Today's workout:
4.47miles, 51.07 (again - including 3 min warm up and 3 min cool down)
Road, mostly flat, some mild hills
74 degrees, 93% humidity, light rain

The hubs has decided that he needs to start running in the morning, too. He has realized that if he doesn't get it done in the morning, it's almost impossible to get it done after work/before dinner. So, he told me that if I get up to run and he doesn't get up - I get to slap him across the face while he's sleeping. For some reason, I find this absolutely hilarious! I am actually still laughing about it right now. Annnnyway, when my alarm went off this morning, he was the one who got up to go run outside. I'm super proud of him! We both can't get up and leave the house to run, so we are going to take turns. It's almost like having a running partner! Yay!

I waited to do my run until I had dropped Monster off at MDO. There was some nice cloud cover, so it wasn't too hot - but WOW it was still humid. We seem to have gotten all of the humidity and very little of the rain from Hurricane Isaac. I'm not necessarily complaining, but we could have used a little bit more rain and a little less stifling humidity. Just saying.

As you might guess, I sweat like a man again. Stupid humidity.

Today was another day of cadence drills and acceleration gliders. I also "ran a mile as fast as I could." I would like to say that I know I can run a mile faster than I did today. Today's conditions would have required gills to adequately get the oxygen from the air. I mean really, 9:23? That's awful. I will do better at this next week.

I bought a new bathing suit and swim cap today. My next goal is to start swimming laps once a week for some cross training. I will be going by the community pool tomorrow to acquire a membership. I used to swim laps during college and I really think that's the most fit (and coicidentally thinnest) I have ever been. I'm really looking forward to getting back into it!

Today's work out:
Ran 3.3 miles, 34:34
76 degrees, almost 100% humidity

Ok, so for several reasons, this was one of the hardest/worst runs ever. I realize that these happen every once in awhile, but I still find them discouraging.

I haven't run since my fantastic long run in Florida last Friday. I worked Sat/Sun overnight. I felt like a zombie on Monday and opted to spend most of my time cooking delicious food and didn't get around to running. I also started coming down with a mutant midget virus (aka something my child likely picked up from church) on Saturday and it peaked on Monday. It's hard to think about running when you can hardly breathe walking up the stairs. Tuesday morning, I dropped the Monster off of at Mom's Day Out and went home and laid in my bed. I was feeling 50 shades of gross. After several days of not sleeping well, having a headache, and being unable to breathe, I laid up in my bed like a fat kid instead of using my baby free time to de-fat my life.

Oh well. I was sick. But I'm still being hard on myself.

In my mind, I have gained about 15 lbs during my 5 days of running hiatus. I need to buy brand new clothes (made by a guy who fashions tent materials) and consider taking on a part time job so I can pay for a personal trainer and nutritionist.

I realize this is ridiculous. Kind of.

After working overnight last night, I decided that I HAD to run when I got home from work. Never mind that we have this delicious tropical humidity that has been brought up our way from Hurricane Isaac... or that 14 hour shifts make your legs feel about 50 lbs heavier....or that Sudafed makes you feel seriously disgusting. I knew if I didn't go this morning, I wouldn't go at all.

I opted to just run instead of doing any of the Jeff Galloway program this morning. I knew I didn't have it in my legs to do any of the speed drills on the schedule for today and figured a straight run was better than nothing. My husband tried to reassure me that my legs would loosen up and I'd feel good after about 5 minutes. I assured him that I would be spending most of the time walking.

Well, my legs never loosened up. I ran the longest and most agonizing 5k ever. I took a couple of walk breaks but I was able to do much more running than walking. I produced more sweat than I have here in Georgia for a LONG time. I was a sweaty beast. It took me about an hour to STOP sweating. Ultimately, I feel like such a total wuss -- BUT I ran when it was easy to say no. There will always be valid excuses. I know that getting out there counts for something.

