Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Training for a half marathon.

Here is my major goal!!!  Fueled by Fine Wine

This race is on July 15, 2012. I may need to push it back to 2013, but I will do it!

I will not only have to train for a half marathon but I will also have to train for a difficult terrain!!!
ALSO, I will need to make sure I can afford the plane ticket to Oregon. I figure I will plan a vacation around the 15th so I can go visit with family for 5-7 days over a weekend and into the week day.

: - D

Let's get back on track and pursue my goal!!
I ran 14 miles last week. This week, I need to work in at least 15 miles. I am going to Michigan this weekend, so getting in the extra miles will be hard.

When I look at various half marathon training plans I am excited to see how far I can go. However, I have a difficult time getting myself to do the additional requirements. I like running but once I finish my 40 minute run I am ready to go home and finish my day with my boy friend, I don't feel like going for more. Working on my core strength regularly and other strength exercises just don't fit into my schedule.

This article was sent to me by Runners World: 7 minute Strength Training. Perhaps I can add 7 minutes onto my workout today and add these exercises. If they will help my running improve, why not?

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Running on a Treadmill at World Gym

We folks...went for it!
...I signed up for a gym membership.

Boy, I hope I don't end up regretting this decision. Signing up for a gym membership makes me nervous because there is a risk that I will paying even when I'm not going. World Gym actually has a good price, it is $25 a month and it was a 12 month contract...
Guess I will be living in Pueblo for at least another year! Ha-ha.

I used my trial visit last night and stayed on the treadmill for about an hour. After 27 minutes or so of running (could have been more I can't remember!!) I stupidly hit "Pause/Reset." Then, when I went to restart the run I hit "Pause/Reset" again and as a normal person might have already known it RESET my workout!! Ugh! Live and learn right? I restarted another work out and ran/walked for another half hour. I think the treadmill calculated that I went about 4 miles or so. I didn't run the whole time, I walked fast and just paced myself. Since this was one of my first days back I figured it was best to take it easy.

Now the debate.
Do I go again tonight or do I wait until tomorrow?

Mike is worried I will over do it...I think I am ok though... I will take tomorrow or Friday off.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Fort Collins - The city that encourages active residents.

Have I gone for a run since my last post?
Yes....once. I'm not going to blog about my experience running in this blog entry, instead I will blog about my experience watching the finish of a 1/2 Marathon & Marathon on Sunday.

Last weekend Michael and I went to Fort Collins, Colorado for a night away from our little forsaken town of Pueblo (Pueblo's not that bad, but sometimes the lack of city gets to me). Fort Collins is everything that Pueblo would like to be. Fort Collins has attracted many active people to it's gorgeous views and amazing trails. We went to the New Belgium Brewery and Equinox Brewing. Great beer! Both places were packed with people! There was an equal number of bikes parked outside the breweries as there was cars...bikes may have actually had the upper hand. Our friend Bob took us on a tour around Colorado State University - Fort Collins. Gorgeous! The view of the mountains beyond Fort Collins was stunning. I was actually surprised that Fort Collins wasn't further in the mountains. I envisioned Fort Collins being in a location that was more like to Carbondale.

We had a wonderful evening of beer, a bit of wine and lots of amazing conversation with Bob and Karen. In the morning Bob made us french toast before we went to see Karen finish a 1/2 Marathon. She ran the Blue Sky Marathon and Half Marathon at Horsetooth Mt Park. I only saw a little portion of the trail but the area was gorgeous. The weather was hot, I can't believe all those runners made it! It had to have been at least 85 or 87 degrees out there. It was inspiring to see someone who had stayed up late, worked a full long day in the hospital beable to wake up and go run...not only run but to run 13.1 miles! To see all the runners complete their 13.1 miles ore 26 miles was inspiring.

I have been so disappointed in myself recently. Every evening I plan on going for a run in the morning, every morning I plan on going for a run in the evening but something or several things alway prevent it. Maybe I am not meant to be a runner? Why can't I just do it, just wake up and get my butt out the door?! I feel like such a failure! I am trying not to let it discourage me from continuing to want to run but I feel distant from my goals. I'm too tired in the morning, my alarm doesn't go off, I snooze the alarm. It is too dark to run in my neighborhood. I want to spend time with my boyfriend and not time alone. I need to go grocery shopping. I want to hang out with friends. BAAAAHHHH!!!!

