PhotoBooks

I'm new to the world of photobooks, but I think they're pretty cool. Here's a chance for someone to win one: http://www.photobookgirl.com/blog/myphotocreations-giveaway-8-amazing-prizes-2-flush-mount-albums-u-s-canada-ends-1129/comment-page-1/#comment-1714

If I had been really with it, I'd do one with all sorts of race finish photos. But, alas, I'm not. I will have to settle for wedding and honey moon photos. Sigh.

Gearing UP

Ok. I should have no excuses. I've had a couple weeks off from most "running on land."

I finally got pedals for my new bike. And I got a bike fit.

I bought some reformer classes (because I was the most fit when I was doing pilates . . . and since we have a reformer at home, I should use it!).

I paid our dues at the UT Rec center this morning . . . so we can start lifting weights again . . . and I can swim.

HeartZones Tri Training starts tomorrow.

Winter Half Marathon Training start this week too.

I told Will I'd meet him at the Picnic Loop to ride my bike (harder to wimp out if you make an appointment with someone).

I should be ready.

L press

I'm still trying to think of what I can and should do paper wise for the wedding. I guess if I won the L Letterpress Tool Kit through the give-away (http://www.i-do-it-yourself.com/2009/11the-l-letterpress-tool-kit-giveaway/), I'd have even more ideas!

Try again?

Ok. It's now March 2009. I guess it's been nearly a year since I last wrote a post.

I can't actually believe that so much time has passed.

Well, today was a hill day. Surprisingly, the warm up wasn't too bad. Not speedy, but it seemed very comfortable. Of course if it had been comfortable at about 45 seconds a mile faster, I would have been quite pleased. I managed to squeeze in a 2.48 mile warm up (if you count strides and the walk back to the cone). Then it was 20 minutes straight on one big hill loop. It was supposed to be medium up and easy down for 10 minutes and then hard up and easy down for 10 minutes.

My goal was to just finish.

I'll have to check Garmin, but the last few loops might have been faster. I finished 1.73 miles.

I doubt it.

I thought Lee was going to wait and run back to base with me. Since I finished at the starting point, but the time I got back to the top of the hill, he was already running back up in front of St. Thomas. I magnaged to trudge and do .4 miles back. So, even though I didn't manage a full 5, it was more than 4.5. I'm ok with that.

I thought the weather was perfect. Until I got chilled. I've had a runny, red nose all day. And I keep sneezing. Of course that's typical since I have a Bayou City Classic meeting tonight. The race is in just a few days.

400s

Well, I really didn't want to do speed work today. I didn't help that mom called at 11:15 to ask me to look up flight arrival times last night. Here's the workout:

2 mile warm up

Sub 22 min 5k then 6 Miles
Sub 28 min 5k then 5 Miles
Sub 35 min 5k then 4 Miles
of alternating 400M @
5k pace & @ Marathon pace
@ 2:19 & 2:34

1 mile warm down

When I arrived, I found that it was really windy. Again. I was really tearing up. I ended up shortening the workout.

I did my fast 400s in between 2:09 and 2:17. I'm not sure what my slower 400s were, but they might have been a bit too slow. Then I wimped out and only did 3.5 miles of 400s after doing a 1.4 mile warm up. I didn't do a cool down, but I did do the 5 minutes of core. Coach said he was going to run, but only after going home and napping first.

Today was Spruce Up Your Office day. I did clear of parts of my desk and unearthed some of the things I knew were down there.

Bad weather as usual

There were threats of storms. But they didn't happen. Still it was very windy. I forgot to mention that I felt like crying throughout the whole run--there was so much pollen in the air. It felt like sandpaper was rubbing in my eyes.

I didn't swim. I had class--in fact, I had my presentation today. I wondered why my Crumpler felt so light. When I arrived to set up, I discovered I'd forgotten apple. I hurried down to the library and printed my presentation. Fortunately, I'd sent to through this listserve, so everyone had it.

I didn't "goof off" as usual today. I stopped by the Fire Museum. I figured I'd get fed as it was Andrew's fifth birthday. I was right. There was lots of left over Chick Fil A.

Up and Down, Up and Down

Well, my legs still felt like lead after the bike ride. I jogged over to the hills going down Allen Parkway as usual. But, it seemed really slow. Today was 2 x 10 minutes of one big loop with 2 hills. I think I managed 8 loops for each set. The best part was starting at the very very back and passing people as I rand.

Here's something funny: Lee called whining about the fact that his coin purse moccasin zipper broke. When I looked at it, I couldn't fix the zipper either. So, I did the next best thing: I got on ebay to look. Sure enough, after looking at the first couple of listings, I found this one on Buy It Now. The only differences are the colors of the beads, the fact that this one has a tag and string at the back and that it's stamped "Colorado" instead of "Cody, Wyoming." It wasn't very expensive.

