Christmas Eve

Joined my brother-in-law Chad's Saturday running group this morning out in Lehi.  Beautiful day and a beautiful run--and it was farther than I've run in months!  We ran 5 miles out and then I stopped 1.5 miles in on the way back and ran over to Chad's house so I could visit with his wife while he finished the run.  At the time I thought seriously about finishing out the 10 with Chad, but given that my weird knee is really starting to hurt now a few hours later, I guess it's good that I didn't, plus it was SO nice to talk to Bridgette for so long, since we haven't been here in years.

It was neat meeting the other runners--I so wish that I had a group like that at home!

6.5 miles; 9:05 for the first three miles, ? later but 8:32/pace for the last mile (is that right, Chad?  I've got to get a Garmin!)

Utah!!

So today did not look particularly auspicious for running--we just drove 24 hours to get here (nonstop, awesomeness with the kids!!!) and I was so exhausted last night that I went to bed before the kids were all the way asleep.  And when I woke up today, the wind was whipping the trees outside and the snow against the windows, and it was FREEZING cold, but hey...what are you going to do?  I mapped out a route, bundled up, and went out.

I'll spare you the details (EXCEPT I RAN SOME HUGE HUGE HILLS!  If you know American Fork, I ran that hill on 1120 N. that goes from 100 E. to 200 E, which is probably the steepest hill I've ever run, and then the hill on 700 N. up to the temple, which is probably the longest steep hill I've ever run).  I was so incredibly ridiculously proud of myself for running without stopping to walk, which isn't saying much considering how slow I was probably going, but I kept going despite altitude/hills/cold/fatigue/etc.  I was actually pretty surprised at how great I felt--it was nice to actually run just to run without having any expectations as to time or performance, since I forgot to look at a clock before I left.

I ran over to the temple where Neil and I were married and got a little misty-eyed reminiscing (9 years ago on Monday!), then ran back to my in-laws' house.

5.2 miles, ? pace

12/19

5 miles against the wind.

My family left a day early because everyone got sick.  Too bummed to write any more.

bliss

Running outside is just so much better.

4 miles on my favorite loop--lots of hills, trails, woods, and beautiful sunset--fell into a steady, even pace early on and didn't vary it one jot until I hit a huge muddy field about a quarter-mile from home...I finally slowed down to dodge squishiness after the third splash of icy mud into my shoes.

Stopped at home to put my bread dough into pans and then ran another mile.  Such a great run--this was just wonderful today.  It's nice to just enjoy running for the sake of running rather than pushing myself to go faster and harder (although I am definitely a lot slower outside than on the treadmill...).

5 miles, pace probably just under 9:00/mile with the walking in the field

running in the rain

Yoga yesterday--Neil is still working on the treadmill relay board.  He fixed the capacitor and the blown fuse and then started testing it again and apparently there's a transistor that's gone bad as well.  So...still waiting.

Didn't run this morning because I was worried about everyone getting off to school (and Luke was SUPER fussy and I didn't get him calmed down until it was too late to leave and get back in time to see Abigail & Juliet off).  So Neil came home a little early this evening and I ran out the door as soon as he got home and ran 5 miles in the rain through my neighborhood.

It took me a few miles to really get into it, but by the end I had settled into a slow and steady pace, dodging puddles, looking at Christmas lights.  So good to be out.  It's been a really stressful couple of weeks in a lot of ways, and I have missed the running so much as a way to metabolize all the stress hormones.  And I guess it's good that I am practicing running outside again now so that it's not as much of a shock when we're in Utah and I am (hopefully!  otherwise I will be a cranky mess) running there...the altitude is going to be enough of an adjustment!

5 miles; about 8:48/mile as near as I can guess (it may have been faster than that but definitely not slower)

where the streets have no name

Finally ran again today--outside before breakfast.  I ran slower and less far than I usually run, but I think it was a better workout--lots of hills.  I'm actually trembling enough post-run that I'm having a hard time typing this, although some of that is probably the fact that I've been up for several hours, nursed Luke, and had nothing to eat.

Anyway--ran my spring loop that I literally have not run since May.  Lots of hills--beautiful watching the sun come up over the lake.

4 miles, not sure about pace, but pretty slow.  I was planning to run another mile when I got home and checked in with Neil to make sure everything was okay here, but I got home to find that Abigail had missed the bus for the first time ever, Luke had woken up unexpectedly, and Jules was in the car "ready" for preschool with unbrushed hair, no snack, and no coat.  So it was an awesome run but I think I need to be back earlier.  :-)  Poor Neil--the kids all kind of ganged up on him this morning!

Stupid treadmill

So I started running today and I ran about two minutes and seemed like the treadmill was going kind of slow--I felt like I could literally push it along if I pressed down really hard.  And then it suddenly shot up to an INSANE speed that I am 100% confident it was never supposed to reach--I just barely made it off--I smashed my hip against the safety bars as it was, and my heart was racing!  It was honestly terrifying.  I pushed the stop button and it made no difference--I finally had to yank the emergency key.  Then I tried turning it on again and it went insane--I tried one more time and it turned on crazy fast, then just died and the belt never moved again although the display was still ticking.

So frustrating.  I felt off-balance and weird all day from not running--I did yoga this afternoon and I'm trying to figure out what to do tomorrow, since Neil had to leave and he won't be able to look at it tonight.  (And as icing on the cake, this is the first day since my pregnancy with Luke that I actually don't really feel like running, if you know what I mean.  Argh.)

The day my treadmill caught on fire

So Luke woke up 5 minutes in, and I stopped to give him his pacifier.  Then again at 15 to give him his pacifier.  Then at 4.7 miles I noticed a really awful burning smell.  I wondered if I'd turned the oven off.  It smelled HORRIBLE.  So I ran to check the oven, which was off.  I came back in to finish my last .3 miles and realized the smell was just in my room.  Was it the furnace? 

I ran another .1 mile and just had this feeling that I needed to stop running NOW.  So I did.  And then I ran back out to check on Juliet who was asking me something and I came back in and smoke was billowing out from the front of the treadmill.

True story. 

So...I figured I was done running for awhile. 

Neil came home and did things to the treadmill and decided that the motor is going out.  So tomorrow I will call and hopefully a new one will be here soon. 

And because we all know I am a control freak, I finished the .2 miles after the kids were in bed.  I ran barefoot and it was really interesting--all on my toes.  I've heard a lot about barefoot running--have any of you gotten into it at all?

4.8 miles; 8:04 mile +.2 miles later for a total of 5

12/2

Luke started crying just as I started running today--gave him a pacifer at 1.3 and then brought him in to sit on my bed at 2.7; stopped again at 4 to give him his toys.  Ran pretty slowly today--I was still tired from the previous couple of days (and I have a blister from yesterday's run, since I wore socks I don't usually wear, so I was trying to not aggravate that).

5 miles; 8:23/mile

12/1

Wow!  December already. 

Ran 30 seconds and then saw my neighbor was home, so I ran over to give her a frozen dinner I made at Enrichment.  Ran another 3 miles, then stopped to give Luke his pacifier, ran 1.2 miles and then stopped to get Jules a snack, then finished the 5.

So with all 3 stops (which is a good 40 seconds of the treadmill getting back up to speed) I still finished in 39:13 for 7:50/mile.  Not too shabby, but I wish I didn't feel like I was dying at that pace!

5 miles; 7:50/mile

11/30

Tried the interval speed workout on the treadmill today--at first it was frustrating because it added 1.2 mph to your low speed, so when I started out at 8:27, which is my normal warmup pace, it bumped me up to 7:13 two minutes later.  So at first I moved it down, but then after a couple of miles I ran at the 7:13 pace. 

Stopped at 2.1 miles to give Luke his pacifier, then at 3 miles when the interval training turned off.

Finished up the last 2 doing my own intervals--I was really pushing at this point and I don't think I could have gone any faster--it was total will power on the last 7/10 of a mile.  I still don't feel 100% back--this is taking forever!

First 3 miles @ 8:06, last 2 miles at 7:37/mile.

11/28

Stopped at 3.6 to get Jules a snack.

5 miles; 8:16/mile

11/26

No exercise on Thanksgiving (aaaahhh!!) but I really needed a day off anyway.  Walked briskly for half an hour with Neil yesterday and then did the elliptical today--thought about running outside but I really wanted to try out my dad's brand-new elliptical.  It was a really good workout for my quads--better than running, I think.  I started out slow at first (12:00/mile) until I got used to it and then spent most of the time between 9:13/mile and 8:34/mile.  It's hard to tell because you can't set a pace and it just varies from moment to moment (and only goes in increments of .5).

2.6 miles, then stopped to eat breakfast, then another 1.4 miles, stop for water, then finished out the 5.

5 miles on elliptical

11/23

Holy cow, I was SO exhausted during this run.  End of the day plus all the frantic pre-Thanksgiving activities, plus Luke has slept hardly at all the last few nights (teething and I think he has an ear infection...it has been absolutely horrific.  I know I say that all the time but this has truly been horrendous).  And the three days of back-to-back runs probably didn't help (I need to start doing this more often if I want to run a Ragnar).

Anyway...if I had been running outside I would have fallen so many times.  I was stumbling even on the treadmill.

Stopped at 3.1 for water and just sheer exhaustion, then finished out the 5.

5 miles; 8:26/mile

11/22

Stopped @ 3.6 to give Jules a snack.  Tried going a little faster today and working in some 8:00 intervals, but I can tell I'm still not 100% back.

5 miles; 8:21/mile

11/21

Evening run today; stopped at 4.1 miles (coughing and nose-blowing.  Aren't you grateful for the details?)

5 miles; 8:22/mile

11/19

On the one hand I'm glad I hit 20 miles again this week; on the other hand it's kind of a bummer because if I can do this with bronchitis it takes away my excuse for missing runs on other weeks.

