URBANATHALON

Catching up.

2010-08-11T13:05:00.002-04:00

My feet were very tired after this past weekend, however, it wasn't from running. I did quite a bit of standing at the concert and walking as we toured Chicago. I knew I wasn't going to have too many athletic endeavors this weekend and I'm glad I got the 5 mile run in on last Wednesday. To catch up, I did a 3 mile run on Monday (very difficult in the humidity) and went to kickboxing on Tuesday. Today I'm going to do some stretching and strength training. I think I really need to ramp up my endurance though so maybe I'll try to throw a run in as well!

2010-08-09T22:13:00.002-04:00

Today I did my run-lift-run workout. I started at home and ran to Anytime Fitness 2.6 miles at an 8:28 minutes pace. The run wasn’t too bad because it was mostly downhill. When I arrived at Anytime Fitness I lifted my legs 50 reps of leg presses, 60 hip abduction, 60 hip adduction, 40 leg curl, 40 leg extension, then 20 squats. I wanted to make sure my legs were tired for my run home. My run home was at a slower pace 8:48 minute pace, which I was still happy with because it was uphill.

Hopefully I can keep up the training this week. The plan is to do arms tomorrow!!!

Have a fun week working out!

Glenwillow Run

2010-08-05T21:25:00.002-04:00

After an afternoon at Geneva-On-The-Lake and a delicious wine slushy. I decided that I needed to get my act together and run when I got home. Jon had Lightning practice so I decided to run to Glenwillow again (I ran there on Monday with a time of 40:57, which I thought was fast). I told myself that it was only 4.5 miles so I needed to run as fast as I can because it would be over sooner than later. I ended up cutting my time down by more then I expected, I ran there in 36 minutes and 37 seconds. I was very happy with my time and I think it was the first time I ran a 8:10 mile average in a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time if ever.

Have fun this weekend!

Woo hoo!

2010-08-05T07:21:00.002-04:00

First of all, I love the design - it's fun and it pumps me up!

Secondly - 3 miles in under 7 minutes is amazing. I wonder if I could still do that. I also liked your style of breaking it up with the lifting in between. Good idea that I will be using shortly too.

Yesterday I ran 5 miles. I had only planned for 4 but I messed up when mapping my run so I ended up pushing myself. After that I lifted a bit - push ups, lateral pull down, curls for the girls, and some dips for tris (for the guys). Overall, a good workout day for me.

I'm going to Chicago this morning so I was afraid I wouldn't get in as many workouts over the next 4 days. Hopefully someone will want to go for a run!

HERE WE GO!

2010-08-04T21:42:00.002-04:00

Today was a very successful day in the gym. I was feeling motivated after watching my HS girls run their timed mile, so I decided to see if I could also run a 7 mile mile since it has been a while since I have even tried to run a times mile. Luckily I was successful and ran the mile in 6:53!!! I was very happy with my time and that set the tone for the remainder of my workout.

After my first mile I work out my TRICEPS and BICEPS. Using the machine I did 3 sets of 15 for each, after that I grabbed dumbbells and did 20 curls and kickbacks! After I finished my arms I did another mile on the treadmill in 6:54, again another successful run for me. I followed this mile with a leg work out which included leg curls and extensions. After my leg lifting I did a third mile on the treadmill in 6:55.

After 3 miles I was happy and didn't want to over to it for the first day back. I finished with some Abs and came home to walk the pup!

Solid Run

2010-02-21T12:46:00.002-05:00

This week was much better than last. Wednesday I did a very hill run around my neighborhood and the ones around here. It was good to be very tired and workout my legs a lot when running. Friday was a light easy 1.5 mile before working the basketball game.

Saturday was a long run (11 miles) I did this run with Meagan, at her place (in Reminderville). The run was pretty flat with a few hills in Meadowwood and Oakview. The best part of the run was we really pushed ourselves at the end. We did out last 2 miles in less than 10 minutes. I was very happy with that and am excited to continue training. While I am upset I took a week off it was good because now I know how much better I could be doing if I would have kept up with my training.

Back At It

2010-02-15T17:31:00.004-05:00

After a VERY disappointing week of a total of 10 miles. I started to pick it back up. On Saturday I ran 10 miles with Meagan through the Metor Parks. It was a nice run with a hill at the end that kicked our asses. It was nice to know if we can do that at the end we can do anything! Our pace was at about a 10:35 total, and we ranged from about 10:15-10:45 throughout the entire run (The last hill was a +11:00 pace. While on the run Meagan had these gummy (the same as gel packs) that we might want to try for our longer runs. They taste a lot better then the gel packs that we had.

On Sunday I went to the gym to workout. While I was at the gym I did 30 minutes on the elphtical/stepper machine (it was new so i wanted to try it), then 30 minutes on the treadmill. I did just over 3 miles on one of the hill workouts. While I was waiting for Jon to pick me up (he had soccer games) I lifted my legs and did a few abs. All and all it was a very successful trip to the gym.

Today I did a 4.20 mile run with Meagan again. This time we went around here house then back into Ethan's Green. We were at a much faster pace today 9:12 average which is fairly good for me. Today was a nice run and it felt good to push myself.

I need to get back at it this week and not miss days anymore. It I start missing days I am going to get hurt and wont reach my goal of 4:30 for the marathon. Hopefully your foot will get better and we can do a run together sometime soon.

A let down.

2010-02-13T16:40:00.002-05:00

I also attempted to do my long run today. I was going to do 9-10 miles on the treadmill, however, at about mile 7 the outside of my right foot started hurting. I figured it was probably from over-training or doing too many miles too quickly. So, I cut my run short so as to prevent really injuring myself.

I plan on doing some cross training over the next few days to let my foot heal and rest a bit.

Missed Workouts.

2010-02-07T16:02:00.002-05:00

This week was not my best effort. I only ran twice, well three times if you include soccer. In total is was only 12 miles - I need to do better than that! I did do 8 miles on the treadmill today to get me back on track. No more missing workouts from now on.

Fast, Slow, Fast, Slow.

2010-02-03T21:07:00.002-05:00

I did 5 miles on the treadmill this evening. I did the usual warm up/cool down with 4 miles in between. I did the first mile at a 7:30 pace and then slowed to an 8:30 pace for the second. I rinsed and repeated for the third and fourth. I really pushed myself so it was a very tough workout!

Channel Surfing

2010-02-01T21:26:00.003-05:00

Today I did a 3 mile run at the gym at a 8:35 mile pace. I was happy with my shorter runs going faster, and hopefully they will stay that way. While I was running today I was enjoying CSI on the personal TV on my treadmill, but as soon as it was getting good my channel started changing. I figured it was just my remote moving around in the cup holder so I figured I would change my channel back then I would change how it was laying in the holder. To my surprise before I could return the remote to the holder my channel was changing again. This was an on going process for a few minutes, when I finally realized that the person behind me must of been changing my channels, while he was changing his. Other then that my run was fine.

After my run I lifted legs and did some abs before heading home. Hopefully all this work will pay off when it comes to beating my dads marathon time!

After reviewing my training for January I figured out that I need to start running more ofter and more consistently. My goal is to run at least 2 or 3 miles tomorrow before class tomorrow, we will see how that goes!!!

HOW DO I ADD THE NAMES LIKE. Running, Lifting, X-Training?

