Just Plodding Along

Is anyone else a bit chilly? I hate cold weather. For everyone north of here especially my peeps in the Illinois and Wisconsin area, whoa no way. That is just too much cold for me, you all are tough. Where am I going with this.....I hate the cold so I ran on the treadmill twice today. Yep the treadmill in in a cage. Doing some mental training as well I guess. So glad I added some new music to the playlist. Today was the first day of training with my coach that included running twice in one day. And it totally kicked my butt. I don't know how I feel about running twice in one day. The laundry alone is too much for me. The first run was an easier one and the second run was a tempo run. It was super tough. I was already tired ....which I guess is the point. I also went to Pilates so my abs were no help whatsoever. Thanks abs. I am also supposed to do another two a day on Wednesday..... brace yourself for the whining.

Dear Snow, I am over it. The blowing, drifting, frozen ridiculousness. While my relationship with the treadmill is still going strong I would really like to explore other options. Outside options. Options that include pavement and trails and sunshine. So snow if you could just move it along and take the frozen temperatures and ice with you I would really appreciate it. In need of a run outside in sunshine, Bean Go AWAY

Lately me and the treadmill have been bonding nonstop. Last week all runs except for Saturday were on the treadmill. 19 miles going nowhere. If you had asked me a year ago if I would be BFFs for life, for life people, with my treadmill, I would be shocked that I even owned one. And not just because it is the most expensive thing beside my car that I have ever purchased. BFFs for life- or at least until warm weather returns and then see ya next winter. I hated treadmills. Treadmills are torture. Treadmills are boring. One made up word says it all - dreadmill. But it is cold and dark in the winter and I am a big baby but love running. Treadmill you are the answer. One of my twitter peeps asked 'how do you run so many miles on the treadmill' or some version of this question. And I forgot to answer most likely because something shiny distracted me. So here is what works for me. And I realize that the longest run I have done on a treadmill is 8 miles. I read several bl...

I have run three times on my new treadmill. Which now makes me a treadmill running expert of course. Things I have learned in my 11 miles going nowhere. 1. Even when you are losing your mind excited that you purchased a treadmill and it resides a convenient four feet away from your bedroom it can still be tough to convince yourself to get on it. 2. It is sweaty. Soooo sweaty. Even with the built in fan on the treadmill and an additional fan both on high. I have never sweated so much in my life. 3. Treadmill running is boring. It is less boring with fun music. It is way less boring when you watch a movie. 4. Running on a treadmill stress your joints in new ways. Easing into it seems best. I read an article that treadmill runners can experience more stress injuries due to there being less variation in their form. 5. I start too fast. And then want to die. I need to learn how to ease into it just like I do running outside. The treadmill is for days when weather make...

Dreams do come true. This has been ordered: the Sole F80 Treadmill Should be arriving any day now. AHHHHHHH I am so excited!

As fall begins it can only mean one thing And with winter comes darkness. I am an early morning runner. I always have been. I like waking up and after a good fifteen minutes of staring into space/sipping coffee putting my shoes on and heading out the door. I like to knock my runs out first thing so inevitably when something comes up later in the day I don't have to wonder how I am going to fit my run in. Instead I can feel all smug that I knocked out 8 miles before most people are out of bed. That is right. Winning with the early morning runs. But I have recently run into a problem with my smug early morning runs;  The Dark Forest (aka the bike path I run on surrounded by early morning ominous trees.) Running in the early morning hours increasingly means running in the dark. I have a super bright flash light I carry and a pretty hip neon yellow reflector waste band thing so I can be seen. But that does nothing to stop the weird panicky claustrophobic f...

   After years and years of no internet at our new house in Illinois we are back online. Man I am addicted to easy access to all things web based. Thank goodness D had the foresight to buy me a smartphone for our anniversary so I could twitter stalk and read blogs in tiny version on my phone otherwise I may have gone crazy. We made it to Illinois in five days after stopping for a day at my parents’ house. So Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois all look the same. I became increasingly cranky on the trip as did the dogs who I am pretty sure by the third day of driving were giving us the mental bird every time they looked at us for cramming them in a tiny space for multiple days. Everyone was happy to arrive at our destination which turns out to be beautiful, tree lined and super close to a huge park and running trail that extends to and through Wisconsin and through most of Illinois. I ran to Wisconsin on Thursday during my 8 mile run. Now that is just fun to say, ‘I ran to...

thou shall not run inside on a treadmill when the weather is so awesome. Sunny, warm but not yet die of dehydration hot. With this decree I had to take the speed work workout to the street yo. Or in this case the river path. What do you mean where's the river? It is right there....during monsoon season And something magical happened I ran the same workout that I have been doing on the treadmill (1200 warm-up, 400, 800, 1200, 1200, 800, 400 with 400 rests between) ten minutes faster than I have done on the treadmill (5 miles in 49:56). Whoop. All intervals were between 8:30 and 8:40 with recovery between 9:50-10. Pretty quick for this plodder and that is with hills (baby hills) thrown in here and there. Maybe this means I am getting quicker and/or stronger. I felt pretty good the whole time, though it was getting slower towards the end. I had to write the workout on my hand so I would remember it but then I had to keep reminding myself not to wipe my face with my...

Okay so there wasn't really much madness going on this month. Actually pretty tame. Monthly mileage equaled 64.5 miles, a little on the low side but I did take some time to rest after running a gazillion (3) 1/2s in February. I have started incorporating speedwork once a week (I have done it twice but still think it deserves a round of applause). I have run 212.6 miles since January 1st. I have also tried to incorporate more days of running and slowly up my weekly mileage. I would eventually like to be in the 30 miles per week range but want to take it slow since increasing intensity with speedwork (okay quicker plodding) with more miles seems like a recipe for injury and me being stuck spinning. I am also teaching myself to not hate the treadmill. That is slow going. I ran one half this past month the Arizona Distance Classic  in 2:14 and obtained one medal. On the agenda for April: Lake Havasu Half, Horsetooth Half, and Mount Lemmon Half in that order...

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...

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 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...

I have been taking some time off of running and doing lots of cross training. My calf and hips have been feeling better the last few days after hours of stretching and strengthening exercises so I thought I would try to run. My first thought, because I am dumb, was that I should go between 4 to 6 miles. Because every knows when you are coming back from an injury or potential injury on the way the first thing you should try to do is re-injure yourself with a longer run. But luckily because I was trying to run on a treadmill I was not able to achieve this bout of stupidity. Because treadmills suck. Mightily. I ran two miles (pain free) and in the twenty minutes it took me to achieve that I sweated through my shirt, contemplated jumping off a zillion times and then almost flew off when I stopped paying attention for twenty seconds. Why is the treadmill so hard? My thinking was that I would do my next couple of runs on the treadmill since they are more cushy and I have mor...