Week 3 Day 2 & 3

So, Sunday called for "20 minutes easy". I ran at 9:00 p.m. because I knew there was no getting up early on Sunday after such a long day Saturday. I ran 2 miles at 11:11 pace. It was a good run in the dark despite the heat.

Today called for "45 Minutes or Cross Train". I went to boot camp but had to leave 15 minutes early. Kinda glad to leave because it was a butt kickin. I rushed home, showered and took Connor in for a over due 11 year check up. He turned 11 in March. He is just under the 5 foot mark, 59 1/4 inches, much to his disappointment and weighed in at 93 lbs. As he was sitting on the exam table I couldn't help but notice how big he is getting. He had just returned yesterday from a week long trip to Branson with Kim and her family so I don't know if it was that I hadn't seen him in a week but as I looked at him I noticed he looks older and is filling out. He and his sister are growing TOO fast! He also got two shots which he wasn't thrilled about but at least can handle WAY better than his sister.

Courtney is off to Hawaiian Falls with friends and I'm headed out to show homes in a bit.

Happy Monday!

Week 3 Day 1

I was up and going at 4:45 a.m. and headed to Luke's for my 5 mile run. It was hot but not near as bad as the weekend before. I felt really good on the run. I managed 11:54 pace.

After the run we did some stretching and then I headed into Luke's for a clinic on Hydration. They talked about the importance of drinking enough water before, after and during a run and to test out the different type of sports drinks to see which work best with your digestive system. A good tip I picked up was to weigh yourself before a run and immediately after. If you lose more than 1/2 a pound then you not hydrating enough before running and if you gain weight then you are over hydrating. Both scenarios can result into problems.

Saturday night we went to a concert with friends. It was Jack FM's Throwback Concert (4-80's Cover bands). My favorite was Back in Black (AC/DC) then Fan Halen (Van Halen), Queen Nation (Queen) and my least favorite Guns 4 Roses (Guns N' Roses). The first three bands sounded just like the originals but the last...not so much!



Fan Halen

Back in Black

The concert was a lot of fun until we left. It was at the Gexa Energy Pavilion (Starplex) by Fair Park and when we got to Keith's truck the stereo had been stolen out of the dash. It was a aftermarket stereo that was touch screen and had a GPS. That really caused the evening to end abruptly on a bad note.

It was a long day...got up at 4:45 a.m. and went to bed at 1:30 a.m. I was exhausted...it's rough getting old.

Week 2 Day 5

It was another hot run. That is probably going to be a recurring theme over the next 3+ months. I headed out at 9:30 a.m. this morning. The dew point really does affect the the way it feels outside while running.

I couldn't wait for my "30 minute easy" run to end. I was pouring sweat! I went 2.77 miles in 30 minutes at a pace of 10:50. At times, I felt like my legs could not carry me any further. I wish I was one of those people who liked the heat. I've got to wrap my mind around the fact that it isn't going anywhere for a while.

I found an interesting article yesterday in a magazine while waiting on Keith to have his root canal. It talks about good food choices at popular fast food restaurants.


Week 3 starts Saturday with a 5 miler!

Week 2 Day 4

Today is scheduled to be a "rest day" but I am doing doing tomorrow's workout today because the hubby is having a root canal tomorrow and I am the chauffeur.

It rained last night and the temperatures were cooler outside so off I went on my "30 minute easy" run. It was so HOT! The dew point was 67 degrees and the humidity at 93%.

I ran 2.75 miles and averaged a 10:57 pace. I was dripping sweat when I got home. That 69 degree temp sure did throw me for a loop with the high humidity and dew point. Goes to show temp is not everything.

Here I am after today's run.

Prayers for Keith tomorrow. He is not looking forward to the root canal, YUCK!

Week 2 Days 2 & 3

Connor left this morning to go to Branson with Kim and her family. Kevin's side does an annual family reunion at the same resort for the past 40 years. Connor was invited to help entertain Mason and is really looking forward to fishing, swimming, cookouts, bumper boats, a show and more while there. He said "Happy Father's Day" to Keith and then was out the door on vacation.

Day 2 (Sunday) called for "20 minutes easy". I ran at 8:30 p.m. and it was hot but not as bad as Saturday morning's run. I ran through my neighborhood and did 2 miles in 22 minutes. I feel when I run in the evening that I am worn out from the day and just never get into the running grove. Before the run I was feeling sluggish so I ate half a peanut butter sandwich in hopes of getting some energy. I'm proud that I went out and completed my scheduled run despite not feeling like it.

