Weekly Recap, Weather Stalking and Plans for the Disneyland Half Marathon

After a less than stellar week, I was determined to make this week a better one.  My goal was 30 miles and I got it done.  My right shin starting acting up on my 15 mile run on Sunday so I am a little concerned. I slowed down the pace and came home and iced it right away.  One week before race day...just my luck!

I took a interval cycling class last week and I was kind of impressed with myself.  I was able to push myself pretty hard and I made it through the 55 minute class without dying. I was reflecting back on when I was injured and taking cycling classes as an alternate to running and I was feeling really burned out back then so I guess I am getting a little stronger.

I am also keeping up with the Friendly Challenge and making sure that I do my daily push ups, planks and wall sits.  I try to do just a little more of each everyday and I really like the challenge. I might try to stick with this even after the challenge ends on 8/31. My record plank is 2:30!

I can't believe that the Disneyland Half Marathon is this coming Sunday. Let the weather stalking begin! I have been waiting for the 10 Day weather forecast to come out and hoping for the best in spite of the horrible heat we have been seeing all summer long. It looks like the weather will be much better than expected. For the past two years that I have ran this race, it has been in the low to mid 60's and I can definitely deal with that.  

The race starts at 5:45 am and I will be crossing the start line with seconds of the gun so I can be done before it warms up. I have decided to run this race without any goals other than trying to beat my last time of 1:57:57 which is about a 9:00 pace. The course is pretty flat and I wish I was ready to set my eyes on a PR but I am not. I haven't been doing any kind of speed work or cross training and I have just kind of been running without any goal pace. I guess I am just so happy to be running again that I have yet to focus on cross training and all of the other components of a strong training plan.

I am excited to start picking out what I am going to wear for the race on Sunday. I have lots of new outfits in the closet that are waiting to be worn but can't decide. Disney races are supposed to be fun and lots of runners dress up for the race. I have never dressed up in costume because I thought it would be uncomfortable and distract me from doing my best. I am also busy getting my race bag packed to make sure that I don't forget anything important.

Do you stalk the weather during race week? Do you like to dress up in costume for races?

Ouch and a Crappy Week!

Last week started out really well and then it came to a screeching halt thanks to that darn Peak 10 class that I took last Saturday!  I woke up so sore on Sunday morning and just knew that I was not going to be able to get my long run in! I was so bummed!  I ended up with the lowest weekly mileage that I have had in a while...22 miles! I have taken the last two days off and I am hoping to get back into things today or tomorrow at the very latest.

The soreness continued to kick in on Sunday and I mean everything hurts...arms, quads, calves, back, shoulders, rear end...you get the idea!  I guess I am out of shape and should probably not engage in this kind of stuff the day before a planned long run.  I knew it was going to happen but I took my chances.  Lesson learned and I won't be doing it again because my days have been consumed with these guys....

The Disneyland Half Marathon is two weeks away and I don't feel like I am ready for it but I am going to get out there and do what I can! I have yet to set a goal but I do know that I am going to be pretty upset if I can't beat my last time of 1:57:58.  I ran my last half marathon coming off of an injury and ran it pretty safe without taking any chances so I think I should be able to do a little bit better. I am hoping for cooler weather on race day and according to the weather forecast it's finally starting to cool down.  

I can't remember the last time I went for a run in the 60 degree temperatures. I am looking forward to getting some runs in this weekend while the cool weather lasts!

How is the weather where you live?  

What is your ideal running temperature? I prefer the temperature to be 50-55 degrees.

Vacation Time and A Record Month

I spent a good part of Sunday evening packing my bags for my trip to South Carolina.  I am taking a pretty big suitcase because I am taking back a bunch of gifts for my sister and her family that everyone here wanted to send them. I carry my most beloved belongings in my carrying bag since these are the things that I cannot live without or would be expensive to replace like my running shoes, hydration belt, my Garmin, my contact lenses (I have the worst vision ever) and my magazines that I have been putting aside to read while I am on the plane. I am sure that my niece will keep me entertained but if she falls asleep or watches a movie on her DVD player, I will try to catch up on my reading!

