Short Blonde Runner Chick

Taking On 2010

2010-01-01T21:00:00.007-06:00

I started the new year off right- running (and in Huntsville, not Lubbock, since we are down here visiting for a few days; but don’t worry- I’ll be running in Lubbock this year too :-P).

Before we came down, I noticed the upcoming Seven Hills Running Club club run and mentioned it to Becky, curious if she would be interested. She thought it was a great idea, which is how I ended up getting my butt kicked by Hans and Lavonne in the New Years Resolution Run 5k at Veterans Memorial Parkway. The only way I caught up to them in the last tenth or two of the race was because I had some fast sprints in the last half mile. Yay for fast twitch fibers and being in my twenties so they work without too much speed training.

I was proud of myself for running the whole 5k despite the hills and going to sleep at 4am and waking up at 10am. It would have been so easy to say I was too tired to run and should stay home instead, to have signed up for the 1 mile run or walk, or to have walked the hills- but I didn’t. I signed up for the 5k and ran it for a time of 34:54 ( not too bad).

My friend Becky walked the 1 mile and got first place with a time of 14:40 (I think). She told me after she wished she had signed up for the 5k walk instead because when she got to the turn around point, she was still more than ready to go.

When we were leaving, she asked if I wanted to walk some more and I said sure, so we went walking in the Rolling Brook neighborhood for 2 miles. On the route we saw Marisa in her truck. She was understandably surprised to see me since I live in Lubbock now. I told her we were in town for a few days and I plan to run at the park on Sunday. She said she might be there before driving off in her truck so she could get home and we could finish walking (and so none of us were blocking traffic anymore).

After that we came back to Becky’s house and that is where I am now. If this account is incoherent in any way, I am blaming it on my need for sleep. :-P

Since November 7th: The Highlights

2009-12-30T21:23:00.002-06:00

In no particular order, here are some of the highlights of my running since November 7th:

-ran for the first and second time ever through snow (brrr...)
-saw a turkey in a neighborhood twice (a female turkey; it was after the Thanksgiving break)
-ran by one of the playa lakes and saw a blue heron scoop up a large goldfish
-ran with John and Hans at Huntsville State Park during our Thanksgiving break
-ran with a friend before and during the Carol of Lights at Texas Tech
-ran on one of Houston's hike and bike trails near Andrew's parent's house and saw three nutria rats on the other side of the Bayou
-kept running despite the holidays (always a challenge)
-got new winter running gear (tights and 1/4 zip top, both coldgear underarmour)
-found out my good friend and running partner is moving back to Spring in the next week and a half (boo)
-signed up for Loop the Lake (a 2 or 5 mile run hosted by the West Texas Running Club January 9th at 10am; I'm running the 5 mile route)

More later! :-D

Mon. 11/2 - Sat. 11/7

2009-11-07T22:15:00.003-06:00

My running and walking mileage for the past 6 days (Mon.-Sat.):

Monday:ran 4.08 (on my own in the evening)
Tuesday: walked 4.26 (with Natalie and Bailey)
Wednesday: ran 3.18 (with Megan and Ace)
Thursday: none
Friday: walked 1.42 (with Kara and Conner)
Saturday: ran 6.12 (with Megan, Ace, and Zach)

Total running: 13.38 miles
Total walking: 5.68 miles

All of these run/walks were at the 19th Street Park except for today's late morning run which was at Mackenzie Park. It was the hardest run of the week due to its length, the 80 degree heat, lack of shade, and more cross country terrain (hills, rocks, grass, and asphalt mixed throughout). I tried to minimize the effects of heat and dehydration by drinking enough water during the run and Gatorade after, but I still felt ugh later and had a headache. Yay.

Random things I saw on the run today:
a regional cross country meet in progress
CDs placed at intervals along the road
golfers
Lubbock's version of an amusement park- Joyland
prairie dogs

I hope all who ran Rocky Raccoon had a fun and safe run!

All for now!

Running Update

2009-11-02T23:25:00.003-06:00

The last time I posted I was running with the early morning crowd. This ended sometime in September when Andrew developed what we assume is a bunion on his right foot, and he put away his running shoes for an indeterminate amount of time. Shortly after this, I stopped getting up for these early morning runs too.

There were several reasons I switched my schedule. While I love running with a group and the motivation it provides, I was feeling more dread and frustration than motivation. At that point I was getting up an hour early to eat breakfast then drive to a neighborhood to run in the dark and the cold while trying to keep up with runners who were easily faster than me. Plus, my heels and arches had begun to ache, and I was concerned that if I kept pushing myself to maintain this much faster pace on concrete and asphalt after only recently switching from trails, I would be joining Andrew on the running bench.

This was the start of a very sporadic running schedule in regards to time and place. Some of my runs were with my friend Megan and her dalmatian, Ace. We would run a route that took us through neighborhoods and streets near our complex. We tried running in one of the larger parks but after having some junior or high school kids squeal their tires and try to talk to us we decided that was not a good fit. I did not want to run the morning crowd route since it crossed several major streets and was highly trafficked later in the day. Ideally I wanted to find something resembling trail running. I figured that the combination of new running shoes and a softer running surface would help me feel better sooner.

Then my upstairs neighbor Mike told me about a park off of 19th Street that had a 0.7 mile gravel jogging track and a 0.8 mile runner-made wider loop of dirt and grass. I ran my first run there on my birthday, October 13th. While nothing like Huntsville State Park, it had its perks. I liked the scenery of the playa lake with trees in and around it, the location in a nice neighborhood not too far a drive from my complex, the size, and the variety of people and pets. It even had some minimal lighting as dark approached. Since then most of my runs, by myself or with Megan and Ace, have been at this park. I also walk there on days I do not run with my friend Natalie and her dog Bailey.

I varied a little when Megan, Ace, and I ran in the park and the neighborhood surrounding it recently. The older houses with their trees crowded close to them made me miss runs in the Avenues of Huntsville. Still no hills, but I miss the trees more than the hills anyway. And then Saturday I ran with Kelly at a place called Ransom Canyon that had hills (*gasp!*). So yes, they apparently do allow some variation in landscape near Lubbock.

Today I ran in the 19th street park for 4 miles, following the runner-created trail while listening to my ipod. I forced myself to stick below a 12 minute pace for most of the run (I had been running as slow as a 13 or 14 minute pace recently) and see how my feet would handle it. Finally my feet are starting to feel good again with no twinges.

For now I plan to keep running with various friends and on my own at least 3 days a week so I can be ready to run a few races next semester. Fun times.

4th Run in Lubbock

2009-08-25T22:48:00.002-05:00

We ran our 4th Lubbock run this morning. I kept to a pace of roughly 11:08 and completed 4.38 miles. So far so good...

6am...I mean 7am...I mean 6am...um...7am?

2009-08-23T09:40:00.003-05:00

Last night I remembered weekend runs are at 7 NOT 6 which was a little frustrating since I had told one of my neighbors (Hayden, owner of Loki) earlier in the day that I would meet her at the dog park at 8am and to knock on my door if we weren't out already. It wasn't a big deal really- we were only 10 minutes late- but it was a little annoying to me nonetheless. I don't like forgetting things. :-/

The dogs (Loki, Molly, and Annie) played for about an hour while Andrew, Mike, Hayden, and I watched them and chatted...and tried to keep Molly and Loki, the two puppies, from rolling in the puddles from the sprinklers. I see puddles all the time here- NOT from rain but from the elaborate sprinkler system that seems to exist all over Lubbock. Loki has a habit of finding a puddle and just plopping into it while the rest of us try to entice him away from it. Oh well. I think Hayden and I have both gotten used to sometimes having to hose our respective puppies off after visiting the dog park.

Unfortunately, this has been a morning of running a little behind (no pun intended). We woke up at 6:30, ate breakfast, got ready, and left at about 6:50. Andrew tried to take a slightly different route which then ended up being a slower and longer rather than a faster route. We ended up weaving through the named and numbered streets, trying to get to 20th and Elgin by 7am. We made it there at 7:07 and Suzanne and Terry were still there.

We ran 4 miles of which I ran a 11:43 pace so not as fast as earlier this week. I had a better idea where I was going today, and actually having light to see by helped drastically on figuring out where I was. Terry, Suzanne, and Andrew stayed ahead of me for most of the run. I kept an eye out for Suzanne's lime green running shirt. Overall it was a decent run for a Sunday morning on roads. I hope all the trail runners in Huntsville enjoy their 9:30am run.

My 2nd Lubbock Run

2009-08-21T20:28:00.003-05:00

This morning was my second 6am run with the E20s, and today there was 4 of us (with none of the 3 from Wednesday). This time Drew and I knew that the dark corner with the flickering streetlamp was the right corner, so I felt a little less like I was entering the beginning of a horror flick. Although one of the runners did tell us an interesting story...apparently (I think recently?) they found a guy lying face up in the ivy of the yard below the freaky lamp. The runner checked to make sure he was breathing (which he was) and left him to sleep off his partying. Fun times.

I felt more comfortable for this run. The runners had a pace slightly faster than mine, and so I did not feel like I was constantly trying to catch up or holding the group back. I walked a few times but not as much as on Wednesday, and according to my GPS I ran 4.39 with a pace of 10:43 whereas Wednesday I ran 4.29 with a pace of 11:01. Both of my paces are faster than I have recorded since I started keeping track in February but I am guessing that the low humidity and lack of hills is at least partially to blame. In the early morning here it is actually a little chilly...Anyway, all for now.

A Day in Lubbock

2009-08-20T17:05:00.004-05:00

No running for me today unless you count running around in the dog park, trying to wear Molly out. Andrew and I plan to run either tomorrow or the next day with the Elgin and 20th group (I need to find out what they call themselves or come up with something myself...20 Elgins perhaps? Or the Elgin 20s? jk).

