Happy Halloween!

Did you have a spooky day?! Hope so! This is the day of the year where that would be ok! Good day here. Really pretty day, a bit chilly (for us). Fall is in the air! Until the Santa Ana's come back..... I had a good run this morning. You know, the usual! I'm going to start taking swimming lessons so I have something exciting and new to write about!

And....3!

I know. I'm shocking in my repetitiveness! But I did 3 miles again today. Good, cold, listened to my book. I have been toying with the idea of doing more than 3 but I really want to stick with my plan for 30 days post marathon. I'm already cheating a bit by doing a longer run on Saturday. But if I want to build up my pace, I need to pull back. I did almost run again tonight. Why? I wanted to know what was happening in my book! But it got too dark. The minute I came home, pitch black! I took the hint. I'll have a healthy dinner and read.

I forgot!

I don't know how I could possibly forget to tell you this, but I did! Saturday, just after I left for my run, I saw a coyote! I hadn't gotten to the bridge yet (so I had not even run a 1/3 of a mile) and there it was, just prancing down the middle of Meade.

3 miles

It sure is a little bit chilly out when it's not noon! And, actually, the temperature is going down while the humidity is going up. Which is so fantastic. I sure didn't want to get up this morning! But I did and I did run. 3 miles. It was good - chilly. Pace was OK. Getting better. I did some lunges after, too. I need to get back to hills. Thursday. I think I'm ready. Also, toenail report! I think I'm going to keep it! The nail seems secure. And the black is receding. "They" say that it is all due to a blood blister that forms so if that is going away, the receding black makes sense. Anyway, there are areas where it looks more red or purple now than black. It's still tender if I poke at it. So I'm taking that old school Groucho Marx doctor advice and I'm going to "don't do that!"

They're Heeeere! (Sorta....)

The weather people keep telling us the Santa Ana's are on the way. "Tomorrow." Always tomorrow! Now, today I would say they were here. I'm blowing my nose like crazy. It is so hot. And, to cap it, it is crazy dry. Not a touch of humidity to be found. Sounds a lot like the Santa Ana's. But. No wind. So......maybe this is the advance force. Maybe it really is happening tomorrow! Just looked it up. Humidity is at 11%. I totally slept in today and it was great. This is my first non running event weekend in two weeks and it's calm. I did run today, just over 6 miles. I wanted to do a little bit more, but it was just too hot. And, honestly, the dryness made it really uncomfortable. It was like I couldn't sweat! It was, overall, a good run though. My book is soooo interesting! In fact, I plan on running again tomorrow even though it is my formal day off! I want to keep doing distance runs on the weekend, I've decided. If I run 9 or so miles on Saturdays, training for distance events should be too tough. What do you think? I could do 3 to 6 mile runs during weekdays and then plan on a 9+ on the weekend.

This is where I'm heading! Took today off. Yesterday was fine but I got home around 9:30 or 10 and wasn't in bed till 12. So I slept in this morning! Gonna have a no sinus medicine day because it makes me so funny.

Good Morning

Back on the TM for 3 this morning.  Plus the exercises.  Had some discomfort in that damn left heel for the first half mile or so.  Then it seemed to loosen up and was fine.  Going to be a chronic thing I guess.  Otherwise it was all fine.

Hope you're feeling better today.

Quick Post

I'm tired and hungry so this is short and sweet! I did run 3 miles this am. I'm getting up at the same time, so I have a lot more time on my hands! Anyway, 3 miles. Pace was OK - better than it has been. But it wasn't easy, if you know what I mean. That last mile was tough! I lifted some weights when I got home, too.

3 Miles!

I realized (at 3 am!) that I have a sinus infection. I've had a bit of a headache for a couple of days and my teeth have been really hurting! And at 3 I got up and had such a headache that it hurt to walk. I got up at the usual time this am and still had it and coffee didn't solve it. So you know it is serious! So I took some sinus medicine (OTC meth, I like to call it!) and headache was gone. And I even got my run in. And it was good and fun. Pretty chilly day in these parts. For these parts! I got some NyQuil so I can sleep tonight. I need drugs to counteract my other drugs! Toenail report: I am thinking maybe I will keep it! It is a lot less black and loose. And it is really not tender. We'll see!

