Weekly Recap (6/24/13-6/30/13) and How I Survive the Heat on My Long Runs

This picture pretty much sums up my week! This is the biggest reason why I hate training for a winter marathon. I am not a big fan of the treadmill for anything over 6-7 miles but I am sure that I will spending a lot more time with the beloved dreadmill to beat the heat this summer!

I had a decent week with the exception of the heat and I am trying to get my mileage back up again in hopes of squeezing in another marathon by the end of year. Here is how my week turned out.

Run #1: 7.5 miles@ 8:46 on the TM: Had to stay late at work to attend a City Council Meeting. Since I live 40 miles away from work, I left work at my regular time and drove to the gym which is about 4 miles away from my office. I got my run in, took a shower and then headed back to work. No excuses, right?

Run #2: 7.5 miles@8:29. I got my first taste of the early morning heat on this run. I wanted to get a run in before we headed to Disneyland and at 6:00 am it was already 70+ plus degrees out there.

Run #3: 15 Miles @ 9:15. I planned this run for Saturday morning, as you can see above it was a hot day! Sunday was supposed to be even hotter so I stuck with it, but it was not easy and was probably one of the toughest runs that I have experienced in quite a while. The temperature was 73 when I started and was 84 by the middle of the run. I kept the pace easy because I knew if I didn't I wouldn't be able to complete the planned 15 miles. I drank some chocolate milk after my run and it hit the spot!

Next week I am shooting for a long run of 18 miles at a faster pace but if the heat is still a factor then I will definitely be taking it easy!

Total: 30 Miles

How do you survive your long runs during the summer months?

I map out the shadiest routes I can find, wear sunscreen at all times, wear the least amount of clothes that I legally can and stay hydrated. I even have my spots wear I stop to refill my water bottles. I get some crazy looks when I walk in all sweaty and beet red! Here is one of my spots where I always stop to refill my bottles. Can you guess where this is at? I will give you a hint...it starts with Mc..

If you run your long summer runs on the treadmill, what is your record distance on the mill?

My record distance on the treadmill is 13.1 miles

Three Things Thursday

1. I have to stop eating all of these yummy cupcakes! My local cupcakery is always trying out new flavors and they get me every single time. This Mint and Chip cupcake was heavenly! How can I pass up a cupcake that is the same flavor as my favorite ice cream? I can't....

2. I have another long run planned for the week.  I want to do 20 miles but I just might settle for 18 because my calves have been feeling pretty sore lately. I think I will map out a run that is not too hilly and maybe that will work out better for me. If my calves are still sore, I will be doing much less than 18 or 20 for sure!

3. I will be leaving for South Carolina in less than a week. I am getting really excited to see my sister and her family but at the same time I am going to miss my family and my pets! My niece is really excited to be going back home because she misses her mother. I sure I will have a great time and I hope to be able to get some runs in but this weather may change things.

Do you enjoy running in the rain? 

I don't mind light rain since it can be refreshing but thunder and lightning kind of scare me!

Three Things Thursday

1. I just found out that the Color Me Rad 5K has a race location close to me!  I have reading all of the blog posts about how much fun this race is and I have been wanting to get in on the fun.  It will be at the Fontana Speedway on September 15th so I am thinking about signing up.  I think it will be a lot of fun and it's $38.00 until August 3rd. I see all of these fun races and I just want to sign up for all of them! I am thinking that we could make this a family run since I have also been trying to convince my daughter to run a 5K with me.

2. Good News!  My calves are pretty much pain free today!  I did not run the 7 miles that I had planned but instead cut it to 6.3 miles.  I was on the fence about whether or not I should run but my calves were so much better last night that I just went for it. The last 3.3 miles were the best part of my run 8:00, 7:30, and 7.30!

3. This weekend I will attempt a 17 mile run. I asked my other half to ride his bike and accompany me and carry my water. This will save me the hassle of having to hide water along my route. The first 6 miles of my route are all up hill so I am not really looking forward to this part of the run but I think I need to start incorporating a little bit more elevation into my runs. It is not really that bad at all but it will be challenging for me since I have been pretty much sticking to somewhat flatter roads. I do not have a planned pace in mind but just a goal of being able to complete the distance without pain. 

