Comments (14)

By kilax, May 16, 2010 7:14 pm

My next race is the Stepping Up to Wellness 10K on May 23.

Day 204 | May 10, 2010: yoga

Steven and I did the Core Yoga Flow segment of the YogaWorks Fit Abs DVD in the evening. Sigh. I am not sure if I was ready to move back up to the “harder” yoga DVD. A lot of the poses that require me to stretch my arm over my head kill my back and neck. Are there any yoga moves you have trouble doing?

Day 205 | May 11, 2010: 7 m tempo run + strength

During lunch I did an awesome (sarcasm) strength workout…

Rope Pushdowns: 3 x 15 @ 30 lb
Arm Curl: 3 x 15 @ 25 lb
Pectoral Fly: 3 x 15 @ 45 lb
Lat Pulldowns: 15 @ 45 lb, 2 x 15 @ 60 lb
Shin Developer: 3 x 20 @ 10 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 2 x 15 @ 45 lb
Seated Leg Press: 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 90 lb, 15 @ 110 lb

… and after dinner, I ran 7 miles (2 warm-up around 10:20, 3 tempo around 9:00, and 2 cool-down around 10:10) by myself. It’s weird to be running alone after training with Steven for so long (he was at a meeting that evening).

It’s funny how much better this run went than last Sunday’s! It was perfect running conditions for me – overcast, 45°, with a light sprinkle of rain. I wore capris and a technical tee and felt great (I didn’t stop once, not even for water). I really started to feel like I was getting in the groove at mile 3, and again at mile 6.4. I think my legs were happy to pick up the pace! However, I was ready to call it a day at 7 – those 3 tempo miles wore me out – in a good way!

After my run, I had a date with my new friend – the foam roller. I got an amazon gift card at work and used it to buy this special guy. I rolled my IT Band, quads, calves, hamstrings and back. I know everyone says this thing kills – and I sure felt it in my IT Band! I am excited to use it to massage my muscles.

Later in the evening, my stomach was a bit upset. That used to happen quite often while running, but hasn’t in a long time. I wonder if it has to do with running a bit faster? What do you think? Does your stomach ever hurt after (or during) a run? What do you think causes it?

Distance: 7.0 | Time: 1:08:07 | 1: 10:26 | 2: 10:14| 3: 9:11 | 4: 8:58 | 5: 8:58 | 6: 10:20 | 7: 9:55

Day 206 | May 12, 2010: cross

Bike + InStyle Magazine = Yawn (but better than being at my desk!)

Recumbent Bike Time: 45:00 | Distance: 6.95 (Set on “Forest Ride”)

Day 207 | May 13, 2010: strength

I did a very quick strength workout during lunch:

Biangular Lat Row: 15 @ 45 lb, 2 x 15 @ 65 lb
Shin Developer: 3 x 20 @ 10 lb
Biangular Chest Press: 15 @ 30 lb, 2 x 15 @50 lb
Shoulder Press: 3 x 15 @ 20 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 2 x 15 @ 45 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Seated Leg Press: 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 90 lb, 15 @ 110 lb

Day 208 | May 14, 2010: 3 m run

My parents were in town on Friday, and my dad and Steven spent the morning putting a hitch on my car so…

I can haul bikes on my new bike rack! Yay!

My mom and I went to the Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve to run/bike while the boys continued to work on Steven’s car.

It’s been taking my legs quite some time to warm up during runs lately. I was actually worried in the first few minutes of this run – my gait felt all off. I had to take smaller strides because my lower legs felt so sore and tight. But I started to warm up and felt better.

I ran while my mom rode the bike beside me. There was not much talking because we had a ton of bugs flying into our faces and didn’t want to eat any! I think there were so many bugs around because there was a lot of rain and flooding, and because it was close to dusk.

We wanted to run the full loop of this park, but ran into a little flooding problem just before a mile and had to turn around. After the turnaround, another runner coming toward me yelled, “Yay, High Five” and we gave each other high fives. Random, but funny.

We saw deer, geese (and goslings!), ducks, swans and a unicyclist on the rest of the run. It was a nice, quick run. It was warm out (about 65° and windy) but it felt good to me.

I think it is fun to run with someone riding a bike (especially if it’s my mom or dad!). It is probably not as fun for the cyclist, but it is fun for me! Have you ever run with someone who was on a bike?

