Slacker

So I have been running, but not quite hitting my goals. I am working on packing up my bedroom for the big move which has me a little distracted. Not to mention summer school is coming to a close and with that comes stress!

Yesterday I ran before a big storm hit. It was kinda fun racing the storm. I ran to a neighborhood that got hit with a bad storm over the weekend. There is a house that got hit by a tree... its covered in tarps, but there is still yellow tape around the house. So sad. I got to my driveway just as the rain started to fall. When I walked in the door the sky opened up and I was glad to have not run any further.

OMG, can it get any hotter? It has been 90+ everyday for the last few weeks it seems. Tomorrow will be over 100. Is summer over yet? Wow, its almost August and all I have done on 'summer vacation' is run and race. I have not even been to the beach. What is summer without the ocean?

Today I discovered a guy (Matt Jenkins) who runs a few marathons every week. That amazes me to no end. One time he ran 5 in 5 days!!! Right now he is running across the whole state of North Carolina. I checked his map and he will cover just over 740 miles. I dont think I run that in a YEAR!!! He should be near my part of NC tomorrow night. I bet he has no toenails. Ewww...

-RunnerGirl

I made it to 18!

I am so happy that I made my goal this week. I finished up today's workout and it put me at 18.2 for the week.

My goal for the new week is to run a higher percentage of my total milage. Up until now I have counted my nightly powerwalks with Justus as part of my mileage. This week I want to increase my total mileage to 19 miles, running at least 70% which is 13.3 miles of running. Im pretty sure Justus will not complain! This makes the math on my workouts a little more difficult, but considering that my Tuesday group runs are about 3.5 miles and my Saturday long run will be 6 miles it really seems do-able. Hmm... should I up it to 80%? Lets see how the week goes...

Its 11pm so it is way past my bed time. I look forward to my new goal for the week!!

-RunnerGirl

Almost to 18!

I woke up this morning and was very excited to see it was overcast! Thank you Mr. Sunshine for waking up late today! I hit the road at 7:15am and went out for my 5 mile run. Justus, my dog, was upset that I didnt take him so once I reached 4 miles I picked up Justus and took him out for the last mile. Oh my gosh was it ever humid! Like I mentioned before I am not a fast runner. But I am consistent and that's what REALLY matters. I ran 5 miles in 59 minutes which is way off pace for qualifying for Boston. My qualifying time for Boston at a sanctioned race is 3:40:59. I dont think Boston is in my near future but sometimes it is fun to think about. How cool is it to run in the footprints of the elites? That is something I never had in gymnastics. Although I dont think I could ever love running as much as gymnastics, I can say without a doubt that I get to compete more in running than I ever could in gymnastics. It's also cheaper than gymnastics. All I need for running is a good pair of shoes and a good sports bra! Oh, and PS I love Under Armour.

I am to the point where I dont think much on my runs. It's probably best to not think because it means Im not thinking about the pain in my heel. Sometimes I fear that my heel will end up getting the best of me one day. I dont like to think about not being able to run. When I get home I ice my foot and stretch it a bit and hope that I can walk in the afternoon. I have my eyes on the half marathon in October and then I want to run in the Tarheel 10 Miler in April of 2011. I worked at a triathlon last October and earned a free entry to a race of my choice so I want to use it for that.

My mileage this week so far is 16.4 miles so I KNOW that I will reach my goal of 18 miles this week. I am a bit sore right now so I think it is time to relax. Until the next run...

-RunnerGirl

Power!!!

Im on the road to 18 miles this week. As long as I keep up at least 2 miles each day and run the planned 5 miles on Saturday I should be good. My left heel is hurting pretty bad. That 'Foot Wheel' isn't working the wonders that I was hoping for.
-RunnerGirl

Group Run

Oh how I love my group run! Tonight we ran a trail at Bond Park in Cary, NC. I will miss my group when I move away to school. I was excited to run the whole 5k without stopping. That has become my new goal for every run is to run non-stop. Im not fast by any means, I finished in 34 minutes. To top off the run, we all saw a little bunny hop along the trail. Im sorry, but that is just too cute. When Justus and I ran in the Clemmons State Forest on Sunday we saw 7 white tailed deer. They are so beautiful.

Oh, and tonight on my way to the car I felt my IT Band start to hurt. Now that I am home it is working itself out. Agh, is it my age or am I trying too damn hard?

Tomorrow is supposed to be 102 degrees... nearly 50 degrees warmer than my Saturday morning run. I plan to get home early and maybe get Justus to the park before my online meeting at 8pm. If its too hot I guess we will just go for a walk after the meeting.

Off to bed so I can start another day tomorrow.
-Runner Girl

Busy day!

I was so busy with homework today that I missed the chance to have a long workout. Honestly, I spent the better part of the 3 day weekend relaxing, which I think I deserve. School has been kicking my butt and my job is stressful. Running is my release... it's what gets me from one day to the next.

At about 8pm I realized that I was working on the same homework assignment for over 2 hours when I suddenly thought "Oh crap! I have to take my movies back!" Yes... I rented a movie for the first time in over a year! I get excited when I have time to watch a movie, how silly is that? I rented "Julie and Julia" and the first season of Sex and the City. I have never watched the show before, but as a 20-something single female I thought it was exactly what I needed. And boy was it ever!

So anyway, I got Justus -my dog- in the car and we headed to Blockbuster before closing time. On the way home I got ready to pass by the park when I thought, "Ya know, Justus you deserve the walk I promised you." So we hit the 1/2 mile path in a power walk. I try to be in bed by 10pm and it was already 8:30 so we had to get a move on it! A half mile wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

My goal for this week is to hit 18 miles by Sunday. I bought a new therapy device for my foot. It's a "Foot Wheel" that is supposed to work out the pain caused by plantar fascia. The doctor says the only fix is "R-E-S-T" which is not an option right now.

My half marathon is in 110 days.

Did I mention I am also training for the MS 150? It is a 150 mile bike ride broken up into 2 days. That ride is September 11th-12th.

There is so much to do.... so... very... much.

Lets Go...

I have been running for almost 2 and half years and I am now training for my second half marathon. Running was never easy for me, and I dont dare say that it is easy NOW! I am not blessed with the gift of endurance so I have to work hard every day to earn my place in the running world. From here on out I will post my trainings, feelings, pains, and joys that all come from the wonderful world of being an endurance athlete.