Shifting the focus a bit

Still here!
Still alive. Running. Livin' life.

There's not been much to post in the way of running. I've been running 3 times a week since the week after my marathon. Runs have been great and I've had no issue getting back into it.

I actually ran my fastest run today since, well, I don't even know when! At least March I'm thinking. 4.1 miles, avg pace of 8:47!! The last .1 was an 8:00 avg and that was partly uphill. Felt HARD the whole time but it also felt great to put it into a higher gear. Haven't done that in a coon's age.
I really have nothing I'm training for right now so I'm just running to run. No pressure on my runs right now is great for my mind.

After I had my 'baby' in May (aka marathon), I've realized I need to shift the focus of my life back to my family. They've always been my #1 top priority but I'm ready to make my actions reflect that. No more 'sorry mommy cant play with you, I just ran 16 miles and I am BEAT.'  =)

I've got a lot of fun things planned for my kiddos and I this summer so hopefully I'll make a bit of time to pop on and tell you about those things as well.

As far as running goes, I have a 5K in mind in June that benefits my friend and her husband. They run a camp a few hours away from here for foster children in the summer. Looking forward to that. I may do the Siena/Francis House 10K again this year (I've done it  the last 2 years) and then of course my Ted E Bear Hollow 5K in August (my first 5K ever). After that I only have a few things in the back of my mind: a few 5Ks, possibly the Omaha 1/2 marathon and I MIGHT try to run a trail race at some point this year. 

I'm also toying with a Duathlon next month. Though I'm TERRIFIED of falling off my bike and having 50 other people pile on top of me. Of course I can probably avoid that by riding behind everyone. My Raleigh and I aren't speedy by any means, so if I start back there and fall, there will be no on behind me to leave tire tracks across my face =)

Here are some pics from the last 2 weeks or so...

 

Sir Raleigh and I out for a morning ride

 

Part of the gorgeous trail we traveled down...

Some of what I've been eating lately:

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous sky captured by Photographer-Girl last week

 

Rode my first horse last week. I officially want one. I don't think  my neighbor's will mind, do you? Its just like a REALLY big dog.

 

We also visited a 'western' store here for the first time where we found some VERY expensive cowboy and cow girls hats. Cute! But they didn't come home with us. (the hats that is. Some how those kids snuck in my van again)

Have you ever ridden a horse?

What and when is your next race?

Running free!

Ok, I have to say that running under NO training-plan pressure has been BLISSFUL

Now that's not to say that I'm not looking forward and planning out my next few races, but I love this 'in between time' where I can run when I want and as little/much as I want (within reason. Not going to go out and run 15 tomorrow though the thought DOES appeal to me. I'm a long run gal at heart)  =)

I did my first post-marathon run on Sunday
3.1 miles on the treadmill 1% incline 32:50 (plus 20 x 4 sets of push ups)
My legs felt good and ready for an outdoor run but I thought I should give them (and my feet) a softer surface to start out on. 
AND...
I was able to run without my callus protectors! For the first time in MONTHS!!!! SUPER excited about that.  The run felt good. My legs felt fresh the whole time but my lungs were like that of a chain smoker. This run sucked the ever-lovin' breath right out of me! Felt WAY faster than 10ish minute miles effort-wise.  But I loved every minute of it.

After that in honor of Mother's Day. I took my mom (and dad) out to lunch at a buffet. 
I'll spare you any pictures.
I was hurting for hours and even by dinner time I STILL wasn't hungry.
However.
Its a tradition that my hubby buys me a Village Inn pie for Mother's Day and I am NOT one to mess with traditions. So home he came that night with a beautiful Banana Cream Pie.  AND even though I wasn't hungry, I ate 1/4 of the pie that night!
The other 3/4 was consumed by me through out the day yesterday. (So basically that was 4,000+ calories of PIE in 24 hours).
Blarf.
Yeah, I didn't sleep so well last night. 
Thankfully I was still able to get up this morning and meet my friends at 5:30 for a 4 mile run

60* at 5:30 am!  Love that. Didn't love the 99* that it rose to later in the day. Nebraska's weather is bi-polar.

