Week 3, day 5

I got my 45 minutes in today. I am slower than you Jess...I only ran 3.6 miles. I am slowly working up my speed becuase I know I need to be going faster. I keep coming up with random questions that I don't know the answer to (I'll have a few questions later on your topic, Jess) so I am going to randomly post questions if anyone could kindly answer. So here goes...

Question #1:

Do we bring an ipod for the actual run?

i love today

i was totally not feeling it this morning. did not want to get out of bed. definitely did not want to go running.
so, i made a deal with myself (am i the only one who does this?)
i could sleep in and hit the treadmill instead of the road if and only if i gave it everything i had for the full 45 min. good deal.
so, after putting owey back down around 7:30, i crawled back under my down comforter and slept for another 2 hours until he woke up again. fed him, got dressed, and hit the gym.
i am convinced that the first song i listen to on my run totally sets the pace for the whole run. today it was "lose yourself" by eminem (clean version, of course). i know. i am such a gangsta. but it got me all fired up.

i set my pace to run at what normally feels way too fast. and i ran, and ran, and ran for 30 min at that pace. (our gym has an automatic 30 min time limit on the machines so as not to induce "hogging"). at that point i really had to poo (too much information? and by the way - i may bring this up again, but are there porta potties at the race? if not, i could be in trouble) so i asked the lady on the stair-stepper if she could keep an eye on baby o while i ran to the bathroom. once i returned, i knew i had to go 15 more min. but since i took the potty break, i wanted to make up for it - so i upped the pace. and it felt good.
all in all, 45 min run, 4 min walk, 3 min in the bathroom.... 4 miles!!! i was really excited to feel so good about working soo hard. and even now i am still feeling the awesome effects of pushing yourself . yeah for today!

Am I Addicted?

So I wasn't feeling good last night and this morning so I decided to use today as my day off instead of tomorrow. I got my 2 oldest kiddies off to school and put my 2 babies down for a nap. I was going to craft while they slept but for some REALLY WEIRD reason I got the itch to run!??? What's my problem? I was totally justified in taking today off since I was going to run tomorrow but I just wanted to run! I don't know why... it hurts, it's boring, I get nasty sweaty and so tired and I REALLY don't enjoy it! Whatever! I guess that's a good thing if I'm getting addicted to this awful sport, right?

So my knee really still hurts even with a brace. I sure hope this doesn't last because outside will be killer if it does! I went 3.2 miles in 40 minutes and I even went up a few hills (2.5 incline)!

38 minutes... slap my hand.

i unfortunately underestimated the how fast (slow) i would run the course i mapped out for today. it was a loop around some major streets in my neighborhood and i was sure it would be just about 40 min. unfortunately i found myself almost back to my house at about 35 minutes. since i did not want to head off into some other neighborhood due to the major hills all around my house, i decided to run around our complex for a few minutes. then i got bored and threw in the towel at 38 minutes. i know- what a shame.
i have yet to find my groove on the streets. i am not too fond of major thoroughfares because i have already had too many people that i know see me in all my glory. plus, i have to run on the sidewalk for fear of crazy teenage drivers plowing right through me and little owey. sidewalk running isn't the best for my knees, so i think i may have to give that up. i really liked the bike trail that i took on saturday, but i can't imagine doing it with the stroller. there is not a flat spot on the whole trail. it is either uphill or down, and i may literally drop dead if i had to do that with the big red sled. so, i still search for the perfect training. i would ask you all for suggestions, but i suppose that doesn't work since we are all training all over the place! (kinda cool, actually).
have a good day off tomorrow! (or cross i suppose). i will be up at miq's celebrating little julia's 6th b-day. i can't believe she will be that old!

min run: 38
miles run: 2.6

Long time no post....

First, LOVE Carlie's wall. Good job- how do you hear a quote in the morning and have it pasted to your wall by the afternoon. You are amazing.
Anyway....I haven't posted in awhile. Could be because I missed Thursday's run (running friend's child was puking and it was POURING). And then Saturday was tough. I must say that Josh did the cutest thing- he asked what route I take before I left. I told him. Then as my friend and I were running, he drove up, windows down had the kids holding bottles of water for both of us and cheering us on. It was very sweet. Then when I got home, there was one doughnut (one of my faves) and he had saved it just for me (anyone who knows my kiddos knows that was a true act of love since he probably had to fight to keep one doughnut for me). Sweet huh?
The run on Saturday was long. A challenge. I was feeling it. We did run all but a couple of minutes though out of 50- not bad. For the first time though I thought- this is really tough. I think I'm fooling myself because things have gone pretty well so far and I keep thinking we're only running HALF a marathon not a full one. HA! As of 2 weeks ago I hadn't ran 2 miles in my whole life probably and now I think it's no biggie to run 13.1??!!?? What the?? The doughnut did cheer me up though.
On top of that, today I went to my friend's house at 5:30am (we meet at her house since I live literally amidst the biggest hills in Saugus). Knocked on the door. Waited in the cold for 5 mins then 10 mins in my car. I finally drove home. NOT a good way to start the day. Just FYI don't tell your body you will be running and then go home without doing so. I was in a terrible mood. My friend did redeem herself though by calling and offering to have her husband watch Drew for me while we went running. So we went. Again, tough run. I had to stop towards the end. I think I like running at 5:30 am when it's under 40 degrees and nobody can see us. Is that weird? Cuz on both Saturday (8am run) and today (9am run) it was hot (a whopping 55 degrees- heaven help me come May weather while running 13.1 miles), and bright and just not nearly as fun. Anyone else have weird theories like this?
SO I'm gonna do it- I'm gonna "out" my friend that will be joining us. Maybe she'll actually come up with a name for her blog so I can add her to this one. KRISTEN are you reading this, hello? My secret running partner (is it really a secret?) is my closest friend here, Kristen H. I've known her for about 4 years now (is that right?). She has a big house full of kids (4), is fun to be around and we just have a lot of the same likes (I think). Eating good food and talking are at the top of the list (behind raising our children and being good little wifeys of course). So she will be there at the end of May. We have both told each other that we really do love running together. Who knew? She's been running for awhile now. Me, not so much. But we just talk the whole time and it goes by so much faster. We seem to be well suited pace wise as well. It's turned out to be such a wonderful thing. She said she wanted to start posting so hopefully she will soon. Is that ok Jess?
Oh and I plan to post about that marathon movie- did anyone else see it? We braved terrible weather with about 1 1/2 hours of traffic. It was worth it. However since you probably stopped reading back at paragraph one, I'll stop here and save it for later.
Here's hoping for a better, EARLY run tomorrow!

Thanks Mique...

I love the quote, it's perfect!

Week 3, Day 2

Today was a hard 40 minutes, but I don't have the excuses like you do Jess. My knee just hurts! I'm getting over the shin splint and staph infection and now this! I wore a knee brace today which really helped. I am starting to realize that this isn't going to get easier, just harder. If it was getting easier I wouldn't notice because our mileage just goes up. Oh well, it is a challenge and I'm up for it!

I need a quote to put on the wall above my treadmill. Any suggestions?
Also, Brooke, where do you buy that chafing cream? My arm started chafing on Saturday.