The weather is going to be hot with a very big chance of rain but I am planning to get a couple of runs in if I can. I mapped out a small loop around my sister's house so I can easy get back if it starts pouring. 

I am excited but traveling can sometimes be hectic because I will come back to a desk full of work and a list of things to do at home. I do not enjoy unpacking either. I have been good about unpacking the day that I get home from a trip but there have been times when the suitcase sits in my bedroom for days! Before I go, I have to leave my other half a "Honey Do List" since there are certain things that I handle at home that he will have to assume while I am away. Most of the tasks are pretty simple but they must be done...like give the dogs clean water and don't forget to check the mail!

With the exception of being lazy and not getting my long run done on Friday instead of Sunday, I had a good week, a record week! I woke up at the crack of dawn to watch the women's marathon and that was not a good idea when you have 18 miles to run. I only slept 5 hours and I could feel it every single mile but I fought through it. I am glad I did!

• Miles Planned: 40
• Miles Completed: 40.12 (This is actually my biggest week to date so I am pretty excited about it!)

My calves have been feeling sore after runs of 15 miles or longer so I am spending more time stretching, using my stick and icing right after my runs. They are feeling pretty normal today so that is a big relief.


Thankfully I live about five minutes from the airport and my flight leaves at 2:20pm tomorrow so I am hoping to get a decent run in before I get out of town! I am already starting to feel sad to leave my family behind but sometimes a small break can be a good thing. It makes you appreciate people more :)

What do you bring in your carry on bag when you travel? Do you tend to over pack like I do?

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?

Puppy Update: Five Weeks Old and a Weekly Recap

The puppies are doing great and are now five weeks old! They are so cute and they are now responding to our voices.  When I stand at the opening of their little home and they all come running to me. They love to lick me and they all want to be held and loved. They cry until it is their turn to be picked up and hugged and loved. They love to play with one another and sometimes things get a little out of control in there. Brownie even figured out how to get out of the caged area yesterday!

They love to play with one another and sometimes things get a little out of control in there. Brownie even figured out how to get out of the caged area yesterday!These pups are pretty smart too. They actually step out of their bed and use the bathroom on the puppy pads. I am not sure how they learned this but all four of them know how to do it! We bought them some toys to see if they would play and they love their toys.

They are still learning how to eat and prefer to drink from mama but they are getting too big for her to feed 100% of the time since they are all almost 3 pounds.  They are getting the hang of it and should be weaned from their mama really soon. They get their nails trimmed every week and they don't really like it but I have to do it so that they do not scratch Sugar when they are nursing.

I don't have homes for any of them yet but we are still working on it. I really want to make sure that they go to good homes that will keep them as inside pets. These little pups are used to a warm, clean bed and lots of love and attention so if they can't continue to get that in a new home then they can't leave mine! My family thinks that I am going to try to keep them all but I am not. I can't! I just want to place them in good homes with responsible owners who can give them the proper care and love. I am happy to say that most of the bloggers who are pet owners show an amazing amount of love for their pets and I really admire them for it! 

                                                                 Weekly Recap

My running is continuing to get better and better. Slowly but surely I will be where I want to be. I am in no big rush but am just happy to be back in the 8:XX pace range again and running pain free. I made some progress this week and logged 31 miles and I am happy with that. My challenge for the week will be planning my runs around this heat! I guess it's a week for the dreadmill!

Less than two months until the Disneyland Half Marathon! 

Weekend Recap

Since we have this new above ground pool and all, my son wanted to show it off and invited his two cousins over. The plan was to go to Universal Studios on Friday, have them all spend the night and then go swimming the next day. Let me tell you, when these three get together they can be a handful. They all get along for the most part, but they do have moments when two of them team up against the third so I have to keep a close eye on them. They wore me out and I can't imagine raising three small children all at the same time.  I only have two kids and they are 14 years apart (crazy, I know) so I really have respect for those parents who have the patience to raise several children because it's tough!