I'm the textbook example of a sugar hangover here.


The run felt GREAT. It was already light out at 5:30 a.m.! Love it.
 The run ushered the globs of sugar right out of my pores and I felt great the rest of the day.

I tried to eat wisely today to make up for my sugar abuse yesterday.

I love those Flatout wraps!
Which went well except for the 2.5 granola bars I ate today....actually I think it was 3.5. Forgot I ate one at breakfast.  ADDICTIVE, they are.

Do you have a favorite kind of pie?

What's your favorite temp to run in?

Any special Mother's Day traditions?

Three strikes!

Whew! I am BEAT! And I didn't even go running today!
I had planned to try a few easy miles yesterday morning but Wed/Thurs my right knee and bottom of my left foot were still squeakin' at me so I thought I should rest them a bit longer.
I WOULD have ran this morning but today was my annual
SHOP-AT-AT-MANY-THRIFT-STORES-AS-YOU-CAN day!

Now normally I come home with GOBS of stuff but today, not so much. The local second-hand shops just weren't jellin' with me today.  Boo.
I did get a few things though, including some sweet Nike running pants. I'll have to take a picture and post them.

Anyway, the reason I'm so tired?
Strike 1: One of my young'uns got me up just before 5 am with a tummy ache and I was never able to go back to sleep.
Strike 2: I ate a WHOLE pack of Keebler fudge sticks today (not very good fuel for walking around shopping all day!
Strike 3: I walked around ALL day!!! I left at 8:30, came back at 5 with pizza and McD's for my crew and then went back out to Target after dinner.

Lord willing, I'm going to run a few easy miles tomorrow. I cant decide if it will be on the 'mill or outside. I was really looking forward to running in shorts/ tank top but  checked the weather and it will be 36* at 7 a.m.!!! Really, Nebraska?  Come on.

Soooo, if I feel well, I WILL be running tomorrow, but where remains to be seen. Its going to be SO hard to keep the run short, not only because I MIIIIISSSSSS the long run, but I will be eating my weight in either Dairy Queen ice cream cake or Village Inn pie tomorrow (I haven't decided which of the two evils I will choose yet)..

Stay tuned...

On a completely random note: Have you switched shoes (make/model) since you started running? I'm looking to move away from my Nike Air Max's but I need shoes with GOOD support/cushioning/stability. (If they could make me go faster, that'd be a plus).   ;)

Like a Greyhound at the starting block...

or a snail. Either way, this momma is ITCHIN' to run! I know that my body is no where near ready, but my mind is RARIN' to go. 
My body is feeling even better today. Back feels pretty much back to normal and my upstairs-downstairs walking is 90% back to normal! No more strategizing the stairs. Awesome.

My right hip flexor still feels tight and a wee bit sore, but I can now pick up my leg to put my shoes and socks on without the help of my arms!  SCORE!
My calves, shins and right ankle are still a bit sore but nothing bad at all. My feet are a bit tender as well but wearing shoes today has helped that

BUT if you look closely....yep, still have on my red fuzzy socks.   Comfy.



I did an elliptical workout today, kept the pace easy, but not recovery. Worked up the tiniest glisten of sweat.  Yay.
Elliptical 20 minutes, 4.2 miles.  Watching the Honey Boo Boo episode of Toddlers and Tiaras made the time FLY by.

I didn't do much in the way of my eating today. Still tried to keep the calories on the lighter side. I was amazed to see that I was only down 1/2# on Monday morning after running TWENTY SIX miles on Sunday! I didn't go nuts with the food at ALL on Sunday so that surprised me.
Then yesterday I kept the calories low-ish and I was up a full pound this morning! WHAT GIVES!
I did remember later that I had a small hamburger patty at dinner with a 1/2 c of baked beans and a little quinoa and for some reason, whenever I eat red meat at night, I always weigh a little more in the morning, so we'll see what tomorrow morning on the scale brings us....