Oh! Have you tried Clif bars? They're super yummy and filling. They are a lot of calories (250) and a lot of carbs (45g ) so I would'nt eat them if I wasn't running but they say to not eliminate carbs when you run. I like Peanut Butter the best.

we made it

why was 40 min today even harder than 50 min saturday?
it could be that i was on the road.
it could be that i was pushing a stroller.
it could be the huge windstorm the first 15 min or the torrential downpour the last 5.
it could be that i once again ran uphill on the way back (stupid!)
it could be that i am exhausted from the weekend.

or

it could be that i need to stop complaining and suck it up.

total minutes: 40
total miles: 2.6 along the coast highway

notes to self

note to self: this will get easier. (it will right?)

note to self: be proud. you ran longer today than you ever have in your life.

note to self: don't give up. even when your body says it's over, it's not. your body is stronger than you think, and your mind is only playing tricks on you.

note to self: figure out what to eat for breakfast before a run. yogurt - not enough. denny's grand slam - way too much.

note to self: new shoes are awesome, but unfortunately they don't make you fly. like it or not, you must get stronger on your own. there are no secret weapons.

note to self: cut out all of the boring and even slightly slow songs on your ipod. they will not motivate you to get over that hill.

note to self: only you can motivate yourself to get over that hill.

note to self: smile and wave at all the other runners you see. they are on the same journey you are, and if they are at all human, they could use a little pick me up too.

note to self: when planning a long run, do not choose a course that has the last mile up hill. you will want to die.

note to self: although you will want to die, you will not. keep going.

note to self: flip off the mexicans that ogle you as you "bounce" on by. (ok, not really- but think about flipping them off and channel your furious energy into your stride.)

note to self: the more you look at your watch, the slower time will go. that cheap piece of plastic from target is equipped with the time-warp feature that is guaranteed to slow down just when you feel like you can't go anymore. stop looking, keep running.

note to self: cotton mouth is disgusting. look into getting a water belt.

note to self: the temporary pain is worth the sense of accomplishment in the end.

note to self: stretch. you will be grateful in the morning.

note to self: you are tough. you are strong. you can do this.

warm-up: 5 min walking
minutes run: 50
cool down: 7 min walking
total miles: 4.2

I PEED my pants!

So, we too were foiled by the rain. We were up, almost ready to go and I thought, what is that noise? Did the heater turn on? Is there a fan on? No, it was a torrential downpour! Blast! Since I don't have the option of bringing the carseat to the gym, I knew I would have to wait until tonight when Aaron got home and go to the gym. And of course, as soon as I get in the shower and get ready for the day, the sun comes out. Oh well, what can you do?

Now, on to the GOOD part. So I dutifully made dinner so it would be all ready as soon as Aaron got home so I could go straight to the gym but he wouldn't have to wait for dinner. I had a bottle ready for baby and I took off. This was my first treadmill run. I thought it would be interesting to see how fast I was running. I got on, walked for a little warm up and started running. Crap. I am doing 13 min miles. And I might be going even slower on the road. So as I was almost done with my 35 min, I decided I needed to step it up a notch at the end. I decided to sprint the last "lap" (.25 miles). I cranked that treadmill up and I started running. I was feeling good! I was running fast! (ok like 10 min miles) I cranked it up a little more! Whoo hoo! Then it happened. I felt like I was leaking a little pee. Well, what do you expect I just had a baby? Then I felt like I was leaking a little MORE pee. But I couldn't stop! I was doing so well and I only had like 30 seconds left! Then I felt like I was full on peeing my pants! I mean it wasn't like dripping down my legs or anything but let's just say it is a GOOD thing I was wearing black pants. Well, no time for stretching at the gym, I thanked my lucky stars I had a sweatshirt to tie around my waist and I got the HECK out of there!
Anyway, I have to say that was my most embarrassing running moment so far. Ahhh, thank you Zachary for making your mother incontinent.

ice, ice baby

last night was a bad night.
so bad that i thought i might not make it this morning.
i tossed and turned for hours because of my aching knees. i know, ridiculous. that has never happened before. usually my knees hurt while running or sometimes going up stairs - so this was new. they just ached.
uggh.
on top of that, even though owen had been sleeping through the night for over a week now, he woke up several times screaming between 2 and 4 this morning. i had to go in and calm him down, he would fall asleep only to wake up screaming a few minutes later. what the heck??!! i'm not sure what that was all about, but together with the knee business, it made getting up this morning rather rough.
but i did get up, and i got all ready to go running with the stroller and figured i could at least give it a go. if i had to, i would walk for 40 min, but i was at least going to try. and as soon as i step outside, it starts pouring.
brother.
so, we headed to the gym instead, again. the workout actually went better than i thought, i was able to run most of it (the shoes seem to be good) but did have to walk a bit. i actually considered leaving the house with percocet... but i suppose that's probably not the best solution!
and once again, now as i look out the window it is totally sunny. note to self: if you don't like the weather, wait a minute.
grrrr...
so, here i sit, blogging away, ice on the knees, grateful that tomorrow is a rest day, and scared to death of 50 min on saturday. anyone else?

Update!

okay, my dad just came over to look at my sore and told me it's either a staff or strep infection and it needs to be lanced (drained)! Scary! He's also putting me on antibiotics (I've been on some for my cold but they won't help strep or staff). He said we all have bacteria on our skin and when you get an open wound (maybe a blister?) there's a chance to get infected. He also said running will just make it worse so I need to heavily pad it. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day!

Ewwwwww!

Okay, I know this is sick but I don't know what it is. It started out looking like a zit (weird place for one) or an ingrown hair. It hits my shoe right at the tongue. Then it got bigger, and bigger. The picture doesn't really do it justice. My whole angle is swollen from it. It's really hard and obviously filled with puss. It makes it hard to run and gets bloody after my runs. I'm sure you don't care to see this but I just wanted to share!

So my runs have been going good. I seem to sell myself short a lot. I tell myself I can't finish but I always do! Jeff tell me I need to "Think Positive".

Have a good rest day tomorrow!

secret weapon...

i finally gave in... per movin' shoes analysis and recommendation, my secret weapon is Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8.
you have a lot to live up to little shoe...
wish us luck tomorrow!

Back in the game...

Well, like Carlie, I was feeling like CRUD yesterday. Plus my mom was in town, plus my overstimulated thanks to Grandma baby did not sleep well. Plus I didn't stretch well on Monday and I was HURTING! So I switched my off day to Tuesday, but we were back on the road today. I felt decent, although in the back of my mind I kept thinking of Jessica's post where she said she "jogged" instead of "ran" and I wondered if anything that I do could actually be considered "running". Hmmm. I really don't have a difference as of right now.

Anyway, I decided to change things up a bit, plus one side of the trail had been smelling like sewage lately, so we went a ways further down the trail than we usually do. I was feeling pretty good having seen new parts of the trail I had never seen before and as I approached the spot where I can either take the long way home or the short way home I looked at my ipod stop watch to see how much time I had left. Well, wouldn't you know when I had hit start it apparently didn't catch and I was still on 0:00! I was bummed, not knowing how long I had been going and my first instinct said, "you have SURELY gone at least 35 min, you went farther than usual on the trail! You can just WALK home. The EASY way." But I knew that I had cut out the sewer part of the trail so I probably still had at least five min to go. So, the only thing I knew I would feel good about was to take the long way, and RUN. I didn't quite run up the BIG hill (it is nearly impossible with the stroller) but I did run the rest of the way and I felt good! In fact, I think I might have gone 40 min or more! Maybe not looking at the clock could be a good thing sometimes!

And I learned my lesson. I stretched well. I vow to NEVER not stretch after a run ever again!

Bad day!

So I have been coming down with something. We thought it might be strep so my dad put me on antibiotics but they don't seem to be helping. So cancelled with my trainer today and switched my rest day from tomorrow to today. It was a good choice because I had Halle's birthday party which was a ton of work (check out my blog for pics). I just feel lousy!

To top it all off my back is killing me. Is it from running? I have never had back pain until now. Any tips for this one?

Oh, and here's a picture to show you why I am not running outside. You can't really tell from the pic but some of the piles are up to my waist!

ouch.

ok, 35 min today and i'm feeling it.
tomorrow is the day that i will go to the running store in encinitas (per brooke's recommendations) and see if there is some miracle worker that can save my knees. new shoes, new strap thing, whatever it takes. i am not going to let this get in my way.
i really had to jog, not run this morning because of my knee, and surprisingly - the rest of my body feels great. i am not sore elsewhere like i thought i would be, and overall i feel good. i am anxious to see what the shoe gods can do for me to make things even better.
on a side note, i printed out my adapted running schedule (using the one miq posted and modified it to not run on sundays, etc.) i stuck it to my front door (on the inside of course) as a reminder of what is to come. it's actually pretty intimidating. like in 3 weeks when our long run jumps suddenly from 60 min to 90 min. what's with that??

