6 days!

It is so hard to believe that the Flying Pig is next weekend!

I am so excited for my first half marathon (though not about the hill involved) and I am counting down the days.  It has seemed to sneak up on me but I am fairly confident in my training.  The only thing I am bummed about is this foot issue but it is already feeling a bit better.  With ice, resting, massage, stretching, and anti inflammatories and pain relievers I believe that I will make it through just fine.  I am concerned that my taper is going to end up being 2 weeks rather than 1 and has been literally NO exercise this week.  I have really been babying my foot a lot.  I am going to attempt my short runs this week to test it out as well as the KT tape I ordered and hopefully it helps.

I'm going to need all the help I can get for this hill!

This weekend should be really fun.  I have everything lined out: house sitters, hotels, directions, information. The only thing I have to do is get my packing list together.  Packing for myself and both kids is always fun.  At least The Husband always does his own packing =).

The weekend is going to be super busy: We are staying the night Friday close-ish to Cincy in order to get The Husband to his 10k the next morning without messing with the kids' schedule too badly.  After his race we will head to the Expo and explore a bit.  Following the expo we will be heading over to let Curly (my 3 year old little girl) and Rex (my 5 year old little boy) run the kids races.  We will have a picnic lunch and then we will likely have some time to kill before we can check into our other hotel for the half marathon Sunday.  This Friday night stay was a last minute decision (aka made a few minutes ago) hence the 2 different hotels.

We are also hoping to squeeze in dinner with some friends on either Friday or Saturday night.  Busy but oh-so-fun family weekend!


Happy Running!

Seriously?! An Injury?!

Why wouldn't I start having pain in my foot during my last week of training before the half marathon??

During the beginning of my 11 miler this past Sunday, I noticed a twinge in my foot.  I went ahead and ran through it and by the time I got back to the car I could barely walk because of the pain.  I also had some pain in my knee.  I had already noticed some runner's knee from last spring when I was running and I wear the jumper's knee braces when I run and don't have any pain.  Well, now I have ordered an IT band compression wrap because I am thinking the pain I had on Sunday was due to my IT band.  As far as the foot, I believe that it may be Plantar Fasciitis.  It is right in the arch of my foot and that is the most common problem I am seeing come from that area.

Monday I iced my knee and haven't had any trouble with it since but because of my foot I have not had an opportunity to run to test it.  My foot has been iced, rested, and elevated as much as possible since Monday as well and I have been wearing my running shoes everywhere and not been going barefoot.  I ordered some KT tape and I am hoping to tape it as well as my IT band and I am crossing my fingers that I can do my 12 mile run Sunday without pain.  If I am still hurting considerably I plan to skip it and just rest until the half and hope that I make it through most of it without pain.  Here's hoping.

Running Gear

Somehow I have really started to acquire a lot of running gear in such a short time.  So far, I have only bought one thing that I wasn't a fan of and that wasn't technically gear but a fuel I tried during a long run.

Here's my list of loves right now.

1) My Asics Gel Nimbus 14s- I have had some really good luck with these shoes.  I know many people swear by the minimalist shoes, but I tried the Vibram FFs and had some of the worst pain in my foot that I shoved them to the back of my closet.  Right now I don't want to drop the money on something that may cause me a set back so I think I am going to stick with these for now and maybe try something else, possibly minimalist, later on.  I do plan to go to a running store to be fitted before I buy my next pair to be sure nothing else would be better.

2) Under Armour Cold and Heat gear- I have a shirt and pants from the cold gear line that are AMAZING.  I kept so warm on some really cold runs with them and actually wore the shirt to one of my kids soccer games last weekend and I was much more comfortable that the previous week. I have a pair of the compression shorts and a tank from the Heat gear line as well as a pair of capris.  I have worn the shorts and tank each once so far but I was definitely comfortable in them and felt good on the run.  I am in love with my capris.  I wear them quite a bit and I really would like to get another pair soon.

Don't know how those bras got there. They are the ones I ordered from Groupon (below)

3) Nike Sports Bra- I just got this and have worn it twice.  So comfy and supportive!