Ran 4 miles then stopped for water, finished last mile.

5 miles; 8:22/mile.  Still slow but getting better, I guess--probably helps that I didn't have to stop as much as I did yesterday.

11/18

SO MANY STOPS today.  Seriously.  I had Luke propped up on my bed with toys (that child needs to synchronize his naps with everyone else) and I stopped about every mile--he was super cranky and kept sliding down and throwing his toys away.  Can I even count this as a run today?!

Still going slow thanks to the bronchitis--ongoing headaches and coughing.

5 miles; 8:31/mile

11/16

No run yesterday since I spent the afternoon asleep in bed--thank you, antibiotics.  I actually feel somewhat like a real person today, which is a nice change.

Dropped Juliet off at a birthday party, raced home, ran 3 miles, stopped for water, ran 2 minutes, Luke woke up, so I ran in and put him on my bed while I finished out the 4 miles, then I nursed him, hopped in the car, picked Juliet up from her party, came home and propped Luke back up on my bed and ran the 5th mile.  Now I will race through the shower before Abigail gets home from school and Isaac wakes up from his nap.

I really want to run a marathon next year, but days like this make me wonder if I really have the time to commit.  Ho-hum.

5 miles; 8:30ish/mile (slow because let's face it, I am still pretty weak and out of it despite the Z-pack).

11/14

Nasty head cold and killer sore throat--I do feel a little better after running so hopefully it will give me energy rather than delay recovery.  Stopped at 9, 18, and 24 minutes for Luke, then stopped again at 36 to check on Isaac to make sure he was still asleep and not cowering in terror (hail beating against the windows and a tornado siren).

5 miles; 8:25/mile

11/12

Ran 2.5 miles and put Luke in his bed, ran another 1.5 and ran in to check on dinner, then ran last mile.

5 miles; 8:04/mile

11/10

So I pulled a muscle in my back somehow (I think twisting and stretching too far when I realized that Isaac was jumping off the top bunk and I needed to catch him NOW), and I was having trouble even standing or sitting, so I didn't know how running would go.  The first half-mile was pretty agonizing but then it was totally fine and now I feel so much better.  Running, I love you!

Luke was awake the whole time--stopped after 2 miles to change his diaper, 4 miles to put him in his bed, and then at 5 to calm him down (screaming screaming screaming).   Thought about running a 6th mile but decided to read Jooj some extra stories instead.

5 miles; 8:18/mile (first couple of miles were slower, then sped up to normal pace)

11/8

Blergh.  I hate running at night.  Way too tired.  Stopped at 3 miles for water.

5 miles; sub-8:00/mile (alternated between 8 and 7:53 just to give myself something to think about other than the fact that I really wanted to stop)

11/7

Argh, no fun with Daylight Savings time--everyone is SO off-schedule!  I figured Luke would probably wake up midway through, but I ran anyway--Luke stops at 2 minutes, 24 minutes, and 31 minutes.

5 miles; 7:58/mile

11/5

5 miles, no stops, first couple of miles at 8:00/pace and the next few around 7:53.

11/4

Stopped once today at 8:40 to help Juliet, who had dropped a Tupperware of granola on her head while getting an ice cube out of the freezer (I was confused too!), then ran nonstop to finish out the 5.

5 miles; 7:58/mile, NO CRAMPING!!  Yay!  I'm planning to try another back-to-back run tomorrow and hopefully I can get back to a more normal schedule next week.

11/2

Gah!  I don't know what's going on but I don't like it--after my run Monday I had horrible stomach cramps all night--it honestly felt like early labor and at one point I was on my hands and knees trying to get through it.  Really awful.  I took a day off yesterday and then just ran at a slow steady pace today without stopping (thinking that maybe the stops and starts are what did me in Monday) and then my stomach started cramping up as soon as I started walking to cool down after the run.  Really hoping this isn't an awful new pattern.  I've lost another 5 lbs since the last time I weighed myself and I don't know if that has anything to do with it...

5 miles; 8:24/mile

10/31

No run Thursday because I had a newspaper interview in the morning and packing for a trip all afternoon; no run Friday or Sat. because we were out of town and there was no opportunity.

Lousy run today. Stopped when Luke woke up @ 28, stopped to give him his pacifier again at 34, then again at 38, then finished the 5 and spent the next ten minutes standing by his crib dizzy and nauseated, trying not to fall over while I rubbed his back.

I've got something going on physically--I don't know what--but I am not myself these days.  I'm exhausted--I fell asleep three times during the day yesterday (at church and twice in the car) which is very rare for me.  No matter how much I sleep I'm still tired, but Luke is NOT sleeping these days and it's killing me--he wakes up every forty-five minutes or so from 7 pm to 6:30 am, plus he nurses at least twice a night.  And now when I run my stomach is cramping like crazy and I just feel cruddy.  Whine whine whine...I just wish I could get this kid to sleep longer than 30 minutes at a time.

5 miles; 8:18/mile

10/26

Not a very good run today.  I ran 3.2 miles and then had to stop because my stomach was cramping so much.  Ran another mile and then got off for water and Luke-pacifying, although my stomach was starting up again, then finished out the 5.  I actually dropped my pace for the first time in I don't know how long...probably since I was pregnant.  I'm guessing this is just the cumulative effects of 3 days of consecutive 5-milers, but I sure hope I'm not coming down with something

5 miles, 8:27/mile

10/25

I have to do all my runs back-to-back this week so I didn't push much today; we'll see if this helps with the aching knees at night.

5 miles; 8:28/mile, stops @ 4 minutes (phone), 22 minutes (Juliet), 32 minutes (fixing headphones).

10/24

It seems like I say this every day, but I'm so tired!!  I really hope Luke starts sleeping better at night; six hours just isn't nearly enough (especially when it's interrupted every half-hour).

Stopped at 4 miles for a drink, then finished the last mile.

5 miles; 8:15/mile

10/22

Another fiver today; stopped @ 6 minutes to put Luke down for his nap and then @ 4.1 miles to get a drink.

5 miles; 8:12/mile

Happy to see that I ran 20 this week; hopefully I can keep this pretty constant.  I decided that as long as I'm running 4 times a week I'll be happy with that when I'm not actively training for something. 

10/20

Really tired and low energy today.

Ran 1.5 miles, then saw Luke's eyelids drifting downward so I stopped and put him to bed.
Ran .5 miles and then helped Jules get her story set up.
Ran 2 miles and stopped for a drink.
Last mile.

Pace for the last 3 miles was 8:15; first two miles was 8:23

5 miles; 8:18 avg. pace

10/19

No run yesterday because I spent every spare minute cleaning my carpets.  Super fun and my knees were aching that night.

5 miles today at naptime--NO STOPS!!  Amazing considering how many times Luke woke up while I was reading to Julesie pre-run.

5 miles; 8:16/mile

10/17

I'm kind of surprised that I was able to run today--my friend ended up taking her son to the hospital and I was watching one of her other kids all day--I thought for sure it would be crazy enough that I wouldn't run.  But by quiet time the kids were worn out and were happy to just sit on the floor doing Legos while I ran!

Ran 2 miles; helped Jules with her audio tape, then ran another 1.5 miles and put Luke down for his nap, then ran .5 miles and stopped to give Luke his pacifier and answer the phone (normally I ignore the phone but I thought it might be my friend calling from the hospital), and then finished out the last mile.

5 miles; 8:18/mile

10/14

Leisurely 4 today; stopped at 2 miles to prop Luke up again (he was playing on my bed near the treadmill) and at 3 miles to put him in his crib. 

4 miles; 8:26/mile

10/13

4 miles today--unfortunately no time for more.  Ran 3, stopped for water, then started running again and stopped to give Luke his pacifier after 3 minutes, then went back and ran the last 5 minutes to finish out the 4 miles.

4 miles; 8:13/mile

10/12

Ran 2, then put Luke down for his nap (he was playing with toys on my bed), ran another 2, got Jules a snack, then had a minute left to go and heard Luke crying, so I went to give him his pacifier, and then ran back and finished the last minute.

Kind of a weird run, but...I was just happy to fit it in today with how sick poor Lukey is right now.

5 miles; 8:17/mile

failure

No run and no workout this morning.  Luke has been so incredibly sick (croup) and all my running time/free time all day has been spent just trying to find a position to hold him in where he can breathe.  I've had really sick kids before but this is just a whole new brand of awful.  I was planning all day on running when Neil got home (since I literally did not want to be away from Luke on the treadmill without another adult in the house) but by the time we had everyone in bed and the house cleaned up for the night Luke was still waking up every few minutes and I had the most awful stomachache and I was doubled over--I think just from stress.  took three tylenol and went to bed.

10/10

Very leisurely four today; we spent 4 hours hiking Saturday (seriously, hundreds and hundreds of stairs) and the muscles along the inside of my thighs have really been hurting!  Obviously I need to do more stairs, but they feel great after the run.  Didn't want to push it too much because of the soreness and because I'm hoping to start doing the Insanity workout tomorrow (kind of nervous about that).  And while I wanted to do 5 today, Luke is due for his next feeding in 6 minutes so I need to run to the shower rather than fitting in another mile.

4 miles; 8:28/mile (recovery pace)

10/6

4 miles, then water stop, then another mile.

5 miles; 8:11/mile

10/4

Nothing fancy today.  :-)  Luke woke up just before the end of the first mile and then I was able to finish the next 3 miles w/o stopping.

