "hills" but I'm yet to find the hills in this county. I'm going to do 3-4 miles in the evening. I'll look for hills. : )
Day 2 of JM (Jillian's Michael's "Making the Cut")

Thursday
RW and JM says "rest" so it's just one easy mile in the evening.

Friday
Easy 4 in the morning
Day 4 of JM

Saturday
1 mile, first thing
Day 5 of JM

Sunday
5 miles before church

Okay, so maybe I'm not ready to plan where yet, but there's when at least.

Hold me to it!

Marathon Training Plan

So last post, I answered the what and why questions. There is a very important question yet to answered, how am I going to get ready for this marathon?

Runner's World ran a 16 week training plan in their July issue called the "The RW Marathon Challenge" with modifications for busy runners, injury-prone runners, those looking for PRs, and first timers. I'm following the first timer plan with a few tweaks here and there. The first long run starts at 5 miles (which is completely attainable for me right now) and builds to a 20 mile long run before tapering. On the scheduled "rest" days I'll be just doing a short easy 1 mile.

The other component that I tend to neglect is strength training. Remember how I'm one of those people who have to learn the same lesson over and over again? When I look back, those times that I was running AND strengthen training AND cross-training where the times that I was the fastest, fittest, and happiest.

So, I'm dusting off my Jillian Michael's (did I ever mention how I'm obsessed with Biggest Loser?) "Making the Cut" and following her circuits for strength/cross training. I bought this book several months ago and have never made it past Day 4 of the workouts. I had busy as an excuse before, but no excuse now! I'll let you know how it goes.

Des Moines Marathon, Here We Come!

So, you might be wondering, "Why is someone who has been running very minimally in the past few months, and only six miles at the longest, registering for a marathon? A marathon in Iowa?"

The Iowa part is easy to answer; my grandparents live there and I have not seen them in almost two years.

The marathon question requires us to back in time.

When I was a freshman in high school, I had this secret fantasy of being on the cross county team. Which seemed far-fetched at the time, because my childhood athletic career had been pretty laughable. I was the disgrace of the YMCA softball and basketball teams. My teammates sighed with dismay each time I stepped onto the field or court. In three years, I never scored a single point in either sport. (That absolutely cracks me up now, but seemed pretty tragic to my chubby middle school self.) I could not shake this thought though, that I was meant to run on the cross country team. The first time I shared this dream with my one my classmates, he laughed in my face. I still remember the look of bewilderment on his face, "Isn't that, like, over 3 miles?"

But, I ran anyway. I loved cross country. I was never super fast, but I was in the top twenty for my county senior year and that was enough for me. (By the way, five years later, my little sister is now the fastest cross country runner in the county. *heart swelling with pride*)

By my freshmen year of college, I was ready for another challenge. It seemed absolutely crazy at the time, but my mom and I decided to race a triathlon. I had swam (by the way, for what's it worth, I'm actually a far superior swimmer than runner) and run in high school but was pretty out of shape. My mom hadn't seriously run since before I was born. We completed the Angel's Race Triathlon on my 19th birthday and have never looked back. Together and separately (and now with my younger sisters as well), we have completed too many 5Ks, 10Ks, biathlons, triathlons, and half-marathons to count. (Okay, honestly, she's done way more me. It's impossible now to imagine my mom going more than two weeks without collecting a race t-shirt.)

Obviously, the final (at least as far as I'm concerned) frontier is the marathon. A few years ago, I trained for about four months for a marathon. I was up to 17 miles and absolutely obsessed and ready. Unfortunately, a few weeks before race day, a nagging knee problem reached the point of serious knee injury. Doctor's orders were no running for at least a month, lest I wanted to permanently ruin my knee. Crying and disappointed, I had to put away my running shoes and couldn't run the marathon. My mom said there'd be another time.

I've got a hard 16 weeks of training ahead of me, but I'm ready.

Y'all, it's time.

50 Minutes, Free

A few years ago, when I was studying abroad, I was very serious about my running for several months. I even had this little journal that I kept up with all my runs and workouts and whatnot. The other day, I flipped that journal open and saw an entry that said:

"70 minutes, Free"

And I thought, "How poetic of me...that instead of saying '70 minute run' or '7 miles running,' to me it felt like 70 minutes free!"

