All about my week end, and today.

My training schedule is thickening.  It seems as though I have been dumped into a very demanding routine.  Last week end I ran till I thought I couldn't run any more, then got a rest.  This week end started my running on Friday with a 3 miler, then Saturday 5, then Sunday 4.5.  Rest on Monday, which was perfect because we were staying at an RV park as a family, and the fam had to wait around for me to finish up my runs.

 Highlights of the week end were getting to shop at the Nike, and Adidas employee stores!  Everything was 50% off.  This is something I wouldn't have cared much about only 6 months ago, but I have been running in the same three outfits since December, and one of them is insulated pants, so those rule out when the warm weather hits.  My other pair of pants the fabric is pilling up from being washed so much.  The shorts are great because they are practically brand new!  I got some serious loot though.  I do need a new sports bra, but the one I did like, they didn't have in my size...too bad because not only was it functional, it was cute!  I got some compression shorts, socks, sweat wicking shirts, and compression pants.  At least I think the shorts and pants are compression.  I also picked up a running skirt at a different store, which I am super excited to use when I am outside!

This was me post 7 mile run today, the pants socks and shoes are all meant for running...the shirt and bra I have on are not, more about why in the following paragraph.

I was originally scheduled to do my 7 miler tomorrow (Wednesday), but it had slipped my mind that there was a function I need to attend tomorrow at 2, there was no way I would be able to get a run that length of time into my schedule tomorrow, so I said to myself I will do it today.  I am really glad I sprung it on myself because it turned out being one of the best runs ever!  The reason I had the work out clothes that I did have with me were because I was scheduled to do a 50 minute cross train, which I will do tomorrow.  Once I knew I was going to be running that long of a distance, anxiety and fear began to set in.  I have run that far before, in fact the farthest I have run is 8 miles, so why was I so scared?  Because I don't think I have run anything over 6 miles in 3 weeks!  But all this training and running back to back has surely conditioned my body!  Woohoo, it is finally behaving!!!  Someone asked me what am I going to do with my new body, and I quickly answered, "condition it, and beat it into submission"  I don't think the person was inferring that I was going to "use" my body in any way, I think she was just giving me a compliment in noticing my changes.  But every time I think of slacking even the slightest, I think of those words I told  her.              

  I have been thinking lately also about why I run.  I was remembering my first run this round of losing weight, and how powerful it felt, it was only 5 minutes, and I felt so invigorated, I wanted more!  I am so looking forward to my shorter faster runs, because speed feels free!  I have also decided to run my short runs on the hilly roads around my house, and my long runs on the treadmill.  That way I am building my muscles on the hills and gaining the strength I will need for my flat 1/2 marathon.  I don't want to be concerned with speed on race day, but I really want to enjoy it!  I keep telling myself that I just want one 1/2 marathon under my belt, but then after a great distance run like today, I think, wow, maybe I am a distance runner!  Time will only tell.  

  Thought I might share some of my weekend happenings with you all.

  On the way out of town this was the sky behind me

This was the sky in front of me

When I tried to find the remote for the television ( I don't normally watch TV on my runs, but I was going to have remote in case) I couldn't help but notice this exercise bike filled with soda, chips, and when I turned on the TV it was on MTV.  I am thinking the quality of this persons work out probably wasn't the greatest.

As I was sitting outside the 85 degree pool I looked at my situation with the running magazine, my new ring, and just being able to relax knowing I worked hard that day, I wanted to remember it always.  

A couple of ducks in the grass right by our RV.

It was a good week end, and now this week has gotten off to a great start.  I hope I stay this motivated all the way through!

Running is the closest I will ever get to flying in this lifetime. ~Jolene N.~ Someone else may have said this in the past, but I swear I just made it up in my own head :)

Unassuming hill, have you ever tried to conquer one?

