december 2008

i finished off december and 2008 with an easy 5-mile run today. it wasn't anything special other than the fact it was the last run of the year, just an easy run to log some miles as i wind down my goofy training. i ran outside and it felt wayyy easier and wayyy slower than the past two days of running on the treadmill.mid-day run: 5 miles, 46:21 (9:16 avg pace), avg/max hr (149/183)overall december...

Read More

looking back on 2008

2008 was my 4th year "back" to running (since high school cross country in '00), although it was the first year i really trained seriously (consistently), and that was only for the last 5 months of the year. it was a good year in which i found a groove (in the latter part of the year) and really started to enjoy running more.mileage totals2005 - 735.94 (starting march 14th)2006 - 623.43 (did not log...

Read More

consistency is key

...especially when it comes to ab work. i've been extra lazy about doing abs for the past 10 days and tonight when i attempted some planks after my run i wanted to collapse after 10 seconds. sad, sad. i moaned and groaned my way through 2x1minute regular planks and 2x1min side planks (1 per side). i made up a song (to the tune of rihanna's "live your life") about all my flabbiness to try to not stare...

Read More

goofy training week 16

recap of training week 16 (12/22-12/28):[day - mileage, time, avg hr]mon - 5.4 easy, 50:32, 147tue - off, family emergencywed - 6 tempo, 47:08, 176thu - 8 easy, 1:10:58, 159fri - off, effects of a rough weeksat - 8 easy, 1:12:59, 152sun - off, lazinessmileage total - 27.4 (wow do i really have to count this week?)seems like i hardly ran. less than 30 miles? i ran more miles last weekend than i did...

Read More

hamster, day 1

i must first give a huge thank you to all you wonderful folks for your kind messages, (virtual) hugs, and thoughts over the past week. it's been tough mentally and emotionally, but i am so thankful that i don't have more to be upset about. it was a very special Christmas for us, and i hope my greatfulness doesn't wear off as life returns to "normal". i hope you were all able to enjoy the holidays...

Read More

catching up on christmas runs

i'm back, for the most part. i tried to read a few blogs over the past week but couldn't really focus enough to leave decent comments so i took a hiatus. i did a little running last week, and i guess it's good that i got something in, but it was a slack, slack week.12/24 - 6 miles "tempo" aka the rot in hell run. i tried to be positive and think more about my dad and how glad we are that things didn't...

Read More

make the most of everday

had a serious family emergency last night and not sure if/when i'll run today, but for the first time in a long time running is just not a priority right now.long story short, my dad was kidnapped, robbed and stabbed last night, but they found him and the nutcase. (a friend of the dude turned him in.) thank the lord his injuries were not life-threatening, and we were able to leave the er in the late...

Read More

numb again

i know i have no room to complain as it is... but lord was it cold out. a big 36 degrees. i know, that's in the positives and tropical compared to all the negative temperatures and snowstorms elsewhere, but i was cold. i don't see how you people do it. my speech was slurred after my run, and i guess j thought i had a stroke or something. i don't think i did, but who knows. there was a return of the...

Read More

goofy training week 15

recap of training week 15 (12/15-12/21):[day - mileage, time, avg hr]mon - 7 easy, 1:03:34, 149tue - 11.75 (7xmile), 1:37:33, 171wed - 7 easy, 1:05:50, 150thu - off (swapped with friday, again)fri - 8 tempo, 1:01:32, 176sat - 9 easy, 1:27:17, 158sun - 20 progressive, 2:48:56, 161mileage total - 62.75 (finally, a new record high)the easy runs felt junky this week but that's ok as long as i can have...

Read More

a sincere thank you to my legs

dear legs,well, you survived another 20 mile run. thank you for putting up with my insane goofy challenge training these past 20-something weeks. all we have left are a couple 800 workouts and otherwise just some easier running until the big race(...er, races). next weekend's long run is only 12 miles! you've really held it together for me most days and given me some great runs. you should feel honored...

Read More

cliff young

came across this story the other day and just had to share it. enjoy!The legendary story of Cliff Young is already known to many runners. If you're aren't familiar with it, you're in for a fascinating read. An Unlikely Competitor Cliff Young Every year, Australia hosts 543.7-mile (875-kilometer)...

