Fun weekend in Houston! Kristina and I drove in Friday evening (after my lunch…yummm…I had too many Cosmopolitans) and went to see my friend Mike’s band play. Saturday, we got up and went for what we thought was going to be a 5 mile run. I had asked Mike the night before for a 5 mile route, and he gave me what he said was slightly over 5 miles, but actually, when we drove it, was just four. However, the path was curvier than the road, so I think it made it more like 4.25 miles. Or something. It took us just under an hour, and I know we weren’t running 15 minute miles, so it had to be more than just 4 miles. Anyway, a four-miler isn’t bad, neither of us were disappointed that we ran that far. It was easy.

This morning, I ran at the park alone, because Kristina went out last night after we got in from Houston. It was very humid and pretty warm so I just went around the park once. (I don’t feel safe doing the whole fly loop alone, it’s very secluded and there are usually cars parked in the parking spaces along the road, with strange men in them. Hmmmm….) I did run it pretty fast (21 minutes) so I’ll consider this my speedwork run. 😀 I think I may use one of my short runs per week as a speedwork run, maybe run it at a faster pace than usual. We’ll see.

No run today! Office Christmas party…lunch (and $1.00 martinis) at Commander’s Palace (same place I went with mom and her new man) and then Kristina’s picking me up, and on to Houston. Yay!

Ha ha, today was a bad day! I don’t feel bad about it, though. It was just one of those days when running just wasn’t happening for us. We got to the fly, ready to do our 3 miles, but it was in the mid to high 70s, with high humidity. Not mid-December weather. No, this is spring in Louisiana. Anyway, we ran by the river, within area bounded by the train tracks when we (of course) heard a train coming. There was no way were were going to make it past the tracks before the train got there, so we ended up stopping and stretching while the train went by. It didn’t take very long. Meanwhile, Kristina was in a really bad mood. My left calf was tight, and by the time we got to the park about ten minutes later, I didn’t feel like running either. It was just one of those days. The thought of going all the way around the park (which is only a mile and a half, we’re not talking about huge distances here) made both of us want to stop. So we did. We walked a little further, then turned around, and walked back to the car. We ended up running probably a mile and a half and walking a half a mile or so, but neither of us were bothered by it. After all, as Kristina pointed out, this was the first time since we have been able to run 30 minutes that we haven’t. This time, it was choice, not inability.

I think it was because of the long run yesterday that I didn’t feel up to running today. I think I should schedule the mid-week medium run the day after a short run and the day before a rest day instead of a rest day before and a short run after. Hmmm. Or I can move the short run to the day before the long run, but I think it’s best to have that sandwiched by rest days.

Next run: 5 miles…uh oh!

Today was our first 4 mile run. Woo! 4 miles! Longest run ever, in both distance and time. Woo hoo! It wasn’t so bad, I was ready for it to be over when it was, though. We ran the levee, out and back, and the wind was in our face the whole way back. Made it a bit of a struggle. But it was good, took us 56 minutes, give or take, so we ran 14 minute miles.

I’m proud of our accomplishment…now for a 5 miler on Saturday, while we visit our friends in the Woodlands. (See here for the story of the path that almost killed me last time I ran it…not this time!)

I just don’t have much more to say today. Work has kept me so busy that when I get home from work, I just flop on the couch and read or watch TV. I have no problem with that. I do lift the hand weights for a while before I go to sleep, to try to tone my arms, but other than that, nothing.

Today is a rest day. I don’t feel icky like I did last time I didn’t run before work (Wednesday, I think) because this is a planned rest day. A necessary rest day. A rest day built into my training schedule. I must embrace these rest days, not feel lazy because I’m taking them. (Really, I can’t believe I’m complaining about feeling lazy. It used to be my reason for living, my outstanding quality, the very core of my being. Hmm.)

Anyway, I’ve been so busy at work, filling packages and the like for UKtoYou that I’ve been running around the office all day anyway, plus lifting heavy things (like boxes of plum pudding – you wouldn’t believe how heavy those puppies are!) and such. So the fact that I’m not just sitting at my desk all day long, and probably won’t be until Mardi Gras is over, is good. Especially considering Erin, one of the girls in the office, brought a plate of cookies in yesterday. I ate one. Or two. Ummmmm. Maybe 3. They were small! Ish.

Okay, today was the first day of my pre-training training. I am going to do the first week of training (3-4-3-5) for the two weeks before the first week. (Does that make any sense at all??? Put it this way – I’m doing the first week of training three times.)