Do you weigh yourself daily?
What is your favorite piece of exercise machinery?

THREE TANGENT TUESDAY

It's that time again!

Three Random facts about me:

1.  Re-occurring dreams: am I the only one that has these? I've not had this one in a good year or two but had them SUPER frequently for YEARS and it was always the same 'plot' though the dreams were different. But the plot was ALWAYS that I was late for class and could not remember the combination to my school locker!! Weird, right??

2.  I might be the most inflexible person in the world (think wooden pencil).  I remember taking dance lessons as a little girl and EVERYONE else could touch their toes except me.  So no yoga/pilates in my future!  =)

3.  I am a big sugar-holic. Seriously. Like 'need-a-support-group' type -aholic. I joke about it a lot but it really is like a drug!  I get shaky sometimes when I think about it and when I'm eating it. Its like I have no 'off' button sometimes! (case in point: I am snarfling down a chocolate chip granola bar as I type this and am contemplating getting another one)...


NOW YOU!

Do you have re-occurring dreams?
Are you flexible?
Any foods you just cant stay away from?

The Shuffle Shuffle Drag Tango!

Post Marathon: Day 1-Where Anna walks like a cross between Frankenstein and a 104 yr old grandma...
Hee Hee

Ok, its really not that bad. Yesterday I did a lot of stretching, massaged my legs a few times, did a little rolling-pin rolling and made sure to drink a LOT of water. Oh, and I tried to make sure I got a good amount of protein in.
Got a good nights sleep and I woke up feeling better than I thought I would!

I did an easy 25 min walk on the treadmill at a 3% incline for a whopping .82 miles. Got my HR up to a whopping 80 bpm! 
If a pregnant, two-legged, over weight bear tried to chase me down for a meal today, you might as well slap some jelly on me, cuz I'd be TOAST!

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of stretching today, trying to elevate my legs every now and then, being sure to drink a lot of water, and trying, again, to get a good amount of protein in. I'm still walking wonky (wow try to say that 5 times fast and it ends up sounding like 'wonky wonky'!  HAHA!)  but no where NEAR as bad as yesterday and stairs aren't as loathsome as I thought they'd be!

I spent all day in comfy socks, slouchy old pants and a few comfy shirts (I so dislike being cold and being cold AND sore, would not a party make..

Just found out today that a local guy took this at the race! This is me in the last mile. I was slightly disoriented, dehydrated and thought I smelled bacon somewhere (the hope of that was the only thing that carried my legs along)



Does anyone else save all their race bibs?  Sort of a weird obsession of mine...
So excited to add this one to the pile

And this BY FAR is my favorite medal....

Tomorrow will entail me trying to get a little bit hard of a workout in, maybe a 90 bpm?
=)

It's a.....MARATHON FINISHER!

WOW!  After a feat like that I feel like something with magnitude should be changed to show the world is not the same. Anna. Has run. A Marathon.
I just ran 26.2 miles (actually probably more like 26.4-so an ULTRA marathon!).  It doesn't seem like there is enough weight to those words.  Not enough to show the depth of foot power, will power and gumption that went into running for almost FIVE hours.
**Pictures first, details next....

Hubby and I before the start. It was SO cold.

Friends and I before the start

The crowd in front of us (well) before we crossed the start line

The crowd behind us...

A drum group around mile 1. I really liked these guys!

The trash was atrocious! I've never run a race this big (or long!) so I never knew the 'road mess' a crowd of runners this big can make!

HAHA 'Sweat like a pig to look like a fox'  Or in my case sweat like a pig to look like a sweaty pig.  ;)

This was on a crowded, narrow path so I couldn't stop to get a picture, but this guy was holding a real, live water fowl (duck? goose?) while he was cheering for us!