My day thus far has involved taking care of Molly, unpacking boxes, putting stuff away, watching a few episodes of How I Met your Mother from season 1, and going to see District 9 (a good movie but much more violent than I expected, even from Drew's description of it). We might do some more exploring tonight or tomorrow. It's weird living somewhere new after 18 years in the Goliad/Victoria area and 6 years in Huntsville. It just doesn't feel like home yet...but then again, we have been here less than a week- what do I expect?

Anyway, I should get back to unpacking. All for now!

Slightly Homesick Already...

2009-08-19T07:25:00.002-05:00

On Friday Andrew and I moved to Lubbock so he can start working on a Ph.D. in English at Texas Tech. Our moving crew consisted of us, both sets of parents, and Andrew's brother Kevin and his girlfriend. We also had the two cats and puppy with us who were not especially pleased about the 8 plus hour drive even with medication. Molly slept most of the way but the two cats would occasionally burst out with a nice solo or duet expressing their ire. I think it is safe to say they were relieved to finally arrive at the new apartment.

Our family moving crew left Sunday morning, and Andrew and I got to work unpacking...so much so that when my mom called later that evening to say they were not far from home, I had to remind myself that yes, this was the same day. There's just something about unpacking that makes time feel sooo slloooooowww. On the bright side, we have the kitchen basically set up, the office and bedroom in progress, the living room almost complete, and the dining area does have a table in it (and an exercise bike that does not have a spot yet). Moving is fun! :-P

In regards to running, we ran this morning for the first time since our last run with the Renegades on Tuesday. Apparently the informal group runs are Monday through Friday at 6amand Saturday and Sunday at 7am and vary in distance but are primarily on roads. The five of us (more runners participate on the weekends and during the school year they said) started running when it was dark and finished when there was some light. I'm already nostalgic for the evening weekday runs and late morning Sunday run at the park. :-P But I must say not feeling like I need flippers or Curtis to throw me a life vest or something to get through a run (or with that level of humidity more like a swim) was nice.

In other news, Molly is loving the dog park at the apartment complex that is probably 20 feet from our door, the cats have found new hiding places, and Andrew and I are slowly getting used to it here. All for now, and we miss you all!

Long Absence

2009-07-01T23:01:00.002-05:00

Okay, so we got a Labrador Retriever puppy named Molly a little over three weeks ago which is why we have been very scarce and have hardly been running. Before that I had stopped keeping up with the blog because of the stresses of work and class. However, I plan to try to be a little better, posting randomly and at various intervals, but at least once a month or once every week or two. :-P

Anyway, Molly will be 11 weeks old June 2nd. She has a ton of energy as can be expected with a puppy and one of her breed. In a year or two we hope to be able to take her running with us...but for now, she's simply too little.

Anyway, all for now!

Huntsville State Park

2009-01-27T09:30:00.003-06:00

Hans, John, Curtis, Ken, Andrew, and I ran the trails yesterday (about 4.5 miles). We completed it in under an hour. The bottom of my feet (my arches) were hurting by the end...I'm guessing because of pushing myself for yesterday's long run and then running again today along with breaking in new running shoes.

Today I am giving my feet a running break. We may run tomorrow's suggested 4:30pm 7 mile run at the trails...depends on my feet.

And my shoes remain a little white, lol.

Today's Run at the State Park

2009-01-25T21:59:00.002-06:00

Ran about 8 or 9 miles today at the park starting at 1pm. Marisa and I ran together with Hans and Chris catching up to us at the road (we had passed Amy's Crossing to continue on...and they had added on an extra two miles which is why they were behind us). Andrew went straight instead of turning in towards the dam then took the service road to the dam and back out again, and I have no idea what Phillip and Norman ran or Ken. Basically today was one of those days where we all ran the route...they just happened to vary between individuals or small groups. :-P

I saw Andrew when he came in via the service road to the dam and then as a quickly fading red dot, lol. He's trying to push himself, walking less and increasing his distance.

The weather was in the upper 40s or low 50s think...I wore the gardening gloves Phil gave me, earmuffs, a beanie, a long sleeve tech shirt, a t-shirt, and pants. Early on I took off the beanie and earmuffs (got too hot within the first few miles) and I took off the gloves a little after that only to put them back on for the last mile or two. I really need to figure out how to dress for this weather...

Oh, and I wore my new shoes today. They are slightly dusty but the white parts are still practically blinding. I figure if I run at Pritchett anytime soon though, that will change quickly. Good old red dirt. :-P

Valentine's Weekend Plans

2009-01-24T20:49:00.003-06:00

Andrew and I signed up for the 25K for the 14th annual East Texas Ultra Runners 25/50K held at Tyler State Park. This will be our second 25K (our first being Rocky Raccoon in November). We plan to camp at the park the night before and the night after...hopefully the weather won't be too miserable. Andrew was all for driving in that morning, but if the race starts at 7am, I do not want to be leaving Huntsville in the wee hours of the morning and then attempting to run a 25K.

I would like to beat my previous time at Rocky (3:22:49) or at least be under 3:30:00. Then after the race, Andrew and I can drive in to Tyler to wander around or something...*shrug*. At the very least we won't have to worry about trying to get back to Huntsville quite yet.

We are also considering running one of the races on The Seabrook Lucky Trails Marathon Weekend. It's the last weekend of our spring break. After completing two 25Ks, the half marathon wouldn't be so bad...right? They have a neat thing they call the Pelican Challenge where you can run a half marathon on Saturday and another on Sunday and get a 10 dollar discount for signing up and an extra medal. It sounds intriguing...if only I could be certain my legs would move the next day! :-P

Oh...and today I got new shoes!!!!!!!!!!! :-D Yay! Perhaps I'll post a picture later when they aren't so new and shiny...:-P.

Short and Sweet

2009-01-23T09:53:00.002-06:00

Andrew and I ran the City Hills on Wednesday and 6 or 7 miles at the park on Monday. Yesterday afternoon Andrew went running on his own because I was not home yet. And that is pretty much it in regards to running....for now. :-P

Oh, and to make it sweet...cupcake! ;-)

Over a Month Later...

2009-01-15T10:53:00.002-06:00

And a month later...err, over a month later...

Andrew and i ran the City Hills route Monday and Wednesday with our fellow renegades. I tried to push myself on the hills yesterday and on the downhills. Our running this past month has been existent but random and spotty unfortunately. But hey, we were with family for about 8 days in a week and a half, then another day with some friends, and another 3 or 4 days in San Antonio with more family. It's amazing we ran at all. :-P

I think Andrew really has his heart set on participating in the 25k or 50k run in Tyler on February 14th. I will most definitely run the 25k if we do. I don't feel confident that I could finish the 50k considering how lax my running schedule has been. However, if I make a point to get back to running consistently, then the 25k should be fine.

Anyway, I'll write more sooner rather than later hopefully...all for now.

An Actual Update

2008-12-09T22:03:00.003-06:00

Remember how I mentioned on past posts how my frequency of posting fluctuates with my schedule? Clearly this little hiatus I have been on is such an indication. Andrew and I have both been swamped with work to do and will continue to be. However, here's at least a brief blurb.

Andrew and I went running Sunday morning at the park (about 7 miles). It was weird seeing all the Sunmart aide stations up yet. At one near the dam they had over a dozen canned pepsis. I joked with Andrew about those and the port-o-potties still around. As we were looping back to Amy's Crossing (ran the usual 4.5 but went straight to the dam via the service road, past onto the c trail (?) and looped to go down Amy's) we saw people coming to clean up.

Today 8 of us met up at 4:40pm at Pritchett. Hans, Chris, John, Lavonne, Ken, Ron, Andrew, and I all braved the cold wind. We ran two loops of a very hilly 1.5 (?) mile course with two laps at Pritchett between them. We showed John the gargoyle on Robinson Way which Lavonne and I named "Hans". My left side started to cramp up after the second loop past Hans, but I kept going with a little more walking.

Overall, Andrew and I are struggling to maintain some resemblance of staying in shape despite our schedules. The earlier nights do not exactly help since neither of us is especially inclined to run the streets with a flashlight or run only at Pritchett or the HKC. However, we are hanging in there.

I think we will try to run Thursday, but I doubt we will attend the jingle run thing in The Woodlands. Anyone else up for running in town or at the park...?

Updates...Gah!

2008-11-18T08:23:00.003-06:00

Wow I am behind on posting...definitely a sign of my schedule! *sigh* Well, here's an update...err, several updates...

Andrew and I ran the 25K for Rocky Raccoon. I finished at around 3 hours and 25 minutes or so. I did walk up the hills and run everything else when I could, and I had enough energy to do that throughout the entire race and even sprint the last 200 yards or so. I do not know my official time since I am not sure where to look for that information. Andrew finished at least 5 minutes ahead of me. He had kept me company for all but the last few miles past the final aid station.

My two main goals were to finish (running and walking dispersed throughout, not walk in the last few miles) and to not be last, both of which I achieved. Yay!

We were fairly sore, but not absolutely miserable. However, we were supreme bums and did not run again until yesterday...and that was about 3 miles at Pritchett. As the semester draws closer to the end, it becomes more of a struggle to properly fit in anything consistently.

I do not think we will be doing a marathon anytime soon (or at least not me), but I am up for a half marathon sometime. If I can make it 15.5, I think 13.1 is possible.

Rocky Raccoon and SunMart

2008-10-26T22:00:00.005-05:00

Gah! With my schedule being what it has been this past week, I did not run as much or regularly as I would have liked. I missed the long run this morning since we were in Houston, and all we had time for was the avenues route. I really need to pick it up!

I was looking forward to running/walking 10 miles tomorrow, but I work until 6pm. My game plan is to run at least 3 tomorrow and then Tuesday go running at like 5:30. Anyone interested? I am up for doing this in town or at the park. Just keep in mind I am kind of slow.

Andrew and I signed up for the Rocky Raccoon 25K which is both exciting and intimidating. I don't expect to run the whole thing, but I want to get to where I can at least semi-comfortably walk and run it. My farthest distance to date is only a little under 9 miles at the park...and November 8th is approaching fast!