Runs and Guns

2010-01-31T21:27:00.000-05:00

Today I did 7 miles also. My goals was to do 8 but Jon was going to pick me up from Anytime Fitness so I wanted to make sure I had time to lift my arms and stretch before he arrived to pick me up, and since I started late I didn't have time to finish my entire run. Overall my run was nice I was at a 9:40 pace which is faster then my runs for the first marathon.
This time I am hoping to beat my dads time of 4 hours and 30 minutes (or something around there). I am hoping as I get to my longer runs I keep the pace around the same.
Have a good week of running!!!

Siete.

2010-01-31T17:07:00.002-05:00

Did a 7 mile run on the treadmill today- it wasn't too bad. The row of treadmills overlook the basketball courts and every Sunday they have a bunch of little kids games. I now enjoy following the teams and I know the strong players. At least it's entertaining!

Mixin it up.

2010-01-29T18:13:00.001-05:00

I did 2 miles on the treadmill today - 1 mile warm up/cool down and a mile at a 7:03 pace. At least it was over quick! Then I did 15 minutes on the bike just to switch it up and keep my heart rate up for over 30 minutes.

Running Home

2010-01-28T17:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a good run. Since I didnt go to bowling, I had a little more energy to exert, and since my parents are out of town for the weekend due to my dad's work taking them to Key West (I wonder if work will ever take me there). I decided to run home to feed the cats. My my suprise it was one of my fastest runs alone with my final mile under 9 minute! But the weather is changing for the worst and I think I will be back on the treadmill for a few weeks. Hopefully, I will be able to bare it

Easy run.

2010-01-25T20:20:00.002-05:00

I did an easy 3 miles today after work. I just wanted to loosen up my muscles after my longer run yesterday. I have a soccer game tomorrow night so that should be a good and different kind of workout!

Jordan Run

2010-01-25T19:00:00.003-05:00

Today on my way home from school I called Jordan to see if she could watch PJ Thursday because Jon might be going out of town. When we were talking I found out that she was going to be running a 1/2 marathon in February. So I asked if she would want to go on a run today (and any other days),since she was planning on running 7 today I figured I would run with her. Instead of 7 we decided to add on to our run and did 8. The weather was pretty nice for running, and we had a nice time running in the metro parks (minus the hills that seemed to be every mile). It is nice to have another person around here to run with, between Meagan and Jordan I should be able to push myself and run more miles then I have before.

I have also asked Jordan to run the full with us, we will see if she will run!

Sunday Runday also

2010-01-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

Today I did my run which wasn't as successful as I would of liked. My whole intent was to run Saturday but I ended up working on my basement for the entire day, so I figured Sunday would be a great day to run outside since when I looked earlier in the week and it said the weather would be nice. It was wrong (or changed and I didn't check) but it poured all day. So I went to the gym and did 4.5 miles (which is a mile stone for me and a treadmill) at a fairly solid pace (for me) 9:41 minute miles on a slight incline. I need to do much better this week and I plan too with a nice run tomorrow.

Sunday Runday.

2010-01-24T15:15:00.002-05:00

I wish I had done my run yesterday as the weather was beautiful but I did it today on the treadmill instead. I did 6 miles in total - 5 miles @ 8:27 with a mile warm up/cool down. I'm feeling like I'm in better shape!

My and Bailey's outing.

2010-01-22T18:53:00.002-05:00

Bailey and I ran just under 3.5 miles today. It was a pretty easy pace and enjoyable because of that. It's nice to run with Bailey although she does slow me down when she stops to pee and occasionally sniff around.

Run...

2010-01-22T13:11:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday Meagan and I ran just over 5 miles. We ran through her neighborhood and then through Ethan Green. It has been a while since I ran in there so it was nice to run again. This weekend should be nice so I will try to run outside Saturday and Sunday. The following week it should be getting cold again (low 20s), so it looks like I will be back to the dreaded treadmill. Once the weather warms up we will need to play weekend runs (as long as I dont slow you down).

Did you actually sign up for the marathon? Since you blogged about it you must do it!

Have a great weekend!

Soon I'll be jacked...

2010-01-21T07:49:00.003-05:00

Last night I lifted a bit - both my legs and my arms. This time around I plan to do more strength training. This morning I am going to take Bailey for a run before we stick her in her crate for most of the day. Hopefully she will be exhausted and sleep well.

Y-Zone.

2010-01-19T19:59:00.002-05:00

Altogether I did 4 miles on the treadmill. Warmed up with half a mile, stretched then did 2 miles at a 7:30 pace then 1 mile at 8:00. Lastly I did a half mile cool down. I felt pretty good about the workout since I did a pretty fast pace. I am starting to appreciate the treadmill a little more - there are some good things about it: I know my pace, stay at a consistent pace and I tend to do a warm up and cool down.

More Hills

2010-01-18T17:59:00.003-05:00

Today my run consisted of more hills. I am starting to like hill only for the fact that they give me a challange and the next day I am sore. My run today was nice because I ran with Meagan (the girl I coach with), she came out to my house then we did a Metro run. I hope that with the week starting I will continue my running and keep up with my training.

The hardest part for me so far has been getting motivated when I have school.

My Beginning.

2010-01-17T21:33:00.003-05:00

I officially started my training today. Even though I ran a few days in the Bahamas, I feel as though I am now in the right mindset to start seriously training. I went to the Y-Zone and did a 5 minute warm up on the elliptical until a treadmill opened up for me. I then did 2 and a half miles at an 8 minute mile pace and finished off with a half mile cool down. I struggled quite a bit after the 2 mile mark which is not a good sign but I am looking to improve upon it.

Longer Run

2010-01-16T16:48:00.005-05:00

Today I did a 5.5 mile run outside. Since it was not snowing or raining and the streets were clear I figured I had to take advantage of it. The route I took was very hilly but I wanted a challenge. I also read in a magazine that if you start your training with hills then as the runs get longer they become easier. I figured that would be my plan of attack for my training this time.

Day 1

2010-01-11T21:31:00.003-05:00

Today I didn't have a too successful workout. I had a long day but knew I needed to do something. I went to the gym about 8:40 and calibrated my Nike+ by running a mile. After I ran a mile I did two 1/2 miles. The 1/2 miles were not at a super speedy pace but I did them. All and all I ran 2 miles and now have a calibrated IPod. I will workout tomorrow after school and before I start my Master classes!

Tackle The Tower

2010-01-10T20:43:00.002-05:00

This might be a fun thing to do. I have wanted to do it for 2 years now but never signed up. Let me know what you think and we can sign up

http://www.hermescleveland.com/roadracing/events/tower.asp

The Beginning

2010-01-10T14:12:00.003-05:00

This week I am really going to start training for the marathong! I know that runnin indoors is going to be difficult for me! Since I know this I will have to be more motivated these next few weeks to get staired right!

I also got new running shoes today. They are Nike so I can use my Nike+ still which I am very excited about!

10 out and back.

2009-06-03T12:43:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I did a quick run outside - it was too hot to do anything much more. The heat will really take it out of you - I hate that I am squinting the entire time and that I get dry mouth almost immediately. However, I need to be ready for that 5k this coming Sunday so I ran 10 minutes out and then turned and ran the 10 minutes back. I continued the workout by doing 20 minutes on the bike in the gym. It's nice having access to a lot of different equipment - it is nice to have different options for a workout.

