Sunday, February 27, 2011

Last 6 days

Wow, so, apparently this once a week posting is just going to be how I roll for a spell. Life is busy!

Feb 21
elliptical 11.4 miles, 55 minutes...just a nice easy, long elliptical workout. Made much more bearable by some Season 4 episodes of Little House on the Prairie =)
LOWER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 22
REST DAY

Feb 23
'mill run 2.7 miles, 3o minutes (11:06 pace)...was still nursing a bad tummy ache from the day before so I took this run nice and slow and had to cut it short (was suppose to do 3.5)
elliptical 3 miles, 14:00...warm up before the 'mill
UPPER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 24
elliptical 8.7 miles, 40 minutes
'mill run 1 mile 9:30...I called this a (finger quote) cool down, but it really wasnt, I just wanted to run =)
LOWER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 25
'mill 3.5 tempo 34:45 (9:55 pace)...This was actually a really good 'mill run for me! I didnt EVER think I could do a tempo on the treadmill. BUT I took this one a little faster at the beginning and SLOWLY increased the speed from mile 1-2.5 and then upped it every .1 miles the last mile and topped out around 7.3 which is CRAZY fast for me. I tried something new today that my friend has been doing, and that is alternating which foot you exhale on. For some reason doing this helped me control my breathing better and made this workout ALMOST enjoyable! =)
elliptical 4.3 miles 20 minutes...warm up before giving it to my 'mill like an evil step-mutha! =)
UPPER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 26
elliptical 12.6 miles 55:00 INTERVALS...Took it at a faster clip the whole time, but from minutes 30-41 I did 2/1 intervals...kept the pace around 14.1 when I was 'resting' and upped it to 15-15.5 when I was speeding up. Felt pretty good!
'mill walk: .6 miles 10minutes, 4% incline....cooldown

Feb 27
'mill run, 5 miles (Yes, FIVE!), 53:00 (10:35 pace)...I didnt know how this run was going to go. It was just to blechy outside to do a pavement run and as I am sure you know by now, the 'mill is NOT my first choice for a 'normal' run no less a 'distance' run (yes, 5 is 'distance' for me right now). But I thought I would just take the pace nice and SLOW and let myself quit after 3 if I wanted to...it was hard even getting to THAT point!
Really, everything after 2 and a half miles on the 'mill is TOTALLY a mental thing for me. But I got to 3 and thought 'I'll try to get to 3.5', then that turned into 'well, I'm already here, might as well do 4', then of course it was, 'well, 4 has been the LONGEST I have run on the 'mill so lets see if I can buckle down and beat that'. =)
It actually wasnt too bad. I listened to my tunes, did the breathing technique I mentioned above, and watched some Iditarod reality type show on netflix.
It was quite funny, everytime the dogs would slip and fall, I felt like I was going to fall of the 'mill! It was like 3D without the glasses =) Yes, I'm that girl that dodges things in movies when they come towards the screen and totally get in to it when playing video games.
I'm a special breed.

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So, what races do you have coming up this Spring?

Any hiccups in your training so far?

What do you like better, speedy 5K races, or the longer 1/2 and full marathon races?

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Catchin' up =)

Hey internets! Bless you if you have still been checking in here.
I need to stop this once a week blogging. Once a week is for mopping floors, or sleeping in or washing my hair....blogging should be EVERY day! Waiting so many days makes me forget details. And my mind is fried already so bare (bear? geez, I cant even 'grammar' right...) with me.

