20 miles.....26.2

Today I set out for my 20 miler.. I felt good, in fact I felt so good that I ended up doing a whole 26.2 miles.  I know what your thinking.  This girl is crazy!  Hear me out, I am running with my sister's in June, we know this.  I have promised my sister Heather that I am going to stick by her side and get her through her first marathon.  Saying that in a way stressed me out, here I was promising her that I would get her through it when I was not even sure if I could do it myself??  It has been a year since my last marathon and I just wasn't sure that I could hold through.  The self doubting was hitting me hard.  I wanted to remember what it felt like to go that far.  I wanted to feel the pain and tiredness in my legs.  So because I was feeling good, I went for it!  Let me break it down for you....

This was me before, I didn't know then what I was in for but I was happy to do my 20 as intended. I wanted to keep and even and steady pace the whole time.  Not jump up and down on my watch so it was pretty important for me to just take it easy.  Not too fast and not too slow.  I had my first GU around 5.6 miles.  I didn't have water with me.  This was going to be my challenge.  Finding WORKING drinking fountains.  I did find some but not enough.  Around mile 19 I bought and Gatorade and carried it to mile 24.  It was heavy and annoying but really helpful in those last few miles.

As I was running up the west side highway, it was so beautiful and it was during that time that I decided to just run 13.1 instead of the 10 and turning around.  I figured I could get to the George Washington Bridge, I pretty much did.  Once I got there I stopped, stretched a little and had my second GU. After that I turned around and headed back.  The scenery was beautiful.

 

This was my time when I stopped my watch at the half way point.  I tried to keep my watch going but did stop it a few times when I had to wait for lots cars or if I needed to stretch more than 30 secs.  I had my third GU around mile 15.5.  I was thirsty.  I really could have used more water. I didn't want to wait to long to take my GUs so I just ate them and waited for the drink later.  I have decided after this I am going to buy one of those water bottles that attaches to your hand.  They are smaller and not as heavy.  Way better. 

I was really important to me that I didn't hit a wall, so I kept my positive thinking going.  I kept saying you are doing this for Heather.  So when you run with her you don't keel over!  I was also doing it for myself, I love running.  I love having personal accomplishments.  It makes me feel so good!  Plus I was thinking this is great prep for your Ultra!

This is me at the end!  I made Scott come down and take a picture of me and also bring me water.  I was thirsty!  Of course I didn't tell him that I listened to music for about 24 miles.  He would have been like "Your Ears!!!" "You are going to lose your hearing you know!"  Hehe... I have been running with out music lately but today I was really enjoying it.  It was cool outside too so I didn't get too hot. It just felt really nice.

So a short breakdown...  Felt good for the first 15-16 miles, started to get tired after that but still ok.  About mile 22 I was really tired and ready to be done.  Mile 25, super annoying because I had to run up and over the bridge to get home!  I mean really lame, I could have used a flat surface.  That would have been great.  Mile 26 ready to be done and would have picked up more speed but like I was saying before, I was trying to keep an even pace. The last quarter of a mile I just kicked into high gear and made it home.

Woohoo!  I was so proud of myself.  Here is a little fun fact.  It is true that runner's are crazy.  The more you run, the crazier you are.  I could almost sit back and watch myself get more crazy by the day.  Getting up to run 26.2 miles just to see if you can do it and also knowing that you are doing it again in 7 weeks....that's crazy talk.  And I know this is only just the beginning!

Yum for my treat after!  All you NYC marathons coming this fall.  Van Leeuwen's ice cream!  It doesn't get much better than that.

Do you ever feel the urge to just run the 26.2 miles? 

What do you like to eat after a good hard workout?

Do you listen to music while you run/workout?

Happy Running to All!!

