Fall is coming

You wouldn't know it today. It was so warm. But its in the air. On my 6 mile run the other day along the path the colors of the trees were already changing. I can't wait to head out to the tree farm to take some family pix, before the first storm knocks the colors from the trees. I can't wait to have my first FALL running season. I can't believe that I'm actually GIDDY about that. I am, it gives my butterflies just thinking about it. I'm looking forward to the brisk mornings and warmer afternoons. I'm looking forward to jeans and hoodies, my favorite attire, during the day. Of course mornings will consist of running garb as I inch my way toward my first marathon in December. It still seems so surreal. When will it feel REAL?

Actually I'm pretty much in denial that I'll even be running 16 miles tomorrow. 16 miles? Who the heck would even want to do that? WHY would anyone want to do that? Apparently ME, although I haven't decided if that's a smart thing or not. LOL

This month I logged over 100 miles. Actually I've logged about 107 miles before my long run tomorrow and my speed workout on Tuesday that will push me into 130 miles for this month. 130 miles in a month... yea, me. I know your appalled and amazed all at the same time. That's with a Breast Cancer walk in there too. Of course I did run half of that.

Next Sunday is my Sacramento Cowtown Half Marathon. I'm so excited and scared at the same time. I will be going... SOLO. I will be running my own race, driving back home via Yuba City for a baby shower present drop home for an evening with the fam. I'm trembling just thinking about it. Part of that excitement is over receiving my very first finishers metal, a cowbell! I'll need to find a way to hang them. I can't wait for all this FALL brings, new adventures, new achomplishments, a new view of life. I can't wait.

Super Supper

Should of taken a pic but I'm not Kai and I forgot. (and it wouldn't look as pretty as hers anyway) but I made a YUMM-O dinner for the hubs and the kiddos and for the most part they liked it. Blondy, my picky eater, won't eat eggs unless they are hard boiled and potatoes unless they are french fried.

Last night I made Pumpkin Waffles and a fritatta with left over wild pig sausage (leaner then regular pork from the store) and potatoes O'Brien sprinkled with a little cheese. I mixed a little bit of milk into the eggs to help with the fluffiness. It turned out SO GOOD. The waffles turned out so good that NO ONE even knew that they had pumpkin in them, apparently they all tasted the cinnamon but they didn't even notice that the waffles were ORANGE! They were yummy last night and not sure how but even more YUMM-O this morning with a big glass of milk before my run. No butter and no syrup for me.

So my yummy dinner went off like a hit. I loved eating breakfast for dinner when I was a kid and need to remember to do it for my kids more often than once every 6 months or so.

I wish my running was better today. I ran on Tuesday night with group and we did a warm up for a couple miles over the the University Track then did 3 sets of 10 minute at threshold with three minutes of rest between. It was pretty grueling but looking back at the last few months my threshold and my race pace don't seem to be getting better. I'm not quite sure how that can be.

I promise to get to the Walk Report: Pleas humor me

First things first. Lets get the little things out of the way so I can concentrate on the BIG important suff like my 5th walk report.

Tuesday:

The Tuesday after the walk we have speed work. I head over to WW park to run the loop since the lights are on til the soccer practice and games are over, supposedly long after we are done with our workouts. Today on the ballot is 2 mile warm up (that I totally need) then 3 miles at threshold with one minute rest between each mile. As discussed before Liz and I thought that the 9:20/mile was a bit too slow so this week we went on how we felt (too hard to talk but still can run) instead of watching the pace so closely. Out we go and my only goal is to keep up with Liz and Vicki unless I just couldn't do it. I did pretty good. The first mile we hit at 8:20 or so Mile 2 was 8:13 and mile 3 was 8:30. Not too good at keeping a steady pace but we did what our bodies felt comfortable with and that was good. That was a minute or so faster than our perceived threshold time and that made me excited. Of course Alan said that means we aren't running our shorter races fast enough. LOL OK I get the picture... I'm just so afraid of dying at the end. We then were supposed to do about 2 mile cool down but the storm clouds moved in and the lightning and thunder started so we decided to cut our cool down one lap short and finished 1.87 miles for our cool down instead. It was a good day. I got two more good runs in this week and then a long run scheduled for Sunday.... 14 miles the longest I had ever done!