When you are training, you are going to have terrible runs. Life does not stop and take it easy on you just because you are training for a marathon. Maybe this terrible 5k will help me find mental strength on that last, notoriously killer, 6 miles of the marathon.

For now, I am going to concentrate on losing those 15 mental pounds and simply carry on.

End of the week update - I have internet again!

The sunrise above is courtesy of Wednesday's workout:
4.42 miles, mostly flat - on Pcola Beach paved sidewalk, 46:24 minutes
Low 70's, moderate humidity

I had a little bit of right calf pain at the end of this workout - massage and stretching throughout the day helped. I also wore my sexy compression socks with my snadals for a little bit. Good times.

Thursday Night Date Night/Carb Binge. We look great, huh?

Friday's workout:
9.35 miles, 1:38:58 (including 3 min warm up and 3 min cool down walk)
Mostly flat, also on Pcola Beach paved sidewalk
77 degrees, HIGH humidity

I started sweating the minute I walked out the door! I knew it was going to be hot and I'm glad I had formulated a hydration plan with the assistance of my husband.

The good thing about running on the beach is that there are businesses along the way that sell items for hydration purposes. Most people call them drinks.

I set out on my long run with my credit card in my zipper pocket of my super cute Brooks running skirt. I was going to bring cash buttttt... a) I didn't have any. b) Who wants to give someone money that's soaked in butt sweat? Ew.

It was almost 3 miles to the first gas station and I bought a water with one of those handy dandy squeeze tops. I drank a few gulps every 7 minutes until it was gone. It was a little annoying to run carrying water - but I got used to it quickly. At about mile 7, I passed another gas station and bought a 12oz G-2 Gatorade. I was sweating like a man and figured I needed some electrolytes.

I know that having hydration during my run really helped me. The electrolytes at mile 7 were key, too. I felt amazing all day yesterday! I recovered well and have very little muscle soreness today.

Did I mention that it was hot?? It was so hot that I had to wring out my shirt when I got back to the condo. I have never had to do that before. Ever. It was sick.

Despite the heat, I was able to keep up with the training program pace without having to slow it down at all. I had to slow the pace down a bit on my last long run - so that's an improvement for sure. The husband and I had a date night the night before this run and I think my carb rich meal was excellent fuel for this work out. Sushi and gouda cheese grits. Holla. Note to self.

Here I am when I finished. Please note Gatorade and super cute skirt.

Sadly, we are home from our vacation. Real life resumes today. I have to work the overnights this weekend - I graciously traded with my colleague because of some stuff she had come up. I hate working the overnights. It really messes with my training schedule and I feel like poo. When I feel like poo, I am grumpy with my sweet husband. I can honestly say that I did not miss work for one second during our vacation. Some people might think that's normal, but I wish I had a job that I really liked all the time. I have a tough schedule and I do think it's hard on my family. I realized how long my job had kept us from visiting our families (uhm, hadn't seen them in 9 months!) and it made me feel even more guilty.

It's hard to come back from vacation. No one wants to get back to the daily grind and all of the frustrations that come with having two full time working spouses. My husband was very honest, though, and it helped with my attitude. He pointed out that we have been together for a week and still have had a lot of the same stuff going on around us. We had a sick, teething baby and some typical family frustrations while we were away. Vacation isn't perfect, either, I suppose.

Basically, I need someone to tell me how I can still get paid the same salary while not doing any actual work and just getting to play with my Monster all day long. I'm thinking the lottery is my only shot here!

Today's work out:
Distance: 4.07miles, 47:53 min
Warm and humid - as if there is any other kind of running in Florida?

I got up about an hour later than normal this morning. What? I'm on vacation! This was another one of those days of speed intervals. I felt particularly sluggish this morning. I'm going to attribute that to the heat/humidity. I have been getting plenty of sleep and am doing well with keeping myself hydrated. I honestly haven't been eating that much junk, either! I still have to go to my fav seafood place and get my fried fix - but that will be tomorrow or Thursday.