Distance: 3.0 | Time: 30:11 | 1: 10:17 | 2: 10:03| 3: 9:48

Day 209 | May 15, 2010: cross

My mother and I participated in the SELF Workout in the Park in Chicago. Read the recap here! At the recap, Asics recommended that I get shoes with less support than what the Brook Adrenalines are giving me. I think I should look in to it, but don’t want to spend $100 on shoes!

Day 210 | May 16, 2010: 3 m run

I was all ready to run 10 miles at the Rollins Savanna. Steven was going to run 3-5 then bike with me the rest (we even used the new bike rack – so easy to put on the car!). But I started running and my gait felt so funny. Steven said it looked like I was mall walking. After .5 miles it got a bit better, but my lower legs just felt funny and sore. The left leg feels weird under the knee on the outside of the leg and that damn right calf feels weird too.

So I stopped at 3 miles. I wanted to run more and felt like I could, but just didn’t think I should. I felt really bummed and frustrated.

I had fruit with me to eat after my long run (snicker) so I enjoyed that while I iced my leg in the car. Can you tell what I am using to ice my leg?

It’s the cooler portion of this sweet salad bowl (photo below) that my mom got me. You refrigerate that part, and put condiments around it, dressing in the white container, and the salad in the bottom. Put the lid on and you’re ready to go! I think I will bring this on my long runs so I can ice my sore body.

Distance: 3.0 | Time: 32:25| 1: 10:37 | 2: 11:04 | 3: 10:41

Week Summary: 13.00 miles

I feel like I had a great week of workouts, but am frustrated that my lower legs feel so sore! I feel like they have knots in them or something. I am trying to stretch and foam roll (used it a bit each day this week)… but I fear I should cut back on running, and I don’t want to. I think I have to. And Steven and I talked about how I haven’t been icing. Time to start doing that again. I just got lazy with it.

I hope next week is better. Someone please say something encouraging to me! I need it.

I have this weird injury mentality – because I hurt my shin so bad last year, any pain that is not in my shin, I kind of brush off. Dumb, right? What, do I need to go through every injury before I realize I need to take all pain seriously? Does anyone else do this? Time to re-read my own post about interconnected injuries and when to cut back on exercise. The thing is, I don’t particularly relate to any one stage I described – so I will just see how much I can cut back.

Something funny: A few weeks ago I was complaining about my plantar fasciitis (what’s new?) and Mica was kind enough to recommend this product! I couldn’t make it to REI to pick up exactly what she recommend, but I did find two of these dryer balls for about $3 at ALDI! I keep one at home and one in the office and use them quite often. Me so cheap.

A link to share: I thought this article about training for a full marathon by coach Jenny Hadfield was very helpful. She emphasizes the importance of not racing your long run every weekend, but taking it slow to give your body proper time to recover. She also touches on the importance of getting 7-8 hours of sleep – something I definitely need to work on!

Comments (22)

By kilax, May 15, 2010 11:35 pm

Weekends seem to be used for workout posts lately… this may turn in to a trend (at least for the rest of May/first part of June)!

Last year I participated in SELF magazine’s Workout in the Park in Chicago with my friend, Diane. When I was telling my mom how much fun we had, she immediately started planning her trip for the 2010 event (yes, a year in advance!) and she registered for it the day registration opened*. I’m so excited she participated in it with me this year.

Workout in the Park is basically one giant workout with vendors you can visit as well. It was open from 11:00-3:00, and set up into three areas: the Main Stage, the Quiet Zone and the Rebounding Zone.

The Main Stage is where all of the cardio workouts are that you can just join and follow. There were nine different workouts offered, one after another, while we were there. We participated in the “Masala Bhangra” one, which was a Bollywood style dance workout, and “Retro-Robics,” which was a aerobics class set to fun old music (think Flashdance and Grease style). There was another workout, “Cardio Tai Box,” a sort of cardio punching/kicking workout that I did and really liked last year, and it was offered again, but we were standing in line to get some free loot. Ha ha. The classes were really similar to the year before, and had many of the same local instructors, but that was fine with me, because I obviously enjoyed it enough to come back!

You can see the main stage and people stretching

The Rebounding Zone was a separate area where you did a trampoline workout. There were only 475 slots open (classes every 15 minutes), so you had to have an arm band to get in. That was the first thing we got in line for when we got in, and the last workout we did. IT KICKED OUR BUTTS.