Universal Studios was a lot of fun! The kids had a great time and it wasn't incredibly crowded for a Friday in June. Costco had some reasonably priced annual passes for $69 so we took the deal.  I think we have officially given up on the $699.00 Disneyland annual passes and will have to find some new things to do this summer. The kids really wanted to ride the new Transformers 3-D attraction so we headed there first. They really liked it!  We also enjoyed the Jurassic Park Ride, Revenge of the Mummy Ride, King Kong 360, Terminator 2-3D and  the Studio Tour. The remainder of our visit was spent at the Curious George water park.  These kids love to swim and play in water!!

Saturday was also a busy day. The kids went swimming in the morning before they all went back home and then it was time to get ready for a birthday party with more swimming!  My son was pretty burned out by Sunday morning with all of the swimming and fun he had over the weekend! I think I am still recovering myself!

Weekly Recap: I exceeded my goal of 25 miles this week and ended up with 26 and some change.! I had a great 10.5 run on Saturday morning in spite of the warm weather. I revisited an old familiar route that has a bit more of a climb than what I have been doing lately and it went well.  With seven days left in the month of June, I am on track to hitting 100 miles for the month. I have not seen a 100 mile month since December of last year so I am excited about my progress and hopeful that I can continue to increase my mileage without any setbacks. 

How was your weekend?   Did you do anything special? 

Father's Day Dinner with Spongebob and a Weekly Recap!

This weekend was really busy and exciting all at the same time.  Other than getting new road bikes, we enjoyed a great Father's Day dinner at Benihana. I think my son enjoyed it the most and our chef was great. The restaurant was super busy and it took longer than expected to be seated, but I guess that is to be expected on a busy holiday like Father's Day.  We were starving by the time the chef showed up but he was pretty entertaining and we had a great time.  I won't bore you with all of the food that I ate but I have to share some of the highlights of our dinner with you. Yes, I forced my son to put this hat on and pose for a picture!

Have you ever seen this corny creation at Benihana? I had not and neither did anyone else at our table so this one was the favorite of night! The onion volcano ain't got nothing on Spongebob!  My son loved it and he enjoyed the dinner show! Notice that Patrick is in the picture too!

We talked a lot and laughed a lot and we had a great evening. The chef kept the jokes coming throughout the meal and we were stuffed.  I don't think anyone at the table finished their food. We all wore some shade of blue for some unplanned reason or another but I think the colors made for a nice photo.

 I love the green tea ice cream and even though I was stuffed, I saved some room for just a few bites!

As far as my running last week..I did not meet my goal of 25 miles but did happen to get 20.52 miles on the books. I was planning to run on Father's Day but it just did not happen so I have to get back on track this week. I am also excited to say that I did reach 400 miles for the year. I am still way behind on hitting my goal of 1200 for the year but I will take what I can get right now!

Are you a fan of green tea ice cream?  What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

I think my all time favorite would have to be mint chocolate chip or just plain chocolate chip.

My Memorial Weekend Recap

I made my usual weekly call to me Dad on Thursday to see how he has been doing.  Of course it is always hard to figure out how he is doing because he never complains about anything and acts like going through chemo is really no big deal.  Whatever Dad! My dad is always working on some new project around his house. His newest project is building a storage shed. I think it is his way of making sure that he stays active and proving to himself that he can still do things he used to do. He refuses to let cancer win this battle and I can't tell you how much I will always admire him for that! During our phone call, he mentioned that his company was hosting a family picnic and that he wanted us to go. He is on the employee committee and helps plan all of the events so I guess he wanted to attend in spite of having gone fishing the entire day. The picnic started at 5:00pm on Sunday and I never pass up an opportunity to see him because in my back of my mind I always wonder how much longer he will be here with me. It was good quality time and my son had a great time. He won the sack race and received a $10 Cold Stone Ice Cream gift card.

On Monday I ran a 10K and saw this interesting masked man!  It was warm out there...can you tell by my red face? After the race I went home, cooked and then spent time with my family.  My grandparents came over and so did my mom. We feasted on carne asada, ribs, corn on the cob, baked beans, and pasta salad!