DONE!  4:43:23....1141 out of 1455 overall, 426 out of 606 females, 86 of 125 females in my age group...It also says I passed 86 runners in the overall category and 0 runners passed me in the overall category, whatever THAT means. My brain is a bit chewed up right now...



Ok, so here's the run down...
Went to bed at 9:30 the night before and just as I knew would happen, I had SUCH trouble falling asleep. When I did finally fall asleep, I kept waking up and it was one of those weird nights where you're never quite sure when you're actually awake and when you're asleep...

Woke up a bit before 4:30 and woke up the hubs so we could get ready. Wanted to get out the door by 5 but it ended up being closer to 5:10. I had SO much stuff I was taking with me:

-A checked bag (Which I didn't even check-sort of wish I had taken the time as I was SO hungry at the finishline!!)
-A bag of clothes to leave in the car incase I wanted to change (I didn't)
-A bag of a bunch of different food choices (crackers, pretzels, M&Ms, choc covered pretzels, tortilla chips, tuna salad in a pouch, PB & J) so I could have a variety to much on on the way home (only nibbled on a few things)
-All the normal race do-dads (Garmin, music, bibs/pins, PB and J and banana to eat on the way down, water, hydration belt, camera  and so on and so on-I felt like I was packing for trip instead of a race!)

We got there in fine time (so glad hubby was with me or I think I may have ended up in Seward or something) and found a parking spot that was relatively close.
Tried to find my group before time and only managed to locate a few of them.
Around 6:50 or so we started to walk to our pace group (we planned to line up around the 4:50 pace group). One the way we passed the port a potties and the lines were ridiculous!  Thankfully I was able to drink water accordingly this morning and thru the race and never needed a potty break. Yay me!
They were sending out the pace groups in waves. Gun time was 7 a.m., but we didn't cross the mat until 7:40!
We kept the pace slow and comfortable for quite sometime. It was nice to just chat and enjoy the sites.  Lots of spectators brought their dogs and I enjoyed trying to name all the different breeds (I think I got most all of them right! Except for the mutts. No tellin' there)
This is a pretty flat race and the hills are very slight, so that was nice.  I got a stitch in my side around mile 6 and then again around mile 17. Thankfully neither one lasted long.
Also, my foot bone started to bug me around mile 7 or so off and on.  By around mile 10 I didn't notice it any more (Hallelujah!)

It felt SO good and finally 'real' when we hit the stadium at the 13 mile mark and the 1/2 marathoners turned in for their finish and us CRAZY full marathoners kept on for an easy 7 out and 7 back.  We got to mile 16 and hubby decided that he should probably turn back. I gave him my jacket to carry with him. (I had gotten it yesterday at Goodwill to 'throw away' but it was still chilly and I thought I might need it at the end-so glad I did) so he jogged/walked back to the stadium where he waited for a SWEET FOREVER for me to finish. It was COLD. Poor guy.
I picked up the pace a bit after he turned around. Saw lots of friends during the next 4 miles and that was a real boost.
At mile 20, I was tired and my legs were tired, but NOTHING like what I was feeling in my only 20 mile training run so I was so thankful for that. 20-22ish wasn't too bad but from 22 to the finish was SO hard. I had to take little 15-20 seconds walk breaks here and there (probably 5 or so of them). My lower back was also really bugging me during this time frame and the wind from this point on was like Mach 9. UNREAL how hard it was blowing. I kept trying to draft off people but then I would pass them, so that wasnt' working so well =)
There were several times during the last 2 miles where I SERIOUSLY considered just walking the rest of the way, but running almost felt better than walking. Such a quandary.

Finally the stadium came in sight and I was able to slowly increase my speed knowing that my hubby (and food!) would be there when I finished. When I came to the entrance of the stadium I lit the fire in my feet and booked it to the 50 yard line. It felt INCREDIBLE to finish!!!

I got a medal, a rose, a delicious hug from hubby (I was SOOO glad to see him) and a dry chunk of bagel (I think they need to keep those things covered!)  =)  Oh and some salsa Sun Chips (bleh). Thankfully I had packed a teeny bit of trail mix in my hydration belt so I munched on that.