 

What are your plans for the weekend?  Got a long run on the "To Do List?"

My weekend starts today and dinner at Benihana is happening tonight since someone got their free birthday dinner certificate that need to be used by the end of the month!

Weekend Update, Puppies and a Spider!

I had a three day weekend and it was pretty nice. I was really lacking on sleep last week and I was feeling pretty beat by the end of the week. I slept until 7am on Saturday which is something that I rarely do.  My internal alarm clock, as well as my dogs, never fails to go off on the weekends!  The dogs never fail to start barking at 4am to eat breakfast! They love to eat!

My son really wanted to see Batman this weekend but after the horrible events that took place in Aurora, Colorado I didn't really feel like going anymore. I feel really bad for all of those people and their families. I just could not make any sense of it over the weekend.  It was just so bad watching all of those people hurting over what had taken place. Why do things like that have to happen??

I put my long run off until Sunday because I just did not have the energy to do it on Friday or Saturday. I went out for a run on Friday morning and I did not feel 100% and turned around and went back home.  I was only able to get 7.3 miles in before I had to call it a day. It was warm out at 6am and it was not just not my day!  I mapped out a new route to try on Saturday and I almost ran through this!  

I guess this is not a very popular route if this guy was able to build this masterpiece! I was kind of done at this point because I don't like spiders! I kept thinking that something was crawling on me after seeing this guy.

My puppies turned 7 weeks old on Saturday and are getting cuter, smarter and all of those good things. They are doing everything on their own but they just can't seem to get enough of their mama. They still cry to nurse with her and chase her down until she gives in so we are still letting them nurse once or twice a day.  Other than that, they eat and drink water on their own.  

The pups are pretty good about understanding the whole "go potty on the puppy pad" thing but once in a while they push their luck and poop somewhere that they shouldn't like in their own water bowl!  

My 15 mile run did happen on Sunday! I headed out at 5:45am and just went for it nice and easy with a goal pace of around 8:50-9:00. The weather is just too warm for me to push for anything more than that so my focus was more on building my endurance and not so much on my pace.

After my run, we headed over to my sisters apartment and had a BBQ and relaxed by the pool. I closed out my week with 36.34 miles and will be shooting for a 17 mile run next week. I am excited and nervous all at the same time! I am making progress and that always brings a smile to my face :) I still haven't bought that helmet to start riding my bike but it is going to happen soon. I need to start incorporating some cross training into my running schedule to get me ready for Surf City in February!

How was your weekend?  Did you go for a long run? Did you race?

Weekly Recap, Fro-Yo and Ice Cream!

Happy Monday Everybody!!  
This weekend seemed to fly by so quickly and now it's back to work for me!

I had another decent week and things are continuing to improve. It was another 31 mile week, (31.62) to be exact, and each run was decent. Not fast, not slow, but just right where I need to be. I went for a 13.12 mile run on Saturday morning. I had planned on 13 miles but you know how us runners just have to push for that extra .10 for some reason or another. The sun was out and it was already 70 degrees when I left my house at 6am. I was sweating the entire time but it was a great workout and the longest distance I have ran just for the heck of it.

I am going to shoot for a 15 miles long run this week if I am able.  I am anxious to see if I can do it. The current plan is to increase my mileage as much as I can and see how my body tolerates it. Getting back into running since my injury has been somewhat of a challenge since I don't want to re-injure myself so "easy does it."

After my long run on Saturday, I treated myself to Yogurtland because I felt that I deserved it or maybe that was just an excuse to go. They had so many new and yummy flavors and I sampled each and every one of them.  They were all so good and I topped mine off with a ton of almonds just the way I like it!  I didn't take a picture of my bowl because I was so anxious to eat it that I forgot!

I heard that it was National Ice Cream Day yesterday?  Did you celebrate and get your ice cream? I planned on it but ate too much lunch and couldn't make room for it.

What is your longest scheduled run for this week?

When Things Start to Feel a Bit Easier....

I woke up at 5:30 am this morning to tend to my two dogs and the "new family of five." I really wanted to get 9 miles in today so I finished my doggy duty and laced up my shoes! The weather was beautiful so I am glad I went for it! I ran one of my old familiar local routes and it felt like old times.

