Marathon Mom

I was so excited to go for a run outside today, but having done my last outside run in Hawaii in 80 degrees, I over dressed a little. I wasn't sure if my body would be used to the weather, but I was quickly shedding the gloves and unzipping my jacket, I even wished I had worn shorts! Come on it is 38 degrees and sunny! Today's run called for more running overall, but the average pace was a little slower just due to having to work through the snow. It was so nice to not run looking at a brick wall or a TV screen. Warm up 2 min Run 12 min Walk 3 min Run 12 min Walk 3 min Run 12 min Cool down 3:30 min Total Distance 5.3 miles at 8:58 Average Pace.

Today's run was much better, so much that I had to tell myself to follow my schedule and put in the walk breaks and stop after I finished the workout. My total running and total workout time increased, I am started to feel that I getting in a good workout even with the walk breaks. This was exactly what I needed after my last run that felt horrible. I am really looking forward to the warm weather coming this weekend and hoping to get outside on Sunday for a run. Warm up 3 min Run 10 min Walk 3 min Run 10 min Walk 3 min Run 10 min Walk/ Cool down 3 min Total distance 4.7 miles at 8:59 average pace, finally under 9 min miles again.

This run just didn't feel so good, I was tired and my legs were heavy, but no pain. I still managed to add a few minutes to my workout and the overall running time. Warm up 3 min Run 8 min Walk 3 min Run 8 min Walk 3 min Run 8 min Walk 3 min Cool down 3 min Total Distance 4.2 miles Average Pace 9:07 I've still got a ways to go to get back to my usual pace, but at least I'm almost to long run pace.

Another pain free run this morning. I decided to hit the pool first for a short swim, which lasted only 20 minutes because I think someone filled it with the snow from outside. I finally got out after 20 minutes when I was still shivering. I decided to skip ahead to week 2 of the Pfitz plan since I screwed up and ran way more then I was supposed to last time. Today's run was a little fast, but still average pace was much slower than I'm used to. 3 min warm up 7 minutes run 3 minutes walk 7 minutes run 3 minutes walk 7 minutes run 3 minutes walk 2 minute cool down Total Distance 3.8 miles at 9:17 average pace

I just finished my first run in 4 weeks! I thought I was following the Pfitz Return to Running Schedule, but after doing my workout looked at it again and realized I read it wrong and ran more than it called for. I always knew I wasn't one for following directions (all the running and walking was supposed to be switched around meaning much less running then I did). Here was my work out... Warm Up 2 minutes Run 10 minutes Walk 5 minutes Run 5 minutes Walk 5 minutes Run 5 minutes Cool Down 3 minutes Total Distance 3.6 miles 9:48 pace Not too bad for a first run back, and best of all it was pain free!

I made it! Today it has been a full 4 weeks since my last run and I have been pain free for over a week now. I have met the criteria to start running again. I know, I have heard it from everyone, take it easy, which I will. I just need to get back to running. Tomorrow I'll give my leg a try. Then I plan to follow the Pfitz Returning to Running Plan, which will make me take it easy. My goal is to be back to my base off-season mileage of 40 miles per week in one month to start training for Grandma's.

I am crazy! It is midnight and I am awake to register for a marathon. Matt and I are in for Grandma's, yay ! Matt will be running his first marathon in 5 months and I will be dreading it in 5 hours when I have to get up for work. All to make sure we got in to the race.

One year ago I ran my best marathon time ever. This was very surprising to me because I had been sick for the 2 weeks prior to going down to Phoenix, thanks mom. On Friday before the race during dinner I decided to change my plan and just have fun instead of aiming for my Boston time. Then race day came and once again I brought on the strange weather, record cold hit Phoenix (20s). For those of you who don't know of my race luck, I have run in record cold, record heat, 40+ mph wind gusts, down pours, sleet. You name it, bad running weather is there if I am involved. It was so cold that day that I the roads were icy from sprinkler systems that remained on and I actually saw people wearing snow suits. I packed the wrong pants, which I didn't realize until race morning, so I ended up running in shorts. I remember wanting to quit because I was so cold at the 10K mark, thinking I couldn't do this for another 20 miles. Then a water stop lady spilled pink Accelerade (aka vomit) on...

So let me see what has happened this week, Monday was the biggest day of change. I am a student again! I am back in a Master's program and will be finished in just over a year as a clinical nurse specialist. Also on Monday I accepted an adjunct faculty position starting this semester. Wow, I became a student and a teacher all in one day! Can you believe it, I will be responsible for the education of tomorrow's nurses?! Tuesday night was the Team in Training 20 th Anniversary Celebration. It was a great opportunity to see people from both the Honolulu and Phoenix teams that I had trained with and wish the Phoenix team luck as they run this weekend. Hopefully they will have better weather than the record cold I had when I ran it last year. The remainder of the week was pretty boring, besides the massive headache I have been suffering since Thursday, causing me to skip Friday's workout. But in other news, Matt is back to running and made up for my missed workout on Friday by ...

I have now gone 3 weeks without running and the craziness is starting to set in. I am keeping myself busy biking, on the elliptical, lifting weights and I have even made it to the pool a few times. The pain is pretty much gone now so I don't know how much longer I can go without a run. And it doesn't help that we have had unseasonably warm weather for January, which just makes me want to get outside. I just have to keep telling myself that all this cross training and taking time off to heal will make me a better runner in the end. I may even reach my goal to finish a triathlon and a duathlon this summer because of all this cross training. Now I just have to over come the fear of falling off the bike again and get it off the trainer once the weather is nicer.

Well, I have made it over 2 weeks with no running and I haven't done anything too crazy yet! It may be a different story this weekend when temps get into the 40s and I'm ready to put on a pair of shorts and get outside for a run with Morgan. These warm winter days are what I look forward to, I just don't know how I am going to avoid going for a run. My bike is getting a lot of use and I finally got my butt back in the pool after 6 + months today. I spent 45 minutes on the trainer and 30 minutes in the pool and didn't feel like I was going to drowned, I would say that's a pretty good sign. Maybe I will actually be ready for a tri this summer.