100 Miles In August Challenge: Mile 11

Last week was kind of a blur.  It feels like I didn't do a thing, yet I was busy the whole week.  The weekend I ended up with a stomach bug of some sort.  I got some much needed rest though.

I went out for a run on Saturday with River.  It felt so good!  The first 20 minutes were nice and easy.  I was able to really feel great running for the first time in awhile.  Then my stomach started acting up.  I figured it was because I needed some water.  River and I stopped so I could give her some water too.  We got started again and my stomach was in full revolt mode.  Luckily we were near the park and I made it to the bathroom.  I had to call Mike to come get me.  I ended up getting a 5k in, but it was not a fun 5k.  Sunday I took it easy.  Yesterday I was still feeling a bit queasy so I opted to take River hiking through the trails at Huron Park.  We did 5k and I felt better.  I still ended up taking a nap in the afternoon.

This morning I felt pretty good so River and I went for a run.  I wanted to do the 5 miles I started on Saturday, but 10 minutes in I knew that wasn't happening.  I ended up doing 5k, but it was more due to the humidity rather than my stomach.  Tomorrow should be better.  I'm planning on doing some pace/speed work with James.  He likes doing that stuff.

I started this 100 miles in August challenge.  You run/walk 100 miles in the month of August.  I am excited about this challenge.  I know some of miles will come from walking the dogs, but I want the bulk of them to come from running.  This is the kick in the pants I need to stay on track with my half marathon training.  River is going to do a lot of the miles with me as well.  She does love her runs.

Today our run ended in a full 100 meter sprint because she had to chase down the garbage truck.  She's such a goofy girl.  She doesn't like buses or trucks and feels the need to chase them away.  The drivers always laugh at her.  I would to if she she weren't attached to me.

Tomorrow will be speed work.  James will like that.  Then we will hit his craft class and the comic book store for new comic book day!  Should be a fun week!

Lord Of the Bling 10k Wrap-up

This week James and I have been running in a virtual race.  Last year we stumbled on this great group called Nerd Herd Running and signed up for their racing series.  They are virtual races with different geeky themes.  Right up our alley!  We had a such a good time doing it, we signed up again this year.  We are on our second race of the trilogy. 

James initially had a goal of running the 10k straight.  That fell through when he didn't train so we broke it down over the week.  Today we finished our 10k.  We went to Huron Park near us and decided to do a trail run.  We also were making our video for the contest they were running along with the 10k run. 

With a name like Lord of the Bling, you can guess what geek theme the race was.  Lord of the Rings of course!  The video contest was a You Shall Not Pass video.  We used River as our monster and I was the runner trying to pass James who was Gandalf.   Here is our resulting video.

 

 We had a good time doing it too!  It took several takes and some editing, but we got it!

 Today we did the following intervals:

5 rounds of 3 minutes run/1 minute walk

4 rounds of 4 minutes run/1 minute walk

We did this all on trails.  That is something I'm not used to , but James is.  He helped me a lot by talking me through it.  It was nice to run in the shade almost the whole time though.  We didn't like the mosquitoes at all!  They could have stayed in hiding.

James loved doing this run and can't wait to get his medals in October for the series.  We have one more in the series and that's in October.  That one is a 5k or half-marathon.  James will be doing the 5k option.  I have to look at the dates, but I may be doing the half-marathon if it's at the same time as the half I'm already running.

We also took a couple of before and after pictures today.

Tomorrow my only running partner will be River.  We are planning a 4-5 mile run in the morning and on Sunday I have a long 8 mile run planned.  It feels so good to be back on track!  James will be running with me on Wednesday next week.  It will be nice to have him back with me after having several days of him not running with me.

It Doesn't Feel Like July

And I'm okay with that right now.  I got up and went for a run with River this morning.  It was a beautiful 54 degrees.  There was no humidity and a nice breeze.  River was in heaven.  She got to chase her giant growling bunnies (buses) and check out what was going on in the neighborhood. 