A short run in the heat.

2009-05-31T14:04:00.003-04:00

Joe and I went for just a short run - literally probably a mile. I sweat a bit though since it is so hot here in Las Vegas. I'm hoping to get quite a few workouts in this week - some runs, lifting as well as some cross training (swimming, biking...).

I'm thinking I need to decide whether I will need to decide whether I am going to run the full or half marathon this fall. The dilemma is that I feel like a wimp when I think about doing just the half but then again I like the smaller time commitment and less pain of the half...

What to do?!?!

NO PRACTICE

2009-05-29T09:50:00.000-04:00

Practice was cancelled yesterday, which gave me a chance to run. Since Jon had soccer practice I decided to run from his apartment to Glenwillow Soccer Field (just over 3 miles).
While I was running down the hill into Glenwillow I noticed a car that was parked on a street that wasn’t really open, as I approached the sign the car started pulling forward. When I got to the street I realized it was YOUR PARENT!!!!!!!!!! They saw me running down the hill and stopped to say hi. Since I have not made any random phone calls to your mother lately we had a lot to talk about. We are all very excited about your extended trip to Cleveland and all have a lot planned for you to do. After we finished talking I continued my run to Glenwillow soccer fields.

It was a nice relaxing run.

Soldier Field 10 Mile.

2009-05-24T21:33:00.003-04:00

Overall, the race went pretty well. I didn't do hardcore training for the event - I knew I would be running and chatting with Katie throughout the run so it wouldn't necessarily be all that fast paced. The first 5 miles were surprisingly the toughest. We were running on a highway and it wasn't very scenic. However, when we turned around, you could see the skyline and it was nice to have such a visual goal to run towards.

The only issue I had during the race was that my left hamstring was a tight. Later on during the day as we were walking around, it seemed to affect my knee - hopefully that won't recur as long as I stretch more thoroughly.

Hills

2009-05-22T13:48:00.003-04:00

Today I was not in the mood to go for a long run, instead I did a hill workout. I did 10x30 second sprint with a 50 second recovery, followed by 100 lunges! It was nice to do a different type of workout and work different muscles!

Good Luck with your 10 mile run tomorrow!

Training Ideas...

2009-05-22T13:43:00.002-04:00

Mile Repeats
In a fascinating article in Marathon & Beyond in 2002, veteran marathoner Dan Horvath plotted various workouts against his subsequent results in 30 marathons over a 12-year period. The most effective workout? Mile repeats. Horvath would typically run 6 x 1-mile at his 10-K race pace once a week. It turned out that the faster his mile repeats prior to a given marathon, the faster his marathon time. Mile repeats are a modified form of tempo training.

Yasso 800s
This deceptively simple workout has been used effectively by thousands of runners over the last decade. The goal, after several months of working up to it, is to run 10 x 800 meters in the same minutes:seconds as your goal time (in hours:minutes). If you want to run a 3:40 marathon, for example, you run your Yasso 800s in 3 minutes, 40 seconds. This workout isn't based on physiology; it's just a very tough effort that's got a mathematical appeal to it.

Nicely done!

2009-05-21T14:40:00.003-04:00

First off, I'd like to compliment you on how nice and professional the blog looks. I also like your idea to post different exercises such as the abs one below - I think it will be a good way to share different workout ideas and to get motivated!

As for the Columbus 1/2 marathon - I believe it is the week after the Towpath marathon. I'm not positive if I will be doing it or not. It would be good to find a half marathon sometime near the middle of our training though - it was nice to have a racing experience and I think it breaks up some of the monotony. I'll look around and report back!

AB Idea...

2009-05-21T08:57:00.008-04:00

To help me get motivated I am going to start posting different exercises. This way whenever I look at the site I will be able to have an exercise to do without having any excuses. I hope you enjoy them!
Emphasizes the upper part of the abs. To do it right:
1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight out behind the head with hands clasped, keeping the arms next to the ears

2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder blades off the floor

3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.

4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.

Trying to get motivated

2009-05-21T08:46:00.004-04:00

This run wasn't anything special, I have done it many time but now with leaves on the trees it is very pretty and relaxing! I am going to try to start running more often but for some reason I cant get motivated. Did I read that you might do the Columbus 1/2? If it is around a time when I can do it I would like to run it with you. A nice half before the full would be great!

Long Run...

2009-05-18T11:51:00.002-04:00

...well not really. I did a 5 mile run yesterday. I really wasn't in the mood to run - I think it has to do with the heavy dinner I had the night before that made me lethargic. I did it though and was happy it was done. I'll probably do a lighter run load this week since I have the 10 mile race in Chicago on Saturday.

Sprints!

2009-05-15T09:24:00.002-04:00

While training for this marathon, I want to do more tempo runs and fartleks in order to spice up the workouts and to exercise different muscles. This morning, Joe and I did about a quarter mile warm up jog, then did 8 sprints with jogging in between. Joe is a pretty good sprinter - he could start about 10 feet behind me and still beat me. Oh well, I could crush him in endurance. While Joe stretched, I did an extra 5 minute hill workout. We jogged the quarter mile back home as the cool down and called it a day!

The start of round 2

2009-05-12T13:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I started training for the Towpath Marathon! I had a nice run, I had two hours to spare between the end of school and soccer practice to I decided to get my running out of the way there. This game me a chance to run in a new location (Aurora) and see different things. There are alot of country roads out there so for my long runs I might try to do one or two on that side of town!

Just Days

2008-11-30T19:23:00.001-05:00

In a few days we will be heading to VEGAS!!!!! Im really excited to get our marathon over with and to be able to say we did it!

ONE WEEK!

2008-11-30T18:43:00.001-05:00

In one week we will have finished our marathon! 26.2 miles!

We can do it!

Lifting

2008-11-21T15:05:00.001-05:00

Today was another easy day for me. I only ran 1.5 miles on the treadmill then lifted. I am hoping my light lifting will help me through the final miles on the marathon. Tomorrow I plan on hooking up a DVD player to the TV by the treadmill and watching a movie while I run!

It was hard, but I did it!

2008-11-20T21:18:00.002-05:00

Getting the motivation to run in this weather is very difficult! After having done some work outside this afternoon, I did not have any desire to return to the outdoors. However, after thawing out, I forced myself to run a short but satisfying 4.5 miles. I became motivated when I told myself that I had not done all the training leading up to this marathon to let it slip now. Plus, it was slightly warmer today than yesterday. I ran up in Mt. Washington and did the same 2 mile path twice so it was relatively boring. I will look to get a good nine mile run in on Saturday - hopefully it won't be too cold or there won't be too much snow.

Boring

2008-11-20T17:26:00.002-05:00

Yesterday wasn't anything special. I ran a mile on the treadmill then lifted some! I'm not getting excited for the 9 mile run this weekend because we have a few inches of snow out. Hopefully I will be able to get the courage up and run outside because an hour and a half on the treadmill is not my thing!

You're Welcome!

2008-11-17T19:15:00.002-05:00

It was really nice to show you my path - I hadn't had a chance to show anyone some of the nice paths around Pittsburgh. I agree it was great to do the last long run together. It's easier to finish those long distances when you have a running partner. Thanks for coming for the day (wish you could have stayed longer) and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

No running for me today either - I'm trying to heal up a little bit. I plan to resume training on Wednesday.

