Schedule Change: 8 Mile Tuesday

So, my work schedule has changed a little bit for the next month. I'm working weekends and have off Monday and Tuesday. My changing work schedule kind of messes with my training schedule. Working weekends means no long runs on Saturdays which also means no long runs with my running group. A month and a half away from the marathon...great (said with an incredibly sarcastic tone). I don't adapt well to change, but I'm going to do my best to figure it all out. I'm trying not to be pessimistic, but the thought of running a 20 miler solo sucks!

Ok, ok, enough complaining and rambling...back to my original point of this post. I normally run, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with a longish midweek run on Wednesday and a long long run on Saturday. I'm trying to stick to the same plan, but with subtle changes. Like today for instance, I'm running 8 miles on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. So there's one positive to having off on a Tuesday, I don't have to run 8 miles before going to work. Extra sleep! Yes!

And I got to watch the sunrise during my run instead of running in the darkness.

AND, I got to eat IHOP afterwards too! Sooooo rungry! Yay for food!

 

Sometimes, I have to remind myself of the positives, even when I'm tired, stressed, and anxious about my training. I have 6 1/2 weeks left, and sometimes I find it hard to deviate from my original plan. In the end, I know it won't matter if I do my long run on a Saturday, or a Monday as long as I get it done. The main thing is consistency and a positive attitude.

                                 "Always look on the bright side of life" Monty Python style.

 

So laugh, dance, smile, and sing! Happy running!

P.S. I love Spamalot!

 

In the Long (Long) Run

It's long long run day! Let's face it, any run over 10 miles deserves 2 longs. The schedule called for 16 miles today. Once again I met with the LexRunLadies in Midway to run the Iron Horse Half Marathon course. I started early and got in a couple miles before meeting Krissie and some of the other Ladies. It was a great way to start my weekend. Midway is a very scenic place to run. I love running by all the horse farms and I love the smell of alfalfa hay in the morning. It takes me back to the good old days.

 

I think I ran mile 13 at least 2 or 3 times. It started feeling a little bit like "The Run Song That Never Ends". It went on and my friends. Sometimes you think of the craziest things during the long long runs. I must do my best thinking out on the road!

 

I plan to lounge around the rest of the day...maybe get some froyo. Mmmm, froyo. Ok, gotta go! Have a great weekend friends!

Iced Coffee And Chocolate Milk

Today I was up at 4:30 am to attempt 8 miles before work. I was highly skeptical about completing the entire run, but I did it! The whole 8 miles! Woo Hoo! Today was one of those days that I amazed myself! I was kind of slow and it was hot and miserable the whole way, but I did it anyway.

Chocolate milk has become part of my post run recovery regimen. It's my reward for getting through a tough workout. Yummy! Check out Got Chocolate Milk? for all the ways chocolate milk helps your body recover post work out.

My early morning wake up call left me extremely tired the rest of the day. My best friend, iced coffee, was there to save from passing out at work. Where would I be without my caffeine?

Back to Work Blahs

The first day back to work after being on vacation was rough. Not only was I super tired from driving all day, but I had this awful headache when I woke up. I spent the day dreaming about being back on vacation, so that kind of killed my productivity. I had planned on doing some yoga after work, but I just wasn't feeing it; and ended up going to bed early.
Fast forward to this morning and the feeling of normality has returned. Up at 4:30 am and a 4 mile run under my belt to start the day before work. I had to run sans GPS watch this morning since the battery was dead (grumpy face) and I used the Nike+ app on my phone instead. I ran in a familiar route so I would know the approximate distances either way. The phone app was a lot different than my watch would normally read, so I didn't stop at 4 Nike+ app miles and I ran to where I would normally hit 4 miles. It felt good to get out there after 2 days of inactivity. I've got a big week coming up, 32 miles on the schedule including an 8 mile run tomorrow morning and a 16 mile run coming up on Saturday.
I don't really have anything else for you today. I need another vacation! I think I'll be in bed early tonight again. I need as much sleep as I can get!