So this morning, we went for three miles. It was weird to be running for distance, not time. We ran around the park and the fly, which I think is three miles. I took my pedometer, but Ren was playing with it and set my stride length to 7 feet (I wish) and so I set it to what I thought it had been at, but clearly it was not 2.5 feet either, or we actually ran 4 miles, with 10 minute miles. Not likely. But we ran for about 40 minutes, and during the park portion, where there are quarter miles marked, we were running exactly 12:40 miles. So we probably averaged 13 minute miles over the whole route. However, a train came by so we had to stop for a minute or so to wait for it. But there’s a good story here – the train stopped right in front of the path, and there was this woman in front of us who ran in front of the train (it was actually moving veeeerrrrry slowly) but we closed our eyes and waited to hear the splat. Then the train started to back up, and we realized she probably knew what she was doing, so we crossed in front of the train. We waved to the conductor and he gave us two short toots of the horn. It was sweet.

No running tomorrow, but hopefully I won’t feel icky about it. I just have to remember that it’s a rest day, not a day when I was too lazy to get up.

Oh yeah, and that’s a picture of our Christmas tree. Isn’t it nice?

Celebration in the Oaks 2 mile Run/Walk
4:00 p.m.

Today, Kristina and I ran the Celebration in the Oaks 2 mile Run/Walk and we were awesome! The race is through City Park, which at Christmastime was a huge light display called, yes, the Celebration in the Oaks. The race route is through the streets of the park, with big lighted displays to look at while we ran. It is a big race, and the beginning was really crowded. (A lot of walkers were at the front. Sigh.) Kristina created a path that I followed, and it took us about half a mile to get to where we could sort of settle into a pace. We hit the one mile mark at exactly 12:00 (this is by my watch, not the official start time, since it took over a minute to get to the start line) and Kristina urged me to run faster. I had told her she could go on ahead without me, but I’m glad she didn’t because I wouldn’t have done nearly as well if she hadn’t been pushing me to go faster. There was a block left (but you have to turn a corner first, so we couldn’t see the finish line and didn’t know it was so close) when I looked at my watch and it said 22:something. I sprinted to the finish, and when I stopped my watch, it said 22:55! Our last mile was 10:55! I can’t believe I ran an entire mile at that pace! It was incredible! Yay!

We didn’t place or anything, they don’t even give finishing tags after the first 500 runners, and we certainly weren’t those, but it was a fun race, and I’m proud of myself for doing it so fast!

This morning, Kristina and I headed out to the levee to run, for a change of pace. And that way, we could go out-and-back, instead of in circles like at the park. We decided to run for 20 minutes, then turn around. The first ten minutes seemed to take forever, but then, when I looked at my watch to see if twenty minutes had passed yet (thinking it really would have only been 16 or 17 minutes) over 21 minutes had passed! We were amazed. So we turned around and ran back to where we had started. Total time, 42 minutes. We estimated how far we went (the road doesn’t completely follow the levee, so it wasn’t accurate) and it was only around 3 miles. Hopefully a bit more, like 3.5. Yeah, right. We were going sloooooow. But whatever. It upsets Kristina more than me that we’re not fast. I told her we don’t have to stay together tomorrow at the race.

It was a nice morning, weather-wise. A bit chilly (probably low to mid 60s) and foggy. My glasses kept getting little droplets of water on them and I’d have to clean them off. It was nice. There are train tracks right by the levee, and a train came by. Nice atmosphere, except the train kept blowing it’s *(@#&* horn.

Overall, I’m happy with today’s run. It is the longest we’ve ever run (the previous record was our 5K at 40:05, so we ran for two minutes longer than before.)

Ahhhhh….I did it! And I feel so much better! I didn’t really think I’d want to get up this morning, because we went out last night (I only had one beer, but we stayed out until midnight…okay, I stayed out until midnight, Kristina and Ren dropped me off at home and went somewhere else after that.) and I didn’t think I’d want to get up after only 6 and a half hours of sleep (I need 8 hours a night. I am not one of those people who can get by on less.) Oddly, though, when my alarm went off, I popped out of bed. There was no question about hitting the snooze button or turning it off completely. Very strange.

So I went to the park, and ran 2 miles. Not great, but I figured out that I am really good at keeping a steady pace of 12 minute miles. Without trying, I was running 3 minute quarter miles. Interesting. After going around the park once (1.77 miles) I sped up for the last quarter mile, which felt great. It’s fun to run fast! I only wish I could do it longer. I know, I know, in time. I’m quite happy with my two miles, but even though I slowed myself down during the first 1.75 miles, and with my speed at the end, it still took me exactly 25 minutes to do those 2 miles. Hmmmm. I guess I slowed myself down too much? I suppose I spoke too soon yesterday, saying 25 minutes was a really easy goal. I mean, it’s obviously doable, but not without the big kick of speed at the end. I guess I’ll have to just go faster (a little) during the first part. Hmmm.