I would also love to participate in SunMart...another reason to keep putting in the mileage. Any words of wisdom from those who have run these?

Quick Update: Go!

2008-10-22T21:57:00.003-05:00

Quick update:

Sunday: ran about 9 miles in a little under 2 hours at H.S.P., have now ran over 200 miles at least (as of when I started counting on my blog)

Today: ran an old 1.8 mile route we had around our neighborhood, only took about 20 min. to complete...amazing how much easier it is now

A Thursday Run and My First 5K Race!!!

2008-10-18T21:06:00.007-05:00

Gah, I'm behind on posting once again!

So on Thursday we ran a 5.6 mile course that took us down Robinson's Way (further than we had been before), through the avenues, and around campus. We managed to time this so that we got to listen to and see some of the preparation for the homecoming parade but finish before it began and trapped us on one side of Sam Houston Avenue

The run lasted about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and we may have gone a little farther than the orginal 5.6 due to a course change spur of the moment...but not by too much. I ran the first 31 minutes with no walking breaks, and I walked very little (if at all) for the rest of the run as well.

Then this morning I ran my FIRST 5K race!!! I was really nervous, silly as that is since I have run much farther than 3.1 miles at once before. All the same, I couldn't help anxiously adjusting the tongue of my shoes, glancing at my watch, and furtively watching the other runners. My one real hope was to run most (if not all) of the route and finish before at least one person. I had other minor wishes, like managing to evade side stitches, that I also kept in mind.

I think I spent the first mile convincing myself not to worry about the pace the other runners were setting and to be in the moment, not concentrating on the distance. This was extra challenging since the route started at the HKC and went up Bowers...and I was quickly left behind. However, all that practice with the renegades paid off. I decided to stick to my motto of "my pace and live" rather than trying to maintain someone else's pace and dying. Also, each hill I tackled wasn't really that horrible. I conquered them one by one without walking, even Bowers.

Towards the end I did walk, but that was due to a lot of confusion on my part. As we neared the 4 way stop by the HKC, I thought we were almost done and sprinted, found out I had further to go, relaxed back into my pace, sprinted again thinking I was near the end, realized no, need to go to this next location, got to where we finish, only to find out that I had to run more then come back diagonally to the finish. At this point I walked then went on my merry way. I know that does not make sense in writing...but yeah, that's a glimpse of my confusion. I DID sprint in though (with all I had left)! Ask Andrew, lol. He has pictures to prove it. :-P

Overall, I finished in 32 minutes and some odd seconds (11 or 15...?). I passed probably around 5 people during the course of the race, and my time was under 35 minutes. I think for my first 5K I can call this a success.

P.S. Has anyone else seen the funky gargoyle-monkey statue on Robinson Way? That was bizarre...

P.P.S. Oh, and the run was the Raven Run 5K that Recreational Sports put on for homecoming. Cool, huh?

Running to Run

2008-10-10T11:44:00.005-05:00

This week has been exhausting...and this weekend will be too since Andrew and I are staffing a church retreat. If I did not have my planner, I would be in so much trouble right now trying to keep it all straight.

Even with the planner as a guide, it's been so hard to cram in everything I need to get done. I had to skip running at the park yesterday in favor of running at Pritchett, and that was not even a very long workout since I had to be at my friend Kristina's house by a little after 6:30 to work on a research proposal to be followed by my going to another meeting at 9pm. Before running I had been on campus since around 8am.

Anyway, I hope to run at the park Tuesday at least. I'll really need it then. Maybe then I can start running to go runnning instead of to class or home or my office...

The Avenues Route: 37:01

2008-10-07T20:17:00.003-05:00

I ran the Avenues route in barely less time than September 17th (37:01 instead of 37:08). However, I ran the entire thing, stopping only to cross the streets safely. I even tackled the entire Avenue O hill!

While we did run the entire route, we altered it just a tad by starting at the intersection of 20th Street and N 1/2 since that is close to our house. Other than that, the route was the same as listed on the Seven Hills website.

Since my headphones are still broken and I have not gotten around to purchasing new ones, I had to resort to listening to the limited song menu on my phone (I think I have around 12 songs...maybe). I turned up the volume and stuffed it in my fanny pack. I have not listened to music while running for a while now, so it was a nice treat.

Andrew says he has to wait on me less and less, lol. I guess that offers some hope!

Running is Indeed a Mind Game

2008-10-05T22:35:00.003-05:00

As is typical lately, I am behind on my posts. I ran on Friday half of the half marathon along with Hans, Chris, John, Lavonne, and Andrew. Lavonne had to quit partway through because of her hamstring. I maintained my caboose spot for most of the run, but I kept a consistent speed, tackling the hills and walking as little as possible.

Adrienne cheered us on as we ran down Montgomery. I yelled back to her to join us, but she figured she was not exactly dressed for it, lol. Another friend of mine, Lauren Friede, also cheered me on at one point. Besides these two I had several guys in vehicles yell at me (what, I don't exactly know- hard to hear and didn't really care). Apparently little short blondes running through Huntsville are entertaining. *shrug*

From the four way intersection to the old HKC entrance (adding in the block that takes you to the hill) took me 1 hour and 28 minutes. I guess that's not too terrible for 6.1 miles on that course.

This morning Hans, Phillip, Chris, John, Ron, Aaron, Andrew, and I ran at the park. I'm not sure what route Ron ended up taking, but Aaron ran from the nature center to Amy's Crossing and then back to the little dirt patch at the entrance to the park where his car was waiting. The rest of us ran the outer outer loop (8.5 miles). I completed it in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Just like on Thursday and Friday I kept a steady pace, walked as little as possible, and tackled the hills. One part of the trail was new to me, and wow was that a hard stretch. It involved hill after hill after hill...I bet it would make an awesome descent from the other direction.

Overall I can tell I must be getting better at this, and the more I run, the more I like Adrienne's quote on her blog about running being a mind game. When I was running today, I kept telling myself, if I can convince my body to go up this next hill, just think how easy it will be to convince myself to sit down and work on my thesis later when my brain has to do the work and my body gets to sit in a nice comfy computer chair. :-P

The "Little Engine That Could" Day

2008-10-02T20:24:00.005-05:00

After Tuesday's large crowd, this run was a lot less rowdy. John, Phillip, Hans, Andrew, and I ran the altered renegade route (takes us on the roads and some trails instead of just trails). Phillip and Hans had already run 4 miles before the rest of us got there. Hans is trying to get ready for Marathon to Marathon October 18th and as a result is stuffing in extra miles where he can.

Andrew told me from the beginning that he planned to walk as little as possible and push his limits. With the weather getting cooler, this was actually a feasible goal. I told him to go for it. It's not like I generally keep up with him even when he does walk more. Not that I mind. I see him at the start and at the finish, and if I need him, we have our cell phones.

I actually did really well today. I guess you could say a combination of the weather, a little inspiration from Andrew and also Hans and Phillip, and just all that I have on my mind from grading, working, thesis, etc. helped me keep going. I walked a lot less than I usually do. Granted it was at my plodding pace...but it was a plodding pace I maintained up and over each hill.

When I manage to convince myself to tackle the hills, it's actually a pleasant feeling to reach the top and just cruise back down. I even made it all the way up and over the last hill coming up to the nature center without stopping once, and before that I had not walked since not too far after our bench meeting place.

Oh, and I did not run a race in September as planned. A lock-in I had pretty much wiped out all hope of getting up and running on the 27th. However, I plan to run the Raven Fun Run October 18th, and Andrew and I are thinking of participating in both Rocky Raccoon and Sunmart (I would do the shorter distances while Andrew may run the longer route on at least RR). Both are a bit daunting, but I think with enough training and determination I can do it. Any thoughts from those who have run them?

In summary: "I think I can, I think I can..."

Cool Weather Does Exist

2008-10-02T10:30:00.004-05:00

One way of gauging how busy I am is to see how long after my run I finally post about it here. I ran on Tuesday, and here I am on Thursday finally posting about it. Needless to say, it's been a busy week. Tonight we plan to run again. Perhaps I'll post about it in a more timely fashion.

There was a large group of us running (John, Phillip, Phillip's dog, Hans, Chris. Marisa, Curtis, Lavonne, Andrew, and I...I think that's everyone). We ran the usual route with a little variation. At the bench (past Amy's Crossing) we went left and ran on a mix of trails and road back to the parking lot. This may have caused the route to be a little shorted, but I'm not sure. At any rate, I ran to Amy's Crossing this time instead of taking a right, so I added on a little more than I usually do there.

When we arrived at the park, the cool breeze shocked me. I had become so accustomed to expecting and fighting the heat and humidity, but this was a welcome change. Even at the end when we were all sitting around, I still felt cool. I'm looking forward to more days like that.

Also, for anyone interested, we are running at the park at 6pm today and meeting at the HKC at 5pm tomorrow to run half the half marathon. So come on out!

Runner not a Biker

2008-09-29T08:59:00.003-05:00

Hans, Chris, Marisa, John, Andrew, and I ran half of the Huntsville Half Marathon on Thursday, then yesterday we ran over 6 miles at the park. I was glad the park opened back up since I just prefer it to road running now. It makes the time fly by faster, I don't get daunted by seeing so far ahead of me, and it's prettier.

There was plenty of debri on the trails (small branches and leaves) and many trees that had been cut so as to move them out of the way. At one point, heading to the dam, the overarching branches of thr trees and a fallen tree made for an odd sort of tunnel or cave. I got more than enough exercise darting left and right and up and over. I really would have hated to have biked through that.

One of the reasons I like running better than biking is it's cheaper (an important consideration for a college student) and another is that I think I would be too scared going down and up some of those hills without being able to conveniently just walk or pause for a second. I can see myself barrelling down of one of the hills, hitting a root the wrong way, and me and the bike tumbling in some fancy acrobatic move that should only be done at a circus. I think I'll stick to my own two feet and running shoes.