4 miles; 8:12/mile

Kicking off October

So today was crazy busy and I was really exhausted and I didn't have time to run this afternoon, and after taking the kids to the grocery store I didn't want to run this evening.  So I spent an hour mowing the lawn, and then I read an article about the Ragnars and I decided I should just run a little in order to justify my post-lawn-mowing shower.  And since I didn't want to run very far, I decided to try for my goal of a 7-minute mile that I set last year and then put on the back burner during my pregnancy.

So I did it!!!!  I ran a 6:59 mile!!!!  YAY!!!  And then I decided I might as well run a little further, so I ran another mile at 7:30 pace, and then I went to go tell Neil, and he wasn't very excited because he was working and he just mumbled, oh, I knew you could do it, and then I decided I might as well go run another mile while I waited for him to finish, so I ran another mile, and then I had to go to the bathroom and then I thought after that I might as well run a 4th mile since Neil still wasn't done.

So...1st mile at 6:59, another mile, stop, mile, stop, mile, average pace for the whole run was 7:22 for 4 miles.

I broke the 7-minute barrier!!!!  YAY!!!

9/30

Last run of the month!  Stopped for my charming little banshee @ 17, 22, and 27 minutes (at which point I finally just put him in his bouncy seat on my bed, where he stared at me unblinkingly for the rest of the run.  Kind of freaky sometimes the way a baby follows you with their eyes).  Pretty slow today--if I run too fast when I'm stopping frequently, I get really dizzy and nauseated when I start back up (does anyone else have that?  Any ideas on reducing it?)

5 miles; 8:23/mile

9/29

I really need to kick this exhaustion and general feeling of "don't want to" about running.  Ergh. Two Luke stops today at 11:30 and 17:00 (after that I told myself I'd stop again in five minutes if he was still crying, but he rolled over and fell asleep on his tummy.  Poor sad tired baby).

5 miles; 8:17/pace, incline 1 after the first ten minutes

9/27

Pretty lame run today.  I've been SO tired lately--the kind of tired I associate with mono or early pregnancy--I really hope Luke starts sleeping better soon.  I feel like a zombie.  When I wake up in the morning, all I can do is calculate how many hours until I can sleep again.

Anyway, broke one of my rules and ran this morning with the kids up in hopes that the endorphins would carry me through the day.  Luke woke up literally two minutes into my run...bummer.  So child-care stops at 2 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 26 minutes (Juliet and Isaac were playing on my bed by the treadmill, then left and were being suspiciously quiet--I found them eating sugar).  I felt so dizzy and nauseated after the last stop that I am really surprised I managed to finish out the last mile at 8:00/pace.

Really slow starting out--I actually had to crank the pace down because I felt so lousy.  No hill/incline.

4 miles; 8:25/mile

9/26

Ho-hum, what happens now that the race is over?  I've really gone back and forth on running a half in October and I think in kindness to my family I should not...it's just really hard finding time to run right now where it doesn't infringe on everything else.  I wish I was getting up early to run, but Luke is still waking up every couple of hours at night and mornings are pretty arduous for me right now.

On that note, I didn't run Friday (mowed the lawn instead, which was probably twice the workout!) and I didn't run Saturday (spent 11 hours canning applesauce and didn't get to bed until midnight). 

Ran 4 on the treadmill today with interval hills.  I think I really need to focus on hills to compensate for the "easiness" of the treadmill as opposed to running on uneven terrain outside against the wind. 

8:19/mile always on an incline (started at level 1, went to level 2 after 5 minutes, level 3 after another 4, back to 2 for 4, back to 3...you get the idea). 

I'm debating whether I want to focus less on running and do more cross-training and yoga.  I've lost all my pregnancy weight (yay!) but I would still like to lose more and just tighten up my whole body rather than exclusive running.  We'll see...I need to set some sort of goal.  Maybe lose 15 pounds by Christmas?

9/21

Scheduled interval run today of 8x400, started out at 7:53/mile for three minutes, then ran at 8:06/mile for two minutes, then ran to give Luke his pacifier, then ran another 3/2 set, then ran for 4 at 7:53...you get the idea; increasing the faster intervals (up to five or six minutes, I think, at the longest).  Then at 24 minutes/3 miles I hopped off again to switch Juliet's tape and start the hot wash cycle for diapers, then went back and finished out the last mile at 7:53/pace.

4 miles; 8:00/mile (or less because the treadmill didn't click over until 32:03)

9/20

Another late run--4 on the treadmill @ 8:17/pace. Three of the kids have strep and it was another long day.

9/19

4 on the treadmill; stopped at 3.1 to get a drink and try to work some of the stiffness out of my knee.  I was hoping to run outside today but it was a really awful day and I'm just lucky that I ran at all (as I type this it's 9:56 pm and I still have to shower post-run.  crazy day).

4 miles; 8:19/mile

And on a different note, an update on my race Saturday--one of the 5K runners collapsed after crossing the finish line and died.  Apparently he was only 42 and didn't have any apparent medical problems.  I walked right by him (we parked just past the start line for the 5K so as they were lining up to start out we were working our way through the crowds after finishing the 10K) before the 5K started.  As Neil said, it's a sobering reminder of how fragile life is. 

10K race report

Ran the same 10K that I ran last year and got the EXACT SAME TIME.  To the second.  I was kind of disappointed with my performance, to be honest, but I think it's due to a few things:

1) I hardly ever run outside these days because of Luke, so that was an adjustment and
2) Pollen/ragweed/you name it...I was really having trouble breathing, and when I got home all my exposed skin was all rashy and irritated.
3) Started off too fast (just like last year):  my first split was 7:43 and the second was 16:45.  My iPod (perhaps because of my calibration on the treadmill) was overestimating my speed and told me I'd finished about 200 meters before the finish line.  So I kept thinking that I was going too fast according to my iPod and that I was going to burn out.

Anyway, pretty much the same as last year--stopped for 2 of the 3 water stops, stopped to take off my long-sleeved shirt because I'm not coordinated enough to tie it around my waist and run.  No rain, and that was nice, although that probably would have helped with the pollen.

To be honest, I don't think I could have gone too much faster--I think last year I was just in a better place training-wise since my long runs for the half-marathon were 10 miles at that point.  I guess I just feel like my performance this year should have been an improvement over last year, but then I have to remind myself that I'm another year older, I was pregnant for eight of those intervening months, etc.  I ran about as hard as I could run this particular day and I'll just be happy with that.  :-)

STATS: 10K, 52:34; 8:28/mile; 5th place for age division (kind of a bummer because I was 3rd last year, but I would have had to run 4 minutes faster to place 3rd this year, which was definitely not possible).

9/14; last before the race

I tried to calibrate my Nike+ today, although you're not supposed to do it on the treadmill so we'll see if it actually works.  It was so off though that I figured this would be better than nothing (it was off by .26 miles over a 3-mile run).

3 miles; 8:10/mile

9/13

My training schedule said to run 3 today, but I checked the half-marathon training schedule I did last fall to see what it said before the 10K, and it said to do a 40-minute tempo run, so I ended up running for 41:24 (so I could finish out the 5 miles).

I felt really slow and tired--I don't like running at night, plus Neil went back to work so I did bedtime by myself (and after that I'm always ready to go right to bed!!)  Anyway, I didn't feel like it was the best run.  Oh well.

5 miles; 8:16/mile

9/12

So excited to only run 4 today!  Yay for tapering.

Ran 1 mile and then went to take care of screaming Luke.

Ran another mile and went to take care of screaming Luke again (kind of nice how he was at least quiet for a mile).

Ran 3 minutes and then broke up a fight between the girls ("she jumped on my head!"  "she kicked me in the leg!")

Finally some quiet to finish out the run after Luke fell asleep again and the girls were separated (although it would have been nice to not say things like, "Juliet!  Quit biting your toes!  I will get you a snack in a minute!")

4 miles; 8:18/mile

9/10

Didn't run the 4 I was scheduled to run yesterday--it was like the perfect storm of craziness and I was really tired, so I ended up taking a nap during the time I would usually run. 

Ran 6.2 miles today w/o stopping, then stopped to change my socks and put on a band-aid over a developing blister where my shoe was rubbing my skin (I was wearing a lower cut of socks than I usually wear).  Finished out the 1.8.  Varying pace and inclines; at least 6 miles on level 1 incline or higher (threw in a couple of level 2) but not pushing super hard with hills.

My left knee is still really hurting.  I'm kind of starting to worry about this--I was limping a little when I finished today.

8 miles; average pace 8:25/mile

9/8

Blah.  I have absolutely no motivation to run right now...our babysitter for Saturday's long run fell through and I'm almost relieved (we'll see how I feel about that one later in the week).

I think I have whatever the kids had--hopefully I don't get to join the throw-up gang (pretty sure I have a fever right now; hoping everything else stays away.  Then again, the fever may be from some awesome nursing-related problems, which is why I postponed yesterday's run until today--hoping that would resolve itself, but no luck).  Anyway.

50-minute tempo run; ran a little longer to finish out the 10K.  Under 8:09/mile but the stupid treadmill took forever to go back to the mileage, so it may have been a little faster than that.  No incline, because I think I would have thrown up over the front of the treadmill (I almost did when I finished up.  Aren't you enjoying this post?!)  Stopped at 35 minutes for water.

6.2 miles @ 8:09/mile

9/6

5K hills course today--man, that level 7 incline is still getting to me!

I tried to mimic the way I would run a real 5K today, rather than just trying to keep the same pace throughout.  I started off fast, dropped my pace slightly as I warmed up, and stayed steady on the smaller hills and picked up speed on the flats, then dropped speed on the big hills, stayed slower until I had my breath back, then picked up speed gradually and sprinted at the end.

3 miles, lossa hills, 8:18/mile

9/5

Six today--this is the longest regularly-scheduled weekday run I've ever done--neither of the half-marathon training plans I did had a longer weekday run than 5 miles. 