I was walking SO funny when I got done, TOTALLY could not keep my balance. If I wasn't amidst that group of people, one would TOTALLY have thoughtt I'd had one to many Zima's.
We started to walk back to the car (SLOWLY) and right after we got out of the stadium, my right knee hurt so bad I thought I wasn't going to make it! I had to try to walk without bending it and that seemed to help a bit. Walking backwards helped the most.  We got over to the rec center as it was SO cold out and I knew I needed to stretch but I didn't want to stretch out in the cold.

Thankfully they sold chocolate milk in there so I had hubby buy me some while I stretched. It didn't hit the spot like I thought it would. I was starting to feel unwell. I knew I needed to eat but nothing sounded good. I stretched for a while and that made my knee feel better, and drank more water. Then hubby went to bring the van around to me.

Once I got in the car, I munched on a few crackers and a few pretzels but everything was just turning my stomach. We got on the road and after about 30 minutes my stomach started to calm down so I was able to drink the rest of the chocolate milk.

Once we got back to town, we stopped at Pepperjax to pick up some sandwiches to take home. To watch me walk was to laugh til your belly hurt. I was quite a sight.

It was so good to see my kiddos when we got home. THEY thought my new walkin' style was quite funny too, especially when I tried to walk up the stairs.
Was able to eat most of the Pepperjax but it took awhile before my tummy felt totally normal again.
Luckily my Poppa is coming up tomorrow to help out incase I need a grown up pair of legs around here =)

All in all, I can say I am super pleased that I did it. For ME to complete a marathon is just way out of character for me. RUNNING is out of character for me!  But by God's grace, I do/did both.  I did a lot of praying during this race (didn't listen to music once the whole time) and I really felt that helped me get thru a lot of rough spots.
Will I do it again?
Does a cow touch its nose against an electric fence more than once?
Yeah. We'll see.... ;)

My 'babys' about to be born!!

This will be a short one as I gots to power this machine down and make sure to get a full charge before the morning!
If you're the prayin' sort. Please pray that my feet would hold up (no pain on either my bones, or my arches) and that my legs in general would be kind to me.

I did about 2,200 calories today and around 420-430 g of carbs (!!)
So I'm thoroughly plumped up for tomorrow.

Even painted my toe nails!!  (never happens) so you KNOW I'm excited...




Stay tuned for a FULL report (whenever I'm coherent again).... =)

8 cm dilated....

**This website talks about the importance of carb loading the day before the marathon and how many grams of carbs you should be taking in (AND how it will affect your performance!)

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/how-to-carbo-load-for-a-marathon/

So day 2 of carb loading went well.  I'm pretty pleased at how well I was able to stick to my diet plan though I did cut out a few things at my morning snack as I was still full from brekky.

BREAKFAST: 1/2 c oatmeal, 2T sugar, 2 pieces bacon, 1 piece bread, 1 T jelly, 8oz of OJ (this breakfast was CRAZY filling!) And orange juice just tastes better when you drink it from a 'Hello Kitty' cup

SNACK: 1/2 of a banana (too stuffed from breakfast to eat much more!)
LUNCH: 3/4 of a salmon fillet, 1 c quinoa, 1/2 of a roma tomato, 1/2 c prune juice, 2 carrots  (prune juice has a CRAZY amount of carbs in it!)

SNACK: pudding, 1 graham cracker 'rectangle' (mixed 1/2 a chocolate cup and 1/2 a vanilla cup and layered it between my graham cracker 'squares' and had  my own little pudding pie)

DINNER: 1/4 c of white rice and a bit of pepper steak, 3/4 of a potato, pineapple casserole, 1/2 c of corn (I cut the potatoes into chunks and baked them but they were DRY so I could only choke down 3/4 of it)

BEDTIME SNACK: 1 piece of Ezekiel bread with 1T of honey (this will be eaten here in about 20 minutes after the kiddos go to bed. Honey has a good amt of carbs in it.  We also have BBQ chips in the house right now so I make no guarantees as to if the amount we have now, will be there in the morning....)
TOTAL: 1, 895 calories, 304 g of carbs. (not including any BBQ chips that may or may not be eaten)
Also drank six 16oz glasses of water.