Half of the Half Marathon

2008-09-22T22:46:00.003-05:00

We ran 1 loop of the Huntsville Half Marathon (so 6.1 miles). That's the farthest I have run on the road...and my legs felt it. It's just not as gentle on them as the trails. However, the state park is closed, so running there is not an option.

Hans, Chris, Andrew, and I were the runners. Hans and Chris carried along spray paint to graffiti local cars and whatnot (kidding). No, they were repainting old markings for the half marathon that will be in October. No bridges or cars or churches were harmed.

It was good to get out and run after not running since Thursday morning. Yay for running shoes.

Rocky Week

2008-09-21T22:39:00.003-05:00

Our last run was Thursday morning before we left for Fort Worth. Aaron, Andrew, and I ran the Huntsville 5K, starting at The Arbors and taking a left down Montgomery. Paul did not run with us since he had stayed up late and was still sleeping. (We had stayed the night at their place since they had electricity and did not mind us sleeping there and using their washer and dryer.) It was a decent run, and we got to see the tons of Entergy and tree cutting vehicles parked at Bowers.

After that we took showers, went back to our place, and started packing. We found out our power had come back on that morning, so we were able to set the temperature at a comfortable level for the cats.

We meant to go running in Fort Worth...but we had left our running shoes. Gah. It was a fun trip (went to see Andrew's cousin and a play in Dallas), but it was not our best in regards to remembering to pack all we needed. There were several other things we forgot. It did not help that as we were leaving town our check engine light came on. We stopped at Firestone and not only delayed leaving by 2 or 3 hours, but got to pay money for them to tell us it was more or less okay and was a random misfire...but we could pay 300 odd dollars for them to replace some things that might fix it. We went with the fill it up and gas cleaner thing you pour in option...which worked. Yay for water in the tank (assume that's what it was).

Overall, I hope this week goes much smoother than this past one.

The Avenues Route in 37:08 Minutes

2008-09-17T10:50:00.005-05:00

I woke up this morning a little after 7am, determined to run. I did my usual morning routine (contacts, brush teeth, get dressed, etc.), grabbed a Gala apple, and was ready to go. Surprisingly, Andrew also tagged along. I say surprisingly mainly because the morning before I had attempted to coax him into coming to no avail. However, this morning he was up and ready.

Our friend Aaron had stayed the night with us and opted to go on a walk back to his apartment at The Arbors while we went on our morning run. He had stayed with us since his roommate is in College Station, and it's a little depressing being home alone with no electricity. Besides, as he told us when he asked, he came bearing a little propane tank with burner, lol.

I decided on the Avenues route yet again (little over 5k). I figured this would be convenient since it started at Pritchett, not too far from our apartment...a long enough light jog or walk there to warm up, stretch, and then begin the course. Also, I thought the numerous hills would be good to get in the habit of running.

With the temperature in the 60s and being in better shape, this run was by far easier than the first time I ran it back when Ken celebrated his streak. While I am not sure how long it took me that first time, today I finished the route in about 37:08 minutes. Andrew stuck with me the whole way, darting ahead only to slow down or wait when he deemed he was too far ahead. He could easily have finished in less time than that.

Our efforts were rewarded by a flashlight-lit, cold shower. It actually wasn't that bad- whether this was because the weather was not that cold or because we had been running, I'm not sure. At any rate, it felt really good to be clean again, cold or not.

Tree Cutters in Huntsville

2008-09-16T11:45:00.003-05:00

I went running this morning a little after 8am. I decided to attempt the Avenues route, assuming the roads I needed were open. I managed to stick to the route until I hit Avenue S. Instead of turning right onto 22nd, I continued down to 20th and took a right there. That led me back to my apartment.

The reason I continued down Avenue S was because 22nd had tree cutters. Technically one lane was open, but they had to pause whenever a car came through, and it did not reassure me to watch a limb drop right over where I would be running. I decided that I would be doing them and me a favor by taking an alternate route.

It was weird seeing so many tree cutters out as well as people in general. Most of the time it seems like everyone is holed away in their respective houses. On the bright side, the weather was in the 60s, a beautiful temperature to run in.

After my run I had the joy of taking a cold shower and eating some pancakes (we used the just add water and shake stuff) Andrew had cooked on the coleman stove.

Yesterday Andrew and I went biking. We biked in the morning about 3 miles and another 6 that evening just around the avenues. It felt good just to get out of the apartment.

That's basically a small update of the last few days. I plan to run again soon so I don't get too horribly out of shape. Plus, my diet has not exactly been all that it should be due to having to eat what we have and can get. Yay for hurricanes...

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-13T19:17:00.003-05:00

While we did not run today, we did go for an hour to hour and a half walk all over Huntsville. Our two friends, Aaron and Paul, came by and knocked on our door. They had walked over from their apartment at The Arbors. Most of the damage appeared to be power lines and trees.

I don't know when we will run next due to power outages and whatnot. More later.

The Avenues Route

2008-09-12T08:23:00.002-05:00

I dragged Andrew and myself out of bed to go running. We left the apartment at about 7:15 this morning. It would have been earlier, but my hubby was not quite so ready as me to get going. I originally wanted to make this a longer run; however, since it was the very hilly avenues course, I don't feel so bad about just completing a 5k and stopping there.

I'm hoping I can run again in the next few days, weather permitting. If not, I guess I will resort to my exercise bike.

Plan B: Neighborhood Jaunt

2008-09-11T21:10:00.003-05:00

Andrew and I had planned on running at the park at 6pm. However, neither of us wanted to venture onto I45, so we settled for a run around the neighborhood. I'm not sure what the distance was- it was over 2 miles I think. We might get up early in the morning and run a longer route then. We're not counting on getting much running done before Monday due to Hurricane Ike.

Leisure Run and Fun

2008-09-08T20:49:00.003-05:00

Andrew and I did go running as planned, and we even dragged our friend Aaron along. He's a triathlon junkie, and as he says himself, running is his weakest sport of the three. We had told him many times before about running on the trails, and now that school has started and he lives up here again, he wanted to come. While we thought we would be saving him 4 dollars by driving him in, we forgot that exit 109 would be closed, so both of us got to expend that much more gas and money getting to the next exit before turning around. Oh well, at least it was still cheaper.

Also, because we did 8 miles yesterday and no one but us three were running, we ran Marisa's course. Aaron stayed somewhere between Andrew and I for the first part of the run. We kept him on track for the most part...there were at least two spots he ran headlong down the wrong trail before realizing he had to turn back. I kept to my happy little slow pace again today, content in just running and walking and enjoying the trails.

My little speedster husby did not get to speed off as much as he would have liked since I was content to be a caboose. He waited for me at the spot where the trail goes left to follow the lake, and then later he came back for me not too long after I had turned left to go away from the lake. Even though I know I slowed him down, it was nice to run together. We would run, walk, pass each other, etc. Most of the time I would speed up and pass him only to be passed a few seconds later. It's nice to have running in common and to enjoy it together...it really is.

Race Suggestions Wanted

2008-09-07T21:50:00.004-05:00

I realized that under my goals I listed I wanted to run a 5k before or during September 08...and it is September already. Clearly I need to do something about this. I brought up the Seven Hills race calendar in hopes of finding a race I could run on one of the weekends I am not busy. Sure enough, the 27th has both the Fall Fun Run and the Race the Woodlands races. Now for my new dilemma- which race? Anyone have any suggestions? They are both 5ks...although the fun run has the added benefit of a shorter drive.

Also, this got me thinking about future races. I am pretty sure I want to participate in the Rocky Raccoon (not sure what distance). However, that's about all I know. Does anyone have any favorite races they have done or ones they know of that look fun? I'd love to work my way up to half marathon or even (vague hope) marathon distance.

Anyway, thanks for any comments I get. I just want to know what races to look into (and any to avoid too).

Longest Run Yet

2008-09-07T15:00:00.003-05:00

John, Phillip, Chris, Marisa, Ron, Andrew, and I ran at the park this morning. We decided to add on a little optional length for those interested which consisted of taking the usual left at Amy's Crossing or running straight past it and turning left at the road. It would add over a mile to the typical 6.2 route. All of us but Ron tried it.

I was a little apprehensive at first since that would definitely be the longest route yet for me, but I was excited too. I was looking forward to stretching my endurance a little, even if it meant going slower and walking more. I figured even if I had to walk the entire road part back, at least I was still moving instead of just stopping at 6.

Really, from the start, I was in a good mood anyway. After all, the weather today was beautiful. It was not as humid, the sun was shining, and there was a pleasant breeze. It was just one of those days when it feels great to be out running. A very nice change from the sweltering heat and humidity.

Towards the end (just past Amy's Crossing) I was concerned that my water bottle was a little low but it lasted the entire run (barely). I really need to fill it up more next time. However, snack-wise I was fine. I had my chocolate curves bar in my pack with my phone and split it with John and Marisa a little after the dam. I carry it, my phone, and a few band-aids with me lately. I think this will likely be a continuing trend since I do not like to drink anything but water while running, but I'm sure snacks will be needed as the runs get longer.

Andrew and I plan to run again tomorrow and Thursday. Because of 6pm night class, Tuesday and Wednesdays are impossible. :-(

Slacking in Running Lately...and Thus Blogging Too

2008-09-04T21:17:00.005-05:00

We went running on Sunday morning at the park (6 miles). This was after not having ran since I think that Monday...then this Monday we went for a 30-40 minute walk ending at the duck pond, read a little while, then walked home. Later that evening we ran at the park, but we only ran to the road before taking a right to cut it short back to the parking lot. Andrew had a meeting at 7pm he had to get to, and as it was he was a little late.

