First WW weigh in! <---can you tell I'm excited?

Tuesday is the official WW weigh day. I'm happy to report that I'm down 3.4 pounds, Mom is down 3 pounds, and my sister, Sallie, is down.....wait for it.....9 POUNDS!!! Go Sallie! Sallie is in a wedding in October and wants to drop some weight before then. She is working really hard.

So Mom is still fighting the temptations in her work place. I realize she is going through a learning process here but it's very frustrating when she comes home and exclaims she devoured a 12oz cup of chili (9 points, at least), a Mello Yello (6 points), and half a 7up cake (3 points).  One day last week she had a beef hot dog with chili....ummmmm 11 points! Wow! I told her that if she was going to keep this up, she has got to start exercising. I'm trying not to give up on her.

On the running front....

Ran 3 miles Tuesday and 3 today. Going to start upping my mileage to 3.5 next week and adding some weightlifting days in between. I really want to run everyday but I know that weight training is important. Long run on Saturday...another 10 miles with the galloway group. 10 miles = 16 activity points and all you can eat...with in reason of course hahaha.

Weight Watchers....the battle with junk food....

Weakness set in this morning. I rise from my bed. Begin my normal morning routine and it beckons me.....this nagging little voice,temptation...Jennie...come on Jennie....I'm right here under the laundry basket organizer...you know you want to sneak a peak...what can it hurt...come on Jennie....just one peak. I'M LIKE A JUNKIE! I have to step on the scale; I MUST DO IT. As the numbers begin their roulette of doom I start to regret my decision to look. BUT....Woo hoo!!!! To my total surprise, I'm already down 2 pounds!!! hehehehe The little scale voice is gone...for now.

My diet strategy is going well, my Mom on the other hand is still trying to wrap her brain around the concept of the points system and fiber/calorie/fat content in foods. It doesn't help that she manages a convenience store at the university that sales nothing but junk. I mean junk...the absolute only healthy thing that is sold in the store is a small basket of fruit (bananas and apples) that are not restocked on a regular basis and some broth based soups. That's it people. Temptation is every where.

Mom doesn't want to take her points slider to work...she is afraid she is going to lose it. :(

Yesterday, she basically followed her food plan until the 7up Pound Cake! Who knew 7up made a pound cake? She saved the wrapper and brought it home to check the points. She was surprised to learn that there are 6 points in that tiny little slice of heaven. Into the extra weekly points she goes!

Running update.....long run tomorrow, 10 miles! I've been kind of lazy this week. I ran Tuesday for 3 and Wednesday 2.25.  I should have run on Thursday but decided to sleep in a bit. Since the long run is on Saturday I usually don't run on Friday. This weeks total is low but I vow to make it up next week. :D

Fat to fabulous....or at least trying

Temps in the upper 60's, low humidity, a slight breeze, what more could a runner ask for?  That was my morning run, 3 amazing miles in 34 minutes....a little slower then usual but speed is not my thing anyway.  I think I could have run more but time was a factor. Tomorrow I'll get out earlier. :)

Me and Mom are attempting Weight Watchers online. I know some of you are probably saying, "another diet". I know, I know. I've tried quite a few. But WW works well for me...if I'm not training for a marathon of course hahaha. Since last years marathon my weight has slowly crept back up. It's not my highest weight but it's close, da da daaahhhhh. Mom has some serious health issues and needs to take off some weight....the Dr. actually said to her, "lose weight or pick out a casket." Tough love, huh? AND since she is living with us for a little while, it should be easier for the both of us to stay on track.

So the run down...I get 22 points a day. Mom gets 28. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Day two on the books....

2nd morning workout went well. Got up at 5:40, was running by 6. It was 60 degrees this morning. It felt great. I did one mile (11:00 min/mile, a little slower then yesterday) and lower body.  I do plan to increase my mileage but this week I'm working out the schedule. Next week should run smoother.

