Running + Pizza + Ice Cream

Last night was my second time running with the Oak Park Runners Club. It was the monthly sponsored run as well as their "run of the month." Brooks had a representative out to raffle off two pairs of shoes and some hats. Sadly, I didn't win either thing. I really wanted to win a pair of shoes, too! What's funny is that one of the women who did win spent most of the run complaining to the Brooks rep that, while she loves Brooks shoes, she hates that they are always blue! So, yes, she won a pair of blue shoes.

Apparently after the "run of the month" people go out for food and drinks. Last night, though, the Brooks rep ordered pizza for after the run. Most people grabbed a few pieces, waited until after the raffle, and then headed home. If you do the 8 mile route you don't typically get back to the starting point until 8 PM and many people run to the start line. Since it's starting to get dark earlier and earlier, people who didn't drive tend to take off shortly after finishing with the group run. So, all in all, only six of us ended up sticking around. Instead of going to get food and drinks, though, we walked to a local cafe and got ice cream and cookies. What a perfect way to end a run!

The run itself was okay. I managed to stick with the 9:00 minute per mile group for the first two miles. And then I had to walk. I don't know what's going on with me but I've had to walk more and more during my runs. It was humid last night, but it wasn't sunny. In fact, it was raining! I was fairly well soaked by the end of our 5.4 miles.

After I stopped to walk, another group newbie caught up to me and we ran 10:00 minute miles for the last two. Although, when you look at my stats it will show that mile 5 was over 12 minutes. That's because it includes the stop at the water fountains where people regroup and determine if they're going to run 5.5 (approx.) or 8.

Anyway, I paid my $15 and turned in my registration form last night. I guess I'm a member now!

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Stats

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 628 ft Location: Forest Park, IL Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 08/17/09 Up/Downhill: [+19/-19] Time: 06:37 PM Difficulty: 2.4 / 5.0   Weather: Light Rain   77 F temp; 73% humidity   80 F heat index; winds SW 8 Performance Distance: 5.39 miles Time: 0:50:41 Speed: 6.4 mph Pace: 9' 24 /mi Calories: 628 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 59 -0' 25 6.7 +0.3 -3 ft 2 8' 56 -0' 28 6.7 +0.3 -9 ft 3 9' 15 -0' 09 6.5 +0.1 +3 ft 4 9' 51 +0' 27 6.1 -0.3 +7 ft 5 12' 57 +3' 33 4.6 -1.8 0 ft end 9' 49 +0' 25 6.1 -0.3 +3 ft Versus average of 9' 24 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Rally for Autism 5K Race Report

On Saturday morning, Kim and I met up at a forest preserve in Libertyville, IL to run a 5K together. We'd picked this race because based on last year's times, we should have easily placed in the top three in our age group.

We arrived around 8:30 AM and it was HOT. And I quickly realized that the course had no shade. At all. Our original goal was to run an average 8:20 pace. We headed out for a quick warm-up jog and decided that, what with the heat, we'd be okay doing our first mile in more like 8:30 and then re-evaluating. Good thing, too, because, as you'll see, the heat was killer.

It looked like a smallish, laid back kind of race. No corrals, no chips, just a start banner and a finish banner. Thankfully, though, there were two water stations and lots of course volunteers to make sure we stayed on the correct path. Looking at the results, it appears that over 500 people participated, but I would bet that about 150 of those were walkers and not runners.


Click to see larger...and see if you can find Kim and me!

Our first mile was right on target for our original goal. But after that we started to go downhill and, sadly, not literally. Between the sun, the heat, and Kim's shin injury, we decided it was time to power walk for a bit. After that, we would decide to run to a certain landmark and then walk for a bit. I think we were both disappointed that we had to walk, but we knew that it was for the best. I've discovered that blazing sun is my kryptonite and running a race on a hot August day in no shade does not lead to a good race time. Also, hills. Those darn rolling hills. Interestingly enough, I found myself passing people on a lot of them.

I found a burst of energy at the end, though, as I always do. I powered it up a slight hill and ran hard for the finish with Kim on my heels.


Again, click to see it bigger

I ran into the finish chute and, I'll be honest, I almost threw up the banana I'd eaten a little over an hour before. I had to put my hand over my mouth as I gagged. I managed to keep it down, though. Thankfully! However, I was a little too distracted to remember to hit Stop on my Garmin. Once I'd been sprayed down with water and gotten a bottle of water to drink I finally remembered. That meant, though, that I was unsure of my actual time. Jason did get a picture of me going into the finish chute that showed the clock with 28:21 on it. We decided to stick around for the awards ceremony...just in case.

Sadly, the awards ceremony was not as organized as the race. Issues with a printer caused some delays and then they were giving out the awards but not saying the finish times for each person. We didn't have our names called but we had no idea if we'd missed placing by a lot or a little. Turns out, we came in 7th and 8th in our age group and, even if we'd hit our goal time, we only would have come in 5th and 6th!