Then I flipped to the next page: "20 minutes, Free." And the next: "40 minutes, Free."

And I thought, "Hmm...running must have really given me wings that week."

Turning back to the book, I found the next entry: "50 minutes, Wave Rider." Then I remembered that I took two pairs of running shoes with me abroad: my Nike Frees and my Mizuno Waveriders.

So "Free" was actually referring to this:

Oh well. The thing is though, running 5 miles around the edge of town, hot and sticky, actually makes me feel free. As long as I'm not dodging trucks or dogs.

(By the way: Wearing Nike Frees when you are training for a marathon is NOT a bright idea. They were these fad, super-light shoes that were supposed to build your feet muscles while you ran. I LOVED running in them...sometimes even without socks! But they eventually led an overuse knee injury because I didn't have enough support for my feet. Lesson learned.)

No, I Haven't Run Off the Side of the Earth

Or much of anywhere for that matter. I've been the beach for the past few days with my husband while he's been at a conference. I've been fanastizing for weeks about how much running and reading I would get done on that trip.

I did read a lot.

We laid out on the beach for a few hours Monday afternoon (after liberally applying 30 SPF) and I was disappointed that I did not appear to be getting any sun at all.

Well, I got sun.

I considered posting pictures of my red, scalded back and legs, but it's the kind of thing that makes you cringe. Tuesday (the day I had planned to go on a long run), I spent completely indoors, out of the sun, and ran one pitiful, painful mile on the hotel treadmill.

Though still pink, the sting is gone, and I'm going to try and squeeze in a quality run today(between cleaning this poor neglected house and baking three cakes)!

Oh, if you like cake (and obviously, you do), look at the beautiful creations made by my friend, Taylor.

Just as Pretty

So, this has even less to do with running than usual. I took my kitten to the vet for the first time today and they gave me this little free book on cat care. I have NEVER been so amused in my life by an instruction manual. Here are just a few of the highlights. (I made some notes to help your comprehension.)

I just think this is horribly unfair for them to pick on this poor cat.
I have seen cats MUCH fatter than that.

I honestly did not know people bathed cats. Luckily, they provided example of two incidences why you would need to bathe your cat: contamination OR cat shows.

And do you wonder what it looks like when you bathe your cat?

Well, there you go.

Now, this next one is kind of sad.

The caption of this one was "Action for Posion" but it looks to me like that cat just a had a little too much "substance." I don't think it was poison.

And this one was my VERY favorite. I was laughing so much at this caption I almost had to pull over on the way home from the vet's. Is it just me?

This was from the page "Why Choose a Nonpedigree?" (Opposite from "Why Choose a Pedigree?") One reason is: nonpedigree cats are "just as pretty." I mean, check out that cat's "long glossy coat." That is just pretty.

All pictures are attributed to Edney & Taylor's "101 Essential Tips: Cat Care." Thanks, guys.

Running = Sanity

School's out and I'm almost letting myself feel a little relieved. I'm plowing through backlogged paperwork, grad school assignments, and housekeeping this week. I've made one appointment on my list. (Ironically, it is the one for the kitten, instead of me.)

Even though my mileage is not up yet, I'm definitely reaping the benefits of my daily runs. I have more energy and patience (except perhaps with my students in the last days of school), less stress, and I just feel generally happier when I run regularly.

Apparently, I'm one of the those people that have to learn the same lesson over and over again. Even though I know all the benefits of running and almost always feel instantly better after a run, I forget at least weekly. There are some days that I just do not want to get my lazy self in my running shoes and out the door. That is why I greatly benefit from a regimented program such as: run every day.

I realize that this is not a particularly practical goal and obviously not sustainable over a lifetime. I think it is possible, however, for me to run for 365 days in a row. Just for the heck of it. Just to prove to myself that I can. When I tried this two years ago I made it for 9 months. I really, really do not want to get that close again and not make it, so I'm very committed to this goal.