I was surprised at how an 8:30ish pace is starting to feel a bit easier for me. I didn't say it was easy but today it felt manageable. Getting back to this kind of pace without taking breaks has taken a lot of time for me and I was happy with myself today. I haven't felt this way in a while. I tried not to babysit the Garmin too much and just go with how I felt and an 8:20-8:30 pace was my comfort zone today. 

Got any big plans for the weekend?  

I have a busy weekend planned with lots of errands and a few fun activities. 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Missing those Long Runs!

I met up with my friend Maura yesterday to do my boring speed walk/jog around her son's school campus. She insists on meeting up with me in spite of my limitations and I feel guilty because she is capable of so much more. Maura spoils me. She keeps me thinking positive, makes me lattes, tamales and fresh squeezed orange juice too. I woke up with more pain than usual today and I am thinking the pain is a result of the entire four miles being on a concrete surface. It was so foggy yesterday but the breeze was great and really made me miss those early morning runs. It was one of those days that would have been just perfect for a long training run.  I really miss those long runs and cannot wait until I am able to do them again.

I spent the day icing and worrying about the pain I was feeling. Buster kept me company today as he enjoyed laying on my lap and checking out other dogs on the web. He is feeling much better after this surgery last week and he is no longer acting as territorial as he was in the past. Thank God! He also thinks he is much smaller than what he really is (16 pounds) and insists on laying on my lap whenever he gets the opportunity. I call Buster my "laptop."

Lastly, I am sorry to report that I was not one of the three winners of the $640,000,000 Mega Millions jackpot!! We do not play often but played this time around and ended up winning $10.00.  Not too bad but I would have preferred the $640 million instead!! I heard that the winner in Maryland only bought one quick pick and won!  I guess it only take $1.00 to win!!

I am hoping to get a 5 miler in tomorrow while this great weather lasts. If the pain is still beyond what I think it should be, I will play it smart and head to the gym and try a treadmill run or resort to the elliptical. I am supposed to run a half marathon next Saturday but my new found patience are telling me to sit it out. I have to be honest with myself...I am not there yet.   

Hope you are having a great weekend! Did anyone race this weekend?

I've Got Some Good News and Some Bad News......

This pretty much sums it up for me with my marathon one week away!

I had a very easy week and managed to get 22 miles or so in this week. The Long Beach Marathon is just a week away and I feeling nervous yet anxious all at the same time.  I ran 10 miles on Friday and 8.3 miles on Sunday because I have been having some pain in my left calf close to my Achilles tendon.  I did a little bit of Googling and think that I may be coming down with a case of Achilles tendinitis!  Just what I needed after the ten day forecast shows great marathon weather!  The pain is really low on my calf and I am almost positive that I have self-diagnosed correctly.  I found some great videos on YouTube on how to deal with this and I have been foam rolling, icing, doing wall push-ups and taking ibuprofen.  I am hoping that I can kick this within the next week and still be able to run Long Beach without any major problems. In any case I will be out there running/walking/limping/crawling/crying, etc.  I refuse to earn my first DNF but will settle for a PW!

Now on to the positive things! I was shopping at Target on Friday and finally decided to buy some Quaker Steel Cut Oats and give them a try.  I see them all of the time but am always hesitant to try them. I am glad that I gave in because I fell in love with them! The only problem is that they take a good 20-25 minutes to prepare and I usually do the instant stuff at work. I threw some brown sugar and bananas on top and washed it all down with milk.  I love milk and just can't live without it! My favorite breakfast to date has been Perfect Oatmeal with brown sugar and nuts from Starbucks but I think I have found something new that I really, really like! I am also overjoyed that it keeps my tummy full for a long time!   

I also scored some great deals at the Nike Outlet this weekend.  I had a $25 off of a $50 purchase coupon and purchased two new running tanks.  I own quite a few of them already but some of them are not in the greatest shape anymore.  I bought a hot pink one and a gray one which match up with most of the Tempo shorts that I already own.  I also bought a new running skirt from lululemon but no special deal on this purchase!  Lulu sells out of the cute stuff so quickly that you are forced to pay full price for their stuff.  I only splurge at lululemon once in a blue moon when I think I deserve it. To be honest, I often find myself making up excuses for deserving new running clothes or other gear!