So what were the official stats?

Time: 28:20.3
Pace: 9:08 minute/mile
Age group place: 7th out of 41
Overall place: 131 out of 508

Not my fastest race ever, but, I have to say, I still had a lot of fun! Especially because afterward Jason and I went out to lunch with Kim and her husband. It made for a great way to spend half my day. Run with a friend, hang out, eat a tasty lunch. What could be better?



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Garmin Stats

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 661 ft Location: Libertyville, IL Elev. Gain: -6 ft Date: 08/15/09 Up/Downhill: [+223/-229] Time: 09:06 AM Difficulty: 2.7 / 5.0   Weather: Fair   77 F temp; 68% humidity   79 F heat index; winds S 10 Performance Distance: 3.13 miles Time: 0:28:59 Speed: 6.5 mph Pace: 9' 16 /mi Calories: 357 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 22 -0' 54 7.2 +0.7 -7 ft 2 9' 12 -0' 04 6.5 +0.0 -16 ft 3 10' 03 +0' 47 6.0 -0.5 0 ft end 10' 54 +1' 38 5.5 -1.0 +16 ft Versus average of 9' 16 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Runners' Lounge Open Mic Friday

It looks like it's Erin week over at Runners' Lounge. Yesterday I hosted Take it and Run Thursday and today their Open Mic Interview is of me!

Definitely check it out here if you're not a regular Runners' Lounge reader.

If you surfed on over from Runners' Lounge, welcome! I hope you like what you read and maybe stick around.

According to my little race countdown widget I have less than one day until my 5K. This will be two races in a row that I've run with someone. I'm going to get spoiled!

Today my plans are to rest (well, after work), finish washing all my running clothes, and eat a lot of pizza for dinner, and lay out my stuff for tomorrow. Kim was nice enough to pick up my race packet for me and bring it to me yesterday. I haven't had a chance to fully look through it, but I already like that the t-shirt is 99% cotton and 1% polyester. Makes it feel soft!

By the way, if you're new here or if you missed it, I'd really appreciate it you took at look at this post. I only run one race per year for which I try to raise money and that one is it. Plus, the post has cute pictures of dogs!

Take it and Run Thursday

Today's Take it and Run topic over at Runners' Lounge is brought to you by none other than...ME!



How do you decide how far/long to run when you aren't following a predetermined training plan? I have a few short races (5Ks and 8Ks) coming up but I'm not planning to follow a training plan for them. I just finished my most recent half-marathon on July 19th and now I'm at a loss as what to do now in terms of distances, etc. I almost always run with a training plan but I'm not sure if I should now or not. Or, if I should be, what I should be looking for in one.

I’m lucky enough to live in area that has lots of options for running. I can run laps around my neighborhood for 5K distances. I can do out and backs through my town for runs between 3 and 6 miles. I can drive to the 7 mile-long bike path that starts a few miles from my house if I want to get in a long run with minimal stops. I can run along the lakefront path in downtown Chicago after work or at lunch for any distance I want. I can do speedwork on the track near my house. Or I can stick to the treadmill in my basement.

So, not only do I have the difficulty of choosing what distance to run, I have the challenge of deciding where to run. And, really, they’re all such great places, how would I ever decide? Here’s a sample:

Click here if the slide show doesn't show up.

Which leads me to what I want to know from you: How do you decide how far to run? Do you base it on a training plan? On the route? Or on something else entirely?

Last night I decided to mix it up and do 3 miles half in my neighborhood and half on my route through town. I figure I did just over 5 on Monday and 4 on Tuesday. If I did 3 last night it would be like my own little taper.

I ran the first 1.5 miles with Trinka Deu. Who, by the way, was having none of it. She lagged behind me the entire time. She wanted nothing more than to stroll along at a leisurely pace. Well, that's all fine and good, but I wanted to RUN. As it was, we did our first mile in over 11 minutes. Sigh. At least I was taking it easy? I picked up the pace after I dropped the dog off at home. I stopped the Garmin when it hit mile 3, but I actually ran a little bit after that and walked about a quarter mile more.

And now, after three days of running in a row, I'm off to rest up for my 5K on Saturday. Never fear, though, I have a fun surprise for all of you tomorrow! Stay tuned!

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Stats

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 620 ft Location: Forest Park, IL Elev. Gain: -3 ft Date: 08/12/09 Up/Downhill: [+16/-19] Time: 06:20 PM Difficulty: 2.0 / 5.0   Weather: Fair   76 F temp; 48% humidity   77 F heat index; winds E 9 Performance Distance: 3.00 miles Time: 0:30:21 Speed: 5.9 mph Pace: 10' 07 /mi Calories: 353 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 11' 14 +1' 07 5.3 -0.6 +3 ft 2 9' 53 -0' 14 6.1 +0.1 -4 ft end 9' 12 -0' 55 6.5 +0.6 -3 ft Versus average of 10' 07 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Boys of Summer

Normally I run with Kim on Tuesdays, but this week she's resting her sore shin. So yesterday I got to run with the Tuesday lunch-time crew from work. Well, some of them anyway. The two other women who usually join the group were both out for various reasons. Therefore, our running group ended up being me and 6 guys. I was a little apprehensive, but figured I'd just stick with them as best I could. It was a gorgeous day for running. A little warm, but otherwise it looked just like that photo above.