We took Monster out to the beach this morning before having to go run some errands and visit with some people. Monster is quite popular and has quite a schedule. I did manage to get some shopping done today - but I had to keep it brief as the hubs and the babes were waiting in the car. I think he planned it that way on purpose!

We have family pictures tonight - hoping to get some cute pictures of our soon to be 2 year old. If we're lucky, we will end up with a Christmas card photo!

I'm currently laying on the couch and watching the waves crash on the shoreline. I need someone to bring me an iced tea and I'd be set!

Here are some pictures from today:

You know what? I'm realizing that I'm always the one behind the camera! We need to work on that.

Sunday's Run:

6.02 miles, 1:08:51, mostly flat
77 degrees, Florida humidity (aka high and ridiculous)

I got up early on Sunday morning to get my run in before church and Monster's early birthday party at my mom's house. This was another speed work out - had 4 x 800 meter tempo segments and other drills worked in. It looks like the run takes forever if you look at the time - but that includes 3 min warm up, cool down, and walk breaks between the 800 meter segments.

I lovey some walk breaks. I'm sure I look great while sucking wind during those three minute breaks. Also, I truly feel like I recover more quickly.

Man, I was so sweaty! I just thought you should know.

We had a great Sunday with family. It was very special to see everyone and get to celebrate Monster's birthday! It's still hard to believe that my sweet baby girl is almost 2!

So cute, right?!

In case you care, I didn't get to run this morning - it was POURING all day. I didn't bring all my gear and I'm not thrilled with running in Florida storms. Call me a lazy lummox. I don't care.

As it turns out, we have not had great access to internet while on this family vacation. My husband and I are currently "spending quality time together" while using the internet on the couch on the condo. We are addicts and were going through withdrawals.

I think that's all for now. Goodnight!

It's Friday!!!

I usually have the opposite reaction to Fridays. I do 2/3 of my work week on the weekends, typically - so when Friday rolls around, I want to go and hide! Not this week, folks! We leave this morning for vacation. Yippee!!

What a beautiful morning!

Today's work out:
4.51 miles, 47:33 (once again, this includes 3min warm up and 3 min cool down)
Road - this route was 50% busier this morning.
73 degrees and extremely humid. I needed fish gills this morning!

I can tell that I was pretty good at giving in and slowing my pace before I started this training program. I'm thinking that this will truly help my speed and endurance!

Note to self: You are more likely to get hit by a mini van or school bus when out running anywhere in the suburbs on a school morning. Although, it is a nice change to actually see people up and outside in the morning - elementary school kids are so cute as they wait for the bus.

That's all for today, folks - gotta pack!

Wow..

It's already Thursday! This week is now awesome because I'm officially on vacation! I haven't been able to get away to see my family down in Florida for quite some time. The hubs and I decided to make visiting family a vacation this year. We leave tomorrow, but I have been off work since Wednesday AM.

This week has been a crap shoot for running though. I worked Sunday overnight, which took away my normal Monday run. I am just too tired after staying up all night to be able to run immediately when I get home. By the time I get up, it's too hot and I'm still tired and feeling crummy.

Tuesday, I got up and changed into my running clothes - only to discover that it was seriously pouring outside. The weather radar showed some nice red/orange cells over our area and I decided to go back to bed rather than running in a lightning storm. Don't get me wrong, I love running in sprinkling rain. However, a monsoon is a different story. I think I'm more likely to get hit by a car and I cannot stand it when I can barely keep my eyes open because it's raining too hard.

Wednesday was a repeat of Monday. When I woke up, I felt even more crummy from my one on, one off, one on schedule and it literally took me two hours to wake up. I had planned on running immediately after work (even had clothes in my car), but I was feeling queasy and weak and decided to go to bed.

