I climbed Mount Washington!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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:

1. I hit all green lights on my way to the North Shore - no pausing at all!
2. I got honked at...by a firetruck! It was really loud and a jumped.
3. I ran through 9 men who are in the Navy and had just finished up their run. They cheered me on!
4. 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!

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!

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

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!

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...

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

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

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!

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

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:

1. I like running along the river.
2. I climbed about 100 stairs because I thought it was going to be easier than running up the hill - it wasn't.
3. Joe ran miles 7.5 to 9.5 with me and brought me water.
   
4. I ran along side a parade for about a mile - it was very entertaining!
5. 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

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

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!

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

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

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

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.