Tour de Houston

Well, I think I've finally adjusted to this week's time change. Sleeping late on Thursday and Friday certainly helped. I know I should have done something like swim or cycle. I kind of cycled on Thursday night--I rode around in the parking lot, trying to get my new-to-me bike adjusted.

Today there was no run. Instead, we did the Tour de Houston. We probably shouldn't have done the actual route. It was from City Hall, down to Minute Maid and over the viaduct (like the marathon route) and over to the Hardy Toll Road. We rode up to the Aldine Bender exit where we turned off and weaved around until we got to the Redstone Golf Course and then virtually back the way we came. It was supposed to be a 40 mile route. I forgot to reset Garmin before we started and then we stopped a couple of time and I forgot to reset it. I think we managed to average more than 15 mph for the whole ride. I came up with 42.5 . . . Will said it was 45 miles. It was good to use the 2-way radios with the headsets. I think I need some practice in using it, but it really helped. Surprisingly, there were quite a few crashed--on good pavement! Luckily I wasn't close to crashing at any time. I think my shorts rubbed a bit. Overall, I don't feel too bad. A little sleepy now (I didn't take a nap).

Still, this isn't a bad ride to do. There's a nice little sack lunch at the end. We should have figured out how to bypass the Redstone part and go straight up to the 70 mile route turn around.

Rolled over by a Steam Roller

This was today's scheduled workout:

2 mile warm up

2 x (1600/800/400 w/ 2mr b/t)

5mr b/t sets

1600@ 9:05 - 9:11

800@ 4:24 - 4:28

400@ 2:08 - 2:10

1 mile warm down

This is what I actually did:

1.44 mile warm up

1 x (1600/800/400 w/ 2mr b/t) in 8:49, 4:07, 1:56

5mr

3 x 400 w/ 2 mr b/t in 1:57, 1:59, and 2:00

Of course I feel like I've been run over by a steam roller, but I'm not sure if it's because of the workout or because of the dumb time change. Before I started, coach had mentioned just doing one set--this was really a mental workout (and from what his blog said, a tough one that required lots of sleep). I tried hard not to look at my pace while I was running so I wouldn't freak myself out. Except when I thought I was going way too fast at the beginning of a couple of sets. Like the first one when I found myself going at about an 8 minute pace--not good if I want to do a whole mile and have something left. (I think if I only had to do a mile, I could do it in about 8). After I finished my first set, coach asked how I did--I told him I'd only finished one set, but gave him my times. He seemed to think I'd worked signficantly hard. When I mentioned I was thinking about doing some 800s instead of another set, he suggested 400s. Boy, I'm glad I didn't do the 800s. I am glad that I was able to do them all in 2 or under. I probably should have done the 4th 800, but I was pretty tired and want my legs to remember the pace I actually ran today. So, I did 2.5 miles with an average pace of about 8:19. I'm ok with that.

And I finished with two sets of core--since my workout was shorter, I was able to start with the first group and then when he announced a second go-round, I figured, why not. Dora gave me a hard time about it.

Driving to shower, I noticed that there was no way to see the bayou--the fog was so thick and up to the trees.

Apparently word gets around quickly--Pamela tells me she took time off the Bayou City 10k Race Committee but already knew that I'd asked to join the group! And, June is chasing me--I need to lose some weight so she can't catch me.

Tonight is Meet The Coaches for Jill B Nimble.

As long as I don't swallow water . . .

Well, as you can tell, I didn't feel like running yesterday. It was the first full day after the time change and my legs were still tired from Saturday. I HATE time changes. I think it takes so much to get our bodies adjusted. I'm not sure that it truly benefits children (I think the reasoning that kids would be waiting for buses in the dark is bogus) because it takes so much to get adjusted.

Speaking of adjusting to time changes, I signed up for a USAC class on adjusting to time changes. I need 5 USAT approved CEUs by the end of the year. I may have 3 or 4 that I got when I was certified and hear the talk about nutrition (that was interesting but not what I had thought). I'm not worried about having enough hours as I still have my physical activity class I took last year to rely on.