Then today we had planned to run at the park, but we went with our friend Kristina to a screening of the movie Choke. We just found out about it today. It was free to attend, it was something Andrew had wanted to see, and Kristina did not want to go alone. It was an interesting and bizarre movie. Since it started at 7:30, we settled for a run around the neighborhood. However, we will be at the park Sunday morning.
And speaking of Sundays, this past Sunday I saw my first snake at the park. It was a rat snake over by Amy's Crossing. On Monday I guess I could have seen my second snake, but by the time I reached the group gazing down and rustling the brush looking for the baby snake, I guess it had slithered off.

Okay, and that is pretty much the update. I plan to work on trying to incorporate a little more running (and thus blogging) into my schedule soon now that I am in my second week of classes. Yay!

First Day of Classes

2008-08-25T23:25:00.003-05:00

We went running this past Thursday. It was basically the same weather as we had for Tuesday's run. I think Hans, John, Marisa, Chris, Phillip, Andrew and I were the runners.

For today we had planned on running at 6pm. However, we took a nap and woke up at 5:58pm. We didn't have anyone's cell phone number, so we hurried to the park and ran the route backward. We made it to the 1/10 of a mile inner trail or shortcut by Amy's Crossing and had run down it partway when we saw Phillip. Shortly after that we saw Marisa and Hans. Overall it ended up being a 32 minute run. Not as good as the usual hour, but anything is better than just staying home on the couch or something.

Also, since it was the first day of classes and we had to wake up early, it was no wonder we took a nap. Andrew is teaching a 164 English composition class MWF 8-9am.

Running After the Rain

2008-08-19T21:02:00.004-05:00

Hans, Chris, Marisa, John, Phillip, Andrew, and I ran the usual route. The temperature was nice and the humidity actually didn't bother me that much. It had to have been fairly high though since it was raining a good portion of today. In fact, I was worried we might run because of it.

I almost did not run for another reason which was this afternoon I was so exhausted. I took probably a 20 or 30 minute nap until around 5:20pm. I knew I could not sleep any longer if I wanted to run, but if I had not taken the nap, I still might not have ran.

While running the trails, I stretched out my pace again, really lengthening my stride. I walking more as a result, but that's okay for now. It felt good to keep up and just be running. There was the extra challenge of mud and puddles, so I had to be more careful. I did not even think about running the bridge since it was glistening from all the rain water.

Near the end we actually saw a hog dart off through the trees. I guess we spooked it. I didn't see much of it, and it was more of a dark shape briefly in my field of vision than anything I could identify. I thought it was a deer at first.

Basically today was a good run, and I plan to run again on Thursday, weather and other circumstances permitting.

Ugh...Bumming It

2008-08-18T21:48:00.003-05:00

Yep, that's right- I did nothing in the way of exercise today, unless you count walking to and around campus. I had training for the writing center from 9-4pm, some reading, and other chores (like cooking dinner). I'm hoping to be a little more productive tomorrow evening (exercise-wise I mean) by running at the park.

More About Camping

2008-08-17T21:47:00.006-05:00

Camping was a lot of fun. While Friday night was a little hot, Saturday night was actually a little chilly. I slept better then which was likely due to the lower temperature and it being the second night. On Saturday Katie and I rode our bikes to the swimming area and back (approx. 5 miles or so according to the odometer on my bike). I also went kayaking with Liz, kayaking with Andrew, and swimming at the swimming hole. Andrew went biking (on the trails), kayaking, and swimming. It was very eventful...pretty much everything we would normally do on a longer trip all crammed into one day. No wonder we're exhausted!

We did not go running this morning (although I would have liked to and did think about it). This was partly due to us just finishing up breakfast and all the packing up to go home. Hans came over to say hi at 9:20ish and ask if we were running and for breakfast. :-P :-) He mentioned they might take an alternate route past Amy's Crossing and stop by our camp. I had my eye out to see if they would after I saw everyone run over the dam at around 10:30ish (we could see the dam from our site). No one did...likely because Hans passed on the word that we were indeed not providing breakfast for all. ;-) lol

However, as we were driving out with our extra passenger Liz (we were giving her a ride out of the park), we took a detour to say hi to all the runners still parked and chatting after the run.

Anyway, that's basically the weekend. Now time for some much needed sleep!

Camping

2008-08-15T15:23:00.001-05:00

Apparently we will be at campsites 70 and 71 this weekend.

I hope the rain clears up soon.

Changing My Stride

2008-08-14T19:38:00.005-05:00

Hans, Chris, Phillip, Marisa, and I ran at the park at 6pm. Andrew stayed home since he is still sick. He's hoping to be recovered by tomorrow since we are camping at the park Friday to Sunday. Because we are camping, we may or may not make the run on Sunday. However, I'll try to post where we are if any of you Sunday runners want to stop by and say hi.

The group we are camping with are college friends of ours. In fact, we were in one couple's wedding a few years ago. Normally we try to make one big camping trip during the summer to somewhere further away, but what with all that was going on we decided on a shorter and closer trip. At any rate, it's still camping and a chance to hang out.

The run today was hot and humid as usual. I kept up fairly well this time by lengthening my stride. I could feel the difference from my usual pace. I'm hoping that if I can keep this up, eventually it will get easier and I will be able to maintain that pace for a longer duration. No horseflies, armadillos, or deer were in sight or hearing. I guess it was too hot for them...

Oh, and thanks to Marisa and a stick she stepped on, I have a scratch behind my right knee and a mark on my left calf. We were walking next to each other when I hear this loud snap and feel a twinge of pain on my legs. Apparently even walking on the trails is brutal! :-P :-)

Large Update

2008-08-14T12:51:00.003-05:00

Below is some short blurbs of what exercise I have done lately interspersed with other news.

My parents came into town this weekend, and we all went out to eat at Babin's Seafood House to celebrate my mom, dad, and brother's birthdays as well as my parents anniversaries (yep, all this month). We left them roaming around Huntsville while Andrew and I went running Sunday morning. It ended up being a little over 6 miles I think. It was a bad run for me. I was not keeping up as much as a I would have liked and actually felt a little lightheaded at one point.

The thinner socks seemed to help, but I am not sure if that is simply because I was not running as hard on Sunday. I'm going to try it a few more times before deciding that was the problem.

I also got two new gray workout shirts at Academy. They were under armour and on sale for 10 dollars. My brother and Andrew were irritated because apparently the guy's section never has sales like that.

On Monday I went shopping with Becky and her mother-in-law. We went to the outlet mall in Tomball and got in about 5 hours of walking. Later that evening Becky and I went walking around her neighborhood for an additional hour.

Tuesday's workout consisted of leisurely riding my exercise bike for an hour on two separate occasions while watching Heroes. Andrew started coming down with a chest cold earlier in the day and a fever by that evening which is why we didn't go running.

Yesterday I left the house to walk to Pritchett. I ran a mile, then walked a lap, ran a lap, walked a lap, ran a 2nd lap, walked a lap, ran a 3rd lap, walked a lap, ran a 4th lap, walked a lap, then walked home. My headphones died out about halfway through this. I had noticed when I left the apartment the cord had some chew marks on it and they would only play out of one ear...then not at all. I think Sunshine played with them when I wasn't looking.

Anyway, those are the main highlights...for now. More later.

Blisters

2008-08-07T20:43:00.004-05:00

John, Hans, Phillip, Marisa, Andrew, and I ran the renegade route at the park. Curtis ran too, but I am not sure what he ran. It was hot and humid as always. There was some debris on the trails, but it was not as bad as Marisa's course yesterday. I'm not sure if that is because it just was not as bad or someone came through and cleaned it up a little. It was not too bad a run for the most part.

Unfortunately, I think I either need bigger shoes, thinner socks, trail shoes, or callused toes. After the run today I took off my shoes and noticed I had a blister on the end of both second toes. I had noticed my toes felt like they had been rubbing the end of the shoe lately. I have what Andrew calls monkey toes which means my toes are long and the second toes are the longest. However, I haven't had a problem until recently, and I am wondering if the thicker socks I am using are partly to blame.

I'm going to try running Sunday with my older thinner socks and see if that makes a difference. I hope it does because I don't really have enough mileage on my shoes to justify a change yet. Although really I would love to get some trail shoes so that I could run in them at the park and use these for the roads. Oh well- as one of my old teachers used to say, "If wishes were horses, the beggars would ride." For now that will have to remain a wish because shoes are just too expensive.

My wish list has changed to include either the Garmin forerunner 205 or 305. I'm torn between these two models because while the 205 includes distance liked I wanted, it does not include a heart rate monitor function. The heart rate monitor aspect is why I started looking at these gadgets in the first place, so it seems silly to get something without it. However, the Garmin 205 looks to be about $140 while the 305 is around $200. That's a lot of money. Regardless, it's not something I have to decide on immediately since I have to wait to be able to afford either of them.

My parents are coming into town this weekend to visit us and my brother and to celebrate the myriad of special dates this month. My mom, dad, and brother all have their birthdays this month, my parent's anniversary is this month, and I am the oddball born in October. Andrew and I still plan to go running Sunday morning, and we may talk them into coming out to the park with us and walking or biking while we run. Otherwise, they might just lounge at our apartment until we get back. I guess I'll see what happens then.

Playful Run

2008-08-06T21:55:00.003-05:00

Andrew and I drove out to Huntsville State Park today. Since no one else was there, we decided to run Marisa's course. The run turned into a combination of some longer running, hiking, short bursts of speed running (when the mood struck us), and a bit of kickball from kicking stray limbs off the trail. There were plenty of smaller limbs and a few large ones as a result of the weather from the last few days. I tried to kick to the side or pick up some of them at least. The extra debris caused us to weave our way along more than usual. Also, while the temperature was fine, the humidity was awful.

The run was fairly uneventful. However, when we arrived home Andrew discovered the necessity of spraying down well with bug spray. He took off his socks and noticed these little black things on his feet. Basically, they were chiggers (which in my opinion rank right up there with horseflies as something to avoid). After dealing with them myself a few times in the past, I tend to spray plenty on my legs and around my ankles. I'm sure Andrew will be more meticulous too from now on.