XX
Sarah

Royal Weddings and my Glass Slippers

Todays post is going to be short and sweet because I am going to be too busy celebrating the Royal Wedding =) It is the closest thing I have to experiencing a Cinderella story come true.  She was a commoner, he a Prince. They are now married and seem to be very in Love.  I woke up early this morning, 2:30am Denver time and watched the entire wedding and just loved every minute of it.  The only thing I didn't catch a glimpse of was her shoes?!? I can only hope that her Cinderella Glass Slippers give her as much joy as mine do =)

It was time for a new pair of shoes and I just happened to have my last coupon to the Boulder Running Company lingering in my wallet and just like that these lovely Asics 3020's landed themselves in my possession. (Along with lots more GU's, Shot Bloks, etc) GU came out a new Jet Blackberry flavor that is just scrumptious)

Happy Royal Wedding Day and as happy running all. Put on your favorite glass slippers today whatever they may be and celebrate! -Jen

SURPRISE

My little sister Sarah sent me the best email yesterday.  She is coming for a week to visit!  It totally made my day and I am so looking forward to running my long weekend run with her, doing a track workout with her, and just being together.  It will be so much fun and totally wish that my big sister Jen could be here as well but I will take what I can get!!

                                  (Sarah and Henry at Christmas 2010...my kids are just as excited as I am)

Also... I have was wondering if anyone has ever tired to freeze their Gu's before a long run?  I have been using them for my long runs but hate how warm they are from being shoved in my belt next to my warm body.  I am heading out for 22 miles today and was thinking of popping them in the freezer or at least the fridge for a little before I head out.  Anyone?
-Heather

Polenta and Veggies

First off I had a horrible 10 miles yesterday, it all started because I pushed my body way too hard last week and didn't allow myself to rest.  I even caught a cold because I ran in the cold rain on Saturday.  Bad Idea!

So my run yesterday was hard, my legs felt heavy, it was very hot.  All I could think about was where is water and my heartburn.  It was awful.  I decided that I am going to try my hardest not to run again until my 20 milers on Saturday.  I know I will be tempted to run Thursday but I am seriously going to try to rest.  I have yoga twice this week and also doing my Tracy Anderson so we will see.

Anyways this was my breakdown of what I ate today. (minus the snacks, like cottage cheese and whole wheat pretzels and dark chocolate)

Fiber One cereal with my homemade granola and Almond milk.

After my cereal I had this delicious Peanut Butter on a banana.

For lunch I made a mixed greens salad with pear, almonds,

blue cheese crumbles and balsamic.

 

This was my dinner experiment

I really wanted it to be pizza but it did not go down like that...

Ingredients

 

Because my polenta came out of a pre-made package I could not 

spread it so instead I just smashed it up and put the ingredients on top.

I was pretty skeptical but it actually tasted so good!  

Baked in the oven at 400 for 15 mins.

XX
Sarah

The Sweet Potato Staple

The sweet potato isn't to be ignored. It has all the wonderful things in it that your body needs to keep running! I have tried to prepare it a few different ways but I am always looking for suggestions. So far, I have had luck baking it, putting it in a stir fry with zucchini (my personal favorite) and oven making oven fries.

The sweet potato is a simple starch food and is rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. That sentence is straight from wikipedia and after reading it....whats not to like =)  So to all out there running, working out, eating healthy people.....EAT YOUR SWEET POTATOES!

This is a picture with my sweet potato stir fry! Don't pay attention to the monster sloppy joe next to it! I mean, a girl has gotta get her protein =)

OH, and one more thing, this is what I look like a lot lately after I finish running.......I think I have some Tendinitis going on next to my shin and because it is screwing with my calve muscles my plantar fasciitis or what have you has been acting up. ARGGGG, someone please tell me how to run pain free.  I am begging.

-Jen

Heavy Lifting

Around my house I am doing some major lifting with these two troublemakers running around making more messes then I can clean up!! I love it =)  And, it reminds me to get my strength training in.  I think the reason I have been doing so well with all the running is because for 6 days a week all winter long I went to Kinetic Edge (a really amazing gym that is all about circuit training and kettle bells.) Lately, I have been running so much for the marathon that I have not had as much time to get there, but my goal is to go at least twice a week.  

On a side note here is a picture from our Easter.  It never gets old running around the yard looking for plastic eggs with candy in them.. I am sure I ate way to much of that candy too!!  I hope you all had a great Easter weekend.