It's spring break. Theoretically, I should have been at work today (my class day). Instead, I decided to take the whole day off. I goofed off for a while. I went to REI, hoping my pedals would be in. Only the toe clips were in. Interesting how the clips with the straps were only $6 per pair at REI and the clips and straps were each $6.99 at Performance Bike. Needless to say, once I picked up the ones at REI, the ones went back to Performance Bike. If only my pedals would come in . . . . I goofed off a bit at the Galleria and picked up some groceries before coming back to do homework and cook dinner. It was a pleasant day even though I didn't get everything I wanted done. I did manage to get the oil changed in the Avalon though. Oh, and I swam 900 meters. If I hadn't swallowed some water in the last 100 meters, I might have gone up to 1000 meters. A one k. But, it wasn't to be. However, I did do more freestyle. Today's workout:

8 x (25 breast, 25 free)
4 x (25 breast, 25 free, 50 breast)
8 x (25 breast, 25 free)
200 breast cool-down

The water was actually pretty pleasant. I thought I'd be freezing when I got out of the water because of the breeze, but it wasn't too bad. More pool lanes were open today, but it could be because there was a different Rec Center person on duty.

Spring is in the air

and it means I can't breathe. I know I wheezed all night Friday night.

Yesterday was the Bayou City Classic. I had hoped to run in under an hour (for the first time), but it was not to be. I have never had such terrible breathing problems after a race. My chest was tight all of Saturday. Not only was I wheezing and couldn't feel that I could take a deep breath, but I have been coughing up yellow phlegm. The good news about that is that the congestion is on its last legs. The bad news is that I'm congested. Today was better.

I ran my 10k in 1:01:53. At least it was under a 10 minute pace overall. I suspect if there hadn't been the Memorial Bridge, I'd have made it in under an hour.

drip, drip, drip

I'm not just talking about the rain outside. Although the last few days have been beautiful, there has been a fine flim of yellow that is making its appearance. Needless to say, it is making my sinuses feel like they want to explode. In some ways, I'm glad it rained as it's immediately dampened all the pollen. I feel a bit better.

I felt so awful, I didn't even pretend to try to exercise. I'm still hoping to do well on my first real "running" of the Bayou City Classic. This will be the first year that I'm not part of a centipede. Part of me is sad (because I won't get an award), but do I really want an award? I think I'd rather have a PR. Like to break an hour.

Oops.

It was a beautiful morning. A bit chilly so I started my warm up with a shirt on. Took it off before I was half done. It was a 1.7 mile warm up. Here's what the work out was supposed to be:

2 mile warm up

3 miles of 30/30.

Alternating 30sec fast & 30sec medium.

Medium pace should be as fast a possible but still being able to recover for the 30sec fast.

You must be able to change pace.

The goal is to run a fast 3 miles

Time and record your 3 miles.

*If at Memorial park you could also run 3 light posts hard & 2 light posts medium.

1-2 mile cool down

Well I blew it. I intended to set my Triax to go off every 30 seconds. But I had it at 3 seconds. So I thought, no matter, I'll just use Garmin to track. Somehow, I didn't figure out what I had done wrong until after 12 minutes. I ended up doing 3 minutes hard, 3 minutes medium for the first 12 minutes. Then I tried 30 hard 30 medium. Then I was so out of it, I think I ended up sprinting 2 light poles and walking one. The total time was still under 30--29:42. If I had done it correctly, I likely could have done it faster than my time trial. I was so pooped I didn't do much of a cool down.

And, as usual, my nose is running. Running the cold makes my nose run all day. I'm sure it's a reflex reaction that takes all day to get rid of.

Only on a Tuesday

Of course it was cold and windy today . . . even though it didn't rain. Had to have the heater on last night and heard the wind blowing all night. Needless to say, I had no intention of getting into the cold pool and even less desire to get out of the cold pool into the cold breeze. So, I spent 20 minutes on the CycleOps. I raised the seat about 2 inches. Amazing how much more wattage I got (between 80-114), how much higher my cadence was (between 85 and 100), and how much faster my pace was (between 20.5 and 23.4). I got a bit hot, but my legs weren't nearly as tired.

Class was rather interesting today. The speaker was the vice chancellor of health programs for the UT system. He really knows his stuff and apparently still practices. I can see how he was a driving force behind Code Red. Listening to him gave many of the proposals more meaning ashe provided many examples. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical before he started speaking. He also had very good control of the time.

Once again, I've failed to lace up a new pair of shoes. Maybe I'll just wear them with laces tomorrow and run that way. Of course, I'm going to have to tie my chip to the laces then. Perhaps I'll just get up early tomorrow to do it.

You know it might be a good day . . .

. . . when you walk up to the porta-potty, look at the label that says when it was last cleaned, realize it was today and it's only 5:30 in the morning, open the door, and see TWO brand new rolls of tp. I had wondered why there were two slightly damp spots of earth. The cleaning guy must have gotten there pretty early to have been done and not seen.

I plodded along on my warm up to the hills. I don't think I ran very fast and even cut it a bit shorter than usual. Today was 4x5 min with 2 min rest on 4 different hills. The middle two were hard because of the slight tail at the base. The third one was the really tough one. The grade changed and, as usually, it was the third set (which is usually the toughest thing to do any way). I couldn't count how many hills I actually completed. But I'm pretty sure it was more than 28 total.