While I love this change in weather, my head has different ideas.  I've been fighting migraines this week.  With storm systems moving through and now Arthur moving up the coast, my head has been on the verge of exploding for several days.  I have been taking a lot of headache/migraine meds which in turn has caused my stomach to revolt.  I have to decide if I want blinding pain or an upset stomach.  I have chosen the upset stomach.

During the run my head started hurting. I made sure I brought lots of water and drank some so that helped a bit.  I usually don't run with water for short runs like this, but after being so dehydrated this past weekend, I decided to take some.  I was glad I did.  River had her water bottle and ended up wanting to drink some which she rarely does on the short runs.  I guess we both needed the water.

I'm using this week and next week to get my endurance base back then I start on a 14 week training plan for my half marathon.  I sat down last night and put my schedule in my planner along with my races and swim schedule.  It looks good.

Next week I'm back at the weights too.  I don't like lifting weights all that much, but I know I need to do it.  I also need to get more core work in.  Those are my biggest weaknesses in my training.  I will be able to do it and I have to just stay on myself.

Tomorrow we have another short 3-4 mile run.  I'm looking forward to it and the weather should be nice again.  Just have to stay with it and get back on a good schedule!

Let the Half Marathon Training Begin!

Today was my kickoff to half marathon training.  I won't really start a structured program until next week, but James was here and we went for a run.


He was up before me this morning.  I was in the process of trying to drag myself out of bed when I heard him rustling around.  I got up and checked my email while he spent a half hour doing his "paperwork" in his "office."  I thought I would have to pry him out of bed and hook him up to River's leash to get him started, but nope, he was ready to go.


Today we took a route that went by his old school.  I think that was some of his motivation.  His mother moved so he switched schools this year.  He loves his new school, but misses his old one.  Plus the route is fairly flat for my benefit.


River was ready to go as well.  She did he getting into the leash dance and the hurry up and put on your shoes song.  It was a nice morning for a run and River took off with me in tow.  I got her settled into a pace just in time for a bus to come along.  River views buses as the enemy and it's her job to protect the city from these vicious beasts.  It's a job she take very seriously.  After she yelled and chased the bus away, we had to wait for James to catch up.


We didn't get very far from the bus stop when I pug decided to join us on our run.  Pugs are not good at looking both ways before they cross the street, so I'm waving a van off while this pug is moving it's little pug legs to catch up to River.  Once he got to us, he decided that running isn't a pug thing, but cuddles was.  The owner came and got him and we were off once more.


I think back to when I first started back with running and how I wouldn't go on main roads because I didn't view myself as a "real runner."  Man was I missing out. I love to see the looks on peoples faces as I'm running.  Now keep in mind I have a crazy eyed coon hound around my waist, a 9 year old boy doing his best impression of the Phoebe run from Friends, and my Training For the Zombie Apocalypse Bondi Band on.  I can only imagine what we all looked like.


Today we ran a half mile further than we ran on Sunday and only a minute and a half longer.  I'm very proud of my running partners.  James a very clear goal of running the 10K Lord of the Bling virtual run.  He really wants to do that so he's training for it now. 


We're home now and getting ready to shower and run errands.  I'm off to Nepean for a swim meet so probably won't get my runs in this weekend.  I'll take my running stuff just in case, but I don't see it happening.  If I don't get to run, my next run with be the Canada Day 5k on Tuesday.


Canada Day is when my training officially kicks off.  James and River will be my training partners for the shorter runs, sprint days and hill days.  James says his looking forward to the hill days because he loves running uphill.  He's a bit crazy that way.


Have a great weekend!

What a Sticky Run

Today I postponed my run until after I dropped James off at school.  I think that was a mistake. I should have just run at five this morning.  It got humid out!  River was excited when she saw my running shoes come out.  I love watching her literally jump into her harness to go for a run.  It makes me smile and it makes it easier to get out the door.

We started out at a slow pace until a city bus passed us.  All bets were off then.  See, River thinks buses are giant rabbits to be chased.  I will say I do get my interval training in by running with her.