Today was an added vacation day because I knew that I would need some time to recover from the weekend.  I went to the gym since I hate to pass up an opportunity to workout especially when I have a day off and have the time.  I also missed an opportunity to meet this sweet lady who happened to be at the gym at the same time as I was.  We somehow passed right by each other and neither one of us actually realized who the other was.
Weekly Recap
As far as last weeks running, I didn't have a great week in terms of miles. I only ran 16.65 miles but I am determined to do much better this week!  I am already ahead of the game since I have been off for the last two days and took advantage of both of them.

It's back to work for me tomorrow.  It's going to be tough going back to work after having five days off!  Have a great week!! 

Anybody joining the Runner's World Summer Running Streak? I would love to do it but sometimes things get hectic with my busy schedule and I don't want to feel bad for breaking the streak!

Needing a Confidence Boost and a Weekly Recap

 via

As much as I would love to sign up for a marathon right now, just I can't.  I honestly don't think I am ready and until I feel more comfortable with my running abilities I will just stick to what I have been doing.  But wait, I am not completely against signing up for a race.  I am considering signing up for a 10K or maybe even a 5K. What I really need right now is a little "confidence boost" so I am considering a couple of local races.  I guess what I am in search of is a small race where I have a chance of placing in my age group. I like the small races that have same day bib pick up and are close to home! I am search of one or two right now so we will see if I can work up the courage to register for one.

Weekly Recap

My runs were a little bit better this week than last week. I only ran 6 miles last week due to sore calves and this week I was able to squeeze in 19.5 miles. It's not where I want to be in terms of pace and mileage but I am trying to take it slow for the next few weeks and hopefully I can get more serious with my running in June. Training is difficult during the summer months because of the California heat but it's the only way to prepare for winter races. We are already experiencing temperatures in the 90's so I am a little worried about how hot our summer will actually be.

Monday: REST

Tuesday: Ran 5 Miles on the Treadmill. It was way too hot to run outside by the time I got home from work.

Wednesday: REST

Thursday: REST

Friday: Ran 5.25 Miles (The best run I have had in a long time!)

Saturday: Ran 3 Miles (Two Miles with the family and the last one alone.)

Sunday: Ran 6.25 Miles

TOTAL MILES: 19.5

Hope you had a great weekend.  There seemed to be a lots of races going on this this weekend and the weather seemed to be intolerably warm/hot. I have never been up against the weather on a race day and I'm not really sure what I would do..

What is the warmest/hottest weather you have ever raced in?

So What's Next and a Weekly Recap.....

Today has been a crazy day!  Mondays are always hectic days for me anyway because it is hard to come back after being off for three days. My biggest problem today is that I stayed up way too late watching the two hour season finale of Desperate Housewives. It was my favorite TV show and I am really bummed that it is all over. I wasn't in work mode today even though I had a ton of things to do. I did get all of my work done but my mind appears to be somewhere else these days.  Here is where my mind was really at....

I keep asking myself what's next and to be honest, I am not sure.  The OC Half Marathon was a a great race to get back into things and I was really excited and nervous about it all at the same time. I really need to focus on my running confidence because the whole idea of re-injuring myself is always in the back of my mind. I am really trying to be more positive about running but sometimes the memories of an injury can hold you back.

So what are those thoughts that have been dancing around in my head?

1)   Run CIM in December. I have been eyeing this marathon since the beginning of the year.  I just keep visiting their website hoping that it doesn’t say “SOLD OUT.” I am just not sure if I will be ready to do what I want to go there for…a new PR. 

2)  Run another Half Marathon. I am registered for the Disneyland Half Marathon in September. Again, I would love to PR and break 1:47. Is that possible? I am currently comfortable running a 9:00 pace and need to get closer to an 8:00 pace to accomplish this goal. I was there before so I know that it is achievable but I just need to convince myself that I can do it.