I'm not nearly as prepared for my 100 question multiple choice exam tonight (ok, I thought it was 200 questions). I have to start it some time between 6 and 10 pm and have 2 hours for it. Fortunately, the practice exam will be up until the modules shut down at 6. Good news is the exam is worth only 100 points. I have 55 out of 55 points right now. The paper will be worth 125 and there's still the digital poster and the final (which I don't think is cumulative, so I have a chance to bring up the grade if needed). The quizzes seemed to be mostly logical, so if I read carefully, I should be able to at least pass! I guess I wouldn't care as much, but I've managed a 4.0 so far!

New 9 AM

Today was the first 9 am service at Ecclesia. It started only 6 minutes after the projected start time! And I was out the door by 10:24. It was actually very good. It was full, but not overly crowded. The message on Psalm 23 was a dialogue and to the point. What was most interesting was the point that I've been realizing more and more. American Christianity is very ego-centric. So often the Bible is interpreted in terms of man, not in terms of God (which seems to be more the case in less affluent societies). To me, that suggests that we, as Americans tend to want to justify the "American Dream" as an example of God's blessing (consider the title of the book by a megachurch author whose name appears in letters that are bigger than the name of his church on the side of the building). And, I'm not sure I agree that prosperity is the only sign of God's blessing--sometimes I think it's a red herring.

Non-Rodeo Run

We managed to get up begin running before 8. Actually, I think we were done by about 8:30. That was a good thing. It was pretty sunny and slightly humid. I managed to log in 4.5 miles. I can't remember how long it took, but it was something like 11:15 miles. I'll have to pull out Garmin and fill in all the blanks.

What is more exciting is the fact that we went bike shopping/collecting. I had to take my white bike in--Rita told me the REI guys would be leaving early and I knew I couldn't make it to City Hall before 2 that day. So, she emailed me and asked me to drop the bike off. I took it in yesterday and hope it will be done by Saturday. But, just before that, Lee bought a new bike. I guess he's had his eye on it for about a year . . . since I started thinking about buying a new bike (which I didn't do--I bought 2). After purchasing it, he rode it around in the parking lot and it didn't seem to be shifing correctly. So, he took it back in twice and they more-or-less fixed it. Fortuatnely, I had deposited the REI bike in the meanwhile. Then it was off to Spring Valley where I'd dropped off my new-to-me bike last week for assembly. It would have been great to have taken it for a spin, but it has no pedals. So, it was back to REI to try to find some. They didn't have what I was looking for, so we went back to Performance Bike (we'd already been there earlier to buy pedal cages). They had some on display that would have been perfect (with a perfect price), but of course, they were out. It's a good think I bought a pedal wrench. I think there will be some pedal shuffling. Eventually, I ordered some other ones from REI. I'm just not sure they'll be here before our big ride.

Half a mile? Or 800 meters?

Well, I managed to get in the pool today. The temp was rather comfortable. A little cool, but not miserable. I don't think I swam very fast (when I think "swam," all I can hear is my mother telling me the tenses--"swim, swam, swum; drink, drank, drunk"). Anyway, I did 300 meters before taking a break (3 x 50 breast, 50 free, 100 breast). I wanted to repeat that, but I think I missed one of the frees and had to switch. The first set took over 8 minutes, the second set was under 7. I really wanted to get out after that, but forced myself to do another 200 breast as a cool down. As I did the last 200, I thought, "Well, now I can say I did half a mile . . . that sounds way better than 800 meters!" After swimming, I dried off and headed to the gym for a shower. Fortunately, I had already read the paper, so all I did was drink water.

Why is it that "do" does not rhyme with "go"? Claudia brought glazed donuts (or should I say doughnuts) today. I had one. And I had cherry toaster strudel before swimming. Needless to say, my half cup of twigs are going to remain uneaten today.

Although it's "Go Texan" day today, I don't see anyone around the office dressed as such. Maybe it was a good idea that I didn't get the western shirt after all!

Ok, so I managed to exercise 5 of the last 6 days. I really need to get a move on it and work out more. Maybe not the 13 sessions a week I used to do, but . . . .

80 RPM

Today was supposed to be a spinning class. But I didn't go. I opted to sleep for almost 2 more hours instead. I figured I could ride the stationary bike instead. And I did. At first, I was able to go about 22-23 mph with a cadence of between 80 and 90. But that lasted about 10 minutes. I got tired. I rode the next 10 minutes at 18-20 mph with a cadence of between 70 and 80. I had planned on a 30 minute ride. It didn't happen.