Sounds like a lot of excuses, but that's how the week panned out. I find that life gets in the way of training. It's especially hard when I have a change in my schedule. I'm also at the mercy of the weather - I occasionally run on the dreadmill but I really hate it! Now that I'm doing distance runs and speed drills, the dreadmill is even less ideal.

However, this morning was a different story. My run was awesome! I have continued the Jeff Galloway program - and today was the day of speed drills. There's a good bit of walking involved on these days. You basically do 30 seconds of sprinting and a minute of walking, etc. It boils down to basically 9'40" miles - which is a pretty respectable pace for me and my short squatty legs (I told you - I'm slow!). The first and last miles are a bit longer because they have the longer walk periods in them.

Work Out:
Distance - 5 miles. I did about another half mile after the end of the scheduled program because I was still about half a mile from the house.
Time - 52:51 (including warm up/warm down)
Ran on the road, mostly flat.
The weather was PERFECT! 70 degrees, moderate humidity.

I felt really, really good on the run today. My legs were pretty well rested (obviously, I've been doing a whole lot of nothing this week). It felt really good to get out there.

I'm looking forward to vacation this week. I plan on running - even though it's at least 10 degrees warmer. I always eat a lot of food when I'm home (hello, seafood!), so running is a must.

Workout:
7.86 miles, 1:23:34 (including 3 min warm up, 3 min cool down)
10.6min/mile
Flat road, some puny hills, and almost got nailed by a middle aged woman in her Tahoe.

Everything almost went as planned. I thought about turning off my alarm, but managed to conquer my inner fatty and got up. I ate a light snack (peanut butter on a pancake - tasty, you should try it!) and had my coffee. I wore my Brooks skirt again (hey, I washed it).

I left about 20-30 minutes later than I normally do and I was running in the sunlight for the majority of the time. Thankfully, it was very overcast and the temperature was in the low 70's, so I didn't feel like I was baking. The humidity was stupid - as usual.

I didn't get hungry in the middle of my run like I did last week. Thanks, Mister Pancake. I continued with the Jeff Galloway program and was doing well until about mile 4.5. I started to feel like I couldn't keep up with the pace anymore. This is 1) a sign of weakness and 2) another indication that training for a full may be a bit ridiculous. The program backed down the pace about 20s/mile and I felt better. Part of my problem was that I was trying to alter my stride a bit and ended up going too fast and getting winded.

Nonetheless, I finished the full work out. When I got home, I stretched, foam rolled, and prophylactically iced. I had some chocolate milk, a bit of water, showered, and then had my greek yogurt breakfast. Shortly afterward, I took a nap because Monster said I should. When I woke up, I felt absolutely terrible.

TERRIBLE. I had no idea why I felt like I did after only running about half a mile more than I ran during last week's long run. I got up, had a snack with the baby, and started drinking water. It wasn't until about 3 hours after that that I even had to pee! Way to go, Kristin.

So, there you have it. I felt like death because I failed to properly rehydrate myself. This is a new phenomenon for me! I usually over hydrate and get a killer headache. Apparently, humidity kills and should not be ignored.

Note to self: A headache is better than the stench of death.

I hope you enjoy this precious cuteness. Monster was getting ready to go to "work" but stopped long enough for a quick iphone pic!

Thirsty Thursday:

This morning's work out -
3 min warm up walk
35 min run
3 min cool down walk

4.04 mile total distance/ 42:11 (including warm up and cool down)
Humidity was relatively low for an August morning, 73 degrees. Great morning for a run!

This was my second day with the Jeff Galloway program. I'm still liking it! The music makes it easy to keep a good, consistent pace. I feel like I can run longer by just taking a brief 40 second walk break every 7 minutes. I felt pretty darn good this morning AND I got to wear a new outfit! The whole outfit was awesome but I absolutely love my new Brooks running skirt - I dare say it's my favorite one to date! The shorts stayed in place (I didn't have to adjust them at all) and it's super flattering. It's husband approved.