Just a quick note...
  Yesterday as I had mentioned in my last post was to be a busy day.  How will I get my 5K in?  There was a window of time after I got off work, and before my 3:15 meeting.  It was rain free all morning, until about the time I got off work (okay, it started to rain a little earlier than that) and I headed straight home.  Ideally I would have headed straight to my fitness center and had a nice flat treadmill run, but there was a puppy at home who needed to be let out.  Well, by the time I got home it was too late.  I just hate that I cannot be home to let her out all day long, and that's why I come home right after work at 12:30 every day.  So she had not only went, she got it all over herself only #1 thank goodness.  So after a bath and a blow-dry (for the puppy not me :)) I had to figure out if I was going to run outside, or try to make the treadmill...all the while trying not to concentrate on the fact that I fought getting a puppy tooth and nail, and that when I was finally worn down I said "let's wait until summer vacation so I have the time to help my 10 year old care for her".   Time wise I think my fitness center frame had ended, so I set out of my driveway, it was lightly raining when I left.

  I wasn't .05 miles out of my yard and the downpour began!  But here's the strange thing...I wasn't angry.  I think I really surprised myself as I embraced it!  I was fueled by the fact that I was doing this, I was running in the rain because I was once again not letting circumstance get in my way of something that was painful at first, and a little at the end, but all together worth it!  Not to mention I had a massive hill to think of.  Have you ever been driving and you approach a hill that is rather unassuming?  That is the hill I was about to run up.  Yes I have treaded that hill before, and I honestly cannot remember if I had to stop and walk in the past.  I must have told myself that I have totally ran the thing before, and since I have been hill running for the past 4 or 6 runs, I can surely make it up this guy.  I started out real nice, leaning in forward, my breathing getting a little heavier, trying not to look at the top so far away, now I am tingling (painfully), I am focused really wondering WHY did I chose this route, then I hear myself let out an involuntary groan, I keep pressing on, looking up telling myself I am almost there, then looking up again and telling myself "you're not almost there, what, are you crazy?", then the burning...my legs are no longer floating under me as I am losing power up this hill...no, now my thighs have somehow been lit by a match and have caught fire (good thing it's raining) I tell myself I can do it, but at this point I have the olympic runner on one shoulder and the couch potato on the other...I had to walk.  I slowed to a walk and once I crested the hill I picked up the pace again.  I was wondering how long until my iPod app was going to let me know it was my half way point.  No sooner did I wonder it, she said it!  Woohoo, time to turn around!  It was mostly downhill from there.  Time to ease on down the road, and open my mouth to let those rain drops in!

  I was fearful that once I got to my own road I wasn't going to be able to take on those hills that lead up to my driveway.  These things are unassuming as well, because on the way out they are a small easy challenge, but after any type of run coming home, they have me wondering why I moved onto a road with so many hills, and calculating my next house in Kansas, or Kentucky...somewhere FLAT!

Shameful grocery cart

  The weather here has been horrible over the last two days.  Funny thing is, I thought to myself, as I knew rain was impending, I thought I could handle it.  I told myself it's no big deal because it's normal for this time of year, and I have been living in the Pacific NW for over 10 years, and 4 of that was in SE Alaska for crying out loud!  Well, I am swiftly realizing that I am not, nor will I ever be used to it.  I have gotten a lot better in retrospect.  I don't cry anymore, and I don't sit around and sulk, nor do I fall into depression.  Here's the thing.  I tell myself it's coming so deal with it.  Then it's here and it's dark.  I am innocently going about my day...then out of nowhere I NEED sugar!  And not just any sugar.  I need the most refined ooey gooey stuff available.  If I thought it would work, I would hold my mouth open, grab the sugar bag and just start pouring.  It is like when I quit smoking and took off the patch, except I think worse!  I eat cereal, chocolate, bread, any simple carb I can get into my mouth, and it is vicious because I am never satisfied.  Today in the grocery store I bought an apple pie, a bag of cookies, and 2 packs of little doughnuts!  The doughnuts were for the kids, but I never just buy them that kind of stuff when I am in the store picking up groceries!  When I got to the check out it seemed like everyone before me and behind me were buying produce, and not just a few items, I mean full carts of fruits and vegetables!  What the heck???  I am usually the one looking down on other peoples carts, but here I am with all my snack food...I forgot to mention the chips (I actually had two bags and had to put one back) and my only saving grace was the 2 womens running magazines in my cart.  Somehow having those magazines feels akin to going through the drive through of a fast food restaurant and ordering a diet coke with the cheeseburger and french fries :-/  I AM going to read them when I am running next!