I think next week I’m going to start running the first week of the marathon training program, and I’m just going to do that until the training actually starts on December 24. That’s only (gulp) two weeks from Monday! Ack! So I’ll basically do Week 1 three times. I think that’s a good idea. That week consists of Monday: 3 miles, Wednesday: 4 miles, Thursday: 3 miles, Saturday: 5 miles. Oooh, and Kristina and I are going to Houston on the 14th, so I can do the long run in the woods (well, okay, a paved path through a wooded neighborhood, but that’s as outdoorsy as this girl gets.)

Really, I don’t deserve to write anything today, but I want to remember how this feels. I want to be able to go back and read what exactly it feels like not to get up and run. I feel icky. Blobby. Lazy. Tired. I have a headache. And all for what? A few more minutes of sleep? (Okay, an hour.) Well, since I’m tired anyway, I don’t see the point. I thought I was doing something good for myself by attempting to get a decent night’s sleep, but it didn’t really work, especially because my alarm went off at 6:45 and I just reset it to go off at 7:45. So it’s not like I got uninterrupted sleep. Hrrmph.

I am definitely running tomorrow and Friday. And let me state now my goals for the 2-mile race on Saturday.

(In order of attainability:)

Goal #1: To run it in 25 minutes. I think this is reasonable, as it is only slightly faster than our normal training pace.

Goal #2: To run it in 23:30. Doable, but difficult.

Goal #3: To run it in 22:00 to 22:30. That’s 11 minute miles, which I generally can’t sustain for very long. But I’m going to try it! Woo hoo!

Let’s seeeeee…if I’m going to have goals, I have to have rewards, right? So, here they are:

If I reach Goal #1: I can be proud of myself. Come on, I don’t really deserve anything for that one.

If I reach Goal #2: I can buy some more running socks. Ask my friend Ren, I drove her nuts on Saturday talking about (and looking for inexpensive) running socks. I did end up buying some, but they were uncushioned. I want some cushioned ones. I like the ones I got at K-mart, so if I reach this goal, I will go back and get another 2 pairs (I mean, only $5 for two pairs of Coolmax, arch-supported, cushioned running socks! You can’t beat that!)

If I reach Goal #3: Hmmmm….tough one. Might have to think about it. Ideas would be welcome here…

Motivation, motivation, motivation. I’m losing it. I know what I’m supposed to do to get more motivated, but let me say here that the smartest thing I ever did was send in my deposit for the London Marathon. I can totally see myself bagging running forever, if not for that $200. I really want to love running. I know I like it, but I’m afraid I don’t love it yet. I’m definitely obsessed with it, that’s a start. 😀

I suppose I need to do what the magazines and books say. Vary my course. Run with different people. Etc, etc. But what I really want to do is just sleep and play the Harry Potter Playstation game. (Ack! My secret is out! This is my new addiction! I suppose it’s fortunate that we only rented the game and have to return it at noon today. Sad, but true. I will have to force myself not to re-rent it this afternoon.)

On the other hand, I really didn’t want to run this morning. But I got up anyway. Even though Kristina didn’t. On a day when I just wanted to go back to sleep, I got up and ran alone. Impressive. So I guess I’m not as bad off as I thought. I think I’ll just buy another running book. That usually helps. 😀 And I think once I start my real marathon training (in THREE WEEKS!!!) I’ll be better off.

It has suddenly occurred to me that I always run less in the week preceding a race, for whatever reason. I can’t remember why I didn’t for the other races (laziness, I reckon) but we have the two mile race coming up this weekend, so I’ll just say I’m tapering. (ha ha)

Oh, should say what I did when I went running this morning. “Speedwork” again. Ran around the park once. Took 21 minutes. Ahh, 11:45 mile. That is fast for me! I consider it a compromise for when I don’t want to run, as I get the running over with fast but I’m still doing some good.

Didn’t run much this weekend. To be honest, haven’t gone running since Thursday morning. Friday morning, I just needed to sleep and we went out Friday night, so I wasn’t up to running Saturday morning, and then I went to Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon, so running was out then too. But yesterday Ren and I went to the Tulane gym and I did a bit of cross-training. 30 minutes on the bike and 20 minutes on the treadmill. I did the treadmill first, I think I would have done better on the bike first to warm up, but I sweated a lot and my heart was pounding, so I got a good cardio workout no matter what. I’m so not used to gyms that I get a bit flustered. I could have gone longer on the treadmill, but I was thirsty, and my water bottle was on the ground and I didn’t want to stop the treadmill to take a drink. I didn’t notice until it was too late that there was a drink holder built onto the treadmill. Sigh. Next time.

Also, I may have a new training partner at some point. Kristina’s friend Virginia from law school is training for a half Ironman triathalon in May, and she needs a running partner. And Kristina told her I was slow, and she said that was okay! Yay!

Chris did his 19.5 mile run this weekend, and he said he’d drive to New Orleans when I have to do one of mine so we can do it together. Woo hoo!