There's a reason...

I have a training partner.
Today I went it alone. I ran/walked 3 miles (I know to the T because of Google Earth- thanks Jess) in a little over 35 mins. I was pretty proud- I ran most of the way but I was alone and it was raining, cold and I was running on an incline the whole way home!!! I just kept talking to myself, "Miq, you can do it. Miq you can do it." Thanks to my running partner's Ipod full of fun music, I made it (remember mine was ruined by the Princess bubble bath soap). Still both my friend and I realized today that we prefer going together rather than separately- it goes so much quicker when you have someone to talk too. She did make the point though that on race day, there's a big chance we won't actually stay together the whole time. So we need to get used to not having someone to talk to. I'm hoping between the 7 of us I will have someone to talk to for the 3ish hours.
On the custom t-shirt front, I found this website. I even found a racerback tank top at Brooke's suggestion. They have all different colors and are on sale right now. You can add whatever text/graphic you want. Sounds spiffy to me. But we probably need to do it soon if we want to get the sale price. What do you think? And there needs to be a vote on the graphic still. I would say nothing with "New Mom" on it just cuz there are 3 of us "Old Moms" running. And no stroller graphic for the same reason. My secret friend liked the Marathon Mother one too. I kinda like the first one's general idea if it said something different and had the Belly Fat one's graphic. Does that make sense? Anyway- let me know......
And I'll be back up at 5:30 am tomorrow, PROBABLY IN THE RAIN again. I'm nervous but I know I gotta do it......thank heavens I'll have my secret partner with me.

Up and at 'em! Week 3!!

Well, thanks to some great advice from super mom Jessica, we are back into sleeping much better (we still have a little work to do, I'm too much of a wuss to go too hard core). Anyway, after a decent night's sleep with only one late night baby run, I was up and feeling pretty good at 7:30. Left baby with Aaron, took the puppy and hit the road! We ran 35 min and even though it was early (for me!) and my stomach was empty I felt good. We even ran (or attempted to run) up the BIG hill. When we got home, I did my weekly weigh in and guess what?! I lost TWO pounds! Add that to one from last week and that is a grand total of 3. Pretty good considering I ate about 15 cookies this weekend! I know you aren't supposed to lose too much weight while nursing but I am really wondering what good things could come if I just stepped it up a little more with the eating healthy thing.

So, since I have done this before (a LONG time ago) and people are asking, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things that I learned along the way last time.

1. A good pair of shoes is priceless. No joke. I would pay big bucks for the right pair of shoes. I was running at first with some "cute" nikes that I LOVED because, well, they were cute! While I was running with those shoes I had a TON of problems from knees, to arches, to heels, to my feet falling asleep while I ran. I thought I was just not "cut out" for running. Then I went to an actual running STORE. Not a sporting good store a RUNNING store. It is in Encinitas in the lumber yard ( brick yard? what is it called?) Anyway, the guys there are all runners and they spent about 30-45 min with me watching me try on shoes and watching me RUN in them. I felt dumb running up and down the sidewalk in my work clothes but these guys were serious about finding me the right shoes. After I bought the right shoes almost all of my problems went away. I still drive down to Encinitas when I need new shoes.

2. Same with socks. Experiment. I actually have socks that have all ten toes built in, they keep me from getting blisters in between my toes.

3. Body Glide is your friend. Chafing. It WILL happen. Get a stick of body glide and rub it anywhere you chafe, (for me its arm pits for some reason)

4. Once you are running for more than an hour, you will need water. I invested in a waist thing that holds a water bottle and it is great. I would recommend one that holds the bottle slightly tilted as it won't slosh around as you run.

5. Band aid brand blister pads will solve your blister problems. Don't try to get a knock off brand. I ran my half with about five huge blisters and never felt them thanks to the blister pads.

That's all for now! I am no expert but I thought it would help to know some of the things I discovered last time.

rain, rain... went away?

i was all pumped up to do my run along the beach this morning but woke up to the sound of rain. boo. so, i suited up for another trip to the treadmill with owey in tow and had a semi-boring 35 min run. of course, now as i look out the window it is totally sunny, not a cumulus nimbus in sight. luck would have it.
the run went pretty well - i even managed to get in some 2 min intervals. nothing fancy, but it made things a little more exciting. and good little owey fell asleep in his car seat next to me. a-mazing.
on the knee front, still in pain, but not as bad as saturday. i really need to look into those knee strappy things, and i'm sure a new pair of shoes will help too. on my list of to-do's this week. and thanks miq for the shout out on your blog. we'll see if anyone has any words of wisdom...
i haven't seen much response about the shirt designs (except you carlie, thanks girl!) ... anyone? ... anyone?

Can I Get a New Pair of Legs at Marshalls?

My legs hurt! Everything from my knees down. I ran my 35 minutes this morning after weights with my trainer and my legs are just killing. Feet, shins, calfs, angles, you name it, they hurt. Okay, I know I'm a whine-baby. Sorry. I guess I need to keep losing weight and that should help, right? I'm down 7 lds!
Have a great day everyone! We are headed to Chuck E Cheese's today for our day off (wahoo :}) It's snowing like crazy though!

a little tip...

for those of you who are actually running outside and want to know how far you are running, here is a little tip:
use google earth!
to get started, go to earth.google.com and download and install the program.
once the program is installed it will take you to a page that has a tool bar on the left side. just type your city/state in the "fly to" box and it will take you there. just zoom in to get closer by using the wheel on your mouse (hint - on the bottom left you can check "roads" and it will show you the exact roads so you know where you are)
so, find your starting point and then click on the little blue ruler on the toolbar on top. then make sure when the box pops up that you click on the path tab. this will allow you to draw out your path and show a running tally of miles. now click on the map where you started, and continue clicking on your route (ie - start at home, click on the corner you turned on, then on the next corner... kind of a connect the dots thing.) do this for your whole route to see how far you went (don't forget the trip home too!) your mileage will show in the little ruler box. i hope these directions make sense!
i did this for the route amy and i ran/walked the other day (when i lost and then found the blankie) and it turns out we went almost 4 miles! i had no idea! cool stuff...
so, maybe we won't have to drive around watching the odometer looking for the perfect route anymore?

Schedules

Jess said she and Carlie are following the schedule from the funny book. So here it is.
Also I've been reading this book too and it's super inspiring.

My secret friend and I are doing a combo approach-
to the funny book and the book above. So here's what
our second week will look like:
Sunday:rest
Monday: 35 mins run
Tuesday: 35 mins run
Wednesday:rest
Thursday: 40 mins run
Friday:rest
Saturday: 50 mins run
If you want to know why I'm doing it
this way you can email me (provost_mique@hotmail.com)
or comment.

There will be a marathon movie showing in select theaters this Thurs, Jan. 24th at 7:30pm. It's called Spirit of the Marathon. It's only on that night. But if you go to this link and put in your zip code it will show you which theaters closest to you are showing it.


On a sidenote I went to a posh Marshall's in Burbank last night and ended up hitting the jackpot. I got a new running jacket, socks (the really good ones that I just bought for $10 a piece were priced 2 for $5 there!!), a running skirt (don't laugh- I'll look cute in it by May), ear thing to keep my ears warm at 5:30am. And New Balance shoes. For $34. Yesiree. I tried them on, they felt great. And they were originally well over $100. I've heard from a lot of runners that you should rotate shoes if you can- to make sure you don't go through one pair by the time the race starts. So I figured I could rotate between my new expensive Pearl Izumis and my deal of the week New Balances. So the bottom line is- go check out Marshall's near you or someplace similar.


If you're looking for more running inspiration, I recommend my two "blog friends" Kristi and Holly. They both just finished their first marathons. On their sidebars they have running sections. For music, inspiration, their journeys, etc, etc. I realize some of you have ran marathons or half marathons before as well. And then there are people like me- a true beginner. I'm looking for info anywhere I can get it. I'm sure those that know me well aren't surprised that I have jumped right in with both feet- I can get a little um.....obsessive? Such a negative connotation to that word. I don't like it.