Lower body workout: (4 sets of 15 reps, 30 second rest between each set)
Barbell squats, 45lb
45 degree pile squats, 20lb
Leg Ext, 40lb
Wall Ball Seated Squats, no weight
Calf Raises

My diet still needs work...probably b.c I need to go to the grocery store. I need to plan better...but I'm working that out this week.
Breakfast:
Protein shake
Coffee
Snack
Apple
Small amount of chips left over in my snack draw (I know...but they are all gone now)
Lunch:
6" turkey sub on wheat, baked lays, and light lemonade
Snack
Cottage Cheese Double
Dinner
White fish and a salad

I'm happily sore from yesterday's upper body workout. Let's hope I can say that about this lower body workout tomorrow hahaha.

Off to a fast start...

Saturday we joined the Galloway crew for a 4 mile run including the magic mile (mm). The mm is used to determine which pace group you should be in for marathon training. We ambitiously decided to run with the  10min/milers (last year we started in the 11:30's and moved to the 11:00 about half way through). I left my Garmin at home so I wasn't tracking intervals or pace...that's what the pace and group leaders are for anyway.

At the end of the first mile we are all breathing pretty hard and I'm thinking maybe I'm not ready for this pace group yet, when Anna looks at her watch and says we finished that mile in 10:30.....what? Ok, so let me explain my shock. According the principle of the long run, we are suppose to run slower then race pace; the point is to cover the distance. So essentially we should have finished this mile in about 11:30 to 12 minutes. With that said, since we had two-one minute long walk breaks and we finished in 10:30, we were running roughly at an 8 min/mile pace. Our interval is suppose to be at 3:1, we were running 4:1.  My dilemma is whether or not to say anything to the director.  According to my mm I should fit perfectly in the 10:00 pace group but there is no way if they are going to run that fast.  It's possible the director has already heard this gripe. Last year there was a rumor that the 10's ran faster then they should...but at an 8 pace...that's just ridiculous.

Today I started working out in the morning. This morning was a short 1 mile run  and upper body weight lifting. I have to say, it was great. It's cooler in the morning. I have a ton of energy and...this is the best part...it's all done! When I get off work, I don't have to worry about working out or feel guilty b.c I vegged on the couch! hahaha! 

The workout I got from last months Women's Muscle and Fitness. Looks like a good schedule to begin with and I have most of the equipment (less a bench....still working on that). I'm pulling inspiration from http://www.bodybuilding.com/ transformation of the week winner Cheryl http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/female-transformation-cheryl-ott.htm . She and I have very similar stats and workout at home. I like what she has done although I am not going to follow her diet plan. I like a more clean diet rather then a lot of processed shakes and bars. I do, however, have one protein shake after a workout.

So day one is on the books. Here is hoping this good routine continues.

It's about that time....

Since the marathon in November 2009, we probably have run roughly 2 or 3 days a week. We haven't pushed ourselves. But it's about that time again.....marathon training season. Galloway training started at the end of May. We will be doing our first run with the group this Saturday; 4 miles....pretty easy.  Going to move to a faster pace group this year (11:00 min/mile to 10 or 10:30).  I also just changed my schedule to allow for morning runs and workouts. Here's hoping I will get more quality runs in (and defeat the laziness I feel after work).

I'm expanding the topics discussed in this blog. One of the things I've been trying to do for years is loss weight. It has come up in earlier blog post. Luckily I've been roughly the same size for several years....but it's time to loss this excess fat. 

My husband and I are seriously thrifty. Seems to be a trend with this terrible economy. I'd like to include some of the ways we save money while still having a good quality of life.  We will see how this goes!

WE DID IT!!

The morning of November 3rd, 2009 was overcast, drizzly, and cold....low 50's. At times, the wind would gust up to 25 mph but the determination of our small running group could not be faltered. We arrived on NCSU's Centennial Campus 30 minutes before the starting gun. Half marathoners in one vehicle and marathoners in another, we were separated attempting to park. Dina, Calvin, and myself ditched our make shift ponchos (i.e. trash bags) in the car and made our way from the parking area to the starting line tents. In the cold and wet....we murmured, "what the heck are we doing out here??"

Meandering through the dense crowd of roughly 3000, we make our way to the tents to get out of the rain and wait for the rest of our group. 5 minutes till, we make a mad dash for one last bathroom break and head with the rest of the crowd to the end of the pack at the start line. We couldn't locate our halfers but we did find some Galloway folks and wished them well.

