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....

=)