Anyway- I'm excited that I'm excited. Ta-ta for now.

for your review...

what'd'ya think?
i personally don't like to advertise my belly fat (not that i even need to - it speaks for itself), but as i said, the words can be changed.
should we vote on a favorite or take suggestions? brooke, you are the english teacher - if you want to come up with something terribly punny??
anyhow- it's a start... (thank you dear talented husband o' mine!)

yeah for long runs, boo for bad knees

i'm so proud of all you girls and your long runs... look at you all go! i also just got back from a 45 minute-er, and it felt so good to run that long even though i really wanted to stop. my knees have been giving me problems since yesterday, so i definitely need to figure something out soon before i really hurt myself. maybe miq can ask all of her running friends on her blog since she got so much feedback about the shin splints... help a sista out?
anyways - 3.5 miles, 45 minutes, feels good. i can't believe it really - it's strange that i don't know if i have ever run for 45 minutes in my life without stopping, yet in a few months we will be pushing 3-4 hours! crazy. i'm so glad you are all finding your groove and that we are all in this together. what an neat experience. thanks for being loco enough to come along with me!
as for next week, look for miq's post with the schedule we will be following (feel free to adapt or do whatever you want) - obviously some things will change since the schedule starts on sunday. i think we are planning on trying to do the following:
sunday- rest
monday- run
tuesday - run
wednesday - cross train or rest
thursday - run
friday- rest
saturday - long run

and of course increasing the time and/or mileage each week.
i will also be posting some designs clint came up with for shirts for your opinions as soon as i figure out how to upload them. the words can be changed (i don't know what we want to call ourselves) or if you have better ideas let us know. ok... have a great weekend! love you girls!!

Sick or not...

So I got a cold this week. And it has only gotten worse and worse. So I skipped Friday. I was feeling kind of bad about it. I almost skipped Saturday. But Aaron took the baby at 5 am so I could get 3 1/2 hours straight which was nice. (he must have my same cold) And this morning I remembered what my friend from work who is the swim coach used to tell her swimmers. If you are sick from the neck up you swim. If its from the chest down you sit out. Mine was from the neck up... I run. So I ditched the baby and took the dog. I was hurting pretty bad. But then, there it was again... my groove! I felt good and we ran for 41 min straight. If I had been able to see my stopwatch on the ipod (the sun was a little bright) I think I could have made it another 4 min. But I was very proud of myself! 41 min! Whoo hoo and sick too. Surprisingly, running really helps clear the sinuses!

One thing that has helped me get in my groove is when a really great song comes on the ipod. Today the one that pumped me up when I was super tired was good ole Paula Abdul-- "Forever your girl". I reminisced about making up dance routines in Jessica and Mique's garage. What pumps you up when you are running? My other favorites are "Cherish" by Madonna and anything off of the latest Kelly Clarkson or the new Gwen Staffani.

I Almost Died Today!

Okay, so today was the long run. 45 minutes. Just like Miq, I haven't run more than 30 through this thing so I was a bit nervous. So to start at the beginning...yesterday I saved most of my calories for date night with Jeffrey. We got to the restaurant and I ordered my favorite salad without the chicken. The guy must have thought I wasn't hungry or something because he brought out my salad and it was the size of a side salad! I had eaten like 450 calories all day and I was REALLY excited to eat my normal big honken salad! So, I took it as a sign and kept my mouth shut. So anywhooo, I started my run off this morning hungry and week from a lack of calories. I thought for sure I wouldn't make it more than 10 minutes. I kept going, and going and after what seemed like eternity I made it to 45 minutes!!! Yay!!!! Without stopping!!! I was about dead but I did it. I am so sore and tired now but oh well, it's Saturday and I have tomorrow off. So, the moral of the story, once again, is that if I can run 45 consecutive minutes, than so can anyone!

Jess, so what's our schedule like next week? I promise my book is coming in the mail soon!

Feeling good

I just got back from my long run. I must admit I was a tad bit nervous about going for 45 mins straight. Especially considering up until this week the most I'd ever run was about 15 mins at once. Now all the sudden this week I'm up to 30 and now 45 mins. I've had a secret running partner through it all (who I think will make herself known soon; she's planning on doing the 1/2 marathon with us). And it has helped big time.
So we were off. My running mate has a bunch of different routes mapped out for us. Today it was a little over 3 miles. We ran most of it and walked some. We ran for about 30 mins straight and then walked and then ran then walked. My secret friend and I talked about how well things were going- we've really enjoyed having each other to train with. I don't think I'd be nearly as motivated if I didn't have her. It's been nice. But I think it's also great to have this blog so we can support each other here as well. There's something about being a part of something bigger and a team. I've appreciated all the advice and support so far.
On another topic- I want to make tshirts for our team and I want to know what you guys think. I read in my book that we shouldn't wear anything on race day that's new. So I thought I would make shirts, send them off, have everyone train in them (plus that would be kind of cool and unifying I think) and then wear them for race day. Even if just for a little bit. I get that you all might not want to wear them the whole time- that's fine. So ideas- raglan t's? Regular crew neck? What colors? Do we want it to say Operation Gazelle on it? Would you like to have nicknames on it- like choose an animal or something? I'm just throwing it out there. Please tell me what you think......
Good luck this week girls!!

so maybe i am a bad mom afterall...

week 2, day 5:
since i decided to sleep in until owey woke up this morning (good choice) that left me with only a few options to do my 30 min run this morning (bad choice). i could either haul out the stroller again and try and brave the hills around my house (bad choice), drive somewhere to find a somewhat flat spot and haul out the stroller to run there (bad choice), or i could use idea #c from yesterday's post (good choice?)
after a lot of thought i decided it was worth a shot. now that o is a little bigger he can entertain himself for a while in the carseat. i figured the worst thing that could happen was he would freak out and we would have to try the stroller again. so, we gave it a shot.
have i ever told you what a good boy i have? granted, he was not an easy baby at the start, but i am so charmed by his increasingly good behavior and willingness to help me out every once in a while. i set him next to me by the treadmill and did my 30 min run while watching "saved by the bell, the college years" (whose idea was that anyway?) and o sat there completely relaxed like a good little boy. not even a peep. a-mazing.
i guess i should have known. the treadmill does sound an awful lot like a vacuum (which he loves), static radio (which he loves), and the dryer (which he loves). my feet pounding down on it? just like a heartbeat (which he also loves). genious.
is that such a bad thing?
oh, and the run felt great. i don't know that i'm getting faster quite yet, but it's not as painful as it was last week! hey - progress is progress, right?

I found it!

No, not a missing blankie, we haven't had any tragedies like that on our runs, but I think I found my GROOVE! Yes, that missing groove that has been gone from my runs seems to have found its way back to me. I don't know if it was the cool breeze, the super skinny girl with my same stroller and a baby the same age running the other way, the fact that I am going off of about 3 hours of sleep a night for the past week or what, but I seemed to feel pretty dang good today on my run. The poor puppy has had a rough few days since I started ditching her so since I didn't feel good (I have a cold and the whole 3 hour a night thing isn't helping much either) I thought we'd be slow today so she could come along. I wasn't feeling into it. I had taken yesterday off since we had one of those awful nights that seem to be our new norm and I had to babysit for a friend. I walked SLOWLY down to the jogging trail and then decided I needed to at least TRY to run. So I ran. And I ran. And I ran a little more! When we got to our turning around point I usually walk for a little bit... not today! We turned around and kept running. We got to the place where we can walk up either the big hill to go home or the little hill to go home. I looked at my stopwatch, we had been running for 21 min (straight!) I thought, "you can do NINE more! What is nine more minutes!?" So we kept going. We went the other way on the trail and you know what? I felt GOOD! Puppy was relatively cooperative, baby was fast asleep, ipod was jammin and we were on a roll! So I ran for 30 min with the stroller and then just to top things off, we walked up the BIG hill to get home. Feels GOOD!

cross training... sorta

at least it wasn't this bad!
today was cross-training day. i know i have lots of options (swimming, water aerobics - remember that carlie? - stationary bike, stair-stepper) but what i forgot was that clint is out of town and the following options didn't seem like the "good mom" thing to do:
a. leave diego to watch owen at home while i worked out
b. sneak out to work out while owen was sleeping
c. bring owen to the gym and let him cry in his carseat while i work out
d. bring owen in the pool with me even though it was like 40 degrees out this morning
so, instead i opted for this.
kinda funny, but whatever. i could do it in my living room without having to feel like a loser mom. besides, i felt the BURN.
tomorrow will probably be tough - 35 min run. i am looking forward to running again, but i'm pretty sure i am going to have to stick with the treadmill for a while until i am strong enough to run with the stroller as well.
hope you're having a good day!