Sunday!

Today we ran a different route and I had NO IDEA where I was going to I followed some of the other gals (guys were being speedy ahead of us) and headed out. I did pretty good. I tried to keep my heart rate in a good range and let that dictate my run. I'm not sure if it was the right range or not but I felt decent there so I held steady. Some mile were obviously better than others and its so funny how staying in one heart rate your pace can differ depending on how many hills you have to climb or if there is a decent or if there is cars you have to dodge all the time. Of course getting lost (not really but I didn't know how to get BACK to down town) didn't help. So I added a nice .68 miles onto my route today. I ate one shot block at mile 5, a GU at mile 7 another two at mile 9 (about the area I got lost) then shared two with the girls at mile 11 and I sucked on one til mile 12. I think that helped me get in. I felt a lot of tightness on the way back in my hips and knees (reminds me I need to take some ibuprofen and get some Ice for me knees) but even that dissipated after eating the shot blocks. I can't believe that next weekend is a scheduled 16 miles! That's only 4 less then the longest run we'll have this training program. That is 6 weeks away. We'll have an 18 miler and a bunch of runs with Race Pace slid in the middle. We got back in one piece (I think I have blisters but I was afraid to look) and hungry so I'm off to eat AGAIN. Later I'll work some more on my Walk Report (because the walk (er jog day 2) rocked!

Congratulations

This last weekend I walked in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancerin Long Beach. This was my 5th walk for the 5 years my Mother-in-law has been a survivor! There will be more details of my walk to follow. Today is her day, her celebration, her milestone! We are so glad she is healthy and able to be here with her children and grandchildren today!

MIL Karen (L) Besties daughter Melissa (M) and Bestie Gail (R)

Karen you are a 5 year Breast Cancer Survivor!

s-s-stumbling through life

OMG. I had an awful run. I know I should have left earlier but I was dealing with stuff I need to deal with if I want to go back to school and time just got away from me. I ran out the door at like 10:45, not hydrated, not fueled with a 16oz water bottle and a pack of Shot Blocks. Not a good idea. The plan was 10 I barely scraped out 7. I forgot body glide on my feet. I forgot sunscreen on my shoulders, I forgot to tell my feet that they are supposed to run 6 miles at Marathon Pace not 4. Apperently my brain shut down for a bit before my run and I'm darn lucky I got that much in. Tomorrow I drive... all day to LA. I wonder if I can sneak a run in there somewhere?

Where were you 7 years ago today? I was sitting on my bed glued to the TV, holding my 13 month old baby, sick as a dog pregnant with my second and wondering if the whole world was ending, as the day wore on there were tears and awe and fear and courage and frailty all rolled into one. That is our generations difining moment.

No lance here... sorry

Just an update to my running. I ran with group tonight. just over 5 miles. 15 min warm up and cool down. We did 4 long 100m + strides then ran 20 minutes at "T" pace (threashold). It was supposed to be 9:20 but should have been closer to 9 because Liz and I talked ... the whole time. So now we know. This Thursday is a 10 mile long run that is 2M Easy, 6 mile Mpace, 2 mile cool down. Laura wants to run with me. We'll see how that goes hu?

Ok so food.... I ate like a freakin' horse on Saturday after my 12 mile run. I ate, ate then ate some more. I age more food in one day then I have since I was knocked up with Wyatt. No not even with Jackson did I eat like that. I ate until I could not eat any more and still went to bed hungry and woke up Sunday hungry.

Tonight I should have been more hungry but I ate a big ole' peach and had a Smirnoff Wild Grape drink and now I'm not hungry ... just a little buzzed. I really wanted some good wine or a good margarita but couldn't do it all by myself so I settled. I know, what kind of woman am I? Who Settles for a wine cooler when you can have a beautiful whole bottle?Well I do have to function tomorow and I'm still up. So another day with a friend I'll share a bottle and enjoy a good bottle of red wine with good company.

more interesting news: Not only am I spending WAY too much $$ at the local Fleet Feet but I'm also enjoying the things I buy! so since I have yet another $25 credit (for ever $250 you spend you get a $25 credit to the store) since I just got 2 and traded those in for shoes like a month ago. I figure I've spent like $1025 since January. Crazy hu? that is actually MORE than hubby's new toy but he spends more money on other things too like a hunting liscense, ammo, elk and deer tags, upland game stamp, duck stamp, and whatever else. So my guilt is dwindling as we speek. Now I just need a bike to cross train on.

