1st treadmill run - recovery run & bike

Did not look at what I was supposed to do today. I knew it would probably be a recovery run since I was supposed to do 6 miles with surges yesterday. I was actually planning on attending a class at the gym but due to the snow that hit this afternoon I missed the class. So I split up running and riding the bike. I started out with a 10 min random ride on the bike then ran a slow mile then 15 min on bike and finished off on the treadmill. I have never run on the treadmill before and have only used that for incline walking which I always have felt like I had to hold on so I did not think I would be able to run since I have that horrible habit of holding on. So I started out slow and it was hard not to hold on but I did it. I did most of the mile at a speed of 6 and finished the last minute at a speed of 7. Felt nice to be able to do it but so incredibly boring. Much worse than doing laps on the track.

Boot Camp & Run

My running schedule today was to run 6 miles at a nice easy pace with a 3 min surge every 15 min. I had a hard time keeping my heart rate down especially bringing it back down after the 1st 3 min surge. I walked for a little bit to bring my heart rate down but when I started running again it went back up too far so I skipped the rest of the surges. I also only had enough time to do 5 miles before boot camp so I did the last mile after boot camp. Not sure what has been going on with me lately. I know the difficulty in exercise is mostly due to poor nutrition. I seem to have lost my motivation to eat healthy lately even though I know I am suffering because of it. I have been working very long days and not having time to get everything done and I am just too tired most days to make dinner so we have been getting take out a lot these past few weeks. My body hates it and that really needs to change. Breakfast and lunch and snacks are good and healthy but dinner has been horrible. At least these long work hours will not last too much longer and my life can get back to normal. In the meantime I really need to have a dinner plan so I don't emotionally eat.

I also need to figure out how to fit in running with boot camp. I love the boot camp class and I love running and I know I should alternate the days but I have been so busy lately that I have a hard time fitting in the running on alternate days so I have to do it on the boot camp days for at least another week or two. If I run first I have a hard time doing the boot camp class. If I do boot camp first I feel dead for the run. I tried splitting up the running around the boot camp class and that seemed to work best but it was still really hard to run after the class.

All in all today was rough. I had a hard time running. I felt like I might puke up dinner during my run. Boot camp was rough but it is supposed to be. Then my legs were tired for the last mile after boot camp but at least I was feeling a little better for that run.

Winter outdoor run S Milw to St Francis and back

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24108257

This is my 1st time running outside this winter. It was cold and windy today but not as bad as it has been lately. Temp 24F wind chill 9F. Today's run was pretty slow. The wind was strong at times and it felt like I was not moving at all. There were quite a few spots with patches of ice that I had to stop and walk around. All in all it was a good 11 mile run 1 hr 58 min 10:43 pace. Wore 3 layers of clothes and was still pretty cold. Also did not run with any music and just listened to the wind and the waves. Went at about 11:00 am and still only came across 16 people and 7 dogs during the whole 2 hour run. And yes I did count - must be the accountant in me :)

Signed up for my 1st marathon

I finally did it. After asking a ton of people their opinions on what marathon I should run - small vs large (all being local since I am short on travel funds) I decided to go with large. Thank you to everyone who commented. Although there were many good reasons on both sides I feel I would get such a rush of excitement running with a ton of other runners and a huge crowd. Hopefully it will get me through to the finish. So I officially signed up today for the Chicago Marathon 10/10/10. I am so excited. The past few days and weeks I have had this huge knot in my stomach trying to decide what to do or if I should do it. While the not is still there and I feel a little like I am going to be sick and I am still terrified that I will not be able to finish, I am going to put out my best effort in training so I will finish.

Amazing runner high from a 5 mile run.

I have such a runners high today. For today's run I decided I would really focus on form. Forefoot striking pushing with the forefoot and using the hamstrings and glutes to push me forward. Keeping shoulders back and being upright and kept track of my breathing. I lost focus quite a few times but kept coming back. I also really pushed it and felt like I had an amazing workout. Talked to a few people at the gym after and they call me a marathoner. I laugh. Someday though I will be a marathoner.