Thanks!

2008-11-17T12:33:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to say that I enjoyed my tour of Pittsburg. You get to experience a lot more when you are actually running around it and not in a car. I was also happy that we got a chance to do our last long run together.
I will not have a chance to run today because I had to work and I have a Banquet later this evening!

PITTSBURGH HERE I COME!

2008-11-14T15:02:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow I will be making the trip out to Pittsburgh! I am excited to run in a new environment, especially along the river! The bad news is that the weather channel said that there will be rain all day tomorrow, which I think will be OK we need to get used to running in different weather (if we can run 21 miles in the rain then we will be fine when it is beautiful on race day)!
See you tomorrow in the MORNING!

Walgreens Trip

2008-11-13T10:49:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a nice easy jog day. I was at Jon’s watching PJ and I needed to go to Walgreens to get my TB test read (which was negative). Instead of just running all the way up SOM I decided to run through your old neighborhood, and then through the Hunt Club. This added a few miles onto my run which same up to be 7.25 miles. It took me about an hour and 10 minutes which was not very fast but I wasn’t going for speed I was going for pace and I felt fine running. Today I have to work and have a meeting this evening so I am not sure if I will get to run. Tomorrow if I don’t work I plan on doing a shorter slow jog again to get ready for our run on SATURDAY!

It keeps getting longer...

2008-11-08T21:59:00.003-05:00

I ran 19.9 miles today - however, I'm rounding up and just telling people 20...close enough. I ran the similar path that I have been doing - I extended just a wee bit though. I felt pretty good throughout the entire run.

The only rough time was when I got mad because Joe wasn't at the right spot at the right time to give me water and a gel pack. It was right after a hill and I needed a pick-me-up - Joe and the fuel would have been just the thing I needed. I finally ran into him almost 2 miles past our planned meeting point. Next time I will be better at telling him the right time.

The rest of the run went well - my legs were tired and hurting - but that's normal. I think I might try to bump up the distance to a little over 20 for next week.

How was your run?

Wonderful Weather!

2008-11-06T12:34:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day, I also wanted to be my run in before it got to dark. I started at my house and ran down Liberty to Eathans Green to pick up Jon at his apartment. After I used him for water and a bathroom he joined me for a run back to my house. On the way back we went down SOM to Portz then to Aurora. The run was nice, for some of the way we found a soccer ball in the middle of the street and I started to dribble it. My hamstrings were getting sore so I stopped and continued my run. Today I am looking forward to a shorted run!

Back on Track.

2008-11-05T18:48:00.002-05:00

I feel as though I am back on track to following the training schedule. I did a quick 8 miles this evening - I was trying to fit the run in before it got dark and scary. I narrowly succeeded. I ran approximately an 8 min 20 sec pace, which I was very happy with for 8 miles. I definitely cannot do that for a full marathon though. 5 tomorrow...

Agony.

2008-11-02T17:25:00.001-05:00

My run was thrown off a little today. The incline was closed again so I ran down PJ McArdle. It's a relatively gradual decline so it wasn't too tough on my legs, however, it added a little over a mile onto my run. The first part of my run went fine until I ran up over 100 stairs around mile 8 and then up a long hill around mile 8.5. Luckily, Joe was at the top of the hill at mile 9 to give me water and a gel packet (the only I had).

I felt good til about mile 12 or 13 - that's when I started to struggle. I made it to mile 15 where I had a second water stored for me. The hydration gave me a little bit of a pick up but I still just didn't feel all that good. I was in complete agony (physical and mental) at mile 18. I slowly continued - most likely looking like I had been shot in both legs. Finally I finished and Joe was there to drive me up the hill.

I climbed Mount Washington!

2008-10-31T15:25:00.003-04:00

It was a beautiful day for a run - sunny and close to 60 outside! I started my run on the North Shore. Joe dropped me off at the North Shore trail after we finished some errands. I jogged along the Allegheny River and crossed the Fort Duquesne bridge to Point State park. There were a lot of people out and about. I had a big surprise when I reached the Monongahela Incline - it was closed. I decided to hike up the hill to get home. It was quite a feat! Afterward, my back was a little cramped and I was permanently leaned forward at about a 45 degree angle. It was a good second workout.

Another highlight was the woman in the Point State park who continually told passerbys that the geese just flew in from Canada. She declared she just saw them land in the water and that they came from Canada. One poor man accidently made a comment back to her and was roped into a short conversation before he could escape...the woman was still talking though.

5 on the mill

2008-10-29T08:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I did my 5 mile run from Monday. Since the weather has been cold and rainy the last 3 days I decided to do the run inside on the treadmill. Luckily I got to watch TV (Split ends and Dr. 90210) which got me through my run. On commercial breaks I would pick up the speed to get my run done quicker. The first 4 miles too me about 35 minutes, and that is when my treadmill shut down because I guess it is set for 35 minute workouts. I mean that’s like a warm up now a days. Since I knew I had to finish my run I picked up the pace for the last mile which I finished in about 7 minutes. I wasn’t to happy with my run because I had to stop twice to catch my breath and get a sip of water (which I find a lot harder to do on a treadmill.

Fall Foliage Frolick

2008-10-28T17:09:00.002-04:00

I went for a long run in the windy, chilly weather. It was my first real taste of running in cold weather. I wore long spandex pants (oooh la la!) and layered a short and long sleeved shirt. My hands were a occasionally cold throughout the run.

I ran the same path as my last long run but I added in a couple of loops - so the entire path was probably just shy of 18 miles. It went well though (especially in comparison to my last long run - I felt fully rested and hydrated). Some pain came between mile 7 and 8 but I was able to push through.

I used gel packs for the first time. It was a nerve racking moment as I opened the first gu and got ready to squirt it down. Surprisingly, I thought it was quite tasty! It was vanilla bean and I enjoyed it besides the texture which is different than normal. The first one I took an hour into the run and the second a squirted in at an hour and 45 minutes into the run. I should have had one more at 2 and a half hours but didn't since it was just a trial. Overall, I think I will use it again on my next long run.

Changing of the blog

2008-10-28T08:54:00.001-04:00

I did change the colors because with the weather getting cold and rainy I figured I needed some color in my life. You are more then welcome to change anything you want, I just needed something different for a little while.

Trip

2008-10-28T08:41:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I didn’t get a chance to do my run. I needed to go to the mall to get teaching clothes incase I have to substitute next week in a normal classroom, and since Jon was going to be busy tomorrow we decided to go yesterday. Also the weather was rainy cold and I think we even had a few snow flakes (way to early for those). I plan on doing my 5 miles today and I might have to do them at the Rec on a treadmill, which I am not looking forward too.

