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