Just Plodding Along

Well once again I think I am totally hot stuff because I completed a treadmill workout. I am fully aware that people run on treadmills all the time at a mileage and a speed I can't comprehend. But just let me ride my pathetic little high for awhile. It is probably easier to broker a peace agreement in the middle east than it is for me to convince myself to get my bodacious bubble butt to the gym and on the treadmill. Excuse # 1: I am tired Response: Um so is the rest of America, no one cares. Excuse #2: My legs are sore Response: They are the you have been working out hard sore, not the you are gonna break yourself sore so doesn't count. Reality check you are on a new training plan and running harder so it is gonna hurt, get over it. And stretch. Excuse #3: I don't need speedwork I am already fast. Response: That statement is so false it is funny. Excuse #4: The treadmill makes me sweaty Response: Everything makes you sweaty. Argh. So after reviewing every possib...

Once again the race photographers have captured some real gems. From the Arizona Distance Classic : In other news I finished the Hunger Games Trilogy and loved it. I am not sure I want to see the movie though. Would the film version ruin it for me?  I also have some new shoes. I ordered them awhile ago off running warehouse  and they were around $50, After the half on Sunday my legs have been a little sore, more than usual. After thinking about it I realized my current Nike's have probably around 400 miles on them. Since I am a heavier runner that is about all they can take.  So these bright white wonders are for the longer distances and the old Nike's are only for treadmill and shorter distances. I like having two pairs of shoes to switch between. Seems to relieve some aches and pains to have different shoes and now that I am running more days back to back seems like a good idea. And to wrap up this rambling I ran six miles in 59 minutes...

Last week I did pretty well sticking with my running plan for the week. Mon= 2.4 miles around the neighborhood Tues= 5 miles speedwork on the treadmill Wed= Off Thur= 6 miles easy run Fri= Off Sat= Off Sun= 13.1 miles Arizona Distance Classic Total mileage= 26.5 miles Plan for this week: Mon= swim (shake out the aches from the 1/2) Tues= thinking speedwork but if still sore might just run an easy 6 Wed= Off Thur= speedwork or 6 miles depending on Tues Fri= 3 miles Sat= 6 miles Sun= 8 miles Mileage aim= 28 miles

This morning the alarm went off at 5a.m. and I again had anger issues with the early hour but managed to roll myself out of bed, down ice coffee and be ready to go by 5:30. New Razzy Roo headband for the win. Apparently at 5:30a.m. I look slightly deranged but am loving my outfit D got up to take me to the race. That was a nice surprise since he hadn't been feeling well the night before and no one feels good at 5a.m. There was only a 30 minute drive to the start/finish line in Oro Valley which was next to Ventana Medical Center. There were real bathrooms and porto potties for everyone. They also had a VIP area where if you paid extra you got to eat a bagel in a roped off area and a zip up jacket plus your own porto potty to share. There was probably more involved but I only saw bagels and toilets. They had pacers for every 15 minutes that had yellow balloons with the estimated finish time attached to them. For a brief minute I thought I should ru...

This morning I woke up and my legs still felt a little sore so I headed out with the dogs for a stroll around the neighborhood for about an hour to see if it would loosen things up. Seems to have worked and these lazy butts  mutts got some exercise. Win win. I meet up with my friend C for some carbo loading lunch at the macaroni grill and to celebrate her birthday! So that is really a win.  Stuffing your face is more fun in pairs. She also brought me my weekly fix of celebrity news. So that is what I will be doing tonight. I also laid out my outfit for tomorrow. We are headed over for margarita's with some friends later tonight so it is probably good that everything is ready to go tomorrow. Tequila and race prep probably don't mix well. Fingers crossed tequila and half marathons do.

Today I woke up and was planning to run three miles. But my legs were sore and I was exhausted so I decided to skip it. I have been reading the Hunger Games trilogy and can not put it down. Pure awesomeness. Twilight can suck it. Hunger Games is where it is at (yes I am 13 years old on the inside, thanks for noticing). Apparently staying up till midnight reading and then trying to get up at 6a.m. to run doesn't work too well. Huh who'd a thunk. This afternoon I headed up to Oro Valley to pick up my race packet for It was being held at All About Running and Walking It was very small, no swag or booths. Just numbers and shirts. I had never been to this running store but it was nice on the inside. Quick and easy to get my stuff. Short Sleeve Nice shirts and a cute gear check bag for everyone and personalized bibs. They also supposedly had race hats for sale though I never saw them. I am looking forward to doing a race close to home this time!

It is that time again. I am running the Arizona Distance Classic  on Sunday. I feel like I have not done a half in forever. I guess it has been about four weeks. So practically forever. I would like to say in those four weeks I trained hard but that is not the case. I took about two weeks off to rest some aches and am just getting back into it. So I don't expect any big breakthroughs. Plus my longest run since my last half has been six miles. So I may be a bit out of shape. The course is not overly hilly but they are there. At least the finish is downhill. The course is out and back in a beautiful area with great weather so it should be a nice morning. For this race I would like to try to head out more conservatively. Usually I start so fast that by two miles in I have set a mileage PR but feel like I want to die. Trying to avoid that this time. I would also like to learn how to drink out of a cup while moving without drowning or soaking the volunteers. Good to have goal...

This morning I woke up at 5:30 to head to the gym for my speed workout.I had to be awake and presentable by 8:30 this morning and since it is still dark out until 6:30 there was no way I was fitting in a five mile speed workout on the street. That is how I found myself once again on a treadmill. And I freakin killed it. I forgot these mighty pop songs you  make everything easier so I was pretty sure the workout was going to suck the big one. I even contemplated turning around and driving home to get them but then would have had to cut my run short so........I just sucked it up. It is always funny to workout at the university gym. Girls with tons of makeup on and color coordinated outfits. Guys in tight tees doing random crossfit moves in the corner. And then there is me. No makeup, crazy hair, raggedy t-shirt sweating buckets, plodding and wheezing in the corner on the treadmill. Just keeping it real I guess. Hey young people....this is your future. Back to my treadmi...

One of my favorite ways to waste  pass the time is to read other runner's blogs. Some of the blogs I read....they are just amazing. Million mile training weeks, marathons every other day, and in no way am I exaggerating. Okay so marathons every other weekend but still there are some pretty amazing runners out there. All of this reading about others training and running marathons has made me lose my mind  more motivated and now I want to run a marathon. I almost signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon on a whim. I have visited the Richmond Marathon website 3 times in the last two days. I viewed the course video of the San Fran. marathon. And I want to do them all. So why have I not signed up......cause I am afraid. The last time I was training for a marathon I broke myself. And it is just so far and so much running. Plus I gotta finish 30 before turning 30. If I end up broken again that could severely hamper my half marathon goals. But even knowing that I st...

This weekend is the last weekend before heading back to school. To send Spring Break out with a bang I decided to reside on my couch and catch up on some movies I have been wanting to watch. Plus it was raining so I couldn't possibly do my long run today. I might melt or worse get wet and chafe. Pajama pants and multiple movie viewings was the name of the game. (I briefly considered the dreadmill, long enough to cringe, roll my eyes and snuggle further into the couch. No way ten miles is happening on that torture machine.) I have decided since I am an expert on cinema and that a review by someone with such fine tastes may assist you in your next rental decision. (Disclaimer: I am not an expert. I have watched Bridget Jones Diary and the Devil Wears Prada both at least 20 times. The only foreign language film I enjoy is Amelie because it mentions creme brulee and I thought the movie Burlesque was a shoe in for best picture (Cher you are an unappreciated gem). So you h...