Back at it!

Well, it's time to be a real runner again rather than a recovery runner! I had a really good run today. My toe did not bother me as much. It is still black and loose, but it is not as raised up. I think it was swollen which made it raised. So that's good. I got ready to go and realized my sock was too tight on that toe though. But I only have one single loose sock! Not even "pair". One has a giant hole in the heel! So I just wore that loose, white, long sock and one small purple sock! Heck, it worked out. Nice and cool here. It's been so hot, it is such a relief. Course, it was 70 today! So I did 3 miles. I will tell you that I am exhausted. I think I'm still recovering my energy from that marathon. It was very challenging, so that makes sense. Early to bed!

Zombie 5K!

I've already given you the verbal rundown, but I figured I'd capture it for posterity. Make it official! Saturday we did the Zombie 5K up in Temecula. The weather was great, although we could have used some cloud cover! We drove up to the course, which was a campground that they rented. Once we got checked in, we went to the start where we had to wait in a covered shoot - well, one of three. We could choose "Appetizer", "Entree", or "Dessert". Naturally, we were dessert! Then it started and we went straight uphill for a mile. No joke. Top of the hill there was some really tall, in shape looking guy who was totally passed out. There were paramedics there giving him oxygen. It was a serious hill! After mile 1, we started getting into some zombies. I think the hill in mile 1 make it way too hard to have zombies. There really wasn't much room to navigate and it was hard enough! The zombies took my flags! I figured I'd make it out with one at least, but nope! The obstacles were fun! I never did get shocked but I did get really wet and muddy. Bart survived! He had a flag at the end. Ant this was his first ever 5K medal!

A New Week

I started off the new week by running 3 miles on the TM and doing my usual 50 push ups and 50 sit ups.  I thought about running outside this morning because it is pretty nice out and the temp was 47 at 8:30 when I was finally ready to go but it was windy and I don't like being cold and I'm basically a wimp.  So the TM it was.  I checked my heart rate today and it got to 152.  Had my blood pressure checked yesterday by the Parish Nurse and she pronounced it "perfect."  Pulse rate was 59 when she checked.  So the old ticker seems to be fine.

3 miles

This morning I took my fancy shoes on a 3 mile run. The Kensington loop. I think my socks were too tight and I'll wear looser ones next time. But my shoes felt great and didn't it my toes. So I think that's good! And running felt good. Didn't hurt. Well, my toe hurt but I think we can say 'that's to be expected' and leave it at that. My pace was OK, too. I lifted weights when I got home. Tomorrow is the Zombie 5K! I'll report back on that!

Good Morning

Did another 3 miles on the TM this morning.  Heel and calves were both bothering me a little - just a little - when I started but they loosened up by 1/2 mile in and were fine thereafter.  I can't explain why the calves bothered me so much after that run.  Nothing different really.  They are much, much better now than they were on Sunday and Monday though.

By the way!

My Garmin died today! Totally charged. I had it on and walked outside. Was about to sync with the satellite when I saw it was off. Nothing I did would cause it to turn back on. I even put it back on the charger!

Prepare for excessive jealousy!

I have new shoes! And they are freaking awesome!