4) Nathan Sprint Bottle in Berry- Love this little bottle.  I carry it on my 5 mile runs and below.  My license and CCW id fit well in the pouch with a couple Jolly Ranchers and a chapstick.  I get really thirsty when I run so I like having water handy.

5) Camelbak Mule- Ok, so this isn't technically new and it is obviously well used but it has done the trick.  It was issued to The Husband when he was in the Air Force and has been great for my 10 and 11 mile runs so far.  I am almost scared to switch over to my hydration belt.  I am going to give the belt a go on my 12 miler this weekend and see which I want to carry during the half.

Things I have on the way.

1) Marika Tek Keyhole Sports Bras- There was a great groupon and I hope the sizing is correct and I like them. 


2) iFitness Hydration belt

 I got the 6oz add on bottle and a iphone add on as well.  Hoping that I like this as well.  I have ran my last 2 long runs with a camelbak and it is working better than I thought but I don't like having to suck on the straw.  Since I like my Sprint Bottle I think I will like being able to get a little shot of water when I need it.

3) Pro Tec IT band compression wrap- I believe I am having some IT band issues.  I am also thinking of ordering some KT tape.

4) Garmin Forerunner 110-

 in my Amazon cart right now. I have weighed my options among all of the Forerunners and I think this is my best bet right now.  I haven't decided if I am going to aim for this on Mother's day or stick with my phone for now and wait it out until my Birthday in September.


Any gear that you swear by for pleasure running or racing?

Anyone have a Garmin? Which one? Why did you choose it?

Weekly Workout Roundup

This week wasn't as great as last week.  It wasn't that great at all actually.  I did have some really good runs, though, so that counts right??

Week	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
10	Stretch & strengthen Zumba and HIIT	5 m run 55:20	3 m run or cross Nothing	5 m run + strength 53:05	Rest	60 min cross Nothing	11 m run 2:02:48

Monday- I went to Zumba and HIIT Fit again.  Zumba last for an hour and this time around they really worked my arms.  I borrowed a pair of the weights and I was definitely feeling it by the end. 

In HIIT we did a deck of cards workout.  I don't know if you watch Biggest Loser or not but Bob did this with his contestants this season when they had to spend all day sitting in the room of sweets and video games.  Each suite had an exercise and you did however many the number of the card was of that exercise.  Here's what the workouts were:

Face Cards: 10 reps of any ab move
Clubs: Pushups
Diamonds: Sit and Stands
Spades: Tricep Dips
Hearts: Prone Jacks
Ace: 10 burpess.

Let me tell you those darn burpess saved themselves.. I think 3 of them were in the last 15 or so cards. That totals 54 reps of each suite and then the 40 burpees and 12 sets of 10 of each of the ab moves chosen.  It was a good workout.

Tuesday: I had a decent run but it was VERY hot and muggy.  I felt like I could barely catch my breath most of the time which was not pleasant at all- but I survived.

Wednesday: It rained all day.  I had every intention of doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred but ended up not doing it.

Thursday: Another 5 mile run with the husband.  The wind and heat stunk but I ran the entire way even though it was at a snail's pace.  But progress is progress!

Friday: Scheduled Rest day and Saturday: Accidental rest day.

Sunday: Today I did an 11 mile run on a bike path I had never been on.  I was happy with myself because I ran the first 8 miles, took a small walk break, and ran the last 3.  It felt good.  I had a pain in the arch area of my left foot the ENTIRE run, though, as well as my left hamstring feeling tight from the beginning.  My left leg was apparently against me today.

On a side note, I run in some really pretty places.  I can't wait to get my Garmin so that my phone isn't strapped to my arm and I can use it for pictures!

All in all, it wasn't bad but the next week needs to be on.  Only 2 weeks until my first half!