3...2....1.....the loud clap of the gun....we are off! The first 1/4 mile is up hill. Yes, up hill, foreshadowing what lies ahead. We run through our first two or 3 rest intervals so as not to be trampled in the on coming stampede of soggy excited runners. Adrenaline flowing, we leave Centennial and head towards down town Raleigh; the only flat portion of the entire race route.

We talk about the rain, the emotion, the fun, the long journey to get here. Make shift ponchos and blue water cups scatter the road as we pass the first of many water stops. The streets of downtown are dotted with spectators cheering our efforts. It's early as we pass the State Capital and the rain becomes heavy. We are soaked to the bone, our shoes are heavy, are spirits are high. We make the turn that leads to Glenwood Ave and the beginning of many hills the rain finally lighting up.

Left at the Mellow Mushroom, down Peace Street, past Cameron Village shopping center...the rain is but a sprinkle and we are immersed in green bided half marathoners. "Oh please tell me we aren't the last of the fools....I mean full marathoners" I begin to fear. I feel relief spotting a few gold bibs amongst the sea of green and that lifts my spirits. There are 2300 green bibs and 700 gold bibs in the race.

The crowd cheers us as we pass Cafe' Carolina and the race monitors root us on. We make our way through the tangled streets lined with old and new houses, college student rentals, and vintage architecture. Past Meredith College, down Hillsborough St there lies the biggest water stop and our training group director, Ron. The music is blaring, “WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU” and the cheers of motivation propel us forward.

Just past the Fair Grounds is the turning point for the green bibs and there we finally spot our halfers, soaked, smiles, and waves they make their way back to the finish line. We plod on seemingly alone, the crowd is sparse at best.

Turning at the NC Museum of Art, down Reedy Creek to Edwards Mill…a route well worn out, we make a right and the heavens open up into a torrential down pour. I exaggerate only slightly. We wipe water from our eyes and realize some body parts have gone numb! “At least they do no hurt, right?” We make our way towards Umstead Park. Up, up, up for several miles on Ebenezer HELL….otherwise know as Ebenezer Church Road. We reach our half marathon distance in 2.5 hours. Calvin takes off to make his time goal and it is just me and Dina.

Through Umstead we meet those beaten by the monster hills and one red chested guy in little blue shorts. That’s all he was wearing on this cold, wet, windy day. With mud speckled backsides, the rain has stopped and we are making good time. Through Umstead to Reedy Creek once more, Dina’s friend Wayne waits for her at mile 18 and I depart to finish on my own.

Fighting negative thoughts, I spot a bright yellow jacket ahead. This is my target, I will catch the jacket. All of my focus is on this yellow speck and it keeps me happily motivated for several miles. Mile 20 host a beer stop! Yes people, a beer stop! I passed on the beverage for fear of future digestive issues….don’t want to push my luck. Mile 21, the jacket grows closer. Mile 22 the angry rain begins once more. Its icy cold and coming down like spikes from the sky. I finally catch the prey and can hear, ceremoniously, the theme music to Rocky. I’ve reached the BIG WATER STOP again and only have 4.2 miles to go.

The rain subsides one last time as I make my way down Hillsborough St. which boast construction zone barrels as you pass NCSU, my almamater. I meet up with Carolynn and Rex from Galloway. Rex now sporting a gold bib….wait a minute…weren’t you running the half?? He felt so good, he changed bibs and kept going. No more rain at last, I turn through NCSU campus, past Pullen Park and back to Centennial. Fighting back tears and thankful the end of the race is down hill, I cross the finish line 5.5 hours after I started.

As soggy and nasty as the weather was, I’m very proud of myself and the running gals + Cal for finishing what we started. Regardless of the weather, the race was a milestone for me and the others. We are planning to run the Outer Banks Half in 2010…..and maybe be race monitors for the City of Oaks hahaha!

Not as easy as it looks.....

The Patrol Stroll race on Saturday (9/26) was the perfect motivational pick me up! We had a blast. The weather cooperated (started raining after we left) and the atmosphere was energetic. Me, Calvin, and my younger sister, Sallie, participated in the race.