Stopped at 10 minutes to put Luke in his bed since he was falling asleep in his bouncy seat near the treadmill.  Stopped at 4.3 miles (35:18) to give Abigail and Juliet a snack, then stopped at 42:18 to get screaming Luke out of his bed before he woke up Isaac.  Finished at 48:30.

(This is why I wonder about training for a marathon--it is hard enough wedging in only 6 miles on a weekday!!  How could I fit in 10?  I don't think I could work part-time if I was training that much.  I don't even feel like I can work part-time now, although I do, because of everything else.  Whine, whine, whine.)

6 miles; avg pace 8:05

9/3--wimping out

Scheduled to run 7 today; I was thinking there was probably about a 60% chance that I wouldn't run today before the day even started.  Hoping it would work out, but it didn't, and I'm okay with that.

Here's why: we canned 200 lbs of peaches.  And all four of my kids came down with fevers and I don't really want to just leave my parents with my four sickies (we're visiting them this weekend).  And I tripped over Luke's bouncy seat, fell over Juliet, and smashed my knee into the wall, which promptly swelled up and turned bluish-purple (enough that I had to ice it).  The icing on the cake is that it's now 8 pm, very dark, windy, and the lightning and thunder that we've had all day look like they're really ready to go.

So no 7 miles today.  Honestly I'm kind of relieved because my knees have been feeling wobbly and I am grateful for the extra day of rest. 

9/2

Easy run of 3 on the treadmill; incline level 1 after the first 10 minutes.  8:16/pace.

8/31

10x400-meter repeats today--started running at 9 pm (definitely not my preferred time of day). 

1st repeat (warm-up) at 8:00/mile out and 8:12/back.
2nd repeat at 7:53/out and 8:12/back
3rd repeat at 7:53/out and 8:06/back
4th-10th repeats at 7:47/out and 8:06/back

NO STOPS!  Yay!!  I was really proud of myself--I ran the whole 5 miles much faster than usual without stopping.  I'm not exactly sure what the final pace was, since the treadmill didn't click over to the mileage until 40:05, but I at least know that the whole 5 miles was sub-8:00/miles averaged out.

(I do have to say that after I finished I just started walking around and I got super dizzy so then I had to get back on the treadmill and walk for 4 minutes to cool down before I fell over or threw up or something exciting like that.  I should be running like this more often so that it doesn't affect me so much.)

8/30

Scheduled run of 3 today; as I was finishing the 3rd mile Luke started crying, so I ran another mile after I gave him his pacifier hoping that he would go back to sleep (no luck).

Lost track of the total pace time; it was probably just under 8:24/mile, since that's where I was running the first 3 and I sped up at the end and for the last mile, which was around 8:18 or so.

8/29

Treadmill; stopped at .9 miles to check on the kids (who were supposed to be asleep but were yelling); stopped at 2 miles to lock the front door (I have kind of an obsession about doors being locked and realized that Neil had probably left it unlocked when he went running), then at 2.5 miles to try to figure out what the really hideous noise was that the treadmill was making (no luck.  Really hoping it's not breaking again!!)...then ran the next 3 miles.

5.5 miles; 8:19/average pace

8/27

Ran the 5K hills course today on the treadmill--oh my heck.  I felt like I was dying when I hit the "big hill" (incline 7).  I seriously felt like I was going to fall off the treadmill--every fifteen seconds or so I caught myself grabbing the front of the thing to catch my balance again.  I'm kind of worried about my lameness right now when it comes to running hills--last summer I made a real point out of running as many hills as I could (like my favorite long-run hill that was a full mile long), and this summer I just am not running outside (combination of 100+ temperatures and a new baby).  So I guess I better be running this thing more frequently...at least I could pick up the pace at the end when it leveled out again!

5K hills course; 8:34/mile for most and 8:00/mile last 0.2 miles; total 25:44 (at least it was a good six minutes faster than the last 5K I ran)

8/26

7 miles today on the treadmill (that is a LONG time on a treadmill, let me tell you).

Stopped after 4.1 miles to get Jooj a snack, then finished out the 7.  Ran mostly at incline level 1 with some 2 and 3 thrown in to imitate some low hills.

7 miles; average pace 8:24/mile

8/24

So unbelievably tired today--I was reading Jules The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe before my run and after 3 chapters I was falling asleep and missing words and the like.  I was supposed to do a 45-minute tempo run today, but it was SO hard to make myself go fast that I just settled for whatever I could do speed-wise.

Started out at 8:34/mile and worked up to 8:00/mile.  Stopped at after 30 minutes to give Jules a snack and Luke his pacifier, ended at 44:28 when the treadmill flipped over to the next tenth of a mile and Luke started crying.

5.3 miles; 8:23/mile

8/23

3 today; 8:20/mile, hurray for no stops!

8/22

Scheduled run of 5 today (again on the treadmill, big surprise!)  Started out at 8:34/mile and worked up from there; one stop at 2.5 miles to give Luke his pacifier and then he magically--MAGICALLY!!--went back to sleep again and is still asleep.  Could this be a trend?!!?

5 miles; 8:24/mile average pace

8/20

Whew!  I didn't know if I was going to be able to run today--we went to the temple last night in Chicago so it was kind of a weird night's sleep at the hotel, then we went to Navy Pier this morning with the kiddos (and we parked a mile away and walked in, plus walking all around for 5 hours and the walk back to the car).  But we had everything ready for Sunday by nine tonight so I went ahead with the run.  I am SO glad I only had 3 miles to do; I don't think I would have been able to make myself do it if it had been much more than that.  I was so tired starting out that I almost quit after 14 seconds, but I told myself to run at least half a mile first and then I was able to just keep going once I got into my rhythm. 

I've been having some pretty nasty pain in my right hip lately after I run--it was bad enough yesterday that I couldn't sit or walk comfortably for a couple of hours.  I'm thinking I may try to get in to my mom's personal trainer, since she told me to check in with her after Luke was born to repair all the pregnancy damage to my joints and alignment.

3 miles; 8:30/mile

8/19

Six miles on the lovely treadmill, so exciting.  Same pace as yesterday; stopped @ 2.6 miles to give Luke his pacifier and get some water; stopped at 4.7 miles for the same thing again.

6 miles; average pace 8:34/mile

8/18

I'm hoping to be able to fit my long run in tomorrow, so since today was supposed to be a rest day after speedwork, and I'm doing the longer run tomorrow, I took it easier today (although I did run 4 instead of the scheduled 3 so I can run the shorter 3 on Saturday, since it's shaping up to be a crazy day).  I know that sounds a little weird, but basically I just obsess about getting all the miles in during the week, so sometimes I add and switch here and there to come out with the total mileage on my training chart.  Moving on.

Steady pace of 8:34 today, no incline.  Luke woke up 11 minutes in, gave him his pacifier, then gave it to him again 4 minutes later @15 and wrapped him up super tight--the swaddling seemed to do the trick since he slept for the rest of my run (cue the Hallelujah Chorus here!!!) and is STILL asleep! Yay!!  I was so glad I could finish out the rest of that run without stopping.

4 miles; 8:34 pace

8/17

So on Monday night I was working until midnight on my courses for fall (they just made the sites available at 7 pm Monday, hence why I waited until the last week before the semester starts to do it...).  And then I was worrying about things and fell asleep at 2 am, and Luke woke up for the day at 6, and I spent the next hour groggily hoping that he would go back to sleep.  In other words, I didn't get up early to run Tuesday like I was planning to. 

Then I spent Tuesday afternoon during naptime working on my website again, and the same thing at night--I finished around 10 pm and Neil told me to just go to bed instead of running (too bad I didn't fall asleep until 12:30; I should have just run anyway).  I was so stressed about not running and trying to work out if I could run Thursday instead of taking a rest day, etc.

Anyway, so I finally did get to run today and boy was it a tough one...I keep beating myself up mentally about my times, comparing them to last year when I'd been running 25 miles a week all summer (although at this time last year I was pregnant and still putting up pretty good times...aaah, the self-beating-up continues).  Anyway. 

9x400-meter repeats today, except I wasn't running them on a track so I just ran 2 minute intervals, which means that my "fast" pace was going longer than 400 meters.  It was not the best run for me today.

I ran the first three at 7:30 pace out and 8:20 back (I think I ran the first one back a little slower but then I bumped it up).  Then Luke started screaming so I gave him his pacifier and ran another 2 at 7:30/8:20.  Then he started screaming like CRAZY so I put him in his bouncy seat and ran another 2 at 7:30/8:20 and I started getting the worst side ache, and I do NOT get side aches.  I can tell you when I had the last one--mile 8 of my first half-marathon in April 2010 running up the biggest hill I've ever run in my life.  And that's the only one I can remember since I ran a cross-country training run too fast in 7th grade.

I digress.  Side ache really bad, and I wanted to stop sooo bad, but I finished out the repeat, and then slowed down to 8:00 out/8:20 back.  Then it sort of gets hazy because I was playing mind games with myself trying to finish out the last repeat and I ran at 8:12 for a minute, then 8:06 for 30 seconds, then finally up to my 8:00/pace for a minute, then it was the "back" and I slowed it down to 8:06, then realized I really wanted to finish in less than 36 minutes so I went back to 8:00 and finished there.  The treadmill didn't flip over to the mileage until 36:09 (it alternates between showing speed and mileage) but I'm just going to call it at 36.

4.5 miles; 9x400 repeats; avg. pace 8:00/mile.

this might be the longest training log post ever.

8/15

4.5 miles on the treadmill today; steady pace of 8:34/mile, incline level 1.  (I know it's wimpy, but I have to start somewhere.)

Stopped at 6 minutes to take a piece of mulch out of my shoe and at 20 to give Luke his pacifier.