I've been meticulous about my meal planning to be sure I'm getting the right amount of carbs, while not letting the calories get terribly out of hand.

My mind is swimming with numbers....


I finished all my pre-planning for this weekend.
Everything is purchased (gels for me, Shot Bloks for the hubs), bars incase we get hungry (Luna bars for me, Power Bars for the hubs) and I will be sure to charge my Garmin and music player tomorrow. (If I had to run without my Garmin I just might cry or hit something. We's tight, ya'll.)  And the 247 other things that I had to plan for.  The anticipation is mounting.

It reminds me of how I feel right before I'm going to have a baby.

I guess there are similarities. 
But this gestation was 4 months instead of 9. And this 'nesting phase' only lasted a few days versus a few WEEKS.  But what I carry home from this 'labor' will smaller, quieter, and shinier. And I never got to wear a baby around my neck.

It's almost 'pushing time'!

Don't poke me or I may burst

Oh this carb-loading is oh so bad.....
and oh so good...

It's looking like I'll be ending the day around 1,000 higher than what an average day should be for me (I try to stay around 1,500 cal/day but usually end up closer to 1,700-1,800).  I'll top out around 2,500 for today (is this too high during carb loading? I don't even know. Maybe I don't want to know...)

Here's what has gone in the belly today:

BREAKFAST: taco on flatout (taco meat, salsa, cottage cheese) and a nice bowl of mexi rice on the side (also had a granola bar afterwards)
SNACK: 1/2 of a banana, 1/2 of a small can of mandarin oranges, 7 pretzels (I was still full from breakfast)
LUNCH: homemade veggie soup, sandwich and pineapple casserole
SNACK: small serving of baked sweet potatoes and 1/2 an apple (and a serving of chocolate covered pretzels cuz they were screaming at me from the cupboard)
DINNER: 1 c of cheese tortellini with 1/2 c spaghetti sauce, bread, and 1/2 c of corn
SNACK: a serving of chocolate covered pretzels (again with the screaming)
BEDTIME SNACK: Havent eaten it yet, but it will be a healthy sized bowl of ice cream


If I can get my brain to wake up from the food coma it will surely be in, I'm going to try to work out how many carbs all that was. I'm trying to do between 350-400 a day. Not sure if I even got up in the 300s...

Found this picture on my computer. Some amazing friends and myself at a really HARD 5K (hills EVERYWHERE!) back in 2011.  I love that I have friends that love this sport like I do. 


Looking at pictures like this makes me even MORE excited for Sunday. If that's even possible.



If I get any more excited I may turn into a Unicorn.

On and unrelated note, here's what I woke to this morning:

When was the last time it snowed where YOU live?

What is your favorite time of day to run?

Before marathon time, it's CARB-a-thon time!

Amazing hot fudge sundae crockpot cake and ice cream

I don't know if you know this about me (and all 3 of you probably do) but this girl LOVES her some food. Sweets are a favorite along with most things carb-y (pizza, tacos, potatoes, cookies, pies, cakes and so on and so forth). I'm gonna take on this 3 day carb fest like Cookie Monster in a Keebler factory.
Now I know I shouldn't go too crazy and I'm going to try to be wise about my choices for the small part, er, I mean for the MOST part, but I am going to allow myself to loosen the reigns a bit on my  food horse who is ever chomping at the bit.
I had hubby go out and buy an embarrassing amount of food so I am sure to have lots of choices.

Here are some of the things I'll be shoveling in my pie hole the next 3 days...