Read More

somedays i wish i ran 5k's

like today, for example. i had a severe case of negative/i-want-to-quit-thoughts running through my head for the entire 90 minutes of my shorter-long run for the week. i've been trying to think more positively in general, thanks to some motivation from terri at middle-of-the-pack girl. today i didn't...

Read More

i just might be getting faster

i made up for yesterday's missed skipped tempo run this afternoon when i slid out of work early. for the first mile, i held back a little, and then kicked it up a notch for a few (6) tempo-paced miles. those middle six miles were tough, and i was on a relatively flatter route than i usually take for tempo runs. on past tempo runs, my hr hangs around 172ish, but today it was in the 180's, which is...

Read More

why don't i just change my "off" day...

people. send me some motivation or something. i had a great run tuesday, and two so-so easy runs monday and wednesday, but i could not talk myself into running today. i'm still all motivated to run and get fast and stuff, but i just wasn't 'feeling it' today.a big part of it is knowing i still have my 'off' day of the week, so it's not like i'm slacking off or cutting out any mileage, just delaying...

Read More

they can't all be great

after yesterday's tough mile repeats i wasn't expecting much today from my easy/recovery run, but sheesh i don't think i could've felt worse.i got in 7 miles today on the same route i did monday except my nike+ told me it was a shorter distance this time (??wtf nike??). maybe monday's run was better because of all those cookies i ate... riiiight. my legs were dead and heavy the whole time it seemed....

Read More

practicing my hammer throw

today i was a professional runner, sort of. i took off work early in order to hit the track and complete my 7xmile repeats before the sun went down, so essentially i was running and getting paid for it. (had to use a couple hours of my time off but still, i was getting paid. i'm lucky my boss is cool enough to let me take the afternoon off to go running!)anyway, being able to do this workout in the...

Read More

i hate cookies

i will probably definitely retract that statement tomorrow once i have detoxed from the 90 dozen cookies eaten in the past two days, but for today, i am not too fond of them.today was 'goodie day' at work, and of course everyone, including me, brought in delicious baked goods. yesterday afternoon j and i whipped up a batch of chocolate chip and sugar cookies. i sneaked some of the dough while we waited...

Read More

paris mountain 20k pics

a couple unflattering pics from the paris mountain 20k road racedecember 13th, 2008(courtesy of suzanne's sportshots)me & kt catching up to the actual raceand 12, i mean 13, miles later - heading to the fin...

Read More

goofy training week 14

recap of training week 14 (12/08-12/14):[day - mileage, time, avg hr]mon - 5.45 easy, 51:24, 133tue - 8.4 tempo, 1:08:10, 164wed - 7 easy, 1:04:50, 146thu - off (swapped with friday)fri - 6 (6x800), 50:53, 167sat - 13.2 "race", 1:58:26, 175sun - unscheduled offmileage total - a lowly 40.05tuesday's tempo was a little slower than preferred but decent for just over a week after a marathon i suppose....

Read More

paris mountain 20k "race" recap

for the past few weeks, i've been planning on 'just running' this race. i withheld my end of the bargain for once, with the help of my running pal kt and the unwanted help of the enormous hill. i'd say hills but really there was just one, never-ending hill. this run doesn't really warrant a true race...

Read More

dropping fast

i wimped out today and cut my run short.when i packed my bag at lunch for my post-work run, i was counting on it being 50 degrees, and only packed shorts and a short-sleeved technical shirt. when i left work at 4:30, it was indeed 50 degrees, with 15mph winds, and the temperature was dropping fast.it was cold.my body never really warmed up and i attribute this to being under-dressed. the temp dropped...

Read More

daily ledger

if a man has greatness in him, it comes to light, not in one flamboyant hour, but in the ledger of his daily work.- beryl markhanas i flipped through my random quote book i started my senior year of high school ('02) i came across this quote and it reminded me that it will take a lot of time, dedication and hardwork, but if i continue to make the most of each day and each workout, i will one day reach...

Read More

just plain lost

today's weather: pouring all day with a mix of thunderstorms and tornadoes, but temp's in the lower 60's! :o)it was still raining when i left work but it had eased up a good bit and i went out for my run. i had planned a new route before leaving work and tattooed (permanent-markered) the directions on my forearm. i've been getting a little tired of the same old same old and wanted to explore some...

