Day 106.

Today is the first day of a somewhat new routine for me, now that the kids are out of school.  I woke up at around 6:00 and did 20 minutes of Pilates before heading out for my run.  My goal was to get going before any of the kids were awake, but two of the four were up and watching TV when I left for my run.  As usual, I walked for about 1/4 mile before starting to run, then I did 3 miles.  The air was cold, but the sun was out and I felt happy to be out there.  When I got home, I did workout 3 from the 30 Day Shred.

Day 105.

Rest day.

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."

~Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

For more ideas on how to get motivated, check out this great article:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,ssssss6-238-267--11733-1-1X2X3-4,00.html

Day 104.

My desktop computer has a screen saver on it from Runner's World Magazine which has pictures of runners and inspirational quotes.  One of the quotes says: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only soft people."  I'm guessing that whomever said that must be from Idaho.  This morning my training schedule said to walk for 1 hour.  I put my little guy in his stroller and off we went.  It was about 35 degrees, windy, dark clouds looming and a few sprinkles coming down.  The whole time I was walking the dark clouds threatened to burst out in rainfall at any moment, but lucky for us it held off and I was able to get in my entire walk, and we ended up going for almost 4.5 miles.  Is it really the end of May?  Still waiting for the warmer weather to come and stay.  :(  When I returned home, I also did workout 2 of the Yoga Meltdown DVD.

Day 103.

This morning I did a little cross-training.  I started with 30 minutes of a belly dancing workout, then I did workout 2 from the 30 Day Shred DVD.

Day 102.

I warmed up this morning with 10 minutes of Pilates before walking to the park to do my 3 mile run.  The first mile I felt lethargic, but once I made my mind conquer my body, I picked up the pace for the second mile.  I also did an exaggeration of my movements, i.e. high knees, longer stride, farther reach with my arms.  I don't know if there is a name for it, but that's what I did to work on my form and increasing my speed.  It seems to have worked a bit because I felt my energy level increase, and by mile 3 when I returned to my normal running form, I could tell I was going a little faster.  When I downloaded my workout info from my Garmin, it showed a little over 1 mph difference between my slower pace and the 2nd mile pace.  After my run I also did workout 1 of the Yoga Meltdown.

Dear blog readers:

I have noticed that I've been getting hits on here from all over the place, and I'm curious as to who is reading and following along with me on my mission to run a marathon.  If you'd like, leave a comment on this post telling me who you are, where you're reading from, if you're a runner or not, and why you like my blog.  Also, if any of you have blogs, I would love to know the url's so I can see what everyone else is up to! Keeping this blog has been such a great outlet for me and a fun way for me to track my training.  I would love to get some feedback.  Thanks, all! :)

Day 101.

Another 3 mile run today.  I had my little guy in his stroller, and after walking to the park to warm up, I ran the three miles in a ridiculously slow time!  I'm not sure why, I felt okay throughout my run.  The first mile is always the hardest, and slowest, for me.  Once I'm in a groove I feel like I can go for a long time.  I enjoy the longer runs (over 5 miles) more than these shorter ones.  I probably should have done some intervals or something with my run today.  Since tomorrow is another 3 miler, and Friday is a "rest" day, I think I will do speed work tomorrow.  When I came home I also did workout 1 from the 30 Day Shred.

Day 100.

Wow...100 days!!  Another 3 mile run today.  It was chilly (35 degrees) but sunny, so I went on the road to do my run this morning.  I warmed up with 20 minutes of Pilates, then walked 1/4 mile before starting my run.  I felt good, but towards the end of my run my knee and the top of my foot started to hurt.  I'm icing my knee right now, and I've been taking Chondroitin Glucosamine supplements for a couple of months, along with my multi-vitamin.  I'm hoping it's just soreness and not the beginning of an injury or anything like that.  I also did the 30 minute Yoga Meltdown DVD.

Day 99.