Cute, huh? So, here is the un-jealous part. which I've already told you. I think I'm going to lose at least one toenail. Well, it's loose. But it's not black. So the internets are telling me that it may stay attached to the nail bed. Black is the kiss of death. When I got those insoles I told my helper that my shoes felt smaller. And he....well, he wasn't too invested in helping much. I really should have gotten new shoes that day but I figured if I mentioned they felt smaller and he didn't seem too worried then I was OK. But, yes, I'm responsible for myself! My fault. I'm mostly just sharing my reasoning. Anyway, clearly they were too small. And, this morning, I did not run. I walked again. But I knew that I would not be able to run in my shoes (the Mizunos I ran the marathon in, or my Nike Frees). It just hurt too much. So I went over to Road Runner today and ended up with 3 really awesome helpers. Guy one was with Shoe Dog and I talked to him first. I explained my situation and he said, "You're absolutely right. You need bigger shoes. Let me get you to Antonio. He can help you with the shoes. But I want you to see me before you leave. Because I'm concerned that your current insoles will be too short for a bigger shoe. I want to check because I'll just make you a new pair if that turns out to be the case." Then Antonio helped me with my shoes. Note: 2 pm is the time to go! I tried on 4 different pairs and ended up getting the same Mizuno shoes as I've had the last two times - just a half size bigger and a WAY more awesome color! I told Antonio that I thought my insoles seemed to fit fine and he put his hand in my shoe and said, "No. They don't." My initial Shoe Dog guy was gone but the guy that helped me with the new insoles is the guy that Antonio said travels the country teaching everyone how to make them. And he agreed with Antonio that I needed new ones for my new shoes. So he made them and just switched them out for the other ones I had made just a few short weeks ago. So. Lots of drama we have with running, huh? Like sands through the hour glass! I'm going to try and run a couple of miles tomorrow.

Back At It

I got up at 6 and got on the TM for a 3 mile run this morning.  Calves are still a little sore but I did 3 miles with no real difficulty.  Also got back to my push ups and sit ups.  Decided last night that I just had to get back on track so I did.  Feeling pretty good.

I'm wearing my new orthotics for a while this morning.  Will wear them a couple hours this morning and then a couple more this afternoon.  I'll let you know!

Oy the toes!

My toes really smart today! Well, toe nails! Although I took no ibuprofen today and I'm wearing kind of hard shoes. And I really think it is related to my shoes more than anything. I woke up feeling physically good this morning. Really great, actually. But I did not sleep at all last night! No idea why, especially because I didn't have coffee after 10 am. But I bet I'll sleep well tonight. Anyway, I really considered sleeping in. Because, of course, I was totally sleeping hard when my alarm went off! But I did get up. And, because I was feeling so good, I thought, "Maybe I should run, not walk...." But I decided to stick to my plan. So I walked 3 miles this morning. And I was really glad that I stuck with my plan! Because, once I got going, I realized I wall full of aches and pains! Well, sore muscles, nothing too bad. After my walk, I lifted some weights. And tomorrow I'll do a bit of a jog.

More things!

And more!

In San Francisco they have a GIANT Nike store called NikeTown. It is right by Union Square, which was the expo location and where the race started. It has four levels!

Outside, they had a wall with the names of all the runners. Here I am:

And here is a video of my finish. Did I mention how thrilled I was to hear Bart call my name!?

Marathon Recovery

You were right! I'm already feeling all kinds of better today. I woke up pretty sore but, now that I'm up, I'm much less sore and stiff and, even after sitting, I'm less stiff and sore than yesterday. Which is great news! My main points of "ouch" (other than the anticipated and acceptable soreness) are my toenails. I have an old pair of Nike Free I'm going to try out this week. With my insoles. I think the insoles just made my Mitzuno shoes a little too small. They line the entire shoe, so maybe that's in. But the toe box is very stiff and I think they just beat my nails. The Frees have a mesh toe box, and I want to try that out. Anyway, the really fantastic news (I think) is that my right foot and hamstring do not hurt at all. Well, no more than would be expected post-marathon! So I really think those insoles are helping me a lot. Because I've had plantars pain for quite some time and that right ham has been sooooo tight and painful. Other good news is that my left quad made it through with no complaints whatsoever. I was more than a bit paranoid about that, so I'm pretty pleased. My post-marathon plan is: Monday: off Tuesday: off Wednesday: walk 2 - 3 miles Thursday: run 2 miles Friday: walk 2 - 3 miles Saturday: Zombie 5K! Sunday: off Monday: run 4 miles And then, after Monday, I'll get back in the swing of things. I kinda want to keep up my distance chops so it's not so hard to fall back into a training program. Like maybe one ten mile run a week. Although I plan on dedicating the rest of October and, possibly, November to getting my pace back up. That means short runs. So I'll just have to work it out!