Not our class, but you get the idea

The class we took was taught by this instructor (picture below) from a local Crunch Gym. My mom wanted to take our picture with him so she could show her coworkers what they were missing out on (originally, she thought they would come with her).

He wondered why women kept asking him to take his shirt off

We started off just bouncing in place, and honestly, that felt great! It was such a relief to be on an elastic surface!

But then the squats started. We would do low squats and hold them, AND do low squats and bounce in place! We also spent a lot of time doing crunches with one leg straight out in front of us. Ugh. It was hard! And the instructor was pretty funny, he would walk around and encourage people to keep going, but he was kind of getting in their faces about it.

We were happy that was the last workout we did since it pooped us out so much!

We signed up for the “Breathwork Meditation” class offered in the Quiet Zone. The Quiet Zone had a lot of yoga and pilates focused classes. Like the Rebounding Zone, you had to have a wristband for these classes, but there were more spots available. The class we did was a simple yoga class that focused on equalizing your breathing (same count in as out) and ended with a heavy meditation focus. My mom and I really liked it (it was her first time trying yoga). And it was neat to see all of the different women in there who were so flexible. It definitely inspired me!

We spent the rest of our time checking out all of the booths and getting free loot. I got about a million SOYJOYs and single serving containers of Silk Chocolate Milk. Garnier also gave away a lot of cool stuff and offered makeovers.

Half of the booths

I got my gait analyzed at the Asics booth, and they said the same thing that dude at the running store told me a few weeks ago – I don’t overpronate, and the Adrenalines may have too much support for me, which is why I have calf issues. Oh yes, calf issues I have. My calves were somewhat sore during the Main Stage workouts we did. I think that is why the trampoline workout in the Rebounding Zone felt so good.

The whole event was a lot of fun (of course, it is hard not to have fun around my mom – she is pretty much open for anything and a blast to be around) – we are already talking about going next year! It is pretty cheap – $20 to enter and that includes a magazine subscription (and all the free loot you get there!).

Some of the giveaways we took (I am sending most home with my mom)

All pooped out and ready to go home

We bought the t-shirts** from the event and wore them to see Iron Man 2 in the IMAX with my dad and Steven. Yes, we are big dorks.

Have you ever participated in a group workout in an outdoor setting? Did you like it?

Chicago actually has a lot of outdoor workouts during the summer! I think if I lived closer I would be there a lot!

*I only have two complaints about this event, and one is that I tried to register early and my registration did not go through and it was difficult for them to fix it for me.
**My other complaint? $20 for this t-shirt. Really? Really?

Comments (26)

By kilax, May 14, 2010 6:35 am

Do you ever take notes on lectures, meetings, books, etc. – whether it be at school, work, or recreationally? If yes, how do you prefer to take them, and do you ever use them again? If no, why not?

I was a huge note taker in college and that has not changed. I take a ton of notes at work meetings (and still run them). I take physical notes in the books I am reading (see post-its picture above). I “add star” to the posts I want to come back to in google reader. I put sticky notes all over magazines. Notes, notes everywhere (I like to make lists too).

But, do I ever use them?

I have found that with the physical notes I take, in books/magazines and for meetings, I am more likely to go back to them. It seems that with the digital ones though, like adding a star to a blog post, I am less likely to go back. Maybe something about the physical ones seems more pressing, since they have, well, a physical presence.

Either way, when I am reading/listening and something strikes my interest, I often can’t get it out of my mind until I have done my own research. I wonder if anyone else is the same way…

Comments (44)

By kilax, May 13, 2010 6:19 am

• My extreme interest in the status of the bird feeders



Steven sent me an email yesterday with this picture and the subject line “Didn’t you fill this yesterday?” Why yes, yes I did. At first, the birds ignored us. Then they slowly started visiting. We had to refill this thing weekly, then every 5 days, then every 2, now every day?!

The sad part is that I am excited. I think I will ask for a Northern Illinois Bird Book for my birthday.

• My ideal bedtime of 9:00*
• My interest in the weather (and talking about it)*
• I think our neighbors are too loud
• I find most children annoying**
• We’re growing a garden
• I talk to my cat… and do a little voice back for what I think he is saying to me



• I dress my cat up in funny outfits.***
• We don’t go out to the bars
• We**** spend our free time experimenting with recipes



So far this week, it has been Chocolate Babka and Pitas.