A few tips, from an amateur

Okay, so one thing that has really amazed me is the lack of pain I have felt through this whole thing. I owe it all to my trainer, who is full of knowledge. Here's what he has taught me.

To avoid sore muscles:

1. Drink LOTS of water.

2. warm up and warm down.

3. After your workout you have a 30-40 minute window to feed your muscles. Eat protein! It helps repair your muscles. It is best if you can drink it (powder in a shake) because it doesn't have to be broken down. This won't bulk you up like people think it just repairs and build muscles.

4. Glutamine. It is a powder that you also put in a shake that helps repair muscles. The guy at the shake shop in my gym told me he takes this after workouts AND right before bed (just in water) because that is when your muscles do the most rebuilding.

To avoid sore joints:

Glucosamine with msm (costco). It takes a while to get into your system but will help those sore knees and ankles.

Hope this helps!

update...

ok, so today was a much needed break day (yeah for that) but i just wanted to let you know, for those of you have been losing sleep over it, I FOUND THE BLANKIE!!! Heavenly Father answers prayers no matter how stupid they are! i know- it's a miracle, and pretty ridiculous how excited i am, but bless that soul who picked up the blankie, folded it nicely and left it on a bench for me to find this morning. hallelujah! ok, i'm off to enjoy my day off. tomorrow is cross training, what should i do??

I'm back in the game!

Okay, so I was feeling just like Brooke after reading that Jess and Miq were both running 30+ minutes. I had only run 6 minutes in a row and could only do that 3 times. I was devastated and just felt sick. I have lost 5.5 lbs and I wasn't even too excited about that because I couldn't run far! I decided today I was going to go as far as I can and I would slow way down if I had to. So I got on the treadmill (today's high is 19' and it's icy out side) and started out. I kept going, and going, and going. I told myself I would be happy with 15 minutes. At 15 minutes I felt great so I kept going. I lasted 30 minutes! I even sprinted the last 2. I went a little under 2.5 Miles. I know I still have a few things working against me. I am not running outside. I am going to try to run at a little incline next time to make up for that a little. I am also running really slow, 13:20 mile. Like Jess said to Brooke, I don't care how fast I do it in, just as long as I finish! So it finally feels attainable. All I have to do is today's work out 5 times and I will finish the race! Cool!

Week 2 Days 1 & 2: I will not be outdone!

Well, after our Saturday fiasco family run I was feeling a little down on myself. I told Aaron, "how am I going to run a half when I can't even run 2 miles right now?" He was reassuring, told me to stick with it and it would get better. Sunday was a beautiful day and we went for a nice family walk on the beach and I pushed the jogger up all the big hills. Monday we hit the road again, this time determined to leave the puppy behind. I had a plan. I took the puppy around the block once for our "warm up" then I left her behind and we did our regular course. I tried hard but it was VERY windy and I didn't do as well as Saturday but I threw in some big hills to walk up on the way back to make up for it. When I got home the puppy had expressed her anger at being left behind by chewing up the tubing on my breast pump (I still haven't even figured out how she GOT it) and my new sunglasses (which thankfully were not ruined). Well, you can't win them all. I did enjoy running with just Zach and think it will be our new thing.

Then on Monday after my workout I read Jessica's post saying she had run for 35 min! I couldn't believe it, there is no way I could run 35 min, I cried to Aaron! So today, after a TERRIBLE night with baby and a day full of bathtub poops and dog vomit, I headed out AFTER Aaron got home. It was dark, it was cool, and I wasn't pushing a jogging stroller (I did take the puppy but she's not so bad w/o the stroller!). And guess what, I ran 35 min! In a row! Without walking! Tomorrow I'm going to go drive what I did to see exactly how long it was (or wasn't!). I hope it was 3 miles but I'm not going to kid myself. So I realize the jogger makes a BIG difference, especially once I start to get tired and I plan on trying to do at least a few runs a week without it.

week 2, day 2 - ready to cry.

i just got home from a run/walk with amy and audra and i am ready to cry. you may think that it is because i am pathetically out of shape and felt bad that i had to make amy stop running so i could catch my breath. you may think it is because my calves hurt really bad from yesterday's run. you may think it is out of happiness that i actually got 8 hours of sleep last night, but you are all wrong.
on said walk/run, i lost one of owen's favorite blankets. (ok, one of MY favorite blankets, but owey loves it too, i promise!) i am seriously in mourning over this blankie and i know that sounds really silly, but it was sooo cute, and handmade by aunt janet, and polka dot, and not only was it a blanket to keep little owey warm, it was total entertainment because of it's bright colors and patterns. he would stay quiet in the car for hours staring at that thing. (ok, not hours, but long enough!)
i kn0w what you're thinking - how do you lose a blanket on a run and not notice (i.e. run over it?!?) i have been thinking the same thing, and i just don't see how it is possible. also, we did 2 laps of our run and i never saw it on lap 2, plus - i drove around the area we were in twice just praying i would find it. i know- silly thing to pray about, but come on! i really am heartbroken, and i think i will make clint go on a walk with me down there to look for it again. i just can't give up on the green blankie! :( where could it be??? if you found a blanket in the middle of the street would you pick it up? or would you leave it for the rightful owner to come back and find in a joyful reunion? seriously... who would pick it up?! as you can tell, i am rather distraught. i knew i should have brought an ugly blanket.
anyhow- the run/walk (mostly walk) lasted about 50 min down by the beach in del mar. i think we ran about 20-25 min and walked the rest. i was feeling really weak for some reason today - i'm sure pushing a stroller doesn't help, but i really need to do that more often rather than being on a treadmill all the time.
wish me luck on finding the blankie. and please don't tell me to give it up. i just can't.

HAS ANYONE SEEN ME?? (not, owey - he's not lost!)



MISSING:
cute boy blankie, green with white polka dots and fun car print on the back, hand crocheted edges...

REWARD: a million billion dollars!!

PLEASE BLANKIE... COME HOME...

2 steps forward, 1 step back

Remember this post? It seems that someone is playing a joke on me. I finally found my Ipod only to have it destroyed less than a week later (before my training even started) by Princess Bubble Bath. ARGHHHHHHHH. Josh doesn't think it necessary to spend another $300 to just make me un-insane (not a word I know) while running. Double ARGGHHHH...I'll keep you posted on the Ipod drama.
In other news...a secret friend and I began training yesterday. I woke up at 5:15am yesterday (though didn't get a great nights sleep since I was nervous to start). I met at my friends house and we were off. We ran about 30 mins and according to her it was a little bit more than 2 miles. Now that's award winning pace- 15 mile minutes. Woo hooo....oh well. We did it. I wasn't sore until later yesterday and not too bad. Today we did it again and I felt even better. We're following the schedule from this book.
There's something to be said for waking up before the crack of dawn, getting it out of the way, and starting the day off right. I came home both yesterday and today feeling refreshed. And I was also much more patient with my 3 crazies while trying to get all ready and out the door by 7:20am. Added little bonus. :)

week 2: starting out strong

i'm surprised i beat miq to the punch here since she was up and running at 5:30 am this morning! chances are, she's now crashed on the couch with 3 crazy monkeys jumping all around her, oh... and a new puppy. (wish i could see that one!)
this morning got the week off to a good start. i was so tired, but i knew that once i was out of bed, it would be better. and i was right. i decided to try the training schedule from this book this week because i started to get scared of the crazy training starting in march and this program is 20 weeks which is perfect. so, today was a 35 min run and it was surprisingly really good. 35 min without stopping!! woo-hoo! (now, let's not think about how many times i will have to do that come may!)
i am grateful to see that my body is coming around and getting stronger every day. i can't imagine how great it will be to feel the transformation in a few months (hopefully i'll be able to SEE it too!)
anyhow- good luck with week 2!

i picked up a little inspiration at the zoo...



yep... just me and the gazelles.