8/13

This is the farthest I've run in the last ten months (since that half-marathon I ran in my first trimester).  And it was hot--yuck!  The weather really cooled off so it was kind of a shock having it comparatively hot (plus let's be honest, I'm not one who loves running in the evening).

Neil and I ran together which was great--we haven't been able to do that since December.  It was really nice to spend some time on the trails with him, even if it wasn't the best performance run ever--it was hot enough that we stopped twice for water and then probably every mile or mile and a half we walked for a minute to just try to keep our core temperatures down (Neil was pretty bushed by the end of the run since he has been sick and hasn't exercised much since Luke was born, but he was a trooper and stuck it out!)  We also ran a LOT of hills--4 miles on the roads and 2 miles through the woods. 

6 miles, not sure on pace--probably around 9ish?

8/12

Easy 3 on the treadmill; stopped at 1.5 miles to give Luke his pacifier (when is that kid going to take real naps?!)  Realized that I need to be running more hills, so I ran at a very gentle incline for the last half (level 2) and vowed that I will start running the 5K hills course on the 3-mile days.



3 miles; 8:34/mile

8/10

40-minute tempo run today; started out at 8:49/mile and worked up to 7:30/mile, then back down to end at 7:53/mile.  Stopped for a drink at 27 minutes and ran an extra 38 seconds to finish out the 5 miles.

5 miles; 8:07/mile

8/8

4 miles on the treadmill today, nice and slow @ 8:45/mile. 

8/6

Really tired today!  We were up until 1:30 am processing beans (plus then Luke is still waking up 3-4 times a night to nurse), and then it has been the most nonstop work Saturday.  I barely managed to squeeze the run in.  Treadmill, no water stops, and even the slower pace didn't help much--my knee was starting to hurt by the third mile.  I definitely need more rest than I'm getting. 

STATS:  4 miles; 8:45/mile

8/5

I did this week's "long run" (although it's not that long) today rather than tomorrow because I was hoping the treadmill thumping would keep Luke asleep.  He reminds me a lot of running with Juliet as a baby--she hardly ever slept and a lot of the time I would be running with her in the pack-n-play next to me or something like that.  I'm hoping I can run outside tomorrow, but since Neil can't touch Luke for fear of giving him chicken pox, we'll see.

Kind of frustrating today in that I had to stop at 18:30, 26:30, and 30:00 to get Luke settled down, but I'm just really grateful that I have a treadmill and that it IS possible for me to run during naptime.

5 miles; 8:14/mile

8/3

8x400-meter repeats today.  Ran at 8:00/mile for the first 400 and then the recovery 400 varying between 8:34 and 8:20/mile.  Stopped after the second set of repeats to check on Luke and after the fifth to get a drink.

4 miles; average pace 8:15/mile

8/2

Easy run of 3 today--I was also supposed to do yoga but things are so busy that I don't know if it will happen or not (Luke woke up right as I was finishing my run so I couldn't do it then).

3 miles, average pace 8:46

8/1

Scheduled run of 3.5 today; average pace 8:27/mile.

7/29

Running on my parents' treadmill today (it's like 99 and a million percent humidity here).  I don't know what it is, but their treadmill is SO much more exhausting for me!  I think it makes me take longer strides and lean backward further, so my form is different.  And it's much hotter, since I usually turn my ceiling fan (over the treadmill) on high at home.  I seriously had to stop for water at 2.5 miles, 2.75 miles, 3.6 miles, and then didn't know if I'd make it to 4 before stopping again.  Crazy!

4 miles; average pace 8:43

7/27

Did NOT want to run today!!  Seriously, this has been the craziest day, and tomorrow is going to be even worse.  We're in the process of buying a new car and I am going insane with it all.

4 miles; 8:30/mile

7/26

Last run in these shoes!  I've been saving my new pair for my birthday tomorrow.  Exciting stuff, right?

Scheduled for three today; ran four (prepping for the weekend).  Yoga afterwards--I'm always SO much more flexible after I run and my muscles are warmed up!  Tried to take it pretty easy today so I don't mess something up in 4 days straight of runs when I'm not used to that--I was a little stiff today starting out.

4 miles; tempo run from 9:05 to 8:00/mile; average pace 8:35/mile

7/25

First day of 10-K training! I was supposed to run an easy 3 today, but because we have stuff scheduled really tightly on Friday and Saturday I don't think I'll be able to run either of those days, so I'm trying to make up the miles earlier in the week.  So I ran an easy 5 today, trying not to push too hard because I'm going to be cramming in all my miles for the week in the next 4 days (good thing it's not a very hard week!)

5 miles; tempo run from 9:05/mile up to 7:47/mile, one stop at 3.7 miles to answer the phone

average pace 8:26/mile

7/22

Four today on the treadmill--I'm not feeling very chipper these days.  I think I'm running as a form of self-medication and as the only thing I can control in my life right now.

4 miles; 8:22ish/mile (tempo run starting at 9:05 and going up to 8/mile)

7/21

This run should be on Saturday, but I have to be somewhere at 9 and I don't know if I'd have time to get ready and get the kids ready, so I ran today instead. 

Tempo run starting at 9:05/mile and ending at 7:24/mile.  I don't think I could have run much further without stopping for water and to catch my breath; my left calf started aching during the last mile.  I skipped my yoga today for the run and I think I should have gone ahead with the yoga--I definitely need to stretch for awhile now.

3 miles; 8:15/avg pace

7/20

I have mixed feelings about today's run.  On the one hand, I ran much faster than usual; on the other, I had to stop much more than usual.  Four minutes in, Abigail and Juliet got in a fight over a throw pillow and I had to break that up.  Six minutes later (@10 minutes), I had to go put Luke's pacifier back in.  And thirteen minutes after that (@ 23:36) I had to move Luke and his bouncy seat to my bathroom so he would go back to sleep from the thumping of the treadmill.  Then I finished out the 4 miles (@33:11) and stopped for water, then decided to run another mile.  I finished the 5 miles at 40:55. 

So for timing today, do I look at the final speed, or do I subtract a minute for the 15 seconds it takes the treadmill to get back to speed each time it starts?  And I ran pretty hard today (hard enough that when I coughed at the 7:30 pace I got a mouthful of stomach acid), but I also was able to catch my breath for the minute that I was off the treadmill finding pacifiers and the like (I'm always motivated to go fast doing those things because the treadmill turns off after 2 minutes and loses all your workout stats).

Anyway, tempo run today starting at 9:05/mile, going up to 7:30/mile, and finishing at 7:53/mile. 

5 miles; average pace 8:11 if you count the stops and starts and 8:00 if you don't. 

7/18

Still really going back on whether to sign up for a fall half or not.  I don't have anyone to train with (Neil doesn't have the time) and I still don't know how I'd do race day--it just feels really selfish to make someone else get up at 5 am with me, drive to the race, and hang out during the race with Luke so I can nurse him as soon as it's over (but I still want to run it!)

5 on the treadmill today; we have a heat warning for the next week so my goal of getting back outside is going to have to wait.  Stopped at 1 mile to give Luke his pacifier again, stopped at 4 miles because that's how far I was scheduled to run, then ran another 8-minute mile because I'm just feeling a little frustrated with my progress right now. 

5 miles; average pace 8:30 (last mile @ 8 minutes/mile)

7/16

My cold is still bothering me--hopefully it will go away in the next day or two.  Stopped after 10 minutes to get a drink and blow my nose, then again after 3 miles--I was only scheduled to run 3 today (still gradually building up my mileage) but I figured I might as well finish another one for 4.

4 miles; pace somewhere around 9/mile (didn't really time)

7/15

I forgot to post Wednesday, probably because I ran early before breakfast (so hard to run on an empty stomach when I'm nursing all night!)  It was right around the same pace as Monday's.

Harder run today, because I felt lousy--I've picked up a really nasty stuffed nose and sore throat.  It was hard to breathe while I was running today. 

4 miles; average pace 8:45

7/11

Intervals this morning, alternating between 8:49/mile and 8:34/mile.

4 miles; average pace 8:38/mile

7/9

3 miles on the treadmill this morning; tempo run starting at 8:57/mile and going up to 8:00 at the end.
Average pace 8:36/mile.

I weighed myself this morning for the first time in a few weeks and it looks like I've lost a few pounds (hard to tell how many because the scale is pretty hard to read; somewhere between 3 and 6).  And I ordered a new pair of shoes last night, so hopefully the grinding in my knee and weird pain in my heel will subside!  I'm really excited because I randomly found the shoes I love for 25% off.  Yay!

7/8

Oh man...that was rough.  This morning a dozen hard-backed books fell off a high shelf onto my head (I have no idea why...they just suddenly launched from the back of the bookcase) and knocked me to the floor.  I felt kind of weird and my head hurt but I ran anyway.  I did stop for water @ 3.1 miles because I felt so lousy, then after I finished I was walking and suddenly got really dizzy and ended up hunched over the toilet.  I wish I could say, "I guess I should have listened to my body," but the truth is, I think I would have felt worse all day if I didn't run, because it affects me so much.  Not just physically, but emotionally--I am so mad at myself all day if I don't run.

Sometimes I worry about this a little bit, because I think running is becoming one of those things that I HAVE to do, like checking all the door locks three times before I can go to sleep.  Maybe I should start reading my "Overcoming OCD" book again. 

STATS:  4 miles; 8:35/mile

7/6

Pretty similar to last time; tempo run starting out at 9:05 a mile; up to 8:00/mile (finished there, climb in pace was slower this time). 

4 miles; 8:41/mile

7/4

Tempo run on the treadmill, starting at 9:05/mile, gradually down to 8:20/mile, and finishing at 8:34/mile.