Read More

lost without my +

first of all i would just like to say that if weather.com is going to report a 1% (yes, 1%) chance of rain well i think most people would assume it's pretty much not going to rain. nope, definitely rained on me and my run. ...ok so it sprinkled, for a few minutes, in the beginning of my run, but still, it rained. liars.i got a nike+ back in august/september-ish as an early birthday present from j....

Read More

nauseous and numb

i had another bout of nausea today after work and before my run while driving over to the gym. it subsided enough for me to stick it out although i still felt a little off, and i headed off for my run as j went in to lift weights. for whatever reason i get nauseous/light-headed/dizzy sometimes, usually in the car, and i think it's because of j's crazy driving but he claims he is a perfect driver.anyway...

Read More

a plan for joyrun

sorry in advance, but i couldn't figure out how to send this to you any other way... after reading your plans and goals i put together a training plan for you to see if you'd like it. i don't know too much about your training history or when you wanted to start officially training again, so we can definitely...

Read More

goofy training week 13

recap of training week 13 (12/01-12/07):[day - mileage, time, avg hr]mon - 5.3 easy, 48:43, 149tue - 8.04 easy, 1:13:25, 155wed - 6 easy, 57:03, 140thu - off (swapped with friday)fri - 7 easy, 1:01:32, 153sat - 10.3 easy, 1:32:46, 157sun - 15 easy, 2:15:09, 153mileage total - 51.64during most of my runs this week i felt tired and slow, but my times weren't bad and i had to remind myself that i was...

Read More

relaxing 15 miler

i'm feeling a little brain dead and extra uncreative so i apologize in advance for the boringness that will follow.i got in my planned 15 miler late this morning, and just took it nice and slow (~150hr). my legs started aching a bit around miles 6-7, and i hope i didn't overdo it with a long run. no pains, just that tired-muscle-ache you often get on a long run. i didn't run with any water, propel,...

Read More

airport run

for the past year and a half i've always thought about running to the airport but i kept chickening out. from my house to the airport it's about 10 miles round-trip, and last night i decided i was going to just do it already. this morning, i ran to gsp and back for my shorter-long-run of the week, and...

Read More

no trees, no dogs, no darkness

i had the day off from work today and was able to get in a good little run in the daylight. i made the mistake of heading out shortly before elementary school lets out though, and had to dodge the minivan mamas* on the way back. apparently 50 parents like to park in the neighborhood across from my neighborhood and wait for the kids to get out. (the school is in between the two 'hoods). makes sense,...

Read More

switching things up

what ever you do, do it with all your might. work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now.-pt barnumi was lazy today and decided to trade today's scheduled 7 miles for tomorrow's off day. i don't really have any good excuses but it was 'rainy' after work (ie hardly drizzling) and...

Read More

running with buddy

this is buddy(my mom likes to make him wear bandanas)buddy is a cute dog and all, full of energy and spunk, but lord is he annoying. he's locked up in his crate all day when i'm at work so i felt bad when i got home this afternoon and needed to go for my run. i didn't want to make him hang out in his...

Read More

blinded by the ...tree

i woke up at 5am like my old, dedicated, morning-runner self and checked the weather report only to find "31 degrees, feels like 24". hmm, not quite ready for that, so i went back to bed. i know, i know, i'm a slacker.i headed out for my run after work in a much "warmer" 42 degrees. today was an easy-paced 8 miler although i pushed my hr a tad and i probably should've taken it easier. around 2.5 miles...

Read More

november 2008

11/08 was another pretty solid month and only a few miles shy of october. i did my first ever 20-mile training run and pr'd (and bq'd) in the atlanta marathon on thanksgiving day. i officially hit a weight 10 pounds lighter than i used to be, and i'm continuing to lose weight with my cleaner, more well-rounded diet. (although it still needs work.) let's hope i can keep that up through the holiday...

Read More

just a touch of soreness left

it seemed no matter which direction i ran tonight the (cold) wind was blowing into my face - not exactly my cup of tea. at any rate, got in an easy 5(.3) tonight after work. last night i said i would run in the morning but when the alarm went off at 5:00 i knew there was no way i was getting up. i haven't been too good lately about leaving my warm bed for the cold, dark outside and i need to get back...

Read More