  Speaking of that.  Last week and week end I did a lot of running.  I ran 2 miles on Thursday, 4 miles on Friday, 2.9 miles on Saturday, and 4 miles on Sunday.  Oh man was I ever grateful for the break over these last two days.  In fact on Sunday I was supposed to do strength and didn't do it, so I was going to make up for it yesterday, but never did.  It is difficult for me to get changed into my workout clothes for anything other than cardio, so I don't change, then I don't lift.  Not the best plan to follow.  So tomorrow my schedule calls for a 5K race (remember I changed the schedule to match my race day so on the original plan this would be a Saturday) well obviously I would be hard pressed to find such a thing during the middle of the week, so I am just going to run 3.1 or more.  I have a busy schedule tomorrow, and am hoping it is not raining and can tackle the hill one street up from us.  If not I will be on the treadmill reading my magazine, hopefully going 6.5 mph instead of my previous 6.0.  During all this training my speed has improved, not that I was striving for that, but I may as well maintain it!  I am curious to how fast I can achieve this 3.1 tomorrow.  Lord knows I should have enough fuel in me with all the sugar and carbs I have eaten over the last 3 days!

  Above is a pic my husband took of me on my run Saturday.  He rode his bike along side of me and I loved having him near!

Wow, have I got a busy schedule ahead of me!  I had to change the Hal Higdon 1/2 marathon training schedule a little bit, so that it was inline with my July 4th run.  I am no longer trying to shimmy the weeks to fit where I am physically.  I just went from race date, and counted backward.  

  Before I started training, I was running about 2 to 3 times a week, one of those times being a long run, and never running anything under 4 miles.  With this schedule just since 3 days ago, I ran 2miles, then 4 miles, then today I was supposed to run 2 miles, or cross train, but I didn't clock my run before I did, it, and it ended up being 2.9 miles!  It always feels good to accomplish more than I set out to do, and I don't think I set myself up for failure tomorrow (4 miles).

  If I have come to the realization of anything, it is that some days I will have great runs, and some days I will have really difficult runs.  I am noticing that there are way more great runs than bad ones, and this is part of the reason I continue on.  

  My husband wants to run with me, but 23 years on CG boats messed his knees up pretty bad, and running would compound the pain and the problem.  So today he got his bike out and joined me.  When he said he would go with me, I was excited at first, but then got nervous about breaking my concentration, or him not being ready to go when I wanted.  Basically all the things I worry about when someone wants to get together with me to workout.  I am a work out alone type of person, and I guess this includes running.  But none of that bothered me!  I was so pleased that my husband came with me!  It was so much more enjoyable having him there.  I guess it's because I could be myself with him, and I didn't feel as though I had to entertain him.  It was a nice day and we got to do something healthy for ourselves together :)   

  My time is improving.  Something I never thought I would care about, but when it happens, it is amazing!  When I ran the two miles on Thursday, I surprised myself with how fast I got it done!  Even though it wasn't some terrific feat, it was an improvement and I am pleased. 

  One of the things that is hard about this training is Sunday runs.  I really don't like to have any obligations on Sundays.  I enjoy going to church with my family, and just relaxing as much as is possible. After this big race, I will definitely weed Sunday runs out...unless it's a gorgeous day and I can't help myself :)  That's another thing.  Once I am not training...how long and far do I run each week?????  I can't leave it up to my decision!  I guess I have a month and a half to figure that out.

  Hey, I am thinking about posting pictures of my physical transformation gained from running.  Do you think I should?

Striving, and carving out time

  Saturday I ran "The loop" near my house.  It is a 6 mile distance from my gate back to my gate.  I usually walk the first 2 tenths of a mile to get in my warm up.  I also usually cannot make the entire run without having to stop on a hill.  A couple of these hills are REALLY steep.  Even my 16 year old neighbor girl was impressed/mortified that I run one of the hills in particular.  It doesn't matter that she doesn't run.