Only 11

2008-10-26T16:17:00.001-04:00

Today I didn’t get a chance to complete my entire 18 mile run. I only ended up running about 11 miles. The last two nights have been long ones. Friday we went to the Akron soccer game and went out to dinner/ drinks afterwards and didn’t end up getting home until like 2. The on Saturday we went to the Circus which was the coolest thing I have even seen, I mean it’s not every day you see elephants walk on their back legs and do handstands. After the circus we again went out to dinner so didn’t get home until like 11:30 and after I walked Omar it was after midnight, which is not normal for me to have two late nights in a row.
When I got up in the morning around 7:30 to take out Omar I knew I would be needing a nap shortly afterwards so around 10 I took my nap. Once I got up around 11:30 I felt very refreshed and ready for my run. The only problem was that my Toledo team was playing a game at 1 and I wanted to be home to watch it on the computer (yes I know I am lame). So when I started my run at 12:15 (I needed to let out Omar before I ran), I had planned to do the entire 18 miles. About 3 miles into my run it started to drizzle and the wind picked up. Knowing I was doing such a good job this week on running I was convinced to continue running in the rain.
This is when I decided to change my course so I was still always within 3 miles from my house in case it rained too hard or got extremely cold on my run. For my run I ran through majority of the neighborhood on my side of town. I went through Tucker’s all of the little streets on Liberty and then went over to Solon Rd where I did one neighborhood over there. When I was on Solon Rd I my feet started getting wet and I was afraid of getting blisters, I was also getting very curious about the Toledo score. So I decided that this would be a wonderful time to head on home. When I got home the score was tied ( 2-2) which was not good because they needed a win to win the conference. With about 20 minutes left the got the win, and another team lost which mean that the won the conference which is VERY exciting!
I plan on doing one of two extra miles tomorrow to make up for the miles I missed today. Hope your run tomorrow goes well!
OH YEAH I DIDN’T HAVE MY IPOD SO I HAVE TO RUN IN SILENCE.

Almost 8 in my new shoes!

2008-10-24T10:53:00.002-04:00

I ran in my new shoes this morning! I did 8 miles which is probably not suggested since the shoes weren't broken in yet. But it worked out well and I love the way they feel - they're a great fit! I ran along the North Shore and back - I have decided that this is my favorite path in Pittsburgh. It is scenic and goes right next to the water. There were only a few exciting things on my run:

I hit all green lights on my way to the North Shore - no pausing at all!
I got honked at...by a firetruck! It was really loud and a jumped.
I ran through 9 men who are in the Navy and had just finished up their run. They cheered me on!
I had a lot of other runner smile/wave/nod at me - that makes me happy!

I'm going to attempt to motivate myself to run 5 tomorrow morning and then I'll do my long run Monday. Hope yours goes well - call me and let me know!

New things!

2008-10-24T08:59:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was another 5 mile run. Instead of starting at home and doing the same old paths I always do I got to start at Jon’s who created and escorted me on my run. We started off on SOM and ran towards Post Rd. This was the first time I had ever run on Post so it was a new experience, which had it pros and cons.

PROS:
New scenery
Not very hilly
Pretty trees changing colors
Not to much traffic
Made me run faster since it was a main road

CONS:
Narrow roads, with no side to run on
Fast cars
Drop off on side of street

After we got off Post Rd. we went into a neighborhood that had fairly new, where we got a chance to see some Ryan homes (homes that pretty much all look alike with a few differences). After we ran through the neighborhood we then continued our run to Liberty where we saw a crazy driver who was honking at us and slowing down to but not pulling over for a while. To my surprise it was Karen, she was home form the weekend and showing a friend around town. It was nice to catch up with her for a little, she is still her same old crazy self, but the weather was getting cold and we had to continue our run. The start up was a little rough because my knees were getting sore from the cold and the quick pace we were going. After we got off Liberty we continued down Post Rd. again (where did Kelly D live, I was looking for her house but then realized I had no clue where to even look). We circled down another neighborhood which was all duplexes, and went back to Jon’s place. Over all it was a nice run which was ran at an 8:35 pace.

DEFYANCE!

2008-10-23T20:55:00.003-04:00

Here are my brand new bright blue shoes (Brooks Defyance)! I didn't really go for style so much as fit. The shoe salesman had me roll up my pant legs (Joe got a little angry and told him to "watch it" (the salesman was in the back room at that point)). I was told that I have supination or underpronation - meaning most of my weight goes on my baby toe side of my foot.

For this, I was given 4 different neutral soled shoes to try on. I picked the one that was most comfortable and then went for a couple second jog on the treadmill. They work!

I also bought new sweat wicking polyester socks on the suggestion of the salesman. He highly suggested them for long runs (cotton = bad). I went crazy and bought 3 gel packets to try on my next long run. They'll probably taste like s**t but I'm looking forward to trying them.

Good Start

2008-10-23T08:43:00.004-04:00

I’m glad to that after 3 days I am still following the plan. My run yesterday was 8 mile and I completed it in 1 hour and 10 minutes. This equals out to an 8:37 mile pace. I was very happy with my run for the most part; I was pushing myself to go to a quicker pace with only getting tired in few places.
My run yesterday consisted of running from my house to Bainbridge, toward Liberty, and then I headed for Aurora. Once I was on Aurora I went to S.O.M where I continued all the way to Ethan’s Green. It was nice to finally get off the main streets and I could really focus on running and not when or how I am going to cross the street. After my loop around Ethan’s Green I continued to Deer Run where I met up with Jon walking his dog.
Overall I had a nice run and was happy with my performance. I have another run today (5 miles) which I will be doing when I get home!!!

We booked a hotel!

2008-10-21T08:27:00.001-04:00

This weekend was exciting! We finally booked a room after much debate and looking for hotels we decided to stay at the Monte Carlo. We were lucky enough to find a great deal on it. The price we found was a better deal online then the actual hotel could give us! I am very excited to get out to Vegas and hopefully relax before the run. It will also be nice to get adjusted to the time before the actual running day.

We need to figure out something for all of us to do when we get out there. Do you have any ideas?

Long, Painful Run...

2008-10-20T22:12:00.004-04:00

After destroying my body with alcohol and late nights this weekend, my run today was a huge struggle. I started out alright for the first 6 miles or so. Joe brought me some water and then dropped off two more water bottles further ahead on the course. The suffering began around mile 8 - I ran up a hill and after reaching the top, it continued to feel like I was running up hill until the end of the run. My legs were incredibly tight and were yelling at me to stop putting them in pain.

I blocked out the screaming and continued on my path. I picked up a hidden water bottle at mile 11 and basically finished it in one gulp. Still thirsty, I was lucky to find a water fountain to refill my empty bottle. I stopped for a quick bathroom break in a horribly smelling port-O-potty around mile 13.

At mile 16.5 my legs hurt so much that I decided to take a break to stretch. That was a mistake. I couldn't motivate myself to start up again. Although I am disappointed in not finishing the full 17 miles, I think I have learned my lesson. I can't have 2 days of dehydration and lack of sleep and expect to perform well. I will be smarter from now on during the training...

On a different note, there is this great club we can go to on December 6th when we're in Vegas...NOT!

5 miles

2008-10-20T19:29:00.001-04:00

Today I was back at it. After not doing my long run this weekend because I was feeling a little ill I have decided that I am going to stick to the training schedule for the rest of the time. Today I ran 5 mile to my grandma’s house to cut her grass. It was a nice run with nice weather! I am hoping the weather will hold out for a few more weeks so I don’t get stuck on a treadmill.

Short and Sweet

2008-10-15T19:53:00.001-04:00

Today was a short day again. I know I was supposed to do 8 miles but I ended up only doing 4. I had intentions all day to run the 8, but during school I started to lose my voice and decided a nap to get better would be better for me than a run. So instead of running to Jon’s then back I just did a loop around the town with Jon. We ran at about a 9:33 minute pace and could of gone a lot longer but it was getting dark and I didn’t want to push my body to get sick.

