Just Plodding Along

....not to give the ending away but this week was a bit of a bust. Last weekend I felt under the weather and by Monday- bam- felt like death. And that freakin cold was a stage 5 clinger and really lingered. SO. MUCH. COUGHING. Monday: Nothing but naps, and couch time. Luckily this guy was around to keep me company. Tuesday: A light weight workout at home. Skipped my scheduled run due to lack of ability to breath without hacking up a lung. Wednesday: Tried to get back on the wagon. Did 2 miles on the treadmill with 8 30 seconds fast, 30 seconds recovery thrown in. Coughed so hard I almost puked. Got off treadmill and laid on floor. Did manage to lift weights during lunch. Bonus points for me. Thursday: After a night of coughing, reset my alarm and slept in until 7. Ran 3 miles outside in the evening with 3 minute run/ 1 minute walk. Felt good until the last mile and then that walk break began to creep up in time as the coughing and snot production increased. But it got don...

I realized several things this week in training 1) I had not taken a rest day since Sept 1st, which probably contributed to my overall rundown feeling this week and case for backing off a bit. Work has been a lot lately as well with evening events, lots of projects and the overall I am kind of doing multiple jobs since we are down some staff in my office tiredness. 2) I do not enjoy evening workouts because it means less time at home hanging with my favorite person and 2 favorite canines. This training week was a bit less than I have been doing though still a lot. I did take a rest day which was much needed. For next week, less evening workouts, because I want to be home more. Live and learn. Monday: AM Swam, then worked through lunch and stayed a bit late at work so that was it for the day. Tuesday: Ran 3 miles with 5 X 30 second surges of speed with 30 second recovery in the middle. Lifted weights and took a pilates class Wednesday: Climbed uphill on the treadmill for an ho...

Taking pretty much an entire year off  of running and then wanting to come back an do something epic in the next year is going to take some doing. To make things easier I have joined the YMCA which is conveniently located next door to where I work making lunchtime and evening working out possible. There is also a Y a five minute drive from our house making weekend and early morning and any other time workout easy as well. I think making it as easy as possible to do something ups me actually doing it by a factor of 100. The other nice thing about the Y is they offer a gazillion classes. Everything from spin to barre to boot camp, three of my favorite cross training classes at the moment. In my time off from running I got a bit lazy which resulted in a loss of not only cardio fitness but also strength so I am working on getting both of those back slowly but surely. A typical week of training looks a little like: Monday- AM swim laps, lunch time lift weights, evening boot camp cl...

Monday: Woke up tired from 20 miles the day before. Did a mile and then rolled out and stretched out. The end. Tuesday: 3 rainy miles in the morning and 20 minutes of yoga in the morning. 5 miles in the rain with my group in the evening. Wednesday: Pouring rain outside so hit the treadmill for 1.25 miles and was over it. Did a kettlebell and balance workout. Thursday:  Did an easy two miles and some core work. Friday: Ran 3 miles outside and then it started hailing on me so headed inside for 3 more. Saturday: 2.5 miles Sunday: 16 miles. Long run for the win. Total: 36.75 miles It is amazing how motivating this poster is. I decided that I have to move at least a mile a day to cross off the day and so far it has gotten me moving even when I want to lay around and not move. Fingers crossed it keeps working!

First things first- picture of a cute dog. He is not mine but he is the cutest and we are now BFFs. Any time a dog wears a Christmas shirt I am all for it. On to training.... Lately I have been a little less than motivated. My bed is just so warm and cozy in the morning. Sleep is glorious. Lounging around is glorious. Not working out = glorious. So I decided that every Monday from here on out I have to post the last weeks workouts and hopefully the pressure of knowing I have to do that will motivate me to get it done. Basically peer pressure, but I am not jumping off a bridge because you all are doing it or doing drugs cause the cool kids said so. Instead, I am hopefully getting a workout in. Knowing I was going to post this did keeps me moving this week so I think it is working. Monday: 4.5 miles on the treadmill. Plus lifted weights. Focus on lifting on unsteady surfaces. Bosu ball, one legged exercises etc. That was hard. Spinning for 40 minutes. Tuesday: 1 hour of pilat...