Here is my next thought...I will either join Worlds Gym to prevent the weather excuse from keeping me from a run and to also provide more strength training opportunities OR I will find a way to motivate myself in another way. This whole being an athlete thing is hard for a mere mortal like me... 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

26 days since my last run...

There have been 26 lazy days since my last run...

Adding running to my weekly schedule has not been a perfect science. I'm not an athlete and until recently it was never important to me. My pattern has been inconsistent at best. I will run 3-4 times week regularly for a few weeks then will take some time off. Start, stop, start, stop. Why do I stop??
  • Lack of motivation?
  • Not feeling the improvement I'd like to see?
  • Too tired?
  • End of summer activities taking my time?
  • The heat keeps me back?
  • Feeling like I'm getting sick
I think all of these have been on my excuse list for my lack of exercise.

It is easy to let any number of excuses keep me from running but if I sit down and take a look at myself I know that I can feel the negative affects from not running. I feel unaccomplished, sensitive about myself and totally lazy. You know the saying everyone is their own worst critic? Well, that is me. A lack of confidence that sneaks in whispering tales about how others are better than me and wondering what the point that are my main obstacles.  Running was one way to keep me positive. Looking at my blogs when I was running, I could see how good I felt! Running 3 miles made me feel like I accomplished something big! A personal accomplishment that no one else could take away. I have logged in 100 miles since I started running; this is awesome but unless I lace up my shoes again and get out there I will never achieve my goals! How will I run a 5K race if I quit now? How will I have the excuse to go run a 13.1 mile race through the wine orchards in Oregon if I don't start running again?

A month isn't forever. It is not too late to get out there and go for a run! Just me and the pavement. Just me and my own personal accomplishments.

So when is my next run? Tonight after work? Tomorrow morning? The temperature has been been significantly lower now making it possible to run after work. I guess we will see! Stay tuned!!!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Concrete Welcomed Me Back... Bah!!


I took a week off from running. The last time I ran was last Wednesday at the hotel in Denver after my manager's meeting. This morning I finally convinced myself to get dressed and get out the door. After my warm up walk the first song that came on my phone radio was Let's Get is Started by Black Eyed Peas. What a perfect song to get me going!

Why did I take time off? Well, I was just exhausted! I was unmotivated. I did paint a few walls in my house so I wasn't a total dead beat but I just didn't feel like getting out there! Then I started my period...which didn't help my motivation. This morning before Michael left he came to wake me up to say Good Morning like he typically does (which is really sweet). He asked me if I was going to run this morning. "I don't know...I don't know" was all I said. The last few mornings have felt like there was a weight holding me in bed, glue holding me to my pillow. After he left I looked at my "100 Kicks in the Butt" article from Runner's World to see if something would inspire me to get my lazy butt out of bed. There was a quote that basically goes, "Am I going to be a wimp or am I going to be strong?" Well... how can you argue with that one? So, I got up. Found my running clothes and went for a run.

As I was working on mile 3 I totally tripped! The sidewalks in my neighborhood are anything but smooth. Usually I am able to avoid tripping because I pay attention to the horrible sidewalks but this morning...my first morning back in a week, I totally biffed it and fell. I tried to catch myself halfway down but gravity made sure I went ALL THE WAY to the concrete!! Ouch! Well, I got back up and kept running. Neon Laces, another runner in my neighborhood, ran by me on the street. I thought to myself, "Yeah Jessica, see how he is running on the street?? Ya dummy!" Oh well, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

I guess it was good that my quote this morning was "Am I going to be a wimp or an I going to be strong?"

Now, the question on my mind is...do I go to Zumba to night? I guess we'll see how the day goes.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

The Manitou Incline has been DEFEATED!