Monster is seriously sleeping in this morning - we're going on 2 hours longer than she normally sleeps. I've gotten some house work done, showered and styled my hair, and done a couple of loads of laundry while waiting on her. I guess I successfully wore her out yesterday.

Long run tomorrow! Gotta get thirsty and drink tons of water today. I normally drink about 2 liters a day - so I will aim for at least 3.

Cheers!

Tuesday's Work Out

I started a new program this morning. To be honest, I jumped ahead to week 3 because the long run was closer to where I already am. I didn't want to lose any time and I need to train to at least 10 miles on long run before my half the first weekend of October.

I started the 13.1 Jeff Galloway training program. It's a bit early to really say what I think about it, but it seems ok so far. He's a big proponent of walking between speed elements - really, who can argue with that? He has this almost elevator music-like voice and he chimes in every so often and says something encouraging or gives a bit of advice. The music is paced appropriately for the cadence he's asking you to do - so that helps. The program was like $15 on iTunes - I had a gift card so if I don't like it, I'm not really out any money.

Workout:
3.38 miles, 39:10
This work out was composed of speed elements that undoubtedly made me look like an idiot while trying for the first time.

It was extremely humid - 95% or so and it was around 75 degrees. Needless to say, I welcomed the walk breaks in the work out.

I did find that my quads were pretty spent afterwards - so at least I know I was doing something!

In other news, I have a constant ongoing quest to eat cleaner and minimize my body stature. My recent step has been to drop soda. I started on August 1 and plan on going soda-free for at least 30 days. I'm trying to see if I can tell a difference in energy/bloating/cravings in that period of time. If I lose weight, that will also be a bonus! I'm doing good so far. I've found that I only want a coke when I am at work. I haven't lost any weight so far - in fact it seems like I shot up 3 lb this week. I seem to retain some water during summer training so I don't know if it's related. I feel like I look slimmer though - although I admittedly think it's wishful thinking.

Wednesdays are forced rest days for me. I worked overnight last night and just woke up a bit ago. We have church tonight and it's ridiculously hot outside right now, so outside running is not a welcomed idea. Instead, I'm enjoying some coffee and some good Olympic action.

I am looking forward to my work out tomorrow! I also have some new running clothes coming from Brooks and I'm super excited! I love running clothes - they are so much better than normal clothes. I could spend my entire paycheck on running attire - somehow I think it distracts from the fact that I don't look like a runner at all. If I'm dressed like one, I feel like people will question my abilities a little less. ha!


My gear is waiting for tomorrow morning:

Unexpected Day Off

So, today didn't turn out as I had hoped. I worked all weekend (as usual) and even went to bed at a reasonable time last night.

When my alarm went off at 5:10, I hit snooze. No big deal. When I finally tried to get up at about 5:20, my whole body ached. Ached. Like the kind of ache when you are coming down with something. I couldn't breathe through my nose, either.

I decided that this was my body's way of telling me to take a day off. I obliged.

I have been fighting off some sinus thing for several days, and I guess it decided to hit me this morning. I didn't really start to feel decent until late this afternoon. As I type this, my husband is out pushing the Monster in the jogging stroller in the heat. I decided to stay behind, cook dinner, and enjoy some peace and quiet.

In the morning, I will be starting the 13.1 Jeff Galloway program. I got this nifty ap and I hope that I like it. I would really like to get below 2 hours on my 13.1 time. I have two scheduled this fall - two chances to really move that PR time!

I am going to admit now that I have training ADD and I tend to change my approach frequently.

Anyway, I could choose to be grumpy because I missed my work out this morning. I could choose to let it affect my self image. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm glad I've learned to listen to my body and take a day off when it's really needed.

Cheers!

Friday's Goodness

Here's an owl that I saw while running this AM! He let me stop and take his picture and then flew away. I'm just glad he didn't screech at me and try to peck out my eyes.