NEW SHOES!

2008-10-13T16:04:00.001-04:00

Today was a nice quick run. I have our first playoff game tonight and I needed to get to Cleveland Heights to ride the bus. When I got home I wanted to try out my new shoes so I just did a mile and a half on the treadmill. The shoes feel fine and will be ready for the streets when I do my next run!

Tour de P'Burgh

2008-10-12T11:51:00.004-04:00

Here's my run from yesterday. I cut out miles 3 and 4 so that it would be closer to 16 than 17. I figure next week I can run this route.
Some of the highlights from my run around the city:

I like running along the river.
I climbed about 100 stairs because I thought it was going to be easier than running up the hill - it wasn't.
Joe ran miles 7.5 to 9.5 with me and brought me water.
I ran along side a parade for about a mile - it was very entertaining!
The amphibious "duck" tour passed me...twice!

Overall, the run went well. It was fun running about the entire city and it was all new territory! I got really thirsty at mile 13 - I thought about tackling one of the bikers that passed me in order to steal their water bottles. I ran passed a water fountain at mile 16 - it was teasing and tortuous. I finally found a public water fountain at mile 17. It still didn't fully satiate my thirst.

Joe met me at the top of the incline and we decided to stop at Subway before going home. As my sub was toasting, Joe realized he hadn't brought his wallet. Oye, I ran the half mile home to get it and back - it was very hard but good for a cool down I guess.

Yesterday's 8

2008-10-10T10:24:00.002-04:00

I ran about 8 miles yesterday. I had run 6 on Tuesday. I ran the same path both days, I just took it a bit farther yesterday. I take the Monongahela Incline down and then run across the Smithfield Bridge to a path called the Eliza Furnace Trail. It goes along I-376 towards Oakland. Eventually, probably this weekend, I will follow the trail all the way to Schenley Park (where we ran for the wedding).

It's nice to explore the city this way and have new things to look at. However, it is sometimes scary since I don't necessarily know where is "safe" and where isn't. I run through places that have heavy graffiti and it makes me a little nervous - at least I run a bit faster in those areas.

Once we get the bed for the 3rd floor, you'll have to come for the weekend so we can do our long run together!

Quick Pace

2008-10-09T19:31:00.002-04:00

Today I felt like doing something different, so instead of just jogging 5 miles I did am interval workout. I started off with running for a minute followed by a 30 second jog. I felt good throughout my run and knew it wasn’t going to be that long so I could push myself. I ended up doing the 5 miles in 42 minutes and 30 second which I was happy with. The pace for this run ended up being around 8:31 which is much faster then what my last few runs have been.

Overall I am getting really excited for the marathon. I am also happy teaching is coming to an end so I can really start to focus on training during the week. Saturday I plan on doing a LONG run which I look forward too. I have been thinking I might try to challenge myself to another hilly workout so that when I run in Vegas it will be much easier!

Hope your run went well today!

Flight Booked!

2008-10-08T22:20:00.001-04:00

Joe and booked our flights for Vegas, Baby! We will also be arriving on Thursday but we will be leaving on Tuesday. I'm excited now that it's booked...maybe I should train more frequently...I'll run tomorrow.

16 down 10 to go

2008-10-06T10:06:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a challenge. The route that I picked was much hillier then I ever expected. I knew we would be encountering a few hills but I didn’t think that the entire course was going to be hilly.
To start off we went down Pettibone, which started off with a long down hill. That’s when I should have realized that the path I picked was going to be a struggle. We continued on Pettibone until we hit Richmond (one long uphill later), which Dr. Anson told us had a bike path all of the way down the road. That was nice to hear so Lauren and I could run by each other and catch up since it has been about a month since we last ran together. While on Richmond we ran by KB’s house which was burnt to a crisp. I have never seen a house so burnt down; I couldn’t even imagine if I lived there. Luckily no one was home when that happened.
After we finished running her neighborhood we started a jog to the metro parks (which was basically one down hill followed by a steep up hill). We stated on Richmond and ran up and down all of the hills until we reached S.O.M, during the 6 or so miles in metros we were luckily enough to have our water breaks. Mrs. Hahn (Gatorade, cookies and water) and my dad (Water and Vaseline) both brought us refreshments which made the run more enjoyable, and gave us our second wind.
After we finished with our tour de metros we realized that we would be a little short in our 16 mile run so we decided to run down Cannon, and into two other neighborhoods to make our run longer so we didn’t have to run around Liberty Hill (which we have done numerous times).
While running down S.O.M something unimaginable happened. We somehow made EVERY light with a walk sign, which meant we were unable to get any breaks to catch our breath. At that point I was happy that we didn’t have to stop and go all the way down the road since I don’t think my legs could have taken the teasing. Just incase we were going to get stopped at a light we had back up plans to make it so we didn’t have to stop. After we ran down S.O.M we ran to Pettibone to finish our run.
Overall I think we had a successful run. I have realized that I really need to try and fit in more runs during the week so I am not as sore after the long run, and I don’t want to get hurt this close to the race!

Quick one

2008-10-04T14:06:00.004-04:00

Today was a nice jog this morning I ended up doing about 6 miles. I started at my house and ran down Liberty to Ethan’s Green where I met up with Jon and then ran back to his place.

Are we still on for tomorrow?

Lost

2008-10-01T20:31:00.002-04:00

I ran again today and I plan to run again tomorrow - I'm getting back into it! I ran 8.4 miles today through the Schenley and Frick Parks. I don't like having to drive to go run - it makes the event so much more time consuming. I also don't like it because after I run I sometimes get stiff if I sit down too much after a run (I didn't today thought - I made sure I stretched a lot).

The run wasn't too bad, except I kind of got lost. I had planned out an 8 mile run but took a wrong turn at about mile 3 which threw off the rest of the run. There were a couple of times when I would head one way then turn around when I realized it was the wrong direction. Oh well, it was a good way to learn the city and it also made my run longer.

Rough Return

2008-09-30T21:28:00.002-04:00

I ran for the first time in a week yesterday. I decided to do just a short 4 miles from my new house. I ran from the house and then all the way down Grandview (the street that overlooks Pittsburgh) and then back. It was a scenic run but I couldn't concentrate on the view with my lungs burning and my struggling uphill. I thought the run only had 1 big hill but I was wrong...there were 3 - and that was just on my way out. I had to tackle 3 hills again then on the way home. It wasn't an easy first run.

Today my shins hurt from the hills - my legs aren't used to constantly running either up or down hill. I plan to run 8 or 9 miles tomorrow. I plan to run somewhere flatter...

14.65 miles down!

2008-09-29T09:25:00.001-04:00

Saturday was a LONG run (14.65 miles to be exact). I didn’t try to run to fast since it has been a while since I have ran a long distance. I ended up running down Liberty to Ethan’s Green to Oakview, Liberty Hill, then back to SOM. Once I got to SOM I ran until I got to Baldwin (the street that come out right by my Grandma’s house), where she laid a bottle of water out for me to run the remainder of my way with. After I left my Grandmas house I went to the Tops shopping center to the connector street behind it. After that I continued to run on Solon Rd. until I reached SOM once again. As I was crossing the exit ramp to 422 I almost got hit by a car that didn’t even look right before pulling out into the road. After my near death experience I continued up SOM to Sherbrook, where I started my run home.
Overall I was happy with my run, I ran the run in a 9:55 pace which I was happy with because it was still under my 10 minute mile pace. I was also happy with it because I didn’t have to take a break until I reached 13 miles and that was only for 30 seconds. I cant wait for my next run. I’m hoping that it will be tonight and I might run from my house to Deer Run because Jon’ moved in this weekend!