I defeated the Manitou Incline one bloody stair at a time!!! Death felt close but I pulled through!!!
 The Manitou Incline is an extremely popular hiking trail here in Colorado. Mike, Dave and I challenged ourselves to the 2,000 ft vertical incline today. There were several times on the trail when I thought I was never going to reach the top! The slope of the trail reaches 68% at one point which makes it the perfect strength and endurance test. The average slop up is 40%. This test just proves that I am still a weakling and have a LOT of work to do... What a trip!
 Here is a photo of the stairs:


This trail is like an endless stairway to heaven! Oh man, my legs hurt just looking at those rail ties. This railroad was built in 1907 for the hydroelectric plant and its' waterline. After that service was done it was turned into a tourist attraction boasting a 16 minute ride to "scenic splendors." Technically sections of the incline are owned by U.S. Forest Service, Manitou & Pikes Peak Railway Co., and Colorado Springs Utilities and is not open to the public.  This doesn't stop the flood of people hiking up the trail!!!

I would walk about 20 steps then stop, 20 steps then stop, 10 steps then stop etc... This a difficult trail! There were a couple spots where I dumped my water on my back to cool me off. I'd look up on my breaks and think, "damn! there's sooo much more!" Of course my language was not that great, the only words that really formed in my mind were curse words. I trudged on and made it to the top!!!

There is a Bailout Point at about .6 of a mile up the trail. Boy, I am glad I didn't know about the bailout point! I may have taken it!!! My legs hurt! Or I guess the feeling in my legs would be described more as jello than pain... Few! The hike up to the top of the stairway to heaven...or hell was .9 of a mile. This is where the second link to the Barr Trail is. The total mileage of our loop was about 3.7 miles. The Barr Trail was great! I think I would like to look into going back and just doing the Barr Trail start to finish instead of the incline.

How long did the whole trip take me? I finished the incline in about an hour and a half and made it back to my car within hours. I didn't keep a good log of the times we made, I was focused more on finishing the challenge I gave myself.

On to the next challenge! Anyone have ideas on what I should do next? Where should I go? Are there any trails or anything that you would suggest I try??




Look at these happy folks. They get the easy trip up! :) This photo was taken in 1914.



Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Oh my, oh my.

"Oh my, oh my. I'm heading into Zumba but to be honest I'm still feeling beat from Saturday! Here I go!" I said as I went into Zumba last night.

I made it from 5:15 - 6:20 at Zumba. It felt great and gave me some energy to finish out the evening. Thankfully, my wonderful boyfriend made our dinner tonight! Fish no less! Mmm it was yummy!

Now it is Tuesday morning and I am feeling tired and a little tight. I didn't sleep well last night. I have several mosquitoes bites from my trip to the dam and they are all inflamed and itch like crazy. I never get just one bite, right now there are 5 on my left leg alone. 2 of them are huge. That is what I get for not bringing deet along with me on my ride.

To help my tightness, I need to do a good segment of yoga to loosen my muscles up. I have been stretching as I move around but I really need to commit at least a solid half hour to some yoga. Perhaps tonight after work I will be able to take a half hour to stretch so that tomorrow morning I can go for a run. The only downside to loving Daily Mile's graphs is that when there are no miles on the week, it is disappointing. I just have to remind myself that I did a ton of miles on Saturday and did Zumba yesterday. It isn't like I am just sitting around!

Time to finish this cup of coffee and get this day started.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Ride the Rio and more!

July 30th was an amazingly active day! My body is still recovering from how much I did on Saturday. I ran 5 miles in the morning then at 2pm Mike and I joined some cool people for a Ride The Rio-Party Bike Ride.

My run was excellent!!! I had my Black Eyed Peas station pumping up my motivation as I added miles behind me! I always feel like I could take on the world after my runs. I couldn't run 5 miles in one session 3 months ago and now I can! It has been an interesting journey for me as I slowly add miles each week.

Our bike ride was about 22 miles total, including riding to and from home. Along the way there were a couple places to swim. The second spot had a pretty strong current and I swam back and forth several times to jump off a wall. Oh man it was a blast however, my poor little weak arms are sore! Apparently I need to do more work on strengthening my arms since even moving my water cup hurts today!

What I love about days like July 30th is that it proves I can do it! I am an active chicka! I got out there and challenged myself. Sure, I know most of the people we were hanging out with do way more biking and other activities. One of them has even biked across the US. They bike all over the city and beyond. This is an extremely active crowd! However, for this girl who is typically sitting behind her desk, a day like Saturday proves to me that I have what it takes.

