RACE WEEK!

This is it! This week is what it all has been leading up to. I will run the 5k by the end of the week! I decided that a game plane would be a good idea for this week, so it will (hopefully) go as follows:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Yoga. To help with my breathing and to streach out any tense muscles.

Tuesday and Thursday: Run at the gym. I would attempt one more hill training run, but its pretty tough on my legs, and the last thing I want is an injury.

Hydration: I"m not the best at drinking water. period. So this week I"m going to really work at drinking lots of water.

Sleep: This is a noble thought and one I'm really going to work at this week. Going to bed earlier, taking naps when I can, just basically resting my body.

Game on.

Hill training

Here's a link to a great article about running up hills. It has helped me these past two weeks as I stayed out of the gym and worked on conquering the hill on Fleming St.
hill training

Trial run for Mule Day 5K

Yesterday I was in the town where my first 5K is to be held. I was fortunate enough to have someone watch my girls while I ran the route. It was cold and spitting rain as I pulled up to the nearby Elementary school where the 3.1 mile begins. I drove the route first to see wehre I was going and to map out all the homes with dogs not on leashes. I did my warm up and off I went. Straight away I noticed that running on neighborhood streets is not as easy as running around a track at your local gym. You have dips and imperfections in the pavement that is determined to mess with your stride and posture. Of course the weather elements also influence things like your breathing and visablity. So while I seemed to be taking more walking breaks than I useally do, I don't think I walked as long. It was easy to set visual goals "When I get to this stop sign I'll walk" or "Just make it to the next street sign, that wasn't so bad, make it to the next."  and so on.
The route wound through a charming neighborhood of older homes with cheery doorsteps and American Flags waving me on. It was good for a change of pace for sure. Then I came upon Fleming St. Oh my. What cunning and decietful plotting this must have been upon the Mule Day 5K team for thinking up such a genious route. Fleming St. is placed about half way through the run and it.is.all.up.hill. It knocked the wind out of my sail and slowed me down considerably. Once at the top I ran into another road block. literally. A road block. The road connecting ME with my final destination, the last mile, was closed! So I lied through my teeth and told the workers (all while continuing to jog) that my home was just at the end of this street if they would please let me pass. Hesitantly they haulted their machines and let this tiny, scruff, and panting little marathoner through.
Once on the final mile I streached my legs with perfect form, let foot hit pavement and I ran and ran, and ran and still didn't see the end of the route, so I walked, caught my breath and it wasn't long before I saw it! My final destination! With out being oh-so-very-corny I envisioned what it might be like in a few weeks to see the finish line there, and to see the time clock ticking off every second that I arrived closer to it. And so I sucked it in and sprinted.
When all was said and done and I surpassed all obsticales and boundries I finished it in 33min.!
YES! I'll take that!
And so my plan for the coming weeks is to lay off the track at the gym and run here in my neighborhood. There is a hill here a quarter of a mile long with about a 90 degree slant. THAT is my Fleming St. and THAT better be ready to meet with me often!

4 weeks to go!

Its crunch time. Just about 4 more weeks until my first 5K. All my runs, and struggles and working it out has lead up to these weeks. I'm excited and trying to keep my focus of why I started this journey. For me and my personal best. Its not about what others can do, or are trying to do. It doesn't matter how others train or the method of getting to the same goal as myself. Its about the journey. Its about finishing.

Week 6

Run 9 minutes, walk 2 minutes

Repeat twice, then run 8 minutes

8.2.x3

That was what I started back running.
Run 8min.
Walk for 2.
repeat three times.

If I had to guess I would say that wasn't 3 miles. (I forgot my pedometer) But! It could have been. Last month I ran one mile in 12min. 10x3 of course equals 30min. and adreneline kicked in and I sprinted a couple more laps once my time was up. So not sure. I will do better about tracking it with my pedometer this week.

45 more days to go!

Jan 27th

Waist Measurement in.: 29inch


Wrist Measurement in:. 6inch


Hip Measurement in.: 37inch


Forearm Measurement: 7inch

Body Toning pictures January 27th 2010

first mile

Today I ran for the first time since October. Today I also ran a straight mile for the first time ever.
I ran it in 12min. Walked only for 2min.

"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." - Jesse Owens

Body stats Dec. 17th

Waist Measurement in.: 30inch
Wrist Measurement in:. 6inch
Hip Measurement in.: 37inch
Forearm Measurement: 7 1/2 inch

I suppose consistancy is better than gain. Made it through the holidays and have some how dropped a pants size. I think my tape measure is broken.