All of my runs are scheduled to be 3 milers this week.  I woke up this morning to pouring rain again, and since Chris is at work and I would have needed to bring my 4 year old in the jogging stroller on my run with me, I decided to go ahead and use the treadmill.  I haven't used the treadmill to do a run for quite a while, and I'm still surprised at how much harder it feels than running outside.  I can't figure out what it is, but I feel like I have to work a lot harder, and I definitely sweat a lot more, going the same distance as I do when I run outside.  If I didn't have my Garmin to give me definitive proof of my speed and distance while on an outdoor run, and then I ran on the treadmill, I would swear I don't go as fast or as far as I do when I'm outside, because to finish my goal distance on the treadmill, I have to set the speed slower than what my average pace has been on other runs.

Anyway, before I did my 3 miles, I did 15 minutes of Pilates, then I walked on the treadmill  for 10 minutes before increasing the speed and doing the 3 miles, then I slowed to a walk again for another 5 minutes.  Then I did workout 3 of the 30 Day Shred DVD.

Day 98.

Rest Day.

Last night my husband and I watched "The Spirit of the Marathon", a documentary that follows six people from all different walks of life who train for and run the 2005 Chicago Marathon.  It was an excellent movie, though my husband and I are both huge fans of any decent documentary.  It was very insightful and helped me to realize that most of what I've been going through so far is pretty universal.  Distance runners, at any stage of experience, from the beginner to the elite, are part of a unique culture.  I'm fascinated, actually, and watching this movie motivated me to work even harder.  I'm determined to NOT be the one at the end of the 26.2 miles that is crying from exhaustion...I may be crying from an emotional release, but it will be because of the realization of all the hard work I put into my training.

Anyway, I'd encourage all of my readers to check out this movie: www.marathonmovie.com/

Day 97.

Last night I was so tired I went to bed around 9, and I slept until almost 8am.  I guess my body needed the extra recovery time, and I feel much better today.  The training schedule called for 30 minutes of walking this morning, but since it was raining again, I decided not to torture myself.  I did a 30 minute program on the elliptical and 30 minutes on the stationary bike.  I'm glad I opted to stay indoors, since it's now SNOWING!! :(!!!

On to other news...my husband picked this little dandy up at the store for me the other day, and I'm super excited to have it (and even in pink, how girlie!):

Day 96.

Another busy Friday with Cub Scout Day Camp all day.  I woke up at 5am to have time to fit in workout 2 from the 30 Day Shred DVD.

Day 95.

The weather gods are against me.  Long run day, and it was pouring rain.  No worries, inclement weather is no match for my sheer, stubborn stupidity determination!  I may have been completely soaked head to foot when I was done, but I ran 5.5 miles in just under an hour and wasn't even out of breath when I finished.  I gave myself a high five. :)

Day 94. (And a little background on my mission towards health and fitness.)

Today was an easy run day, in prep for tomorrow's long run.  I did 25 minutes of Pilates before heading out for my run: 2.5 miles.  When I got home, I also did workout 2 from the 30 Day Shred DVD.

I've had some people ask about my weight loss and history with running, etc., so I decided I would post a couple of pictures to show how far I've come.  As far as my history with regards to fitness and weight loss, it was never really something I focused on  much in my life until after I had my four children.  I was average size in high school, (I'm 5'3" and was around 120 all through HS), I was on the swim team for 3 years and led an active lifestyle, but I wouldn't say I was super athletic.  After getting married in 1999, and having my first three kids within 3 1/2 years, I was at my heaviest.  Going into my fourth pregnancy in 2005 I weighed around 160, and about a month after his birth, weighing around 175, I made the decision to lose the weight forever!  I knew I had to do something drastic and lasting.  I started in February of 2006 by going walking 6 days a week at the local park.  I only did 2 or 3 laps starting out (1.5 - 2 miles), but eventually over the course of a year or so, worked my way up to walking 3 - 5 miles 6 days a week.  I also did other things, like riding a stationary bike for 20-30 minutes a couple of days a week, and I started using a Pilates DVD (30 minutes) also a couple of days a week.  Once I was in the habit of exercising every day, I started focusing on my diet.  I used the menu plan from Dr. Phil's book "The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution Food Guide".  It has a great 14 day jump start program to boost metabolism and help you lose several pounds right away, which really helps with motivation.  It probably took me about 6 months of keeping a food journal and using the food guide and menus to be comfortable with going it alone and being confidant that my portions were adequate, and food choices appropriate.  In 9 months I had reached my goal weight of 125 pounds, but I continued with my exercise regimen and healthier lifestyle, and by 1 year after starting out I was down to 115 pounds.