(They poof up while baking then flatten out.)

• I use an umbrella with kittens on it – and am not embarrassed at all



• I don’t feel like I should have to apologize for saying what’s on my mind

Hey, at least I have a lot to talk to my grandmas about!

Ha. Just kidding (kind of). I really don’t think I am turning into an old woman (I could probably make another list for how I am not), just that I have interests that don’t always relate with the rest of the people my age (25).

Do you ever feel like you have “old woman” or “old man” interests? Do you relate with what the stereotypical interests are for your age group?

*Let’s pretend this is running-related.
**There are exceptions!
***Let’s make sure this doesn’t turn into a “Signs I am turning into a cat lady” list
****Meaning Steven

Comments (43)

By kilax, May 12, 2010 5:03 am

Right now I am reading an awesome book that Erin gave me* – The Happiness Project – and boy, have I ever filled it up with notes! I actually plan on writing a series of posts about the book (maybe with Erin!) because it has made me think of so many questions I want to ask you all! Of course, I haven’t finished the book yet, but I want to prematurely throw a thought out there…

I just finished a section of the book where the author, Gretchen Rubin, is talking about how she thinks it takes more of an effort to be happy than unhappy. That statement will likely spark a post of its own later on, but reading her theories got me thinking. Sometimes, it does take a concentrated effort from me to appear happy. For example, at work, I make an effort each and every day to be cheerful and appear happy and approachable. Every. Single. Day. It IS draining! It IS work! It will be much easier to just sit at my desk and be grumpy.

So what happens when I do this? I am trying so hard to appear happy at work, that when I leave, I am completely worn out. And who do I go home and see? My husband. Does he get the pleasure of the happy, cheerful wife? Not every night. And that’s not fair to him.

Why do I work so hard to be cheerful around my colleagues, but not always around the people who know me best? The people I actually care about the most? Another thing to work on…

Do you ever have make an effort to act happy? Who do you make the effort to be happy around?

*What a sweetie!

Comments (50)

By kilax, May 11, 2010 5:01 am

How did I end up with a red mark like this on my hand?

From being a ho From using a hoe!

Steven and I are participating in the inaugural community garden in our town this year AND WE ARE SO EXCITED!!! We think there are about 20 participants. The gardens are located right behind the police station (the station is behind the fence in the picture below). I like to joke that the cops are watching over our crops.* There are a variety in sizes of plots: 5’x10′, 20’x20′, and 20’x40′. We got a 20’x20′ plot and had to pay $35 – $10 of which we will get back if we clean up at the end of the year.

We have plot #6! I hope it turns out to be lucky #6. We are all the way in the back by the end of the fence (our plot in red below).

The photo above is what our plot looked like when we arrived on Sunday (after my 10 mile run, I might add). We had to break up all the soil, but all we had was a hoe. Hoe away, I did. Steven took measurements and put out all the stakes, and started planting. When I got tired being a ho using the hoe, I managed to dump too many seeds in one area helped plant too.

Halfway through, we had to borrow the shovel of the person next to us. I ran out of steam with that hoe (and the soil was really large and clumpy). Steven used the shovel then I broke up the clumpy dirt with the hoe.

Click to make larger and admire our beautiful work! Really. You WANT to click on this picture (Steven will be happy if you do).

But we got a lot of work done in 3-4 hours (photo above) – we broke up the soil and planted the following:

1. Onions
2. Two kinds of lettuce
3. Cucumbers
4. Zucchini
5. Carrots
6. Broccoli
7. Green beans

I know that sounds like a lot, but we are hoping just ONE** thing will grow. The sweet potatoes, tomatoes and pepper plants will go in later this month.

It’s not coming through in this post, but Steven and I have been talking about having our own garden for years, and we are excited this opportunity arose. We planned the garden out about a month ago and got all the seeds we needed and tools we could afford. We really hope we have a big yield of crop for us to enjoy and share with our friends. We’ll see what happens!

What are you growing in your garden? Or if you don’t have one, what would you grow? Or, do you think this is too much work? Ha ha.

And yes, I am a hypocrite about posting too many pictures.

A prize I found in the garden…

And what Steven found…

*We’ll still need a fence to keep the animals out.
**I am talking to YOU, green beans.