Nike Women's Marathon: I did it!

Yes! As you know, I did it! I told Dad, I'm feeling much more nostalgic and much less head shake-y today!

How this happened: I realized that not everyone may know this story! When I was training for the 2011 Grandma's Marathon, I got the Nike Sports Watch. And it did not work. It did calculate distance. But it did not accurately calculate pace.

Witness:

Now, listen. I'm a decent runner. But I am no sub-7 minute mile runner. Know thyself. And I do. And that pace is wrong. So I got in touch with Nike and we had much back and forth with culminated in me returning the watch and emailing them a concise "this has been my product and support experience and I'm unhappy with both" email. And that's how I got to know Clover. She emailed me and said, "Your email has been shared throughout our company. We've had many meetings and many conversations while running about your experience. We appreciate the time you took to put that together. Do you want to run the NWM - on us? You can choose the full or the half."

And, like a wide eyed idealist, I signed up for the full.

Much training ensued. A few injuries occurred. A multitude of hills were run. Clover and I became email pen pals. Then veered toward email friendship. Then decided we really had to meet during the marathon weekend.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I looked this up:

And then I read this:

http://meredithrunningworld.blogspot.com/2009/10/nike-womens-marathon-2009.html?m=1

And then Bart said, "Quit looking those things up!!!" So I did. But I also decided that I was going to do this for fun and not worry about my pace.

Pre-Trip: Bart, because he is totally awesome, changed our hotel so it was about 4 blocks from the start. Let me tell you, that took a lot of the logistical stress out of this entire event. I was remarkably unstressed about the whole getting there aspect and I think it's because I just had to wake up and walk. No buses, not 1 hour transport. It was easy!

Friday: I worked from home Friday (and wrote 3 reviews! It was great!) and then we flew to SF at 5:40 pm. Flight was only 1h 20min. Funniest part was getting on and seeing Bart acting like he was totally sick so he could save me a seat! It still makes me laugh!

We flew into Oakland, waited approximately 5 hours for our bags, got our car and when to our hotel. And then we walked down the hill to get dinner at Grab and Go Thai. And it was soooo good. I will forever regret not getting the pudding. Alas. And then we walked all around the Expo venue. It took up all of the square. But, I was telling Dad, the Grandma's expo venue is sooo much bigger. Here is a night pic:

Saturday: The hotel alarm clock went off at 4 am! Someone set it! So Bart got it unplugged. Then, I got up at 5 am so I could meet Clover for breakfast at 6:30. Yes, I require pre-coffee coffee! We met at Sears Fine Food, which was just a few blocks away from the hotel. Down the hill. Meaning I had to come back up the hill after! But we had a great time and it was really fun to meet her in person. We had no idea what the other looked like and, when I walked down the hill, I saw two women standing outside of Sears. One was looking right at me and the other was looking across the street. So I walked up to the one looking at me and said, "Clover?" and the other woman turned around and said, "I'm clover!" Funny! Anyway, it was neat and then I walked her to work at the expo.

Then I walked back up the hill and we later walked down the hill for Bart's breakfast (and I had bacon!) and then back up the hill then back down to get my packet. Bart heard someone say that, after lunch last year, packet pickup took 2 hours. We had better timing! And, actually, I think they did a better job at organization. I read some horror stories (well, bitchy complaining) online and I didn't notice the problems mentioned.

After packet pickup we wandered around a bit and also walked to my start corral.

Yes, I was number 25,908. Clover says there were about 28K registered runners!