3)   In 2013, run all of the races that I missed while injured in 2012.

a.      Surf City Marathon

b.     Pasadena Half Marathon

c.      Los Angeles Marathon

d.     Hollywood Half Marathon

4)  Run a race in honor of my Dad. My Dad is currently in his third round of chemo and I really want to run a race for him.  I am not sure what the future holds for my Dad and as difficult as a marathon is for me, I am sure that it is nothing compared to the life of a cancer patient. I have been considering the Long Beach Marathon in October since I almost broke four hours last year and swore I would be back to reclaim what was mine.  The only question that lingers in my mind is whether or not I will be ready for it and if my body will be back to normal and be able to handle a marathon.

Weekly Recap

I didn't have the best week since I spent most of my time allowing my body to recover 100% from the half marathon.  My calves were really sore and I didn't want to run again until all of the soreness was gone.  It was a pretty boring week and I am hoping that this week will be much better.

Monday: REST

Tuesday: REST

Wednesday: REST

Thursday: AND MORE REST

Friday: Ran one mile on the treadmill and 6.1 miles/55 minutes on the Elliptical

Saturday: REST

Sunday: Ran 5 Miles in the neighborhood  

How was your weekend?  If you are a Mom, how was your Mother's Day?
Are you a fan of Desperate Housewives?

The Running Roller Coaster

I had some issues with shin splints last week and was unable to run for a few days.  After a few days of rest and help from my new PT, I was able to get back on track toward the end of the week. I think I had a pretty decent week and I am pain free this morning. I am trying to be patient with the recovery process but it gets frustrating when you take one step forward and then one step back again. I have experienced the ups and downs of the running roller coaster lately but I am thankful that I am able to run again.  My pace is slower than what I would like to see but I have to count my blessings, right?

Here is a Recap of My Week:

Monday: 1 Mile Run and 5 Miles on the Elliptical
Tuesday: REST due to shin splint
Wednesday: REST AGAIN
Thursday: and REST AGAIN
Friday: Ran 6.2 on the Treadmill
Saturday: 3.5 Mile Jog/Walk on the Treadmill
Sunday: Ran 7.3 on the Treadmill
TOTAL MILES FOR THE WEEK: 18 

My weekend was pretty relaxing. We attended a birthday party for a family member and I also spent some time with my mom.  The theme for the birthday party had something to do with Nerf guns so my son went well prepared for battle and had a great time!

This weekend will be a busy one with a couple of exciting events on the agenda. I hope they happen!!

Recap of my Incredible Week!

This was been my biggest week ever since December of 2011 and I am hoping that the dark days are now behind me and I can continue to move get my running back on track. I am really happy with the progress that I made this week!! I am pain free today and I can't wait to step it up a little bit more this week! I am playing it safe and continuing to ice after every workout and running every other day to take the rest day that I need.

Monday: 6 Mile Treadmill Run

Tuesday: REST DAY

Wednesday: REST DAY

Thursday: 3.75 Mile Treadmill Run at Physical Therapy

Friday: 7 Mile Treadmill Run

Saturday: 4 Mile Bike Trail Walk

Sunday: 7.25 Mile Treadmill Run

TOTAL MILES: 28 Miles (24 Miles Running and 4 Miles of Walking)

 

 I know that I have a lot of catching up to do. I know that my pace and endurance are not where they used to be but I am okay with that right now.  I will be patient and I will listen to my body because me and not running do not mix!

Good luck to everyone who is running Boston today!
 

Change of Plans....Again!

Why do the weekends go by so quickly but the weekdays just drag? I guess I will never stop asking myself that question! Happy Monday!! I am looking forward to this coming weekend because I will be on vacation starting Friday and I won’t be returning to work until Wednesday.  My son will be on spring break so we are planning on spending some much needed family time together.  The weather will be perfect so it’s great timing for us. The old saying “April showers brings May flowers” will not be a factor this weekend.  

The original plan was to hit up Universal Studios on Friday, pick up my bib for the Hollywood Half Marathon and then spend the night and run the half the next morning at 6:00am.  Change of plans….again....I have decided that I am not quite "half marathon ready" so DNS number four will be hitting the books this weekend! It is very hard to swallow but I know that jumping into a half marathon is not the smartest decision plus I have been sidelined this long so I will survive!! The goodie bag for the Hollywood Half is really nice so I just might go ahead and pick it up and take my son to Universal Studios anyway!  It’s going to be tough going to the expo and seeing everyone in race mode but I just keep telling myself that this will soon pass. My biggest goal is  come back stronger than ever when I am back to running to make up for lost time! 

