166 Days--Weak Ankles Strike Again

It's been awhile, I confess I haven't been the best marathon training follower.  I was using Hal Higdon's half marathon training schedule to get ready for Dam to Dam, the 20k race happening on June 4th.  The weekend I was supposed to run a 6 mile run (the longest I have run so far), I rolled my ankle pretty bad.  I knew it was coming, to be honest.  My ankle had been bothering me for weeks, but I foolishly ignored it. After I rolled it, I tried to run on it, but only made it 3 miles before I gave up. I went to the doctor, who sent me right to a physical therapist, who told me to rest for 2 weeks.  And so, here I am.  It's four weeks before the 20k. I tried to run 6 miles yesterday even though, according to my schedule I was supposed to run 9 miles.  Notice the word tried. I ran 2 and a half miles and then walked the rest of the course.  Argh!  That is all I can say. 
And today, my ankle is killing me.

187 Days--I think I can, I think I can

The Little Engine That Could has nothing on me!  I sometimes feel like that little blue engine, huffing and puffing to get to the station.  Recently, I had a conversation with a local guy who has been a runner all his life.  He ran cross country in high school and throughout college, has done a few marathons, as well as several road races each year. He very nicely pointed out that the more mileage I run in these beginning weeks will make it easier to develop a "runner's body".  And with this runner's body, it will be easier to go longer, breathing will be less laborious, and my knees and ankles won't be as pained.  While I understood what he was saying, I was a bit insulted by his insinuation that I didn't have a "runner's body" (I am kidding, believe me I know I don't have a slim, svelte frame as of now)! Our conversation led me to think very long and hard about what training program I should be following.  Obviously, running twice a week for 30 minutes with long runs on the weekend and an easy jog on Fridays (the Galloway method) would be a much easier schedule for me with 3 kids, a house, and life in general to manage. But I think I am going to have to step it up and bite the bullet.  I will be running 4 days a week and doing long, crazy runs on the weekends (Hal Higdon's method).
All this scheduling is a bit hard, though.  My husband travels for work, quite often, meaning I don't get my morning run time every day.  Add to that my youngest daughter's erratic sleeping schedule and you will find me scrambling to figure out how to get a run in most days.
But it is amazing to me how running has become a daily part of life these days.  I was particularly crabby today and my husband and kids could see it. It was so bad, in fact, my husband and I discussed it after our kids went to bed.  He pointed out I didn't run yesterday or today, and maybe my body was off because I was used to running now.  It made me think, "Hmmm, maybe I am a runner after all..."

193 Days--The Leap

I signed up for a 20k race, which happens on June 4th.  In case you are not proficient in converting kilometers to miles, that is 12.4 mile race.  It came about by a friend who has been training for it for a few weeks who encouraged  me to think about running with her.  I originally planned to run a 5k with my mom and sister, but they are unavailable, so I began looking closely at the training schedules I have been considering and determined that if I started this week, both of the schedules pointed to running between 9 and 11 miles on the weekend the 20k was happening.  So, I leaped!  I am scared, but I think I can do it.  I ran outside this weekend, 4 miles on Saturday and 3.5 on Sunday. It felt good, really good.  Maybe the treadmill was the enemy.

The two training methods I have been looking at are Jeff Galloway's and Hal Higdon's.  I am not sure which is better, but both have big followings, so I am sort of betting I can't go wrong.  I am leaning toward Galloway's, as he advocates short, hard workouts during the week, with a very long run on the weekends, as well as a run/walk approach to the long runs.  This schedule seems to fit my lifestyle better than Higdon's way, who estimates an average of about 6 hours per week devoted to running, not including stretching, strength training, or warm ups.

What do you think?

199 Days--Where's that Quiet Drive??

It seems to have left me.  My husband and I took a long weekend trip to Las Vegas this past weekend.  It was really nice, but it was also a huge stumbling block on my road to marathon training.  I haven't been the best about climbing on the treadmill lately and I seem to find lots of other things that need doing instead of running, strength training, or cross training. 
I did get a good run in while we were in Las Vegas.  My marathon buddy lives there, so she and I ran on the Strip at 8 am, dodging the last few revelers from the night before and jogging lots of stairs, as the Strip doesn't offer a very straight path on either side. It felt good to run outside and I did feel strong.  Maybe I just need it to get nice out here. 

227 Days: Back to Day 1?

Remember that cold I told you my daughters were battling?  It hit me two days after my previous post.  I slept for about 55 of the 72 hours that weekend and did not feel up to running or even walking until last Thursday.  The first day back on the treadmill, I ran for 6 minutes and then walked for 24 minutes.  And I feel like I am back to day one.  I have done some strength training and I did manage to climb on the treadmill today, even running more than I walked, but I only ran/walk two miles. It is frustrating, to be honest.  I was really feeling pretty strong, feeling like I could firmly start the marathon training schedule in April, without much pain.  Now, I am back to doubting myself.
Then there is the kettlebell workout.  Wow, I get beat up by Bob Harper and his 30 minutes with a kettlebell. Yesterday, I had an observer while I was working out with Bob.  My 3 year old daughter yelled pointers from the couch while I attempted to keep up with Bob and his assistant Becky.  I frequently heard, "Mom, you have 3 more to do, don't stop!" Nothing like a little cheerleading/jeering from the peanut gallery to make you move your butt!
My ankle seems to be better, but is still not back to 100%.  I wear a brace on it when I run and have been icing it regularly.  Luckily, today was the first day I can firmly say it didn't ache while I was running.  It just aches now...
So, my goal for the next two weeks is to get myself back to where I was 2 weeks ago, leaving me a month behind where I wanted to be.