My last long run and some randomness

I have been wanting to kind of recap my last long run for future reference.  It was my very first double digit run ever and that seemed like a huge milestone to me.  Especially since I just started running at the beginning of January (minus a short 3 month stint last year that had me up to 3 miles).  I have to say that I was really proud of myself.  Sure, I wasn't fast.  I ended up settling into an 11 min/mile pace that felt comfortable but once I was there I felt like I could have gone on forever.

The area I ran in was the bike path in one of my favorite towns in this part of the state.  Ohio University is my alma mater and, in my opinion, is a gorgeous campus.  The path goes along the river and there is always something scenic to look at.

You can see the bike path there running along the opposite side of the river. Source

We parked at the football stadium and hit the bike path going east.  I think this weekend when I go back we will head to the west because from where we parked I hit the very end of the bike path before the halfway point of 5 miles.  I had to run a very short way up into the hospital parking lot that is at the end of the path to get the full 5 miles.

I was pretty happy with my performance overall on this run. I ran the first 5 miles (except for a short stop in the bathroom around mile 3.  I drank too much water that morning apparently!), took a short walk at the turn around point, stopped AGAIN in the bathroom at 7 miles and then ran the entire way back.  I would say that I walked less than 1/8th of a mile or so.  Like I said, it was slow going but I ran much of it!  My time was 1:51:05 which was an average of 11:06/mile.

source

Now, some randomness:

1) I am SO elated over the fact that the final Boston bomber has been apprehended.  I was debating on posting this but decided that in order to stand up to the madness in this world we must move on and do what we love.  Run in memory and honor of those in Boston.

2) I am at the point in my life that I only want those who encourage around me.  There is so much drama among some people I know and I just want people surrounding me who uplift me.  That being said, I have made some decisions this week to begin to make the move toward having only positive influences in my life. I have to say that it feels good.

3) I am just 15 days away from my first half marathon and I get goosebumps every time I think about it!

4) It is so strange yet so great to have my husband home after he was gone for 11 months.

5) Finally, there are some great companies out there making shirts and the like to benefit the victims of Boston.  I am still trying to decide on a shirt that I want but I did order a Sweaty Band and I am really excited to get it.  I really hope it fits my strange shaped head =). 

I am going to try to get a list of the shirts I have seen together to add to my next post.  I have seen some great ones but they are on my phone... which is dead.

Happy Running!

About Boston

Source

Today, as I was sitting on the couch folding laundry and watching the Boston Marathon, I was laughing with my husband.  He was joking with me about how running has taken over my life and that he thought it was funny that I was watching the marathon.  I told him that I don't think that I will ever qualify for Boston but it is such an iconic event that I want to be a part of it and I want to go volunteer for it in the near future.  Shortly after about the first 10 men and women came in I shut off the t.v and went about my day cleaning the house.

Then came the news....

Source

The Husband walked in the door and asked me if I had seen the explosions?  What explosions??? I immediately hit Twitter and saw the many tweets about the explosion.  I turned on CNN and instantly got chills watching the coverage.  It shook me to my core.  These are my people! Even though I am new to running, the running community is a strong one that I feel to be a part of already.  I take this as a personal attack!  I am horrified this has happened and I am still watching the coverage constantly waiting on more news. My thoughts are with all of those who were affected by this event.

Tomorrow I will be out on a 5 mile training run but I will be running for Boston.  For those who can't run.  For those who were injured, lost their lives, or lost a family member. For those who didn't get to finish possibly their dream run today because of this act.

Source

Weekly Workout Roundup

Week	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
9	Stretch & strengthen 1:30  Zumba &  HIIT Fit	4.5 m run 54:13 4.75 miles	3 m run or cross 37:58 7.33m bike ride	4.5 m run + strength 48:31	Rest or easy run	Rest  2:00 Slow walk	10 m run 1:51:05

 ** (a note on this schedule.  It had a 10k built into Sunday but I opted out and settled on a long run for the weekend instead.  That is why there is a rest day scheduled for Saturday also.)

This week has been a great one for my workouts.  Having The Husband home really helps motivate me because he continuously reminds me what I am working toward and where I want to be in the near future.  It really helps.  Now, I have him attempting to motivate me to get my school work done on time!

