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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Day 45.

Short run day. This morning I got up a little early and did a 30 minute cross training DVD before taking the kids to school. After I dropped them off, I headed out for my 2 mile run, walking to the park and back for warm up and cool down. I am anxiously awaiting the day that I can stop wearing seven layers of clothing when I go out for my run!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Day 44.

It was pouring rain this morning when I took the kids to school, so I decided to do my run on the treadmill. I warmed up with 15 minutes of Pilates, then walked on the treadmill for 10 minutes before picking up the pace and running for 30 minutes (about 3 miles), then slowed it down again and walked another 10 minutes. It's been a few weeks since I've used the treadmill to do my run, and it's so different from being outside where I've had to bundle up and barely break a sweat because it's so cold outside. When I was done with my run today, I was soaked with sweat! I also did an intense 30 minutes of Yoga. I was feeling tired and run down yesterday afternoon and evening, but I feel renewed this morning and my workout felt great.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Day 43.

This morning I warmed up with 15 minutes of Pilates and 10 minutes of walking before doing my 2 mile run. After walking home to cool down, I also did a 25 minute strength training DVD.

My training partner and I have officially registered for RimRock, I've booked our hotel room for that weekend and the pressure is on!! Actually, we're both super excited about conquering this challenge together, and I can't wait to see my friend again - it's been over 10 years since we've seen each other!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Day 42.

Rest day. Here's a thought for the day:

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Day 41.

The schedule today said to do a 35 minute brisk walk. I went outside to do my walking, despite the fact that we woke up to a couple of inches of fresh snow on the ground. The sun was shining and I walked a little further because I was enjoying it so much, ending up back home after about 50 minutes. Then I also did a 30 minute Yoga DVD.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Day 40.

Today is a (rest) day according to my training schedule. It's hard not to run on rest days; I've come to look forward to my time out running and I feel "off" on the days I don't run. Anyway, I used today for a little cross training. I started with a 30 minute, high impact belly dancing DVD, and then I did a 30 minute strength training DVD. I know there are a lot of people out there who are not fans of using videos to train or exercise, but I have about 5 DVD's that I use regularly on a rotation and I have found that they work very well for what I need. I can do them in my workout room, away from the chaos of the rest of the house, and they are a good way for me to stay focus and productive for a measured amount of time.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Day 39.

I warmed up this morning with 20 minutes of Pilates, then a 10 minute walk before starting to run. My run was 3.75 miles today, and I walked another 10 minutes to cool down. I also did 15 minutes of strengthening exercises after my run.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Day 38.

This morning I did a 40 minute Pilates/Yoga DVD before heading out for my run. I walked the 10 minutes to the park, then ran 2 miles, walking another mile and a half to cool down. It was SO cold outside; when does Spring come??

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Day 37.

This morning I got up a little early so I could do my strength training before my run. I did that for 25 minutes, took the kids to school, then headed out for my run. Even though there was a fresh covering of snow on the ground, I had a good run and even PR'd my 5K! I wasn't going for speed necessarily when I started, but around mile 2 I checked my stopwatch and realized I was on pace to beat my record, so that motivated me to keep going strong. My previous 5K (3.2 miles) time was 32 minutes, and today I did it in 30 minutes exactly! I won't be breaking any speed records, but it felt great to see personal improvement.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Day 36.

This morning I began my workout with 20 minutes of Yoga and Pilates. To warm up for my run, I walked 10 minutes to the park, then ran 2 miles, and walked another 1.5 miles to cool down. When I got home I also did a 25 minute strength training DVD.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Day 35.

Sunday = Rest day.

I like this quote from athlete Carl Lewis:

It's all about the journey, not the outcome. ~ Carl Lewis

(Although a good finish is also nice!) :)

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Day 34.

Today I walked 3 miles and then ran 2 miles. It was cold outside, but very sunny and it felt great to be out basking in it.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Day 33.

Rest day. I did 2 DVD's: a 25 minute cross training/strength routine, and a 20 minute belly dancing workout. It felt good to fit it in this morning and work up a good sweat before getting on with the rest of my busy Friday.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Day 32.

Today was a longer run day. Going by my training schedule, my longest runs will always be on Thursdays, unless I need to switch the days around for some reason. I started with Yoga, then walked to the park to warm up and then ran 3.75 miles and walked home.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Day 31.

This morning my training schedule called for a short run. I walked to the park with Nicolas in his stroller, then ran 2 miles and walked home. I took a slightly longer route home, so I got in an additional 15 minutes of walking. When I got home I did a 30 minute cross training DVD. I am having so much fun doing this marathon training. I didn't realize I would enjoy the running as much as I do. I feel antsy to get my endurance up so I can go farther because when I'm out there running, I feel invigorated and I just wish I could do more. I'm following my schedule closely, though, so as not to do too much too soon.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Day 30.

This morning I warmed up with 15 minutes of Yoga, then I walked to the park and ran 3.2 miles, walking home to cool down. I also did a 30 minute program on the elliptical.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Day 29.

Beginning of week 5!! This morning I warmed up with 15 minutes of standing Yoga, then, since Nick was still sleeping, I jumped on the treadmill and started out with 10 minutes of walking, before starting to run. About 2 minutes into my run, Nick came in the room and asked when we were going on our "walk in the stroller", so I bundled him up and off to the park we went. So I got an additional 10 minutes of walking warm up on the way there, then ran 3 laps (1.8 miles) and walked home. Then I did 25 minutes of intense strength training.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Day 28.