Week 2 and ready to go!

Well, I have some sad motivation to really do this. Last night my sister was in town so my parents, uncle and Liza and her husband were all over eating and playing games. I decided to tell my family about this little adventure. I was nervous to even bring it up because I don't even have the confidence yet that I cam complete it (without walking the whole way). My mom's response was so awful it just makes me hurt thinking about it. I told her I was going to run a 1/2 marathon. She says, Oh, I don't think you can...is there a 1/4 marathon? Okay, so it is one thing to think it. I think it myself and know everyone I've told thinks it too, but to say it? Ya, thats the support I get. It makes me cry but it also makes me want to do this even more. Not really out of spite like you might think, but to help her see that we can all do things that seem way harder than we are capable. I grew up not trying things that seemed unattainable and I want to stop that cycle. It's just not good for the soul to not reach and stretch.

Anyways, workouts are good. I am not to your level yet but I ran 6 min x 3 today (1.5 miles). By the end of the week I want to run 6 min x 4. This is an awesome thing you've started Jess. What a great support you guys are. Thanks!!!!

Have a great week!

day 6: i think i cheated!

so, i had totally planned on running today (the 6 min run, 1 min walk times 4), but i had forgotten that we were going on our little family outing to the zoo today. and since owen slept in until 8:00 (last night was the first night i let him cry in his crib in efforts to get him to sleep through the night... sooo sad!), i didn't have time to go running first. i figured that i'd just go when we got back. so, off to the zoo we went - sooo fun by the way (i'll post about it on my other blog soon) and then i realized that that was a workout in and of itself. i told clint i didn't want any help with the stroller and that proved to be quite the test. i don't know if any of you have ever been to the san diego zoo (if not, you are missing out!) but it is quite the trek. obviously there were breaks and great scenery along the way, but there are also HUGE hills (especially on the way to the polar bear plunge - my FAVORITE part of the zoo). Anyhow, my legs were burning for sure! (clint just mentioned that his legs are sore). so, i think we'll call it a day and do more running than walking next week. i hope you are all as excited about this as i am, and i figure you may as well make training fun, right?!

Team O'Farrell: Finishing Week One Strong!

Don't think I've dropped out because I haven't posted in a few days! We've been dealing with a sick, unhappy baby and my nights have been ROUGH which makes leaving the house at all the next day a little more rough. So Thursday we hit the trails again, I tried to run for 10 min straight (never thought that would be as hard as it was). My stopwatch feature on my cel phone somehow got cleared before my 10 min were up but I kept going for what I thought was the right amount of time. Then I walked for a while and did it again. I was hurtin' bad but felt proud. Thursday night was a really awful night so Friday was a wash. I will make up the 30 min walk on Sunday. Today (Saturday) I thought I would hit the trails alone. But then I had a vision. A vision of our whole little family out for a Saturday morning jog. The picture in my mind was so great I just HAD to talk Aaron into going with us. And what a picture it was. I forgot that our dog has this problem when we are together that she needs to be with BOTH of us, if one is ahead or behind it causes major issues. But we were too wide to run side by side with both adults, the jogger and the dog, plus I get anxious when Aaron runs right next to me, I like him behind me so that I can't see how easy it is for him! I told him I was so slow he could probably just walk behind me! (I didn't ask him later if that is what he did). Anyway, the dog was a little annoying but I discovered something. It was a TON easier to run with JUST the dog or JUST the baby. I had the dog on the way out, the baby on the way back. I ran most of what I usually walk/run. It was hard, it was warm, my lungs felt like they might burst out of my chest, but it was a GOOD day! I feel good about what we did and now I know that I really do need to leave one of the two tag alongs behind. (Don't call CPS, I'm sure it will be the dog and not the baby!).
So bring it on week 2, we're ready!

Hey Girls!

I am so excited to join you but very nervous and quite intimidated. Let me start though by introducing myself since I don't know some of you. My name is Carlie . I was roommates with Jess our Freshmen and Sophomore year's at BYU. I then married the man of my dreams, Jeffrey. We have almost been married 9 years and have 4 kids, ages 7, 5, 19mo and 6mo. Yes, that's right, you didn't read it wrong. My last two are 13 months apart. I know, I'm crazy, but I guess someone thought I could handle it. I live in UT and have a little home business making Binkie Clips and other baby accessories that keeps me plenty busy when I run out of things to do like changing diapers and making bottles (ha, ha).

Like I said I am a little intimidated. I am by far the farthest away from running a 1/2 marathon. After having 4 babies I have about 45 pounds to loose. That is scary to say (write) out loud but its the truth. I have been weight training with a trainer for about 9 months but haven't done much cardio. I have never run more than a 5k and have only done that a handful of times. I never ran a 7 minute mile like Jess. I'm lucky if I can run a mile in 12 minutes. Well, now you know all the dirty facts about me. Maybe I'm really not cut out for this yet but I am going to give it a try and if I have to walk the last 10 miles so be it! :)

Thanks for the invite Jess, and good luck with your workouts everyone!

day 5: i am loving this...

it's friday!! i can't believe how much i am loving this training. it's not necessarily that i love running so much, i just really love the sense of accomplishment and pride that i feel knowing that i am overcoming myself with each step. besides that, i really am having fun!
this morning, i went to the gym for the workout (run 6 min, walk 1 times 4, run 2 min). i was kind of feeling lazy because i walked yesterday and obviously, that is so much easier. when i get to my treadmill, i see that it's not on. i try pushing all the buttons, flipping the power switch on and off, fiddling with the cord, etc. nothing. so, i tried the other treadmill (not mine because it doesn't have a water-holder-thinger.) same thing. nothing. so, i move to the elipticals. nothing. great. someone is trying to sabotage me. after a few seconds of panic and trying to figure out how i was going to get my workout in before clint left for work, a lightbulb went off. the eliptical doesn't have to be ON to be able to use it. so, off i went - on my merry workout way on an eliptical with no power. you can't stop me that easily.
so there i was, jamming to my shuffle (finally downloaded the run-baby-run songs) and as i resisted singing along it hit me. i was all alone. i didn't have to resist. i could sing out loud while i was running and no one would hear me. this is awesome!! so i did. maybe that says i wasn't working hard enough, but it sure felt great!
so i rocked out for about 15 minutes until i saw something out of the corner of my eye. from out of nowhere, a human being entered the premises.

here's how it went:
the scene - an empty gym, machines with no power, and one ridiculously hot chick singing out loud to counting crows and outkast.
enter stage right - a young sleepy-faced man, bedhead, some sort of doctor/med school student/intern/someone who just likes to wear scrubs.
the man crosses the length of the gym and exits stage left.
hot chick: shocked and embarrassed. one, because she had never seen another human being in the gym, and two because as he entered she was singing out loud! and then he left.
weird, she thought. and when she saw that he was gone, she went back to singing.
and then he came back. crap. am i on candid camera?
luckily her workout was just about over (even though due to the lack of power, she had no idea how far she ran - just went for 30 min) and she could escape with whatever pride she had left.

ha! funny, funny.
i am finding that even though i am tired and sore, i have a new energy about me that is really exciting. plus, today i found out that i may have succeeded to convince yet another to join me. more details about who later on...
happy trails!

day 4: did i just exercise?

i think the best way to exercise is when you don't even realize you are doing it. am i right?
today was a walking day, and boy did i need it. i've been really tired the past few days from very little sleep and lots of exercise, so i was excited for a bit of a "break." somehow amy and i managed to align feeding schedules and we met up to walk around hilly carmel valley. the best thing is when you are deep in conversation with a good friend, you don't even notice the hills. i love coming home and realizing that an hour long socializing session was actually a productive workout in disguise. thanks amy and audra for the much needed company! as for tomorrow - back to the running...