I even came away with some war wounds, if I can call them that. LOL! I have a cut and bruise on my knee from climbing the rocks at the second swimming stop. I also have some scratches from running into Mike's bike and crashing. On our way back from the Dam, Mike and I were just cruising along when all of a sudden two girls from our group, Rita and Kristy jumped out yelling "boo!" Mike stopped right away but my realization of what was going on was slightly delayed. There was a group of people coming from the opposite direction so I was looking at them and not the fact that Mike stopped. So, I crashed into Mike's bike. It all happened so fast!! It was a pretty funny scene! :) There I was cracking up while sitting on a pile of bikes.  I wish we had taken a photo!

What an amazing day crash and all!

Mike and I on our matching bikes. Meet Ol'Betty and Rusty. :)

This was the ad describing the event.



Having some beer to cool off.



Thursday, July 21, 2011

Why Run? (Also, a peek at my inner nerd)

I started running because I needed something active that I could do to:
A. Boost my mood
B. Give myself a short term goal to work towards
C. Improve my over all health

My short term goal is to run in a 5K race by September/October. Deciding to train for a 5K was a way for me to prove to myself that I can start something and finish it. I was going crazy looking at my list of life goals and desires. They never seemed to move forward fast enough. Finishing my degree and paying off debt are two areas that never seem to move forward fast enough. I was finding myself unable to sleep because I was stressing about not being where I want to be. There was nothing I could do to help things move faster, I just needed to be patient. Patience is tough. I needed something else to distract me.

Why would I run? I have never ran in any race and do NOT consider myself an athlete. While in middle school and high school I never participated in any sport. Of course I took the P.E. classes, was in weights and was moderately active but I never went beyond that. Even though I have never considered myself an athlete and have never been committed to an exercise program there are a couple times in my past when I felt better and more positive than at other times. During those positive times I was active. I was walking to school, taking mat pilates and yoga. I was going hiking with my dog, running and walking the trails with him. That was the answer I needed to add the active ingredient back to my life. Setting this goal in place was a way to get me moving forward...literally.

Everyday that I lace up my shoes and leave the house is an achievement. Each mile ran is 1 mile closer to my goal. On October 1, 2011 I will run my first 5K. I will join many others who will run the same route with me. Next I could plan on running a 10K, then a Half Marathon. I am not interested in winning a race. Competing isn't important to me, the races are a date giving me proof that I did it (Don't think this means I wont do my very best!). :)

Ok, now I am going to let my inner geek out. I stumbled across Daily Mile this week and fell in love right away. The graphs and charts make my heart flitter like I have a crush.
Check this out:
I can see what I run at a glance. Now, not only do I have my personal motivation to get out there and run I also have this log that stimulates my love of graphs and charts! It keeps track of how many miles I've ran in 2011! I can see my farthest run, my fastest run, and the days I miss. How cool is that! Yes, I am a chart and graph nerd. I love them.

Anyway, I am really loving life right now and am loving how close I am to my accomplishing my goal!

Running in 93 Degree Weather = SWEATY

Yesterday at 6pm I decided to be brave as I headed out the door to run in the 93F heat. It was supposed to be my rest day but after sitting in my office all day the only thing I felt like doing was running. I needed to get some energy out of my system. The only other activity that would have been accepted was drinking a beer or two! Running is the healthier and cheaper choice so I went for it. :) I ran 2 laps around Mineral Palace Park which is 2 miles. This 2 mile run took me about 23 minutes. Oh my word was it HOT! Michael came home right after I finished and he didn't even want to touch me. He would only give me a peck on the lips nothing more until I showered off. Being sweaty is a good feeling though. It means I did something active.

After checking the heat index (see the chart below) I was right on the line between caution and danger. It was 93 degrees at 6pm last night with a humidity of 18% according to my Weather Channel app. So the air felt like it was between 88F and 90F. Hot, Hot, Hot!

There are things you can do to make running in the heat more bearable. Some of the obvious tips all of the running sites give are to change your route to be to a route with shade, wear an outfit that will keep you cool, and make sure you are well-hydrated. Run with less intensity than usual, listen to your body and run using your effort level as your goal. It takes time to acclimatize your body to running in the heat and if you push yourself too much you could bring on heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Drink water, drink sports drinks to replace electrolytes etc...

I think the best tip is to avoid the heat all together. Wake up early and run before the temperature starts to increase. The hard part about this tip is how hard it is to get yourself off the pillow.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Squirrels Do not need Peanuts!