Wanting a race PR, we lined up close to the start. There were only 141 runners for the 5k. Calvin's time was 24:56, mine was 30:55, and Sallie's was 41:19. New PR for us all! My last 5k time was 34 minutes, give or take, and Sallie's was around 45. Sallie isn't a road runner. She runs mostly on the treadmill at the gym...she did an amazing job shaving off almost 4 minutes since June. I can't remember what Calvin's previous PR was but he said this was the fastest his ever run a 5k! Running is truly amazing. When I did my first 5k, June 2008, I finished in 45 minutes and had a terrible migraine afterward. Truly amazing what a year of training can do.

Early Sunday morning Calvin, me, Anne, and her friend (lets call him Jay to protect the not so innocent) set out for our 10 mile long run. It was lightly raining and cool. Jay hasn't run with us before and, since he can run 6 miles on the treadmill, thought he could keep up. Some say that because we interval (run 3 minutes:walk 1 minute) during the long runs that it's not as hard as it seems, I beg to differ.

We planned to do an out and back from Shelley Lake down the Crabtree trail extension toward the mall. Miles 1-5 went off without a hitch. Jay made several mistakes to begin but managed to make it to mile 5 without complaint. Hungover, no water, cotton shirt and long pants, and the fact that he is untrained, Jay was determined he could do this.

I loaned Jay one of my 10 oz water bottles which he refilled at the turn around point. As we head back toward Shelley, Jay begins to complain about cramps and told us to keep moving, he would catch up with us later. Fearing Jay may get lost (he isn't from here) and worried he may get progressively sick, we would run ahead, turn around and run back to him. Each interval, Jay is looking more and more ghost like. Not as easy as it looks, huh? NO, I didn't say this to him but that's what I was thinking.

We all finally made it back to Shelley after a 2 hour run. Later, Anne texted to say she had to make an emergency pit stop so Jay could get sick......... Sooooo to those who have the idea that running intervals is easy, join us for our next 10+ miler and let's see what you are made of. ;) LOL!!

Jennie meets the WALL....

5 weeks remain before our marathon...one more long run with the Galloway group, the race, and I am free. Yes, this is how I feel. We have been training for almost 6 months and I'm burnt out. Motivation is shot. This is my story.....

The Long Run....a devious slave driver wielding a heavy whip. 23 miles ahead, feet pounding pavement, I lumber farther then I have ever been. (It's not news that I dread the super long runs. These days I consider a meager 10 miles to be cake in comparison to the tortuous distances the Galloway program puts us through.) Alas it must be done, muscles aching, bones rattling, will tested, I press forward just to say I did it...

Miles 1-20 went well with the usual signs of fatigue appearing at mile 15. My feet and knees begin to ache....this is normal and easy to push through. We round Shelley Lake back to the meeting point, the long run is mercifully over for the 20 milers. I watch with jealous eyes as Anna trots to her car. We push on, my mind begging me to stop, MY FEET HURT! I don't think I can go any further and if Calvin wasn't with me I would have hidden in the trees until everyone was gone, slunk back to my car, and sulked all the way home. But he motivates me, "you're wussing out" he says.

One.....twwwwooooo moooorreee millleessss......I can't, I just can't go any more. Please, please have mercy on me 23 miles! Oh no, here they come, d@mn chipper diabetic guy and his leg warmers, the rest of the 23 milers are coming up behind us....we have to go. BUT, it will be a walk for the last mile. I've given in to my left brain. Ahhh hello wall...so we finally meet, I have heard about you.

Since 9/12 (the 23 mile long run) I've lost my motivation. I've run only twice since then including a 10 mile long run. I'm seriously burnt out. Feeling much better today. I have a plan for the remainder of this week and a good easy run schedule set for next week. What I think has happened is I've taken the fun out of running. It's time to retool and look at this from a different angle....this is for me, this is for fun, I am my motivator. I'm also running an easy 5k race this Saturday with my lil' sis and my hubby. This should help shake off the "burnt out blues".

I do hope you all are well, feeling good, and running. Any motivational tips you have would be greatly appreciated.

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I'm so dramatic...I know hahaha

Mind over matter....and....I don't mind b.c you don't matter.

There are two parts to this blog...one, of course, about running....and an unrelated topic.