-Heather

The Dreaded Scale

 My Scale

As I am sure many women do, after I wake up and do my thing I stripe down and step on the scale.  Do I weigh more or less than yesterday.  Judging by the numbers on the scale with ultimatly decide my attitude for the day.

Lower numbers on the scale equals a happy more pleasant me, higher numbers on the scale... well that means less food which means... crab-bie!  Yes, it is true. I let the scale get a hold of my life and control my attitude for each day.  It wasn't until about February when I decided I did not need to weigh myself each day.  So I would go with out, in fact I hardly ever way myself anymore and go by how I feel.  Are my pants too tight?  Am I eating too much junk food?  I have long been a victim of counting calories in the past and so I have a pretty good knowledge of what is in what. Since I have been stepping less on the scale I have noticed my stress level has gone way down.  It has been great!  Then just recently I read a blog post from Janetha at Meals & Moves who referenced Mary and Melissa's blog about getting rid of their scale. Janetha said she doesn't even get weighed at the Doctor's office.  She just tells them that she is not over or under her weight and that was that.

All this talk of ditching the scale has inspired me to do the same.  So that is it.  No more I say. This morning I was tempted, thinking well maybe just one last time before I leave the scale behind but decided nope, I was not going to let those numbers rule my day.  Alas, my relationship with the scale is OVER!!

Me being oh so happy when I decided not to step on that scale!

Am I gonna give it up?!

There is one thing I love almost as much as running. Any guesses? DIET POP. Thats what. I just LOVE it. I typically drink diet Pepsi but I don't discriminate. I love Diet Dew, Diet Root Beer, Diet Sprite, etc. the list goes on and on. I go back and forth about what I like so much.  Whether it is the bubbles, the caffeine, the fact that it is sweet and has no sugar or calories? Really it is all those reasons.

But here is my beef.  The artificial sweetener isn't good for you.  It just isn't. It makes my stomach hurt and it gives me headaches.  So why do I always drink it? Because I need something to drink, something to do with myself when there is a lull in the day and lets just be grateful it isn't alcohol or tobacco!  But alas, after one too many stomach aches and headaches I have decided I am going to attempt to just give it up.  No more pop, soda, diet, or whatever you prefer to call it. I can not believe I am doing it. Whose with me?

Now the trick is to find something else to substitute that will give me the same pleasure but be better for you and still has some caffeine in it. You are probably all wondering, why is she not giving up caffeine as well, it isn't good for you either? Right? Well here is why. Running long distances requires you to refuel with i.e. gel packs, GU, power shots... you get the picture.  And a lot of these little boosts of energy include caffeine.  So it is important to me that my body stay somewhat acclimated to the caffeine so that when taking these GU's I don't run into any other major issues.

So first thing I am going to try is sparkling water mixed with some Spark...=)  I have tried just plain sparkling water before to no good end.... but I will never give up and always try again =) so here is to a sparkling Sparked Perrier! Happy diet free day all.





p.s. I had given pop up for almost 3 days prior to this post and yesterday, in a moment of weakness at the mall food court I had a DIET PEPSI and I even refilled it. Now how weak was that..... Someone show me some love and do this with me so I know I am not the only other suffering soul out there depriving herself of the one true no calorie sweet beverage made......


Jen

My Gym Bag

Have you ever wondered what I carry around in my gym bag?  If so you are in luck... if not well keep reading anyways.  These are all of my staples.  I carry my bag around with me in my car at all times.  I am always reaching in there for a snack to grab while my kid car runs seem to never end.  Plus I just love to always have it with me just incase there is a last minute chance that I might be able to squeeze in a workout.  The one item that is not in the picture but it usually with my gym bag are my shoes.  And well, that is just an entire different post.  

What are you guys lugging around in yours?  Anything good that you can't live without that I need to know about?