Thanks to my persistant cat begging me to open the back room where her food is kept safe from Frankie through the night, I managed to pull myself out of bed by 6am and was out the door by 6:30am. I typically start by running around Mineral Palace Park. It is a nice simple loop that makes for a good warm up before heading into the neighborhood.

Here is one of my pet peeves at the park:

Unfortunately, my picture didn't come out as well as I had wanted since I was running and was trying not to be obvious about taking a photo but I can describe what this lady is doing. We will call this lady Ms. Squirrel. She is feeding the squirrels peanuts. I can hear you saying, "Oh how sweet, it's like feeding the ducks!" No! She is here EVERY morning. The squirrels do not need food! Unless you have a child with you and it is a random Saturday morning activity, feed ing the squirrels is simply NOT cool. They have plenty to keep them alive and there are hundreds at the park and in our neighborhood. I can assure you that these furry rats do not need to be  fed by Ms. Squirrel and another couple who also feeds them EVERYDAY. When I run around the park after this lady has made her couple loops the squirrels actually follow me on the road hoping that I will drop more goodies for them.

Huff. Ok, moving on.

My run was excellent! According to the Map My Run website my route took me just over 4 miles today. I walked a couple times prior to running up the inclines but I am feeling less of a need to walk. To finish my run I decided to sprint the distance of a block. It felt great! I was at the park in the shade when I finished so the sprint actually felt nice and cool.
  
Song(s) from todays run:


Monday, July 18, 2011

I Put My New Shoes on and Suddenly Everything Was Right!


Paolo Nutini describes my run yesterday morning perfectly!!

I felt like I could run all day in my new running shoes! It was a terrific 3+ mile run! I had Slacker Radio playing some great tunes to keep me motivated to press on! When I was at the end of my run the song that helped me finish strong was Keisha's Your Love is My Drug. Any song with a good beat that makes me feel like dancing will also make me run further!

 When I made it to Court and 24th I did walk a couple blocks to Elizabeth and again after running up the incline on Elizabeth so my actual run was just over 3 miles but under 4 miles. Here is a map of my run:
After my run my reward was a boating on Pueblo Reservoir with good friends. The day included swimming, cruising around the water, sun bathing, chatting with friends and just having an amazing time! By the time I got home again I was exhausted! My run today has been pushed back to this evening! I can't wait to lace up my shoes!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Running Stores: Am I the princess and the pea???

Buying running shoes seems like it would be a simple purchase, but Victoria and I found out there is much, much more to it than that! Thanks to our sales associate, Adam from Boulder Running Company in Colorado Springs we came away feeling happy about our purchases and excited for our next run!

On our drive up to Colorado Springs we discussed our running woes and about all we hoped to find in our adventure to Boulder Running Company. Going in I was a little sceptical about what they could do for me. We were excited to find out if this shoe store would live up to their good reviews. Would this be an experience that would change my running experience for the better or would it be an expensive trip with no real benefit. Driving 45 minutes away to buy running shoes is definitely a gamble.

Is having a running store help you pick your shoes necessary or can you pick your own running shoes at a department store alone or even online for $35?
The answer to both questions could be yes, however we found that having an associate help us, having ample shoes to try on and being video taped while running on a treadmill was definitely an amazing experience.

This is what is neat about the Running Company experience. We could actually run on the treadmill while wearing the shoes that we were thinking about purchasing. If I am going to spend about $100 on shoes, I want to be positive of my purchase!

To top running on the treadmill our steps were recorded. How cool is that!?


(Just to prove how engrossed in this experience I was in this whole experience, I didn't notice that our sales person was wearing a shirt with the American Family Insurance logo on it until I was looking at these photos on my computer at home!!!).

The next two photos are of my left ankle.



















Now, giving these photos the leniency of motion, can you see the difference in how my ankle looks in these two photos? The alignment from my heal and up my calf is slightly curved when I am wearing the Nikes. When I am wearing the Asics my ankle looks much better. (My other ankle had excellent form I am proud to say. At least during this recording). I am typically a Nike fan all the way but I had to consider the facts!