My long run was put off until today because me and the hubby were out of town. We took the entire weekend off from running unintentionally. It was nice to have several rest days to relax. This morning instead of our normal intervaled long run the plan was to see how far we could make it without a rest break and then interval the remaining mileage. The furthest I've been is 5 miles without a small rest break.

After reading a blog by Jeff Galloway, we warm up by intervaling 1:1's for the first half mile. We started with an out and back on Timber for 4 miles. Feeling good, we turned on to Vandora Springs (where there are new sidewalks) and run to Aversboro. Aversboro continues around to Timber (7 miles) and we are still feeling good so we head on to Lake Benson. We loop around Lake Benson and head back to Timber. Before you know it WE RAN 10 MILES!!! I've never run that far without a rest break. Amazing! Granted it was slow....1:59 minutes....but we ran it and that's all that matters.

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On to the unrelated stuff....b.c I just need to vent.

You know the adage, "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me"? I never believed this to be true, even at my age. Words do hurt. The strongest among us will ponder over hurtful words, even for just a bit.

An acquaintance of ours used a particularly offensive slang term to describe me this weekend to which my husband quickly corrected him (mind you I was not at this gathering so I could not offer a retort). It seems I'm not thought of too highly by this person, even though I've been nothing but friendly, opened my home to him, and even visited him and his wife on occasion. We have quite a bit in common actually; we both enjoy mechanics and engineering, we both are attempting another degree, and we are both savvy shoppers. I don't know why he thinks of me so lowly and my husband couldn't recall the context of the short conversation.

Anyway, I'm offended b.c I thought he knew me and I thought we were friends. I never felt guarded and we had so much in common; I didn't realize I was being judged. Others were around when he made the repugnant statement. I wonder how many seeds he planted by uttering that one little adjective with my name attached?

The power of words is immense; it can drive or halt, cause tears or laughs, make you sigh or scream....it only takes one little word to trip an entire blog entry. I guess I've vented enough...
I hear the words of my late Aunt Pat saying, "put on your big girl panties and get over it". AND so I will.

Thanks for listening to me vent. :)

Is it Fall already.....

It's been unseasonably cool in ol' Carolina this week. Hovering in the Mid-70's, our usual temps are the low 80's this time of year. Running in the cool (or cool for our standards) has been a welcomed change. Don't know if you non-Carolinian's know this but NC weather goes from HOT to cold in about a weeks time...there is no "in between" so this has been a delightful change in pace.

Other then the weather, this week has been fairly uneventful:

• Monday - rain
• Tuesday - 4 miles at Fleet Feet (45:58 -almost a minute slower then last week)
  
• Wednesday - 4.09 miles at Anna's (49:11 - hills, hills, and more hills..)
  
• Thursday - 4 miles at Lake Pine Community Park (43:57....NEW PR)
  
• Friday - maybe a 3 mile easy run
  
• Saturday - ??
  
• Sunday - Rest
• Monday - 10 mile long run and maybe the Nog run later in the day...just depends
  

With the weather getting cooler and our race drawing near (8 weeks away), I'm starting to ponder what to do afterward. I would really like to drop some pounds....this endurance training has not helped at all...not like I thought it would. I've actually gained about 1.5 pounds. AND I would like to change my training strategy from "just finishing" to getting faster!

So, those of you more experienced runners....I would like to post a few questions and get your feedback.

1. How long do you normal wait between long endurance races, i.e. 1/2 marathons or marathons?
2. What training programs can you recommend following to increase speed?
3. What cross training do you do and how often?
4. Have you tried losing weight during the off season and what programs have you followed?

Ok...there is my contribution for the week. Hope everyone has a lovely holiday weekend. I'll be unplugged so I'll see you guys & gals next week!

Saturday's 20 doesn't quite go as planned....

Are morning started as usual, breakfast, get dressed, get gear, get going.....

Typically, when running in the Galloway program, we meet for our long runs at a local sports store. Admittedly I do not always pay attention to the name of the store we meet at. This Saturday, we were suppose to meet a Omega Sports. During our runs this week, we had discussed how hilly the runs were from Omega Sports and were dreading having the 20 mile run there. I only recall one pretty hilly long run and that was in Cary...