Also heading out for a 6 mile run today and it is SNOWING!!!  In APRIL!  I think I might scream.  But I have just decided that it will make me run faster because I will be thinking about how much it sucks that I am still having to run in cold weather!!( that is what I am at least going for anyways.. running is such a mind game...let see if it works!)
-Heather

Yasso 800s to the Test

Last weekend my sister Jen told me about the Yasso 800s.  Since I have come back from my injury I felt that I have been running slower and breathing harder.  Things that runners don't like to do.  I really do not like working on speed but decided that if I wanted to get back where I was before my injury I would have to incorporate it into my training.

Yesterday I woke up feeling great and headed out for my Yasso 800s. To give you a run down, the goal is if you are shooting for an 3:30 marathon, you will run 800 meters at 3 mins 30 secs and then rest for 3 mins and 30 sec.  Doing this 10 times.  Little did I know that you were supposed to work up to 10 but start out with 4 or so.  But back to the matter at hand.  I did a slow 3 mile warm up and then hit the track.  I didn't even hit 3:30!  Boy was I out of shape! I had trouble pacing myself, I didn't want to go to fast the first lap and then the second lap I found myself trying to speed up to get to my goal which was not happening.  But I felt that I did a great job, especially since this was my first time.  So Bart Yasso says do this once a week about 2 months before the marathon and you are in.

This is my challenge to myself!  My goal for the Savannah Marathon in November is to run a 3:30 marathon.  I am making it known to the blogging community!  So I am going to take the Yasso challenge.  To start I am going to do this once every other week and then starting in September I will do it every week!  I am hoping that because I am telling you all about it, that I will have no choice but to stick to it!  I will try to post about it every time to give you the run down on how it's going.

These are my splits below (highlighted are the 800s) As you can see I am a little on the slow side but have no fear! I will get there! Oh and I should say that I walk/jogged during my recoveries.

 

This is me after I got back home, salty and smiling just happy that was done.

  

This is the track that I run at close to my apt.

  

My breakfast was greek yogurt with blackberries and homemade granola. (will post recipe soon)

 

My lunch at City Bakery in the city.  I loved the Kale salad and cilantro chicken!

Dinner was de-lish!  I made grilled salmon with brown rice and stir fry broccoli, carrots and zucchini.

And yes I had dessert but did not take a picture.  I ate a small bowl of vanilla ice cream with crushed salty pretzels and chocolate sauce on top :)

So what do you think about the Yasso 800s?  Do you think you will give them a try?

Have you already done them?  Do they really work?

Sorry this post was forever long!
Sarah

I hate being sick

This post is dedicated to getting sick in the middle of training for a marathon. Yep, that is what happened to me last week.  I will give you a brief Description of how it all went down.

Last Monday I was determined to get in my 20. So I woke up early, and did it.  It felt hard and horrible.  I kept looking down at my Garmin thinking.... why does this pace feel so hard? Then Monday night I started getting achy and feeling like junk. The long and the short of this post is that some days I ran and felt OK, some days I ran and felt like crap and some days I didn't run at all because I knew I was sick, but just wasn't sure how sick I really was. And although Advil(the only dependable pain reliever that works for me) covered up a lot of my discomfort I think that this past week I actually had the FLU! I hate the flu..... I mean seriously, who gets the flu... me apparently. BOO

I guess I didn't realize how crappy I really felt until now I just keep feeling better. Had I known that I actually was that sick maybe I would have not tried so hard to keep at my training plan. But regardless some of those workouts did feel good.

So here is my question. How do you know how much to give when you are sick? I am kind of against just doing nothing unless you feel so miserable that you literally just can't.  I do feel that in the past there have been times when I have felt a cold coming on and an airborne and good run have kicked it to the curb.  So how do you know when to and when not to? Maybe I should lay off the Advil and let myself feel miserable and then I wouldn't be so tempted to just keep at it? I dunno.... any suggestions would be wonderful.

Anyways, at least now I am feeling better and today is the start of a new week =) I hope everyone out there does NOT get the flu and we can all move into the new spring summer seasons Flu, Cold, or whatever annoying virus free!

