The Mother Hill, ART new adventures for Mighty Mite

Last night was another hill workout thanks to coach Ramon. I've been consistently running this hill 3 days a week for the last few weeks and I'm loving the results I'm getting from it. My easy pace is creeping down and my hard workouts are pushing limits I haven't seen since the fall 09 marathon training cycle. I'm reading Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon: How to be Your Best Coach by Brad Hudson and Matt Fitzgerald. I'm only 1/4 of the way through and already learning a lot about how my body works and what works for me and training. Hills are my friend and I'm loving the change in workout BUT I'm a little excited to get back on the interval bandwagon to see those results although I know we're still in base training. My progression run on Saturday was pretty amazing. I was easily talking at sub 10 pace down to 9:30's and hustled in that last mile for a strong finish at sub 9m/m pace.



Running back down the "Mother Hill" on Sunday morning



Tuesday night was the same hill as Sunday morning and  last week but on the way back we had a little side road to add another mile in of some less intense hills. Liz and I started at the back and moved up through the group when we got to THE hill and I just kept powering up it. Each time I do it seems a little more of a victory. Those hills on the Big Sur 21miler aren't going to get me because I'm going to be prepared.

Big News... I'm taking the RRCA coach training certification seminar in LV in March for my birthday. My bestie and maybe some other friends will be coming along for the ride too. I have some plans in mind I'm not ready to talk to you about but I'll let you know as soon as I'm ready to unveil them! I'm also going to be helping coach Girls on the Run for a local school with my friend Donna this Spring. I'm very interested in helping girls find an exercise that they love so they can make it a life long habit to stay healthy. I love the overall concepts we're teaching them to and a positive perception of themselves as well as to combat negative self talk and social pressures. This is an amazing program and I can't wait to be a part of it!

on the water table at Dr. John's

Today I went and saw my chiropractor Dr. John because I pulled something in my shoulder and upper back when I helped my grandma when she fell a couple weeks ago. I've been guarding it but the tingly feeling in my fingers, the weakness and loss of range of motion. It sounded like a Rice Krispy commercial in there today as well as a lot of Active Release Technique going on while he worked on putting me back together. He also hit those regular trouble spots along my hip and IT band. You know its a good visit to John when its a snap-crackle-pop session, you curl your toes in pain or you cry. We sometimes call it "Fragoso's Torture Chamber" or "Dr. John's House of Pain" for good reason. But ART works and we all love going to see him. He is not lacking in the patient department for sure. I got 10 minutes on the Hydrotherapy bed while I was there. Hot water shooting into your muscles while you stay nice and dry and play solitaire or Facebook on your phone is pure bliss. Mostly I like that better than my painful visit to John but today I'm pretty sure he won.

Whirlwind of a week

I'm pretty proud of myself for not only hitting my miles but getting and lots of those miles in the form of hills. I'm loving getting stronger and pushing those limits, of feeling the burn in my legs, in my core, in my ass... All these miles have also given me a lot of time to think. Our family dynamic is changing and things are coming to light that have been brewing for a long time. Things that I have very little control over but I wish I could change none the less. The one thing I can do is be the best me, mom, wife, friend that I can be. Being that means including running and working out. Being a healthy happy human being is now part of my make up, it is included in the definition of me. Mighty Mite is tired of bending herself to make others happy. So she's going to love on her boys, go to dinner with the girls, watch movies and cuddle with the firefighter provider (FFP) and take my dogs for walks with their furry friends. Are you tired of referring to myself in the third person yet? yea me too.

When I was in my Freshman Year of High School I ran track with an amazing coach. I also did something to my knee in the middle of a 1 mile race and end up twisting it pretty good. The sports trainer iced me up and did an evaluation. We talked for a good half hour about my training, about the melanoma and then about food. That sparked my interest in nutrition for athletes. I took several sports and nutrition classes over the years and one thing or another always got in the way of me going after what I really wanted to do. No more of that. I'm making a plan and putting it into action.

First things first.


Monday:
I took Monday off and did some stretching and core work.

Tuesday:
 Scheduled evening group run and we met at the prompt care parking lot and ran the "mother hill" and took the corner running the ridge across the top before dropping back down. its mostly rolling hills but its a lot more up going out and more down on the way back. it was wet and cold but always fun to run with those peeps. Our program has great coaches. 5.2miles

Wednesday:
I met Liz and Vicki at the park for a late afternoon run along the trail with the wein. It was a great time catching up with my first two running pals. It was definitely an easy run after running hills on Tuesday night. 3 miles

Thursday:
Got up early and met Liz, Kim, Tracy and Susan at Left Coast and headed out on a POURING down rain run. it was hard but fun. I was soaked to the core and came home and cuddled on the couch with 2 big fluffy blankets and proceeded to waste the rest of the day. 5.2miles

Friday:
Rest Day. Hubby went hunting so we could have more duck in the freezer! We had friends over and made a nice dinner of duck Parmesan, salad and wild rice. It was pretty darn good.