So we formulated a new plan. I don't usually carry all the bottles that fit in my water belt because we have plenty of water stops along the trails during a Galloway run. One pit stop to pick up some extra agua, a few Gatorades, and we are off to Umstead.

We make our way around Umstead's many trails, some we have never been on. North and Sound Turkey Trail prove to be very hilly and at 12 miles we take a little walk break.



There are two water stations and one rest area we came across during our run. Thankfully so, because we needed to refill the water bottles and make use of the facilities. During the last few miles of the run we come across Puke Hill....appropriately named due to it's long ascent.



We finally finish up our run and head back to the car. Even though the day didn't start out as planned, the scenery, shade, and company made it worth the work.

Just "bit" it.......

Running this week was almost on schedule...

• Monday - 4 miles (45:01)
• Tuesday - 3 miles (33:31)
• Wednesday - 5 miles (??)
• Thursday - no run....
• Friday - rain!
  

Wednesday, we (the running gals) just couldn't get our schedules together. The initial plan was to run 5 at Umstead. But Dina and Calvin were running late at work, the park is 40 miles from Michelle's, and the other girls are sticking to the Tuesday/Thursday routine. So me and Anna hit Lake Benson for a 5 miler in the sun opting out of the drive in traffic for something closer to home.

Started out good. We ran 1.4 miles, met up with Jenn (the last remaining member of Couch to 5k) for 2 miles with her, then finished up the last 1.6.

We make our way around the paved loop and head into the woods for some shade relief. Maybe 400 yards into the trail I catch my right toe on a rock and start to tumble. (Once I heard a trail runner say, "don't worry, you will fall". I had managed to avoid this thus far.) Anyway.....my feet are desperately trying to catch up with the momentum of my head when I hear a little voice saying "roll through it". BAM!!! Down I go, dropping my left elbow and rolling over onto my back and rump. Wow....I actually rolled it haha! I managed to save my knees and elbows somehow.

Bouncing back up, Anna says "that was a graceful fall". Check for bleeding...nope...and off we go to finish out the last 1/2 mile and head home. Here are my pictures all covered in dirt. I had one bruise below my left knee....not to bad considering :)

Mondays "Super Soaker" Run...hahaha!!

So I'm back at NCSU for a second bachelors degree, this time in Mechanical Engineering. Class meets 3 nights a week and put a little kink in my running schedule. With that said, Dina, Anna, and I have decided to meet on Monday and Wednesdays.

This Monday we headed to Fleet Feet (FF) to traverse "Hilly Tuesday"....why, you might ask, b.c Anna is a freak and a glutton for punishment! Actually, I think she has a new addiction for hills hahaha!! I walk into FF to exchange my very small women's Nog Run Club technical T and, to my surprise, they are hosting a Super Soaker Social Run! Woo hoo!!! .....wait a minute....d@mn.....I can't go to class sweaty and soaked to the bone. What to do, what to do?

Anna texted that she wasn't going to make it and Dina showed up about 20 minutes early. New plan! "Hilly Tuesday" will wait for another, ah hmmm, Monday. ;) So Dina and I grab a 4 mile map from FF and head out earlier then the social runners with the water guns! We make our way through the beautiful mix of old vintage homes and new McMansions with out so much as one spatter of H20. Around mile 3 (and coming from the opposite direction) a FF'er with a soaker comes trotting toward us! Ugh oh....she points her weapon in a menacing fashion but alas lets us pass with no retaliation for beating her to her hiding spot.

Rounding up the hill from Dixie Trail to Leonard, we come across one last "hider" and gratefully accept a few splashes of cool aqua to finish out our 4 mile run. We return to FF where some very soaked elite runners have gathered and enjoy cool icy pops. Suddenly it begins to rain.....it's still sunny with the exception of one tiny little gray cloud over FF that let's out a dense down pour. The ultimate "Super Soaker"....mother nature!

Good run for Dina and me. Finished 4 miles in 45:01 minutes with no rest intervals. Calvin and I got up early Tuesday morning for a quick 3 miler (33:31). Strong runs thus far. Looking forward to Umstead today!

Running and school......

