Running since my last post March 25th-28th

Monday:  Did not get it together today.  Did teach two water fitness classes in the morning but that is not running.

Tuesday:  Taught two water fitness classes in the morning then worked that night but stayed after work and ran 3 pathetic miles.  I thought maybe I had forgotten how to run at this point but made it through.

Wednesday:  Decided to get it together today.  Woke up at 6 and ran 3 miles on the basement treadmill before Gretchen woke up.  I only had one water class to teach so I  had time for 1.5 miles before I needed to leave to get home and attempt to register for the Marine Corps Marathon.   Failed at that but whatever there are plenty of other marathons that need to be ran by me.  Went back to the gym that evening for 5.5 miles.

Thursday:  I was determined to run another 10 miles today even though my body wasn't feeling it I didn't have any water classes to teach so no excuses.  Well then I started running on the treadmill at the gym and my inner thighs reminded me that I had gained 5 pounds in the past week probably those 3 days of not working out and eating like a pig.  I was only 2.25 miles in when I had to get off the treadmill and search the gym for some vaseline.  Luckily I have no problem with asking everyone I work with if they have any and my Y director had a travel sized container she didn't mind parting with, so glad because otherwise I would of had to go home for some spandex.  I made it to 7 miles at the gym.  Finally had some nice weather so took Gretchen out to the trail in the jogging stroller for 3 miles. Those 3 miles were not great, the ground was really soft from all the melted snow and my legs weren't into it but done anyway.

Vaseline at the gym.  

Crazy big houses by the trail.  I always think about how I'd like to move into their guest quarters so I could be right by the trail.  Would just have to build a little bridge over the river.  So much better than driving to the trail.

Miles since my last post:  23

Running Inspiration

I know what you're thinking "geez Kristen you really know how to decorate."  Not so much?   Oh ok.  Yes I use my mantel to stack magazines, papers and random stuff I want to keep out of the reach of Gretchen.  I have also have had this canvas hanging above the mantel for something over a year.  I bought it thinking I was going to paint some cool artwork or what not on it.  That isn't happening.  The idea I have recently been loving is to put a bunch of running quotes on it.  Maybe in a somewhat arty fashion.  Good mototavation to run or workout everyday I figure.

I have a whole board of running related quotes I like on pintrest.  I'm also very fond of quotes from this book. Yes last year a read a book, 3 in fact.  Don't worry this year unless Gretchen's books count I've read 0.   Thoughts?  One quote?  Lots of quotes?  My favorites are:

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're the lion or a gazelle-when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.” 
― Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

“Make friends with pain, and you will never be alone.~Ken Chlouber, Colorado miner and creator of the Leadville Trail 100 mile race” 
― Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Source: Kristen on Pinterest

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Source: 25.media.tumblr.com viaKristen on Pinterest

Running since my last post March 15th - March 24th

These are pictures from the end of the Lucky 13.1 Half marathon I ran last Saturday.  I'm happy with the pics.  My eyes are closed in the second one but that's nothing new.  My legs look muscular so at least I've got that going for me.  I ran a 1:44:24 it wasn't as fast as I wanted but it was still a PR.  It was an out and back course and the the wind was kinda brutal going out.  This race was a week ago but it seems like forever ago.  I haven't ran for the past 2 days and I seriously have to get it together this week or the whole marathon is going to be a total bust.  

Last Friday:  didn't run

Saturday:  Half Marathon 13.1

Sunday:  4 miles on basement treadmill

Monday:  Taught AOA water fitness. 3 miles on gym treadmill.  My quads were still sore from the half.

Tuesday:  Bootcamp class and 7.5 miles on gym treadmill

Wednesday:  bootcamp then taught water fitness

Thursday:  8.5 miles on the gym treadmill

Friday:  Bootcamp and 4 miles on gym treadmill

Saturday and Sunday:  no runs,  Gretchen seriously needs to take her naps when we are stuck inside because of the cold snowy weather.  I hate being a single parent but I should probably keep my personal problems to myself.  I'm sure I'll feel better once we get to leave the house tomorrow and I start exercising again.  I did shovel the driveway today but at this point it's not much exercise.