We celebrated Father's Day by attending Church then heading out to Dos Charros for lunch and Berri Luscious for frozen yogurt. Keith had to work lights in the sound both at Church which requires him to be there for all 3 services. He didn't leave till around 12:30 so we knew that all the steak houses would have a long wait. Afterwards, we went to Stonebriar Mall and the AMC IMAX theatre and watched Super 8. Not impressed with the IMAX. Just like any other screen just a lot bigger. I thought they were suppose to be bowed in the center and such? Maybe, not. The movie was OK. Not really my kind of movie but it wasn't my day ;-). The kids got him a biking jersey to try and keep him cool while out cycling.

Day 3 (Monday) called for "45 minute run or cross train". I opted for cross train to try and build core strength. I went to boot camp at the Church and had a great workout. My least favorite thing is the "plank" and we got to do that today, woohoo! It was a good workout.

We are now getting ready to switch out refrigerators. A friend is selling a year old French-Door Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator. Oh... the things that excite you as an adult!

We've been wanting one to give us more fridge space. The side by side fridge we have is barely wide enough for a pizza box. Hopefully, the new one will allow us more space. I may need to leave the house while Keith and our good friend/neighbor Rusty move the fridge. I tend to manage the moving of things and think I know the best way which usually results in an arguement. It's hard to keep my opinions to myself so leaving may be the best bet :-).

Here's to hoping everything goes smoothly!

Week 2 Day 1

It was "HOT" on the run this morning. Wowser! Alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. to give me time to get myself together for today's run. I NEVER thought I would be up this early on a Saturday to run.

I've been doing some reading about running and came across a interesting article on a blog I follow (got to give credit where credit is due, the blog is hilarious!) http://thebitchyrunners.blogspot.com , The article is about dew point from a July/August Running Magazine.

"Dew point is the temperature at which water condenses. The closer the dew point is to the air temperature, the more saturated the air is and the less perspiration can evaporate and help the body cool itself, resulting in extra stress on the heart and lungs as the body attempts unsuccessfully to cool itself. Accordingly, the dew point provides a strong indicator of how you'll feel running and a useful tool in predicting how much performance will be impacted."

It also had the following table to use as a guide:

At 5:30 a.m. the temperature was 80 degrees. Guess what the dew point was this morning? It was 73 degrees. According to the chart it says "expect pace to suffer greatly". I'm happy to report on the 4 mile run I managed to average a 12:18 pace. We did walk a couple times because it felt so hot and humid. I'm thankful there was a nice breeze that came through.

After the run we stretched and headed into Luke's to hear about Injury Prevention by James Lewis with http://vistarehab.com/asc/index.html.


It was a great morning and ready to tackle week 2!

Week 1 Day 6

Remember, I mentioned in my last post that I rubbed the skin off my knees in boot camp doing girly push ups? It's not a lot of skin but it kinda hurts.


(boot camp injury ;-))

Today called for another "30 Minutes Easy". I'd love to tell you I got out of bed when the alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. BUT...I didn't! I'd also love to lead you to believe that I wanted to run at 8:30 p.m. to test out if I have more energy in the morning vs. the evening....BUT..that would be a lie. I slept in and did my run as the sun was setting. I think it is comparable to my morning runs in regards to pace but it was still HOT! I ran for 30 minutes at 11:32 pace and went 2.62 miles.

I am feeling a bit discouraged. I really WANT a weekday running partner. Please, I beg of you...JOIN ME! You can run/walk/bike as long as you'd like. I'll take anything. I thrive on the support and motivation from others. Anyone? Bueller...Bueller?

So, that wraps up week 1. Day 7 is a rest day. Week 2 Day 1 starts Saturday with a 4 mile run at Luke's.

Week 1 Day 5

On the schedule for today is "30 Minutes Easy".

I woke up at 6:30 and headed out the door for a 30 minute run through the neighborhood. I ran 2.62 miles and felt ok. As you may have noticed by my times I am not looking to break any records. The schedule also called for "easy" and my pace was 11:27. I'm pleased with that considering I've only been running a year and my very first mile I ever ran last summer took 20 minutes. I think I've come a long way.

