3 mile walk

I was moving at a good clip, did about 3.4 miles in about 52 min.

Maybe I should be a walker, lol, instead of a runner.

What I love about my "running past" is that I didn't bat an eyelash at 3+ miles!

And after such a tough but moving Relay for Life experience, I have also decided to walk the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in NYC in 2010 with the husband of a 37-year old survivor friend of mine. So I better keep walking, if not jogging...

Peace to all my running friends:-)

Holiday Slacking

The holiday slacking had to come to an end last night, went out for a 3 miler. I stuck with R3/W1 since I hadn't run in two weeks, and it went ok. It was a nice, just-under-40 night, and I was running with ...

MY NEW iPOD NANO from DH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still figuring out how to load songs and categorize them, and darned if I could NOT figure out how to deal with the volume while out last night, but wow, running with tunes was a blast and really made the R3 intervals pass by more quickly. And I ran to Bruce, Soul Asylum (I just yesterday figured out who they are, hello, 21st century), Indigo Girls, Abba, Sheryl Crow,U2...mmmmm. And I am a Disney nut and just started downloading Dis Unplugged podcasts, oh yeah.

400 miles for this year is in jeopardy, I still need 20.25, and in 4 days, it's not going to happen (it would be like cramming for an exam if it does), but last year was 122.94 miles and this year is (so far), 379.77. Improvement in distance, yep. Still off the couch, yep.

**Mom update: She is home, recovering from pneumonia, feeling tons better just wiped out. Now maybe she can get to the business of recovering from all that chemo & radiation. And she also pushed me to get my first mammogram this week, it wasn't that bad, so if you haven't done it and you're female, just do it :-)

Wishing all my fellow runner-folk a good holiday and a great new year. You all amaze me and inspire me.

Recovery 3

3.0 miles
39:55 (13:18/mile)
Temp: 45 Humidity: 42%

It is Election Day, so I voted while out on my run, ha! Can I multitask or what? :-)

Off to Disney tomorrow for a quick getaway weekend with the fam. Can't wait. How will I get through school tomorrow (I am worse than the kiddos!)...? I will not even say I'll try to run @ Disney, so that if I actually do, it will be a bonus. Does all the walking count as x-training? ;-)

Peace.

Midweek 3 miler #2

YES! Got the second midweek run in, YES! How is it that with 93% humidity, this run felt great???

Here is my theory. I think I hydrated well today. I have given up my mid-day diet soda and replaced with a bottle of water. I drank water in my grad class tonight before my run. Even heard a swish or two in my belly as I ran. But I really wonder if the pre-run, all-day hydration helped...

3 miles
35:07 (11:42/mile)
Temp: 61 Humidity: 93%

Oh, yeah, fast and negative splits. Not a pretty ending, got a side stitch with about .75 to go, but my 1 min walk break came up and that seemed to reset my stitch (can you tell I'm a product of the computer age??).

Mile 1 - 12:07
Mile 2 - 11:40
Mile 3 - 11:19 (tough last mile, didn't think it'd be negative, yes!)

YES! Next up, a 10 miler this weekend, woo hoo.

Midweek 3 miler

I am struggling with getting my midweek runs in...so I'm glad I snuck this in today in the mist/drizzle and daylight.

3 miles
34:44 (11:34/mile)
Temp: 62 Humidity: 80%

I pushed the pace a bit this run, was *just* slightly uncomfortable for the last 1.5 miles, probably due to the humidity (surprise, surprise). Bummer that Garmin lost the satellite connection when I was at mile 2.8 of my 3 miler, so I am guestimating the distance, but I think I am darn close:-) Ha, Garmin said my avg. speed for the last mile was 66.7 mph, lol, woo hoo, go me.

Mile 1 - 11:40
Mile 2 - 11:33
Mile 3 - 11:30

BTW, my last post, just wanted to clarify that I didn't get sick or anything from running on a belly full of Chile's Margarita Chicken (mercifully); just that I was impressed with my belly for hanging in there while I completed the run. I sure won't make running on such a full belly a habit, that is for sure! :-)

Recovery Run

Snuck this in during daylight hours today!!