She was fine until about 15 minutes into the run.  She started slowing down then.  I don't take water with us on anything under 5k as it's usually around a 30 minute run.  Today I think she may appreciated the water.  I also didn't think it was that humid out either.  I feel like such a bad doggy mama. 

I did have to stop and stretch my hip so she got a rest then.  When I fell on Monday, I must have landed on it and not realized it.  I can't tell if there is a bruise as it's right where I have one of my tattoos so I can't see it there is a bruise there or not.

Towards the end of the run, I thought River was going to slow down for a walk but one of those really loud giant rabbits went by and we sprinted almost the last 3 minutes. 

After our walks or runs, she usually demands her lunch.  Today she drank some water and flopped down on the floor and is now sound asleep.  She's worn out.  Poor girl.  She loves every minute of the run though.

Tomorrow I'm back in the gym and starting back up with the weights.  I'll stop in the gym after I'm done coaching my Masters swim practice.  I'm excited to be back at it.  I'm feeling pretty good and motivated to get back to running and back to the gym.

It's all about pulling hard, running fast, being carefree and having fun. 

Back At It!

This morning I was determined to get up and out the door for a quick run.  I know I have to build back up and that is the plan.  I set my alarm and the dogs helped get me up.  I fed them and got dressed.  When I pulled out my running shoes, River got really excited.  She knows what my running shoes look like and she knew that she was going to go for a run.  Once she gets going, I have no excuse not to get out the door.


I only had about 20-25 minutes since Mike had to leave for work.  It was just enough for my first day back.  It was a beautiful, cool morning.  I had the radio on and was enjoying the quiet calm of the day.  Early mornings are my favorite time of the day.  River and I love being out and checking out everything. 


I felt pretty good and the run was feeling nice and easy.  That's when it happened.  I misjudged the curb and did a fantastic swan dive into a beautiful tuck and roll landing.  I sat there stunned for a minute and then hopped up before anyone saw me.  As I was sitting there, River gave me a look that said, "Get up!  I have geese to chase!"  When I got home I saw the damage.

I also have a nice scrape on my ankle.  It was quite the fall.  We finished the run and I sat on the deck for a bit just enjoying the birds and the world waking up.  

Tomorrow I'm out for a bit longer.  Just increasing my time not focusing on the mileage just yet.  Just running a few more minutes each day for the next week and a half.  July 1st is my kick off for training for my next half marathon.

Day 1 of Training For My Next Goal Race

Today is my first day of training for my next goal race; The Robbie Burns 8k in January.  It will be my first race as a 40 year old.  I've run this race 2 other times and I love it.  The course is flat and the route is nice.  My first year, it was my first run longer than 5k.  Last year I ran with a strained hamstring.  This year I want to kill it!  My goal is under 55 minutes.  My 8k runs with River have been pretty good.  I'm feeling good since I've been back after my half marathon.  Last week was my first week of good solid running and I felt really strong.

Yesterday I was able to get out for a long run before the swim meet.  River and I ran 6.5 miles.  I had to really force myself out the door because I was tired.  I was only going to do a short run, but I started getting my water bottles together and River's water bottle together.  Pretty soon I was out the door and heading down my long route.  We ran through the country on a crisp morning.  The wind was blowing, but there was only about a mile that we were running into the wind.  That was a tough mile though.  I felt good for most of the run.  There was about 10-15 minutes that were rough, but River pulled me through it.  I felt really good after the run and River was sacked out for Mike and James while I was at the meet.

This morning we went for a short 2.5 mile recovery run.  Last week we were lucky in missing the rain.  Today not so much.  We had just started the run when it started raining.  Because of the temperature, the rain was slushy and icy.  River didn't like the rain and slush at all.  She is very much a fair weather dog.  She was pouting a bit on the last half of the run.  She is a trooper though.  I'm glad that she will come out running with me.

I wanted to be back in the gym tomorrow, but I'm not sure if I can since Mike is out of town and James gets dropped off so early.  I might have to do speed work with River at the "track" between the schools.  She'll like that as long as it's not raining. 

Now I'm off to get my week started!  Take some time today to remember all those who have served our country.  Thank you for you service!

First Snowy Run of the Winter!