Now fast forward to February 2010, when I was feeling a little stagnate in my workout routine, and I made the decision to train for a marathon.  I was one of those people who would always say: "I am NOT a runner."  But it has now been over 3 months since I started training, and I haven't missed a day on my training schedule.  I run 4 days a week, cross-train 4 - 5 days a week, and go walking alone or with my family whenever I can.  I have actually gained about 3-5 pounds since I started training, but I like to think that it's muscle weight gain! ;)  I guess my appetite has also increased with the running, and I'm now finding myself  walking that fine line between getting enough calories to fuel my runs, and eating more than I need.  Like most things in life, a never ending work in progress!

This photo was taken 2 months after baby #4 was born:       

This is me today, after my morning run:

Here are some more pictures for comparison:

Both of the next two photos are from 2003, when baby girl was almost 1...

This one is from 2008, two years after reaching my first goal weight...

And again, from where I am today, training for a marathon!  Who would have thought?  (So very sorry about the blinding whiteness of my skin in this picture...guess I need a spray tan! ;)

Day 93.

This morning I warmed up with 20 minutes of Pilates, then walked about 5 minutes before starting my run.  I ran 3 miles, at a 10-minute mile pace, then walked another mile home.  I also did level 1 on the Yoga Meltdown DVD.  It's really humid today, which made it a little hard to breathe, but it was a good run anyway.

Day 92.

This morning I had time to do 30 minutes of Pilates before going out for my run.  It's an easy run day, so I walked for about 10 minutes before doing my 2 mile run.  Afterwards, I did workout 1 from 30 Day Shred.  I'm feeling good today, and looking forward to an increase in the long run distance this week.

Day 91.

Rest day.  I have enjoyed a great weekend, with a good variation to my workout schedule.  It's fun to do something different and in a different location once in a while.  And we've come home to what seems to be real, honest to goodness spring-time weather!  I am super excited for my week of running ahead.  Something new today, here's an article from Runner'sWorld.com that I found helpful, and always relevant:

Nutrition for Runners

EATING ON THE RUN
Fastest postrun fuel ever.
By Dimity McDowell
PUBLISHED 07/07/2008

After a run, you have to refuel with carbs and protein so that you're ready to go again. In my world, though, there's no time to concoct the perfect postrun smoothie. So here are my 10 easiest somewhat healthy "meals."

1. Smoked Turkey Slices rolled in deli-cut Swiss cheese. Add mustard from squeezy bottle if feeling ambitious.

2. Chocolate Milk After a 2004 study found this to be basically as effective as Gatorade for recovery after exercise, I was sold.

3. Cottage Cheese scooped up with blue-corn tortilla chips. Sounds gross, tastes good.

4. Peanut Butter and Honey on a multigrain tortilla. Pulling out one tortilla feels like less work than two slices of bread.

5. Spinach Salad with precut yellow peppers, broccoli, carrots, and blue-cheese crumbles.

6. Quesadilla with pinto beans and salsa. Not messy, so you can park the pan on the stove.

7. Hard-Boiled Eggs Ma Nature's original recipe--bonus!--stored in its own case.

8. Bananas With Peanut Butter Slather PB on the end, take a bite. Repeat as necessary.

9. Pumpkin Bread with mini chocolate chips. Yes, this requires work. But it's so good. Make a bunch and freeze it. You'll thank me. (Go to runnersworld.com/pumpkinbread for the recipe.)

