10 mile Long Run

10 mile run today, in the rain no less. It took me 2:08.33. I ran pretty slow, almost a 13 minute pace. I did finish though. I feel pretty good, but definitely not as good as last week's run.

I have dialed in the "day of" food, now I need to figure out what to eat the day before. I can tell you one thing, mashed potatoes and gravy are NOT it. Lol

8 weeks until race day!!!

4.2 A nice and easy 4 miles

Good run today. I am committed to my goal of hitting all my daily runs this week. Tomorrow is 5 miles and I am ready. The weather has been super nice so far this week and I really would rather be outside playing. I think next week will be the week I really try to run in the mornings.

It is also time to do a little comparison. Here are some pictures of when I first started this journey, and some from today. The change is subtle, but there!!!

4.1 A quick 3 miles

Snooze=1
Treadmill=0

I really wanted to get up early this morning and run, but alas the snooze button was too tempting. I got my 3 miles in after work though. I will try again next Monday.

Good run. I alternated between 5.0 and 5.1 every half mile. It was nice to just cruise along and know i was only doing 3 hahaha. I guess I'm a real runner again!!!

Tomorrow is a 4 miler. Chris has to go to Seattle for a class tomorrow so I will run when I get home from work.

Keep on keepin' on!

4.0 Only 9 weeks left

I am feeling strong. My knee hasn't bothered me in over 2 weeks so I think it is safe to resume my full training schedule. I will be sure to keep my daily runs slow, but think I can reduce my rest days, and resume my regular routine with only 2 rest days per week.

I am confident that I will finish this half. I even want to increase my goal to finishing in 3 hours or less. I, of course, will be very, very happy just to finish, but it would be nice to hit a time goal. (See what I did there? Not an official goal, but it would be nice.)

Now that the time has changed back to the Happiest Time I think it is time to start THINKING about running in the mornings before work. Chris's schedule changes a lot, but for now, he comes home on Mondays and has to leave on Thursdays, so I will try to run Monday mornings, since Monday evenings are when he needs the most sleep. I've got my alarms set... wish me luck!!!

Let's do this!

3.7 Long Run 6.3 miles

I had a great run today. It was 6.3 miles and 4.5 of that was the actual course, the all up hill part of the actual course. The Energizer Bunny Hill is no joke. I beat it though! I managed to "run" (and I use that term loosely) the entire 6.3 miles, even the hill, no stopping to walk at all!

I did this run in 1:18.02 so managed to maintain about a 13 min pace. Not too shabby but I'm hoping to run the race at a 12 min pace. Now on to my gear review!

A friend at work told me about the cool stuff called Liquid IV. Here is the product description:

Liquid I.V.’s Hydration Multiplier is a great-tasting, Non-GMO electrolyte drink mix that utilizes the breakthrough science of Cellular Transport Technology (CTT) to deliver hydration to your bloodstream faster and more efficiently than water alone. 1 Liquid I.V. can provide the same hydration as drinking 2-3 bottles of water.

Holy cow does it work! I felt amazing after my run. I kept sipping it throughout my run and my recovery was really fast. I really think the Liquid IV made a BIG difference.

Bring on week 4.0!

3.2 More hours please

I got my 4 miles in tonight and am pleased with my pace so far. I felt pretty good, but need more hours in the day! I got home from work, fed the dogs, did a quick Zyia video for a party a friend is hosting, ran 4 miles, fed the horses and BAM its 2100 (9pm)!!?? What?? Seriously! We need like a 28 hour day, with the same committed time as now, work, sleep, etc. Its almost time to start trying to run in the mornings before work...

I am still playing with the last part of my playlist, it's just not quite right yet. I found the perfect protein bar to eat after each run. It is working great!

They are really delicious and have 20g of protein per bar! The nights I run, I have one of these instead of dinner.

One foot in front of the other!

3.1 Short and Sweet 3 Miles

I had intended to go 4 miles, but just plain ran out if time. It was raining yesterday and I had left the horses out all day, ugh, they were a mess. By the time I got done with chores it was 2000 (8pm).

The run was decent. I felt average, not super strong, but not weak and sucking wind either. I can tell I'm dehydrated so am trying to pound water.

I will go for 4 tonight. My half day is tomorrow so will be going for 5. Chris is home for a few days and I try not to run while he us sleeping. Poor guy gets no rest while he is in Portland.  Thursday's plan is go a super slow 3 and Friday is a rest day.

Living the dream!

2.7 Long Run 8.5 miles

I'm a few days late posting this, but I had an excellent run on Saturday. I was able to maintain a steady pace and only walked once for about 50 feet. There were a couple hills on this route and not gonna lie, my legs were noodles at the end. I did feel like I could keep going though. I recovered quickly and think I may have a morning diet plan. I ate a package of energy chews on my way to the run and felt pretty good. I should have had a little something at the half way point, but didn't.

Saturday we are scheduled to go back down to 6 miles. I am planning on bringing a packet of chews for the half way point and adding electrolyte powder to my water. I'll post a link and do a review on the powder this weekend.

Bring on 3.0!

2.2 I'm serious now...

Day 2 of hitting my daily runs! Chris came home today so I did all of my outside chores as soon as I got home. I hit the treadmill just after 2000, 8pm, so if I woke him up I wouldn't feel bad. I did my 3 miles, and tip toed back upstairs. I don't think I woke him, fingers crossed.

I did pretty well this run. I can tell I'm dehydrated so will have to make sure I drink extra water for the next few days. Tomorrow I am getting a massage! I may not feel like running! My friend Donna got my a gift certificate for a 1 hour massage to her massage therapist. I'm looking forward to it!

My knee is still feeling fine, I really have to keep control of myself and keep it SLOW! Saturday's long run is scheduled to be 8.3. Yikes!!!

2.1 Monday

I ran 6 miles on Saturday, but that's another story. Tonight was a good run. I kept it steady at 5.0 for most of the run. I figure if I can keep a 12-14 min/mile as my race pace, I should finish in just under 3 hours. My playlist is really good and it keeps me movin' and groovin'. Now I need to dial in my long run diet. (Note to self, do not eat cottage cheese for dinner the night before a long run)

My weight has plateaued, but I'm ok with that. My focus right now is just hitting ALL my daily runs and increasing mileage without injury. The weight will come off eventually.

Chris comes home tomorrow so I don't know if I will be able to hit the treadmill. I need to figure out an alternative for the nights he comes home. I'm thinking about lifting weights and stretching. Chris has a set of weights in his shop so I know I wouldn't wake him....