Happy Training all.  Jen

Oh and just one more shout out to all my Boston Marathon friends who are running today!!!!  WAHOOOO!

Late Night Snack... sort of

I had a very busy Thursday.  Ran 18 miles.... had an appointment 15 minutes after I got done running, and then one hour or so after that I was in full dance-mom mode until about 9:30pm.  With my super busy day I was limited on time that I was able to really eat a whole lot other then protein bars and some almonds.  I resisted the urge to get "food" (hot dog...or pretzel with cheese, etc) at the dance competition knowing that I would have been kicking myself later; and still feeling unsatisfied!  So when I finally made it home I whipped up this quick salad and it was oh sooo good.  And so easy...

Some cherry tomatoes, small mozzarella balls and little red onion.  Combine and add salt and pepper and a little dressing.  Pour the tomato mixture over spinach and yum... the perfect late night snack to a super busy day

-Heather

Shopping

Aside from my everyday job I have, a close friend of mine will ask me to do a little babysitting from time to time.  Well yesterday she dropped off a check to me and you know what I did?!?!  I got in my car and instead of going to the Lululemon in Union Square where everything is sold out, I drove to the Mall!  Yep, the mall that is about a 30 minute drive if there is no traffic but there is always traffic so it took me over an hour to get to.  Did I mention I dropped everything that I was working on just so I could go to the mall.

Back on track, got to the mall and look what I found...  New yoga mat, running socks, two awesome running tanks that fit wonderfully and two sweatband.  It was so great and it totally made my day.  Wearing my new tank today as I head out for my 15 miler.

And it only gets better, I stopped in whole foods later to browse around to see if I needed any groceries and I found this yummy pretzel baguette!  I could not resist and I had to buy it, I mean I am running 15 miles tomorrow and I need to carbo load right?

So for dinner, you know I had the usual, grilled chicken, sauteed cauliflower, acorn squash and BREAD! Don't worry, Scott and I didn't eat the whole thing, we left about 1/4 of it for tomorrow.

What are your favorite workout clothes?  Do you have a food group weakness like bread?

Happy Workout!
xx
Sarah

Sometimes we all need a little Inspiration

This post for for all kinds of inspiration.  Right now I am sitting in front of this computer all achy and feeling like junk. I hate being sick, I have no patience for it and as far a viruses are concerned they can kiss my rear end! If it can't be cured with antibiotics then what the heck.... Soooo- to get through this I need a little inspiration.

Also, I have a great group of friends who are taking off this weekend to go run the Ragnar Relay SoCal. I am so excited for them.  I was a part of there group last year and I have a lot of respect for these ladies who are choosing to spend money and go climb in vans, get stinky, stay up for over 24 hrs straight and run their hearts out. I bet they could use a little inspiration.

I have another girlfriend who has officially signed up for her first 10k.  She has just started running and is ready to see what her body can handle.  Inspiration required.

On the other side of things I have two friends going out to Boston in then next couple of days to compete in the Boston Marathon! CONGRATS GIRLS!!! I am sure they could use a little inspiration.

My sisters last post was about how her runs are becoming longer and being a lone runner up there in Minnesota would love a running buddy.  She could use a little inspiration.

This video in my book IS inspiration.  All of our stories are different, but regardless of what we struggle with EVERYONE needs some inspiration.

Enjoy =)

Calling all runners

The time has started in the training that my runs are getting longer and longer.  It is a good thing that the weather is getting warmer so that I can run outside and not have to wear tons of clothes.  But one thing is still missing.  A running FRIEND!!!  So this is my request... Please come run with me.  Anyone on the east side that likes to run please email me.. facebook me.. comment on the blog.  I am not asking for you to run 15 or anything. I just need you to run 5 or even 6.  You can run the first 5, middle or end.

This is what I feel like when I am done.  Running all alone.  It is nice but let me tell you ....

This is how much fun I would be to run with.. trust me.. I am a VERY fun person to run with.  Ask my sisters..promise it will be worth your time and you will be getting a great workout.