Feb 14
elliptical 9.1 miles 44:00...this was a progression workout. 0-14 level 1, 14.28 level 2, 28-42 level 3, 42-44 cooldown.
LOWER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 15
outdoor run 3.5 miles 33:50 (9:40 pace)...odd run. Was going to run 4 but ran out of time...this was an evening run which I am NOT used to doing. Anyway, I looked at my pace after the first 1/2 mile and saw it was 9:30! And it didnt even feel like I was working that hard. So I just went with it, kept the pace up and wrote this off as my tempo run. Lots of inclines and hills which I actually really like. Still loving the uphills and LOATHING the downhills. It was 56* tonight, VERY slight wind, sun was setting as I was running. It was PERFECT. They write POETRY about nights like this (or maybe really sappy country songs). Was nice to run in a tank top and shorts again!
treadmill walk: 1.57 miles, 26:00, 5% incline, 14:51 pace...the run on this day was an evening run (oh I already said that didn't I...*sigh*), anyway, I wanted to get a little cardio in in the morning as my day just starts off better if I get my heartrate up and lift myself up and out of that 'just got up' fog. Liking the treadmill on an incline while walking as an alternate form of cardio. Switching things up is fun-a-rooni.
UPPER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 16
elliptical 10.6, 50:00...nice long elliptical workout. Wanted to do an hour, but again, ran out of time.
LOWER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 17
outdoor run, 4 miles 41:21 (10:20 pace)...was suppose to do 3.5 but golly gee whillikers, when its 50 some degrees out in FEBRUARY sometimes you gotta do, what ya gotta do! Anyway, the first quarter mile of this run I got shin splints. MUY annoying. And the wind was blowing hard, and I just didnt know if I wanted to continue. I didnt know if I should STOP running due to the shin splints, run thru them, STOP and stretch and THEN run...? So I went for a mile and at that point had to stop and stretch and massage them. Then I just took it real slow and after about 2.5 miles they were gone. This night again, was EPIC in terms of temp and just the whole night beautification thing.
There were a couple big hawks soaring over me as I was running. REALLY close. One landed on a light pole 20 yards ahead of where I was running and I thought 'oooooo...' followed by 'I bet that bird is totally gonna crap on my head' (Now I am a REAL lady and would NEVER say the word 'crap outloud, some things are better left for bloggifying)...
Anyway, I am DIGGIN' running at dusk, as Janae would say its 'awesomesauce' =)
I was suppose to do upper body today but time kept slipping away from me and I opted not to. Meh.

THEN. I took 2 rest days. TWO! I havent taken 2 rest days in a row in a COON'S age (well, at least since January). Had a SUPER crummy nights sleep on Thursday night so I didnt get up early enough to do Friday morning and Friday is my 'chicken with its head cut off' cleaning day so there was no chance I was going to get it done during the day.
Saturday I was either going to do the elliptical or get a run in in the afternoon but I had a SUPER busy day. Hubby went in to work really early, and got back at 11 and I had to leave to visit a friends baby, then go to a coupon exchange/lunch, THEN do the weekly grocery shopping, come home, make dinner and an appetizer to take to a Game Night I was going to that night (I think I lost a good 1,000 calories with all the laughing I did. Which ALMOST negated all I scarfed down that night). Suffice it to say, I barely had time to pee, no less fit a distance run in.

Feb 20
outdoor run 7.8 miles, 1 hour, 23 minutes, 30 seconds (10:42 pace), 44* with wind....gear: LS shirt, tech tank top (why does everyone call it a 'singlet?), shorts, hydration belt, tunes
I am following Higdon's 1/2 marathon plan and was suppose to run 5 today. But again, the pavement is like a drug to me and I just HAD take a 'hit'. It was pretty gloomy and yucky out today. But all I could see was the sunshine in my heart *cue music*...

Anyway...I didnt map out my run before hand and just used my Garmin. I decided to run up to my pediatrician's office, just to give me a landmark goal and by the time I got there, I had already run over 5 miles. Oops. A bit after this, my knees started to ache a bit and then shortly after, my left ankle thought it would join in. Everthing felt back to normal within a couple of hours, but lesson learned. When the longest you've run in the last 2-3 months is 4 miles and that was only ONCE, PROOOOBABLY not a good idea to try almost 8 so soon.
It started out pretty chilly, but I was able to take my LS shirt off a mile into the run and felt comfortable the rest of the time. I feel SO hardcore running in a tank and shorts when I can see my breathe. ROCK ON!
Oh, also, when I got back home, I could NOT untie my shoes! My fingers were SO stiff. Odd since I FELT fine and not cold at all...My girls got a good laugh out of it though so all is not lost.

Hoping to get another outdoor run or two in this week, if the weather cooperates. As well as my knees. Maybe I need to smack 'em around and let 'em know who wears the pants around here!

Oh wait....

=)

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Lots of workouts!

I'm still here! Sorry to have been neglecting you but its not because I wasnt 'gettin 'er done!' =)
Lots of workouts to post!

Feb 5th
treadmill run 2.8 miles 2% incline 31:00...This was a VERY hard treadmill run. I kept feeling 'off' and dizzy and just like I had NO energy, so while I wanted to run 4, I had to cut it short at 2.8. I think the fact that my hydration was lacking yesterday, I got a bad nights sleep and my body was TRYING to get sick all led to this run's demise. Thankfully I still ran a bit!
LOWER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 7th
elliptical 6.2 miles 30:00....Still not sick but I feel like its hiding in their somewhere, so I kept the workout short and easy

