sometimes I am not sure what takes more discipline, the daily running or remember this blog?

June update... I am having blog thoughts again, although I am currently resisting...

beginning the count down

I am starting on the official training regimen for this years' big race - the covered bridge 1/2 marathon in June.
Despite this weeks many obstacles - my freakin' toe still hurts! and I have had a minor break up with my running partner, which hopefully will blow over quickly, I am off to a strong start training wise.
Early Sunday morning, after deciding that it was a perfect skip church day, I ran with Lee. As planned we ran the first 3.5 miles together, and I kept up a pretty good pace (10:30ish). I was not able to talk much, mostly I just acknowledged his comments with a nod or a grunt. Still, someday I would love to be able to really run together, so this was little run was really great.

Lee kept going, he would end up doing nearly 18 miles on Sunday - gulp! I turned back and finished my run at 7.8 miles at a 11 min/mile pace - good. Even better than getting through the long run, was that I was not completely beat for the rest of the day. I did do some stretching and I used the roll-bar massage when I got home, which really felt good. I stretched out on the couch for an hour.. but I also got up and cleaned the garage and did laundry.

I am following a different training method this time, which has me running only 3 times a week and cross training 2 times (my swim class).
Sunday went so well, that I will keep to the schedule and try not to worry that I am not running "enough", quality over quantity, or something like that.

It is so hard to figure out when and where to run each week. I spend over an hour total throughout the week looking at my calendar and trying to find the time to squeeze in some exercise.

Today is typical of a winter running day. It snowed and sleeted yesterday, so the sidewalks are not safe. I am thinking I will run during Teddy's piano lesson, there is a nice 3 mile loop around the school. I just have to be ready to run in the street, where there is very little shoulder along the side of the road to run in.

I will be happy to see all the snow gone for good!

Training schedule begins!

yikes, it is hard to think about training outside on a day like today, it snowed 10 inches of snow last night!

Today might be a good day to make friends with the treadmill. I haven't tried to run inside since I hurt my toe, and even before that I wasn't very happy at treadmill running, but on a day like today there is really no choice.

I love these "Spring Break" days

I know that winter is from from over here in NE, but these kind of days - the days when the sunshine heats up your back - are my favorite. Other than all those warm days in June, July and August I mean.
Teddy was thrilled that I didn't make him wear his "puffy" winter jacket, apparently puffy jackets are very uncool in middle school.
I will have to resist from a run today. I got all anxious about taking days off, but tomorrow will be my first long run (I am hoping for 6) in a month. My 1/2 mary is in 15 weeks, plenty of time to train but I am anxious to start!

Winter break is over

I have been thinking about this poor little blog for a few weeks, and then I get stuck in the Facebook time warp and have no energy left for this. Except that I do care about keeping my blog going, so without expectations I am back into it.

I had a busy winter at work. The slow down of the economy and the poor health of my partner have kept me very focused at work (hence, no time to blog from my desk!). We seem to have a reached a good balance and are keeping up with the cash flow issues. Let us all hope that this downward spiral ends soon!

I missed my first race of 2009. The Super Sunday 10k would have been my first "repeat" race since I started running last year. I was so well trained and ready, determined to beat my time and finally be a little more competitive and run with "the pack" instead of behind them. Except that all the planning in the world could not have prepared me for my first real injury - not even a running injury. I dropped a chair on my foot and nearly broke my toe. I hobbled to the race on Sunday morning, I still had to go in and support my friend Suzanne. There was no way I could run, I was barely able to walk - complete and total bummer.

That was three weeks ago, and after two unsuccessful attempts, I finally ran a few miles on Sunday. I was so glad to be out there again, but so frustrated by how much I had lost in 3 weeks. In January I was doing 6 miles every week and a few 3 and 4 milers.

Sunday, Suzanne and I went about 4+ miles, but I had to walk a few times.

Really I am not going to let this get to me too much, except I can't wait to go for a long run this weekend and really see how far I can go...

2009 Race #1

My first race (a 10k) of 2009 is this weekend and I am starting to obsess over the details.



It is a race that Suzanne and I did together last year and we were surprising fast (for us!).



What time should I wake up? Give yourself plenty of time to do all the morning things, and not be rushed on last minute race stuff. Don't wake up so early that you are tired and hungry before the race even starts...



What time should I leave my house? I still have to pick up my race packet, so I need to go through registration, and of course there is the porta-potty line to consider, and it's going to be cold out so I don't want to be there too early and standing around.



And the most important detail



What should I wear? I really obsess about this, and not just for races, but for any winter outdoor running.

I love to run in the winter, it is much easier for me to breathe and I find the cold air to be energizing, as opposed to running in Florida which is like running through pudding, or something.



So tonight I will look through my running clothes, and do some laundry and try on different pairs of socks and check the weather report about 10 times.

Making plans for 2009

On a Monday morning in early December my running partner Suzanne im'ed me before 9 am at work... very unusual for Suzanne. Most of our communication in the past has been via email and was kept to when/where/what route we were going to run that day, we saved all our real talking for the runs together - Suzanne talks, I huff and puff and grunt along side her.

Anyway, we were im'ing away and she wondered why I hadn't responded to email from the night before about running another 1/2 marathon in the spring, and specifically the Covered Bridges 1/2 Marathon. Nope, I hadn't gotten her email, and besides after my disastrous debut in the 1/2 marathon last year.. no way was I doing that torture again...

Except that Suzanne sent me the link to the website.. and the reviews and the course description (it goes downhill!).. and the registration opens this morning and fills up in less than 2 hours. Suzanne was in, and I don't think she was even telling me about it to ask if I would run with her. Ugh! Of course, given the competition to register before the spaces were filled I had to try. It only costs $40, which is a cheap registration fee and I was in by 9:15. The race closed before 10 am. Of course I am feeling flush with victory!

Yikes, except that I have the first race for the 2009 calendar.. and it is a 1/2 marathon - a race that is at the outer limits of my ability.

It turns out that this is the beginning of my 2009 resolutions.. not that I will be faster, but that I will continue to push myself, to new races and new challenges.

The middle of the pack would be a nice goal for '09.

Teddy's House is undergoing a renovation for 2009. As amused as I am sure all of you were by the daily updates and pictures of what me and my kids were doing at Teddy's House, we were bored and boring.

So, to reflect my newest passion and my favorite discussion topics, 2009 will be the year of blogging about running and races and my training to complete and compete in triathalons.

So far I have only penciled in the 2009 race schedule and have only registered for a few events. It is early in the year but I am off to a strong and enthusiastic start.