I'm Hungry

Do you ever have days where you feel like you are hungry all day long and no matter what you eat you still feel like you are running on empty??

Well this was me last week.  It didn't matter what I ate or how much, I was still hungry!  It was driving me nuts.  Back in January my appetite had gone way down because I was only doing Tracy Anderson videos so I wasn't burning as many calories, which in turn lead to being less hungry.  Now that my training is in full swing I need to consume more but have fear of consuming too much.  How do you tell?  What do you eat??  How much do you eat?  Are you eating the right things?  These are all questions that I ask myself when I am training.  A great book that I like to reference is Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners.  I have learned a lot by just reading this book.  But even after reading and educating myself I still have days that I am still hungry!

Sometimes I just can't fight the urge to eat so instead of just eating whatever all day I try to keep is somewhat healthy.  That way when the day is over and I have eaten my kitchen I don't feel totally disgusted because I know what is inside of me is yummy proteins and vitamins and carbs.  So this is it...

Honey Grahams
Low fat cottage cheese
Dried unsweetend mango
Banana
Saltines (for my cottage cheese)
Apples
Fig newtons
Almonds
Pumpkin seeds
Dark Chocolate

and most important what I don't have a picture of is... WATER!  I try to drink it through out my day.  This will help me feel more full.  Drink a full glass before you eat, it makes a difference.  I also like to drink my water at room temperature.  I think it is more filling, but this is just my opinion.

Yes some might say there is too much sugar in these snacks but what is most important is to find the mix that works best for you!

This week I am hoping for less hungry but with my mileage increasing I think I know how it is going to go down.

Happy Monday Everyone!  It's gonna be in the 80's today!!


Oh and one last thing, we revised our training plan again so if your interested in checking it out send us and email.  alwaystrainingtrio@gmail.com

The easiest Tastiest Salad in the World

Takes 5 minutes to prepare and is YUM.

1 cucumber chopped
2-3 tomatoes chopped
1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar or dressing of your choice.
Salt and Pepper to tastes
Sprinkle of fresh grated parmesan cheese

Enjoy.

Keepin them Movin

 Once my oldest daughter saw that her sister got her video on the blog she really wanted me to put a little video of her on as well.  This is a video of her tap as well at there first competition.  Sorry ahead of time for you can tell I was shooting it from the stands.  You can see that two girls lost there shoes while dancing.  But they didn't stop dancing or miss a beat.  I think that tap is my favorite dances for many reasons but one of the reasons is because it really gets there heart rate up and gets them really moving.

Dinner with Me

 

My husband Scott has been busy with work which means dinner is with me, myself and I.  So I decided to make the usual.  This is a great dinner that is healthy and fast, I make it a lot so to change it up I just add different kinds of seasoning to the meat.

First off, I start the asparagus roasting in the oven at 400.  I spray them with canola oil from Trader Joe's  and season with salt and pepper.  I roast them for about 12-15 mins.

Next is the acorn squash. I slice it in half, scrape out the middle and put it upside down in the microwave for about 7-8 mins. (this time is for 1 half) I know it is not good to micro the veggies but sometimes I just run out of time and don't have that hour to let them roast.  Plus I DO think you get SOME nutrients, I mean really, it is still a veggie right?

On to the chicken, I buy the frozen chicken tenders from Trader's, unthaw them and last night I seasoned them with Emeril's steak rub which is really spicy.  I get my pan hot on the stove, spray with oil spray and put the chicken in the pan.  I cook each side about 5 mins or so.

When the micro goes off I flip the squash and continue to cook another 5 mins.  With about 1-2 mins left I put a little, bitty bit of butter.  I mean just a little people. You don't need a lot and then I add a small amount of brown sugar cuz I love it!

Then...... after all the timers are done and off and 15 mins later dinner is served!

It was so good and de-lish and for dessert I am sure I have room for some dark chocolate.

Bon Appetit!