Oh yeah I encountered a HUGE snake. I was running in Signature II, and I thought I saw a bike tire but it ended up being a snake (luckily it was dead).

My Return to Running...

2008-09-28T19:02:00.002-04:00

will start tomorrow...maybe. I really need to get back into things. I'm very curious as to how my first run will go. I'm hoping to do that first run tomorrow - I just need to find a good place to run. It won't be the same as in Solon. I don't know the area and I don't think it would be good for me to run in my neighborhood (it's hilly and there are some places that I hear are bad to run in). I'll have to drive to do my longer runs - I'm sure ill get used to it and it will be a good way for me to learn the city!

Now that’s more like it!

2008-09-24T20:38:00.001-04:00

Today was a good day! I had a soccer game and still got home in time to run. I ended up doing an hour run and I planned out my run almost perfectly. I did a loop around my neighborhood, and then around town (My Run). I gave myself an hour to run and I finished in an hour and one minute! It felt really got to be running again for a long period of time outdoors. I ended up running 6.37 miles which I was happy with after my poop performance yesterday! After I finished running I got a chance to do abs. I’m excited about my run tomorrow!

P.S. I got my postcard and I think I’m going to start a book called Lauren World Travels and add all my postcards from you too it!

Trying to get back into the swing

2008-09-23T21:10:00.001-04:00

Today was a quick jog on the treadmill (which I still HATE). I did 15 minutes before I was going to cut off my feet of boredom. I don’t know what it is about the treadmill but I HATE THEM. I was watching house but I could not focus because all I could think of was I’m in my basement running nowhere. After my pathetic 15 minutes on the treadmill I did about 10 minutes of abs so I could feel like I did something with my life. I have a game tomorrow and hope to get home in time to run outside!

Ugh...SIck

2008-09-22T08:41:00.001-04:00

This weekend was not as successful as I thought it was going to be. Going into Friday I was excited to get a 5 mile run in on Friday and a 13 mile run in on Saturday or Sunday. Unfortunately that was unable to happen. Friday after school I had a sore throat which I thought it was just from talking all week to the students, but by the time practice was over and I got home I was having a hard time swallowing without being in pain. Since I could barely swallow I figured running wasn’t going to be working at all.
Saturday morning I woke up feeling a little better, but I had a morning soccer game. We had to be at the busses at 9:00. Around then I was feeling good and still hoping I could get my run in after our game. To my surprise on the after the game I was feeling horrible and not only did I have a sore throat I had a pounding headache. With my parents out of town and no food at home I called my grandma who made me Chicken Noodle Soup. I ate dinner at her house around 4 then headed home. When I got home I watched a movie and fell asleep on the couch.
Sunday was the worst of them all, I had a headache, sore throat and my nose was running out of control. I spend most of the day on the couch (from 10 am-4pm ) and sleeping (5pm -7pm then 9pm-7am the next morning), hoping to get better for the school day tomorrow since I cannot miss any more days.

Luckily it was this weekend I got sick and not last, but I am very upset that I didn’t get a chance to run and hopefully I can get a really long on in next week,

Attempt but failure...

2008-09-21T15:09:00.003-04:00

I tried to go for a long run today (between 12 and 14) but my heart just wasn't in it. I woke up pretty sore in new places since I definitely worked some new muscles on the rigorous hike yesterday. As the sun was beating down and I was struggling with each stride, I kept rationalizing why it would be okay for me to stop. One reason was that I did hike 8 miles yesterday and it had been a good workout. Another reason was that I was on vacation and I should enjoy myself and not suffer so much. I had asked Joe to bring me some water after about 55 minutes so that I could refuel. I had just run by a pretty cool thing so I decided maybe we should drive back so I could show him. The cool thing was Spouting Horn - it's like a blow hole in the rocks that sprays water out as waves role under it. AWESOME!

After showing Joe the wonderful natural wonder - I battled with myself and decided I should run back to the hotel rather than drive back with Joe. It was hot and hard but I'm glad I did it. Overall, I ran 1 hour 18 minutes and 32 seconds - probably around 9 miles.

I lost my nike sensor thing - I'm a mess with forgetting and losing things on the honeymoon -no good.

4 or 5

2008-09-19T13:37:00.001-04:00

I'm about to head to the gym...to play with the touch screen treadmills...and run 4 or 5 miles. I plan to run a long slow distance on Sunday. We are hiking 8 miles on Saturday so hopefully I won't be too sore. It's hard to keep up the training when you're on vacation.

A Touch Screen!

2008-09-17T23:38:00.003-04:00

This will be a quick one - I ran 6 miles this morning on the treadmill in the hotel. It wasn't too bad since I had my own personal touch screen to adjust my pace and watch TV! I plan to do a long run in the next few days...not on the treadmill.

Simple Seven

2008-09-16T21:28:00.001-04:00

Today I was back on track. I had a little bit of time between school and my ice cream social (for the elementary school I am teaching at). I set my IPod for 60 minutes just to make sure I get back in time to shower and get back to school. To start off my run I felt like I was going at a good pace and not getting too tired. I headed down Bainbridge to S.O.M, and then up S.O.M until I got to the metros (after you talked about running the metros I figured I should run them also. After I got to the metros I ran until I got to the side street that took me to Cannon and continued to Solon Rd. and finished down Liberty. I was happy with my run for today for the most part I ran a 9.04 minute mile and 7.37 miles total.
The one thing that I like about running for time is that my IPod would inform me when I would reach 5 minute intervals. This helped me a lot because I was running I would aim to reach certain landmarks before my time hit the next interval.
I just wish I would have had more time today to get longer run in. I am looking forward for my long run this weekend!

Hope Hawaii is good and your running!

Back at it

2008-09-15T21:38:00.000-04:00

Today was a quick run. I had a game at 7 in Heights, so I figured I would come home and run around the town. I did a run that I have done in the past and since it was in the middle of the afternoon I figured I didn’t want to cross any main streets. I went just under 4 miles in at a good pace (8:14 I think). I was happy with my results and need to pick up my training since I was slacking last week due to time crunches. I plan on having a long run tomorrow!

Another long one...

2008-09-11T19:52:00.002-04:00

I ran a nice long 12 miles this morning. - hopefully removing some wedding stress! It was a long loop along SOM into the metros, down Solon road and back to my house through the ABC streets and Hunt Club. My mom was supposed to bring me water a some point along the run but she couldn't find me (aka She didn't listen to me when I told her my route). The only other tough part was that I had some terrible chafing from my shorts which made the run slightly unpleasant. Otherwise, I felt good to get a long distance in since I know it will be hard to do when I'm in Hawaii!

Day off

2008-09-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I took the day off after our marathon. To my surprise my legs were not as sore as I though and I am ready to run again today if they weather clears up. I’m playing on doing a longer run since I don’t have practice tonight!