So, in conclusion, I'm running to accomplish an impractical (albeit attainable) goal and the side effect is a happier, less stressed, healthier me. Maybe, over time, it will even lead to a slightly smaller me. That is very purposefully not my primary goal, but it would be nice if my behind was compatible with my shorts once again.

Where/What/When to Run

As I count down the last 1.5 days of teaching and 3 workdays, I can see summer and sanity on the horizon! I didn't work last summer but I was all over the state wedding planning, attending pre-wedding events, moving (twice), getting a new job, getting married, etc. So, I'm extremely excited about the approaching two months!

I've been formulating a list in my mind for months of things I need/want to do, but just have not been able to do during the school year. (The kids may leave at 3 [or 4, or 4:20, depending on tutoring] but it's rare for me to get back to town before 5 and I'm usually dragging a bag of schoolwork with me. Maybe, year three of teaching will be a LITTLE less time-consuming.) Here's the ones I can think of now...

1. Take the kitten to the vet
2. Get my hair cut
3. Go the dentist
4. Go to the eye doctor
5. Take back the broken fan
6. Hang pictures
7. Cook real meals on a consistent basis!
8. Make headboard and possibly paint bedroom
9. Read!
10. Organize my husband's study
11. Scrapbook/organize wedding photos and memorabilia

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDD....the only one thing that truly is relevant to this blog:

12. Really RUN!!!!!!

I've been checking out runs and triathlons for this summer and fall and want to make some commitments (i.e. dropping some cash on registrations fees) for races. It's was a lot easier to find races when I lived with my running mom and sister within an hour of several medium to large cities within a 45 minute radius.

In my new married life, I live with my husband who really cannot (yet) get jazzed up about getting up early to run on a Saturday. And also, there is that little detail of being about one hour from ANY city that recognizes the need for 5Ks. I am undaunted, however, and will be making some race announcements soon! Depending on the success on the next few weeks, there might be some exciting races for the fall!

Discombobulated...

That is the only appropriate word to describe how I feel right now.

My clock battery must have gave out and I spent my afternoon about 45 minutes behind schedule and my kids missed recess.

I missed choir practice because I forgot it was switched to Wednesday this week.

I misordered my chicken cordon bleu sandwich and ended up eating grilled cheese.

I missed a text message and missed my social event of the evening.

I misplaced my motivation and am about a week behind in grad school work.

At least I'm getting my mile in. Maybe I will feel less discombobulated after my run.

It's National Running Day!

I would have had no idea about this holiday except for my recent obsession with other people's random running blogs.

I wish I could have celebrated this day with something besides a one mile treadmill run.

I will survive the next four days of school, get caught up on my grad school work, clean my poor house, put away the 4+ loads of clean laundry scattered in random baskets, desperately attempt to catch up with my church reading, and then get serious about my running.

Promise.

May

Okay, so I realize this is super boring, but I really like keeping up with all my little runs and this is a easy way to do so every month.

May 1
2.5 miles, Franklin/Lee Loop

May 2
2 miles, To Arts Council Yard Sale and Back

May 3
3 miles, Around and About

May 4
1 mile, treadmill

May 5
1 mile, treadmill

May 6
1 mile, treadmill

May 7
2 miles, Madison St

May 8-12
My days off the wagon

May 13, New Day 1!
2 miles, Madison St

May 14
1 mile sprint loop, 3 mile walk

May 15
1 mile, treadmill

May 16
2 miles, loop

May 17
1 mile, treadmill

May 18
2.5 miles, hospital loop

May 19
1 mile, treadmill

May 20
1.5 miles, treadmill

May 21
1 mile, treadmill

May 22
1 mile, treadmill, after midnight (I've decided it still counts as the day if I haven't gone to bed yet.)

May 23
2 miles, Chenault Rd with Becca

May 24
1 mile, treadmill

May 25
6 miles, Lake...to Dale's and back

May 26
2 miles, Madison St

May 27
1 mile, courthouse loop

May 28
1 mile, treadmill

May 29
3 miles, Drop by Grandma's Loop

May 30
1 mile, courthouse loop

May 31
2 miles, loop

May Total: 43.5 miles