10. Peanut M&M's There's nutrition in them nuts, right? Not really, but I redeem myself by eating only three snack packs at a time.

Day 90.

Today is a cross-training day.  My husband has been in Sun Valley, ID for training all week, and the kids and I came up to join him after his last day of work.  It's gorgeous here and there are walking and biking trails galore.  This morning I started out with 15 minutes of brisk walking then ran for about 2.5 miles, returning to a walk for another 10 minutes.  After breakfast we'll head to the hotel pool with the kids and I'll probably swim a few laps also.  I'm really looking forward to my training this week.  The running is becoming more natural to me and it feels great.

Day 89.

Today is a rest day.  I did some swimming this morning, and walking with the kids.  The weather is beautiful and I hope to get outside today.

Day 88.

Today would normally be my long run day, but this week on the training schedule is an "easy" week, so my run was 3 miles again.  I warmed up with about 10 minutes of Pilates, then walked for about 1/2 mile before starting my run.  I woke up with a headache today, and although I felt okay during my run, all week I haven't felt as good as I did last week.  I think I'm just a little extra tired.  Chris has been out of town for work and I haven't been sleeping well, getting up early and staying up too late.  The next three days are either rest or cross-training days, so I'm hoping to get rested up enough that next week I will feel better.

Day 87.

This morning I started out with 50 minutes of Pilates, then walked to the park to do my short run: 2.5 miles.  When I came home I also did workout 3 from the 30 Day Shred DVD.  My legs felt really tired today.  I did some extra stretching, and hopefully they'll feel better tomorrow.

Day 86.

This morning I woke up early again, so I did my 30 minute Yoga Meltdown DVD before taking the kids to school.  Then, after walking to the park with Nick in his stroller, I ran 3 miles and walked home.  I find that my times are much slower when I am pushing the stroller, but I'm sure it helps me build endurance.

Day 85.

For some reason my kids were up about 1/2 an hour earlier than usual this morning, so I had enough time to do 40 minutes of Pilates before I took them to school.  Then I walked to the park to warm up for my run, with Nicolas in his stroller.  Today was a short run day, so I made it an interval run: 5 minutes easy jogging, then 30 seconds of sprinting, repeated for 2.2 miles total.  The sun is out today, so even though it's a bit chilly, I was pretty sweaty when I got done with the interval run.  Then after walking home, I also did workout 3 from Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, and workout 2 from her Yoga Meltdown.

Day 84.

Happy Mother's Day ~ Rest on the agenda today, there's always more running tomorrow!

Day 83.

Today is a cross-training day.  I woke up extra early to squeeze in a 30 minute Yoga DVD before getting ready to head out with the family for an entire day of Scouting Jamboral.  Good thing tomorrow is a rest day!

Day 82.

Today is a rest (from running) day, so I went for a 30 minute walk this morning, then came home and did workout 3 on the 30 Day Shred DVD.  I feel good this morning, just a little tired getting out of bed, but fine once I got going.  I thought I might be sore from yesterday's 5 miler, but I'm not at all, and that's awesome!

Day 81.

I have to admit, when I looked out the window this morning and saw this:

I was thinking, oh curse you Idaho (among other things)!  I even considered switching my training days and doing my run tomorrow instead.  But alas, my type A personality got the better of me and I stuck with my plan to run 5 miles today.  The amazing thing is, I had the best run!!  I felt good the whole time, and despite being soggy and cold everywhere (and, by the way, that wet, squishy toes feeling is the worst!), I enjoyed myself and felt surprisingly strong.  Even as I finished my 5 miles, I felt like I could have kept going, which is definitely a good feeling.  Besides all of those things, I also had a decent time, considering the snow and wind, which seemed to be heading straight into me no matter which direction I was going.

Here's my Garmin after my run.  I started the timer after I'd walked about 1/4 mile, so it didn't calculate my walking pace into my average run pace.  The top number is my total time, the lower right is the mileage.  (The lower left is my pace, which is off because I stopped the timer as I had slowed to a walk right at 5 miles.)  11 minute miles for 5 miles, not too bad I suppose. ;)  I even had enough energy left over to do Jillian Michael's 30 minute Yoga Meltdown.