Feb 8th
treadmill run 3 miles 31:15....Tough run. Took the first mile easy and then upped the tempo in mile 2. SO out of breathe that I had to stop and WALK for 2 minutes! NEVER do I stop during my runs (unless its for traffic, an untied shoe...oh and I'd probably stop for pie)....was able to get back into and finish strong though.
UPPER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 9th
elliptical 10.1 miles 48:00...nice steady workout
treadmill .5miles 5:20....after the elliptical workout was done, hopped on the mil to 'cooldown' for a 1/2 mile.
LOWER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 10
treadmill run 3.35 miles 35:00...ran this tempo as a progression, first mile easy, 2nd mile upped the speed slightly ever 10th of a mile stopping around 6.5 and coming back down. Felt good.
UPPER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 11
elliptical 7 miles 33:00...ladder up in levels....0-11 lev 1, 11-22 lev 2, 22-33 lev 3
treadmill .5 miles 5:00...topped off the elliptical workout with a little runnin'
LOWER BODY WEIGHTS

Feb 13 (the run that almost wasn't)
outdoor run 6 miles.....1 hour 4 minutes 43 seconds...34* no wind.....gear: headband, sunglasses, tech SS shirt, LS cotton shirt, gloves, shorts, CC tights, hydration belt, tunes....
Yesterday was BEAUTIFUL! Great temps. Overnight temps not dipping below freezing. I thought 'oh good, no ice tomorrow morning!'
Wrong.
LOTS of ice. Lots and Lots and Lots. Killed my pace from .5 miles -2.5 miles. At the start of .5 miles my pace was around 10:15. At the end of that, it was 11:41! I finally found a stretch of clear road where I was able to do quarter mile repeats. Felt nice enough out to whip off the LS shirt 5 minutes into the run! I am afeerd that I am going to SWELTER if warms up to 71 degrees next week!
Felt great to get up in the higher miles FINALLY.

OK, I need your opinions:
Was going to sign up for the Lincoln 1/2 (great crowd support, flat course, over all great 1/2 marathon) BUT it sold out before I signed up. WAH!!!!!!!
Anyhoo...I have 2 other 1/2's to choose from close to where I live:

Gambler 1/2: starts at 8am, flat course May 23....bad things? Apparently the course is very dismal, not much shade (apparently last year or the year before it was REALLY bad-78* and humid at start time)...even runs thru a trailer park....also, its only in its 3rd year so probably still lots of kinks to work out. I heard they didnt even have port a pottys at the start line! You had to walk 1/4 of a mile to a park where there was only ONE two seater....

Papillion 1/2: starts at 730, very hilly course May 15th....very small race, I think only 329 people ran the 1/2 last year (I am terrified of coming in last! Dont know how many ran the GAmbler)...the only bad things I am hearing about this one is that its very hilly...

WHICH should I do? Hilly course where I am probably going to come in in the last 10 people, or flat course with no tree cover, and dismal course....??????

Friday, February 4, 2011

Feb 3, 4 workouts

Feb 3 treadmill run (!!!!!) 3miles 32:00......upper body weights.....tradmill walk: 10 minutes at 15% incline 3 mph (totally kicked my trash), and then 5 minutes at 7% and 3.5 mph

Feb 4th elliptical 8 miles 34:40 speed kept between 14.5-15 mph. Got my trash kicked again.

I was suppose to workout this morning but I was kept up last night by an invading stomach troll who was reminding me that I ate a whole pie in less than 48 hours. Oh and doing so will also make the scale read that you are 2lbs heavier, but I am sure that's a mistake. Really.

Loved the new treadmill. Though I was hoping that it would miraculously make 'mill running EASY-PEASY. But no. I did like running on a new piece of wonderful, but the mill still makes me feel like a hamster. I AM thankful that nothing can derail my 1/2 marathon training plans now (except sickness or injury but let's pretend they dont exist, m'kay?)

I played around with it yesterday afternoon and took the incline to the max (15%) and kept the speed at 3 mph and WOW was that hard!! Did that for 10 min and then brought it down to 7% and upped the speed to 3.5 for 5 minutes. I am thinking I will do some 'hill walking' instead of my elliptical for a change up in cardio.

Also, does anyone know of any treadmill workout 'plans'? I have trouble doing any thing besides a regular ol' run on the mill. I think it would be fun to have different plans to try (other than the pre-programed ones). Eventually I would like to do my tempo runs on the 'mill but I dont know how to do that? Does that seem strange? Its very hard for me to push myself at all on the mill but I know its going to need to be done. I just dont know when to increase the speed, what to increase it to, when to decrease it etc. Outdoors, I run totally by feel. Slow down when I want, speed up when I want etc. But on the mill its much harder for me to do that...

Any suggestions?

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

A big surprise

Feb 2, 2011....elliptical workout 10.2 miles 50 minutes.
I am loving the longer workouts. For the longer ones, I am just trying to focus on keeping my heartrate in an aerobic frame of mind. However, according to this chart, I am still going too hard. After about 10 minutes, my heartrate was up in the upper 150s and I felt comfortable, so I dont know. Maybe I shouldn't hold tight to these numbers?