I gotta have this!!

I am convinced that I will be running the OC Half Marathon on May 6^th.  This is my last chance to start this series and receive this my Beach Cities Challenge medal so even if I have to walk it I will be there. After the OC Marathon, I no more planned races so I won’t have put myself through all of this disappointment anymore.  I have gotten to the point where I am scared to even think about thinking about registering for another race.  I have sat so many races out since February that it’s depressing.

I logged 36 whole miles for the month of March which is pitiful but it's better than the whopping 3 miles I logged in February!!  I can't wait until I can get back into my 100 plus months. This week I will be increasing my sessions to 5-6 miles and increasing my pace from 5.2 to 5.5 on the treadmill.  I am also doing less walking and more jogging (I hate the word jogging! Am I a jogger now? NO, I AM NOT!!) so hopefully my leg agrees with the plan!!  I am keeping my fingers crossed and trying to remain positive!!

HAPPY MONDAY!

After a three day weekend it is so hard to get back into the work routine.  This weekend was a pretty lazy weekend since I pretty much stayed home and kept an eye on my pups. I did sneak off to get a much needed pedicure and I think having nine toe nails is actually a record for me.  I am usually missing at least two and in the process of losing a third.

Buster is back to normal and feeling much better. I even let him lay in my bed with me for a nap and now he doesn't like his dog bed anymore! I am going to be in trouble for allowing him on the bed!

On Sunday morning I hit the road before the rains came and did my little speed walk/jog routine outdoors. It felt good to not be on the treadmill and get some fresh air instead of that wonderful smell of the gym!  I had no hamstring pain but I did feel some pressure in my left shin.  It eased up after a few breaks and I took my chances and kept going. In the end, I put in 4.45 miles and broke a little sweat so I was happy.

I was thrilled to see my weekly report from dailymile since I finally got some miles on the books. Of the 20.42 miles, 16.42 of those miles are my speed walk/jog routine.  I know that I am way off from achieving my goal of 1200 miles for the year but glad to be doing more than I could last month. I am happy to see any kind of progress these days. I have a physical therapy session tomorrow and I am looking forward to getting my H-Wave therapy.  I swear I felt better after I had it for the first time. The things I look forward to these days...

Did you do anything exciting this weekend?  Have a great week!

Hills and Thrills!!

This week was not a very productive week in terms of running or any kind of workouts for that matter! I did way too much resting this week that's for sure! Here is how last week turned out:

Monday: REST

Tuesday: REST

Wednesday: Spin Class

Thursday: REST..I was all dressed and ready to walk out the door to go to the gym, then my daughter called me and needed to talk so I didn't make it!  I swear I was going to do my speed work but I had to be a good Mom and be there for my daughter when she needed me.

Friday: Ran 2 miles on the dreadmill and then did 45 minutes on the elliptical

Saturday:REST

Sunday: 14.81 Miles of very steep climbs for the first 6 miles.  This was by far the steepest climb I have ever done in my life! Although it was downhill at the end, it was a pretty good workout! This run may have somewhat made up for all of the resting I did in the beginning of the week!

Friday after work I met up with Maura, a friend from Daily Mile.  We have conversed and emailed for the past couple of months and we finally set up a time to meet and chat.  As I mentioned before, Maura is a great runner and I know that I can learn a lot from her. On Sunday, I ran 14.81 miles with her and she warned me about the steep climb for the first six miles! The highest elevation we reached on this run was 3000 feet. My quads are really sore now to say the least!

I enjoyed the fresh clean air and I will definitely be back to do it again!  It is a challenging run and I am sure that it will make me stronger!!  Maura and I will be running a 16-17 miler together this Friday but on a much flatter course at a much faster pace. Maura gave me lots of good tips on how to be a better and smarter runner so I will be testing out her tips and maybe I will be running a 3:17 marathon like her soon.... it's okay to dream, right?