Here's the sunrise about 40 minutes later. Not too shabby.


Run:
6.3 miles, 1:03:37
Mizuno Wave Riders
Mostly flat, great new running play list on Songza (Drop-A-Beat Workout)

I stayed up too late watching the Olympics again. I think that's why my legs felt like they weighed about 30 lbs each and like I was dragging them behind me the whole way. The humidity did not help, but I think it was mostly my sleepiness. I spent some time stretching and foam rolling when I got home - my IT bands get a bit irritated with flat, road running. As of this afternoon, they're still feeling decent and my heel is barely bothering me.

I would have run a little longer but a) I left late because I couldn't wake up this morning - somehow it took me 30 minutes to drink my coffee and b) because I thought I was going to have to knock on some stranger's door so they could let me use their bathroom. Yes, apparently my slow coffee intake took longer to take effect this morning and it hit me at about... mile 4. This predicament is probably responsible for 1 liter of the sweat I shed this morning. This kind of "emergency" has not happened to me for quite some time. My last experience of this magnitude was in the 2011 Georgia Publix Half and was responsible for about 15 minutes of my time that year. Good times.

I don't think you can call yourself a runner until you've had to deal with almost messing your pants. Just saying.

Thursday's Goodness

Treadmill Dreadmill Workout:
30 minutes, 20% incline
1.608 miles, 1569 vertical feet climbed

I'm no Olympian.

I allowed myself to "sleep in" this morning. The hubs had to leave earlier than normal this morning and it was just not feasible for me to get up at 4am to run outside. So, I slept in, watched a little Olympic goodness on the Today Show from the comfort of my bed, and got up when Monster woke up around 8am. When she took her morning nap, I did a quick work out on the dreadmill.

It might have been quick, but it was HARD. I think my heart rate was at an unsafe level. I would rather run outside in a hail storm, honestly. BUT, I was really glad that I did it when it was over.

We got a dreadmill as a combined Christmas gift this past year and it has been awesome! It's nice to have an option for a work out while the baby is sleeping - and I love that I was able to drop my gym membership. The hubs did not want to get a treadmill with an automatic incline (he thinks they break quicker) - so we got one that has two options - 10% grade or 20% grade. It's a little ridiculous at times. However, it provides me some uphill training opportunity that I would not otherwise get due to my geographical location. It's pretty flat around here and I'm kind of a wimp about hills - this leads to me busting myself in some way anytime I do a race with a brutal course. I have a hilly 13.1 coming up in October so I hope to go into ATL and run its hilly goodness once Monster goes to Mom's Morning Out again.

I originally had my long run scheduled for this morning - but I had to reschedule. I plan on doing it tomorrow! I have to be flexible so that the hubs can get to work when he needs to for meetings, etc.

I need to mention that my Olympic stalking has really interfered with my bedtime this week! NBC has totally ruined my life (ok ok.. that's dramatic) with the way they save the good stuff for prime time (9pm-12a). Hey, NBC, PEOPLE HAVE JOBS! PEOPLE NEED TO SLEEP! Give me a break. I think I will break down and get DVR before the next Olympic games. I will probably hold out though, because that's what they want from me!

OH, does anyone have any information/guidance on a Garmin training watch? I need want one and would welcome any guidance!

Tuesday's Run:

I'm posting this on Wednesday - but since I'm still awake (at work) it still feels like Tuesday to me!

3.2 miles, 29.19:

1st mile - 9'53" (wow, slow)
2nd mile - 8'39"
3rd mile - 8'57"

I was working on speed a bit this morning. It was drizzling and felt more humid than the Weather Channel said it was. It was another sunrise run for me! I think I'm turning into a morning person.

Month recap:
I have actually enjoyed getting up early to run! I ran a total of 49.62 miles in July. Not bad, considering I was in Wales for about 1/3 of that time and worked my usual hectic schedule. It's not great, either. Is it fall yet?