The Big Surprise?

This bad boy.
YEEE HAAAWWWW! Hubby had SAID he wasnt going to pick it up until Saturday (sneaky little thing). Then he got home last night and I noticed he was in the garage longer than he should have been, so being the naturally nosy gal that I am, I had to go see what he was doing.
And he was trying to pull this out of the van by himself. Now, he is a very fit, strong man, but I figured he would benefit from my 'big guns' (also known as dime store water pistols).
Yes, he and I got this treadmill into the house by ourselves. Him doing 98-100% of the work and me THINKING I was helping.

Oh you wanna see a closer up picture?

Here ya go (click on any picture to enlarge, she's a beauty)

Had to get her side profile. This is my little workout corner in the playroom, hence the blinding walls. You can still see my shoes back there on the elliptical. Yep, I just HOP right out of them after a workout and flip in the air and onto the ground.
It's the Asian in me.

Front view. Good GOLLY this thing is heavy. And its got so many neat gadgets!! It folds up as well, but I dont see myself ever doing that. I can also plug in my music and listen to it thru the treadmill speakers. It also monitors your heart rate with a chest strap (and has heart rate based programs) but I dont know if it came with one...does anyone know if the heart rate strap that comes with the Garmin 305 will sync with this? And its OH so quiet. *bliss*
You might be thinking 'That is SOME treadmill for $600!' but hubby put down a pretty piece of change as well to upgrade that $600 to something a bit more in line with the elliptical I have there. We shopped a LONG time for that, I 'test drove' 2 or 13' ellipticals before deciding that that one was 'the one'.
Hubby had this all put together in about an hour too!

And I may or may not have already eaten a slice (or 3) of this this morning. Pie and milk is a square meal right?
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Do you own any exercise equipment? If so, tell me about it
-Yep, an elliptical and now a treadmill and a set of 3,5,8 and 10lb dumbells, I count those too so they dont get left out
What's your favorite flavor of pie?
-A tie between French Silk and Banana Cream though I do love a good Pumpkin Pie with GOBS of whipped cream
What is your preferred time of day to workout?
-Definitely early morning before the kidlets wake up!





Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Feb 1 workout and Three Tangent Tuesday

First off....
ITS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!! I'd insert the dancing banana emoticon here if I knew how....
I got a solid workout in this morning and did one of my favorite winter activities-shoveling. Is that weird? Probably. It fits with my personality. I AM the girl who would rather eat chili for breakfast than eggs and has 5 children.....=)

workout: 7.6 miles on the elliptical 36:00....0-12 lev1....12-24 lev2....24-36 lev 3....
Skip counting by 12s was apparently my thang this morning.
I also did lower body weights (did upper yesterday). It feels good to get back into that. I love feeling like my legs are made of some type of gelatinous substance..

Tomorrow will be another elliptical day, followed by a treadmill day on Thursday at the neighbors, a rest day on Friday and most likely my last treadmill run at the neighbors will happen on Saturday. I doubt this absurd amount of snow will go anywhere before then. Then I get my treadmill!! (almost typed 'breadmill', must be dinner time)...
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So, Janae over at HUNGRY RUNNER GIRL has started these 'Three Tangent Tuesdays' and has encouraged her readers to do the same, so of course I will. I am a loyal stalker, er, I mean FOLLOWER of hers and do anything she says.
=)
Now if you go over there, be prepared, she is WAY awesome. Please dont leave me for her. We can all be friends.
I'll give you ice cream if you stay!!! Or snow cream. Gotta lot of snow.

So anyway, for the Three Tangent Tuesday, you list 3 random things about yourself (random doesnt always mean interesting, I am actually quite a boring person), so here we go!

1. I love to shovel and rake! Oh I told you that already? Ok, point 2....

2. I have 4 girls and 1 boy in that order (incase you didnt know). Girls #1 and #3 are carbon copies (in looks and somewhat in personality) and #2 and #4 are carbon copies (in looks and personality. Boy, baby #5 is a wild card and a wild child. We just hope he makes it to see 5.

3. I have a fear of water, which is why I will never be in a triatholon. I also fear falling off my bike and breaking anything more than a nail, so duatholons are out too. I also fear movies like 'The Ring' (I seriously just got a chill typing that), and my children getting hurt (you would laugh if I told you how long I made them leave their training wheels on).

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Now your turn, post 3 random things about yourself on your blog! Be sure to comment here and let me know so I can read it.

Questions:
What are your fears?
How many children do you have or do you want?