Oh, I do have this for all you wanna be runners out there. Here is a beginner couch to 5k program from Monica at Run, Eat, Repeat. This is my favorite running blog by far!

Up North: Vacation Recap

This past week of vacation was great. It was nice to be off of work for a week and to spend time with my family. I don't get to see my parents and sisters very often, so it's really a blessing to spend this time with them.

We stayed at a cottage on Clear Lake in Minocqua, WI. Minocqua itself is a very touristy city, but the place that we stayed is very secluded. In fact, we basically had the lake to ourselves for most of the week!

I had 29 miles on the schedule this week and I completed all of them including my longest run yet, a 15 miler. I was able to go to bed early and sleep in most days, which was fantastic! Going back to work is going to be rough...may need to set a few extra alarms! The best part of the training was being able to run on the trails in the shade, with lower temps and zero humidity. 

Sadly, my week is already over, and I definitely have no desire to go back to work in the morning. Yuck! 

I leave you with a picture summary of my vacation.

 

Clear Lake

 

 

  Black Bear Bar

Pizza Fry, delicious!

Baking cookies

Bearskin Trail, Minocqua, WI

Post Run Fudge

 

Making fudge

And Iced Coffee

Campfire time!

 

Fishing

                                    Bald Eagle

 

                                   Bald Eagle snatching fish out of the water.

                                    Sisters

 

                          Boat Rides

 

Prairie Trail, Fond du Lac, WI

 Lakeside Park, Fond du Lac, WI

 

   One last vacation drink!

 

Can't wait till next year!

Vacation

My vacation officially began Saturday morning. Up at 4:00 am, and on the road by 5:00. It's about a 9 hour drive (530 miles) from my house to my parents home in Wisconsin. The drive itself was uneventful. I always say a prayer of thanks when we pull in their driveway. 

This is the view of Lake Winnebago from the back patio. I love this tree, it's so awesome!

We met my Dad and Vickee for dinner at Backyard Grill and Bar.

I got the prime rib and a baked potato. Yummy!

After our meal, we went back to the house and I headed to bed early. 

10 mile run Sunday morning. I love running back home!  Here's some pics from my run:

Sunrise!

Taycheedah Trail

Lighthouse at Lakeside Park!

After my run, we got cleaned up and hopped right back in the car to get to our real destination. 

Up North, here we come!

Enough With the Humidity Already

So, I really wish that small furry creatures would stop jumping out and scaring me on my early morning runs. In the last few days I've been startled by several bunnies, cats, and an opossum. This morning, I jumped when a bunny shot in front of me. Yesterday, I screamed loudly like a little girl when a cat suddenly jumped in my path. Well, I think it was a cat. It was so dark, I'm not really sure what it was. I'm really thinking I need to invest in a pair of knuckle lights so I can see while running in the dark.
                                    Really, who wants to run into this on a dark street!?

Not to sound like a broken record, but it was so humid again this morning. It's like a slap in the face when you get out the door. I made it through my 4 miles this morning and felt awful about all 4 of them. Mile 4 was the best since it started raining and it felt a little better. So far I've gotten in 13 of 24 miles this week and I'm so glad is a rest day.

I always think of the movie "Throw Mama From the Train" when I run in humid weather.
 "The night was sultry". Ok, ok, I run in the morning, but you get the idea.

 

One more work day till vacation! 

6 Miles on Humpday

Happy Humpday! One day closer to vacation!

 

 

Ok, I had to post this. I always giggle when I see it!

I made it through 6 miles this morning.  The humidity was out of control! As soon as I started running this morning, I didn't think I'd make it all 6 miles, let alone the 7 I was scheduled for. I've been behind on my Wednesday runs since first week of July and I'm just about back on track.

 

I've been so sleepy today. I'm ready for a rest day. Maybe I ought to try to go to bed early.