One of the more difficult decisions that most girls such as Victoria and I face is:
~ Do you choose the shoe that looks prettier or do you choose the shoe that is functionally better for how you run? We need to pick shoes that will help prevent the typical pains that runners come accross. (The factors considered when you are choosing Steve Madden shoes compaired to running shoes are quite different...)

After trying on a dozen shoes each Victoria and I made our selections.

Although Victoria was looking for shoes with minimal support meaning something close to the barefoot shoes, but with slightly more structure, she ended up going with an Asic shoe with more support.

During the initial phase of trying on shoes I actually preferred the pair of Nikes I tried (I am wearing in the top photo of my left ankle and foot) but after running on the treadmill and seeing how my ankle differed in both shoes I went with the Asics (seen in the bottom photo). They have a slightly asymmetrical lacing which changes the lines of support for feet and ankles...and well, hopefully my knees and IT band too!

Perhaps going to a running company to purchase shoes is an experience similar to the story of The Princess and the Pea, but this princess is sold. I prefer to have help and a video camera when choosing new running shoes! I wonder if the next time I go shopping for heels I can bring along my video camera and TV. Hmmm...

I am excited to go for a run tomorrow morning in my new white and pink Asic running shoes!!!

The search for new running shoes...

My friend Victoria and I are on our way to Colorado Springs this morning to investigate the Boulder Running Company. Here is a video describing their services:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE_UWCZ3bEA&feature=player_embedded

This is my first time searching for new shoes since becoming a runner.

I will keep you posted on how our experience goes!

Friday, July 15, 2011

IT Band Woes

Right around the time that I was able to run 2 miles straight the tendon that runs from the outer side of my knee to my pelvis began to hurt. If I stopped running it would stop hurting, when I started running again it would begin hurting again... What the hell! I am not going to stop running after 2 miles. That is just pathetic, especially since my goal is to run a 5K (which is about 3.1 miles). After reading articles on Runners World and Google searching about the pain I discovered that it is most likely my IT Band or the Iliotibial Band. Luckily my boyfriend has an athletic sister who I could ask for some quick advice. What do I do??? I don't want to stop running at 2 miles!

She gave me a list of ideas to try:
1. Hey Jessi :0)Ah the IT band pain. Been there, a few times. Here are a few things that I have found help:
1. Stretching after the run helps. If you lay on your back,legs straight, and pull the knee up of the leg that hurts, and then slightly pull it across your chest you can usually get a good stretch.

2. A second option, that is painful but really helps is to use a foam roller (or wine bottle wrapped in a towel). You can probably find diagrams of the exercise on the Internet but it's pretty easy. You lay on the side of the iT pain. Put the foam roller under the thigh. Lift yourself up on your elbow and roll your thigh (hip to knee) over the foam roller. This does hurt but it is really effective for breaking up the crap in the IT band that makes it stiff and improves the circulation so it heals faster. If the pain is bad I will roll over the side 5-10 times, stop. And repeat 2 more times. I would do this even on the days I didn't ride/run.
3. Stretch breaks mid run.
4. Ibuprofen before and after the run. Just keeps the inflammation down.
Hope this helps! ~Becka

She is seriously a life saver. Becka if you ever read this, THANK YOU!! :)

Even with these tips my IT Band still tends to hurt when I run sometimes. This morning was a fantastic run, as you read in my previous blog; however, it also caused ample pain to my IT Band. I have decided that I am going to integrate more hills into my running to help me truly train to be a long distance runner. When you add hills or uneven terrain this can cause your IT band to flair up.

All day I have been stretching my leg muscles at my desk. Forget sitting in the chair I was leaning on the desk stretching my legs anyway possible trying to help the pain go away. When I got home I used the foam roller to help break up the junk causing the pain. I sure hope that I can run tomorrow morning! I am going to try! I suppose I should have gone easier on myself since it was my first morning back after not running for 2 weeks. Oh well, live and learn!

Here is an article on IT Band Stretches:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-241-285--11642-0,00.html

Tomorrow is another day. I wonder what I can accomplish!

Being sexy is an Attitude

Excuses, excuses, excuses. I haven't been running for 2 weeks because of family visits, being sick, and just slacking I suppose... but it is time to get back on track. I have a personal goal to accomplish and I am almost to my deadline. It is time to pick up the pace and really focus my mind on adding miles to my daily run. I can do it!