3 miles
37:54 (12:38/mile)

Mile 1 - 12:35
Mile 2 - 12:39
Mile 3 - 12:39

Works for me:-) Thanks for the cool comments about the mantra! So cool!

Monday Night

3.21 miles
38:31 (11:59/mile)
Temp 71 Humidity 45%

Got in an evening run, Garmin satellite never kicked in (darkness was approaching, so I only waited 5 or so minutes for it to try to synch up, oh well).

Running just isn't easy. But I'm glad I got it done:-)

Beautiful run tonight in a messed up world

9pm tonight, here's what I did:-)

3.01 miles
35:00 (11:37/mile)
Temp: 65 Humidity: 63% :-D

Felt like I was on fire that first mile, just excited it wasn't humid. My mind aswirl with post-9/11 thoughts of the pure evil in this world and pure evil even in my neighborhood...and prayers for God to wrap up the helpless and protect them...us.........and before I knew it I had one sub-12 mile...then two of them...then the last one.

NEGATIVE, YEAH!
Mile 1 - 11:57
Mile 2 - 11:45
Mile 3 - 11:17 (got the gag feeling, had to pull back a little at the end, but WHOA!)

Fast for me, woo hoo:-) Peace out.

HH Intermdiate 5K - Week 7, Day 1

Garmin didn't kick in for a mile, so I don't have accurate splits. But I DO know that my last mile was a smokin' 11:22.

3.25 miles
38:08 (11:44/mile)
Temp: 62 Humid: 90%

Oh, and with my husband's support (and almost blessing) I registered last night.
Philadelphia Half Marathon

HH Intermdiate 5K - Week 5, Day 3

A little labored tonight. I can't smoke every single workout, can I? Did finish with a faster final mile.

3.0 miles
37:11 (12:23/mile)
Temp: 71 Humid: 78%

Mile 1 - 12:34
Mile 2 - 12:47
Mile 3 - 11: 52

Next up, I hope to do 4 or 5 on Sat, then 6 or 7 on Sun. The higher numbers would be jumping to the next week of the HH program, since my projected 5K race is actually a week before the end of the program. So I may just jump a week, I dunno. School starts soon, so all my great plans may be out the window once I'm a FT Work-Outside-The-Home Mom again...

HH Intermdiate 5K - Week 5, Day 2

FAST today! Too dark to go to the track for intervals, so in a pinch and feeling actually ok, I just sort of kept pushing the pace. I was definitely out of my comfort zone for the last 20 min of the run! Those Fruit Punch flavored Jelly Belly Sport Beans (new flavor my dh found at Borders for $.49 each) were kind of gross and didn't sit so well in my tummy a half hour before the run, but maybe there's something to 'em after all...

3.0 miles
33:14 (11:04/mile)
Temp:64 Humid:80%

Mile 1 - 12:05
Mile 2 - 10:50
Mile 3 - 10:16

OH YEAH!

HH Intermdiate 5K - Week 5, Day 1

Here's what I did between the raindrops. It was a light mist, super temperature, took a new route, too. Good run and check out those negative splits! I am trying to learn to save some gas for the end of the run:-)

3 miles
36:34 (12:11/mile)
Temp: 57, Humidity 89%

Mile 1 - 12:29
Mile 2 - 12:21
Mile 3 - 11:43

Oh yeah.

HH Intermdiate 5K - Week 2, Day 3

3 miles
37:46 (12:35/mile)
2:30 pm - Temp 81 - Humidity 39% (yay)

Around once a month, um, I don't feel like running. Today was one of those days. But, like happened to Amy a few days ago, as I arrived home eagerly looking forward to sitting on my old perch, the couch, I saw a guy jogging down my street at 2 in the afternoon. Well, geez, if HE is out in the midday sun, I guess I can do it as well. I was only going to go a mile. Just make it to the traffic light & back, I told myself. But I kept going. Past a few more lights. And before I knew it, I was 1.5 miles from home. Well, yippee!!! A 3 miler, just like Mr. Higdon wanted me to do:-)

Oh, and my last mile was fastest! 12:49, 12:54, 12:04!!!

