Week Two : Complete

After a very bad first week, I was happy to complete my scheduled run today...and complete week two.

Last week, I had a head cold and was PMS-ing pretty bad...just not a good week for running. I am thankful that it's early in the game and I can put it off until next week.

This week, I stuck pretty closely to my schedule...just not the days that I was supposed to get my mileage in:

W - 4
Th- 3
F - 4
Su - 7

Total mileage for this week:18

I found out at work on Friday that I am anemic, which explains why all I want to do it sleep. I have just been dragging all day. So, I am back to taking my iron pill 3-4x a week and hopefully that will help. Other than that, it feels pretty good to be back. The soreness in my legs today after my seven miles was wonderfully familiar. Not to mention the fact that I have been able to go to the gym on days when it's in the single digits (apparently my husband knows who anonymous is and they called him up and told me that I have a little longer left on my membership!!!). Hoping to up my mileage next week.

Happy Running!!

Playlist : Mercy

I recently added this funky song to my playlist. Makes me want to dance.

My Future Running Buddy

(My Macy girl showing off her new collar)

We have a pit mix. She is precious. We adopted her from a shelter almost three years ago. She was a mess, pretty skinny, and in need of some TLC. We put some weight on her, spoiled her, and loved her to pieces. She's an old girl...about 8 or 9 years old. She runs with me when I know I am going to be running back roads that kinda freak me out. She's a good running buddy, but she poops out after any more than three miles. I literally have to drag her home.


For the past two months, we have been talking about getting her a friend. We looked at different breeds, checked out different shelters, and thought long and hard about it. Two weeks ago, we brought our little girl home...my future running buddy.

She is a precious Shepard/husky mix. She is super smart and fits in well with our wild and crazies. She is doing great with potty training and this past week has been going to the door and letting us know when she needs out...instead of us following her around and watching her like a hawk. She is getting used to walking on a leash and learning some other manners. She loves her new house and her big sister...who she likes to play with and tease. I am really looking forward to working with her and conditioning her to go on those long runs with me...she just needs to be a little older first.

I have always been an animal lover...it was just a lot easier when I wasn't the mom....and it wasn't my house. *grin* But, I am so glad that my kids are growing up with the same love that I have. Two dogs?! Yep, we are crazy...but this is just how we roll.

I am sure I will be posting a bit more on my new little running buddy...especially when we take our first long run together.

Here's where it all begins...

This is my starting week. The weather is less than ideal, but I am super excited about getting back to the grind...not to mention, I have an awesome new arrangement with a friend to help me out.

Even though I have two marathons under my belt, I still feel like I have a lot to learn. I am really going to try to use these next four months to better my running. I have run one marathon with a whole lot of training and then I have run another with little to none. I don't want to over do it this time but I would like to go in to this marathon prepared to better my time...hopefully coming in somewhere close to 4:30.

Here's what my first week look like (the first couple weeks are the best!!):

Mon: rest
Tues: 3 miles
Wed: 5 miles
Thurs: 3 miles
Fri: rest
Sat: 8 miles
Sun: cross train

I am having a few reservations about the training plan I am doing. I am going to see how it goes, but I might have to switch it up a bit as far as my running days. Also, with working almost every Saturday, I might have to switch my long run day to Sunday instead of Saturday...or even Friday since my hubby has Fridays off until the weather gets nicer and work picks up. So, these next few weeks will be a trial period until I get the kinks worked out.

Let the training begin!

So it begins...

I am beginning my marathon training next week!

I am thrilled with the way things have worked out. I will have to brave the cold, but I have made a deal with a friend and we will be swapping kids so that the both of us can run kid-less two days a week. Then, with my hubby having Fridays off until the colder weather passes and also the weekend, it leaves me for a pretty good running schedule. My running days will be Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Now to work out the kinks, come up with a plan for those bitter cold days, and get it all down on paper. I am beyond excited and looking forward to getting back out there. I love my little running buddy, but it will be nice to not have to push him in front of me...and have a little bit of a quiet escape for one to two hours.

2011 Good byes, Goals, and Races

Happy New year!

One year ago, a huge gift lifted my spirits during a stressful season in my life. I was given (by an anonymous person) a years membership to my local gym. It was a huge blessing and really made my marathon training possible. So, today with the new year, comes the loss of my gym membership. It's going to take some getting used to. I am really going to need to work on toughing it up and getting out there in the cold...or getting creative with my workouts. I will especially miss it the next three months.

This time last year, I really wanted to start a new habit of logging all of my running miles. My Garmin keeps track of my miles run outside, but I did not keep up with logging my miles on the treadmill (or the times that I left all my equipment at home and just ran where my legs took me). So, that is a goal of mine this year and I am going to try it again. We'll see how it goes.

I have been thinking about what races I want to run this year. I am hoping to keep it as local (and inexpensive) as possible. I am thinking this is how my racing season is going to play out (give or take a race or two):

May 15th - Rockford Full Marathon (I loved the 1/2 last year...looking forward to the full)
June 4th - Milk Days 10K (I missed doing this last year)
June 12th - Northshore 1/2 Marathon
August 27th - The CRIM (my 4th!!!)
Sept - QC Marathon (loved doing the relay here...really nice race and course)
October - ?Local 1/2 Marathon? (Still looking) Pumpkin Fest 10K

Good luck in your 2011 racing season prep...or whatever fitness goals you have set for yourself! Happy Running!!