1200 is a long way

I really didn't want to get up this morning. I kept dreaming about going to Starbucks . . . and getting a toffee almond bar. No, I have not given in and eaten one (although it looks like my Starbucks card balance will be going up again this month!). And I woke up every hour to hour and a half, thinking it was time to get up. Fortunately, I was able to fall back to sleep easily. I was pretty tired last night--I almost fell asleep listening to my population dynamics lecture (fortunately, having taken bio stats and epi and having reviewed math in the last couple of months made this lecture pretty easy to understand). Yes, I got a little behind. At least I'd done just about all the reading. It's the lectures that I'm behind on. And unfortunately, they're LONG.
Joanie asked if I was running the Rodeo Run this weekend . . . one of her co-workers isn't doing it and she said I could have her packet. I don't like late race starts and I think the weather is supposed to be bad, so I passed (I also told her I wasn't doing PIM this session but would be there doing AED for a couple of sessions). The last time I did this race, I was injured (torn shin muscle from the 2006 marathon) and hobbled through the 5k. Of course, the fact it was starting to rain made the decision easier to make. While I'm on the subject of the Rodeo, I went to Cavendar's for the first time. I thought I'd buy a western shirt. At first, I thought I'd buy a cheap one. But I didn't like any of them. Then, I decided I'd buy one I really liked--with embroidery and everything (it's not my style, but if I'm going to wear a "costume," I might as well make it a good one). I figured it wouldn't really go out of style and I could get at least one good wear out of it each year. I should have bought one several years ago (so cost per wear would go down). The unfortunate thing was, they don't fit me that well. So, I've decided to either wait until after Rodeo season and buy a Scully or find one on e-bay. Actually, I'm hoping it rains pretty hard between Saturday morning and Wednesday morning so the parade scents will wash away before the next track session.

Anyway, today's track session wasn't as big of a disaster as last week's workout. I wish I had done the intervals in the reverse order. Based on my time, this is what was on my training schedule:

2 mile warm up

5 x 1200M@ 6:55 - 6:59 w/90sr b/t

1-2 mile warm down

Luckily the workout poster said if your 5k time is over 26 minutes, you only had to do 4 sets. Otherwise, this would have been longer than my long run!

What I actually did was a 1.7 mile warm up in 20 minutes followed by 6:37, 6:42, 6:50, and 6:57. I knew I ran the first 2 too fast. I was hoping for about a 6:48-6:56 on each of them, but was ok with sub-7 for each. I jogged .25 miles after walking a bit. Coach asked how it went. My response was that they got slower but all were faster than my target time . . . and I took slightly more than 90 seconds rest before the last 2. I guess I can look at Garmin times to determine exactly how much more rest I took. It looked like Pamela and her friend (I need to learn her name) were doing a 5th set. But they weren't. I commented to Coach that I would have done 5 if I could go home and sleep. He replied that he was taking today off, putting on the headphones & eye covers and sleeping. I warmed up in the sauna before showering, but my sports bra was so wet that I was still chilled. I read that paper and then fell asleep for about 15 minutes in the chair before showering. The locker room was pretty empty and the hum of the blow dryers was soothing. I didn't really hear the Today Show.

Needless to say I'm still VERY POOPED!

Why Tuesdays?

I've noticed that it is only on Tuesdays that the weather gets bad. I intended to go swimming--in fact I was even dressed. But right when I was leaving, it began to hail. And I saw a few flashes of lightning. So, I waited about 20 minutes as Anthony said it would pass quickly. When I went out again, I saw lightning again. I made it all the way to the car that time but turned around. I would have been really frustrated had I gotten to the pool and not been able to swim. I'll plan to go on Friday instead. My legs are really tired.

Up, Down, Up, Down then Up and Around, Up and Around

It was another morning of hills. I departed a bit early and arrived early, so I set the timer on my watch for 10 mintues so I could take a little nap before starting. It ended up being just a doze for 8 minutes b/c it got noisy outside. I could hear Claire talking. So I got out. I started my warm up a bit earlier than usual and I think I did about 1.75 miles. Then, it was the hills. 5 minutes up and down a steep one, 3 minutes rest, 10 minutes of the long, gradual one with a long loop recovery, 3 mintues rest, and finally 5 minutes up and down another steep hill. I tried to keep Martha & Sheryl in my sight while I did the long hill. I felt stronger during the first set and passed some people. But by the time we did the last set, I was getting tired. I think I managed to just keep pace and welcomed the stop when Kathryn stopped. We ended with 5 mintues of core. But I'm still a bit sleepy.