Even though today is a rest day, I still like to make a post on the blog to keep my days in order. Here's a great story for inspiration. When I read things like this, I realize the strength and power of the human spirit. We can totally do this, Jen!

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--13446-0,00.html

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Day 27.

Today the schedule called for 30 minutes of walking, so I went outside and spent some quality time with my good friends the snow flurries! I actually ended up walking for 15 minutes, then running for 15 minutes and back to walking for the final 15 minutes. I felt good and wanted to do more, but I don't want to deviate from my training schedule too much.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Day 26.

Fridays are a busy day for me, with the kids on a four day school week, Friday is the day for Cub Scouts, errands, play dates, birthday parties, etc. Thankfully my training schedule has Friday marked as a rest day, but even though I don't run, I still like to do some kind of workout. This morning I barely squeezed in a 20 minute cross/strength training DVD. Maybe as the day progresses and the weather is looking decent, we can get out for a walk or something.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Day 25.

This morning I warmed up, as usual, with 20 minutes of Pilates and Yoga. Then, after walking to the park, I ran 6 laps on the track, which equals exactly 3.75 miles. Then I walked home to cool down. I also did some stretching. I'm not sure if pushing Nick in his stroller makes much of a difference to my run as far as difficulty. The stroller itself is a dream to push with the big wheels, but my arm does seem to get more tired than when I run alone. There are only a couple of (very) small hills to conquer on my current route, so it's not too bad. When I start doing routes to accomodate my longer runs involving some big hills, it might be a lot harder to push the stroller along, but hopefully that will help my endurance build.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Day 24.

Short run day: an easy 1.8 miles. Too bad it was 23 degrees and snowing, or it might have been a more enjoyable run. Oh, well. It still feels good to get outside, versus being inside on the treadmill. When I came home from my run I also did 20 minutes of strength training.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Day 23.

I started this morning with 20 minutes of Pilates and Yoga, then did my 3.13 mile run, with a walking warm up and cool down. Boo, hiss on the snow that started to fall while I was out on my run!!

I also wanted to say something to those of you who have been reading my blog, and especially those who have given me feedback, whether through comments or otherwise. I know that a day to day detailing of my training workouts will get a little boring, especially around day 200! But I'm keeping this record to track my training and plan to have it made into a hard copy after I run the marathon. Those who have mentioned that I have inspired them to do more, thank you so much, although I have to say that I am equally as inspired by many of you, and being able to share this journey with you is a great motivator for me, as well.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Day 22.

After a late night ER visit for our 4 year old with a roaring ear infection, and then only about 2 hours of sleep, I got up this morning with a surprising amount of energy. It's a short run day, so I did 15 minutes of yoga to get my body warmed up and stretched, then walked to the park, ran 1.82 miles, then walked home. When I got home I was feeling good, so I did a 20 minute strength training DVD. Hopefully I won't be paying for it tomorrow, if the lack of sleep catches up with me, but right now I'm feeling strong.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Day 21.

Today is Sunday, a day for rest. Although, I have to admit I did do an (easy) 30 minute Pilates DVD. My muscles, especially my legs, were feeling sort of tense, and the Pilates helps me relax. I just knew I needed it to get through the rest of the day. Here's a quote of inspiration for the day:

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."
-Oprah Winfrey

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Day 20.

This morning I did a very short workout: 15 minutes of yoga and 15 minutes walking on the treadmill. Saturday is a busy day, but like yesterday, I'm going to fit in an additional 30 or so minutes of working out tonight.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Day 19.

Cross training today. I started with 30 minutes of Pilates, then did an intense 20 minute strength training DVD. That's all that I had time for this morning, but I'm hoping to squeeze in a 30 minute session on the elliptical later today.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Day 18.

Today I ran 3.13 miles, with a 10 minute walk before and after the run. Starting out, I was cold and my legs felt a little tight, but about 8 minutes into my run I started to loosen up. It's sunny, but still pretty cold, 30 degrees, so I was probably tense from feeling cold. I've noticed my recovery time on the longer runs is gradually decreasing, which means things are progressing. That's good, because next week my longer runs increase by 1/2 a mile.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Day 17.

I had some soreness when I woke up this morning, especially in my quads, so I did 20 minutes of warm up: Pilates. Then after I took the kids to school, Nick and I headed to the park. I walked there, ran 3 laps (1.87 miles) and walked home. After returning home I also did a 20 minute strength training DVD. No problems with my hips today; it must have been the shoes. I felt good running today. I can feel my strength building, and my confidence as well. Of course it started to rain during my last lap and on the way home. I'm so ready for spring and some sun!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Day 16.

Today I started my morning routine with 20 minutes of yoga/pilates for a warm up. My schedule called for a 3 mile run, so I took Nick in his stroller and walked to the park, ran 5 laps (3.13 miles) and walked home to cool down, which is about a ten minute walk. About half way through my run my hips started to burn; I'm not sure what that was all about, I've never had that problem before. I'm hoping it's because I wore a different pair of running shoes than the ones I'd been wearing, and they don't have quite as much cushioning in the soles. My feet felt fine, but maybe there wasn't enough shock absorption to keep my hip joints happy. Tomorrow I think I'll go back to my other shoes and hope that makes a difference.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Day 15.

I was able to go running outside today. It was a bit cold, but at least it wasn't snowing, so I put Nick in his stroller and off we went. I walked to the park as a warm up, then ran 3 laps, which is just under 2 miles, then walked home to cool down. When I got home, I also did 20 minutes of strength training.