  Saturday, not only did I muscle up that hill without stopping, I managed to make it up all the hills thereafter.  Oh there was pain and maybe some whining, praying, and reminding myself that I was NOT going to die.  I was pretty proud of myself, but also a little exhausted.  But before you get terribly impressed, I cannot go without telling you that once I got to my drive way .6 miles left, I ran about one tenth, and on the first little hill I gave in.  I walked the rest of the way.  I didn't even try to run again.  I said "this will be my cool down" and that worked for me :)  I also had to keep in mind that it had been 6 days since I had run, and it was about 75 degrees out.

  Today (Tuesday) is my next scheduled run.  I had planned on getting up at 4am and doing the loop again, but it wasn't light enough outside (darn).  I am just not a morning runner...right now.  I do realize that I am going to have to start running in the mornings as I need to be ready for this half marathon on July 4th.  That BTW, I am feeling slight overwhelmed with training for.  Not necessarily the distances and work I have to do to train, but the mental exhaustion from trying to plan when I am going to get the runs in.  Which has now been complicated by a furry extension to our family.  I just cannot bear to leave her in the kennel while I work, then again while I run.

  No matter which way I slice it...something's gotta give.  If I run in the morning, then Kurt has to get himself out the door (not that he can't, it's just a nice thing I like to do for him)  If I run after I come home and let the dog out, my kids have to go to aftercare.  If I run after work, my house chores suffer (which is the case as this is the best time to run)  I DO realize that I am not the only person out there with this issue, and I am not complaining.  I guess I am just putting it on the table so maybe someone out there can relate and see that they are not alone.  Or maybe I can encourage someone else to try and "show" me they can make it work.  Who knows.  All I know is that I am carving out time.  God willing and the creek don't rise, I WILL run that half, and I WILL have that medal!!!!!!!!!!!

  

He knows what he's talking about.

I was under the impression that the only thing I would be tripped up by when it came to training for a race, would be an injury.
  My week in review would prove otherwise.  As I planned to attend the Yamhill outdoor Christian School for 6th graders, I had mapped out a run for the day before I left.  I had so much on my plate the week before, that it was impossible to stick to my training schedule up until I left.  So I was trading my tuesday 8 mile run for a Monday 6.6 mile run.  I was having my oil changed in Longview and had a run planned from the dealership to the mall which was about 3.3 miles.  I printed it up and had it laying on the kitchen counter.  My dear husband looked at it and asked what it was.  I explained to him, and he said, "Oh no way are you running alone in that part of town"  I tried not to argue because part of me believed my husband knew what he was talking about, but the other more bossy part of me believed I knew better. In the end he said "I guess I shouldn't do that, if you want to run it...."  I got my sense in me and told him that if he was concerned enough to tell me not to do it, then I knew he wanted me to be safe and had my best interest in mind.  It is no different than when he wants to do something death defying and I am against it.  I don't hesitate to tell him no.

  Upon explaining this to my friends who live in my area, I have found that my husband did in fact know what he was talking about...hmm imagine that.  God in His perfect plan, actually knows what He's doing by putting my husband in charge to love me and keep me safe.

  So what did I do that day at the dealership?  I just lied on the grass and soaked up the sun.  FAIL
Hind sight says, there was enough road around that area to safely walk in plain view of people and be safe that I could have run a loop over and over for an hour and gotten the same effect, maybe just a little more boring.

  Today is Saturday, and I am expecting myself to get a 5 mile run in.  I think I am going to have to ask the neighbor to come over and sit with my kid for an hour so I can get it accomplished, as I will really beat myself up if I don't, ESPECIALLY on this gorgeous day!

  I wore my bodybugg the whole time at camp, but forgot to take my digital display with me, so I was eager to see my caloric burn while I was away.  It was minimal, but I surpassed my steps goal every single day!  My goal is 10,000, and I averaged about 14,000.  When I run 5 miles or more, I usually get 20,000 in.