5 miles - 43:52

Mile 1 8:28
Mile 2 9:14
Mile 3 8:31
Mile 4 8:54
Mile 5 8:45

Amazing 6 miler and Expo

I bought a new pair of running shoes 3 months ago - actually it was an early Christmas present from hubby. Anyway, for spending over a certain dollar amount I received this Timex Ironman watch. It either did not come with a manual or I lost it so I had not tried it before. I did try it today after looking up manual online. I think the watch helped motivate me to run a really good 6 miles. According to my running plan for the half marathon I ran last weekend I am supposed to be in recovery this week so I was only planning on running 6 miles. My comfortable normal running pace is a 10 min mile. However today I was feeling really good and felt like pushing a little - which actually felt really good. I ended up running the 6 miles in 53:31 ave pace of 8:55. I think this was the fastest 6 miles I ever ran.


Mile 1 - 8:30
Mile 2 - 8:48
Mile 3 - 9:36
Mile 4 - 8:51
Mile 5 - 8:50
Mile 6 - 8:56

Can you tell from the splits which mile I had to stop to tie my shoe? I did not stop the clock for that.

Felt great after the run - did my stretching and foam rolling and headed off to the multisport expo. By the time I got to the expo Kevin K was already doing his time trial. I watched him for a while and also went to listen to the speakers talking about running form and then a discussion on forefoot vs heel strike. I also tried on my 1st pair of Newtons. OMG - I HAVE to get a pair!!! Been trying to make sure if I spend the money I will have plenty left for England. Even considered not buying hubby's perscriptions (JK). Although according to his neurologist he may be able to come off of his antiseizure medicine soon since he has not had a seizure in two years. We usually have about $4k in dr bills and perscriptions in a year - plus the cost of insurance which keeps going up. Could be worse. Cannot imagine how my brother is ever going to pay his medical bills since he got leukemia last year. Those meds are expensive. Anyway, I am thinking I will just get the Newtons and if I have to I will cash in some bonds I have if I am running short on cash for England. Where there is a will there is a way.

Great time at the gym - so proud of myself.

This week has been hectic so far at work and I have been working long days and missing my workout. Today I made a point of only working 11 hours and getting to the gym by 6 for my class.

I started with a mile warm up run. Then an amazing upper body and core workout. Today almost every exercise involved medicine balls. Pushups on one medicine ball is great - pushups on two medicine balls suck. I had a really hard time getting the 20 done. Also did tricep dips. Throwing and catching the medicine ball, wall squat swinging medicine ball between legs and above head. Situps with medicine ball. The crunches while balancing on bosu ball lifting medicine ball into air also sucked. I kept losing balance and putting a foot down. Also did russian twists and tricep dips. I did get a comment that I make tricep dips look easy. And I was thinking they have gotten a lot easier. Surprised they did not have me do dips with feet on the medicine ball. That does make it harder. None of the above was in the order I did them and I am probably missing a few. Ended with switching between plank on forearms moving to plank on hands to lifting a hand and leg and repeating that a few times. Was a great workout and I am feeling it.

After workout went upstairs to run another 2 miles on track. Was hoping for more but was pretty tired after core and upper body workout. Calf felt a little tight after the first two laps so I stopped and stretched and massaged it. Then it felt fine and I started the 2 miles over and had no other problems. Possibly could have been due to poor hydration over the past few days.

This was my first trip to the gym since my half marathon and of course I brought in my finishers medal. Although before I showed off my medal I had 4 or 5 of the trainers ask me how it went along with a few of the office workers and one of the gym members. I guess they had been asking each other the past few days if anyone has seen me to see how it went. I love the support I have at the gym. They were all so excited for me and loved the finishers medal. What a high. I showed it off to a few of my other gym friends also. My trainer (not a big runner) said he claimed 10% of my success. HA! I do give him credit for pushing me to run at the start when I hated it. He kept making me do it. And I must admit when I would run after some of the classes he would always tell me to do an extra half mile to mile from what I was planning on doing and I always did it. Don't know what it is about him but I always do what he tells me to do - or at least attempt it. Anyway, I will give him a little credit but not 10%. I was the one out there doing the running. Still on such a high. While I was in class today the lady that signed me up was showing about 3 different new people the gym and brought them in to show off my achievement. She always says I am the person they talk about the most to new clients and I believe it. They have stories and pictures of a few people up at the gym and over the past few years they did 3 stories on my progress. They still have all 3 posting up on the wall or on the table of greatest achievers. I just know now that I did a half marathon they will want new pictures to create a new posting.

I am feeling so proud of myself today.