Since I haven't been running in a couple weeks it was a tough task to talk myself into running this morning. The pillow was just too addicting for me to pull myself away from it. After yelling at my sleepy self for an hour I made the decision to get off my ass and start my run. I ran for 30 minutes and probably about 3 miles. For an extra dose of motivation I ran this morning with my Blackberry's Slacker Radio playing and was pleasantly surprised by how great it was! What a fun way to run! Why have I not done this sooner? Did I think I was being a hardcore runner who only ran o'natural to the sound of the streets??? What the heck!? Well, I had music today and it was awesome!

My motivating songs this song included:

Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous featuring Timberland
Link: http://youtu.be/0J3vgcE5i2o
"You know what I want and you got what I need..."
Hell yea! What a great way to start my run this morning! Running helps me feel sexy. Running with music is like dancing which only enhances the feeling of being sexy. Sure, the sweat may not seem like it would be sexy but when I cause my body to sweat from running or dancing it makes me feel in tune with my body. If you are feeling self conscious I highly recommend running...or dancing! :) Just move your body and feel yourself become sexy. Sexy is an attitude you control in your mind.


"But I'm the only one who'll walk across a fire for you..." by Melissa Etherage
This song helped me finish my first mile this morning. Let this song seep into your mind and feel the power Melissa Etherage gives you! I am the only one that can make it happen...just do it!

"Shock through the Heart and you're to blame, darling you give love a bad name..." By Bon Jovi
How can you not run or feel sexy with Bon Jovi singing to you? Voice crush! lol.

My favorite song to run to this morning was Stuck like Glue by Sugarland. :) It had a good beat for me to help me finish my run strong. Sugarland has a way of putting me in a good mood. I made it to my finish line this morning and feel better for it. Take that you damn addicting pillow! I have a lot of work to do still. My body needs some strength training and I need to keep my mind focused.

No excuses. Just run! Running to feel Sexy. Oh yea baby, being sexy is an attitude you control!
Link: http://vevo.ly/gxPCHM

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Oh and...

And I ran the first 2 with no stops. It took me 18 min to run 2 miles. The last mile took an additional min but I had to stretch my calf midway because it felt tight.

Good work me!
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5:15am start. 3 miles done!

I am very impressed that I got up and ran! Now I can go to Denver and feel good.

I only hope I can stay awake all day. :)

3 miles!!!
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Monday, June 20, 2011

To run again or not to run again today

What to do, what to do!

I don't know if I should run tomorrow morning or run again tonight. I have to be to the office by 7am tomorrow because my boss and I are driving up to Denver for a meeting tomorrow morning. I'm guessing that I won't get out of bed in time to run tomorrow. I will be staying the night in Denver tomorrow night. I may or may not be able to run on Wednesday morning. I tend to not sleep very well when sleeping at hotels alone. If I sleep, I can get up and run. If not, I will have to run on Wednesday evening.

Huff! I want to run! I better wake up! Wish me luck!

Back to work! I have another hour and 20 min left in this day!

Racing Through Wine Country

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Racing Through Wine Country: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-581-281--13992-0,00.html
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Maybe I am getting ahead of myself but this looks like a good long term goal! This will take a lot of dedication and commitment to running. If I keep up the pace perhaps by next July I will be at a level where I could survive a half marathon??????

Go to http://www.fueledbyfinewine.com/

It would be amazing to spend my time with my family in Oregon while also proving to myself that I can run a half marathon. Plus *BONUS* I get wine when I finish the run! Hmmm... I have a lot of training to do in the next year! Where are those sneakers??? :)

"You're a fast runner!"

Hmm... Not sure that is really true in the grand scheme of the running world but it is nice to hear anyway. There was a point on my run when I had to sprint to get out of the way of a car while also going around some people who were walking. When I passed the lady from the car again further down the road, she commented that I was fast. A nice, yet untrue, compliment.

This morning's run was decent. It ended up raining while during my second mile. The fact that I finished my second mile either makes me a crazy person or an Oregonian... Not sure which. I am an Oregonian living in Colorado. I like to think being from Oregon gives me naturally webbed feet or at least a higher tolerance for rain. I am not about to go out and buy running gear for the rain yet because it doesn't rain that often here in Pueblo!