Yesterday I did not go running because of the rain and to give my body a break after the running on Sunday and Monday. Instead I opted for an hour and half on my exercise bike while watching a movie. Normally my Tuesday night excuse is that I have night class, but it was canceled due to the University Center closing (because of the weather).

That's pretty much it for now. Time for some more studying and sleep.

Monday Treat

2008-08-04T18:26:00.004-05:00

I treated myself to a nice, air conditioned, flat surface, ipod listening run at the HKC indoor track today. Andrew and I walked over there from our apartment. I ran a leisurely paced 3 miles (about 35 minutes of running) followed by a 400 meter cool down. Katie McKee showed up as I was starting my 7th lap (at the indoor track, 8 laps equals a mile) and we ran together for a few laps before she branched off onto her own workout.

After the 3 miles (which I ran straight, yay!), I debated whether I should stop there. I felt good, but I had already done a longer run yesterday morning at the park. However, I really wanted to see if my mile time had improved since the last time I timed it there. Besides, I figured I could always change my mind mid-run and slow it down if need be or walk.

I set my watch and started my last mile, this time pushing my pace a bit to see what kind of time I could get, particularly on the last 400m. It felt really good to stretch my legs out like that. And with the air conditioning, I actually felt cool and maybe even a little cold (a rare experience considering the Texas heat and humidity I've been facing all summer).

I finished the mile in 9 minutes and 37 seconds. I know this time is by no means outstanding, but I am proud of it. I mean hey, this was after having ran 3 miles. If nothing else, I can look at that and see how much I have improved. In the past I could not have ran 3 miles, much less an extra mile after that under ten minutes too.

I finished my workout with a 400m walk on the track before walking home with Andrew. Overall it was a successful run, but I look forward to getting back on the trails later this week.

In other news, it's my younger brother's 22nd birthday today, so Andrew and I are taking him to Texas Roadhouse. Happy birthday Kevin!

Note: July 14, 2008 was when I ran 3 separate miles and timed myself. My fastest time was my first mile at 10:58...definite improvement.

Sunday Long Run

2008-08-03T21:25:00.002-05:00

John, Chris, Hans, Phillip, Marisa, and I tackled a longer course for this morning's run (typical for Sundays lately). It ended up being about 6.2 or so miles. Overall, it was a good run. There were an insane number of bikers out today to the point where Hans had to move his car over so I could fit my car into a spot (so I was parked half in a spot and half in the striped space). Andrew was absent since he overindulged at Kristina and David's Bachelor/ette party that we hosted last night. He had a lovely hangover and chose to stay in bed.

I was glad today's run went well since during my last trail run on Wednesday I was miserable. I walked way more than usual. I think a combination of eating too much before running, experimenting with carrying powerade instead of water (bad idea), and the heat just did me in. *shrug* At any rate, I guess there has to be some bad runs for everyone.

We were in San Antonio Thursday to Saturday visiting relatives. While there I only ran a mile through their neighborhood Friday morning. However, we went walking throughout our stay. I think Thursday night we walked a mile with his Aunt and Uncle, Friday night two miles with his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin Mark, and just Andrew and I for one mile on Saturday morning.

In other news, I am glad we went running this morning. The weather this afternoon and evening has been so rainy and windy. Our electricity was out at one point.

Lazy Day

2008-07-29T08:08:00.002-05:00

Andrew and I went to the state park yesterday to run. We had not heard that anyone else was coming, so we waited until about 5:58 and then went in. We did see Josh, but I think he took the usual route. Andrew and I decided to vary it a bit and went up to Amy's Crossing, then took a left, then another left to go down the shortcut and back up the same trail to the car. Because I wanted to get an hour workout in, we passed the car and walked and ran a ways down to the picnic area before turning around and making our way back. Overall it was a lazy kind of run.

South Texas

2008-07-28T08:54:00.007-05:00

We never made it to Goliad State Park to go running. However, Friday my mom and I went bike riding about 6.2 miles, Saturday Andrew and I went running down the road and back, and Sunday morning I worked out on the elliptical for an hour. Then when we got back out to Huntsville (still Sunday) I worked out on my own exercise bike another hour.

The wedding was Saturday and was so much fun. I saw a handful of people I had graduated with, some former teachers of mine, and of course my friend who was the bride. It was a large wedding (maybe 400 or so...?). The ceremony started a little after 3 and we left the reception at around 10:20 that night. We participated in the grand march which was fun and dancing in general. Andrew had a good laugh when I screwed up.

While home I also went shopping in Victoria, visited my grandparents, and rode my parents' four wheeler.

Oh, and Andrew and I both have bikes now along with a bike rack for taking them with us if we want. My parents both got nice, new, custom bikes and passed down their old ones to us. Their old bikes are fine with me though, especially since I do not have a few hundred lying around to purchase a new bike anyway. I figure they will be great to ride around town and for us to do a little cross training.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Renegade Route

2008-07-24T13:35:00.005-05:00

Yesterday John, Hans, Ken, Amy, Josh, and I ran what I have decided to call the renegade route at the park since I am not sure it has a name other than the 4 or 5 mile route. Andrew opted out of coming due to a headache.

The trail was pretty as usual, the temperature was surprisingly cool (due to the rain), and it was almost unbearably humid (once again due to the rain). Despite that I persevered and managed to run the first part to the road without any walking breaks. I even picked up my pace at a few spots after the road and kept up with Hans and John more. I'm still taking the shortcut before Amy's Crossing, but maybe I'll add in that extra tenth soon...maybe. Also, the wildlife was especially fond of Hans. Two armadillos at two different locations and a few deer all decided to startle him on the trail past Amy's Crossing and the bench.

I continue to carry my ipod with me when I run the trails, but I can't remember when was the last time I used it. It's more like a blankie I guess- there for security. I am working on not needing it at all so that if/when I enter a race I can do without. Plus, I feel like I focus a little more on what I am doing which is great since the terrain is rough and the wildlife is so friendly.

However, listening to the ipod has been great for running on the track at the HKC. Then it's almost like a treat- music, air conditioning, flatness, the appearance I am doing more than I am since it is only 200 meters for a lap...yep, it's like ice cream, lol. The trail runs are more like a sandwich- necessary, more to them...(note to self: blogging when hungry is bad, bad, bad...).

In other news, I'll be going home for a wedding this weekend. We might run at the state park there or around my parent's property. I'll type more on all that later.

Church of the Whispering Pines

2008-07-21T12:58:00.007-05:00

So the "sermon" yesterday ended up being 5.9 miles long. I made it through the whole thing, alternating between running and walking. Hans, Philip, John, Marisa, and I ran the 5.9 route while Andrew and Chris added onto the route at two different points.

Because Andrew split off with Chris, he missed out on the closed trail experience. :-P Not only were we watching for roots as usual but there was the added pleasantry of brushing between plants that intruded onto the trail and the ups and downs of running in what I guess could best be termed a gully or ditch. It definitely served to keep my mind off of how long I was running or how much effort I was exerting. We eventually got back onto open trails after about a mile or so.

This was also my first time walking on the dam. It was really pretty and very hot without the shade from the trees. Andrew jogged across because as pale as he is he could already feel himself burning. I thought I would take the chance to rest and look around since I don't burn quite so easily.

Hans and I tried to take the "shortcut" to get off the dam (a dirt path that was less steep than going down the concrete) but we had to wade through an inch of water to get back on the beaten path. The other runners who had already crossed tried to tell us to go back (the water looked deeper from their vantage point) but we went across anyway.

I have moved the Garmin forerunner 205 (or something similar) to my running related wish list. For a while I have wanted a heart rate monitor (nothing too fancy really). However, I like the idea of accurately tracking my distance and seeing the route on the screen in addition to tracking my heart rate. And since apparently it is possible to get one for under 2o0 (watch with the heart rate monitor strap) it might not be so far off a wish as I originally thought. In fact, maybe I will be able to get one this semster, lol.

I'm thinking today I might run a light mile or two at one of the tracks or around the neighborhood. I don't want to do too much after yesterday but there's no way I'll have time to run tomorrow.

Crazy Weekend

2008-07-19T21:22:00.003-05:00

Today was a loony day and not because of running. In fact, we did not run today or yesterday since tomorrow's Church of the Whispering Pines "sermon" will be a lengthy one (6 or 7 miles worth), and we figured it wouldn't hurt to rest up a little. No, today was loony because of cell phones. To make a long story short, Andrew and I are now with verizon instead of cingular/at&t and have spiffy new phones.

We also went to eat at Giovanni's which only perpetuated the craziness. They were super busy and as a result Andrew got his fettuchini without the chicken (they brought out the chicken a little later) and supposedly someone else got my baked ziti which is why took a little while and so on...but the food was still good and honestly I was just glad to be eating Italian. It was also nice to see them busy since we would like the place to stick around for a while. Our waiter was great about everything, and when I had commented on not having ricotta cheese on my meal they brought out extra.

Oh, and we went to see The Dark Knight at the drive in theater in Tomball with Becky and Brandon Friday night. It was a lot of fun...although i still can't believe parents brought their under the age of 5 years old children to it (the movie did not start until 9pm, was about 2 hours long, and was far too creepy for that age)!

The End of a Two Day Streak

2008-07-17T22:16:00.002-05:00

We did the usual 4 or 4.5 mile route at the park. Tonight it was just me, Andrew, Chris, Hans, and John. I plan to rest the next few days since we are running a longer run on Sunday morning.

The Usual...As Usual

2008-07-16T23:01:00.002-05:00

Andrew and I ran the usual 4 or 4.5 mile run at the park today. Hans, Ken, Amy, and Jon also ran. Katie came out again but only had time to run to the road before she had to get going. It was a good run overall.

I Can Do This!

2008-07-14T19:51:00.004-05:00

Katie and I went running on the HKC's indoor track today. The plan had originally been to run at Pritchett, or if it was too muddy to run one of the 5k courses, but the rain forced us indoors. I'm not sure exactly what Katie's workout consisted of (she varied it from mine) but I basically ran 3 miles with walking breaks in between. Below is a break down of my workout.