Comments (43)

By kilax, May 10, 2010 5:58 am

When you are traveling somewhere you’ve never been before, do you ask a colleague/friend who’s been there for tips on what to see/where to stay/what to eat?

Well, you know I do! That is kind of where my last Friday Question stemmed from – I was looking for camping recommendations (and I got them – thanks!).

I have coworkers who are traveling to Spain + Portugal*, Italy, and London this summer. Two of them have asked me to give them pointers on “must sees.”

Of course, if I was open about my blog at work, I would tell them to start here!

Since I am not, I am going to compile a list of my favorite sites (in Venice, Florence, Rome, Madrid and Barcelona). I bet a lot of my favorite sites will be highly common ones to travel to, so I am going to have to look back at my notes and see if there was any place off the beaten path that I just loved (Santa Maria Della Concezione**, anyone? Ha ha. )

Sagrada Familia – you cannot visit Barcelona without visiting ALL of the Gaudí sites! That would be a shame

You know, I wasn’t going to add a picture to this post, but decided to throw one in, since I have so many, and people often say how they prefer posts with pictures.

The thing is, I do not prefer posts with (a ton of) pictures. One or a few are fine with me, but I really don’t mind picture-less posts. Unless the author is talking about something you would expect to see pictures of (recipes, a race, their garden, their new bike, their new haircut, blah blah blah) I don’t mind if they aren’t there.

And the posts with a ton of pictures seriously slow me down and deter me from reading. Big time. It takes forever for my small computer to load them, and sometimes, they aren’t necessary (in my opinion). I try to get around all of the photo-heavy posts and look for the content – it’s just that when there are a lot photos, I lose track of what I am reading (hmm, maybe I am the only one with this issue?***).

Of course, this doesn’t mean that I don’t write posts with WAY TOO MANY pictures from time to time too. I sure do – my weekly workout recaps, race recaps, recipes, reviews, weekend updates – these all seem to be photo heavy. And I expect people to skim them.

And remember, this is just MY opinion! I know a lot of people disagree with this, so I am anxious to hear what you think! Maybe my thinking will change!

What do you think – what is your sweet spot for posts with pictures? Do you prefer them? How many (poll below)? If you do prefer them, what deters you away when posts don’t have pictures?

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I really like how Erin does her posts – one related photo at the top, then maybe more photos if she is doing a race recap or a recap of a long run. I always love Mica’s photos too – especially of Bodger! In my opinion, you can’t have too many pet photos!

*Have not been here (yet).
**A crypt made of bones.
***I think that the posts with a lot of photos tend to be more of daily-diary posts anyway, which while I find interesting to read, I do have a hard time following, because there is so much content. I feel like I need to take notes while reading. I will often leave a comment then be thinking “wasn’t there something else I wanted to say?” Again – I am probably the only one with this issue!

Comments (17)

By kilax, May 9, 2010 2:50 pm

My next race is the Stepping Up to Wellness 10K on May 23 (this is the week of the Kicking the Trails for Kic-Leukemia 8K Walk).

Day 197 | May 3, 2010: strength

Back to the gym! Yay! Not!

I am really good at making excuses for myself (I am really too nice to myself). Last week, I gave myself time off from strength so that none of my body would be sore before the half marathon. Nice. On Monday, I could have used the excuse “all of my body is sore,” but didn’t. Although my legs were seriously killing me on Saturday (enough that I worried I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep), and it hurt to walk down steps on Sunday, I was feeling pretty good on Monday. Ready to run, actually (just itching to run)! What do you do to prevent muscle soreness after a long run? Ice baths? Massages from strangers? Foam roller? Hot Tub? Rub peanut butter on your body? Ha ha.

Biangular Lat Row: 15 @ 45 lb, 2 x 15 @ 65 lb
Shin Developer: 3 x 20 @ 10 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb
Shoulder Press: 3 x 15 @ 20 lb
Lat Pulldown: 15 @ 45 lb, 2 x 15 @ 60 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 2 x 15 @ 45 lb
Seated Leg Press: 2 x 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 90 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
Rope Pushdowns: 2 x 15 @ 30 lb

Day 198 | May 4, 2010: cross + yoga

Back to the recumbent bike during lunch. Luckily, I had the June issue of Runner’s World to keep me entertained.

Steven and I dusted off our yoga mats (well, not literally) when I got home from work and did the Beginners segment of the YogaWorks Beginners AM/PM DVD.