In closing I want to wish all of you GOOD LUCK in your upcoming races.  I know that The Long Beach Marathon and the Chicago Marathon will both take place on October 9th so don't forget to tell me all about it! It is always great to hear how hard work/training pays off and results in great races and PR's!

Keeping My Fingers Crossed!

I always look forward to the time when I can start tapering down on my mileage!  I can breathe a sigh of relief and reflect on all my hard work that I have been putting in for the last few months.  I was feeling pretty crappy and burned out last week and I had to get myself back in gear and finish up the last few weeks of my training.  I have one more ten mile run to complete this Sunday and then it's time to slow things way down.

I did make it to the gym last Friday after work, as I said I would, and knocked out 7 miles on the treadmill.  I had to try something different to deal with my hateful feelings towards the treadmill and decided to alternate my miles between marathon and half marathon pace. The time seemed to go by much faster so I think I found a new way to tolerate the days when I have to run on the dreadmill! Maybe if I had a "New Best Friend" like Gourmet Runner, I might fall in love again! 

I also ran a half marathon around the neighborhood on Sunday morning.  I planned on doing 13 miles but just had to get that extra .10 miles in for some odd reason. The weather was perfect, 60 degrees, and there was a light mist during my entire run. My average pace was 8:44 and I was happy with that.  It was really refreshing and I can only hope that the weather will be this nice in two weeks when I run the Long Beach Marathon.  I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Great Deals and 22 Miles!

On Saturday I found some amazing deals at the REI Used Gear Sale.  My husband was hoping to score a great deal on a used road bike but you have to camp out for a great deal like that and I wasn't about to do that!  There was tons of people at the sale by the time we arrived and we saw lots of good things in other people's hands like Garmin GPS watches, road bikes, bike racks and running strollers.  REI has a great return policy for their members who pay their lifetime $20.00 membership fee. Due to this great return policy, their customers return everything and anything they can and then REI has this great sale every three months or so for the rest of us. I think I even saw a pack of toilet paper at the sale! Really, no joke but I guess it is safe to assume that it wasn't used!  I was able to grab a few things at some great prices that are gently used.  I am not usually into buying used items but I couldn't pass these items up.  Here is what I scored:

1) A pair of Pearl Izumi All-Road Bike Shoes for my spinning classes that I can never seem to make it to. These retail for $85.00 and I haven't bought a pair because I wasn't ready to pay that much for them especially when I have a hard time getting to the classes due to time conflicts.  The tag says that they were only worn twice and returned because they were too tight in the toe area. I paid $20.00 for these! They don't look worn at all to me so I was excited when I saw these laying on the ground all by their lonesome! I now have a good reason to start going to spin class again and sticking to it! Hopefully I don't get athlete's foot from my new but used shoes!

2. I also picked up these Amphipod Running Belts for $9.00 and $12.00.  They don't include the water bottles but I don't think I would want to drink out of used water bottles anyway. Now I have three running belts and they are all different so depending on what I want to carry with me on any given day, I now have a variety to choose from! I paid $40.00 for the one that I already own so this was a excellent deal!

3. This item was not part of the used gear sale but my son has been bugging me to buy this for him because he gets tired standing out on the course waiting for me to finish my races! He tells me that I take too long. I guess that is his way of telling me that I am too slow!

My son and my niece Kia'a trying out the new chair

On Sunday morning I ran 22 miles which is my last super long run before the Long Beach Marathon on October 9th. I didn't do as well as I thought I should have so I am hoping for the best! I was hoping to get it done much faster but I didn't and I have no excuses. I am hoping that the adrenaline and excitement that I usually feel on race day will carry me to the finish line!

I May Be Old but I Can Still Run a Marathon!

I can't believe I am 40!  It was the big 4-0 for me on September 7th and even though I wasn't really looking forward to it, I made the best of it!  I started the Labor Day Weekend off by PR'ing in the Disneyland Half Marathon.  

My PR was the greatest birthday gift in and of itself!  I received so many Happy Birthday wishes and compliments from co-workers, family and friends which made me feel just a little bit better about the whole "Over the Hill" thing.  My niece and nephew in Florida went way out in these special pictures just for me!