Ok this Smirnoff is kicking my barely awake ass so I'm off to BED to Sleep and dream of Lance... um my hubby. Hopefully its a REALLY GOOD DREAM! (right Kelli?) A work out in your sleep hu?

Lovin on the Lance

First and foremost I found this pic on another blog and shamelessly stole it! Here's why: Many of you know of my Crush on Lance Armstrong. Part of it, of course, is that he is REALLY HOT. Most of it is that he is an elite athlete in spite of his extreme case of cancer and how he came through that with a goal and a mission and he succeeded in that mission 7 times. News is out that he will go back to do the Tour de' France in 2009. I have not watched the Tour since the last time he raced but you better bet (I'll be wearing) my lace panties I'll be watching Lance in it next year. Truthfully I will be rooting for him but next year win or not, I'm proud of him for bringing so much awareness to society for those with cancer now and tomorrow and for our future ... and he's feakin' hot.

I have every right as a cancer survivor to crush on a man I have NO chance with... right? I mean yea, I have hardly any chance like one in a million... but its a chance right? Just kidding, kinda. Anyhow as a cancer survivor of 15 years I so appreciate his stance, his bigger than life voice that demands that those in the government stand and listen to what it means to be an advocate for finding a cure for cancer. Should I say that's why I love him? Sheese one Smirnoff Wild Grape and I'm all mushy and lovey and there's no hubby here to take advantage of. LOL

Hold onto your hats

I'm still here, just a bit delayed. I have actually written a couple other blogs but for some odd reason I tried to post them and they failed to save and just disappeared into blogosphere. Since they are sort of obsolete now I will not try to replicate the hour and 1/2 worth of refreshing ideas I had planed but just let you know I'm here.

I did run 12.25 miles on Saturday. I took off with the 6 @ 6 girls for a 7am run on Saturday because the hubs was working Sunday. He missed yet another day of hunting with the doc but oh well. For once... I'm first. Its kinda weird and I'm feeling really guilty about it actually. I never had anything important enough to counteract hunting til now and I don't think either of us are realizing how much time and energy it takes to keep up the miles and time to train for a marathon when he always just went if he had a day off. Not any more.

The run was good. We left about 7:10 and had more stops than I would like but that's what happens when you're running with different people than your used to. You either go off and leave them or wait around and hang by the water fountain for an extra 5 min waiting for your heart rate to go down. Actually it was a kinda nice break. When I got home and downloaded off the Garmin we ran at 10:23 pace. just a little fast for my long runs but not too bad. I took yesterday off because I had no babysitter and walked a brisk 3.4 miles with Mayli and Kayla today instead of run. I might run some tonight. I have to find a sitter for tomorrow night for speed work and I can run Wednesday a short 2-4 miles easy depending on how I feel.

My long run is Thursday this week. 2 easy (10:30-10:45/mile) 6 marathon pace (9:58/mile) then 2 easy again. I need to get it done on Thursday since I leave for my drivve to LA on Friday with Mom and Aunt Sandy. I will be walking 13.1 miles on Saturday and again on Sunday for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and headed back to real life on Monday.

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Food: OMG I ate so much food on Saturday. Its like I couldn't get enough. I can't even remember what I ate it was so much of a blur. I'm usually not hungry... and if I do ever get hungry I had better eat when I feel it because if the feeling passes (and it does for me quickly) I stop being hungry and start being grumpy but still don't want to eat. I don't think FFP could even believe how much I ate. I woke up Sunday hungry too, just not ravanous like before. Is this how it is all the time when your miles go up? I swear I ate 2500 when I am used to consuming around 1200 at day. I know I know, 1200calories was practically just my run. In general I'm being a lot more aware of what I eat and when. Still have some work to do today. I don't think a tall pumpkin spice latte and an apple fritter were the best choices for breakfast today. After being off of wheat products for 4 years my tummy doesn't quite know what to do with it.