I missed you yoga mat!

Yeah. Let’s just say that I seemed to have lost all flexibility I had previously gained through yoga. I wonder why… hmm, could it be that I have not done yoga since MARCH 31st? Ah, the wonders of keeping a training log – it’s like you can go back and time and see how lazy you’ve been. Do you ever go back in your training log to review your progress? That is normally what I use it for – as a morale booster – but sometimes, I do have to look back and see why something doesn’t feel right… oh, because I’ve been a lazy smack and haven’t done it IN A MONTH.

Think I will actually recommit to yoga two days a week? Stay tuned…

Bike Time: 45:00 | Distance: 6.46 (Set on “Forest Ride”)

Day 199 | May 5, 2010: strength

Day 2 of strength training. Woo! Hoo! Booyah!

(A little of that enthusiasm was forced. Okay, all.)

Rope Pushdowns: 3 x 15 @ 30 lb
Shin Developer: 3 x 20 @ 10 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Seated Leg Press: 2 x 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 90 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 2 x 15 @ 45 lb
Arm Curl 3 x 15 @ 25 lb
Biangular Chest Press: 15 @ 30 lb, 2 x 15 @ 50 lb
Calf Raises with Arm Lift: 2 x 15 @ 20 lb
Some Calf Stretches

Day 200 | May 6, 2010: cross

I used the recumbent bike during my lunch break. It’s so boring compared to riding outside. This awful talk show was on that Joel McHale always makes fun of on The Soup, and that didn’t even entertain me (but it did make me question, “what is our world coming to?!”).

Bike Time: 30:00 | Distance: 4.55 (Set on Resistance Level 6)

Day 201 | May 7, 2010: rest

Day 202 | May 8, 2010: cross + yoga

I walked the Kicking the Trails for Kic-Leukemia 8K with Kate. Check out the recap here.

In the afternoon, Steven and I did the Beginners segment of the YogaWorks Beginners AM/PM DVD. All of that stretching felt so good, especially in my calves and hamstrings.

Day 203 | May 9, 2010: 10 m run

Sunday was the moment I had been waiting for all week – my return to running! When I woke up Sunday morning and saw sunny skies and a temperature of 50° I was excited – perfect running weather!

Beautiful blue skies…

Before the run

I love this part of the path – all of a sudden, there are all these tall skinny trees!

I decided to head to the Grant Wood Forest Preserve and do some hill runs since my next half marathon is hilly. I did the same loop three times in the first five miles and it completely wore me out. Lesson #1 – Respect the Hills! I started out way too fast for doing hill work. I even wore the Heart Rate monitor so I could watch how I was feeling, but every time I looked at it, it said my heart rate was really low (I was confused by that).

I know it doesn’t seem like much, but these hills are hard for me (70 feet from bottom to top).

Around 4.5 miles, I ate a homemade granola bar, and it sat in my stomach like a brick. Awesome.

After I had enough abuse on the hills, I headed south to the flatter portion of the path. I had to stop quite a few times, maybe once every mile*, to do this:

My right calf was sore from the start. I tried so hard to stretch it, but didn’t have much success.
*Okay, and just to take a break!

I kept going, but I was losing steam, fast. Lesson #2 – Respect the Sun! I was out there at the wrong time of day (noon) and even though the high was maybe 55°, the beating sun was killing me. Time to start getting up earlier.

I drank most of my water before mile 6 but knew there was a pump I could fill up at.

Nope! This pump was turned off. I ran to the car to fill up with water, feeling rejected. Lesson #3 – Respect your Hydration! I think 2 bottles last me 5 miles, so I need to plan to loop by the car.

I struggled in the last few miles. I don’t get it. I ate a good breakfast. I drank a lot of water, I ate a good snack… what was it? Long runs used to be easy for me! Wah! I wonder if starting out with running up the same hill over and over had something to do with it…

I ran this alone, and missed running with Steven. I had two podcasts and music, but I guess I got used to running with him. Well, we get to spend the WHOLE afternoon together… maybe gardening, or riding bikes (well, him running, me riding). Yay (A bit of sarcasm – I felt really out of it when I got home – no energy, wasn’t hungry, etc. I want to sit on my butt the rest of the day!).

After the run

Lesson #4 – Respect your Nipples. Wasn’t sure to put this… but my nipples were so sore after my run. They felt hard and cold. Any advice?