4 miles; average pace 8:41/mile

7/2

Quick two-miler this morning (working on gradual increases to my weekly mileage).  It felt weird stopping so soon, but I have to get on with the day!

STATS:  2 miles; 8:35/mile

7/1

Treadmill this morning; I tried running while the kids were all up, and I think it was more stressful than it's worth.  Everyone behaved, but I felt like I was on constant alert.  I need to get more sleep at night so I can run after Luke's 5:30 am feeding and get it over with for the day.

4 miles; intervals, 8:50 average pace

6/29

Pushing it harder to make up for Monday; 4 mile tempo run, starting speed 9:09/mile, up to 8:00/mile, finishing back down at 8:20/mile.

4 miles; average pace 8:35/mile

6/27

Didn't really feel like pushing it today, so I ran an easy 4 miles @ 9:13/mile.  Very relaxing and enjoyable; I was thinking while I was lying on the floor after doing crunches that there's nothing quite so nice as just stillness after a good run.

6/24

Treadmill; 6.5 intervals for 3 minutes and 6.8 intervals for 2.  Pretty tired today--it's been a rough couple of nights with Luke.

STATS:  4 miles; 9:02/mile

6/22

More treadmill, alternating between 9:13/mile and 8:49/mile.  Gotta get that speed back up!  And hurray, today I broke the 9-minute barrier!

Yesterday I worked out my training schedule for a 10K on September 17th--I'm going to spend the next five weeks getting my mileage up in preparation. 

STATS:  4 miles; 8:57/mile

6/21

Treadmill again today--so hot outside!  And the treadmill is finally fixed, thanks to the ingenuity and diligence of my dear husband, who spent $25 on parts for a repair that the treadmill company said would cost $350 in parts from them (to replace the circuit board entirely, whereas Neil was able to just replace the damaged components on the board). 

I've started looking around for something to train for this fall--I'm thinking at least a 10K; much as I'd like to do a half-marathon I don't know if I can manage to squeeze out the time.  It would be difficult to run a 2-hour race with a baby who nurses every 2 hours (travel time would be a real issue as well).  We'll see.  Anyway, he's 6 weeks old this week, and I'm hoping to finally be able to bump up the runs.  I don't think I've been able to even run 3 times a week up until last week.  So my plan is to run at least 3 times a week for a few weeks, then bump that up to 4, and be able to start training 5 days a week at the end of July.  Depending on how my body does & how that impacts nursing.

I tried to push a little more on speed today & didn't take any water breaks (I was afraid that if the treadmill stopped Luke would wake up) and I think I do need to drink during the run--I've got a bit of a headache now.

STATS:  4 miles; 9:06/mile

6/17

A very fast & early 2 miles this morning to wake me up before the day got going--raced home to help Neil with kids & breakfast.

STATS:  2 miles; don't know about time but fast enough that my side was aching!

6/15

Afternoon run today, after a nap because I was such a zombie.  The kids went to a friend's house and I went running (Neil was working at home, hence why I got a nap and he stayed with Luke while I ran) to try to make myself into some semblance of humanity by the time the children got home.  please, endorphins, help resurrect the mother they're used to.

Really tired.  I ran at the same pace  & route as Monday but I could tell that I'd had several nights of 3 hours of sleep pulling at me.

STATS:  4 miles; 9:15/mile

best part of the day

enough said with the title, right?  Long long long day, blissful run.  All I could think about the entire time was how peaceful I felt out there pounding the pavement.  I ran a new route with some good uphill and downhill, which was fun, and the weather was perfect--breezy and cool.  It was the kind of run where you feel so invigorated and totally in love with running--where you just want to keep going and never stop because it's so perfect and energizing and you feel like you could run forever. 

4 miles; 9:15/mile


forgot to write about last Thursday's run, which was kind of lame--it looked like it was going to storm, so I just ran 4 miles around our neighborhood (boring boring boring) while it thundered and drizzled.  no Midwest monsoon, so I might as well have run something fun.



***
In other news, I'm going to try for at least 3 runs this week (although my in-laws are coming Thursday so it may be tricky fitting the last run in) because I have GOT to get higher mileage--I'm worried that I'm going to start gaining weight, if I haven't already, because my activity level isn't nearly as high as it was when I was pregnant, and when I'm tired and up too late (baby who likes midnight) I eat too much sugary food.  And I keep baking desserts to try to say "I love you" to my family with food because I feel like I'm cranky and short on quality time with everyone.   

endurance test

4.6 miles in 88-degree heat over crappy hills.  Interesting how much of a difference temperature and beating sun make, since I ran the same route that was so great last week (except I ran all those glorious hills in reverse at the end, which was not fun).  Running very slow (10ish/mile going by kitchen clock).  I have GOT to get up earlier to go running--I didn't want to leave this morning until I'd fed Luke, but then he projectile vomited all over me and went back to sleep so apparently it was pointless anyway.  Or the treadmill could be fixed and that would be lovely--Neil has been working on it hoping to not have to buy the $350 part, but he's having difficulty diagnosing the problem without a circuit diagram.

STATS:  4.6 miles; 10ish/mile

outside again

Treadmill is still broken (Neil is pretty sure Isaac blew the fuse but we're having trouble finding the right fuse) so I ran outside today.  It was a horrible day (all four kids are feverish and coughing) and I spent an hour and a half trying to nurse Luke so that I could leave.  Like I said--it was not a good day.  Neil practically had to push me out the door before it was too dark to go.

I ran a route that I haven't run since last October--my favorite route through the woods surrounding the bog.  There were mosquitoes and the trail was flooded out and my shoes got absolutely filthy and a white-tailed deer scared the bejeebers out of me and it was so worth it.  I felt like I was flying running down the hills in the woods, leaping over roots, dodging trees, and almost falling on my face half a dozen times (in fact, I started running so fast that I got the beginnings of a side ache, which hasn't happened in forever!).  It was completely glorious.  I'm betting that I'm going to feel this tomorrow because there were some decent hills, and I haven't run hills in forever. 

STATS:  3.99 miles, approx. 9:15/mile (going off the kitchen clock and my memory--not sure how accurate this is, since I felt like I was running really slow at some points, but crazy fast at others). 

5/30

A little tired when I started off, so I started at 10/mile and ran at that for two minutes, then another 3 minutes at 9:49/mile, then the next couple of miles at 9:31/mile, then up to 9:13/mile.  Then the treadmill stopped completely dead at 3.8 miles:  display still going, but nothing from the motor.  Hoping this is easily fixable...the weather is such that I can run outside if need be, but things are so unpredictable right now going around the schedules of all 4 kids and Neil's lab time that it's a definite luxury to be able to run at home during naptime.  Please, treadmill, be fixable!!

5/27

I suppose I felt like I needed to make up for earlier in the week.  Ragged intervals (increasingly longer and faster) up to a 9:13/mile, which I ran at the very end after I finished the 5K (sidenote:  so glad my 5K is finally back under 30 minutes).  Hoping I don't have a recurrence of the issues earlier in the week after this run (excessive bleeding, so fun.  I'm looking forward to being able to push myself really hard again without worrying about things like this). 

STATS:  4.1 miles; 9:31/mile

oops

No running today, per the doctor's orders.  I'm supposed to check back in on Friday and we'll go from there.  Part of me is really bummed about this, and the part of me that is exhausted is relieved.  I'm not very good at giving myself a break unless specifically ordered to do so for good reason.  So I'll take my iron pills, rest a little more than I would normally, and hope that things get better soon. 

5/23

I'm trying to come up with a plan and I think I'm going to focus on interval training until I get my speed back up.  I'm looking for a 10K to run in the fall (much as I'd love to do a half-marathon I don't think I can swing it with a baby nursing every couple of hours, but we'll see how he does this summer--plus everyone we traded with for long runs is moving in the next couple of months) to motivate myself--and to lose those baby pounds (which means I should find a decent scale somewhere; mine isn't super-accurate but I think I have about eight pounds to lose to get back to my pre-baby weight). 

Intervals today:  3 minutes at 9:31/mile and 2 minutes at 9:49/mile.  Starting off slowly, but I don't want to burn out and I'd like to add in a 4th day of running as well...we'll see how things go.

STATS:  4 miles; overall pace about 9:38/mile (stopped once at 1 mile mark to check on Luke, then ran the remaining 3)

5/20

Hopefully next week I'll be able to get back into the groove of running on specific days; this week it's just been crazy what with all the follow-up appointments. 

Ran 4.2 miles today; stopped at 2.2 to answer the phone.  My pace varied between 10/mile and 8:49/mile; average pace was 9:38.  I ran the fastest at the very end--that 8:49 was the last three minutes.  Good to know I could still do that at the end, but it means I probably need to be running faster throughout--I just don't know how hard to push right now.  This is the earliest I've ever started running post-baby, so I'm sort of fumbling my way through it.

STATS:  4.2 miles; avg. pace 9:38

first post-baby run

I've been feeling really jittery over having gone without running for so long--this is the longest I've gone in years, literally.  My last run was a week ago yesterday.

I was pretty excited to run without the baby!  I ran pretty hard today too (not hard if you're training for something, but hard considering I just gave birth five days ago), so I didn't run as far as I might have otherwise.  I started out at 10:00/mile and gradually worked up to 9:13/mile (overall pace was 9:45).  I ran most of it straight through (had to stop 2 minutes in to adjust workout gear and then at 3.3 because I was seized by sudden irrational fear that Luke had stopped breathing, so I ran to go check on him and then ran back).

STATS:  4 miles; 9:45/mile

5 miles, 3 days to go

I never got a chance to run again last week--it was SO busy.  Lots of walking and yoga, but no time where I was able to fit in the time to get sweaty, shower, and recuperate.