I am also thrilled about some great deals that I scored at the REI Half Yearly sale his past Saturday!  I have been wanting to upgrade my Garmin 305 to a newer model but just didn't see the logic in replacing it when it works perfectly fine.  Well, if you can buy a used Garmin 310XT that is in great condition for much of nothing then is worth spending the money. A new 310XT retails for about $399.99 so I scored big time on this one! The 310XT can be used for other sports like biking and swimming but I will be using it just for running. I tried it out on my Sunday run with Maura and I really liked it. The face seems smaller than my 305, it feels lighter and it has the wireless data transfer option which is pretty cool too.

I also bought four other Garmins that were super cheap.  I bought two 305's, a 405, and another 310XT. Some do not have boxes and are missing some of the parts but those can be replaced for much of nothing. I will have to find homes for all of these once I test them all out and make sure that they are working properly.

I have touched on the fact that I love cupcakes, right? Well, I was also thrilled to death when I received the special Christmas menu from my local cupcakery!  Their Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcake is to die for!!  It tastes just like the real thing in the form of a cupcake!  I have never tried some of these special flavors so I guess I will be buying a ton of the minis and sampling them all! 

I am still catching up on wrapping presents but managed to finish up all of my last minute Christmas shopping. Buster kept me company while I attempted to wrap presents. He is just the sweetest little boy. Just two more days of work left and then I will be off for ten days!  Time to relax and spend some much needed quality time with the family....

What is your favorite treat that makes you cheat? Mine is obviously cupcakes!

What are your plans for the holidays? I will be home spending time with my family.  My sister will be visiting from Florida so we will be busy catching up and trying to squeeze in a million things into a weeks time.

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things with Hills and My Favorite Holiday Goodies!

It's feels good to be getting back on track in terms of training. The previous week was pretty unproductive so I had to get myself back on track this past week.  I managed to get all of my workouts in but being sick caused me to cut one of my runs short.  I was finding it a bit difficult to run and cough like crazy at the same time.  I was also out of energy and pushed myself to do as much as I possibly could before calling it quits.  Here is what last week looked like: 

Monday: XT Day#1: Spin Class 

Tuesday: 5.25 miles (Should have been 8 but too sick to finish) 

Wednesday: REST DAY

Thursday: 6 Mile Speed Workout on Treadmill (Seemed much easier on the treadmill) 

Friday: REST DAY (Went to the movies to see Jack and Jill..pretty funny!)

Saturday: 13 Mile Run @8:42 (We finished the last three miles strong!) 

Sunday: XT Day#2: 45 minutes on Life Cycle  

Total Miles for the Week: 24.25 

Holiday Half Marathon:

Shawna and I will be running the Holiday Half Marathon this Sunday so we did a mock run on part of the course this past Saturday.  We were not able to cover the entire course since we did not have access to all of it but we ran a good portion of it.  It is a pretty hilly course so I am not expecting to PR on this course by no means. My quads were feeling it after the mock run on Saturday! I guess they warned us by using the word "HILLS" on the Elevation Chart.

Shawna and I have decided to dress up and look very festive for this race so I don't know how comfortable we will be. I am in it strictly for fun this time but I am not so sure about Shawna! This is the last race of 2011 for me so I will spend the remainder of the year enjoying the holidays but will continue to stick to my training plan.

My Favorite Holiday Goodies:
All of the Christmas decorating is done at home and it is already starting to feel like Christmas at work.  I added some lights on my monitor and all the goodies are starting to show up at work too.  

I can resist most of the junk food at work but there is one thing that I wait for every year and it showed up today!

Linda's Homemade Toffee!!

A co-workers wife sends us a huge can of homemade toffee every year that just melts in your mouth.  I absolutely love it!!!  Is it rude that I took half of the can for myself?

While I am on the subject of my favorite holiday foods, have you heard about the 12 Days of Yuletide Yumminess at Yogurtland?  Don't miss out on these flavors!!  I haven't been!!

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What are some of your favorite goodies that only come around during Christmas time? How do you resist all of the goodies at work?  Or do you not??