The last few weeks have been an exercise in frustration when it comes to running. First a pulled or strained hip flexor. Then a tweaked Achilles after the Bataan marathon. Then I got a cold. All in all besides running a half marathon and a marathon there has not been a whole lot of running going on over here. And weirdly after awhile I really didn't mind it. It helps that I was busy doing other things. Family visit fun  Hike to the top of Mt. Cristo Rey That got me thinking that I was probably a bit worn out and over trained from training for the El Paso half and having some times off was probably not a bad thing. I also realized I was keeping a running schedule that wasn't working for me. Too much intensity, too many hard workouts back to back and not enough fun trail running. Since running is part of my job a few times a week I need to get better at scheduling that running in with my training and making sure I am not doing too much. I need to get better at protect...

I am now working at the running store Up and Running  and part of my job is running a new Couch to 5k program and heading up the training program for the El Paso Half Marathon in February. So what I am saying is I am getting paid to run......DREAMS COME TRUE!  I am super excited to get new or returning runners excited about running and to train with some awesome people for the half. I am also excited that Up and Running does stuff like this There is an Up and Running team doing the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes  to end rape, sexual assault and gender violence. Please visit here  if you are interested in donating toward this great cause. 

Last week's training turned up the intensity a bit. With two sessions focused on speed and the fact that I started working at the local running store, meaning hours on my feet, I was feeling a bit more tired and sore than usual. Monday:  Evening run with my neighbor. Hot and uphill for the first mile and a half. 4 miles in 40 minutes. Tuesday: Track workout. 400 X 8 with 400 rest. This workout seemed more difficult than it was. A bit warm and a bit solo. I for sure missed my track buddies in Georgia. A total of 4.2 miles. My goal is to keep at the track workouts to hopefully help me get some speed. Lifted. Wednesday: Rest day. Half hour walk and Pilates. Thursday: Tempo run on the treadmill. Warm-up and then 3 x 9:20 min. miles. Lifted. Friday: 6 miles hills and trails. Pilates. Saturday: 8 miles easy. Felt good. Sunday: 3 easy miles. Sore and tired. Didn't really want to run but had running clothes on so went. Total mileage: 29 miles

Last weeks training: 8/11 to 8/17 Mon: 1 mile warm-up and 4 miles with the goal of 9 minute miles. Turned into a 9 and a 9 and a 9:13 and a 9:20. Lifted weights Tues: 7 miles of hills and trails. When I first moved here I was not excited about the desert but running out here is actually kind of awesome. Wed: Lifted weights, Pilates and 30 minute swim Thurs: 4 miles on the treadmill and Pilates Fri: 6 miles of hills and trails. Sat: Nada Sunday: 45 minutes of spinning, lower body: squats and lunges I almost ran more miles last week than I ran the entire month of July. That is kind of fun to see! My main focus has been getting fitness back for the relays coming up. At first I thought my relay legs for Hood to Coast were gonna be super hard but looking more closely I have some of the easier legs overall. Whoop! Well except for my middle leg which is a lot of climbing but I am hopeful all the hills I have been running will help with that.  I am getting supe...

Moving is hard. Missing friends, my running tribe, my running routes. I just need time to meet people, create a new tribe, explore the area. Health issues are hard. Two months of stress and worry to find out I am mostly okay....still waiting for the final word on September 10th. But in the mean time I can run and that is the important part and except for a funny beating heart the rest of me is pretty dang healthy. Getting back in shape is hard. I have not been making it any easier due to the fact that my favorite running route starts with a two mile uphill climb followed by a few miles of ankle twisting, big rocked trails and then back home with a quad crushing downhill. Oh and lifting weights on a regular basis has made simple life tasks extra difficult (I swear I would put the plates away if I could just raise my arms). Things have seemed hard lately. Even knowing why sometimes doesn't make it easier. The last few weeks have been a bit extra frustrating in the running dep...

Things that happen when you go from running three days a week to six, from 10 miles a week to over 50: Must eat all the things. And I thought I was hangry before.  Laundry. So much laundry. And then if I also cross train, even more outfits. It is not so much the washing, folding is just the worst. And then apparently they are supposed to go back in the dresser. That part is just so difficult to get motivated to do.  Tired, so very tired. I would like to make a motion that naps become part of everyone's day. Can I get a second?  Running six miles seems like no big deal. Unless you throw a mini fit like I did this morning and then it seems like a very big deal and you will feel like a ridiculous person the rest of the day. Sometimes running is just hard and you don't feel like doing it. Boo hoo poor me. But I did it anyway.  Yesterday the other LT wives and I had a cookie social with some of the wives of the various commanders and high ranking important pee...