Then we went to Baccolone at the warf:

http://www.boccalone.com/

And, wow, it was delicious! And we had some ice cream, too. It's a really neat little public market with a bunch of different vendors. Veggies, food, some goods.

The market also had a vendor wholly dedicated to mushrooms! Creepy.

Then we went back to the hotel and I obsessively prepared! I got my clothing all set for the morning. I set my alarm and got a wake up call. I got coffee and breakfast ready to make. I filled my CamelBak bladder with coconut water and got that on ice. I pre-cut my honey packets and loaded them in my pak. And then I could think of nothing else to fret on so I went to bed. At 7:25! I was really tired. And I did really sleep.

Sunday: I was up a few times but I slept till my alarm went off. And until the dumb hotel alarm clock went off again! It had a battery backup! That's fine because my own alarm was going off at 4 am. And I got up and drank a ton of coffee and ate oatmeal and drank water. And then, at 6:15, Bart walked me to my start!

Here I am before we left. Caffeinated much?!

We were going to walk some other ladies to the start (they had the same pace) but one of them forgot something in her room. Hope they made it!

Here I am getting dropped off:

So, note about the corrals. One of the things I read about last year is that the start was just a totally disorganized mess. That people could not run at pace because walkers started in front of them, that there were no start shoots, that it was hard to find out where to drop your bag. I did not read anything about the port-a-potty situation so I just prayed that was OK!

When I signed up, I had to indicate my pace. And when I got my packet I got a red wristband, the color of my pace. And I was told that I HAD to start there and would not be allowed into a different corral. Next to me a lady was trying to get into a different start time and was totally refused. So it sounds like they took that really seriously this year. In addition, someone with a different color band was trying to get into my red corral Sunday morning and she was totally denied!

And, glory be, a bunch of port-a-potties! So I got in line right away. And the ladies behind me were saying how much better this year was because, last year, there were not enough bathrooms!

And then the race started. And I waited. And waited. And waited. It was 20 to 30 minutes before I crossed the start! 28K people is no joke!

This picture doesn't even do justice to the mass of humanity! And I am so glad that I did not go into this dreaming of a PR. It was really difficult to navigate the course. If someone slower was in front of me, I just had to deal with that!

We ran through the city, down to the wharf (hello tasty salted pig parts!!!), and then.....where? Into hills. Just approximately a billion hills. Giant hills. Steep hills. Unending hills. Yes, San Francisco hills! And going up was not the only really challenging part. Down was difficult and gave more more opportunity for injury. It was very foggy and even raining a bit. So it was darn slippery. And, with that many people, there was a lot of potential to end someone's race with a ill placed foot! But I made it ok and didn't see anyone get hurt. But I've also never witnessed someone poo themselves, and I guess that happens! So who knows what I missed.

So, basically, at mile 7 I started praying to be put out of my misery!

The single more difficult point of the race came at mile 11. That's where the half marathoners broke off to from the full. And I just thought, "Would they care? The won't care if I finish with the half. Will they? Will they?" And then I thought of Bart waiting for me at the end and that I didn't want to quit. So I kept on. And I was so happy when I ran by the windmills we drove by the day before. It was great to recognize something.

At this point, I just kept praying for that finish line to magically move up to me. The hills were substantially smaller in the second half, but there were numerous. And I was blown on the first half so, at this point, any hill was a mountain!

But, finally, I had one mile left. And I ran and I was soooo glad! And I was almost to the finish and I heard Bart calling my name!! That was the BEST part! I was super super thrilled to see him! Then I finished and a San Francisco fire fighter wearing a tuxedo handed me my little blue Tiffany's box!

Bart and I met up and he hugged me and told me he was so proud of me and that was the new best part. And then we walked to the car and looked at all those poor people waiting for the shuttle! I can't even tell you - the line seemed like it would take hours. But Bart found an awesome parking spot and we shot right back to the hotel. And I took a shower (zero hot spots - a first!!!) and then we went back to Boccalone and also stopped for a creme freiche / graham cracker ice cream sandwich (excellent) and then went to the airport.