Day 3: Goin' Solo

So being VERY sore and very tired I decided I needed to change things up a bit. Today I hit the gym. Yes, that's right the gym that I have been paying $40 a month for for the last almost year without using it. I think I went a few times right after I got pregnant with Zach. The good news was I still knew where it was. The bad news was that I had to pay $10 because I had lost my membership card. I waited until Aaron got home from work which was very dangerous because once I'm showered and dressed for the day I often lose my motivation to get sweaty. Plus I had plans for later that night AND Aaron had plans to play basketball so my window was small. But I was determined not to be a slacker on day 3. So as soon as Aaron got home from work I handed off the baby and headed over. "I JUST had a baby," I said to the girl behind the desk while explaining to her that I lost my card. For some reason I felt like the computer was going to flash the date that I had last swiped my card so I better give her my excuse. Never mind that there were three very pregnant girls working out behind me proving that yes, pregnant people DO actually use their gym memberships (the crazy ones). So off I headed. The gym was packed full of other people I'm sure with their New Year's resolutions (I'm sure they'll all be gone by February). I lifted weights and did the eliptical machine and felt pretty good about day 3. Tomorrow we hit the trails again. There is no motivation like looking at yourself in a mirror at the gym for an hour!

Against all odds...

6 months ago my wishes finally came true- a bigger house. 3,400 sq. to love. However the one side affect to having space to spread out (hallelujah) was that there is twice the space to lose stuff.
When I decided to take on the challenge, I knew finding my Ipod was key to my training. No music to listen to? Too much time to just think? Deadly combination.
So everyone stand up and cheer- I against all odds found my Ipod in a box in the garage. Out of the blue, while reading this book (GREAT book- you guys have to get it), felt the urge to find my Ipod. It could've been that she said in her book that if you don't have an Ipod or a walkman that you might as well not sign up for the race at all. Hmmmm. Anyway, I got a strong feeling it was in one box in the garage. Low and behold- IT WAS.
Yet another little sign that there is something (or Someone) bigger pushing me along in this whole crazy idea afterall.

day 3- soo early, soo tired, soo sore... but still at it!

this morning's workout was a little earlier than i had hoped for... like 4:45 am? yeah- i know, i'm totally crazy. but, as you can tell by the times of all of my workouts this week, owen is not on a good sleep schedule. i am about to lose it! i'm really trying to keep him on a pretty strict schedule during the day, but the night is sooo unpredictable! anyhow- i was up and knew that i had to get it done early anyhow since i am going to my mom's this morning and so, i just went for it.

here's the summary:
starting time: 4:45 am
miles RUN (without stopping!): 2! (ok, let me clarify - ran one mile, walked for 3 min, ran another mile, walked another 3 min)
miles walked: 1 (including warm up and cooldown)
total workout time: 45 min
finishing time: 5:30
back to bed (after showering): 6:00 (even though i didn't really sleep because this is the time of day when the hubby hits snooze 5 bazillion times!)

ummm... one thing. remember how i used to run a 7 minute mile? ok, maybe you don't remember, but i do. of course, that was like in 9th grade, but still... why did i feel like i was sprinting when i set the pace at 10 min/mile?? (i didn't keep this up for long!!!) i have yet to set a time goal for this race because i have no clue what is realistic. before i actually started running, i would have thought a 10 min mile pace would have been easy. now i'm not so sure. just tell me it's going to get better!!

still, i'm feeling good that i am totally committed to this and that so many others have hopped on the crazy train. choo choo!

Day 2: Team O'Farrell-- Its Working!!

Ok, not the running, we don't know if that is working yet, but the blog thing is! I had NO motivation this morning. I had told Aaron I was going to the gym in the morning before he went to work. He didn't say anything at 7:30 when he got up for work and I had brought baby into bed with me for some extra sleep. He called around 11 and asked if we had done our run. Nope, umm, I'll go to the gym after the baby goes down tonight (let's be honest we both knew that wasn't going to happen). Then it happened. Baby went down for morning nap and I got on the internet. Jessica had blogged and she didn't even walk today, she RAN! I couldn't be out done! So, off we went. Got ready, baby woke up, he ate and we were off. I didn't want to bring the puppy, but she got SO excited when she saw me getting ready, I couldn't leave her behind (we're going to have to figure something out soon enough). We were out for a whole hour! I am not sure how much of that we ran but it felt good! And we did some hills which I have to say is VERY hard with the jogging stroller. No drama to speak of, no butts in the air on Alicia, it was a good day. I even got sunburned and now I have a cool sunglass tan, like I am such an outdoorsy girl.

could you say no to that face??

Bandwagon Jumper

That's right- I've joined in. Though I admit I'm a little TERRIFIED because I've never done anything like this before. I am hoping with all the support I will be able to cross the finish line.
When Jess issued the challenge I was totally caught off guard. But after sleeping on it, I decided to give it a go. Why would someone who has never ran far distances in the past choose to run a half marathon? Here are my reasons:
- get into better shape
-push myself physically and mentally
-try something new
-because my sister challenged me
-WHY NOT?
Since I am still getting over being sick, I haven't been able to start training yet. I'm chomping at the bit but know that if I jump in without being recovered it could be disasterous. The 1/2 marathon is 20 weeks from next week. So I am going to test the waters this week but not start a regimen 'til next week.


I was referred to this book by a friend and am super excited to read it. I've heard it's really funny and motivating.

And I even went out and bought some "running clothes"- aka dorky shorts, sports bras and unattractive athletic shirt.
I am also on the hunt for my Ipod. It went missing sometime shortly after our move (uh 6 months ago!?!). Need music to run.
My strategy is to follow a "non runners" or "novice runners" regimen. I plan on going early (5:30am people- yes, we're talking major dedication) in the morning before Josh goes to work during the week and a little later on Saturdays. I will adjust when needed.
But since I put it out there for all the world, I intend on following through.
Oh and one more thing, I was reading on the site for the 1/2 marathon about how there are group events. There will be prizes for fastest (sorry girls but I don't think this will be us), biggest group (nope not that either), but best dressed- we have a shot at this one. What do you say to some sweet tshirts? (at least to wear in the beginning and to throw off later) Be thinking about it.

Let the games begin............

team erickson- day 2- success!!!

don't you love the smell of success in the morning?
feelin good today. a little sore, but there is something refreshing about those tight muscles. it is a good reminder of the goal and also makes me feel that i am actually doing something productive! yeah for that!
yesterday clint asked me if i had been brainwashed or read some propaganda or something. he can't quite figure out why i am so pumped up about this half-marathon. i assured him that there was no one else to blame - just my own insanity. i keep explaining to him that i am excited to do something i thought i couldn't do. that, my friends, is good for the soul.
so, why do i already feel successful? well first off, i pulled my butt out of bed AGAIN this morning. that's 2 days in a row! today was a little different though because owen didn't wake up until 6:45 which meant the gym was not an option, nor was working out by myself since there wouldn't be enough time before clint had to leave. so, owen fell back asleep and i hopped back in bed glad to snooze for a while longer and run when i felt like getting up. or so i thought. turns out the little mr. did not actually go back to sleep and was all smiles at 7:15 when clint left. boo. no sleeping in. so, i decided that i was up anyways- may as well hit the road.
today's schedule was supposed to just be an easy 30 min walk, but i decided to up the anty a little bit. i thought: "run one song, walk one song" (of the "boy country" since i still haven't changed the shuffle"). however, it ended up being "run the flats and downhills, walk the uphills." our area is really hilly. this could be tougher than i thought.
however, i managed to survive those killer hills (while pushing a stroller) with minimal pain. success #2!
success #3? it has been a while since baby o was in the stroller. he has had 2 colds in the past 2 months that have prevented us from taking walks, so i was hoping he would be up for it. (previously, he tolerated the stroller, but almost always broke out into a crying fit at some point). now that he's a little bigger and totally entertained by his surroundings, he totally dug it today! success!!!
#4 is my favorite. i have managed to convince 4 other crazy people to accept my challenge. a few of them didn't need any convincing, but some did. so - as of now, here's the line-up:
jess: the one who got us into this mess
brookie: the one who has actually done this before
erika: the one who has actually done a FULL MARATHON before (and whose dust we will all eat)
amy: the one who is in way too good of shape to have just had a baby 3 months ago
and...
mique: the one who laughed at the challenge and then bravely ACCEPTED!
so fun!!! i can't wait to hear about the training and to have so many to empathize with the misery of running when you really aren't a runner.
by the way... i have an offer you can't refuse... if you decide to become a half-marathoner, you too could be an author on this blog!! i know that is the motivation to push you over the edge, isn't it? the more the merrier!!
do i sound way too chipper for 10 am? i thought so. weird. i'd better settle down.