Okay, so it was just a little snow, but it was still snow!

I got to sleep in a bit this morning since James' mother was taking him to school today.  River got me up at the time I normally get James up for school and she was anxious to get going.  She danced around me as I got ready to head out for what I wanted to be at least 5-6k this morning.  When she saw me put on my running shoes she got really excited.  Then we walked out the door.

She saw the snow, turned and looked at me, and sighed.  She is not a fan of snow at all.  She is a fan of running though.  We started out and she kept looking back at me as if to ask why all this snow was there.

About halfway through the run I snapped this picture.

She's happy to be out, but not happy about the snow. 

After a mile she wanted to go back home.  I directed down a street that led away from home, but she wasn't having it.  She found her way back home.  I was able to get 2 miles in this morning before she drug me back to the house.

She had her after run snack and is now curled up on the couch sleeping.

Hopefully Sunday there isn't any snow on the ground so I can get a 10k run in with her.

To be fair, Mulder wasn't to thrilled with the snow either.  He walked out on the deck and you could see his shoulders just sink as he realized that there was snow.  Anya is the only one that is happy that is snowed.  She rushed out and rolled around in it with a huge smile on her face.

I like the temps and the snow, but I really don't want the ice and covered sidewalks.  I want to run outside as long as I can.  I hate running on treadmills!

Off to start the rest of my day!  Enjoy yours!

Back on Track!

After taking about a week off after my half-marathon and then another week off due to a bad cold, I'm back in the swing of things.  Monday River and I ran 3 miles and today we did 5 miles.  The temperatures have been great for running!  Monday was a little on the cool side, but today was perfect.

Today was a bit rough getting out the door though.  I really had to talk myself into this run.  I was starting to get a headache because of the rain that was moving in.  I'm still not completely 100% after my cold, but I had to get River out for a walk so I figured I should just suck it up and run.  I put my Suck It Up Cupcake Bondi Band on to keep me motivated.  Once River saw me putting my running shoes on and getting her water bottle ready she got really excited so that made me even more excited.  We went out and River just wanted to start chasing all the leaves and things blowing around.  I got her settled on a pace and she was all smiles.

We have a 5 mile run that we do that takes us through a park and past the dog park we take her too.  there is some path running and it's a nice run.  Today we ran it backwards.  It made for a nice change.  She loved running the path as she got to chase squirrels and more leaves.  When we got to the dog park she kind of half-heartedly tried to get me to go in, but she was really enjoying the run. 

We did take a different side road to avoid some construction on the main road.  It gave her some new things to smell and some new things for me to look at while running.  We did see a few houses that already have their Christmas decorations up.  I'm so not ready for that!

Once back on the main road, River got to race a few buses.  I don't know why she loves chasing those, but she does.  It gives me some great interval training though.  The last mile was into the wind and it started raining a bit.  It was a nice finish though.

I'm so glad I went out for this run.  It just felt so good!  Now I have to get some lunch and get my work done.  On to the rest of the day!

Day 24: What a great day to run!

I woke up at 4:30 this morning ready to run!  The temperature was about 50 degrees and there was a light breeze.  Perfect running weather!  River was ready to go and when she realized we were running she was doubly happy.

I did a 5 mile loop and for the first time doing this loop, I felt nice and relaxed.  The run felt so good from start to finish!  We got past the dog park and to the base of the sledding hill when River needed to stop for a drink.  While she was drinking her water, I snapped this picture of the sun rising.

It was so nice to watch the sun rise while on our run.

This route has some hills both steep and rolling.  Normally there are 2 small, but steep hills that kick my butt.  Not today!  We ran up those hills without a problem.  It just felt great!  In fact, I ran an almost 10 minute best time on this training run.  Not to shabby!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a cross training and weights, but Mike has to go out of town and I may have to pick James up from his mother's house to take him to camp.  I'm switching my Thursday and Friday around so tomorrow I'm off for another 5 mile run.  I think the weather is supposed to be just as cool as today so River will join me.  Friday I'll hit the gym and do my cross training and weights.

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone!