It's been a long time...

I have been terribly neglectful of our training blog.  I apologize to our reader for that.  :)

Like Kristin, even though I haven't been diligent in posting here, I've been doing my workouts.  We've pretty much done away with the idea of mandatory cross-training, but I'm also trying to lose weight, so I'm still doing workouts other than the runs to keep burning calories and include a variety of activities so I don't get bored.

I rode six miles outside on Billy's bike Saturday night.  Despite the cold and wind, it was a lot of fun.  I ended up riding uphill into the wind, which gave me an incredible legs workout.  It worked muscles that running doesn't work, so I think I'm going to try to ride at least once a week.

It's getting pretty chilly here in Oklahoma, so I'm trying to play around with my winter gear so that I'm warm (but not hot) and that I retain freedom of movement.  It's been tricky.  I wore my long tech pants for the first time on yesterday's 5-miler, and they kept falling down every time I'd increase my pace.  Guess I'll be going down a size! 

The marathon is 55 days from today, and with each passing day of training, I am better able to visualize my and Kristin's success!! 

Half-Marathon: Week 4 Recap (Kristin)

So I finally, FINALLY, got to run each of the four runs this week. That means I did my long run!! Yay! I never thought I'd be cheering at the fact that I ran 5 miles, but I really needed to, and I'm genuinely happy that I did. This week should be much much better for my running schedule. I'm finally on the mend, so I shouldn't need to skip any runs or move them (unless something comes up with the kiddos). Next week will be great, too, but the two weeks after that are going to be a bit of a challenge.

As most of you know, I can only run when both of my kiddos are at school. That leaves me with a 2 hour window, which it's really less than that when you count drive time and shower and lunch. Anyway, in two weeks, both of my kids will be out of school for Christmas break. FOR TWO WEEKS! Most stay-at-home moms would love this, and I normally would, too, except that it throws a wrench into my training schedule. I haven't talked to her about this yet, but I'm hoping my grandma can watch the kids three days for me so I can run. If she can, then everything will be as smooth as peanut butter. If not, then I'm going to have to get really creative, or wake up in the wee hours of the morning and run before the hubby goes to work. I really am hoping she can watch them. (Fingers crossed!)

My times were slower this week than I wanted them to be, but I'm giving myself a break because I've been sick. I'm really just happy that I got to run all four times. Mind you, I did them all four days in a row, which probably wasn't exactly smart, but I needed to get them in, and that was the only way I could do it and not kill myself.

Here's to hoping THIS week is great and my runs are normal/spectacular! :-)

-Kristin

Half-Marathon Training: Kristin --CATCHING UP

Instead of trying to keep this up daily, like I did the last go 'round, I think I'll just update this at the end of every week. But for this post, I'd like to catch you up on what's been going on with me.

I've been sick...a lot. And it's put a damper on my running/training schedule. I've gotten most of my runs in, but not on the days they're supposed to be on, and I've not been able to do a long run yet. Luckily I trained so intensively for the 15K that I'm going to be fine, but I really can't afford to get sick like this anymore.

My running time has improved with each run, which is nice. I just hope that I stay healthy enough to get in my long run on Sunday. As it stands this week, I haven't done either of my two runs yet. However, I do have Friday and Saturday available to make those up, which is what I intend to do. I know that having an ear infection and bronchitis is probably slowing me down, and it's probably not the smartest thing in the world to keep running. BUT, I don't have time to stop. I can't afford to take any more time off. If I'm going to run this half-marathon, I have to push through this sickness. I'm taking antibiotics, so I figure I'll be fine. And I'm not going to kill myself. Obviously, if it gets worse, I'll take it easy. But I have to at least try.

So there's where I am. My weekly updates will probably not have any times or statistics in them. They'll be like conversations. I think I'll be more apt to keep up with it if it doesn't seem like a job to me. I don't have any time for that, honestly. And I don't have the energy.

There you have it.

-Kristin

Half Marathon: Kristin (Week 2 - Part 1)

I need to finish up last week's training schedule documentation. Last week was a terrible week for me in so many ways. However, I was able to do my 3 miles on Thursday as scheduled. We also had strength training to do on that day. Here's what I did

Thursday (Week 1):
50 calf raises
50 2-legged bridges
25 squats
10 planks

Run totals:
Total distance = 3 miles: all running
Total time = 30 minutes

Now, for the rest of the week, let's just say it was horrendous. I went to dinner with my husband on Saturday night and got food poisoning. That meant that I was not able to do my 4 mile run on Sunday. I also wasn't able to do the extra cross-training (which I'm substituting with strength training) because of that. I was really busy on Saturday during the day, so I planned on doing it on Sunday. Yeah, that didn't happen. And you know what? I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I was sick, for goodness sakes. There was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I just decided to not worry about it, and take Week 2 as it came.

So, on to Week 2. On Monday, I still wasn't feeling 100%, so I decided to move my stretching and strengthening to Tuesday. I'm glad I did, because I didn't want to push myself too hard, just to be set back again.

I also had a 3 mile run to do on Tuesday. Before the run, I forgot to put on my knee brace. I knew something felt weird about a quarter mile in, and then it hit me that I didn't have my brace on. I felt it, too, after the run was over with. I will not make that mistake again.

Tuesday:
Stretching and strengthening first:
100 oblique crunches
100 calf raises
100 2-legged bridges
50 squats
5 planks
10 minutes stretching

Run totals:
Total distance = 3 miles: all running
Total time = 30 minutes

Today's schedule has us doing a 2 mile run or cross-training. I'm going to do the run. I'll post all the details from that at a later date. I just wanted to catch you up on what's been going on with me.

-Kristin

Week 1: Wednesday

Yesterday we had the choice to do a 2-mile run or some cross-training.  I didn't want to exercise until Billy had left for class, and by that time it was almost dark out (stupid daylight savings!).  So, I did a few exercises on the Wii Active.

Nothing fancy.

20 minutes
85 calories burned

Kristin: Half-Marathon

I may not always be able to update this on a daily basis like I was able to the last go 'round. School has gotten me quite flustered as of late, and I'm busier with the kids than I have been in awhile. I will do my best, though, to get these on here at least two or three times a week. If I haven't posted, it doesn't mean that I'm not doing the work-outs. I promise.

This is the first official week of half-marathon training. I have been looking forward to this since running the Tulsa Run because I want to know that the end is in sight. I had to take a week off, however, because of a foot injury. That week we had between training could not have come at a better time. I was able to rest, take some steroids and ibuprofen, and really rehab that foot. So, yesterday when I went out for my first official run, I was a little apprehensive with the foot. It was fine, though. I'll get to that later.

Monday:
This is a strength and stretch day. For this, I would do what I normally do. I amped it up a little, though, this week.

I stretched for 5 minuets.

Then, I did 100 of each of these:
oblique crunches
squats
calf raises
2-legged bridges

I also threw in 10 planks. These were very difficult. You have to hold the position for ten seconds. It's supposed to strengthen your core, which I need help with tremendously. I'm going to do this every time we have a strengthening day, as well as to take the place of the one cross-training day (Saturday) we have a week. Our training schedule this time around allows for us to add an extra "light" running day in a week. I'm going to take full advantage of that. I promise to take it easy, though.

Tuesday:
This was supposed to be a 3 mile running day on the schedule. I woke up super early because I had gone to bed really early the night before. I was having a really stressful day, and I needed sleep. Stress does that to me. I love my hubby for allowing me to go to bed while he took care of things around here. He's an angel, really! Back to the run, though. I wanted to get up before my hubby had to go to work. He leaves at 6:30 am, so I got up at 5:30 am. I figured, it's only 3 miles, so I'll be back in plenty of time that he won't have to worry about being late. Everything was going great, until a dog caught sight of me from his back yard and decided he wasn't pleased. He busted his head through his stockade fence and it really freaked me out. I called Ryan to come get me because I was afraid that on my turnaround the dog would bust all the way through the fence and come after me. I'm sure that wouldn't have happened, but I didn't want to take any chances. Needless to say, I only got through 1.6 miles of the 3 mile run. So, since Wednesday's schedule calls for a 2 mile run, I decided to call it a day and use this for Wednesday's run. It doesn't equal 2 miles, but it was also my first day running since the Tulsa Run, and I wanted to baby that foot a little more. Glad I did!

Run totals:
Total distance = 1.6 miles: all running
Total time = 16 minutes: I had a great pace going! Stupid dog!!

Wednesday:
As I said above, I switched Tuesday and Wednesday. Today's run, however, was brutal. It was not a fun run. I haven't been feeling 100% the past two days. My stomach has been really achy and I think it could be the steroids I was taking for my foot. The pharmacist and the doc both said that could happen. Whatever the case, my run was rough. My legs felt like jell-o and my stomach hurt really bad. At some points, it felt like my heart was going to explode. I chose to slow way down when it felt like that, so as to not overdo it. Because of that, I have a much slower time. I really don't care at this point. I'm just glad the run is over. I've taken my last steroid pill, so hopefully I'll start feeling like myself again. Who knows? Anyway, here's the details for today's run:

Run totals:
Total distance = 3.1 miles: 2.9 running, 0.2 walking
Total time = 35 minutes

-Kristin

Week 1, Tuesday: Joyful

On the schedule: 3 mile run

Billy has been trying to find a way to work out with me without having to run (for now).  We came up with the idea of him riding a bike alongside me while I run.  We tried it out last night, and it was awesome!

I loved having him by my side the whole time.  Even though I couldn't really hold a long conversation with him because of my breathing, it was great to be able to spend that time together.  Because he was obviously going faster than me, I tried to push my speed a little more to keep up.

This was my first run in over a week, so I had to take more walk breaks than I would have liked, but I felt strong the whole time. I also managed to beat my best time on the route by three minutes!  It'd be great to consistently get under a 15-minute mile. 

3 mile run, golf course loop, 2x
346 calories

Week 1, Monday: Joyful

BRAND NEW TRAINING SCHEDULE!

First up on the all-new training schedule for the Half Marathon was a Stretching & Strength Training day.

I chose to do a circuit training workout on the Wii Active.  It's a much more intense workout than with the Wii Fit.  I did some new exercises - like calf raises while in a squat.  Ouch. 

By the time I was finished, my legs, back and shoulders were definitely jello. 

Some of what I did:
squats
calf raises
tricep extensions
back rows
lateral shoulder raises
bicep curls

47 minutes
274 calories

A New Start! - Twelve Weeks to go!

As Kristin posted a few days ago, she and I took this past week of from training in order to rest, recuperate, and gear up for a brand new training schedule.  Tomorrow starts our official training for the half marathon in January.

Unlike the training for the Tulsa Run (9.3 miles/15k), this schedule has us running 4 times each week instead of three, plus strength training, stretching, and cross-training.  Kristin and I discussed this recently, and we decided to make the cross-training optional.  Training for a marathon is very time-consuming, and the other workouts are vital to our success.  So we've decided that if any part of this schedule must suffer because of time constraints, it will be the cross-training.

Now, then.  Everything I've read about long-distance running has said that a strong core is key to prevent lower back pain in the final miles of a long run.  I have definitely found this to be true!  However, during the Tulsa Run last week, my shoulders were also particularly sore - more so than my back.  As such, I'm going to focus my strength training on my core, shoulders, and legs.  I'll still do some arm work to stay "even," but my focus is definitely be for getting strong enough to carry myself for 13.1 miles in January.

I have all the tools right here at home to complete my training, so tomorrow I start this new schedule feeling refreshed, excited, and ready to take on 13.1 miles!!

Here's a taste of the schedule, this is for Week 1.  Over the next 12 weeks the times and distances will increase:

Monday - Stretch & Strengthen
Tuesday - 3 mi. run
Wednesday - cross-train or 2 mi run
Thursday - 3 mi. run
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - 30 minutes cross-train
Sunday - 4 mi. run (Long Run Day)

**SIDENOTE: It's weird that even though I've been looking forward to having this past week off from training, there have been several times where I've wanted to get outside and run, bike, etc.  Knowing that I've got 12 weeks ahead of me where I'll be working out six days a week kept me from acting on that inclination.  I know that by January, I'll feel ready for a training break again, so I made myself take time off regardless this week.  Summary:  I've become one of "those" people who crave exercise!  Who knew?!

Taking a Week Off

This week is kind of an in-between week for us. We have 13 weeks until the half-marathon, and our training schedule is 12 weeks long. So, we decided to take a week off. It couldn't have come at a better time for both of us, too. Joy has been really sick this week, possibly with some virus or infection or something. And I hurt my foot after the Tulsa Run. It's still sore, and I'm kind of worried about a possible stress fracture. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it's better by next Monday, that way I can start running on it again. I had planned to run once or twice this week, just 2 or 3 miles. That's not going to happen now. If I have a stress fracture in my foot, that means I'm not going to be able to do the half-marathon. I am praying very hard right now that it's not. It's slowly getting better. It doesn't hurt nearly as bad as it did on Sunday, so that's good...right? Please keep both Joy and me in your prayers for the next few days. We both need them right now!

-Kristin

Catching up and the TULSA RUN!

It's been several weeks since I've updated here - leading up to the Tulsa Run I was getting a little burned out with the training schedule.  Working out six days a week began to feel like a part-time job, and Kristin and I discussed making the cross-training days optional so as to make it easier schedule-wise.
The big workouts - the long runs.  I did the 7 miler with Kristin two weeks ago and the 8 miler last week by myself at Hunter Park.  The latter was tremendously successful.  I continue to improve my pace with each and every run.

When I decided to start running this past January, I wrote down specific goals to keep me working throughout the year and I put them on the fridge so I'd see them every time I opened it.  The first goal was to complete a 5k - and I've completed three of those now.  The second goal was to complete the Tulsa Run.  Saturday I got to mark that one off my list as well.

I ran almost all of the entire 9.3 miles through hilly downtown Tulsa.  It was a beautiful day despite a chilly start.  I was at the end of the pack, but I still managed to increase my speed by one minute per mile!  I was shocked to find this out!  This was the longest run I've ever done, and with the hills, I would have been pleased to have just matched my previous best pace.                            

Unfortunately, almost immediately after I crossed the finish line, I started having horrible stomach pains & nausea.  Come to find out, I had a stomach bug that was holding itself off during the race because my body had to devote its energy to the running until I stopped.  So, I spent the rest of the weekend sick as a dog!  There were many times that I said I was never going to run again, because I thought it was the run that had made me sick.  I am feeling a lot better today, and I can tell you that I am NOT going to stop running.

I've been able to mark the items off my 2010 list, and next week Kristin and I officially begin the training program for the Half Marathon in Miami.  We'll be running 13.1 miles at sunrise on January 30, 2011!

Week 12, Day 6: Kristin

This post is about the amazing TULSA RUN!! This was on Saturday, and I've been ultra busy since then, so I haven't had time to post this until right now. Halloween was yesterday, so I was super busy taking my kids all around town, all day!!

Here's the good stuff. I woke up in a not so great mood Saturday, mostly because I had a horrible nightmare about the race. I tossed and turned all night, so I was extremely tired that morning. That dream was so stupid, but it scared me because everything that happened in it was possible. I went the wrong way. Something went wrong with my timing chip. I twisted my ankle. All possibilities for an actual race, and I knew if it could happen to anyone, it would be me. Luckily that stuff didn't happen, though.

I started off the race at a good pace. My friend, Monique, has a faster pace than I do, so I told myself that I would always keep her in my sight. This would give me something to strive for. As long as I could see Monique, I knew I was doing well. There was a point, though, where it became clear to me that I might be able to catch up to her and run with her for a little bit. So I did! And we ran together for about 5K of the total 15K. Running with her pushed me harder than I thought was possible for me. I am so glad I did, though, because it paid off in the end.

I don't normally run with music anymore because I run alone and I need to be aware of my surroundings. However, on race day, I don't tend to worry about that so much. So I wore my iPod. I used a new running band, and it rubbed my arm raw, to the point of bleeding and now it hurts pretty badly. I'm dealing with it. One great thing happened during the race, though, that involved my iPod. I was listening to the ever-so-fascinating shuffle my iPod was giving me, and the song "Linus and Lucy" came on. I have it on there to lighten the mood up a bit when I'm running. It gives a light-hearted feel to races. Well, when this song came on, I was at a spot in the race where I was at the top of one hill and could see the mass of runners before me as they were cresting another hill. Everyone was bobbing up and down, seemingly to the tune of the music, and I literally laughed out loud. It was AWESOME! I couldn't stop laughing. It was like I was in on this joke that no one else got. The joke was that this was a movie and the soundtrack to the race was "Linus and Lucy" but no one was watching this movie but me. I loved it!

I tried Gu for the first time on this run. It was not my favorite thing in the world. And I gagged while taking it. I don't quite have the hang of it yet, but hopefully I'll get it down before the half-marathon. :-\

So, all of this is to say that my Tulsa Run was an amazing experience! The highlight being that my husband got to see me finish. He works all the time, and usually has to work on Saturdays when most of the races are. So he never gets to see me race. This time, he had told me months ago that if I did the Tulsa Run, he would do whatever it took to see me finish. And he lived up to that deal. He took a long lunch (at 10:30 in the morning, mind you) just to come see me cross that finish line. It was one of the best days of my life, definitely my best race day ever. I cried when I hugged him, and I know he got emotional, too. I just can't even tell you how awesome it was to see him there cheering me on!

Here are my stats:

Total distance = 9.3 miles: ALL RUNNING!!!!
Total time = 1:39:43 (my chip time), which made my pace 10:42 min/mile

-Kristin

Week 12, Days 1-3: Kristin

Well, this Saturday is the Tulsa Run 15K! I'm super excited!! This is the first "big" test in our training for the half-marathon. If we can get through this, we only have to run 4 more miles for the half, so we know we can do it.

Here's what I've done so far this week:

Day 1
This is a stretching and strengthening day. I did a lot more stretching than I'm used to because my thighs are so sore from last Saturday's 8-miler. I did more calf raises and crunches than normal, but I kept it sort of light in the other areas because my muscles were still very sore.

Totals:
10 minutes stretching
100 calf raises
50 squats
100 oblique crunches

Day 2
This was a 3 mile run day. I figured "easy-peasy," right? Wrong. See, I had gotten sick, again, so my lung strength wasn't where it should have been. It wasn't a fun run, I'll just say that. I had a nasty taste in my mouth that was a cross between blood and metallic. And you know that sensation you get in your nose when you feel like you need to sneeze, but you can't? It kinda burns? Yeah, I had that too. And then when I got home, it took me a long time to catch my breath, and I was wheezing for most of the day. I'm hoping this goes away by Saturday, otherwise it'll be a loooooooong day.

Run totals:
Total distance = 3 miles: all running
Total time = 32 minutes

Day 3
Today's schedule calls for 30 minutes of cross-training. Well, I'm choosing to ignore that nice little suggestion, and run 2 miles. I feel like I need to get in as much running this week as possible, so what could it hurt? Famous last words? Possibly. This run felt much like yesterday's run. Same taste in my mouth, same burning feeling in my nose, same wheezing effect/difficulty catching my breath issues as yesterday. I'm starting to get really sick of this. Get it, sick? *rolling eyes*

Run totals:
Total distance = 2 miles: all running
Total time = 19 minutes (personal best)

-Kristin

Wish Joy and me luck for our race on Saturday. I have a feeling I'm gonna need it. :-|

Week 11, Days 3-7: Kristin

Let's catch up. Last week was so chaotic that I literally did not have the time or energy to post anything on the blog. For that, I apologize. Some amazing things happened on my runs, though, that I am excited to share. Let's break it down by day.

Day 3
This is supposed to be a cross-training day. Well, it got pushed back to Friday, again, but mostly because I had some things go on with my daughter at her school. She is being bullied by some snot-nosed little boy, and I needed to put my "mom hat" on and take care of it with her teacher. The issue has been addressed, but it put a kink in my training schedule. I don't mind because my most important job is to be a good mother to my kids. And on Wednesday, that's what I did.

Day 4
This was another different day. We were scheduled for a 3 mile run plus strength training. I wasn't quite sure how it was all going to work out this day because my kids were on Fall Break and we had a funeral to attend Thursday afternoon. However, I was lucky enough to be able to count on my Grandpa to watch the kids. We then went to the funeral together, so it all worked out. It was the first time I'd run in Sperry where I was not running on the trail. I was nervous about it because Sperry is a small town with little to no sidewalks. For the most part, the only sidewalks or shoulder areas are just through the "downtown" part of town. That was just a short part of my run. I just ran in the road and the people driving were kind enough to avoid me. However, I will never understand how the people of my hometown refuse to chain their dogs or put them in their back yards. It blows my mind. I was chased by two dogs that were very aggressive-looking. I slowed down a bit, even to a walk as to avoid any unnecessary conflict with the dogs, but was still followed and growled at. It was very scary. So, I'm making this plea to the town of Sperry: "Please chain your dogs if you're going to leave them in the front yard, or put them in your fenced back yard. It would save you a lot of heartache, and possibly some money if you were to ever be sued by someone who was bitten by your vicious-looking dogs. Thanks!"

Run totals:
Total distance = 3.2 miles: 3 miles running, 0.2 miles walking
Total time = 31 minutes
Cross training:
50 squats
50 oblique crunches
50 calf raises
50 two-legged bridges

Day 5
This was the designated "rest" day on the schedule. Since I had so much going on in my world on Wednesday, I decided to do my cross training this day. I've said this before, I have to get creative sometimes when it comes to these cross training days. I may be a stay-at-home mom, but I am a very busy stay-at-home mom. And when my kids are home on Fall Break, it throws a wrench into EVERYTHING that I need to get done. Most of the things I have to do are put on hold when the kids are here. They're only 5 and 7, so it's not like I can leave them at home while I go run for 45 minutes or something. So here's what I decided to do for my cross training. You may disagree with whether it's a workout, but it totally was. And I'm counting it for Sunday's cross training as well. For this one, it was supposed to be 45 minutes and Sunday's is supposed to be 60 minutes. I'm more than covered in the time allotted.

My daughter's room needed a complete overhaul. She had way too many toys and just stuff that she was unable to keep it clean and it was really disgusting in there. So, I shut myself up in there until I was finished while the kids watched TV and played in my bedroom. It took me 2 and a half hours to get it done, but it's completed. I was constantly moving and lifting things. I moved furniture around, hauled out two giant trash bags full of toys as well as two giant bins that were also full of toys. In the process, I believe I pulled a muscle in my stomach. I was quite sore there for the rest of the evening on into the next morning. I also woke up to sore thigh muscles the next day from all the movement. So, for those of you who don't believe that it was a workout, I wish you could have felt the muscle aches that I felt. You would kindly beg to differ, I'm sure.

Day 6
This was a very big day, not only for me but for my son, too. We signed him up to play basketball this year, and Saturday was the evaluation day. They got him fitted for his uniform and they got to see where he was at fundamentally in his skills. I wasn't sure how he was going to do, but he amazes me every day. I was so surprised, but so incredibly proud, at what he was able to do. I think he is going to really love playing basketball. He's actually quite good at it. But, I digress.

You are really interested in what was on the training schedule, aren't you? Well, it was a big one: 8 miles!! Eek! But, I was really excited about it. Seriously. I wanted to see what I was capable of. I was curious to see if I would be able to run a lot of it, or if I'd have to walk most of it. I actually ran all but 0.4 miles. Really! And my time proves it. I ran the trail in Sperry again, but this time was different. I was alone. Completely alone. There was only one other person that I saw on the trail the entire time I was out there. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that it was gloomy and rainy outside. It rained on me for the first little bit of the run, then quit, then rained on me again for most of the second half of the run. Oh, that second half of the run, how I loathe you. The wind decided that it needed to pick up. It did alright, to the point where I felt like I wasn't moving in certain places. But, I never gave up, and I completed that 8 miles. I'm really glad that Joy sent me a text message telling me to stretch within 15 minutes of finishing, because I probably wouldn't have. My legs are still sore today from it, but I can't even imagine what I would have felt like had I not stretched.

Here's the good stuff you're interested in:
Total distance = 8 miles: 7.6 miles running, 0.4 miles walking
Total time = 89 minutes (!!)

Day 7
This was another cross training day on the schedule. As I stated earlier, overhauling my daughter's room is being counted for this day's workout. Also, let's add in doing the same thing with my son's room. This time, though, my hubby was home and we did this together. BUT, we completely rearranged his bedroom furniture. This was no easy task, either. His bunk bed is ridiculously large and it took the both of us to move it. I'm just glad it's over with. I'm not happy that doing that made me get sick. I'm sure it's from stirring up a lot of dust in his room by moving things around, but my throat is killing me today. My eyes and head were hurting me all day yesterday and my nose wouldn't stop running. I took some allergy medicine last night at bedtime and it completely wiped me out today.

There will be another post from me later on today, or possibly tomorrow, that will discuss the stretching and strengthening that's on today's schedule. But for now, this is all I can do.

-Kristin

Week 11, Day 2: Kristin

One more week and then it's the Tulsa Run!!! I can't believe it's almost here. This is the first real test for me. I'll be able to see if this half marathon is really doable or if I'm just kidding myself.

This week is going to be a hectic one. It's only Tuesday and it already has, but it's just going to get crazier because the kids have Fall Break at the end of the week. So, I'm going to move Thursday's run to Wednesday, I think. If I can find someone to watch the kids for me for a little bit, I can just keep the schedule sort of normal. If not, then I'll have to move it to Wednesday. Also, on Saturday, Alex has a basketball evaluation, so I'm going to have to figure out when I'll be able to do my 8 miles.

Yesterday was really not a good day. I had intended to do the stretching and strengthening that was on the schedule, but I got a call to pick up my daughter early from school. Apparently she was sick. I'm still not 100% convinced that it was a real sickness, or if she is upset by this boy who's been tormenting her at school, but regardless I wasn't able to do the training during my normal time. So, I was going to save it for after the kids got out of school. Nope. Didn't happen. Just as I finished my homework, our electricity went out here at the house. Someone had run into a electric pole which knocked the power out to my whole neighborhood. It took more than 2 hours to get it back on, so we went to stay with my grandparents for awhile. Once we got home, I was way too tired to do anything. So, I put it off until today.

Today was also a 5 mile run day. And it was raining. BUT, I did do my run. Luckily, my husband was off of work today so I was able to get the run in early this morning and had the afternoon free to spend with him. It was refreshing to run in the rain, but the raincoat I was wearing was very heavy. I need to find something I can wear when it rains that doesn't way 1000 pounds. I think it slowed me down some. Or maybe that's in my head, but it sure felt like it.

Today's successes:
5 minutes stretching
50 squats
50 calf raises
50 2-legged bridges
50 oblique crunches

Today's run summary:
Total distance = 5 miles: all running!!!
Total time = 61 minutes

-Kristin

Week 10, Days 5 and 6: Kristin

Day 5:
Yesterday was a "rest" day on the training schedule. But, since I wasn't feeling well on Wednesday, I still had that day's 45 minute cross-training to do. For that, I decided to force my kids to exercise. :-) We went for a walk around the neighborhood, but we walked further than they ever wanted to. It was good for them, and I really enjoyed it.

It took us all of the 45 minutes to walk 2.3 miles, but it was worth it. They weren't happy about having to walk that much, but it was an experience. I loved it!

Cross-training:
Total distance = 2.3 miles of walking
Total time = 45 minutes

Day 6:
Today is our 7 mile day. I decided that Joy and I needed to do this together. I wanted to push her harder than she's gone before, and I just really wanted to have another training session with her. It was great. I wish we could have run more of it, but I understand that that's going to come with time. For me, the time wasn't what I had hoped it would have been. However, my experience out there with her MORE THAN makes up for the slower time. I love her, and I am so proud of her for pushing through like we did.

My body did some weird things while we were out there today, too. It was very cold this morning. I mean, VERY cold. And I was in my running tank. Not a smart idea, but I didn't think it was going to be THAT cold. So my arms hurt, like really hurt, for most of our time out there. It was like little needles on the back sides of my arms. Weird. My left thumb was numb for a good part of the run also. And to add insult to injury (I suppose) my left big toe decides that it's going to start hurting too. Not sure what that's all about, but it's still hurting and I'm not sure what happened. I don't know what could have caused it or how to remedy it. Hopefully it'll be better in the morning. We shall see.

I'm not really sure how much of the 7 miles was walking and how much was actual running. I'm gonna guess that we ran about 2.5 miles of it, but again, that's a guess.

Total distance = 7 miles (!!): about 2.5 running, about 4.5 walking
Total time = 1 hour 56 minutes

Next time we do 7 miles, our time will be much, much better! I know it!!

-Kristin

Week 9 wrap-up & Week 10 so far: Joyful

Okay, I'm sure you've noticed my posts have mysteriously disappeared for about a week.  It's rough, but it's not as bad as it sounds.  I'll just take it day-by day.

Thursday:
Had major car problems (for which we had to end up purchasing a new car for Billy) and had to pack for a trip to OKC for a Librarians' Conference and concert.  I had zero time for a workout.

Friday:
Spent all day in sessions at the conference in downtown OKC.  I managed to walk during the lunch break (found a Subway - BONUS!).  That night was the Muse concert, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to call the hour and a half spent jumping, clapping, and screaming a workout.  The concert was awesome, and my arms and legs were definitely sore afterwards.  We'd also walked from the Ford Center to and from Bricktown for dinner before the show.

Saturday - Monday:
Between a combination of stress (see above regarding the car situation) and an issue with a medication, I hit a wall.  I hit a major depressive slump - and I don't take the word depressive slightly here.  I was completely apathetic about my training, finding a remedy for the car situation, school, etc.  I turned my phone off and could barely drag myself out of bed.  First thing Monday morning I made an appointment with my doctor about the medication in question, and my dosage was changed accordingly.  I already feel a ton better.

Tuesday:
Was planning on doing my five miles, but Billy and I spent the evening at the car dealership getting him a new vehicle (2007 Jeep Compass).

Wednesday:
BACK ON TRACK! Did Thursday's strength training - 15 minutes.  When Billy got back from class, he and I did a walk around the golf course perimeter together, with Bubba in his stroller (lay off - he's old!).

Today!
I just ran my 3 miles!  I ran longer and faster, and I took fewer walking breaks.  Some of the breaks I took, I did so at that point simply because I have taken breaks at that place in the past.  However, I could feel my body telling me that I could SO do more - so I did!  I feel like I might actually be able to do this thing!

I'M BACK, BABY!

Also - running outside is KEY!  I accomplish WAAAY more outside than I ever have on a treadmill!  Just need to remember chapstick!

Week 10, Day 4: Kristin

Today, on our schedule, we have 3 miles plus strength training. It wasn't pretty, but it's finished. Being sick, or starting to get sick, has really thrown a wrench into my training schedule. While I was out there running, I found it hard to get any air. My chest was tight and it hurt to swallow. I don't like feeling like that period, much less after and during a run. I had to walk more of this than I ever wanted to, but I'm satisfied with the fact that it's completed.

Today's strengthening:
50 bicep curls (each arm) with 10 lb. dumbbell
50 calf raises
50 oblique crunches
50 2-legged bridges

Today's run:
Total distance = 3 miles: 2.7 running, 0.3 walking
Total time = 34 minutes

Side note: I'm not excited about my time, but seriously, at this point I don't even care. Today's training is over with and I couldn't be happier.

-Kristin

Week 10, Day 2: Kristin

This is from yesterday (Tuesday). I had such a busy day that I wasn't able to post it until right now.

On the training schedule, we had 5 miles to run. I was actually looking forward to it so I could see how much of the 5 miles I can actually run. With being able to run all 4 miles last weekend, I knew that 5 miles isn't totally out of the question. And, had it not been for that brutal side stitch that I got half-way through, I would have run all 5 miles. Still, it was an amazing run! I'm so proud of myself!!

Today's run:
Total distance = 5 miles: 4.9 running, 0.1 walking
Total time = 58 minutes

Side note: I do believe that I'm starting to get sick, which really sucks! As of now, it's just a really bad headache and incredibly sore throat. But that typically turns into worse. I'm going to move my 45 minute cross-training to Friday and just rest today. Hopefully that'll help the whole trying to get sick business. I will not let this set me back. At all!

-Kristin

Week 10, Day 1: Kristin

Today is really Week 10?!? Crazy!!

It's another strengthening and stretching day on the training schedule.

Here's what I did:

5 minutes of stretching
75 calf raises
75 oblique crunches
50 squats
50 bicep curls each arm (10 lb. dumbbell)

-Kristin

Week 9, Day 5 and 6: Kristin

I haven't been able to use the computer for the last few days because I've been so super busy. On Friday, I did my 3 miles plus strength training that was actually scheduled for Thursday. I wasn't feeling all that great on Thursday, but was feeling better Friday, so it all worked out.

Friday:

Run total distance = 3 miles (all running)
Run total time = 30 minutes
Strengthening = 50 bicep curls (each arm) with a 10 lb. dumbbell, 50 squats, and 50 calf raises

I have been in Moore all weekend. When we were packing for this little trip, I decided to take my running gear with me. My sis-in-law, Paige, agreed to run with me. She's a seasoned runner, so I knew I'd have to step my game up a bit. My only real goal for Saturday's run was to run all 4 miles without having to walk. I didn't care what my time was going to be, I just wanted to run the whole thing. And I did!!

Saturday:
Total distance = 4 miles (all running)
Total time = 43 minutes

Side note: I'm fairly certain that some illegal activities took place while we were preparing for our run. Someone may or may not have risked becoming a sex offender. ;-)

-Kristin

Week 9, Day 3: Kristin

We got home last night from the fair and I was too tired to post this. So, I'm posting it now.

Since we had a cross-training day on the schedule, I decided to use our fair time as my cross-training. We were at the fair for 4 hours, and we walked most of the time. I'm not sure how far we walked, but I know that the whole time we were in the buildings (at the end of the night), we were continually walking. And that was for at least an hour. So, there's my "workout" for the day.

Sometimes you have to get creative, and that's what I decided to do. It worked me out. I was very sore last night, so there.

Don't judge.

-Kristin

Week 9, Day 3: Joyful

On the schedule: 45 minutes of crosstraining

I just did an easy Wii Fit workout, just the easy exercises, nothing too taxing.

52 minutes
137 calories

Week 9, day 2: Joyful

This is for yesterday's workout, a 3-mile run.

Because the weather was cool enough, I hit the pavement and did my first outside training run.  I ran the perimeter of the golf course. 

The time went by so much more quickly than it does on the treadmill!  There was a slight breeze, the smell of fall was literally in the air, and it was glorious!  Halfway in, my right ankle was giving me enough trouble that I had considered walking the last half, but I got a second wind and pushed through.  Overall, I'd say I really only walked about 1 mile the entire way. 

I noticed a pain on my right foot during the last half mile, and when I got home I discovered that I'd acquired my very first running blister.  I've been initiated into the Official Runners Club, LOL.

It was about 75° out, and I think that's about the max temp for me to be able to run outside, for not at least.  I ended up a heat headache.  It ended up being the worst headache I've ever had.  I was up till at least 1:30 because it hurt to lie down or do anything else.  That makes me sad because the temps for the rest of the week are supposed to be in the mid 80s.  Boo!

Despite the heat sickness, it was a great workout!  Oh, and I shaved 9 minutes off of my average time for this distance!  WOOT!

3 miles
51 minutes
332 calories

Week 9, Day 2: Kristin

Today is a 3-mile run day. I was really looking forward to getting out there early this morning and running while it was nice and cool. Correction: nice and COLD. I love cold weather. BUT, those guys at Fleet Feet don't know what they're talking about. They told me that I would only need to wear long pants once it got well below freezing. Yeah, right. I wore my capri pants and a long-sleeved shirt that I bought at Old Navy (it's work-out gear), and I'm telling you, I was wishing I was wearing my long pants. And possibly even a jacket.

I did make it through the 3 miles just fine, I was just freezing my hiney off. And I was able to run the whole thing, just like normal, which I was very proud of myself for since taking a few days off.

Today's run:

Total distance = 3 miles (all running)
Total time = 30 minutes

Side note: I'm back, BABY!! :-)

-Kristin

Week 9, Day 1: Joyful

Today was a much better day for training!  Wahoo!

Managed to get my strength training and a tiny bit of stretching done today before I had to dig into my homework.

75 calf raises
50 lateral arm raises (25 ea. arm)
50 crunches
50 bicep curls (25 ea. arm)
50 tricep extensions
50 shoulder presses
25 pushups
+5 minutes stretching

25 minutes
124 calories burned

Week 9, Day 1: Kristin

Welcome to a fresh start!

I had a long, hard talk with myself last night when I was getting into bed. I decided this: I've come too far to beat myself up for missing 2 workouts. Two! We've been at this for 8 weeks now, starting on our 9th week, and there's no reason why missing 2 workouts will set me back tremendously. I need to lighten up on myself...a lot! I'm just going to move on from last week(end) and start over with this week. This week will be a repeat of last week's schedule, so I will do what I can to make sure that I complete everything on the schedule...starting with today.

It's a stretching and strengthening day. I decided to change it up, some.

Here's what I did:
5 minutes of stretching
50 bicep curls for each arm (10 lb. dumbbell)
50 calf raises
50 squats
50 oblique crunches
50 2-legged bridges

This week is going to be much better. I'm putting that statement out there. It will be.

-Kristin

Meh.

So, I didn't post this on Thursday because I wasn't feeling it (lazy).  But I didn't do the regularly scheduled routine, which was 3 miles and some strength training.

What I *did* do on Thursday was the Omni-a-Thon at my job, which was a 5-event relay to raise money for United Way.  The challenges were designed to strip away the dignity of the competitors and to entertain the spectators.  They were indeed hilarious and fun, but I was surprisingly exhausted after both rounds of events.  I truly needed a shower, but unfortunately had to sit at my desk and work for the remainder of the day.

Anyhoo, in the end I concluded that the Omni-a-Thon was my Thursday workout.

Friday we had a rest day.

Yesterday I made the conscious decision to move my workout (4 miles) to today.

Today I have felt like crap.  Gastrointestinal issues and lethargy.  Because the weather is beautiful I was really looking forward to doing my miles outside.  However, because of my stomach issues, I regretfully decided I should stay near a bathroom.  I managed two painfully slow miles on the treadmill, but I was out after that.  I started to feel clammy and lightheaded, so I stopped.  I was going to try to get back on for the other two miles, but I just haven't felt like I could complete them.

So, I missed a workout and a half, but I managed two miles.  Like Kristin, I really beat myself up if I'm not able to do what's on the schedule.  Unlike Kristin, I rarely have time during the week to make up missed workouts between work and school.  So, I'm going to have to call it good, otherwise tomorrow's workout will suffer, too.

This is me making an effort to forgive myself for not achieving what is on the schedule, and knowing that perfection doesn't exist.  Tomorrow is another day with new opportunities.  I'm going to make a concerted effort to drown out the negativity in my head.

2 miles
45 minutes  :(
283 calories

What's Going On??

Ever have one of those days where nothing just seemed to go as planned? Well, I've had two of those: yesterday and today.

Yesterday, my son woke me up in the wee hours of the morning with an excruciating headache. He was then sick for most of the day. Now, I know my hubby was home (very rare) and I could have gone for my run. But when kids are sick, who do they want? Their moms. Later on in the day, I started to feel not so hot.

Which then leads to today. I didn't sleep well at all last night. Just really not feeling like myself, not 100%. And I had every intention of waking up early to get in my 4 miles before we went to church, but it just didn't happen (mostly from the bad night's sleep). Then, I decided I was going to run this evening, if I was feeling better. Well, I'm just not.

I don't like missing my workouts. It makes me angry. It makes me feel useless or worthless, or both. I probably beat myself up too much about it. But the way I see it is, I've made a commitment to something and I should see it through. I should give my best effort, at all times, to do what I know I can do. I'm not sick sick, but I don't feel great. Running would only make what's going on worse, so I don't want to push it. It's physical, not emotional or psychological or anything like that. So don't worry. And I'm sure I'll be fine in a day or two.

I'm really going to try to run 4 miles tomorrow, but I can't promise anything.

I just wanted to let everybody know that I'm not flaking out on this. It really does bother me when I can't do the things on our training schedule. I want everything to work out the best way possible, and I feel like if I don't just push through whatever this is, then I'm failing. But, seriously, if I didn't think it would make it worse, I would. Seriously.

-Kristin

Week 8, Day 4: Kristin

Today has been incredibly full. It started off a little slow, mostly because I didn't get a good night's sleep because my daughter had another one of her night terrors. She slept with me, which makes for sleepless nights. She's kind of a bed hog. :-)

Since I moved today's strength training to yesterday, I still needed to do the 45 minutes of cross-training from yesterday, plus I had the 3 miles on the schedule to run. I started off this morning with the cross-training. I have a 40 minute workout DVD, so I did that. I know that doesn't equal 45 minutes of cross-training. So sue me. Whatever.

Then, after I took my daughter to school, I did my 3 miles. I have it mapped out where I can run, and it's not just 3 miles. I don't like to just stop in the middle of the sidewalk and try to judge if I've run 3 miles, so I end up just running to the stoplight. That pushes it to 3.2 miles every time. So, I guess that *sort of* makes up for the 5 minutes that I didn't do on the cross-training.

As an added bonus, on my run, I was yelled at by a car of teenaged boys. I assume that it was done to try to scare me or something. Sorry guys, FAIL. Yelling, "HEY!" out the window isn't going to scare me. What does scare me is the giant dog that barks every time I pass his yard. I know there's a privacy fence that he can't jump over, but his bark shakes me to the core. Every. Single. Time. You'd think I'd just cross the street and run on that side, but I haven't quite done that yet. Smart. I know.

Today's Successes:

Cross-training = 40 minutes
Today's run = 3.2 miles (3 miles running, 0.2 miles walking)
Total time on run = 31 minutes (!!)

-Kristin

Week 8, Day 3: Joyful

On the schedule: 45 minutes, crosstraining

I accomplished 35 minutes.  I did the free step and thought I'd set it to the correct number of minutes to have it add up to 45, but it was just 35.  Alas, by the time I realized the error, I was done. Ten minutes isn't going to kill me.

Wii Fit
35 minutes
158 calories

Week 8, Day 3: Kristin

Today's schedule has us doing 45 minutes of cross-training. I decided that I'd rather do that tomorrow morning instead and add it to my 3-mile run, so I'm going to do tomorrow's strength training today. Does any of that make sense? Probably not, but I'm just not feeling a 45 minute cross-training today.

Today's strengthening:

50 push-ups
100 oblique crunches
50 squats
100 calf raises

I'm telling you, those calf raises are extremely difficult. I have to break them up to be able to complete all of them. But I wanted to do more today since I'm moving my cross-training.

-Kristin

Week 8, Day 2: Joyful

Just 3 miles today.  Nothing fancy.

I'd planned to do this one outside since the weather is a bit cooler.  However, Bubba had surgery today, and Billy worked late.  So I needed to do this one inside on the treadmill so Bubba wouldn't be by himself during recovery.

3 miles
55 minutes
343 calories burned

Week 8, Day 2: Kristin

Today, we have a 3 mile run on the schedule. This week is sort of a "cool down week" as will be next week. All that means is that our longest run will be on Saturdays and it'll be 4 miles. I guess that's a breather, of sorts.

Today's run was amazing! About a quarter of a mile in, I felt like I needed to pee. I had two choices: turn around and use the bathroom at home (and possibly lose all momentum) or just tough it out. I chose to tough it out. I guess it worked because I finished faster than I think I ever have.

Today's run:

Total distance = 3.2 miles (all running)
Total time = 30 minutes (!!)

-Kristin

Week 8, Day 1: Joyful

Today was Strength Training & Stretching.

Since I didn't get Saturday's strength training in, I wanted to work it really hard today.  My muscles are appropriately exhausted.

50 crunches
50 butterfly curls
50 shoulder presses
50 tricep extensions
50 lunges (25, ea. leg)
50 bicep curls
25 calf raises
15 push-ups

22 minutes strength training
+10 minutes stretching

166 calories burned

Week 8, Day 1: Kristin

Today is a typical Monday: stretch and strengthen.

I did 5 minutes of stretching.

Here's what I did for strengthening:

25 squats (my thighs were burning and knees were hurting from doing so many yesterday)
50 calf raises (those were twice as hard today because of yesterday)
25 push-ups (my left wrist was kinda sore)
50 oblique crunches (killer!!)

I know it sounds like I'm "Elizabeth Excuse" right now, but I'm not trying to be. I'm just trying to give an accurate depiction of what I'm dealing with while exercising. It's not always easy, even on "light" days like today. But I'm proud of myself for sticking with it. We're into Week 8 of training, and the Tulsa Run is only a little over a month away. We can do this!!

-Kristin

Week 7, Day 7: Joyful

(Yesterday)

On the schedule: 50 minutes of crosstraining + strength training left over from Saturday

My legs were mega-sore from Saturday's race, so I was literally hobbling around the house.  I managed to get in 50 minutes on the Wii Fit.  About halfway into the workout, my legs had loosened up some.  The boxing workout form is kind of a half-lunge, and that was excruciating at first, but ended up being really good.  And it burns lots of calories!

I never did fit in the strengh training from Saturday.  So, like Kristin, I'm asking you not to judge.  DON'T YOU DO IT!

Wii Fit - 50 minutes
210 calories

Week 7, Day 7: Kristin

Today's schedule has us doing 50 minutes of cross training. I also had my strength training from yesterday to do.

Here's what I did for strengthening:
50 push-ups
50 crunches
50 calf raises
50 squats

For my cross training, I did 20 minutes of yard work with my mom this afternoon. We were moving large tree limbs, walking, and cleaning up their land. It wasn't high impact, but it was work. I had planned on doing 30 minutes of jump rope, but 2 things happened. I did do 5 minutes of it, but my toes are incredibly sore from yesterday's race and the lingering blisters from Thursday. They are hurting pretty bad. Also, after having 2 children, my bladder doesn't have the best control, so needless to say, I wasn't enjoying the jumping experience. I'll try again to do jump roping, but it'll have to be another day.

I guess I only got through 25 minutes of my 50 minute cross training, but I did do something. And my strengthening was more intense than I've done in awhile, so I'm satisfied with today's workout.

Don't judge me.

-Kristin

Week 7, Day 6: Kristin

As Joy already stated, yesterday was the Komen Race for the Cure. My personal goal was to run the entire 5K. I haven't ever done that before, so I wanted to see if I could. I didn't care what my time was, I just wanted to say that I ran an entire 5K. And guess what...I did!! It wasn't always easy, but I just pushed myself.

Each time I came to the water station, I told myself, "Don't stop. Just keep going, or you'll lose all your momentum." So, even though I was very thirsty and really wanted some water, I just kept going. It really paid off, too. My official time was 32:49, which was a 10:34 min/mile pace. That's my best time ever, and it's also my best pace yet. I couldn't be more excited! I just can't believe that I did it.

-Kristin

Side note: At the end, I saw this guy, who was in pretty decent shape, right ahead of me and decided that I was going to try to beat him. I kicked it up a lot and ended up crossing the finish line, right in front of him. I barely beat him, but I beat him nonetheless. :-)

Week 7, Day 6: Joyful

Yesterday was a FANTASTIC day in the Two Girls Run a Half-Marathon world!

Kristin and I used the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k as our training for the day.  We made our own team shirts ("Team Bossy Pants"), and even had our own cheering section.

Because I've been doing my training on the treadmill, I needed something to help regulate my pace out in the "real world."  I found an pedometer app with which you can set a chime to sound out at whatever pace you set it to.  I set it to 14-minute miles and had it play over my running playlist of music.

This little app helped me tremendously!  My last two races I would start jogging having no idea how fast I was going, then I'd tire myself out, walk a ways, then go way too fast again.  This app allowed me to RUN THE ENTIRE 5K!!!  This is a first!  I only walked a couple of times, namely when I approached the water stations.

Let me repeat that.  I had strep throat a week and a half ago, and yesterday I RAN 3.1 MILES!!

Because there were 14,000 runners and this was a charity event, there were a ton of spectators just cheering the runners on, including the cheer squads from the local high schools. Whenever I saw a line of cheerers, I took the opportunity to high-five each and every one of them.  It was great since, as most of you know, I'm kinda the High Five Queen.  I probably got 100+  high fives.  It was a great feeling to have that extra support.

In the end, my official time was 46:11, which is just shy of a 15-minute mile.  Apparently my pacer is just a few seconds off.  Even though this isn't my best 5k time, I achieved something new by running the entire course, so I am super stoked about that.

Today I am incredibly sore.  Totally worth it to know that I've accomplished something I never I'd be able to do.

3.1 miles
46 minutes
342 calories burned

Week 7, Day 4: Kristin

Well, today's schedule has us doing 3 miles + strength training. BUT, since Joyful and I are doing the Komen Race for the Cure this Saturday, we've decided to move our long run of 6 miles (which was scheduled for Saturday) to today. Logically speaking, not a terrible idea. For me, it was stupid!

I'm fine, but my legs are incredibly sore and tired. Not only did I run 6 miles today, but I ran 4 yesterday. So, in two days, I ran 10 miles. Am I nuts or what?!? The "fun" part of it is, that once I got home and was taking all of my running gear off to get in the shower, I looked down and my sock was a little discolored. So, when I took my sock off, I noticed what the problem was. My toe was bleeding. Guess I'm officially a runner now! Apparently my toenail was rubbing one of my toes so much that it cut into it. My nails aren't long or anything gross like that, it was just the constant agitation from two days of long runs. Needless to say, I was grossed out, kind of shocked, and actually a little impressed.

Today's run:

Total distance = 6.1 miles: 5.2 running, 0.9 walking
Total time = Ready for it??? 74 minutes (!!!!!!!!)

Side note: I really enjoy running. Seriously. But I think I'm going to have to start icing my knees after our long runs or I'm not going to enjoy it for much longer.

-Kristin

Week 7, Day 4: Joyful

I JUST WALKED SIX MILES!

I am tired as all get out, but I feel good.  This was actually a jump in mileage for me, since I broke up the five miles we had to do last Saturday.  So, I jumped from four to six miles.  It was definitely a challenge of endurance, but I worked at a strong, brisk pace for the whole distance.

At mile four I tried a berry-flavored goo packet for nutrition.  The consistency was gross, but it was gone in two swallows.  Because this is my longest distance to date, I don't know how it helped me.  Not to say that it didn't, I just have nothing to compare it to.

ALSO!  There was a Code Brown situation a mile in.  Thank GOD it's too hot to be outside today, because that would have ruined my momentum.

Tomorrow's a rest day, then Saturday is the Race for the Cure 5k.

Here's the rundown for today:

6 miles
1 hour, 59 minutes
746 calories!

Week 7, Day 3: Joyful

On the schedule: 40 minutes crosstraining
What I did: 40 minutes of Wii Fit
198 calories burned

I did some different things on the Wii than normal.  I tried out the Free Step, which allows you to basically do step aerobics for your desired length of time.  You get to choose the pace.  I chose the fastest pace at 10 minutes.  I'm sure I looked dumb, but I was moving my arms and doing sidesteps to increase the number of muscles used and calories burned.

I also did the Expert Level of boxing.  It was over 10 minutes long (the regular one is just 3 minutes), and has moves that require more coordination.  I got the hang of it after a few minutes.

Burned a few more calories than I normally do on the Wii in this amount of time, so I'll continue mixing it up and doing the exercises that burn those calories.

GREAT workout!  I feel great for the first time in a while.

Week 7, Day 3 (Again): Kristin

So, I just completed the second half of my training day. I wasn't able to run as long as I would have liked, but that's acceptable considering how sick I was yesterday. I was really feeling it out there, too. It was very hot and humid today, which is frustrating since it's the end of September and I was hoping we'd have some much cooler weather already.

Any-who, my time was really great and I can't imagine what it would have been if I had run more of it.

Today's run:

Total distance = 4 miles: 3.3 running, 0.7 walking
Total time = 48 minutes

Side note: I almost lost my lunch quite a few times out there. That's why there is more walking than normal. I can't wait until I can run the entire 4 miles without stopping to walk any.

-Kristin

Week 7, Day 3: Kristin

Yesterday, I was completely miserable. I had some sort of stomach issue where I couldn't keep anything in me, and my stomach was cramping terribly. Needless to say, I was not able to do my 4-mile run yesterday. Today's schedule calls for 40 minutes of cross-training. What I had planned to do was do the 4 miles today and move the cross-training to Friday. Well, I forgot that I'm volunteering at my daughter's school during what would be my work-out time on Friday. So, instead, Reese and I went for a nice, slow bike ride. It took us all of the 40 minutes to go about 1.3 miles, but I really didn't care. I don't want to push it too hard this morning, and I'm still not sure how I'll be able to make it through this afternoon's run. We shall see.

Today's cross-training:

Total time = 40 minutes (on the bike with my Reesey)
Total distance = WHO CARES?!?

**I will add another post once I finish the run. Stay tuned.**

Side note: Reese was such a trooper! She did so well. I'm so incredibly proud of her!! AND, she's got to be about the cutest little bike rider I've ever seen, especially with her helmet, bell, and streamers from the handle bars. :-) Love it!!

-Kristin

Week 7, Day 2: Joyful

I walked all but about five minutes of the four miles on the schedule today.  I tried amping it up a bit, but I think it's still a bit too soon, as it was really painful.  I wanted to stop and rest after 1.5 miles, but I slowed down instead.  Going at a 3 mph pace felt much better, but it was still a difficult workout.  I am just trying to walk the line between listening to my body and pushing myself to achieve more.

4 miles, 80 minutes
502 calories burned

Week 7: Day 1: Joyful

Easy day.  Just strength training and stretching.

My shoulders and back were really tense because of stress, so I only did one set of weight exercises.

25 crunches
25 bicep curls
50 tricep extensions
25 leg lifts, each leg
50 shoulder presses
+ stretching

Total: 15 minutes
calories burned: 70

Week 7, Day 1: Kristin

I'm not feeling so hot today. I lost all of my energy yesterday afternoon. I was dragging, BIG TIME, and just could not do my cross-training. I've never felt that drained before. I'm not really sure what happened, but I'm still feeling the lingering effects this morning.

To sort of "make up" for not doing my cross-training, though, I decided to do my strength training twice. I know it's not the same, but I did feel less like a schlub for doing extra today. I'm wondering if I've got a migraine coming on. I've got nausea and a pretty intense headache, and then there's the lack of energy. Hmm....

Today's workout:

Stretching = 5 minutes
Strengthening = 48 minutes

Side note: I don't think I need to go to the doctor, but I really hope I'm not coming down with something. It's only about 40 days until the Tulsa Run. I can't afford to lose any training time.

-Kristin

Week 6, Day 7: Joyful

I am really feeling it today.  My voice is still hoarse, I am crazy lethargic, and just want to sleep.  My body wasn't looking forward to exercise, but my mind was.

I decided to take it easy again today and just did some more easy walking on the treadmill.  Have to slowly get my body back into the habit of moving.

I'm praying that tomorrow I feel better.  No cardio tomorrow, so that's good.

40 minutes walking
Distance: 1.85 miles
Calories burned: 216

Week 6, Day 6: Joyful

Finally!  A workout post from me!

This is actually for yesterday's workout.  Like Kristin I was just too tired to post last night.

I am *still* suffering the lingering effects of strep throat, unfortunately.  The doctor told me that I might be able to do the five miles that was on the schedule, but that I just had to listen to my body and be careful.  I knew going in that I'd have to take it really easy.  I did two easy miles yesterday morning in about 45 minutes.  I didn't push myself at all and felt pretty good after I was done.

Kristin and Cory came over later in the day and the three of us went to the apartment gym to workout together.  We'd wanted to go outside, but between my illness and the heat, I really didn't think it was a good idea.  I finished my last three miles in just under an hour.

My overall time is horrible, but I have talked myself into being content with the fact that I still managed to walk five miles after being really sick. Yesterday was noteworthy not only because it had the first 5-miler on our schedule, but it was also the first time Kristin and I have ever trained together.  I lament the fact that I wasn't able to push myself harder.

Five miles, nonetheless.  It's great to start to get back into the workout routine.  I've really missed it.

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Calories burned: 589!!

Week 6, Day 6: Kristin

I did this yesterday, with Joy, but got home too late to post this last night. It was our 5 mile run day, and I was really, really looking forward to it. I've been looking forward to it all week. I know, I know, I'm a sicko. But that's how far I've come in all of this.

We went to the gym at Joy's apartment complex. I haven't done anything on a treadmill in months. I prefer running outside to anything else, so it was a bit of an adjustment for me. It wasn't bad or anything, just not what I'm used to.

Today's run:

Total distance = 5 miles: 4.6 running, 0.4 walking (!!)
Total time = 58 minutes (the treadmill said 67 minutes, but we weren't even in the gym for that long so...)

Side note: I still prefer running outside to running on a treadmill. I can go faster on a treadmill, but there's something about being outside, in nature, that just feels amazing when I'm running. I love it. I look forward to it. Weird.

-Kristin

Week 6, Day 4: Kristin

Here's what I did for today.

Today's strengthening was done after my run. Probably not my wisest decision, but at least it's done. I did my own, modified version of some of the sets and struggled through 6 minutes of strengthening. Not great, but it's done.

Today's run, on the other hand, is something of sort of a miracle. I ran longer than the 3 miles because I wanted to run into town again, like I did on Tuesday. So, I ended up running 3.3 miles (and only walked 0.1 of it).

Today's strengthening:
Total time = 6 minutes ( :-( )

Today's run:
Total distance = 3.3 miles: 3.2 running, 0.1 walking
Total time = DRUM ROLL PLEASE.......................31 minutes!!

Check that out!

-Kristin

Week 6, Day 3: Kristin

Apparently I had a brain lapse and forgot to post this yesterday. So, today there will be 2 posts from me.

Today was a 40 minute cross-training day. My daughter was sick, running a fever, so she stayed home from school. That meant that I wasn't able to get in my alone workout time. So, I had to wait until she was feeling a little better and didn't need constant monitoring so that I could carve out 40 minutes to do the workout video.

My son watched me do it, and I caught him laughing at me a couple of times. That little stinker! He couldn't make it through it the last time they did it with me, but he can make fun of me?!? Just like his daddy!

So, my cross-training was completed yesterday...in case you were wondering. I just had a major brain fart and forgot to post this.

-Kristin

Out of the Loop

Well, the sore throat I started out with on Saturday night is actually strep.  Aside from feeling physically run down, I am mentally beat down, too.  This is my second week without a workout, and I see Kristin killing it every day, and I just feel left behind.

The doctor said I should be able to at least complete 5 miles on Saturday, but I just have to listen to my body.  It's really frustrating because I really want to be able to try to set a PR at the Race for the Cure 5k.  With the two weeks off, then recovery next week, I fear I'm going to be in no shape for that.

I realize it's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things - which is the Tulsa Run and the Half Marathon in January, but it's really difficult to be forced to sit on the sidelines without a choice while your partner kills each and every workout.

All that being said, I have to use apply my favorite saying, here: "S.I.U."  I have to just suck it up, and work with what I've got.

I'm never going to give up.

Week 6, Day 2: Kristin

Today's run really kicked my butt. Big time. We haven't had a run that was more than 2 miles in over 2 weeks. Today's run is a 4-miler. I'm telling you...it was rough.

I walked a lot more than I thought I would. And the wind was brutal on the second half of the run. I'm not trying to make excuses, because I still had an okay time, but sheesh!

Today's Run:

Total distance = 4.1 miles (I ran a little more than the 4 miles because I mapped out my run and this was the best I could get): 3.25 running, 0.85 walking

Total time = 48 minutes (not terrible)

Side note: It was kinda cool running through town. I will definitely do that again. It's a nice change of pace from just running in my neighborhood.

-Kristin

Week 6, Day 1: Kristin

This week, we're really going to step it up. We have a 4 mile run tomorrow, a 3-miler plus strength on Thursday, and then our long run on Saturday is a 5 mile run. As sick as this may sound, I'm actually looking forward to Saturday's run. I just want to see how much of it I can run. I know, I know. Who actually looks forward to running 5 whole miles? Well, I never thought I would, but surprisingly I do. :-)

Today's schedule has us doing stretching and strengthening.

Today's stretching = 5 minutes
Today's strengthening = 24 minutes (my abs needed it today!)

Side note: I am so glad that today is a "light" day. My right heel is a bit sore. Not sure what the deal is, but I'm glad I'm not running on it today.

-Kristin

Week 5, Day 7: Kristin

Yesterday, being a female really wiped me out. I'm not going to go into detail, but you get the picture. It was a rough one. So, I chose not to do my run yesterday, instead putting it off until this morning. I was able to do my run, and had every intention of doing my 40 minutes of cross-training, but wasn't able to do both. I did hang out at the park with my children for 45 minutes this afternoon, although I wasn't doing much activity. It doesn't count, but at least I wasn't completely inactive today.

Today's Run:

Total distance = 2 miles: 1.9 miles running, 0.1 mile walking (my knee felt weird for a bit in there)
Total time = 21 minutes

Side note: I had a cute little dachshund come up to me today while on my run. I wasn't sure if he was going to bite me or just watch me run past. He looked at me kinda funny, then turned around and walked in the other direction. It was very cute!

-Kristin

Checking in

Okay, so it's been a week since I've checked in.  It's also been a week since I've worked out.  I have had a nasty stomach bug all week, and have had really bad nausea.  Yesterday I was able to eat three meals again, and only felt sick after one of them.  However, last night my throat got sore and I feel like crap today.  I'm hoping that it's just allergies, because I really don't want to have to take any more time off from my training schedule. I have a 5k in less than two weeks, and I just can't afford to miss any more workouts.

Anyhoo, that's where I've been.  I miss my running time, and am anxious to get back to it.

Week 5, Day 4: Kristin

Today was my second running day with my new shoes. My arches are kind of hurting a bit. I think I'll go back to Fleet Feet this weekend and buy some arch support things. Can't think of their name right now...

Also, my knees were a bit sore today. I didn't wear my knee brace, so that's probably what the deal is, but it could also be that I need some more arch support.

Today's Run:

Total distance = 2 miles: all running
Total time = 21 minutes

Today's Strengthening:

Total time = 12 minutes: all ab workout because my knees are sore

-Kristin

Week 5, Day 3: Kristin

Since it's been rainy all day, I decided to do the workout video again for cross-training. This time, I had a little extra motivation. I had two helpers with my workout. Only one stuck it out 'til the end. Little Man couldn't handle it apparently. But Miss Reesey sure was a trooper. And she was so stinkin' cute. It's a dance workout DVD, and she was trying sooooo hard. I was laughing while working out because she's so funny! I hope that added to the calorie burning. ;-)

Thanks for the laughs and the "help," Sissy! Love you!!

Total workout time = 35 minutes

-Kristin

Week 5, Day 2: Kristin

Today, I went to Fleet Feet and bought myself some good running shoes. I tried on several pair, after the guy watched me run on the treadmill to see what jacked up things my feet do while I run, and we finally found the right pair. Amazingly, they ended up being a pair of Adidas. I have never worn Adidas running shoes. Honestly, though, they feel like I don't even have any shoes on, which the guy at the store assured me was a great sign.

Let me tell you, I LOVE THESE SHOES!! They don't look fantastic, but they sure feel it. It was one of the best runs I've had. My calf muscles felt like they'd been worked out more than ever today. I'm not sure if that's from the shoes or what, but I'm very pleased.

Today's run:

Total distance = 2 miles: all running
Total time = 21 minutes (!!)

Side note: I came extra close to runner's trots today. I should have waited longer after lunch to run, and I probably really shouldn't have eaten Pei Wei for lunch. Didn't happen, but came very close. Very. Close.

-Kristin

Week 4: Days 5-7: Joyful

Wow, I'm really glad last week was a light week - it was just really hectic, hence the belated posting.

Friday I walked the two miles on the schedule, then the extra mile I had left over from Wednesday.

Saturday Billy and I were out all day, and when we got back to the house I had a migraine.  I crashed at 8pm without having done an official workout for the day.  (Although Billy and I did a LOT of walking around earlier in the day.)

So, on Sunday I was left with a 40-minute cross training session and a two-mile walk/run.  I felt great Sunday morning and was ambitious, so I did 40 minutes of Wii Fit aerobics and then hopped right onto the treadmill for the 2-mile walk.  The walk was easy, but because I had been going for over an hour non-stop, the last 10 minutes of the walk were bad.  I had no energy (despite the slow speed) and was pretty shaky when I finished.  I needed to have some food or some type of fuel somewhere in there.

Rundown:

Friday-
3 mile walk, 58 minutes, 361 calories burned

Sunday-
Wii Fit, 40 minutes, 171 calories burned
2 mile walk, 42 minutes, 232 calories burned

That afternoon I did a bunch of stretching.  I'm still impressed with my increased flexibility as the weeks wear on.

Here we are, now, in Week 5 (I can't believe it!), and the Race for the Cure 5k is two and a half weeks away and the Tulsa Run is just seven and a half weeks away!  NINE FREAKIN MILES!!

We got this.

Week 5, Day 1: Kristin

Well, this is supposed to be a repeat of last week's schedule. Here's to hoping it's a much smoother week for both of us.

Today's stretching and strength training:

Stretching time = 5 minutes
Strength training time = 24 minutes

-Kristin

Week 4, Day 7: Kristin

I have had to be creative all week when it comes to this training schedule. Having my son home three out of the five school days has thrown a wrench into everything, so I did the best I could this week.

Here's what I had left to do this week: Saturday's 2 mile run and today's 40 minute cross-training.

Here's what I did: I ran 2 miles and then decided that mowing the lawn could count as my cross-training. I don't care what anyone else says, pushing the lawn mower back and forth is quite a workout, especially on a sloped front yard.

Today's run didn't go smoothly. While I was able to run all of it, and in a good time, I almost bit it out there...hard! Apparently my foot struck a part of the sidewalk that I always seem to avoid well. Today, my toe clipped that part that was sticking up and I almost tumbled to the ground. I was able to keep myself up, and going forward, but my toe sure is killing me after that whole debacle.

Mowing the lawn was another complete fiasco. I had fully intended to do both front and back, but now I can't because right as I was finishing up the front lawn, I stepped in a hole and twisted my ankle. Luckily we've got a day to rest (-ish) so that I don't have to run on it right away. So, I got my workouts in, but they weren't pretty.

Today's cross-training = 40 minutes (barely)

Today's run:
Total distance = 2 miles: all running
Total time = 21 minutes

-Kristin

Week 4, Days 3 & 4: Joyful

I've been kind of pissy and frustrated all week, and that attitude has affected my workouts this week.  I used Tuesday as my rest day instead of Friday.  

That means that yesterday was run day, and I was supposed to do a 2-mile run.  I ended up walking and only a mile at that.  I'll pick up the extra mile on Friday.  

Today I just did another Wii Fit workout. 

I finally made made it to Fleet Feet to see what type of shoes I need to prevent pain during my runs.  Turns out I need a shoe with more stability than I'd had previously.  So I officially have new shoes and new orthopedic insoles.  They told me to just use the shoes without the insoles for a few runs, then ease into the insoles.  Like an idiot I got right onto the treadmill with both shoes and insoles.  My calves didn't hurt as bad, but I was definitely in some pain and it was just really, really uncomfortable.  I'll do it right for tomorrow's run.

Here's the breakdown:

Yesterday-

1 mile, 19 minutes, 124 calories burned

Today- 

Wii Fit, 35 minutes, 161 calories burned

Week 4, Day 4: Kristin

This week of training has been killer for me. It's actually a light week on the training schedule, but I have had such a rough week personally that I don't know how I'm going to get through it. My son is sick, again, which means that my afternoon training time was gone...again.

I was able to get in 12 minutes of strength training this afternoon, and luckily my husband got home in time for me to get a 2 mile run in before dark and the rain. It was thundering very loudly while I was out there. I actually even saw lightning a couple of times.

Total distance = 2 miles: 1.7 miles running, 0.3 miles walking (I had a pretty bad side stitch for a little bit in there.)
Total time = 23 minutes (not bad, considering)

Side note: Running the evening before trash day is not a smart idea. What are you people eating/throwing away?!?

-Kristin

Week 4, Day 3: Kristin

Yesterday did not work out for me as far as training goes. My son was sick, so he stayed home from school. That meant that I didn't get my time in the afternoon to do my training. Instead, I combined yesterday and today.

Today's Run:
Total distance = 2 miles: all running
Total time = 21 minutes

Today's Cross-training:
Work-out video = 35 minutes

I decided that my legs would have been way too tired to do the run if I did my bicycle ride today. So I did the work-out video this morning, and did the run this afternoon.

It was a nice change of pace.

-Kristin

Week 4, Day 1: Joyful

Stretching & Strength Training

I just did stretches today - nothing with the weights.  Some of the stretches help build strength, though.  I cut it short, so I only managed 12 minutes.  Since I've been stretching more regularly, I've noticed a big difference in my flexibility.  I'm doing the stretches for runners as suggested in our training program as well as some of the stretches from my days as a cheerleader.  I'd love to be able to do the splits again.

Not a lot of time in, but I feel great!

Week 4, Day 1: Kristin

Nothing too special today. I just did my normal stretching and strengthening exercises that I always do.

Total time = 24 minutes strength + 5 minutes stretching

-Kristin

Week 3, Day 7: Kristin

Well, today was our 30 minute cross-training day. I had to cut mine short because some weirdo guys were following me while I was riding my bicycle. I did get in 27 minutes of the 30 minutes, but I am still a little freaked out.

Total distance = honestly, I haven't the slightest idea
Total time = 27 minutes

Side note: I shouldn't have told my husband that these guys were following me. He was about ready to kill someone. Although, it did freak me out quite a bit.

-Kristin

Week 3, Days 6 & 7: Joyful

Yes, yes, I'm a day late in posting this.  I finished my last workout a bit late last night and didn't feel like blogging it, to be honest.

Yesterday - Day 6

I had a 4-miler on the schedule, and I ended up just walking the whole thing.  I had a migraine most of yesterday, and I was waiting for it to subside before I started my workouts.  At 7pm it was still going strong, so I decided to just go for it anyway.  Because of the migraine and the persisting shoe issue, I didn't even try to jog, let alone run.  My time still sucks, of course, but I completed a 4-mile walk - the most I've ever walked for walking's sake!  

More than anything, I'm really proud of myself for sticking to it even with the migraine.  It would have been really easy to just skip a day's training, but I this has become a priority for me.  I'm doing this for me and no one else, and it's a matter of principle that I keep my commitment to myself.

I still had the strength training left over from Thursday.  I rested a bit after the walk, began with a few minutes of stretches (which feel great and are becoming increasingly important), then knocked out a few simple strength training exercises.

Today - Day 7

Today's schedule calls for 30 minutes of strength training, which I completed this morning already.  I just did a Wii Fit workout.  I'm trying to make the most of my cross-training days, so I'm starting to do the more advanced versions of some of the exercises, which burn more calories.

Rundown:

Yesterday - 

4-mile walk:

73 minutes, 458 calories burned

Strength Training:

16 minutes, 77 calories burned

50 crunches

50 shoulder presses

50 dumbbell flies

25 bicep curls

25 tricep extensions

+5 minutes stretching

Today - 

Wii Fit workout

30 minutes, 151 calories burned

Week 3, Day 6: Kristin

I am so glad that yesterday was a rest day. I needed it, BIG TIME!

Today we had our first 4-mile run of the training schedule. I have to admit, I was very intimidated to have to do this run. Instead of running my normal 2-mile route twice, I decided to drive into Sperry and run the Osage Prairie Trail into Skiatook. I had my mom drop me off, and then she picked me up at the end of my 4 miles. I started out with a great pace, and wasn't winded much during the entire run. I ran what I thought was about a mile and a half, and then walked for one-tenth of a mile. Then I ran some more, and walked another tenth. Then, when I knew I had about half a mile left, I walked three-tenths of it, and ran the last two-tenths.

In total, I ran 3.5 miles, and only walked 0.5 of it. I completely surprised myself. Maybe I'll be able to run 4 miles straight soon. We shall see.

Total distance = 4 miles: 3.5 running, 0.5 walking
Total time = 46 minutes (!!) <--WOWZA!

Side note: When there are two lanes on a trail, and you are riding your bike with your whole family, the polite thing to do is to move over to the other side when someone is approaching you from the opposite direction. Please don't make the runner run off into the ditch because you can't stop your conversation for two seconds while the runner passes by. INCREDIBLY RUDE!!

-Kristin