Ice cream (let's be real, I'm MOST excited about the sweet stuff I get to eat)
pudding cups
cookies/chocolate covered pretzels/candy bar (a hopeful limited portion of these)
sweet potatoes
brown rice
couscous
quinoa
dried apricots/raisins
canned fruit (mandarin oranges, pineapple, pears)
Orange Juice (Tropicana with pulp is the best. Don't even try to argue.)
whole wheat pasta/cheese tortellini (with sauce)
bagel
waffles
potatoes
carrots
Ezekiel bread
bananas
oatmeal
PB and J sandwiches
hoagie sandwiches
Greek yogurt with kasha mixed in

Looking at that list excites my inner fatty. I'll need to make sure to keep her in check.
She's wild and unpredictable. 


I've planned to drink more water this week and so far so good. I've done 5-7 16oz glasses every day the last 3 days.
I had ALSO planned to go to bed early every night this week but so far that has been a big fat FAIL. So hopefully I can turn in early tonight and start a 4 night trend.

My plan the next 3 days is to up the carbs on Thursday but try to keep them a bit more complex. Then on Friday I'll up them even more and go lighter on the fiber. Then on Saturday I'll do more simple carbs and go light on fiber and fat (though my traditional night-before-the-race pizza will most likely still be consumed.) I also plan to make my sister-in-laws AWESOME 'Pineapple Casserole'. Good golly its good.

RACE MORNING I'll eat a nice sized PB and J about 2 hours before start time and then probably a 1/2-whole banana (maybe with a little PB) 30 min-1 hour before start time (the banana part is new for me, but I don't think the sammich will be enough).  I plan to use a 1/2 packet of  Chocolate Gu at mile 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 23.  I'm also taking a little trail mix along incase the Gu starts to make my stomach turn. (That's a lot of chocolate snot within a 5 hour time frame!)

POST RACE I'm going to embarrass myself with how much food I eat. BUT, I also plan to pack a few things in my checked bag incase they run out of stuff, or if my stomach is being a picky little baby. I'm thinking I'll take 1/2 of a PB and J, a Luna Bar (just tried one for the first time this week and LOVE them), my normal post run snack of peanut M&Ms and pretzels and I might bring some chocolate milk (or Muscle Milk or something like 'Evolve' in a small little cooler bag. I know Muscle Milk doesn't need to be kept cold, but the idea of room temp 'chocolate-like milk' makes my flesh crawl.  Some things you just don't mess around with).

This week's workouts have gone good so far:

SUNDAY: REST DAY (first TRUE rest day I've had in a coon's age)
MONDAY: 4 mi run 40:37 (10:09 avg pace)
TUESDAY: 30 min elliptical 6.8 miles, upper body and light lower body weights, 1:30 x 3 sets planks
WEDNESDAY: 4 mi run on the 'mill 39:35, 1% incline, 20 x 4 sets push ups

All I have left now is a 2-3 mile easy run tomorrow and then on Friday- an easy walk and some planks.


On an unrelated note.
ITS SNOWING HERE TODAY.
In Nebraska. IN MAY.
Apparently this has only happened 4 times since 1884. 
Lucky us. >insert sarcasm<

On a lighter note! I get to run 26.2 miles in about 82 hours!!!

7 more sleeps!!

7 more sleeps.
7 more sleeps!!! This time next week, I will *Lord willing* be able to say that I am officially a FULL MARATHONER!  (is marathoner a word? Well, it is now.)
So far I am feeling physically good (my mental state is all over the map though).  Joints feel fine. Feet feel fine. Cheeky foot bones are stepping off the cheekiness....all is well!

Yesterday was my last 'long run' on the charts...tomorrow begins my LAST WEEK of this training plan!!

Wow. I cant believe I've done all that!!

It was 44* at 6:30 a.m. yesterday so I decided to be brave and go with shorts (though my sissy legs were crying at me the first mile. After that they decided that my shorts decision was a good one).

The Lake was quite foggy when I first got there but it cleared off after 15 minutes or so.

Fishermen fishin'.

Grazers grazin'... (yep, 6 deer!!!)