I'm in! Day 1: Team O'Farrell

So for Christmas I asked for a jogging stroller. Another plan for me to lose that dog gone baby weight. My husband rolled his eyes probably thinking this was just another thing I was going to spend money on in the name of getting skinny that I would really never use. Who? me? Its not like I have unused cycling shoes in my closet, a gym membership that hasn't been used in over a year, or a gps watch that has never been taken out of the package. I think you get the picture here. But THIS time I was serious. So out we headed this weekend, in the rain, to get my new, top of the line jogging stroller (after all, it had to be the best!). This time, I promised Aaron, its for real! I have, after all, been a "runner" before. I used to run all the time, I even ran a half marathon once (never mind that was over five years, two pregnancies and about 30 pounds ago).

So I started looking up training programs. And then Jessica called. Do you want to do a half marathon? That was it, the motivation I was looking for, someone to hold me accountable. I was IN.

Day One--Brooke, Zachary and Bella the dog hit the trails

So today, thankfully the rain subsided. I headed out, new jogging stroller, baby on board and bundled and doggy on the leash. I didn't want too much pressure for this first time out so we took it slow. We ran/walked for about 45 min. It was more walking than running but we were out and it felt good. We even made it through the mud on the way to the paved trail (which was much deeper than I thought! good thing that new jogger has shocks!). I was so proud of myself, dirty, sweaty and breathing hard that when my phone rang as we were almost home (in the handy pocket of the jogging stroller "console"--yes that cost extra but I heard you get skinner with it) and I saw it was Aaron I had to answer to show him how serious I was. Now this is where things went slightly down hill. Pushing a jogging stroller up a muddy hill, talking on the phone with an ipod in the other ear and keeping track of a puppy all while emerging onto a busy street ended up being more complicated than I thought. What resulted was a dog leash hopelessly tangled in a 16" jogging stroller tire. I quickly hung up (couldn't tell Aaron we were having "issues") and tried to untangle it. The problem was that in order to do that I had to unhook the dog leash which meant I had to hold on to the dog's collar so I only had one hand to untangle the leash. Thankfully, baby remained peacefully sleeping but after I spend about 10 min bent over with my HUGE rear end in the air for all of Aliso Viejo to see (yes if you saw the giant rear on Alicia this morning that was me!) I was starting to get frustrated. It was then that I remembered one of the "exciting" features of my fancy jogging stroller were "quick release wheels"! (why would anyone want to quickly release wheels I had wondered! now I knew!) I deftly with one hand held the dog collar, with the other released the wheel, with my SHOULDER supported the now two wheeled jogger (baby still slept!) and got the leash off in one piece. Whew! We made it home finally but I think the puppy is going to stay home from now on.

day one... ARE YOU IN??

today is day one of project "like a gazelle". for those of you who don't know, i have challenged myself and several others close to me (we'll see who accepts the challenge) to run a half marathon. i'm really excited to really push myself to do something that feels somewhat impossible to me right now. (oh, by the way- if you are reading this, I HEREBY CHALLENGE YOU!!) are you in???
after making calendars and schedules last night to somehow get this terribly out of shape body ready for the day of reckoning (May 26th - Memorial Day - Saddleback Memorial Half Marathon), i debated this morning if training should really begin today or if i should wait until the rain passed. (here i go- already wishy washy! why do you think i'm trying to recruit as many people as possible to join me??!! so i won't back out of course!!) i had originally told clint that i would like to be able to run in the morning after owen wakes up so i can go at it alone and be home before clint leaves for work.
this morning i was up at 6 to feed the boy and out of habit climbed back into bed. i was rationalizing. i could practically see the little angel on my shoulder, bright-eyed and bushy tailed with running shoes all laced up and ready to go. "come on jess. you can do this! prove to yourself that you will do this! it doesn't matter that it's raining! just go to the clubhouse!" (yes, by the way. we have a gym in our clubhouse with working treadmills. so, rain... it's just no excuse.) on the other shoulder was the little devil in slippers and pj's with eyes half open - "it's way too early. you went to bed way too late. (stupid American Gladiators.) just start tomorrow. or better yet, next week. or even better than that, how about NEVER? and besides, since you are too lazy to have NEVER used that gym in the clubhouse, you don't even know which key will get you in. so you'd better just wait until you figure that out." (sad, but true.)
sounds ludicrous now, but i really did debate. but then i realized that i was never going to sleep peacefully now that i was completely and totally awake battling with myself, so i may as well get up and "prove to myself that i could do this!" (insert cheezy tone here)
so, i did it. i dragged myself out of bed again (diego the dog was shocked by the way) got all ready to go, and headed up to the clubhouse (which was much easier to get into than i had anticipated.)
i expected to find a few do-gooders who were up before work to get their exercise in before the sun had come up -you know... the people that sometimes make you sick for how disciplined they are? but, to my surprise, i was all alone. sweet. and come to find out, that gym is pretty hooked up!! 4 tvs, each hooked up like a real gym with the thingys that you can plug your headphones into - and they were even already set to mtv and vh1, which was far better than listening to the "boy country" music that clint downloaded onto my shuffle. (the nerve!)
friend brooke who has already accepted the challenge gave me some training guidelines to follow (she is also a recovering new mom, also out of shape - sorry brooke- and has actually ran a half marathon before. yeah- i know how to pick'em. ) so, i followed the plan for the day that will help me get ready to run 3 miles without stopping. sounds pretty pathetic, huh? today's routine was 5 min run, 1 min walk - 5 times. i thought it sounded pretty easy too. and the first 10 min or so i was feelin goooood. checkin myself out in the mirror (you know you do it too), thinkin "yeah... you're gooooood. no sweat. piece a cake."
then i remembered why i always get sick of running. that blasted knee of mine. i somehow injured my knee (i think it is an old field hockey injury - don't make fun) and the dull pain usually sets in about 10 or 15 minutes in. this has prevented me from ever really attempting to love running in the past, but only because i was too lazy to learn what the problem is. i see now that if i am going to ever run "like a gazelle" and fulfill my dreams of becoming a half-marathoner, i am going to have to figure something out. cuz really, 1.4 miles and i'm feeling it? multiplied by 9.36 (do the math) is not going to feel good. i'm not sure if maybe i run funny (highly likely), if i need different shoes, if i need to strengthen the muscles around my knee, or if i need one of those super stylish ace-bandage-type thingys that sporty-types wear on their knees (what is that supposed to do anyway?) - but i've got to get to the bottom of this.
i did finish my "workout" (if you can call it that) in spite of the annoying knee, and i am determined to keep at it. no more excuses from this one.
the best part of the morning? walking back home in the rain, feeling all cool, inspiring envy in those i passed - i know they were thinking i was one of those annoying people who exercises before the sun comes up- and then walking in the door to see the hubby and puppy waiting anxiously for me. i knew they were proud that i'd actually done something i said i would (not that the puppy is really conscious of that, but he looked proud of me!) and then the kicker... as clint walked out the door he stopped and looked back at me and said it: "i'm proud of you, babe."
awww..... isn't that the sweetest??? i know, i cried after he left. (you think i'm kidding?)
that's enough to get me up in the morning again!!