Miles since last post: 40.1

My Week and 3/4 of Another Week in Running March 4th - 14th

The YMCA is closing the Independence location along with some other locations.  I'm kinda bummed about it since I spend a majority of my time there either working or working out.  I only started working there in January but really enjoyed my job, it is only 2.5 miles from my house, Gretchen really liked going to child care at the gym, and I liked the people I worked with but thats that.  Luckily I deal really well with disappointment and it is getting warm out so I guess there will be a lot of stroller jogging.

Monday:  10 miles on the treadmill
Tuesday:  Bootcamp then 7 miles on the treadmill
Wednesday:  Bootcamp then 5 miles on treadmill
Thursday:  7 miles on the treadmill
Friday: off
Saturday:  7 miles on the treadmill
Sunday:  13 miles outside.  This was a fail.  I was supposed to do a 20 mile run but the weather was a cool 37˚ with drizzle and I was not into it from the start.

Weekly total:  49 miles but a very weak long run.  Should probably try to get it together if I want to PR my marathon.

Monday:  Taught AOA water fitness then had to leave to give blood.  In favor of not passing out and falling off the treadmill from lack of blood I didn't attempt to run later in the day.  Did get to go to a super fun meeting where we were all told they were closing the Y.
Tuesday:  Felt super weak so after the first half of bootcamp I walked out and ran 3 easy miles on the treadmill.  I clearly need blood to run.
Wednesday:  Bootcamp then ran 1 mile on the treadmill.  Got called down to child care because Gretchen had a runny nose.  Ran 4 miles on the basement treadmill while Gretchen napped later that afternoon.
Thursday:  Had a babysitter because I was supposed to go to a class but that didn't happen so I was at the gym on the treadmill for one mile but I was mostly walking, texting and chatting with the guy on the treadmill next to me so we are just not going to count that mile.  I was probably confused because I was at the gym when I didn't need childcare and it was over 40˚ outside.  I left the gym and went to the trail to run 4 miles.  I don't want to run to much with a half marathon on Saturday but I've clearly dropped the ball on my running this week.

Weekly total so far: 12 miles

My Week in Running Feburary 25th- March 3rd

Monday:  Ran 3 miles on the treadmill at the Blue Springs Y during a lunch break from a class on the Foundations of Strength and Conditioning.  After failing hard week I was worried about making this week a repeat.  We got out of class early because there was another snow storm on the way so I went home and changed into my cold weather running gear.  The class was supposed to be 2 days long so my daughter was spending the night at my parents house.  It was cold outside and not a lot of side road thanks to the first snow storm but I wanted to take advantage of getting to run outside by myself since that doesn't happen that often.  I ran 7.5 miles out on the streets doing laps around a block of houses with cleared streets but no traffic.

Tuesday:  Ran .5 on the basement treadmill to warmup then 4.5 miles outside on the main road by my house none of the side roads had seen a snowplow but there wasn't much traffic so I didn't have to jump off the road that much.  Then I shoveled all the snow off the driveway.

Oh more snow, not excited about that.

Wednesday:  Ran .5 on basement treadmill to warm up then 9.5 miles outside.  I wore my safety vest and found some hilly side streets that had been cleared so I did a bunch of back and forths on them.  Two different people shoveling their drives called me hardcore when I was running past. Just saying.

This picture does not do the ridiculousness of this hill justice.  It was crazy steep and long but cleared off.

Thursday:  6 miles on the the treadmill back at the gym ran at a 8:34 pace

Friday:  4 miles on treadmill at a 8:00 pace then went to bootcamp class.

Saturday:  Ran 9 miles on gym treadmill.

Sunday:  No run day.

Weekly Totals:  I ran 44.5 miles which is good but no long run.  Long runs are a must for the next 3 weeks.