Distance: 10.0 | Time: 1:44:10 | 1: 10:23 | 2: 10:07 | 3: 10:08 | 4: 10:10 | 5: 10:49 | 6: 10:24 | 7: 10:20 | 8: 10:32 | 9: 10:42 | 10: 10:30

Week Summary: 10.00 miles

I felt like this was a pretty successful week for getting a variety of workouts in! Admittedly, I am excited to get back to my running training schedule, but I do think  I should stick with yoga.

I felt kind of blah after my long run this week, but I can remember successful long runs from the past so I know it is just an off day! (And I know I need to work on getting my speed back up – we slowed down big time for our last half training, and it’s not like I can pick it back up in one day!).

Oh, and no shin pain this week! (Slight heel pain – meh)

Comments (18)

By kilax, May 8, 2010 1:43 pm

Oh, how the weather can change in a week! Last Saturday, I was getting up at 5:00 for a half marathon and it was already 60°. Today? I got up just before 7:00 it was 41°. The race started at 9:00 and I think it must have only been 44°. Needless to say, I was not wearing a tank!

Kate and I walked the Kicking the Trails for Kic-Leukemia 8K in Crystal Lake, Illinois today. KIC Leukemia was founded in March of 2008 as a memorial to Kari Imhoff-Crewe, who was diagnosed with leukemia in February of 2007 and passed away six months later. The main goal of KIC Leukemia is to raise awareness of Leukemia’s symptoms and treatments and to recruit new marrow donors.

At the starting line, another walker asked us if we knew the family personally. We don’t, but she did. From what she was saying, it sounded like a lot of the race participants knew the family. I thought it was pretty cool that the race is so well supported by locals.

How do you choose races to participate in? Do you pay attention to the cause (if there is one)?

I usually choose races based on location, distance, then cause (oh yeah, and COST). I always appreciate it when the donation money is going towards a cause though.

Me and Kate wearing the sweet technical tees included in our goodie bags! Score!

On to the race! We started at Veteran Acres Park, on the grass. I think there must have been 250-300 participants and I think at least half were walking, so we had plenty of company the entire time. Right away, I told Kate I was happy I was running – I think running on uneven terrain works your body in an entirely different way than running on concrete or crushed trails. Do you think trail runs work your body differently?

And boy, as we kept walking, I kept thinking “Ha, I can’t believe people are running this!” There were hills galore, and we ran on ALL SORTS of terrain. Dirt:

Grass:

Blacktop:

And more dirt:

It was really a beautiful walk, mostly through the woods. But oh so hilly.  I got out of breath, talking to Kate on our first hill! Ha ha. Here is my exaggerated elevation chart:

I think these “hills” just seem dramatic to me since I am not used to hill training. Better work on that, since my June half is somewhat hilly!

This was a fun walk. Of course, the best part was having someone to talk to! Kate and I just chatted away. Kate is super easy to talk to – a great listener and very open. I think we wouldn’t have noticed if the race was 10 miles long, we were chatting so much.  I think we will have to do another walk together (maybe when it is warmer?).

Do you ever schedule races (any kind) with friends and plan on doing them together?

Kicking the Trails for Kic-Leukemia 8K Walk |  Distance: 4.81* | Time: 1:27:33 | 1: 18:26 | 2: 17:46 | 3: 18:37 | 4: 17:57 | 5: 14:45
*Guess we were a bit short on the 8K!

Update: Official time of 1:27:50.

Comments (49)

By kilax, May 7, 2010 6:28 am

Have you ever been camping*? Did you like it? Why or why not? Any recommendations on good places to go camping?

The closest I have come to camping is in my parent’s front yard and in a state park close to my parent’s home. And I never stayed in the tent the whole night (came inside, bailed early, it was raining, I was scared of the dark, etc.).

But somehow, I have it in my mind that we need to go camping this summer – we have a tent (with a built-in blow-up bed) that we have never used (bought maybe 5 years ago), I imagine it is not too expensive, and I think it could be relaxing to get away from technology. And in my mind, we go somewhere with beautiful trails.

There I go, living away in the future again. Notice my future does not include mosquitoes (who love me), lack of showers (heck, I don’t mind!), or mention of the heat?

But, do share your camping experiences with me! Enlighten me as to what is is really all about!

*In a tent or a camper. Or heck, even Bear Grylls style.