After the run, I headed to Boot camp and we worked on our core. We would balance on one foot while lifting weights with the alternate hand and did so many different variations of push-ups (I do girly ones on my knees) that I rubbed skin off my knees while on my yoga mat. My knees bother me when I do lunges and push ups but are fine while running. I always thought my knees would bother me while running since I've had orthoscpoic surgery on one of them twice as a teen. Low and behold they hold up fine on the runs. That may change as my distance increases.

I'm pretty beat after a 1.5 hour work out but glad I did it!

Week 1 Day 3

Today's training called for "40 Minutes or Cross Train". I went to Boot camp at Church for an hour. Our Pastor leads the class. He has the following certifications and it's a TOUGH workout:

ACT Personal Trainer Certification
SCW Personal Trainer Certification
Boot Camp Challenge Certification
CPR/AED Certification

We started with a 1 mile run and then went into push ups, sit ups, squats, lunges, weights and more (I don't know the names of all the exercises we do). It was held outdoors in the parking lot today due to VBS going on this week. There was a nice breeze which felt great!

Day 4 is a REST day...woohoo!!!

Week 1 Day 2

Today's marathon training called for a 15 minute "easy" run. I had every intention of getting up at 6:30 a.m. and running before we left for Church at 8:45 a.m.. I didn't! I slept in. I had to wake up at 4:45 a.m. the day before for Day 1 of training and felt I deserved to sleep as late as possible on Sunday. My thought was I can run tonight when the sun starts to set. I forgot that it was game 6 for the basketball championship. I'm not a normal basketball watcher but when your team is in the finals you should show support :-)

We went to Church and after lunch decided to have some people over to watch the Mavs vs. Miami Heat. I knew if I didn't run before the game that it would be to late to run after. So, at 5:00 p.m. I head out for my run. I decided to do 2 miles instead of 15 minutes. It took me 23 minutes and was the LONGEST and HOTTEST run of my life. I thought I might have heat stroke! This run showed me that I need to get up early to run or risk heat stroke. The run was misserable. The first mile wasn't too bad because it was mostly shaded by trees. Mile 2 stunk. It was all sun and I could feel my body fatiguing and slowing down.

My body does not like the heat or sun beating down on it while trying to exercise. I'm hoping this experience will get my lazy tush out of bed instead of procrastinating.


After the run I showered and cleaned up and enjoyed a wonderful evening with friends watching the Mavs BEAT the Heat! 105 to 95..way to go Dallas Mavs!!!

Made a BIG decision

So, I did it! I bit the bullet and succumbed to peer pressure and signed up for the Dallas White Rock Marathon, 26.2 miles. Keith also said if I did a full marathon he would bike a Century, 100 miles. He is in the process of researching that since he didn't think I would commit to a marathon :-)



I'm nervous, scared and excited about the challenge. In order to prepare properly for this momentous event I signed up with a running group at Luke's Locker. They offer running coaches, weekly training schedules, education and injury prevention classes and Saturday morning runs. Lots of support and coaching, which I am going to need.

Last Saturday was day 1 of marathon training. We met at Luke's parking lot at 6:00 a.m. and did a 3 mile run evaluation. Before the 3 mile run we did a warm up run around the parking lot and some stretches. Next we started the 3 mile in waves based on your normal running time. I was lucky to run with one of the coaches and we chatted along the run. She was really sweet and I look forward to gtting to know her better. Oh, did I mention that Luke's has a rule about NO MP3 players on Saturday runs? Yep, you heard that correct. The reason behind it is that running is an individual sport. Training to run is a group activity. Being a part of this team means working as a group to accomplish individual goals. I thought going into it that I would never make it. But, I did survive my first 3 mile run with no music and an awesome group of people to keep me motivated.

So, based on your time they placed you in running groups. I'm in the "Red" group because I am slow as a turtle compared to some of these runners but my goal is not for a time...it's simply COMPLETION!

There were probably 30 people at Luke's on Saturday and they were all very nice and supportitive. My friend from Church, Amy, was there and she is the one who told me about Luke's running program and helped me get off the fence and decide to do the marathon. Thanks ALOT Amy!! Your hubby is trying to find a way to get me out of class for good, isn't he? :-)

I'm looking forward to the next group run next Saturday, 4 miles.

P.S. We celebrated Keith's birthday (6/8) tonight at Benihanas. Courtney was at Church camp last week on his birthday so we waited to go to our favorite restaurant when she was home. Happy Birthday, sweetie!