½ marathon done

2008-09-07T18:51:00.000-04:00

Today’s ½ marathon went a lot better than I could ever expect. When I started I had one goal and that was to finish under 2 hours. Luckily I found a volunteer pace setter that was set for 1:55 so I decided to stick with him.
Toward the beginning of the race I was going strong and keeping up with the pacer, whenever I would fall behind I would sprint up and catch him. Knowing that if I would allow myself to get too far behind I would not catch up at any point. I was able to stay with the pacer for the first 11 miles. After that I was falling behind a little but still always had them insight. When I completed my run I was surprised to see what I ran the marathon in 1 hour and 55 minutes (8:40 minute mile pace) which was great for me because my 10 mile run pace was 9:20.
Cutting off 40 second per mile made me feel good and I am happy about it! Hopefully I am not sore tomorrow.

Half Completed!

2008-09-07T14:47:00.002-04:00

Whooooo! We did it - great job! It was tough but we finished and did well. Having a running partners to push me really helped out. My time was 1 hr 46 min 40 sec - which is an 8:08 pace. It was a lot faster than I expected to go. I doubt I will be able to run the same at the full marathon.

Tomorrow

2008-09-06T22:07:00.001-04:00

I am also excited for tomorrow. It will be a good test as to where we are at and what we need to work on! See you at 6:45!

Tomorrow's Half

2008-09-06T09:48:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is the half marathon! I'm excited to see how it goes - I think running this long distance in a race is much different than running it on your own. Also, we haven't even run 13 miles yet. It will be a test!

Since I missed runs early in the week, I semi-made up for it by running 7.5 miles Thursday and then 4 on Friday. Maybe having run less miles this week will give me more energy for the half marathon tomorrow?

NIKE HUMAN RACE

2008-08-30T22:23:00.001-04:00

I was excited to get my information downloaded onto NikePlus for the Human Race Run, when I realized that the race was actually taking place tomorrow. I am a few runs behind so I think I might make up for them tomorrow and do the run.

One week til the race

2008-08-30T22:19:00.002-04:00

Well let’s just say to start off my run was not as scenic as yours and I needed to use my IPod because I didn’t have the pleasure of waves crashing along the shore line. My run started in my house went up to Chagrin Falls then back to my house.
The first part of my run (down Bainbridge) was a little hilly and tough because it was on a main curvy road, and I would get nervous that a car would come zooming around the corner and not see me. Luckily I was safe and got onto another road that didn’t have as much traffic (Chagrin River Road). This road was equally as hilly but I just put my head down and tried to make my way up without thinking about what I was doing. After about two miles on Chagrin River Road I went on Franklin which took me to the downtown area. This part of the run wasn’t too bad because I was running on new asphalt (which seemed softer on my joints, which it probably wasn’t). Also along this part my father drove by and brought me water once again. This was a nice break, but I am really going to have to learn how to drink out of a water bottle when I run because I spill most of it on me when I run.
The second to last part of the run was on Solon Road, through Bentlyville, which wouldn’t have been too bad if they had sidewalks. While I was running on the side of the street which was about the length of a pencil, a car almost hit me. This wasn’t the normal almost hit by a car moment it was I actually had to just off the road to dodge the car because it was driving on the white line. That part of the run was a little nerve reeking because I almost lost a leg (and since I have paid for the ½ marathon and Vegas marathon I was going to be pissed if I didn’t get to run in them).
The last leg of my run was down liberty road, which wasn’t anything special or new because it was the same section I ran last week. The only thing different about the run was I had an empty water bottle in my hand and I dropped it off in the mailbox of the family you used to babysit (I think, not sure which house you worked at).

10 Miles on 17 Mile Drive

2008-08-30T20:24:00.002-04:00

I woke up at around 6:30 AM today and got an early start to my run. After my banana and granola bar I was ready for the 10 mile run. It was very foggy and a cool 55 degrees outside. After finding my way to the boardwalk, I did a short stretch then start running the pedestrian path along the coast. It was absolutely stunning seeing the water and the hills around me. I didn't need to listen to my iPod when I had the sound of the breaking waves to run to. The only downsides were that occasionally I had to run in sand (tough on the calves) and that the smell of seaweed is not very pleasant (tough on the nostrils). There were a ton of bikers riding along the road and at one point it seemed that the whole Tour de France wizzed by me (a group of about 50 riders). At the halfway point, I did an about face and started my run back to the hotel. Around 6 miles, Joe and his mom and dad drove up and gave me some water and a moral booster. But overall I was feeling good. At about mile 7 I saw a coyote - we made eye contact and I was thankful he didn't come any closer. At mile 8, things started to get tough - my joints ached. But knowing that I was almost done pulled me through. I finished at exactly 10.00 miles with an 8:26 pace. Probably too fast for me to keep up normally, but the beautiful scenery motivated my good long run!

Treadmill again

2008-08-29T19:12:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I ran on the treadmill at our hotel in Silicon Valley. It was nice that I was up early to do the workout since I'm still pretty much on Eastern Time. The 4 miles went fine - it was just boring. However, I'm still looking forward to my run tomorrow. The weather will probably be in the mid 50s in the morning - it will probably be foggy with a breeze coming off the ocean. I'm hoping it will be a breeze and not a wind which would make it tough to run against (unless it could be at my back, both ways). The path I'm running goes from our hotel to the lone cypress and back. It should be just over 10 miles! I'll let you know how it goes!

BIG DAY

2008-08-27T21:33:00.003-04:00

Today was an important day in my Nike Plus running. I have been notified that I have reached 500 miles, have has 199 workouts, and have an average pace of 9:05 (my times have been coming down recently). I have very happy with my accomplishments and want to continue improving my mile times. The cool thing is that I can get a T-Shirt if I want that says I have ran 500 miles.

Playing In The Rain

2008-08-27T21:27:00.001-04:00

Today’s weather wasn’t the best I have ever run in, but it was refreshing. I ran in my capris and a nice dry fit shirt. The weather was drizzling at a rapid pace and the only thing on my mind was I needed to run 5 miles. On my way home from soccer practice I was thinking of only running 4 miles because I played a bit at practice and took a lot of shots, so I figured my legs were going to be a little tired.

That all changed when I started my run, I decided since I was out I should do all 5 miles and not cut my training program short. The route I did was the Taylor’s neighborhood, and I started on one side and weaved in and out of the streets until I came out on the other side of the neighborhood. I was happy with my run and felt like I was keeping up a good pace (8:33).

IPod Stats:
Distance: 5.08
Time: 43:29
Pace: 8:33

Monday & Tuesday

2008-08-26T09:54:00.002-04:00

Monday: I had to drop Megan's car off to get repairs so I decided it would be easy enough to run back from the service station. I ran from the Shell on the corner of Aurora and Solon Blvd. down the G street (I think that stands for Grandma?) of the ABC streets to Arthur Meadows. I did the big loop in there and headed home. It was a little over 4 miles at an easy pace.

Tuesday: I decided to run today rather than tomorrow since I will be traveling which would make the run difficult. I ran up 1.6 miles up to the Middle School track where I did 4 x 800 at a faster pace (probably around 8:00 min/mile) with a 300m jog in between. I liked that it was a different work out and wasn't just the long slow runs I tend to usually do. I jogged home - overall, it was 6 miles!