Melting Fog = Humidity

Well, I had planned to go run at 7 to make up for not going on Sautrday. But things got a little delayed and rescheduled, so I didn't start until 8. Since I wanted to be clean & dry by 10 for morning church (since there were dinner plans that would make evening church impossible), I only had time for an hour or so run. My fingers got a bit puffy and I did have to start walking a bit. Nevertheless, I managed a bit over 5 miles in a bit over 56 minutes. I can live with that. The unfortunate thing was that I realized that disapating fog means that it is very humid. The sun seemed very hot yesterday even though I know it wasn't. Actually, it was a beautiful day.

We had planned on brunch at the Marriott, but apparently they don't do that on Sundays. Then, after seeing how long the wait was at Barnaby's, we opted for Cafe Excess, I mean Express. Fortunately, the wait there wasn't very long--plus the Oasis Bar provided some nice munchies while we waited--pickled carrots, croutons, pickles, and olives. Croutons always make me happy.

Not as Planned

Well, the run this morning did not happen. I did get dressed to run, but ended up showering instead. I guess the run will have to be tomorrow. I can't figure out why I'm always so sleepy. Could be in part because I didn't get to bed until 11:30 last night.

What did get accomplished today: took the blue bike (FX) to Spring Valley to be assembled. Traffic on the loop to I-10 was awful. I ended up coming back on Memorial. By the time I got back, my bathroom floor was cleaned and most of the study had been cleaned. I just need to get my act together to toss stuff. Maybe I should take a few days off from work.

Foot Repair

Today was visit 3 to the dermatologist for my problem feet. It burned more when he froze it today . . . I guess that means that it's closer to real flesh. The nurse promises that after the next month, it should be gone. So, that's my good excuse for not exercising today. At least the other 4 seem to be gone.

It's interesting how it really did take 6 weeks after I went in for the first treatment before the problem started going away. And, how when my foot stopped hurting, my shin splints went away. I'm a poster child for how one problem leads to another.

Mosquito Bait

Well, yesterday I didn't make it into the pool. It was warm and toasty in bed and I was sleepy. Going to bed after the 10 pm news does not make it easy to get up. Actually, what I really dreaded was the fact that it was going to be very cold getting out of the pool after the swim. It's a pity that swimming weather is not the same as running weather. Today would have been a better day for a swim and yesterday would have been better for a run.

But, at least I did get up today to run.

I made it to the park by 5:30. I did my 1.5 mile warm up as usual. Then, I thought I should get a head start on the work out b/c at my pace, it takes a long time! This is what I was supposed to do:

2 mile warm up
3 x 800M @4:27 -4:33 w/ 1mr
5mr
2 x 800M @4:23 -4:29 w/ 1mr
5mr
1 x 800M @4:19 -4:25
1-2 mile warm down

My workout ended up being rather disasterous. The first 800 was great--right within the time. The next two were a bit too fast. So was the 4th one. By the time I got to the 5th one, I cratered. Thus, even the last one was a bit too slow. Well, I guess I could say that I ran all of them within the prescribed targets--just not in the right order. When I complained it was disasterous, Sean laughed and agreed that going out too fast would make the 5th one really tough. It was. The other problem was the weather. Medium cool, humid days are terrible for me since I start getting puffy. By the time I'd finished 5 miles, I noticed my fingers were starting to get puffy. I didn't manage to do the 1-2 mile warm down either. I did more like half a mile--very slowyly.

I didn't quite make it for the beginning of core. But I did most of it. And what's up with the mosquitos?!?!? It's February, not April. Of course, we are experiencing beautiful April-like weather (except today it's still cloudy b/c a cold front is supposed to bring rain in). Much of core was spent swatting mosquitos.

Later today, I have to go to the dentist. Yuck.

A Chill in the Air

Well, I arrived at Jackson Hill just after 5:30. I was taking my time to get ready. I confirmed that we weren't going to the Graveyard--I figured as much. With all the rain we had Saturday, I'm sure it was pretty muddy.

I headed out at about 5:44 for my warm up. When I checked Garmin after the strides and everything, it was 1.97 miles. That works. However, I ran pretty slowly. Today's workout was 2 x 10 minutes with 3 hills in each loop. I think I did one more hill in the second set. I managed to pass Martha & Babette in the first set, but only Babette in the second set. Robert, of course, was way ahead of me. And he passed me on the jog back. Oh well. I was pretty sleepy this morning, but now I'm better. The weather was a bit damp, but the temps were great! About 50 at the start.

The Running World Changes

Ok. We headed out to Memorial Park Sunday morning. It was actually very pretty out--slightly damp feeling from all the rain on Saturday. But it was getting late--after 9 am. The good news was that the Fitness Center was open. The bad news was that it was after 9 am. We planned to run 2 loops for a total of about 6 miles. I struggled just to get to 2 miles. Cramping and soreness set in. My pace was pretty good though. We jogged slowly for about a mile. Then I saw the table with shirts. I finally figured it out.