 

 

Something New

Now that I've run 13 miles, this is the part of my training where I usually take a short break. Not this time! It only gets more intense from here on out. I've got 24 miles scheduled for this week, and 29 for the following week.

I was really dreading this morning's run. My legs were so sore and tired after my last long run. I got up and got out there anyway for 3 miles.  The first 2 weren't awful, I was just really slow. Like this is the slowest I've run 3 miles in a long time. The good thing is that I feel great about my run in general. My legs finally felt back to normal by the last mile and I was back to my normal pace. I'm glad to have that run out of the way. Now I can focus on the last half of my training.

I'm trying something new this week. Instead of listening to my usual worn out playlist, I'm going to try out different podcasts. This morning, I listened to The Jillian Michaels Show. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love her on The Biggest Loser and am a big fan of her methods. I also own several of her workout DVDs. I guess I like to torture myself, but in a good way!

 

You can listen to, download, and subscribe to it here. Anyway, it made my run seem so easy this morning. I was totally focused on the show and the time just flew by. I'll definitely be listening to more podcasts in the future, especially for the long long runs!

On a side note. This creamer is awesome! I love Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies!

Almost Halfway...But Not Quite

I ran 13 miles this morning with the LexRunLadies out at the Legacy Trail. It was a great run until I got to mile 9. It was already humid, but it started getting really hot when the sun came out from behind the clouds. At this point I was really thankful that I had started earlier on my own before sunrise. I had water with me, but my legs started getting angry with me and I needed to walk a little ways.  I'm pretty sure I sweat off at least 4 pounds. I was so thirsty when I made it back to the car. Overall, it was a good run. I did 13 miles in about 2 1/2 hours even with the walking breaks.

While driving home, I just kept thinking, "13 miles, that's not even halfway!". I can't believe that I'm going to have to more than double that distance in a couple months! 10/13/13!

 

Now, I feel like I could eat everything! Definitely have a case of the rungries going on! I've already had 2 breakfasts today. First was an almond butter sandwich and a banana pre-run. Second was 2 eggs and 2 waffles, washed down with a huge iced coffee!

I'm still hungry! I must eat as much as a growing teenage boy, except I'm not growing. Well, I hope I'm not growing. 

 I think I see frozen yogurt in the near future! Yep, there it is!

What's your favorite flavor of froyo? I like strawberry banana! Yum

July Highlights and August Goals

Looking back at July I had 90 miles on the schedule. I ran 77.7 miles in July. I didn't get all of them in because of a foot/Achilles issue that plagued me at the beginning of the month. Overall, I'm happy with my training for the month. I set a new PR in the 10k distance, trained consistently, and continued to join in on the group runs with the LexRunLadies. What a great group of women! They are so inspiring! The group runs have really saved me from the monotony of running alone, along with running the same old paths. The main thing is that I'm still having fun.

The start of a new month means I get to start fresh and renew my goals. I have 130 miles on the schedule this month. Yikes! I also will have my first training runs that are longer than half marathon distance. This is a little frightening to me at the moment. I know I can and will do it, but it's still a little overwhelming. I'm most excited for my vacation mid-month. I'll be going Up North. For all of us Wisconsinites we know that Up North is not an exact location, it's basically an atmosphere. Set in the north woods of Wisconsin surrounded by Pine and Birch trees, cabins on the most crystal clear freshwater lakes you've ever seen. Swimming, fishing, relaxing...I CAN'T  WAIT!

 

August Goals:

1. Have fun (It's not worth it, if it's not fun)
2. Train consistently
3. Eat healthy and drink plenty of water
4. Quit eating so much candy (My afternoon candy craving is out of control!)
5. Update my playlist or find a podcast to listen to during long runs
6. Get enough rest/sleep
7. Buy a 2nd pair of running shoes (not really a goal, but I'm going to need to break some in before the marathon)