Saturday, August 18, 2012

The past week...

10 mi run with the buds!

It has been a good week. Temps have been cooler here in the good ol Cornhusker state, going as far as to feel a bit fall like. After several record breaking HOT days this summer, we actually broke a record on the 17th that hasnt been matched in over a hundred years-the low was 48*. FORTY EIGHTY degrees! In August!! In Nebraska!!!  Pinch me now.

Aug 10, Friday: 11mi bike ride. Triple B today. Bike-bible-banana.  Odd combo? Maybe. But it was awesome. Rode out about 5.5 miles, stopped for a Banana Break (Ha! Another 'b'!) and to read my Bible. Had that on my check list of things to do-read my bible on a ride. (Well, not ON a ride, I'm definitely no where NEAR that realm of coordinated). 

Aug 12, Sunday: 7 mi run (10:48 avg pace). 'Twas weird. I had cramps, twinges and tightness in all sorts of strange places the first 4-5 miles of this run. It was like an alien was trying to take over my body.  Had to walk a few times. BUT I am proud that I stuck with it and got it done. I felt fine later (nothing a little chocolate wouldnt fix-just not after midnight)  =)

Aug 14, Tuesday: 2  mi warm up (9:48 avg pace), 2.1mi tempo (8:28 avg pace), 75 push ups (25 x 3 sets)  It was 56* at 6am this morning. I really thought I might have heard a chorus of angels as I stepped outside that morning. Or maybe that was just crazy people who live in my head. Potato Potawto.

Aug 15, Wednesday: 10 min warm up on the elliptical (2.2mi), upper and lower body weights, 3 sets planks (100-90-80 seconds each), 3 sets wall squats (1 min each)  I can get thru a whole lot of punishment in the pain cave with Jon and Kate plus 8 yelling in my ear.  Is that weird?

Aug 16, Thursday: 4mi run with friends (10:44 avg pace, 153 avg HR)  I think this was our 2nd time to run on this new trail (its the same trail I use to bike). It was a great run as it was a nice morning and its always fun to run with friends. Its also nice that they put up with my mindless chatter. God love 'em.

Aug 17, Saturday: 10 mi run (10:44 avg pace 163 avg HR)  It was 50* this morning when I met up with my running friends (see pic above). Chilly!  It was sort of dark and creepy when we first started out around the lake. I was totally prepared for all manner of ghost, goblin or grizzly bear to jump out of the shrubbery at us with me using my scrunchie like a sling shot as my only line of defense.  Ok Ok, maybe not the grizzly bear, that's a little far fetched....But we came thru unscathed. My friend Deb also came along on her bike and kept us company (that's her hubby in the picture with us).  It was a glorious morning after we warmed up.  I had planned to do around 8 (or 7.4 since that is what one time around the Lake will get 'cha), but opted to do the full 10 with my friends (the 2 people flanking me have never done 10 miles before so it was kind of a big deal for them and I felt honored to be sharing the occasion with them!) 

I have my next race coming up this weekend. It's the Ted E Bear Hollow Race and it was the first 5K I ever participated in WAAAAY back in Aug 2010. My time that year was 32:19, last year it was 27:xx (I dont really remember) so I am hoping I can keep it in the 27s again this year or drop it down a bit.

Food has been hit or miss this week. I have had a couple 'hey that wasnt so bad!' kind of days and then I had other days where I feel like my face never left the refrigerator (or the chip bag. or the cookie box)....why cant apples taste like reese's peanut butter cups?!



Thursday, August 9, 2012

Here I am!

Well, I thought it would be fitting to post here now since its ALMOST my one year anniversary from posting. That has to be SOME kind of record, right? I'm really surprised my blog hasn't rusted over and become inusable. But alas, I can pick it up, dust it off and get it working for me again. Thank you Jesus for technology.

Well, what's happened this year?

I ran The Papillion 1/2 marathon for the 2nd time (and my 2nd 1/2 marathon EVER). Last year my time was 2:08 and change, this year, 1:59 and change!!! I really didnt think I had it in me. This course is pretty hilly and is pretty much all up the hill the last 1.5 miles.  TOUGH stuff. Felt like I was going to 'de-food' so I knew I gave it my all.  Yay me.

Then 8 days later I ran the BoysTown Memorial Day 5 mile which is pretty hilly and WOW was it tough. Hilly, a later race (start time was 8:30) LOTS of spots with full sun AND just coming 8 days off my 1/2.  BUT I did it in under 50 minutes (9:05 avg) so I was cool wid' it.


                                             BOYSTOWN 5 mi run May 2012

And just for added cuteness, here's my little boy running around the track in the fieldhouse after the race. I believe this was lap 3 or 4-he's a MANIAC and I think he's going to be lightening fast like his Papa (cuz the good Lord KNOWS that doesnt come from me!) =)


Since then I have only run one other race. The Siena Francis House 5K/10K (I do the 10K cuz I'm a rockstar like that).  Last year I placed in my age group and my overall pace was around 8:50 I believe. This year I placed again but my overall pace was around 9:50!! Crazy what 80* temps and FULL sun will do to your pace...*irked*  BUT I gave it all I had for that day and that's all I can ask. And hey, I DID get my picture taken with a TROPHY so at least people will THINK I was fast.  =)

Overall though, this has been a hard 4-5 months. I've gotten off the good eatin' bandwagon and have resorted back to my 'anti-portion control' self.  Workouts have been good though. I'm running 3-4 days a week, doing weights 1-2x a week (depending on how often I bike), biking 1-2x a week) and TRYING to get 1 rest day in there. Earlier this year I was up to doing 100 push ups! Ok ok, so its 20 reps x 5 sets, but still. Last year around this time I could BARELY do one push up, so this is quite an improvement! The most I did this year at one time was 40, but then my shoulder felt wonky the next day so I decided I JUST might not be ready for THAT kind of punishment.  Now I am doing around 80 push ups 2x a week.

Anyway, I am hoping to be more consistent in my random jottings here and thereby HOPEFULLY encouraging myself to get back on the right track and leave this 'whole-pack-of-cookies' nonsense in the dust!

Any tips or words of encouragement welcome!!!