This week was lite...ran a total of 19.1 miles with a 10.5 mile long run on Saturday. The Galloway program provided a huge breakfast after our run including eggs, pancakes, sausage, a plethora of fruit, and much more. I could not fathom eating a hot pancake after such a sauna like run. The heat and humidity were high from the moment we stepped foot on the trails near Raleigh Running Outfitters. Wish I had weighed before and after the run to see how much water was lost. Ron said that 16 oz of water is lost for every pound of weight dropped during a run. WOW!!

A multitude of excuses kept my running totals down this week; it was hot, it's the first week of school, and I have been just plain fatigued. This week in review:

• Tuesday 4.1 miles
• Wednesday 4.5 miles
• Saturday 10.5

My running schedule has changed and that will take a little getting use to. I plan to run Monday/Wednesday evenings with the Gals, Tuesday/Thursday mornings with the hubby, Friday will be a light run with Jenn, and a long run on Saturday. Sunday is a rest day. If this schedule works out here are what my totals should be this week: (35-37 miles)

• Monday - "Hilly Tuesday" 3-4 miles
• Tuesday - 3 easy miles
• Wednesday - Umstead run - 4-5 miles
• Thursday - 3 miles, Fartlek training
• Friday - 2 easy miles
• Saturday - 20 mile long run

Here's hoping!!

Spandex + 2000 calorie a day diet = Great 18 mile run!

Lately I've harped on how frustrated I've been regarding the new diet (2k calories a day) but Saturday's long run has made me a believer in my nutritionist.

It started like any other long run; breakfast was a piece of whole wheat bread with peanut butter and a small cup of coffee. During the run, every 20 minutes of so, I hydrated with water or Gatorade depending on how much I had been sweating. Upon each hour, I refuel with sports beans or shot blocks. There were snacks at the Shelley Lake water stop about 12 or so miles in....yummy orange slices..I partook of a few, sticky fingers aside. Overall nutrition....CHECK!

As the miles piled up, I felt really good. I left my Garmin on interval so as not to track mileage or analyze pace...I wanted to concentrate on how I felt without distraction. Now and again Anne would ask what mile we were at, this being my only indication of how far we had been. Once we reached mile 10 and the group split off (those running 10 miles headed back and the others plodded on) , I was stunned by how great I felt; no aches, no pains, and no heavy legs.

The original plan was to run 16, although my prescribed regimen was 18. Our pack eventually reduced from 45 to roughly 10 runners at the last peal off point (4 miles remained)....it's decision making time. Do I turn back now or push on to 18 and really test my limits? The soles of my feet started to ache between 13-14 miles, this is a normal pain during long runs so no red flags there. Shins, calves, knees, quads, hams...all good.....ok...... lets see what I'm made of.

The group decided to make the loop around Shelley lake and then head back to Crabtree mall via the greenway trails. Sweat soaked, quite with the exception of diabetic guy at the back of the pack....he makes for intriguing entertainment.....and focused, the group traverses the terrain. At 16 miles my attention shifts. This is getting hard and I start to second guess my choice. A group mentality forms when everyone is struggling to finish....you can't stop (you don't want to be the one to wuss out), and you don't complain because everyone (with the exception of diabetic guy) is hammering away as hard as you are. Heavy respiration's can be heard as the Garmin marks the next walk break. Finally we arrive at the bridge under Glenwood and the mall is in sight.

Once back at my car, I change my drenched shirt and grab a snack from my lunch box. I truly can not believe I finished 18 miles and I wasn't dead on my feet. Oh..the spandex part...I adorned a pair of knee cropped spandex Fila pants for this run. BEST PURCHASE I HAVE MADE (in clothing that is)...no thigh chafing, hallelujah!! This may not be my best look but I could care less! Should have listened to Dina much sooner!

So needless to say, I'm a firm believer in the new diet and, well, spandex pants!

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Forgot to mention but after the run we went to a pool party and out dancing. Granted I was not as chipper as usual but I wasn't a total zombie either. Says tons about a good diet plan I think.

I'm not fat, I just have fat parts.....