400 meter warm up walk
1 mile: ran between my relaxed and my pushing it pace (time: 10:58)
400 meter walk
1 mile: relaxed run 400 meters, pushing it for 400 meters, repeat (time: 11:09)
400 meter walk
1 mile: relaxed run 200 meters, push it for 200 meters, repeat (time: 11:19)
400 meter cool down walk

I seemed to be running a pretty consistent mile time for each. I'm hoping that eventually I can repeat this workout and see an improvement. At any rate, it's a decent start.

I told Andrew earlier how amazing it is to be able to say I ran three miles...and not only that, but also not be falling down exhausted. I can do it. My body knows I can do it-but my mind...it's still working on understanding this. I guess I just need to reflect on Adrienne's blog title thing a bit more, lol. The thing about running being a mind game is so true. I find that once I get going it's not so bad and it's even better if I can just forget what my legs are doing except for the occasional posture check. I'm excited about getting to the point where I can run faster and longer. I can do this!

Marisa's Course

2008-07-14T08:33:00.004-05:00

The weekend was fun but busy. We went out of town for a wedding in Houston and ended up staying with Andrew's family an extra night. Saturday evening we went to Kemah to walk on the boardwalk with some friends who had also been at the wedding. It's crazy how much is out there and the number of people walking around. Parking was horrible. We parked in the overflow parking and enjoyed a nice extra bit of walking rather than stalking people to their cars in hopes of them leaving, paying 6 bucks for a closer spot, or pulling our hair out in frustration.

As a result though, we didn't make it back in time for the usual morning run. But we still ran that evening. In fact, we decided to try out the course known as Marisa's course on the Seven Hills website. Before that we had only run the 4 mile route and out to Amy's crossing and back at the state park so it was great to check out a different trail.

It was pretty running on the part that is alongside the lake, and I could see why they did not want bikers on that trail. There were so many long and short bridges set up and some of them with quite steep inclines. I actually did not see any wildlife, just two guys fishing. Andrew was momentarily startled by something rustling very close to him and as a result startled me running about 10 or more feet behind him.

Oh, and I ran the whole course, no walking breaks. It took me about 47.63 according to my timer on my watch. Not too bad I guess considering it was outside and it was over 3 miles. Andrew says it is a 3.5 mile course. That's another goal down at any rate. :-)

We also ran (or "swam") this past Thursday the usual 4 mile route.

Trail Run...or "Swim"

2008-07-09T20:09:00.006-05:00

We ran Monday and today at the park. However, today felt more like swimming than running. The temperature wasn't bad...just the humidity. It felt so good to take a shower after that.

Also, my friend Katie joined the usual group of us on today's run. She did well for her first time out, keeping between me and Ken the whole way. An armadillo even walked out onto the outskirts of the trail to say hi, but neither of us saw it until we were almost past it. It makes the run that much more entertaining when random wildlife (snakes and hogs not included) appear.

In other news, summer 2 is off to a good start. And on that note, back to studying...or at least attempting to. :-P

Who Needs R&R?

2008-07-06T12:06:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a busy day. Not only did we run 2 miles (prior route backwards) but I also went shopping in San Marcos with Andrew's mom and aunt. That was crazy...it seemed like everyone else had had the same idea. One of the shopping outlets was so packed we had to park behind the center. It reminded me of trying to park on campus just before class starts...and made me appreciate again living close enough to walk to class. I would not be surprised if there was at least one fender bender in that lot yesterday. I'd much rather walk a little farther than drive around for 30 minutes stalking people walking to their car.

The day ended with some swimming and another walk. The swimming consisted of me sitting in the hot tub watching Andrew and his brothers splash, attack, and just goof off in the pool. I tried to stay out of the war zone. :-P Meanwhile Shiloh (their small dog) kept running around the pool licking water off of anyone within reach.

Then this morning we went for a walk through the neighborhood and onto the nature trail. Andrew and I woke up later than planned (8 instead of 7:40) and so had to catch up to everyone else. The nature trail consisted of a paved walk in a figure eight formation through the brush. No roots and few hills. We did see a deer though.

While we have gotten some rest and relaxation, it's been more of a break from attending class than anything else...and a break from Huntsville. Not that I don't like Huntsville-but it's nice to get away. Yay for breaks!

Oh! And I ran the two miles in about 24 minutes. Hills and all.

Visiting Family and Running

2008-07-04T09:56:00.005-05:00

This morning was great. I woke up, put on my running gear, grabbed an apple for breakfast, and went for a two mile run with Andrew in a very hilly and pretty neighborhood in San Antonio. It took us a little under 30 minutes, and then we came back for some muffins Andrew's aunt had made (blueberry, yum). We saw countless walkers and dog walkers along with the occasional runner.

As usual Andrew left me in the dust which was fine with me. Also, I walked none of the route, yay! Who knows, maybe I will be running 3 miles straight soon despite hills.

Happy July 4th everyone!

The Usual

2008-07-02T23:14:00.003-05:00

We went running at the state park again today and overall it was a pleasant run. No wildlife sightings other than ourselves. :-P

In other news, summer 1 session is over and the summer 2 session starts on Tuesday.

That's it-now, time for some sleep...

TWO Goals Down...

2008-06-30T18:17:00.005-05:00

I achieved TWO of my goals today!

*running 3 miles straight
*running for 30 minutes straight

After my pilates class I went upstairs to the indoor track. I decided to do something similar to this past Wednesday. After a warm up walk of 200m I set to running. The first mile was a 1-1 rotation (1 normal pace, 1 pushing it, repeat) followed by 2-2 (2 normal, 2 pushing it, repeat) for mile 2 then another 1-1 for mile 3. The 3rd mile was a spur of the moment let me see if I can do it decision. Of course now I am kicking myself because I should have gone that extra .1 to have made it a 5k...oh well, I'm sure I can achieve that next time.

Before starting this I had set my watch to what I thought was 20 minutes (I had had a vague idea of at least running that long) but had in actuality set it to 20 hours. Smart, I know. At any rate, it allowed me to figure out that I had done my 3 miles in 35 minutes. Not too shabby.

Now another goal I need to add is 3 miles straight OUTSIDE. With hills. And heat. And humidity. And horseflies. Lol Bring it on!

Humid and Hot

2008-06-29T14:41:00.003-05:00

Not too much to say today. Hard run with the humidity and heat with more walking than I would have liked. The run was at the park as usual, and we plan to go running there again on Wednesday. Also, saw a deer, no armadillos, and only the buzz of a horsefly. Really appreciating the bug spray and running gear I have.

The Armadillos and Horseflies Sanctuary (AKA Huntsville State Park)

2008-06-26T20:29:00.005-05:00

As usual I saw an armadillo on the trail today. Oh, and I had to run away from a horsefly. Those things are great little coaches- if I feel like slowing down and one of them is around, I force myself to keep going while simultaneously trying to swat at it. Sort of a full body workout. :-P And actually, the armadillos are useful too...great for testing your reaction time and startle response. What more could you want in a run?

I wasn't sure we would be running at the park considering the rain that has been on and off all day. Luckily it stayed dry for the entire hour of the run. While it was quite humid from the rain, the temperature was really nice.

I left my ipod in the trunk since I did not want to risk it getting wet if it did start to rain while on the trail. I am slowly weaning myself off my dependence on it...I concentrated on my breathing when it got tough instead.

I also pushed myself a little harder on this run. I ran the first mile and a half as usual and then started my walks...but they were fewer and farther between. Yay for improvements!

A Change of Scenery

2008-06-25T18:09:00.002-05:00

I went to pilates from 4-5pm today and then Andrew met me at the HKC's indoor track to get in some running. I decided I wanted to try a little speedwork...or at least some version of it. What I came up with was running at my normal speed for a lap, picking it up for a lap, slowing it down again for another, picking it back up for the next, etc. for the first two miles. Since the indoor track takes 8 laps to equal a mile, my change ups were basically every 200 meters. I then walked two laps (a 400) and did 1 last mile in the same format with my friend Katie and ended it with another 2 lap cool down.

Overall it felt really good. After the toughness of the humidity, heat, hills, and roots, the combination of the air conditioning, the flatness, and the sense of accomplishment of finishing a lap so quickly (or at least the appearance of) were welcome sensations. Not that I am by any means confining all my running to the track now-but it is a nice change on occasion.

It was also nice to just listen to my ipod for the first two miles and chat with Katie for the last one. As usual Andrew pretty much smoked me...that's okay though- I'll be able to keep up with him eventually. :-P :-)

One Whole Year Already...

2008-06-23T22:03:00.006-05:00

Today was our one year wedding anniversary. To celebrate, we went running at the state park with fellow seven hills members and renegades followed by dinner for two at Giovanni's. Andrew bought me a dozen roses which so far the cats have not "pruned". Before running at 5:30pm I did pilates from 4-5. Between pilates today and running yesterday this run was a little more difficult, but I got through it. I think I am getting better at getting through it with less walking.

We also ate some of our year old cake top. We peeled back the fondant icing to get to the cake part. While I don't mind trying the cake, I do not have the same opinion regarding the icing. Surprisingly the cake tasted fine.

Here are some anniversary pictures for your amusement:

Reading the note Andrew wrote to go with the flowers. We also wrote each other separate letters as "paper" gifts which we exhanged and read later in the evening.
This was taken at Giovanni's after gorging ourselves on their really good food.
This is the top of our cake, the flowers Andrew gave me, and the letters. Pretty huh?
And eating cake...we scraped all the icing off. Yay cake. Yum.
So Andrew decided to grab an especially large piece and try to shove it in my face. He's so sweet...right. Oh well, makes for an entertaining picture. Notice the piece I am giving him is tiny as requested.