Saturday:
Up an at 'em. I headed out to Fleet Feet for a nutrition presentation by Susan before our 9 mile run out West of town. It was a progression run and we had a few warm up miles before heading into our speedier miles. Each mile was supposed to get faster but I had one mile that I had to slow down and do a little overall status check so I pretty much maintained but I did stay strong and got down to sub 9 minute mile that last mile. I felt great! We ran errands then headed to Paradise to drop the kids with my parents. We headed off to Hamilton City for the annual crab feed to support the Volunteer Fire Dept where FFP used to be a Battalion Chief. Lots of old memories came flooding back and we had a great time visiting with the Penman's and making some new friends too. 9miles

Sunday:
Another "Mother Hill" run with Cheri, Kim, Liz and Chane this morning. That hill is killer! But its fun and it works me out. I can't wait to start adding in some hill repeats. My parents brought the boys home and we hung out all day while friends came and went. 5.2

total 27.6 miles


I'm looking forward to taking the boys skiing this week. I guess that means I should run tomorrow.

Speed + Fun = Fartleks

Fartleks are a sweedish term for running which means speed play during running. So tonight being our first speed workout for the "marathon or 21 mile race" program Coach Paul and Ramon had us doing speed play for our workout. We started out with a 15 minute warm up then did some active stretching and plyo's in the parking lot. We got started doing a countdown.. 2minutes hard, 1 minute easy, 1 minute hard, 30 seconds easy, 30 seconds hard then repeat it all until you get two miles of speed play in. Most of Liz and my faster running was at sub 8minute pace. most of the easy stuff was in the 10minute/mile range. Then we did an easy 10 minutes of cool down and stretching. I'm looking forward to the miles in this program.

Tomorrow I'm off to do Kettlebells  a photo shoot and hopefully run hills tomorrow night with some gals from running group then an easy 5 in the park Thursday with the girls and Kettlebells on Friday. I really need to work on eating well in the morning. I keep falling off the Gluten Free (GF) bandwagon and that is something I need to work on better because my tummy is not a happy camper when I fudge brownies literally and figuratively on my diet (I did pick up some GF blueberry waffles to try and of course some other yummy treats like Nutella to give my blander foods some pep! I need to drink more water. I know that. So I'm off to do great things and I'm starting by finishing up watching Biggest Loser then heading to the shower and to bed. Night all.

New Year 2011... Unanswered Prayers

Ha! a post that has absolutely nothing to do with running and very little to do with food. Yep that's my disclaimer for the next three paragraphs. Happy New Year everyone!

You know that song Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brooks? Ya that was a little flash of my life yesterday. The hubby was getting off work, we met for brunch at Mom's and stuffed ourselves silly with food, came home and hung out not doing much of anything but cuddling under the covers trying to stay warm while the hubby caught up with some sleep, we took Hollywood to a sleep over, got pizza (I got Greek salad) for dinner, we watched a movie "Spies like Us" with Blondy then headed to "bed" for some more snuggle time early. All these little blessings going on while...

... the first boy I kissed asked me out by making me listen to the Beatles "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on his Sony Walkman. He was the first boy I said "I love you" to and meant it, made up silly little nicknames for everything with, built a dream house in every view and layout possible on paper, wrote countless poems and letters to,  and we planned our entire future together almost exactly 20 years ago. Ya that boy said "I do" to his beautiful bride yesterday while I was living out my amazing life with my husband and great kids.

So our lives went in such different directions, led us down different roads when we broke up for reasons that now seem so trivial and silly and awkwardly mature. That's what was bound to happen when were only 14 and 15 years old. But that year together and that day we said goodbye (even if we lived next door to each other for another year) took us to today (er yesterday) when we are thanking God for having the past behind us and our futures ahead. I hope you finally found your happily ever after G. You deserve it.

Bye Bye 2010 6+ miles

Cindi running down the levee w/ frozen puddles

I paid the sitter $20 to come out on this freezing cold morning and sit on the couch to keep peace this morning so I could go for a run. I checked the temps at 8:45am and wasn't all surprised at the 29F reading. Brrrr.... I took Cindi with me and off we went for a 6-7 mile run. I checked my Garmin at the half mile mark and apparently accidentally turned it off before it even got started. Oh well. The first few miles were a lot of fast, slow, stop with the pooch and I was getting frustrated until we got to the levee and I could let her loose. She didn't get fresh water since all the fountains along our route were turned off in case of frozen pipes and all the puddles were very frozen over. Probably a good idea considering how cold it was still after 9am. I leashed her back up at the two mile mark and we headed up towards upper park. She stopped to visit with the cows and to visit some other puppies along the trail and we finally made it up to the end of the parking lot at the cross so I could undo some of my many layers and get her some water.

 I'm loving the leash that has the clip so I can just hook her onto my hydration belt and run hands free. It also means I can hook her to a pole and she can't get away while I'm taking off my jacket and adjusting my ipod. It makes the first few miles a little harder because she wants to pull so much but once she gets her wiggles out she's a good sport and runs right next to me. I can't wait to take her on more runs this winter.

The trip back was pretty uneventful. She was such a good puppy and stayed right with me along the road moving off when I gently pulled her leash when a car was coming. She ran off leash again on the levee and had a little mini puppy play date with some other off leash fur-ends then we headed home. I loved the cold run  although I did miss my gloves and that wind was icy cold.

Pretty darn finish to 2010