241 Days: Back Slide

A combination of things have put me on a bit of a back slide regarding my running regimen.  Two of my daughters have had bad colds for the past week, meaning lots of interrupted sleep and clingy girls who don't take naps. On top of that, I seem to have done something to my ankle. At the advise of a friend/physical therapist, I am icing and resting for a few days. I hate to admit I have only run 4 times in the last 8 days. I did do a kettlebell workout last Wednesday that made it difficult for me to sit or walk down stairs for two days after.  Wow, Bob Harper can really kill you in 30 minutes.  He's sneaky, because it doesn't start to hurt until at least 4 hours after you complete your workout.
I think I need some cheerleading.  I have a feeling it is going to be tough to get back on the horse (treadmill)!

Change of Venue

One of the biggest factors in running a marathon has been to show my daughters that I can do it.  I am not naturally athletic and we all know I haven't been the best role model regarding health and wellness (no exercise, lack of veggies in my diet, etc.) but I think this initiative I have taken on has turned things around.  So, when I started looking at accommodations and spectator routes for the Chicago Marathon, I realized expecting my husband and my mom to take my daughters to the marathon and keep track of them for 5 hours was not logical.  And, in reality, my daughters probably wouldn't even be able to spot me amongst the 45,000+ runners in downtown Chicago.  So, I am changing the venue.  I have decided to run the Des Moines marathon.  It is the week after the Chicago and has only 1,700 runners for the full marathon.  In all, 4,500 runners jog the offered races (5K, 1/2 marathon, and full).  I did feel a bit guilty about changing locations, because my friend and running motivator is from the Chicago area and I kind of felt like I was ditching her! She assured me otherwise.
So, you will notice a new countdown in my header.  I have bought myself an extra week, or I have added a week of torturous training, depending on how you look at it!

249 days--wardrobe malfunctions, colds, and registration

Of course, the day registration opens for the Chicago marathon, I wake up with a raging cold that comes with earaches and a sore throat.  But, I got out of bed anyway, at 5:45 am, to run.  I only ran for 8 minutes.  I walked for 23 minutes.  Now, I am feeling a bit skeptical about registering today.  On one hand, if I register, I have to pay $150 and I am not one to pay for something and not use it.  I hate letting food go to waste and I use coupons regularly.  On the other hand, I will be really mad at myself if I don't make it or if I can't physically run 26.2 miles.  I am hoping others feel like this when they sign up for a marathon. 

In other news, the past two days have been littered with wardrobe malfunctions.  Yesterday, I wore a new sports bra, one very similar to my current favorite sports bra.  Somehow, it does not provide enough support, even though it is the same model, brand, and size as my favorite.  Maybe it is the color of the bra. The same thing happened today, but with a different bra I just bought and decided to try out. And then there is my pants.  I love this pair of yoga pants I have that has pockets.  The pockets make a great place for me to stow my mp3 player and my insulin pump.  However, I got on the treadmill yesterday and started my jog, only to realize that my favorite pants were too big.  They slipped down pretty quickly, necessitating me to yank them up every 30 seconds.  Now, this can be looked at two different ways: 1) Yah! My pants are too big! 2) Crap, I have to buy new pants, not just one pair but several because they all fit the same way.

Can you tell I am grumpy?

255 days--Quiet Drive

Two miles down, only 24.2 left.  And the words Quiet Drive run through my head for most of the time I am running.  It's not a motivational mantra, believe me.  It is the sticker boasting the specs of my treadmill.  But it reminds me to call up the drive I need to keep going.  So far, I have given into my Screaming Pain Tolerance and stopped when my body starts to give up.  I am getting better, running for 20 minutes at a time, but I am very aware that I will need to run for a lot longer than 20 minutes to finish a marathon.

I do believe my MP3 player is helping the cause. I have gathered a few songs that seem to help me take my mind off the fact that my knees are killing me and there is sweat dripping down my back.  The Black Eyed Peas seem to be my biggest motivator (Let's Get It Started and I Got a Feeling), but I do like I Just Wanna Run by Downtown Fiction, too. And, to throw a little something different in, Gnarls Barkley's Crazy and Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) make me laugh when I hit the point that I think I am going to faint and die (obviously, I am exaggerating). I have found Train's Hey Soul Sister and OneRepublic's Secrets are great for my cool down. I use Survivor's Eye of the Tiger as a warm up.  I know, a little cliche but it does the trick at 6 am. 