Over the past month or so my weight, or rather the lack of weight loss, has been at the forefront of my thoughts. The two weeks previous to my vacation I gained weight, unbelievable as it may seem considering my current exercise regimen. During vacation and the week afterward (b.c I wasn't quite back to my regular exercise schedule) I lost 1.6 pounds. Baffled, I went to see a sports nutritionist.

Tracy, the nutritionist, explained that my body is storing more glycogen then the normal non-active person. The untrained store roughly 13g of glycogen in their muscles while the trained can store as much as 36g. With each gram of glycogen comes 3 grams of water. Well that's the answer to all my prayers.....I'm blotted! hahaha Nah, not really. My body needs the water to utilize the glycogen during endurance activities. Here is a handy dandy little article and chart regarding glycogen and carb loading (which we will discuss at my next visit).

She put me on a 2000 calorie a day diet...I was eating about 1500 before.
Here's the break down:

• Calories = 2000
• Carbs = 250 grams
• Protein = 125 grams
• Fat = 56 grams

She also figured I'm burning about 118.4 calories per mile. On an average week that's about 3,552 calories burned. She said that on the average day I need between 2100-2600 calories to maintain my current level of fitness. WOW!! So I've not been eating enough and I guess my body is holding on to what ever it can. I started the new diet Monday the 10th. I feel good and find it hard to eat that much food during the day....we will see how it goes.

Saturdays' long run strikes again.....

So lazy.....ran only 19 miles last week. My sister and I ran 5 miles Monday. We ran 1:1's. This is what happened to her afterward---->

Thursday, Calvin and I ran 5.5 miles; running 1 mile:1 minute rest. We shaved over 10 minutes off the run on Monday.

Saturday loomed on the horizon. I had been dreading Saturday...it haunted my sleep.
Stalking me like a wounded lamb, I tried every avenue of escape; "I'm sick", "I think I have sciatica". Nothing could shake the determined beast...aww Saturday!

I was unprepared...out of my routine...off schedule...away from my "peeps". But there was no denying it, my alarms contemptible siren rouses me at 5:45 am. Fighting the light, I begrudgingly dress and accept my fate....I am Saturdays' pawn.

The elevators decent...18, 17, 16, 15.....ticks down the remaining moments of my pain free existence. Along the bike path, by the ocean, through the ritzy beach house communities, past the high rise condos, and so on, and so on.....it becomes abundantly clear that this run is going to suck, suck worse then any other run has sucked before. My energy is zapped and my left brain screams obscenities. I just want to stop and at mile 9 we did.

Every run can not be great. I heard a quote once, "if you start feeling good during a run, don't worry you'll get over it." This quote has never been more true then Saturday.

Pain in the butt....literally

This pain in my butt persists...and it's not because of my husband.

During Monday's Tir-Na-Nog run I noticed a nagging little pain at the base of my left buttock, deep in the muscle. Assuming I strained my glut running hills I've iced it, taken Aleve, and rested; well somewhat, I went for a short bike ride yesterday.

Today it hurts and it's starting to radiate down my hamstring a bit. I may have actually injured my hamstring where it connects at the ischium....I looked that up....which is located under my gluteus maximus.

I stole someone's ice pack out of the fridge, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and gauze....ahhhh much better.

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Little update...
The pain subsides when I walk around and not sitting all day. I've had two days of rest and I'm going for a run today (7/24/09).

Oh the dreaded scale...

My scale is possessed by a demon. I have proof. This morning as I inched closer to what I now refer to as Satin's spawn, I debated whether I should dare climb upon it. Knowing full well its numerical trickery, I gather the courage to take the first step. As I stand there watching the numbers flicker like a video slot machine, I pray that the integer of my gravitational force will be slightly less then last week.

Finally, the charlatan flashes the one number that spins my entire day into an infinite downward spiral.....NOOOOoooooooo.......it mocks me! ***fist waving*** I try again thinking this can't be true...you devilish piece of $h!t, what's the real number? I pounce, eager for the truth. Yet again, I am fooled.....I have gained for the second week in a row. Blaspheme I tell you!

If I wasn't so cheap I would throw the cursed piece of machinery into traffic, but I am so behind the bathroom door it sits waiting for the time when it can strike again. I swear I heard it laugh as I walked away dejected.