HH Intermdiate 5K - Week 1, Day 3

Ah, the Jersey humidity is back. Tough run this morning, but I'm patting myself on the back for getting up and getting it done before my husband had to leave. I figured I had last night off of rehearsal for July 4th, so if I couldn't get up today, I couldn't ever do it--so I'm glad it happened today. Now begins a stretch where I have only one day off of rehearsal for the next week and a half, so should be interesting how these runs get fit in...one day at a time, baby steps.

Here are today's numbers:
3 miles
40:33 (13:31/mile)
68 degrees, 93% humidity

Monumental day for a few reasons: 1) Like I said, I got up to do this; 2) I've never run 3 days in a row before, HH is ambitious, ha!; and 3) Today I hit 200 miles for the year! This was a goal I was hoping to hit before July 1, but that fell in my running slump. I am still hoping for 400 miles for the year, we'll see!

Adrift..inconsistent

I've already written about being sort of "adrift" with my running since the HM a few months ago. After about 3 weeks, I finally got another real run in today, woo hoo, 3.14 slow miles. But they were not unbearable, yippee, and it was good to finally be outside on the road again.

Why the struggle? Here are my reasons (read: excuses):
1. This play I am in. Rehearsing an hour away, five nights a week. I don't get home till 11:30 most nights, maybe to bed by 12:30 after a shower & snack; the kids still get up at about 7 or 8 next morning. So I just can't pull myself out of bed early before husband leaves for work. Wrong, I know. Must try to get over this...

2. Husband working insane hours these past few weeks, and for the next few weeks. I'm talking till 11 or 12 or so weeknights and one or both weekend days. In the past, I had been going out to run at least on weekends leaving him with kids. Not possible these days.

3. NO RACE TO TRAIN FOR. I feel ridiculous signing up for a race right now running so sporadically. And yet, training for a specific race is motivating and you "find a way" to get the miles in when you have a goal (and have plunked down your moolah!). Vicious cycle!

ALL THAT BEING SAID...now that I'm back in the crazy community theater world, I am seeing a lot of talented folks whom I respected immensely for the first time in about a decade. One gentleman, an acting teacher and all around pep-talk giver I know from way back, kindly mentioned me on how "in shape" I look post-kids, and I spurted out that I had started jogging last year. Turns out, the guy is a marathoner many times over! He gave me a pep talk about getting back on the saddle, to just do it, the longer I waffle the harder it will be. It stuck with me and I found a way to get out for a 3 miler today, woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3.14 miles
40:05 (12:45/mile)
And even tried my first crude attempts at fartleks, cranking up the pace for about 100m 4x in the last mile (even saw 7:44 min/mile on one of these, that was cool). I want to get a little faster--it's just not practical to expect to be gone for 3, 4, 5 hours training for an HM or M, I need to safely find a way to pick up the pace at least a little. So if you know a good novice slowpoke speed training plan, I would want to check it out!

So I am floating, adrift. Will do another 5K or two this summer, that is certain. But I need to find me some races and soon if I want to get back on track. Hopefully today is the start of getting out there more regularly.

Morning run

The 2 yo has been getting molars and waking up a lot...after he woke up at least 6 times last night, it was 5:30 and I was awake for good. So I went for a run. Here's what I did:

3 miles
37:18 (12:26/mile)

Mile 1: 12:19
Mile 2: 12:23
Mile 3: 12:34

Not negative splits, but pretty close anyway. This wasn't a terrible run and it was great to get back on the road again by myself without having to cut the run short for some time constraint on the end. So yay, I got out.

To answer some questions, yes, the play I am in is a musical, community theater, and heaven help us all, I sing:-P

Run well, rest well, peace.