258 days--The Kettle Bells Are Kicking My Butt

I love doing a kettle bell workout. But the kettle bells are kicking my butt. I lift children all day long. I lift bags of horse feed almost everyday. I even lift my KitchenAid mixer up on a high shelf regularly. But a kettle bell workout is giving me the aches and pains I haven't had since lifting weights in high school.
Things are going pretty well. I am getting on the treadmill 5 days a week and throwing in some strength training and core work too.
Tomorrow morning I am going to try out my new playlist and see if the distraction of good music makes it easier to jog longer.

265 days-Moving...on

Two miles, two miles run without walking! Is it sad that I am REALLY excited about that?

I am not sure if I still have kneecaps and I can't stoop down to pick up anything on the floor, but I feel a huge sense of accomplishment!

Today I bought a kettlebell to work on some strength training, too. I have been doing planks and some core work also.

Now, my dear audience, what suggestions do you have for songs to run to? I have been using Sirius Radio's PUMP station, but it is actually too slow for me. I need some upbeat, motivational songs to put on my MP3 player.

268 Days--The Slump

The past few days have been a bit rough. I am really struggling with time management and pushing myself to go harder and get to the next mile. It is quite the feat to get myself on the treadmill everyday. I can always find something else that needs to be done first.
Tonight I ran into a guy who has run a few marathons and has been a runner all his life. He was very encouraging when we talked about my goal. He reminded me that every "athlete" has up and down weeks and that it was just important to keep going. Climb on that treadmill everyday and run for at least 30 minutes.
I also started reading a book written by a first time marathoner. It has been a good way of making sure the fears and doubts I am having are normal.
I have been trying to push myself forward, mostly in the manner of running without walking. I am proud to say I can make it 1 mile without stopping to walk. Keep in mind, I haven't run for 6 years, unless you count chasing after children or dogs.
I am trying my hardest, but I will admit I am a bit skeptical that I am capable.

277 Days

I am beginning to freak out about how big of a deal a marathon really is! I have been running and doing strength training nearly every day (Fridays and Sundays are my chosen "rest" days). Yesterday I ran more than I walked (YAH!), for only 30 minutes, though. And for quite a bit of the time on the treadmill, I was thinking about how much juggling I had to do to get those 30 minutes in, between children's naps, cleaning, and taking care of our mini petting zoo (horses, cats, and a dog). How am I going to get in more than 2 miles a day? My older two children can entertain themselves during my runs, if needed, but my youngest cannot be trusted to stay off the treadmill while I am running and she tends to be a "mama's girl". I guess I need to just breathe and take it one day at a time. It would help if my children would nap regularly...

281 Days

I took yesterday off, in the spirit of New Year's Eve. But I jumped right on this morning and ran intervals again. All went well and I am feeling the need to bump up both my time and how much time I spend running.
Yesterday, my husband and I were discussing my marathon undertaking. My life has pretty much totally revolved around my 3 kids and their needs. About a month ago, I just realized that I need to have something just for me. Something that I can call my own hobby/activity. My husband just smiled and said, "I think your daughters are realizing this, too." The girls have been very good about this venture. My oldest even made me a sign to hang on the treadmill that says, "My Mom is Going to Run a Marathon. You Should Be Very Proud of Her. Go Mom!"

283 Days: Lesson Learned--Plan Ahead

I had a plan to run this afternoon while the baby was napping, but it was trainwrecked by her lack of nap. So I learned a lesson, always have a back up plan. I did get a run in today, but it was later than I planned, which threw off the rest of my plans. I ran intervals again, but this time I upped my speed. Cheers!

284 Days

I ran intervals today for 30 minutes. It was not easy and I was sweating by the end, but I am feeling good about the beginning of my routine. I read it wasn't a good idea to go all out to begin your training, as you will risk injury and burn out. So, I read a magazine during my slower intervals, breathed through the fast intervals, and climbed off the treadmill feeling rejuvenated! I am planning to do this for a week, then beef up my speed intervals until I am running the whole time!

Me? A Marathoner??

I am embarking on a journey, one that scares me slightly and excites me as well. I told my children I was going to run a marathon. If you have met my daughters, you know they don't forget anything and so, I am going to have to follow through. It won't be easy, I guarantee you. I have 3 little girls--ages 6, 3, and 1. I haven't exercised consistently since before I was pregnant for the first time. However, I loved running in high school and am hoping to fall in love again!

While discussing this marathon venture with my brother-in-law, he suggested I sign up for the Chicago marathon in October. It is a fairly flat course and very rookie runner friendly. After talking to my friend, Aimee (who ran her first marathon recently and promised to see me through my first) I decided to fully commit. That's right, I told my girls I was going to run the Chicago Marathon right after my daughter's 7th birthday. There is no going back now!

So, I am starting this blog to help me stick to it. I am asking you to follow me, cheer me on, throw clipboards at me (Bobby Knight style), and make me carry through on my promise to run a marathon on October 9th, 2011. Check back when you can, I hope to blog at least once a week about my progress.