It DIDN'T HAPPEN AT ALL =)

Well if anyone out there was wondering how my race went on Saturday well I will tell you.  My time sucked. It was not even a PR according to my watch. (But according to Dougs watch who was pacing me it actually was a PR(which is still quite a bit slower then what I should have ran overall, but whatever  apparently I did make some small progress)

I went out thinking I could run all these miles at a fast pace for me and was smacked head-on in the face a little over 1/2 way through.  Each mile after that was slow and a battle for me to even keep going.  It totally sucked.  But, there were two things that happened after the end of this race that were positive and because of this I feel the entire experience was well worth it.

1. I wasn't that disappointed that I didn't make my goal. Now, let me tell you why I am happy about this. Last year I ran the Bolder Boulder here in Colorado and went into that race for sure thinking I could run a certain pace.  Well needless to say that race blew up in my face as well and I was a Stinky SORE loser for like 1 hr.  It was ridiculous. I could not believe how irrational and ridiculous I was behaving.  So ever since then I have decided that although it is OK to feel somewhat disappointed if a race doesn't go well it is just plain ridiculous and a waste of time to sit and stew about it like a 5 year old. So this time, I wasn't even tempted to be upset. I just looked at my watch and just thought, that was harder then I thought, but I did it!

2. Once again I realized that I need to work on endurance. According to my track workouts I have speed, but as of last Saturday my endurance at a faster pace is for sure lacking and so I am happy to put some more faster endurance runs into my plan to help me get stronger.

But the sun comes up the next day, I put my running shoes on today and went out and did my best. So just remember to never give up.  No matter what, just keep moving.

Also, on one little side note, I finally beat my husband! He normally smokes me because of his pure natural talent... but not today. The hard course, (uphill whole last 1/2 and windy) made it tough for us both.  But I want to give a shout out to him for being so wonderful and running with me.  Some of my favorite runs are the ones where I know he is doing it along with me.

Happy Running!

p.s. I wanted to get a new outfit before the race but unfortunately I ran out of time =( So please excuse the old running gear and excuse me while I go find some new duds. Maybe that will make me run faster, new clothes.  Worth a try I say =)

Everyone needs to REST sometimes

I don't like to rest.  Don't get me wrong; I LOVE to sleep.  But when it comes to taking a break from my regular daily workout I have a hard time doing it.  I workout six days a week, and my rest day is always Sunday.  Life doesn't always agree with this schedule, and there were a lot of factors playing against me last week.  My husband was overseas and left over a weekend, my littlest one did not feel well, my youngest daughter had her first step toward full orthodontics and she had a hard time eating.  Her lack of food only compounded her difficult moods, and on top of everything else I am training for my first marathon.  I was good about getting my miles in at the beginning of the week.  Ran 6 on Monday and Tuesday, then another 4 on Wednesday.  Thursday was going to be my rest day since I was going to do my long run on Friday.  (Saturday was booked up with the first dance competition of the year.)  Thursday rolled around and I told myself not to do anything.  Just rest.  I did it and it was nice.  Then I woke up Friday and felt sick.  Ugg.  I must have got what my youngest guy had, plus a mix of being tired from not having a full night's sleep since my husband left....and it was raining, of course.  So I knew there was no way I was going to run anywhere.  I could have gone to the gym but I was just not feeling great and told myself not to go.  At one point, I even put on my workout clothes thinking I could totally handle a class at the gym, but once I got in the car I talked myself out of it.  Long story summed up (too late) Saturday was consumed by dance so three whole days went by and not a single workout was done. It was weird.  I didn't know what to do with myself.  I woke up Sunday and thought maybe I should go for a short little run.  Like I said I never workout on Sundays.  But I had a little time and I laced up my shoes.  I wasn't going to run more then five.  And I was going to go slow.  I started going and it felt so good.  My legs were not tired from pushing them all week.  My energy was great.  I was loving it!  I loved it so much that I got my TEN miles in!!  I know that I was able to do it and enjoy it because I took those days off.  Which is why REST is so very important.  You need to force yourself do it.  That is the time for your body to recover, so you can improve on your next run.  I know that I will really be resting on my rest days now.  Just need to try to convince my husband now.  Did I convince any of you??