I ran 5 miles this afternoon at 10:54/mile...slow and steady.  I had tons of energy, surprisingly--I felt like I could have gone a lot longer.  As a matter of fact, I stopped at four and started walking to cool down, and I still felt all jittery, so I started running again (I would have kept running after the 5-mile mark, but I ran out of time).  Stopped at 1.5 & 3.5 for water.

Honestly, if this doesn't start labor, I don't know what to do next.  Five miles, kid!  Be born already!!

STATS:  5 miles; 10:54/mile +1.4 miles walking

another day, another run

Three miles tonight--I was so tired when I started, so I was going slow (10:54/mile) and then gradually picked it up to 9:13/mile mid-run, then gradually back down to 9:50/mile (average pace for the whole three was about 9:48/mile).  Water breaks at 1.2 & 2.2 miles (although that second was somewhat of a heart rate break too, since I was running the 9:13 pace and it started to feel not so good after a couple of minutes).  I did get a couple of pretty decent contractions, but they disappeared as soon as I stopped running--of course!

Nine days until my (theoretical) due date!

changing it up

I've been going back and forth on whether I run or walk...today I chose walking, mostly because running hurts so much afterwards (for about eight hours, which is why I've been running at night) that I've started to worry about going into labor and then having this horrible back pain to deal with.  And there are SO many things that I'm cramming into these last few days/weeks that it's hard to find a time where I can have that 8-hour recovery window!  I may be able to squeeze in a couple of miles tomorrow...we'll see. 

STATS:  5.2 miles walking @ 15:46/mile

proving something to nobody

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but tonight I ran 4 miles--nonstop--at about 9:54/mile.  Maybe it was just listening to music that helped, or maybe I just had more energy, but it was great to know that my body is capable of this at 38 weeks pregnant!! 

STATS:  5 miles; 4 miles running @ 9:54/mile, 1 mile walking for cooldown

running at night--yuck

Since I'm pretty much incapacitated in the evenings when I run afternoons, I've been running more frequently at night.  I really hate doing this.  I feel like I'm putting it off all day, which makes me cranky and short-tempered, plus I want to rush everyone into bed so I can finish my run early enough to go to bed at a decent hour.  I don't know whether it's better to limp around all afternoon and get the run over with, or to be able to walk without pain but then still have it to do at the end of the day when I really just want to crash.  Ho-hum.  (I definitely prefer running in the afternoon and taking a bath in the evening to soak away the achiness, but it's probably nicer for my family to have me not randomly collapsing as I walk, which tends to happen rather frequently if I run in the afternoon.) 

STATS:  6 miles; 3 walking in the afternoon and 3 running in the evening.  Running was hard tonight; I had to stop at .4 miles to go to the bathroom, at 1.1 miles to figure out why Isaac and Juliet were screaming at each other, at 1.4 miles to go to the bathroom again (seriously, I hate this!!) and then finished out the 3 miles.  Average pace running 10:46; so slow...I took it back up to 9:50 at the end but the contractions started, and I really can't have this baby until after Saturday, so we'll hold at the slow end until then. 

**I'm probably going to post more frequently now at the end, since I want a good record of the end of my pregnancy for the next time around.

experimenting

During today's run I decided to try a few different things.

First, I ran at my regular speed (9:50/mile).  That worked, but it started to get uncomfortable after about half a mile, so I walked for a couple minutes, then ran another half mile, then walked another two minutes.

Then I took my speed down to 10:54/mile.  And ran for another 2.1 miles before I started getting enough nerve twinges in my leg that I walked it out for three minutes, then ran the remaining .9 miles to finish out the four miles (then walked to cool down and finish out five miles.  I should explain that I only count running miles in the 4 miles, and walking breaks are then counted in the last cool-down mile to bring the total up to five).

So much as I'd like to keep my speed up, I think for now I'm going to run at a slower speed so that I can keep endurance up instead, since that always seems to be harder to regain than speed.  And hopefully once the baby is born the speed will come back more quickly, since I'll be considerably lighter and have more lung capacity!!

Best of all:  I honestly enjoyed the run today and felt like I could have kept going for another couple of miles--no fatigue!!  Hurray!!!

STATS:  5 miles; 1 @ 9:50 mile, 3 @ 10:54/mile, 1 @ 17:08/mile (walking to cool down)

37 weeks

After Monday's run I had contractions and back pain until midnight, so I promised Neil I would scale back today.  (Plus it was Abigail's birthday and I wanted to be functioning, not aching.)

So I walked 3 miles this afternoon, then started running after the children were in bed.  I ran 1 mile and started having contractions about halfway through; by the end of the mile it was bad enough that I couldn't run through it anymore.  I walked four minutes, ran another 1/2 mile, walked four, and ran another 1/2 mile (at which point I had promised Neil I would stop, plus the nerve in my right leg was going crazy and I would definitely have fallen had I been running outside without the treadmill bar to grab), then walked to finish out the last mile.  Five minutes seems to be the manageable point; much longer than that and the hurting starts. 

I'm not sure what my plan is from here on out.  I definitely can't run four miles straight.  I'm wondering if I should run intervals, run at a slower pace, or just walk for a week and then start running again (I really need to grade the final papers for this semester before I have a baby!).  We'll see.

STATS:  6 miles; ran 2 (9:50/mile), walked 4

**Reading over this I sound a little crazy.  I don't know why I'm still pushing to run at this point other than I can't imagine not running for a month...or two...

500 miles

Today's 4 miles brought me up to a total of 500 for this pregnancy.  All I have to say about today's run is that it was miserable.  The end. 

36 weeks

Yikes!  Every day I think that was the last run.  Contractions are picking up afterwards, my sciatic nerve is making it pretty painful while I run, and my hips and back are aching so much afterward.  I can't decide if I'm just pushing through or being stupid.  I've run 496 miles this pregnancy; once I hit 500...we'll see.  I won't be able to run again until Monday because of everything we have going on tomorrow, Friday, and Sat., so we'll see how I'm feeling then.  I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I'm wondering if they'll finally ask me to restrict my level of activity, depending on how the exam goes (what a lovely thing to look forward to). 

Ran 1.1 miles today, walked for 4 minutes, ran another 1.9 miles, stopped to check on Jooj and then ran .3 miles before I realized I really HAD to walk to keep the contractions down, walked 4 minutes, then ran the last .7 miles.  It's like a total mind game keeping track of everything.  Walked to cool down and finish out the 5 miles.  I definitely missed the race adrenaline and the fun of running outside from Saturday...I'm really looking forward to more outside runs. 

STATS:  4 miles; 9:52ish/mile

5K race recap

I did it!  So glad I did.  I prayed a lot beforehand about running it, and I felt that if I took it slow and didn't try to push myself the way I normally would, things would be okay. 

When I got to the race site this morning, a police officer told me I had to go find somewhere else to park, which was totally contrary to what the race organizers had said.  Aaaaahhh!!  I found a parking spot up by one of the fraternities about a quarter-mile away, and started off.  I asked a volunteer at the site if I could borrow a phone so I could call Neil and tell him that he'd have to park elsewhere, as he was planning to meet me at the end with the kids.  While I was dialing, the cannon went off and the race started!  So I quickly finished the call, jogged over to the starting line, and managed to wedge myself in behind a woman with a seeing eye dog and a guy in a wheelchair.  Everyone was walking, and it took me awhile to weave my way through and get up with the runners.

The very beginning of the race was a super-steep downhill.  I know some people (Neil, for instance) hate downhills, but I LOVE them!!  It's never bothered my knees, and I always feel a huge energy burst going downhill, so this was a great start for me.  A lot of people were walking down because the grade was so steep, which helped me to get ahead of the pack a bit.  It was pretty cold and sprinkling a bit, but I just was so happy to be running this that I didn't mind. 

The first mile was pretty easy--down the streets by campus and totally flat.  When we turned at the end of the first mile, we hit the looooong uphill that lasted for the next mile.  I ran up most of it, but I told myself that I HAD to stop about halfway up at the speed limit sign and walk.  The last time I ran up a hill I had pretty bad contractions afterwards that lasted for a long time, and I wanted to avoid that, plus I knew how worried my mom and Neil were about me pushing too hard, so I made myself a promise that I would walk.   I felt kind of weird just stopping the run and letting all these people pass me, but I also felt like it was a good compromise.  I walked for three or four minutes until the hill started leveling out again, and this gave me time to notice how tight my muscles were from the uphill.  Yuck! 

When I started running again, my legs felt AWFUL.  I told myself I'd run until the end of the song and then reassess, at which point I hit the lone water stop, paused to drink my little Dixie cup, realized there was only a single mile to go, and started off strong again--the leg pain had worked itself out. 


I ran the last mile at a pretty good clip.  It was great to be passing people consistently again and did a lot for my motivation.  The rain had cleared up, there was a brisk breeze, and I felt so great despite the gray cloudiness of the day.  During this last mile, I just felt so much gratitude for the healthiness I've been able to enjoy throughout most of this pregnancy and that I was able to reach this goal of running one final race a few weeks before my due date.  I was also really excited to see my family at the end, since I've never had anyone to greet me at the finish line before!  I started picking up speed as I rounded the last mile marker and entered the finish chute, at which point I saw Neil and the kids running towards the finish.  I yelled to Abigail and they all turned around and started waving like crazy.  It was such a great ending to the race and such a perfect start to the day.

