This is how a mother-runner does it...

I was inspired by this post from one of my blogging friends, Jan at Running on Fumes.  I have to say that I have become more and more guilty of using the treadmill as a crutch, excusing myself from more challenging outside runs.  When it's way too cold, way too windy, way too warm, the kids are way too needy, da ta da ta da...

Today I started my new schedule: Monday is an "easy" run day of 4-5 miles and also a day for strength training focusing on legs and core.  Following trainer Misty's advice to do weights first, cardio second,  I did a 50 minute weight session at home before going out on a run.  I had to get a little more creative to do my strength training at home vs. the gym.  I strapped on my 5 pound ankle weights and grabbed my 5 pound hand weights.  At the gym I have been working with 15 and 20 pound dumbbells, but 5's are all I have at home.  I figure it will be enough for when I'm doing leg and core work.  I included weighted lunges, squats, calf-raises on a step stool, side-lying leg lifts, back-lying leg lifts, crunches on the stability ball and sit-ups and just did all of these in reps of 10-15 for as many sets as I could fit into 50 minutes.  By the time I was done, not only was I sweating pretty good, but my legs were definitely feeling it!  Now it was going on 9am and about 80 degrees outside.  I considered just hopping on the treadmill for my "easy" 4 miler, but thanks to motivation from the above referenced blog post, I gathered up a couple of kids and headed for the park.

In the future I may have to alter my schedule slightly, despite what Misty said about doing weights first and cardio after, because it felt like I was running on legs made of soft rubber.  Oh, and also - it was SO HOT!  I had sweat just dripping all over me.  I guess in a sense it's actually a good training run for the marathon, considering that the last 6-8 miles of that run I will be running on Jell-O legs in the heat and sun, most likely.

At any rate, my run was definitely slow: I did just over 4 miles with an average pace of 13 minute miles.  Although, that includes that about half-way into my run I saw a friend who was walking at the park, so I slowed to a walk with her for about a mile, then picked it back up and finished the last mile running.

I had my daughter take this picture of me while I was running.  I like it because I have lift - both feet are off the ground!! :)