Notice his onesie!

Taite got in on the whole"40" thing too!

So let me tell you all about the special things that everyone did for me to make my 40th a memorable one! September 6th was my son's first day of fourth grade so I started work late so that I could take him on his first day. It's kind of a tradition for me to take him on his first day. I am dreading the day that he no longer wants me around which will probably be really soon.

When I arrived at work I was pleasantly surprised to see the new look of my office! My staff decorated my office for me and even though there was "40" all over it, I loved it!  I thought it was a pretty cool idea even though it kind of rubbed in the whole "40" thing! There was no doubt that everyone in City Hall knew how old I was! They did try to be nice and tell me how I did not look a day over 25. Whatever!

Tease me about my age and I'll beat you with my cane!

My staff/co-workers also took me to lunch twice. We had lunch at BJ's one day and then at Red Robin another!  They also gave me a bunch of neat gifts like flowers, candy, gift cards to Kohl's and Sprinkles and a running jacket for training in the winter.  The jacket was from Shawna which came with the guarantee that her and I will do a marathon together in the future.

On my birthday, more good things came my way. I took three days off of work to take care of family stuff and to celebrate my birthday and try to relax a little. My husband sent me the most beautiful glittery red roses and my son made me the most creative rose out of duct tape. We also went to lunch at one of my favorite Thai Restaurants and I ate my little heart out.  I normally take it easy with the fried food but I really like love the fried won tons and I made it known!  I had the pepper steak with rice and yes, I cleaned my plate!  My husband also bought me some other running related things that I have been wanting but they are on their way so I don't have them to share with you yet.

My son can make pretty much anything out of duct tape!

After lunch, I got a pedicure per Shawna's orders and she also told me that I needed to take a break from running as well.  I obeyed her orders and managed to gain 5 pounds instead! Keep reading to see how I managed to pack the pounds on!

I love Italian food, so the whole gang went to Buca di Beppo for dinner to celebrate my 40th with me.  I love their house salad, mozzarella cheese bread and spaghetti with meat sauce. I cleaned my plate here too!  My daughter brought some of my favorite wine, Moscato.  I am not much of a drinker and rarely ever drink but I did have a small glass of wine.  My son has never seen me drink before so he was really concerned that I was drunk. My daughter also gave me a gift card to a great spa so I will be treating myself to a much needed facial really soon!  There's more.

No celebration would be complete without my favorite dessert, cupcakes!  My daughter also brought me my two favorite cupcakes from our local cupcakery.  The waiter brought them out to me complete with the 4-0 candles and the birthday song.  I was pleasantly surprised and the cupcakes disappeared and went straight to my hips too!

Just Kidding!  This photo was taken strictly for your entertainment.

The day after my birthday we went to see "The Help."  It was a great movie but very sad to see how black women were treated back in those days. I highly recommend that you see this movie! One random thing about movie theater bathrooms. While visiting the ladies room, I was surprised to see the various items that are available for purchase from the "Convenience Center!" I thought this machine was used for those other things that women use?? I guess not because they weren't for sale in this ladies room!

Body Jewels or Lip Gloss anyone?

I ate at another one of my favorite Thai restaurants the day to follow! I love the garlic and pepper pork! Can't you tell? I tried to leave a little something on the plate so I didn't appear to be a pig! I am not sure if I was very convincing! Probably not.

Before

After

My last food binge that I will admit to is my visit to my favorite taco truck!  This is the one and only "roach coach" that my family and I dare to eat from.  They have the absolute very best tacos in the whole wide world and we make a cross country trip to get these bad boys for only a $1.25! The gas is more expensive than the food!

So how did I deal with all of the guilt of being a fat 40 year old? I went for a nice 20 mile run on Sunday and called it a week! I think I forgot what 20 miles feels like because I felt pretty tired from Mile 15 to the end.  It didn't help that I mapped out the hilliest course ever for a 20 mile run.

I am just 27 days away from running my first marathon as a 40 year old.  I am in a whole different Age Group now! The only problem is that the 40 year old women are pretty darn awesome so now I will never place in my age group until I'm 50 or 60. I guess I now have something to look forward to in my old age!