My final time was 32:02, which I was happy with (the first mile was somewhere between 9 and 9:30 I think?)  It's not going to win me any records, but at 35 weeks pregnant and with walking 3 or 4 minutes of those 32, I was pleased.  And more than anything, I felt like this race was a great culmination to the last 8 months of runs and everything I've battled through to get to this point--still running!! 

the circled one is me, just before crossing the finish line

35 weeks

My big debate right now is do I run the 5K on Saturday, or not?  I walked the course with my mom last week and there's a pretty good hill (one that I dreaded running up during half-marathon training when I was NOT eight months pregnant).  It's about 6/10 of a mile uphill at a decent grade--not super steep, but one that is substantial enough to warrant use for hill training.  Ho-hum.  We'll see.  I haven't run on the road since December, which is my other hesitation...but I am really tempted to run this, because I've been motivating myself to keep running with this 5K in mind!!  (Does anyone even read this blog anymore, or am I talking to a void?)

I've been really low-energy this week...I stayed up too late (accidentally) on Monday night reading and it's been killing me ever since.  Last week I ran my 12 and then walked another 9 and my legs started aching a little bit, so I'm glad that's eased itself out now...I'm starting to have more shooting sciatic nerve pain in my back (in the evenings, not when running) and some other weird pain in my hips towards the end of my runs...fun fun.  There's that.

My run today went pretty well--I ran 3.35 miles and then stopped to take care of Jooj, then finished out the 4.  Walked another mile to cool down. 

STATS:  4 miles; 9:50/mile

34 weeks

I hope this is good training for labor, because I think I'm developing some serious willpower.  That's what running is coming down to for me these days.

Today I ran 3.2 miles, then I helped Juliet turn over her tape, walked for 4 minutes while I gulped down water, and ran my remaining eight-tenths of a mile.  The first few minutes of the run are SO hard for me!  I told myself that if I still felt as tired and yucky and dragging, I could stop after half a mile, walk for a minute, and then run again.  And then, minute by minute, I just talked myself into keeping going until I hit that 3.2 mile mark (also a lot easier to make myself start running again when there's less than a mile to go).

I'm starting to really worry about labor.  It's keeping me up at night.  Hopefully I can sleep better tonight after this run, because I've been struggling the last few days.  I can't believe I still have six weeks left...this feels like the longest pregnancy ever, probably because of all the problems and ultrasounds and doctor/hospital visits during the first trimester.

But if I can make myself run for another minute when I'm tired and my legs ache and my stomach feels weird, I can make it through contractions, right?

STATS:  4 miles; 9:50/mile, plus 1 mile walking to cool down

33 weeks

Feeling a lot better now that I've finished those antibiotics!  Today's run and Monday's run were more comfortable, although I'm still not pushing very hard at this stage in my pregnancy. 

Ran 2.1 miles today and then stopped for a drink and walked for 4 minutes to get my heart rate down (the walking break seems to help with the pain in my hips afterwards). Ran another half-mile, then leaped off the treadmill to stop the beginnings of a temper tantrum from Juliet, then finished out the last mile and a half. Steady pace of 6.1 throughout, not my favorite, since my calves hurt more when I run slowly, but I'm really trying to go easy on my joints.

4.1 miles @ 9:50/mile

strep!

So after being all whiny about feeling awful running earlier this week, I finally went in to the doctor today, after some serious encouragement from Neil (probably brought on by the fact that I was sitting on the bed crying at 11 am in my bathrobe.  I've really been feeling awful).  I kept waiting for things to get better, but they haven't, but I also didn't feel super horrible, and I would always start to feel better by the end of the day, and then the nights were bad...yadda yadda yadda.

Anyway, I went to the doctor today, and found out that a) I have fluid in both ears b) the beginnings of a sinus infection and c) what is probably strep throat (she didn't culture it because the lab people are all out until Monday).  So.  I started my Z-pack and took my Mucinex-D and felt a lot better--surprise surprise! 

And since I felt jittery and headachy without exercise, I decided to try just a little after the kids were in bed.  The doctor at the student health center told me not to do anything other than lie in bed all weekend, but honestly that's foreign enough to my body that I think it would just make things worse, so I sort of ran very gently with walking breaks to see how it went. 

Feeling SO much better now--I ran 4 10-minute intervals (1 mile each, so I was running very slowly) with 4 minutes of walking in between to get my heart rate and breathing back down.  The coughing was a lot better with the walking breaks, and I really feel so much better after "running."  Hopefully I can sleep well tonight--I think just getting a solid 8 hours would make a huge difference, since I haven't been able to sleep more than 4 or 5 all week. 

32 weeks

Wow!  Proud of myself today for running--I've been sick for five or six days and after Monday's lousy run, I was not looking forward to today at all.  (But it was better than Monday--I wasn't nearly as nauseated, for one thing.) 

Stopped today @ 2.1 miles for water and walked for 4 minutes, since I was having trouble with coughing.  Stopped after another 1.3 miles for the same thing, it seemed a little silly to stop but I was glad I did since Jules came in just a second or two later asking me to get her a snack and flip her audiotape over to the other side.  Finished out the last .6 mile, then put Isaac on my bed with a snack while I walked to cool down and finished up with 5 miles (4 running and 1 walking).

Top speed today was only 6.2; I just never felt good enough to bump it up to 6.5, so I ran at 6.2 the entire time. 

STATS:  4 miles @ 9:40 (plus cool-down)

31 weeks

I talked to my doctor last week about running--she was surprised that I was still going, but said it was fine as long as I wasn't having any serious issues.  So I'll just keep going.  I'm starting to daydream about what it's going to be like to run after the baby is born, I've gained just under 20 lbs and it is definitely wearing on my joints to have that extra weight. 

4 miles; 9:30/mile

30 weeks

Oh man!  I don't know how much longer I can keep running--my joints are REALLY starting to protest.  The running itself usually isn't that bad, but I usually have to take a hot bath every night to just soak away all the achiness.  I didn't run last Friday because we were driving up to Chicago (and I knew how much I would be hurting the next day, and I didn't want to be limping and grimacing all around the Field Museum, plus the 8 hours in the car and 2 hours sitting at the temple.  And it was SO nice to have a couple of days totally free from pain.)  I'm going to talk to my doctor about this tomorrow; I can make it work with the baths and the yoga to keep the pain at a manageable level, but I don't want to do any long-term damage.  I have this nightmare vision of irreparably stretched ligaments or something like that. 

Anyway, today I started to feel a little cramping in my stomach while I was running.  When it didn't go away, I stopped and took a drink and then finished up the last mile without incident.  But it makes me worry a little about how much longer I can go.  Any thoughts?

4 miles; 9:37 mile (slower at first and then speeding up for the last mile after my break)

29 weeks

Only four (slower ones) today--I was hoping for five, but a combination of Isaac waking up just as I finished the fourth mile and a general feeling of malaise kept me at four. Oh well--the plus is that hopefully my hips won't hurt as much later tonight.  I'm still feeling pretty good when I run, but I definitely feel it later.  Thank goodness for my oversized bathtub, since it's becoming my best soak-the-pain-away friend. 

4 miles, 9:36/mile

28 weeks

After last week's five, I had a tiny bit of muscle soreness that irritated me because I actually had sore muscles, so I decided to try 5 again today (the intervening runs were the normal 4). 

I stopped once for water at 3.1 miles and then again at 4.2 miles because I ran out of reading material, so I had to grab a new book, but then I bumped up my speed to compensate, which put me finishing right around 47 minutes. 

And guess what?!  I made it to my running goal of still running at 28 weeks, which I set when I first found out I was pregnant.  Hurray!

5 miles; 9:24/mile

27 weeks

I had the most horrible headache today after the glucose challenge test, so when I finally had a chance to run tonight, I decided to run slower but longer.  Which was good because it took awhile for my head to stop pounding, and I think the lower speed really helped with that--I definitely noticed that the nausea and dizziness started to come back as I went faster (top speed 6.5, low speed 6.0).  The run did the trick and killed the headache!!

Total:  5 miles; 9: 36 mile (longest run since the half-marathon.  kind of sad.)

26 weeks

Whew!  I wasn't sure if today's run was actually going to happen--I had some sort of stomach bug this morning that made me pretty uncomfortable for a few hours.  When I very first started running at my normal "start pace" (8:49/mile), I thought I was going to pass out.  I slowed down to a ten-minute mile, and it just got worse, so after a grand total of two minutes I got off the treadmill, drank some water, and readjusted that stupid support belt.  I stopped again for water @ 1.6 miles and 3.4 miles, and finished the four at 36:30 (not too bad considering how long it takes the treadmill to get up to speed again.  I probably didn't need that second water break, but it tasted a lot better than stomach acid (you're welcome for that little detail). 

I am still in that "every day is hard to run" thing, but I'm still going.  When this pregnancy very first started, I wanted to at least run until 28 weeks, so I'm hopeful that I can finish the whole pregnancy out (will I still be running 4 miles?  We'll see).  I am a little worried though because my hips and back always hurt a lot the night that I run, but a hot bath and yoga the next day usually take care of that.

25 weeks

Same as last week--4 miles, right under 9 minutes/mile.  Stopped twice today and Monday @ 1.6 miles and 3 miles to get a drink; I think I'll probably keep doing this until the baby is born, as I can tell I'm getting overheated more quickly. 

24 weeks

Still doing the 4 miles, although this week was a little harder because I had a horrible head cold.  I ended up taking an additional break the last 2 days to blow my nose and get another drink (usually I stop between 2.5 and 3 miles for a quick drink).  Also, I think I may need to get some running wear for pregnancy in the next couple of weeks.

I think I'm averaging about 8:55/mile; the last mile today was 8:49.

23 weeks

Still running!  4 miles, average pace 8:50/mile.  And in my last post, I should have said that 5K was at 36 weeks.

22 weeks

Another three 4-mile runs this week, plus 2 days of yoga.  Hopefully I'll fit in another yoga session tomorrow as well.

Running a little faster this week, since it seems to be more comfortable on my legs, right around 8:56 per mile.  I'm hoping to do a 5K at 26 weeks, so we'll see how the next couple of months go.