Last week I ran 54.5 miles. When you just focus on one day of training at a time the total mileage kind of sneaks up on you.  Monday: 4 miles at a 9 min pace, last mile on the track- fartleks  Tuesday: 7 miles at 10 minute pace Wednesday: 8 mile tempo supposed to be at 9:30 pace with some 9's thrown in....I averaged a 9:45 and toured the hills of Columbus (pretty tough workout for me) Thursday: 6 miles easy Friday: 8 miles easy 16 miles: They happened , not with the last 4 at 9:30 as dictated by the training plan, but I did run 16. Tuesday and Thursday: 2 miles and 2.5 miles with C25K program Cross training: Pilates, Body pump and core work. I am pretty pleased with the first week of training. It was tough. Not really a surprise since Chicago in October I have done at most around 25 miles a week with a few quick miles on the treadmill being the hardest workout. No wonder the 16 miler on Saturday seemed so ridiculous, the past two months my long r...

Last week's training:  Monday- Run in Destin Florida along the water = awesome. Tuesday- 6 a.m. body pump and couch to 5K run of about three miles Wednesday- 6 a.m. run with Big Dog Peeps to try Brooks stuff for 4 miles. Thursday - Couch to 5K for about two miles and blatant ignoring of body pump Friday- Rest day Saturday- 5.5 fast miles at the Big Dog pancake run Sunday- 75 minute run for 7.7 miles. Total miles around 24. Cross training not great. Overall I feel like I am getting a bit faster and have been pushing it on a lot of runs. I can feel it in my legs since they are a bit sore and my abs and arms are in constant pain from body pump. Maybe that will stop one day. On to the randomness. I bought this sign the other day. Love it. Makes me happy every time I see it. Found these tortillas at Sam's and they crack me up. XTREME Wellness. So much healthy wrapped in a tortilla. Holiday baking time. So excited. Fancy marshmallows make me happy.  ...

This morning D and I headed back to RuthAnne's for some breakfast. He has ten days off so we decided to kick it off with a fun breakfast. This meant that I got to try the sweat potato pancakes that I have had my eye on and they were......just okay. I was actually a little bummed about them. I expected pure awesomeness so back to the veggie omelet for me next time. Let's review training from this week and the many miles to come this weekend: Monday: Biked 40 minutes/ lifted weights for 45 minutes Tuesday: Ran 4 miles by myself and then 2.5 with my run group Wednesday: Rest day Thursday: 4 miles at a quicker than normal pace (even got into the eights I don't know what was happening) and then 3 miles with my run group Friday: 2 mile walk, weights for 45 minutes, yoga 20 minutes Saturday: 10 miles planned hopefully some with run group Sunday: 16 miles planned Since I am still coming back from my injury- read I am scared I will hurt myself again, I am being super...

Today was my first attempt at running longish and it went pretty well. Over six miles at a not too horrible pace. I felt better about the marathons after this run. Not great but better. I had originally envisioned the half moon bay marathon as a solid athletic event full of speed, grace and glory- all the athletic prowess that my blog title - Just Plodding Along- conjures. Okay no....but I was hoping to finish under 4:50. I like the feeling of making progress and anything under that time would be progress. After the lack of training and injury that has been happening the new plan is get strong enough to finish without turning into a ball of mush. Good to have goals. The plan to get there is pretty simple- be on my feet. I am running by time not by distance. I would like to get a three hour run in before the marathon. Not concerned with speed, mostly with endurance and strength.  Training plan until the marathon involves running for time about every other day, biking every other day...

This morning I woke up planning to do speed work and then chickened out. I didn't want to aggrivate my tendon issue with too much awesomeness so instead I decided on an easy run on the bike path. I went to put my Garmin on......                                  and it was                                                                            DEAD! why, Garmin, WHY I mean....                          I don't.......                                                       What am I supposed to do with that? I ...