Monday: I went to Zumba for cross training for the first time in a year.  They now do something called HIIT fit after the hour of Zumba and it lasts a half hour.  So we did Tabata intervals of various things including squats with a kettle bell, leg climbers, pushups, oblique crunches, and lots of other ab work.  I was fairly sore the next day from HIIT Fit.

Tuesday: I was able to get up first thing in the morning to get in my 4.5 mile run! I usually have to run late at night after the kids go to bed but since The Husband is home, I was able to do it before breakfast. I actually ended up doing 4.75 that morning because I got into a zone and forgot when I was supposed to stop.

Wednesday: The Husband and I went on a bike ride.  It was a lot of fun and it had been awhile but I always forget how much of a workout riding a bike can be!

Thursday- The kiddos went to my Grandma's to play and The Husband and I went for a 4.5 mile run through town.  I hadn't run this route in a few weeks and I was happy to get in one of my short runs outside.

Friday: Was rest day =)

Saturday: The kids had soccer games this morning.  My mom and I, along with my Little Girly went to a big outdoor outlet mall right afterwards to get the kids some summer clothes.  It wasn't at the pace I would normally walk for cross training but I was only scheduled for 50 minutes and probably got in over 2 hours.

Sunday: Again, The Husband and I took off together for a run.  I had 10 miles to do and we finally hit the point that we had to travel about 45 minutes in order to safely run it.  I had a VERY slow pace that I settled into but I really felt like I could go forever at that pace.  I stopped 3 very quick times and 2 of those were because I had to pee! I hydrated a bit too well apparently! I am going to have to watch that because I don't want to be stopping in the middle of my half!

I am very happy with this week and I am really excited for next week.

Happy Running!

Weekly Workout Roundup

This week wasn't as terrible as last week, so that's good.  I keep setting goals not to miss any workouts and life just laughs at me.  I still feel like I got a decent amount of work in but it wasn't what I wanted.  I did try to plank each day on top of what I did manage.  I do have to say that I have about 3-4 weeks until my last semester of grad school and I will be glad to see it be over!  I turned in an 18 page paper last week that has taken up most of my extra time and attention this week.  I have another 5-7 page one due tonight-which I should definitely be doing right now....

Week	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
8 (4-1 to 4-7)	4.5 m run 5 m run 57:13	8 m run 1:28:37	3 m run or cross	Rest	4.5 m run+ strength	50 min cross 4 mile walk/run with the kids on their bikes	9 m run  Subbing Monday for today JM 30 Day shred 1 hour softball

Monday- I decided that since the previous week was not that great I would go ahead and do 5 miles instead of the 4.5 that was on the schedule.  Luckily The Husband is home now and it will be much easier for me to get my runs in earlier.

Tuesday- I did Sunday's long run after some babysitter snafus.  Completed my 8 miles in 1:28:37.  Not the greatest time but at this point, since I am just starting out, I am happy with the time for now.  Right now I just want to finish my half which is in 4 short weeks (eek!).

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday- I didn't get anything done.  They were spent working on school work and getting the house ready for The Husband's return.  He has been gone for almost a year and we were ready to see him come home for a bit.  Hopefully the next job we will be going along with him! One of these days was a scheduled rest day, however.

Saturday- The Husband and I loaded up the kids and went for a 4 mile walk/run.  The kids rode their bikes and we would walk until they got too far ahead of us and then run to catch up with them.

Sunday- I decided to move my Sunday run to Monday this week so we could take advantage of my sisters being in town and go play softball with them and let the kids fly their kites.  I plan to also do my 30 Day shred video this evening if I ever focus and get this paper done tonight.


Another week and another goal.  Now with the husband home I hope that I can keep from missing any workouts.  I think I may return to Zumba while he is here since I have a months worth of paid classes from a card I won and it hasn't been used.  They are also doing something called HIIT Fit afterward so I think that will be beneficial to my cross training to get out and do it!  It even falls on my scheduled cross training/strength days so I call that a score as well!

Happy Running!