Just Plodding Along

for a great family and lots of love. for friends far and wide, new and old, runners and non-runners. for my best friend and partner in crime. for my favorite four legged.  for a great home, a fun job and a happy life. Happy Turkey Day!

This past week was a bit of a bust in the weight lifting department and by bit of a bust I mean I did nada. Eh it happens. I did get in some quality running workouts though. Monday- Track workout. 5 x 1000 under 8:40 pace. It was super cold and we did a total of 5.5 miles with the warm-ups and cool downs. My average pace for the 1000 was an 8:16. I will take it! When I first started doing track workouts I was not overly excited about them and they seemed really difficult but I have grown to really like them. Goes to show sometimes you have to be open minded and give it a chance. Track workouts are nice because they have a specific purpose, you can push hard, it is flat and when it is done you know exactly what you accomplished. Also trained a client. Tuesday-  Trained- ran/ walked about two miles. Ignored lifting. Ran 3 miles with my half marathon training group. Wednesday-  15 mile long run. It went great for the first 12 miles and then a rock out of nowhere took my run...

One of the great things about my job as a Run Coach for the running store here in El Paso is I get to work with new runners or runners who are working their way back to fitness after taking some time off. Often times the first workout back is the hardest. In your mind you are a sleek, athletic animal able to lope up hills easily and at a 5 minute mile pace but often times the muscles and cardio system are just not on the same page. And that is totally okay. Running is hard and takes practice and for many people, including myself, does not come easily. It is something that must be practiced and worked at to see change and improvement in yourself. Do not make it harder by putting down your effort. One of the things that I would love runners of all levels and ability to stop doing is trivializing their achievements and ability by saying things like: - I am not really a runner I have only been doing it for a few weeks. -I am not really a runner I have only ever run 5ks. -I am no...

This week my beginner half marathon training group kicked off. With about 40+ people it is a big group but I am sure it is going to be a lot of fun. I only got two strength session in this week again and have decided that is my tolerance level for strength training. So two it is for now. Two is better than 0 so I will take it. Monday - Speed workout on Fort Bliss with 2 3 mile loop repeats. One mile warm-up with 6 miles at a 9 minute mile goal pace- actually more around 9:10. Lifted weights after. Tuesday-  Run/ walking while training. 3 mile kick off run for my beginner half marathon training program in the evening. Wednesday-  11 mile long run. Freaking windy...I HATE WIND. But ran in a beautiful new area in New Mexico through awesome farmland. I really liked this run....well until it got windy and then I was over it. Thursday- Training- ran/walked about two miles. Army side note: Went to my first Hail and Farewell and D was welcomed into the Battalion- about four m...

Well this week I attempted to lift weights and therefore felt like I had been hit by a truck most of the week. For some weird reason doing something new and working out in a harder way makes me sore.....huh. Just kidding! Of course it makes me sore and I accept that, but at the same time it is a bit of a trade off with running. Lifting weights is good for me but it does make it harder for me to run well since my legs feel like dead weight and every other inch of me is complaining with every stride. I also know that it takes at least thirty days to embrace a new habit so I am gonna keep at it and eventually it will not be so dang dramatic around here. How many people who know me/ work with me know I lifted weights this week? Oh all of them. I am a sharer when I feel like death. True confession time- I only lifted heavy twice this week and my goal was three times. Something to work on for next week. Monday- Sore from the trail run so postpone track workout to Tuesday and only lift. T...

On last Thursday I found out I am excessively fat. Not exactly what you want to hear.  Now to be fair I went to the Army Wellness Center to find out this very information. The Army has an Army Wellness program where you can get into their super duper futuristic bod pod that measures your body fat versus everything else in your body, you know bones and muscle and blood and organs and stuff). Clad in spandex shorts, sports bra and a swim cap (guess long flowing locks will mess with things) you are shut in this pod and it somehow measures what is going on inside. And what is going on inside is 37% body fat. Ideally females will be 30% or less to be in the best of health. Now as someone who has the best cholesterol doctor's have seen in awhile, been told by numerous doctor's I am super healthy, has a very low resting heart rate, and runs a bit....okay a ton....at first I was like And while I am not a small person by any means, no one is gonna mistake me for an el...

This past week I felt that some of the speed work I have been putting in is paying off. The track and tempo workouts felt a bit more comfortable (i.e. I did not want to puke the whole time). Winning! Monday: Traveled back from wedding fun. Ate a lot of skittles Tuesday: 1.5 miles training a client. 7.5 miles on the track with low 8 min/mile pace for a ladder workout. 400-800-1200-1600-1200-800-400 with 200 walk recovery. 3 mile costume run with the running store. Wednesday: Long run. 12 miles nice and slow. 1.5 miles with my Couch to 5K group. Thursday: Nada. Felt good to rest. Friday: 7 mi tempo run. 1200 @ 9 min. miles five times with warm-up and cool-down. Lots of Candy and some dog torture. Whose a cute little hot dog!?! Max was not amused. Saturday: 1.5 miles with my Couch to 5K group. Embraced that I now live and run in Texas. Sunday: Trail race in Vado, NM. 6.6 miles in around 1:13. Placed 2nd female overall. Thanks to a small field both the hubs an...