Where we were so late we had to run for our plane! And I seriously didn't think I could run a single more step!

Soon to be edited with a video of me crossing the finish line!

I went to bed at 10 (I think!) and slept till 7. Like a rock. Work at 9 and it's a giant filing deadline so I'm here till 9.

Weird things:

1. There were a lot of Team in Training people walking/running this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_in_Training

Very interesting, especially the "criticism" part. Just interesting, I'm not saying it's right or wrong.

What I did notice on the course: TNT had a lot of "coaches" out to entourage and help their members. But I never saw/heard them cheer on non TNT people! If you were not one of theirs, they were silent! Very strange.

2. TNT did have some etiquette issues - mainly stopping in the middle of the course to take pictures. Like coming to a dead stop! But, otherwise, they were not as bad as I read about. Maybe they provided them a course etiquette lesson or something.

3. I bet that 3/4 of the people did the half. I've asked Clover. But the course got mighty lonely after the 1/2 split.

4. Not only does Grandma's have a larger expo venue, they have way more cheerers along the course!

5. This was 5 times more difficult than Grandma's course. And they are both Boston qualifiers!

6. This conversation happened in the car after the race:

Bart: So, will you do it again?

Me: No, never.

Bart: Wow! Well, you say that today.

Guess what? It's tomorrow and the answer is the same!

I'm super glad I did it. It was really really challenging. Way more than I even anticipated. And I did it! But that doesn't mean I want to do it again!

7. Nike didn't have a website for this event! Rather, that had a FaceBook page. I get that they're trying to partner with FB and do the social media thing but, man, websites are awesome.

8. I'm going to get shoes 1/2 size bigger. Ever since I got those insoles, mine are just too snug. I'm concerned about my toenail well being! I think I'll be OK, but I don't want to push it too far!

9. Here's a link to a 2010 video on the course: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak8fCZAnoeQ

It's a little irritating, but you get a feel for the course. It was beautiful!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Wow!  What a feather in your cap!  I'm so proud of you!

Whistlestop

Yes, I did do it!  Ran the Whistlestop Half Marathon yesterday in Ashland and bettered my personal record by 3 minutes!  Did it in 2.21.02!  My best time ever.  +40, a little mist, no wind, low clouds so just about perfect for running.  We had a great time!  1474 finished the run.

And you are running right now as I write this.  I'm thinking about you and hope you're having a great time, too!

Hero!!!!

Wow, I'm so proud of you!!! You did it in the cold and the rain! Hurray! I hope you had fun! I love you, Fitnatic!

This is it!

Wow, I can't believe it! I feel like I've been training for this for so long! We're leaving today for the airport at 3:30. I was going to do 2 miles this morning, but it is pouring rain. So I am going to take that as a hint to rest. If it's gets beautiful later on, maybe I'll take that as a hint to not rest. Have fun in Ashland! I'm thinking of you!

So close!

Can't believe it, actually! Just a few days away! I'm pretty excited and think the entire affair will be really fun - and incredibly challenging. My goal is to do my best and have fun, so failure is an impossibility! I'm feeling substantially better. I was really worried a couple of days ago. Beautiful morning here. Cool and with really beautiful clouds. We're expecting (hoping!) for some rain this afternoon, so I suppose that's why the clouds are getting busy. I did a three mile run. Two miles tomorrow. Taking Saturday off (but will be doing a lot of walking). And then 26.2 on Sunday! And I can't believe how cold it will be for your race! Yikes! I sure hope it doesn't rain. For my part, SF is actually looking to hit 71 on Sunday. Sounds like a perfect day for a run!