  I am again in a little turmoil over where I should be in this training schedule, but I am going to just try and adjust back to my routine, and be happy that there are 4 more weeks of school left that give me plenty of time during the day to get my runs in while my children are in school.

Not new at being new

Hello Hello!  Well, I hope you all enjoyed the pet peeve post.  There were some on there that I agreed whole heartedly, like the running abreast thing to where people can't pass, or the whole late start in the cold!

  That whole FB post was an eyeopener as I have only run two "races", and the reason I put that word in quotations is because the second Disney 5K, wasn't a race, it was more just a run/walk to get your day started on the right track.  Now did people treat it like a race?  I know I did.  Not like I was trying to win or get ahead, but on a 3.1 mile I did want to at least keep my normal pace.  By the way, I checked into my pace from the Shamrock Run, and it was 9:56, so YES, I was even faster than a 10 minute mile!

  So I did decided to do the Hal Hagdon schedule, which I think the man is a saint for offering this for free! At first I was afraid and overwhelmed, but once I started it, I was in TRAINING MODE ( you have to say it real slow and deep with an echo to get the effect).  It takes all the guess work out of how many miles a day to run, or the question I always like to ask myself "Am I doing enough?".  A few posts back I wrote about not running back to back, but apparently the more I run, the more I can do it!  Also I decided to read the precursor to the schedule that he puts with it, that has the explanations of all the instructions.  Hal put my mind at ease when he explained that if one has extra time, they can repeat a week, or adjust whatever way they need.  So what I did was started at the end of week 7 and changed the long run day to a Tuesday (thankfully I already know this works better for me), and then went to week 8 for Wednessday through Tuesday.

  Next week I am leaving on Tuesday for outdoor Christian School as a camp counselor.  Oh ya!  Anyway, I am going to have to just suck up the fact that there will be no running, however I am not nervous about there being no exercise, I have a feeling that won't be an issue, and I also have a feeling I will be praising God that I am in shape :)

  My girlfriend Retha gave me the name of a new podcast to listen to called Two Gomers.  I am clear back to November with this one as I wanted to start as close to the beginning as I could find on iTunes.  The first one I was hearing I wasn't thrilled with as there was no running talk, but the second one was great!  Not only did I learn that 8 miles is a long run (even if you have run a marathon), they also give glory to God in their lives!  They talk about their weaknesses and strengths, and all kinds of stuff, and this was only one podcast.  I am hooked!  I almost never want to catch up because I want to have lots to listen to.

  I am a firm believer, from experience, that if you are new (which I consider myself professional at being) then you have to stick around, stand your ground, don't back down, and make your presence known, be yourself to get accepted.  I have been going to the same gym for 5 months not on and off, but religiously!  I see the same people almost always, not just the workers but other patrons.  And some were friendly, not most.  The workers were only nice because they had to be.  But then a break in the brick wall... people started holding the door open when I came in behind them, other patrons were actually smiling at me.  Some still won't smile, but at least they aren't frowning anymore.  Is it all in my head?  I don't think so...come on you know you've been there.  I have moved from California, to Michigan, to Alaska, to Oregon, to Washington...I am good at being new.  I have learned a few tricks of the trade.  If you are new at being new and you need some help or advice you know where to find me.

  I know it is a pain to leave a comment on my blog with all the verifying that crazy font they tell you to enter, and if you aren't already a google member it's probably next to impossible.
My email is jkenelson@msn.com  or you can totally FB me.

  Thanks for reading!  

Do you have a race pet peeve?

While I was perusing another running event on Face Book, I found this...

The question is "During a running event, what drives you crazy?  Being such a newbie at races, I needed to know this pertinent information.  There was one or two that bothered me as well, but some of these are harsh!  you can click on it to enlarge. Here it is

  You will see my guilty comment at the bottom, but I don't know...I think I have a pretty good excuse.

By the way...if there was a study, and it only included myself, it would conclude that one does get better at reading when they are running ;)