When I had stopped at the granite water fountain to get a drink and to stretch, I saw a couple (they appeared to be walkers) sitting on a bench wearing shirts that said, The Running World Changes and February 19, 2008. I was trying to figure out what race was going on. I must have been tired because it took a long time to figure it out. Only when I saw another guy wearing the shirt (he was definintely a runner) and the table did I know what was going on. It's all references to the announcement that Sally (can't think of her last name) from the Memorial Park Conservancy made the other night. Too bad I have class on Tuesday morning.

Anyway, we barely made the 3 miles. Even though it was pretty out, we headed for the Met and did 30 minutes on the elliptical. According to the measurement device on the elliptical, I went about 2.9 miles--the same as I would have done had I been running on real ground. Don't know why my legs felt so heavy: could be all the extra calories from eating out ALL last week (except Thursday when it was leftovers from earlier in the week) or the fact that I was pretty dehydrated from Saturday.

The afternoon was spent looking at houses. I found 2 that I really like. One is used and one is under construction. Too bad they're soo expensive!

Prime Chafing Weather

Well, it was supposed to be storming this morning. It wasn't. Still, just opening the door after last night's rain, it was very humid. I don't think it had rained for several hours and even though the sun was out, it was still very wet outside. It wasn't very hot, but that would mean chafing. So, there was no long run this morning. Still, with 8+ hours of sleep, I was still tired.

We'll try the run again tomorrow.

Finally Friday

Well, it was another day of skipped exercise. It was supposed to be raining . . . or so I hoped. Nevertheless, I still didn't swim. Sleep is good.

I brought red beans today. We were celebrating the 4 February birthdays. It was nice. It's just too bad that Kim got into that accident this morning. I can't believe (well, actually, I can) that she was still waiting at the hospital for a sonogram to check on the baby's condition. I guess we'll know Monday if we're going to do the shower for her next Friday.

I heart Sleep

Ok. So today was supposed to be a bike/ab/stretch day. It didn't happen. I was pretty tired. I'm starting to think that it wasn't Monday's hills and Wednesday's speed work that really wore me out . . . I think it was the strawberry-kiwi lemonade at Outback on Monday night and the Hollywood martini at Timpano last night that made me so sleepy. Still, It wasn't like I had more than 8 hours of sleep. The one day I didn't sleep enough, I was really hungry.

Today was otherwise rather low key. It's supposed to rain this weekend, so there may be some dreadmilling. I should remember to bring headphones if it does rain. Perhaps either Nano or Shuffle will come with me instead of Garmin (who hasn't been downloaded since December!).

A track workout or a long run?

Here is what was supposed to be on tap for today.

2 mile warm up jog

3 miles@10:00-10:10 pace

5 min rest1 mile @sub 9:00

If your 5K time is slower than 27 minutes only run 1/2 mile after the 3 mile tempo run

1 mile warm down

7 miles total

It made me somewhat glad that I can't quite run under 27 yet!

So, I did a 1.5 mile warm up. I stopped (as usual) at the blue house at .5 miles and then hopped back on the trail. When I'd turned around, I ran into Robert, so we ran back to the blue house (when he stopped). I think I was running a bit slow for him. The worst part was that I bushed my finger on my face and my contact popped out. (Kind of ironic since I didn't find my contact in its case when I was getting ready this morning. Fortunately, I found it on the floor.) By the time I reached the starting point, the mass start had happened. I waited about a minute or 2 more and then took off with Kathryn. Unfortunately, I realized she had started a bit fast. Still, I was able to keep my pace (more or less). I don't know if the first cone was off a bit or what, but Garmin had each of the miles just a little short. I think I ran another 10 seconds to make up the extra distance--I should have looked at the time when I passed the last cone. In any event, I finished the 3 miles in 29:47. That's about 5 seconds faster per mile than my target. After a bit more than 5 minutes, I embarked on part 2. I was not looking forward to it. I was pretty warm after the 3 miles, but must have really cooled down. My hands were freezing at the end of the 800. I checked my time as I passed the blue house--I was at about 2:09. When I finished the 800, the watch said 4:15. But, it also said 0.49 miles. I walked a bit and then Robert, Kathryn, and this other woman whose name I don't know yet jogged back. They were about to start core. I grabbed Neat and headed over for the second half. Luckily there were 2 other people who wanted to core part 2 so I joined them.

I guess the big comment of the day was: Seven miles? That's a long run! (Good thing I only did 5.5!)

Where was the rain?