My plan was actually to run 3 miles this morning but didn't get out of the house in time. It is 7:15 am right now giving me about an our to stretch, do a few other workout moves and get to work. I need to be out of the house by 6:10 to be able to do a full running work out. My boyfriend is going to start opening at his cafe again and is going to do his best to help me get up earlier. I just need to get up and get moving before 6am to get out the door to have enough time to do my 3 miles and to have time to stretch and finish my workout after my run.

Ok, time to stretch and get this day started.
Coffee is waiting in my french press.

Mmm...Coffee!!!
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Sunday, June 19, 2011

We amateure athletes...

First off-- I ran a mile today in 9 minutes! Yay! 2 min off!

I have been adding some sprinting into my workout to help start increasing my speed overall. Tomorrow I need to wake up early enough to go run 3 miles. I think Mike and I are going to turn into morning birds instead of night owls.

I was reading in Runner's World Magazine about various people's PRs (personal records) and am not sure if I feel encouraged or discouraged. You know what? I feel in awe. I am in awe if other people's achievements. I long for the day when I am truly impressed by my achievements. I suppose this would be one of the forces propelling me forward. I can do it. I have proved to myself that I can run a complete 3 miles in one day. I have a plan of attack suggested my boy friend's athletic sister against the pain that started in my IT band and I am going to press on!

Tomorrow is another day! I look forward to lacing my shoes and running.

Mantra when I run "You're doing it! You can do it. Keep going. Press on!"
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Saturday, June 18, 2011

I did it! Ha! I

I did it! Ha! I ran 3 miles. It is encouraging to be running in distance intervals instead of timed intervals.

I have a goal today!

I am going to run 3 miles! I need to update my blog on the frustration of my IT band slowing me down, but I have some ways to keep it from hurting and I'm looking forward to getting out there and running! I will update you post run. Here I go!!!
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Thursday, June 9, 2011

I didn't start running until

I didn't start running until 645 and so I ran for 15 min straight! Longest straight run yet! Woohoo!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

This morning's run

This morning was a great run! I managed to get out of bed by 6:15am and was out running by 6:25am. I ran a full mile in 11 minutes walked for about 2 min then ran for another 5 min. I had to run home to change out of my long sleeve shirt but once I was in a tanktop I finished my last 5 min run.

It feels good to be active. I am excited to feel myself improve, even if the improvements are in small incriments.

Mike has family coming into town this evening so I am not sure I will be able to run for another 10 min to finish my 3 miles today. We will see if that happens. If I can't get back out to run at least I know that I had an excellent run in the morning. :)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Challenges on a Friday Night

I know I should limit myself to 1 beer and a healthy dinner. However... I'm meeting friends at a sports bar for dinner and more than 1 beer will probably be consumed over the course of the night...

I did run this morning. That is a positive. It wasn't my best run but I'm glad I got out there to run by 6:20am!

As long as I don't stay out too late, and I wake up for a run before it gets to hot tomorrow, I won't be completely disappointed in myself!

Well, here goes the night. I am walking about a mile to the bar (I suppose this is a positive too). Have a good night!
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A Running Blog to Keep Me Motivated!

Quote of the day: "Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself." - William Faulkner

My training program started as more of a walk with some jogging sprinkled in here and there back in May. My starting goal was to at minimum be out moving for an hour running for a few minutes here and there during that hour. I have been running about 4-5 days a week. 6 days if I muster the energy. Increasing my running intervals has been a slow process but I have progressed since May and have now started running for 10 min segments, walk for 1 min run 5-10 min. I also timed my mile for the first time last weekend! I can run a mile in 11 minutes.

I couldn't do this when I started! I am very proud of my progress. One of the biggest challenges that I face is mental. There has never been a time in my life when I had an athletic type goal. I have never participated in a sport during school. Now, I am pushing myself to prove that I can do it! I have to get around the mental block that I am not that good. There is always going to be people around me who are mostlikely better than me. They can beat my mile no problem, they can run further than me and I am no competition for them. What I like about the quote that I started this blog with is that it encourages me to forget everyone else and focus on myself. I can see myself improve even if in small ways! I can run for 10 min straight now! For me that is fantastic! Soon I will be running 2 miles straight, then 3 and finally I will reach my goal to run a 5K.