Much Better

Pretty sure I have a sinus thing going on here. Which kind of makes sense because the weather is changing and getting all wintery here. I mean, I think it was only 70 today! Did my short 3 mile run. Another tomorrow. I'm supposed to take Friday off and do 2 miles on Saturday, but I think I'll switch that around. I'm going to be doing a lot of walking on Saturday because of the expo. Also! I have a date with my Nike pen pal Clover! We are having breakfast on Saturday!

Blah!

I feel like I might be having a little sinus infection or something. Whatever it is, i don't like it! But I did run today, three miles. Nice and cool out side. 3 again tomorrow. And, yes, I am taking it easy.

Junk Day

Wow, did I just have no interest in doing it today. I ran .84 this am and called it in and then I did .1 of a hill and wrapped that up! I didn't sleep at all last night, and I had a pretty crabby day. So I'm calling today a one off and starting again tomorrow.

Yay taper week!

Not only am I tapering and so running less, it's cooler out!

I woke up pretty sore this am but did my 7 mile run. My audio book finished at mile 1, so I rocked it old school and really had a fun time listening to music. One thing I noticed is that my mind thought about work a lot. Guess those audio books really are giving me a much needed mental break. On the other hand, my pace was better with the music.

Pushing

I almost took today off, but I'm just so close. So I didn't. I know these hills are tough on me so that's part of why I'm tired. But I also woke up at 3 last night and worried about work till 4:30! Anyway, it was hard to get up.

Today was a 4 mile day and I did the Texas hill 4 times, with some flat distance after the 3rd hill. I really thought I would stop after 3 trips bit felt better after the flat run.

Feelin It!

Wow, can I feel those hills yesterday! Last night, I was so tired I didn't even floss my teeth! I just went straight to bed. And this morning - I woke up one big sore spot! I really really debated my 3 mile run today, that's how sore I was. But I did it, I just took it slow and easy. So that was fine. Then Jen and I went back to that giant hill by Qualcomm and did that at lunch. And, for the first time, I ran the entire thing with no walk breaks! So that's really fantastic. Doesn't take long to build up strength. Course, it's still easier to lose strength! Dang it! Things are really cooling down here. Thank goodness. Tonight it's 70 and it's such a relief. Hopefully fall is really here - and here to stay. I made all that chicken soup and have had zero interest in eating it because it got so hot again! So. For reasons you know, I'll be working on hills till the marathon.

Challenging!

Today was a three mile day and I decided to make those miles hills! Have you ever driven in Texas street? Well, they put a sidewalk in so I decided to run it. I did it 3 times and I didn't stop once! Then I ran a little bit more to equal the 3. Maybe .25 miles or so.

Very challenging. I really had to cajole myself to not walk!

5 Miles

Getting up today was a battle. It took much cajoling! And I really was none too interested in running, truth be told. But I figured I DID get up, so why waste it? The days have been very hot, but this morning was really nice. I saw all kinds of other runners today! I did 5 miles and it was very enjoyable. Good weather, good book to listen to. I'm on a new book! Another fantasy series. Yesterday I found myself thinking of my people and realized that I'm finally into the story. I think the transition was really hard because I liked the last one so much! I ran that giant hill at work again today. Really challenging. It has been awhile, so that is part of it. But it was also really hot and that makes it hard. My calendar reminder told me that I only have to run three miles tomorrow! Exciting - I'm on the taper! I might do more, though. I feel really worried about the long distances I've put in. I'm a little excited to get this race done. I'm super excited to go and do it but I'm also excited to have more time on my hands!

So tired!

Long day today! I got up at 4 am so I could run 10 miles this morning. Which I did. I'm really feeling a lot better. My left leg really seems to be on the mend! Not my right leg is a tiny bit sore..... Still pretty bummed about my pace, but so be it. Too late to do anything about it now. After this marathon I'm going to pull back and do 3 mile runs and really work on getting my pace back on track. Super hot again here today. But I spent all day in the office so I only know that by gossip! Day one of our filing month and something broke. Oh well. At least we start out as we intend to carry on. My roller is already laying about unused. I'll do it a bit before bed, though.