I'm convinced that it only rains on Tuesdays. I was supposed to go have a body fat test. When I told Lee that it was complementary, he asked if it really was. I had to agree that it might not be flattering, but at least it was free. Unfortunately, I am NOT rushing around in rain any more. I've had too many bad experiences. So, I asked him to cancel the appointment. Plus, the trainer wanted me to get there at 12:30. I knew I couldn't make it by then. I ended up doing some shopping instead before getting to the office. Fortunately, I'd parked at ACB. Unfortunately, it was more than 3 hours.

I was pretty tired after getting up this morning. I actually started getting ready, but then crawled back into bed. I dozed a bit, so that works. Guess it means I needed the sleep. Actually, I didn't wake up until 6:08--the time I should have been in the pool. I guess I'll try to go on Friday. If it had rained like it was supposed to, I might have had a more valid excuse for not swimming.

The Hills are Alive

It was back to the hills. Judy joined me for the run to the hill. As we reached the bottom of the bridge, Robert & Pamela were with us. It was a bit faster than I usually run, but it was ok.

We ended up doing 2 sets of 10 minutes of hills. There were 3 hills on each loop. I was perfectly fine starting at the back of the pack. Eventually, I was able to pass a few people. I think I did 11 hills the first time. The second set, I started at the very very back. By the middle of the loop, I'd passed a bunch of people. I was pretty happy with the fact I finished 12 hills on the second loop. I'll have to go back and add the distance that I ran since I used Garmin.

A Day of Rest

Sunday was a quiet day. I ended up going to morning church so we could look at townhouses before heading to Pasadena. Except we didn't go to Pasadena.

It seems that the 4 story ones are more desirable because of their upper decks. We saw some that had some interesting concepts, but were poorly executed (using poorly assembled Ikea cabinets). The ones that were comfortable didn't have enough rooms.

Suddenly, a sea mist appeared

Yuck. My race results from Saturday were far from what I'd hoped for. They didn't use Champion Chips but some other kind of chip and the results are still not posted 3 days later.

I was worried--I didn't sleep well. I guess I was worried because of the previous day's violation. And it didn't do any good to find that the temps were in the high 50s as we drove down to Surfside. The neat part was that I got almost 40 mpg! And, I commented that we'd need to get gas on the way back. There was a Shell station in Lake Jackson that posted $2.79. That's about ten cents cheaper than anything up here. But on the way back, they'd changed the price--to $2.73! How exciting. I rest the computer and I think I posted 38.9 mpg as an average from the gas station back.

Anyway, back to the race. It was cloudy as we prepared for the race. A bit chilly with the damp breeze, but actually quite pleasant. We watched the sun rise. What was most interesting was how it disappeared as it rose. I wish I had brought the camera. By the time the race started at 8, the sun was shining and there were only a few clouds. A beautiful day. But that means it's too hot to run.

I decided to run conservatively. I realized as soon as we went to pick up our packets that I'd forgotten Garmin--it was still charging. Oh well. Lee was with me for about the first half mile. We were running under 11. I plodded along and I think I was pretty steady. The first 5 miles was ok. I figured that if I could make it to the second u-turn, that I could take a break and then run back. Unfortunately, I only managed to run to mile 8. Then, I walked most of miles 8 & 9. I hoped that I could run the last 4.1 miles. It didn't happen. As hard as I tried, I cannot keep my pace down after I start walking. It ended up being sprint/walk the last part of the race. I think I finished in 2:45 something. I also felt kind of gurgly the whole race.

The bbq was very plentiful. However, I think it might have made me a little sick. After we finished our lunch, we started changing. I suddenly felt really chilled. We looked up and a heavy sea fog had blanketed the beach. Thinking it was too dangerous to drive with the fog, we napped in the car for about 20 minutes. It was funny--once we got onto the Blue Water Highway, the fog was much lighter. I guess the beach houses blocked it. Once over the bridge on 342, it was pretty much gone. It was bright & sunny the whole way back to town.

After a rest, we got together with the old running group--well, Brandy (and Jerry) took Kerry's place (since he had a church function). We got to hear the details of P&S's Harley adventure that's landed her with a walker. Still, it was fun to get together.

Here are the splits (or at least as many as the watch had time room for):
Mile 1 11'33"27 00:11:33.27
Mile 2 10'57"97 00:22:31.24
Mile 3 11'00"37 00:33:31.37
Mile 4 11'44"99 00:45:16.36
Mile 5 11'40"86 00:56:57.22
Mile 6 12'11"20 01:09:08.42
Mile 7 12'11"50 01:21:19.92
Mile 8 12'29"31 01:33:49.23

Total: 02:45:13.67

According to the official results, my time was a 2:45:18--27th out of 46 in my 10 year age group.