Shortly before that picture I got to spend some time with 3 other deer who were pretty friendly and let me get quite close. I hope this video comes thru. I didn't get any pictures as I wanted to be sure to get video of them for my girls...

We went out to the Lake later in the day yesterday as a family and my 2nd daughter got this picture.  She's got a rockin' camera.

At mile 5 it warmed up enough for me to take my LS off. Still had on my ear warmers though. Nerd. At least I'm a nerd with warm ears!

I was pretty pleased with the time! This pace felt comfortably hard. Isn't that a weird pairing of adjectives?

Happy to be done and ready to get back in my car and go home for some pizza! (That's my mini-van in between those trees behind me. I thought it was quite awesome of me to have gotten it in my end-of-the-run picture without meaning to. Not everyone is this talented, don't be so hard on yourself.)

This was lunch a few times last week. I am really liking 'Sara Lees' 45 calorie bread!  I got some ham, provolone, tomato and lettuce in there with green pepper and cucumber on the side. I usually do NOT like raw bell peppers but I've been on a kick with them lately.  Taper madness is doing strange things to me, people.



So my plan this week is:
MONDAY: 3-4mi run and push ups
TUESDAY: elliptical, weights, planks
WEDNESDAY: 4 mi run and push ups
THURSDAY: light elliptical, light weights and planks
FRIDAY: light elliptical or walking on the treadmill and maybe a few push ups
SATURDAY: REST REST REST!!

I also plan to try to eat well and go to bed early each night.
So nervous, yet SOOO excited =)

The weather here has been great the last few days. It was 82* today! However the forecast calls for 44* on Thursday and rain!!  I just hope the 'possible' rain that is forecasted for next Sunday moves off or holds off from 7am-noon on that day =)

A little of this, a little of that

Sorry, internets! Meant to get on here last night and post, but a nasty headache won the battle between some screen time and my nice, cozy, Temperpedic bed (they really are the best, people. No arguing).

So here I am! Headache gone, sun shining, kids playing nice.
It's gonna be a great day 



So here's what I've had so far this week:


SUNDAY: elliptical 20 minutes 4.6 miles
MONDAY: 4.1 miles on the 'mill 1% incline 41:15 (also did 20 x 4 sets of push ups)
TUESDAY: elliptical 20 minutes 4.9 miles (10 min of 1/1 intervals was CRAZYsauce), light lower and upper body weights, 1:30 x 3 sets of planks
WEDNESDAY: 6.25 mi run 1:00:45 (9:44 avg pace)   **more on this run below
THURSDAY: 3 mi run on the 'mill 1% incline 30:15

My run on Wednesday ROCKED. As I was starting the run, I decided on a whim to head over to the Lake...

Yep! I'm wearing COLOR, people!  Benefit of being fun-sized is that you get to shop in the little girls' section. Got this Fila hoodie for $11!

You'll have to squint, tilt your head and turn around 3 times to see it, but there was a good sized hawk on the roof of this house (you can click on the picture to enlarge). My 2nd daughter loooooves birds, but that wasn't the best thing I saw....)

I audibly gasped (isn't gasped a weird word?) when I saw this. Thought at first it was just a stump of the tree...

Nope. Its an owl!! A real rootin tootin hootin' OWL!!!!  I was BESIDE  myself with excitement. This is the first time I've ever seen an owl in real life (I know, I need to take a better camera on my runs.)




It was funny to look back over the run and see how much faster the 'post-owl sighting' miles were. I was so stinkin' excited to get home and tell my girls all about it =)

So, this means....
Only 4 more runs until the marathon!!!

I really cant believe its that close. And I can tell you now, I totally know the full meaning of the phrase TAPER MADNESS.  My mind is immersed in it.  Its amazing HOW many emotions one can feel all at the same time.  Fear...elation...anxiety...excitement...confidence...hesitation

Pull me thru this one, Lord!!

What do YOU do to help you get thru the last week of marathon training?

Have you ever seen an owl in real life?