Day 80.

The wind seemed to have died down a bit for today's run, but unfortunately the 23 degree temperature put a damper on any excitement I may have had about it.  Thankfully it was a short run today: 2 miles.  I warmed up with 25 minutes of Pilates, walked for a 1/4 mile then started my run.  My legs aren't sore today, but I still can't seem to shake that sluggish feeling.  The annoying thing about the 2 mile run days is that it takes me about 2 miles to start to get comfortable in my run, and just when I do, I'm done.  Tomorrow is 5 miles and I'm anxious to see how it goes.  When I came home I also did workout 1 from JM 30 Day Shred.

Day 79.

Today's run was not one of my favorites so far.  Again, the wind is blowing like mad.  I actually read in the paper this morning that yesterday there were gusts recorded at up to 72 mph, and today the National Weather Service has predicted at least 45 mph gusts.  I have no doubt that it was that strong.  There were points in my run this morning where I actually think I may have been blown backwards!  Anyway, I've also been fighting a head cold for a few days, and I'm sure that doesn't help.  I started out with 10 minutes of Pilates, then walked just long enough for my GPS to pick up satellite reception before breaking into a run.  I really felt like I was forcing it.  My legs were tired, sore and stiff.  There were a couple of times about half way, around mile 2 I guess, when I really, really wanted to stop running and just walk, but I toughed it out.  I have this mental thing about running at least the full daily mileage that my training schedule dictates. I feel like if I walk any part when I'm supposed to be running, that I'm failing.  I know this is silly, but I just need to know that I'm doing exactly (or more) than I'm supposed to so I will deserve any of the benefits I reap from my successes.  So, I ran for 3.5 miles, then slowed to a walk to cool down for the last 1/4 mile back to my house.  When I got home I felt really tired, but I did 30 minutes of Yoga, which I think is a great way to stretch and strengthen at the same time.  I know that not every run can be a great one, there will always be those days when it takes more mental and physical exertion than others, but I guess that's why when it's a great run, it feels so good!

Day 78.

Spring time in Idaho + Running = Sucking A LOT of wind!  Today was a short run, 2 miles.  We were out of town visiting family over the weekend, and I was feeling a little "off" from eating too much, and riding in the car for long periods without being able to stretch out.  I was worried that would make for a poor run this morning, but I actually felt pretty good.  I warmed up with 10 minutes of Pilates before heading outside, then I walked about a 1/2 a mile before starting my run.  Even though the wind was blowing straight into me most of the way and it seemed like I was running in place at points when the wind was so strong, I managed to do the 2 miles in just under 20 minutes.  I can deal with that for today.  Another "first" running experience: when I got home from my run I went to unclasp my mp3 player from my jacket, and as I looked down, a big white spot on my leg caught my eye...somehow a bird had pooped on my thigh!  I can't figure out how it landed there, but nice nonetheless. ;)
After getting that cleaned up, I did workout 3 of JM 30 Day Shred, and also 30 minute Yoga Meltdown.  This week's long run (Thursday) will be 5 miles, and I'm looking forward to it because I'm going to try a new route.  Now let's all please think warm, springy, sunshiny thoughts!

Day 77.

Sunday = rest day.  I subscribe to Runner's World daily emails, which usually include a quote of the day.  This one came this week, and I love it!  I have talked to so many people who run for fitness, weight control, stress relief or recreation, but because they don't do a lot of miles, or don't run races, they say "I'm not a runner..."  (I also have felt this way, and that's why I like this quote so much.)

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run. "

~John Bingham, running writer and speaker

Day 76.

This morning I went for an easy 2 mile run.  I also did 30 minutes of Yoga Meltdown.  We're going out of town today and will be riding in the car for several hours, so even though it isn't supposed to be a running day, I felt like doing at least a short run in the morning would help me get through the day.  Tomorrow is a rest day and I will be taking full advantage of it.