Change of Plans

2008-06-22T11:27:00.003-05:00

So I have pretty much quit the couch to 5k plan in favor of the run/walk longer distance plan I have been abiding by more and more lately. I plan to try this out for a while and see how it goes. I stopped following it closely after week 7 day 2. All I had left was one day of 25 minutes straight followed by 3 days of 28 minutes and 3 days of 30 minutes. The problem is this plan is designed for me to do that certain number of minutes and then be done...but I really enjoy the longer route at the park. There's no way I can finish the entire thing in 30 minutes, so I figure my compromise of pushing myself to go farther but with more walking to take the distance is building my endurance up more. Besides, I want to move beyond running only a straight 30 minutes and perhaps this way I can do it more efficiently...or at least make it more enjoyable.

We went out to the Huntsville State Park today which is quickly becoming a Sunday tradition. The first part of the route I ran completely in about 15 minutes (I think the distance is about a mile and a half) followed by run/walking the rest. Once again I brought along my ipod for those moments when I needed a little extra motivation. I only almost fell about three times today. No armadillos on the trails but plenty of bikers and a few hikers. Following the run I drank my 12 oz. powerade as usual. That's pretty much the extent of the run this morning. Andrew and I plan to go again tomorrow. After all, what better way to celebrate a year of marriage than running together? lol

Another Day, Another Run

2008-06-19T20:26:00.004-05:00

Andrew and I went for another run with some of the Renegades at the Huntsville State Park at 5:30. The weather was surprisingly nice-a bit of a breeze without the sun beating down too heavily on us. I brought along my ipod for those moments when I needed a little extra motivation and distraction. I was a little worried about running today after running yesterday, but it ended up not being an issue. My body was probably just so glad I didn't have a hill like Avenue O on the trail. :-P

Overall I think it was a 4 mile trek. I managed to run the first 15 minutes without stopping and then alternated between running and walking the rest. I think I tripped on roots about 4 times, but I managing to catch myself and keep going. I also did a nice little dance with a branch at one point that wanted to run along with me. I'm hoping maybe the core training I have been doing is paying off and is why I did not crash to the ground.

I think I am going to try to find some decent pilates workout videos I can do at home for when I do not have time to go to the HKC for the class and for during the break between summer 1 and summer 2. Anyone have any suggestions?

The Avenues

2008-06-18T21:42:00.004-05:00

We went running tonight with other Seven Hills Running members in commemoration of Ken's 2,000th day of his streak. It was the first time I had ever done the avenues route. I knew to expect hills since, after all, we are in Huntsville. Also, Andrew had run the route before and told me about it. It was definitely a challenge, especially tackling Avenue O.

I managed to bring up the rear as the caboose, jogging most of the 5k with walking spats here and there. I don't mind being the last person except I worry that I am slowing everyone else down. I can't wait for when my endurance level is built up a bit more and I can run longer and at a better pace. That's my goal. I guess my more concrete goal though is to be able to race a 5k by September. That gives me enough time to train, right? This week is my 8th week running.

I did end up walking earlier than I would have liked when I got a side stitch on my right side. Unfortunately trying to keep running and ignore it did not work very well, but at least it did go away eventually. I would have hated it if it had stuck with me for the rest of the run.

Overall, it was a fun run and it was great meeting more club members tonight. I look forward to other Seven Hills events. And the spaghetti dinner was very nice too. :-)

Also, I went to pilates from 4-5 today but skipped out on power yoga since I was going running. I was not sure my body would allow me to do two classes back to back followed by an hour rest and then a 5k. I decided not to find out.

Pushing my Distance Run/Walk Style

2008-06-16T15:04:00.004-05:00

Little sore today. While I meant to finish week 7 day 3 yesterday (running 25 minutes straight) I kind of made a substitution. Andrew and I decided to go running at the state park with some Seven Hills Running Club members instead of just running a route in the avenues. All in all it ended up being a 4 or 5 mile run/walk. I think I ran the first 15 minutes straight at least and after that went into run/walk mode. Overall it was a lot of fun, and we plan to do it again on Thursday. I really appreciated my new water bottle and my running clothes!

As for today, it is back to pilates and yoga. I may run tomorrow or declare it a rest day since I have a test to continue studying for in addition to reading for class. Tuesdays tend to be my longest days since I have a four hour night class along with my M-F 10-12 class and the statistics lab M-Th from 12 to (at the latest) 3.

Running Gear

2008-06-14T17:42:00.006-05:00

Between Academy and Luke's Locker, I now have more running gear besides my shoes. I got two shirts, a pair of shorts, a sports bra, a water bottle I can carry while running, and a pack to have on my waist for my phone and keys. Overall, a pricey but well worth it shopping trip. Luckily both of my shirts were on sale, so that cut the cost a little. Andrew also got a pair of shorts and a shirt. We are looking forward to a run tomorrow morning to test out some of the new gear...and beat the heat!

Here are a few pictures of what I bought today...yay, no cotton!

Tough Run But Got Through It

2008-06-13T19:58:00.004-05:00

Today's jog was tough. I went to the Hunstville State Park with Andrew and Adrienne as planned for a 6:30pm run, same route as last time. I think a combination of it being the end of the week, eating a little too much before the run, the humidity, and the increase in my exercise program with the yoga and pilates was what did me in. Granted, I still finished the entire 25 minutes (week 7 day 2), but it was harder to keep going. I didn't add on any extra time like I did this past Sunday nor feel quite as good finishing. I was able to increase my pace in the last minute which I did enjoy. All in all though, I think I ended up running about 2 miles though despite everything and am thrilled about that. I'm hoping Sunday's run will be better.

Oh, I also learned today that horseflies are evil little things. There I was, doing my cool down walk, when this small black thing dives for and lands on my leg. I brush it off and keep walking, only to have it dive bomb the other leg. This repeats another time with it actually landing on my leg and taking a tiny munch which definitely got my attention. Yet again I swatted it off, attempted to step on it, and ended up having to just give in and run away from it...so I guess technically I did over my 25 minutes today, thanks to the little vampire in the park. Yay for wildlife!

And for anyone reading this...any suggestions for playlists to listen to while running? I'm thinking of adding some more songs to my ipod soon. All for now!

Workout Schedule and Plans

2008-06-12T19:47:00.006-05:00

This was my workout schedule for earlier this week and today:

Sunday: C25K Week 6 Day 3 (25-27 minute jog...approximately 2 or 2 1/2 miles)
Monday: pilates 4-5pm; power yoga 6-7pm
Tuesday: C25K Week 7 Day 1 (another 25 minute jog...approximately 2.15 miles)
Wednesday pilates 4-5pm; power yoga 5-6pm
Today (Thursday): yoga 5-6pm

I'm hoping the weather is nice tomorrow so I can complete Week 7 Day 2 (25 minute jog) at the Huntsville State Park with Andrew and Adrienne. That's where I completed my Sunday run, and I really enjoyed it. I managed to keep my usual steady pace, increase on the last minute, and even continue for a minute or so more at that increased pace before I decided I should probably move into my cool down walk and not push myself too far. In reality it was more like a 26 or 27 minute jog which is great because week 8 will be 28 minute runs...and if I could almost do it on Sunday, I feel confident that I will be able to this next week.

In regards to the state park, we are likely going to purchase a pass tomorrow. At 4 dollars a person for the daily entrance fee, that can really add up, especially if we make a point to keep jogging there regularly. On the bright side, apparently once we have a pass anyone in the car with us gets in free too...which will make that 60 dollars well spent in not too long a time.

Anyway, more tomorrow when I (hopefully) have the chance to go running. Here's to hoping any rain on the way comes tomorrow night after running the trails!

The How and Why of It All...

2008-06-11T19:54:00.000-05:00

After several years of sporadic activity and the "freshman 15" that seemed to come, go, and come again, this past February I decided I was not happy with this arrangement...and more importantly, that it was time to do something about it.

In May of 2007 my parents had bought me an exercise bike as a graduation present (per my request) which, after getting married in June and starting my graduate degree that August, became more often than not a close hanger or decorative fixture than a piece of exercise equipment. It wasn't necessarily that I found excuses not to use it-I just never made it a priority. I always had something else that I could be doing instead.

Then this January Husby and I decided to move to a different apartment in the same apartment complex. I used the move to spur myself into action. I set up the new apartment so that my bike was easily accessible in the office, and I could watch tv shows or movies on my computer as well as read while I biked. I told myself I was going to bike 10 miles a day everyday...and I did. The few days I missed I made up for by doing more the other days. Granted, this probably wasn't the smartest way to start off with so much so soon, but it got me off the couch and doing some activity. I started with the easier programs and worked my way up so as not to strain myself too much. I knew that if I had to get out of my apartment and to the gym, I wouldn't do it.

Not too long after, in February, I finally decided to start Weight Watchers and added that into my routine along with the exercise. I had several friends who had successfully lost weight with this program and who had been telling me about it since the fall. I could see that it worked, but I just wasn't ready then to commit to it. By the time I started WW I had already lost about 4 pounds, but I wanted to lose more.

I stuck with the biking for a while, and then started to branch out. I tried the ellipticals, the other cardio machines at the gym, swimming, and even participated in two triathlons (I did the 10-mile bike ride as part of a relay both times). Then I found the Couch to 5K running plan on www.coolrunning.com. I have always been more a sprinter than a long distance runner when I was a runner at all. I used to hate to run any sort of distance in athletics and viewed running as punishment. I did not mind it when I was playing softball or intramural football...but running just to run? Why?

Since then I have changed my tune, so to speak. While I am still fighting mental battles with myself about whether this is something I can really do, I find, when I just let myself go, I can. My goal is to be able to run a 5K comfortably at least once, even if I never do it again after that.

I guess all of this is as good an explanation as any as to how and why I find myself where I am today. I don't want to live my life on the couch, or making buttprints in the sands of time...what fun is that? I want to push myself and see who I can be-and what I can do.

I am currently working on finishing the Couch to 5K program (I am on week 7) and participating in pilates and yoga at the gym.