I lead the pack for the first half of the run. I chatted with one guy about forefoot running and Vibram 5 Fingers and Newtons. He naturally runs without heel striking and always thought he was a freak. I mentioned barefoot running to him the last time we ran together and he thought I was crazy. But it seems he researched it and no longer feels like a freak for his running form!

Several of the other guys remembered to ask about my Napa to Sonoma half marathon. We also chatted about treadmill running versus outdoor running, the horrible humidity we had this past weekend, and what upcoming races everyone is doing.

I remembered to bring my Garmin and was able to determine that yes, their turn around point is two miles from the starting point. So when they say they're doing 4 miles, they really are. When we hit the turn around point we paused for a few seconds to let everyone catch their breath. Then we headed back, pausing at the water fountain. Those pauses really added up, which is why one of my miles registered as almost 11 minutes.

I did struggle towards the end. Most of the guys pulled ahead of me and I found myself having to push it hard to keep up. But, I pulled it out and my last mile was actually my fastest one of the day! We had a nice long cool-down walk back to the office. I'd forgotten to bring either a visor or a bandanna and, strangely, this made my hair even more soaked than usual. So soaked, in fact, that I had to use the hand dryer in the locker room to dry it off! On the plus side, my hair had a lot of body for the rest of the day.

I was really wiped out afterward, though. Two runs less than 18 hours apart for a total of 9.4 miles? That's more than I ran all last week! I may or may not try to get in a 3 miler this evening. After that, though, it's time to rest up for my 5K on Saturday!

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Stats

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 585 ft Location: Chicago, IL Elev. Gain: -4 ft Date: 08/11/09 Up/Downhill: [+127/-131] Time: 12:17 PM Difficulty: 2.4 / 5.0   Weather: Partly Cloudy   80 F temp; 47% humidity   80 F heat index; winds N 13 G 21 Performance Distance: 4.02 miles Time: 0:39:19 Speed: 6.1 mph Pace: 9' 47 /mi Calories: 480 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 26 -0' 21 6.4 +0.2 -16 ft 2 9' 29 -0' 18 6.3 +0.2 -4 ft 3 10' 56 +1' 09 5.5 -0.7 +3 ft 4 8' 37 -1' 10 7.0 +0.8 +13 ft end 10' 17 +0' 30 5.8 -0.3 0 ft Versus average of 9' 47 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Running with the OPRC

Last night I drove over to one of the local running stores to try out a run with the Oak Park Runners Club. Thankfully I was not the only new person who showed up last night. Two other women, me, and two young boys were all first timers.

One of my biggest concerns with running with a new group is whether or not I'll be able to keep up. I mean, I can run by myself just fine. When I run with a group I want to run *with* the group. One of the regulars said that her pace was between 9 and 10 minutes per mile. Okay, I thought, I can hold that for 5 miles.

Turns out that most of the runners in this group are much faster than that. Or, if they're not, they like to start out fast and then slow down. Run positive splits, as it were. I'm the opposite. I like to start out slow and speed up. At least on shorter distances. So, I was lagging behind for 4 out of the 5 miles.

One of the other new runners was slower than me. I ran with her for awhile, but ended up getting ahead of her. I ran with one guy for awhile. He was going slow with us back-of-the-pack people since he knew we didn't know the route. At one point he stopped to walk to let the slower new lady catch up. I walked for a bit with him. But the second time he stopped to walk I kept going.

It wasn't until after our water stop at mile 4 that I actually found myself running *with* people. And, just to illustrate how much they slowed down over the course of the run, I actually finished ahead of everyone else and side-by-side with a former Kenyan distance runner. Of course, he wasn't going full speed :-)

Throughout the run I debated whether or not I'd run with them again. I suppose that even if I lag behind for most of the run, if I join the group I'll still have the camaraderie before and after the runs. Last night a local personal trainer who ran with us led us in some stretching exercises post-run. And I found out that next week a Brooks representative will be out to possibly raffle off a pair of shoes and then the group of runners is going out to dinner afterward.

Group membership is only $15 a year. I think I'll join. I may not be able to run in the middle of the pack (yet) but at least it will keep me motivated. Right?

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Stats

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 628 ft Location: Forest Park, IL Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 08/10/09 Up/Downhill: [+22/-19] Time: 06:37 PM Difficulty: 2.7 / 5.0   Weather: Mostly Cloudy   80 F temp; 62% humidity   82 F heat index; winds W 15 Performance Distance: 5.42 miles Time: 0:51:50 Speed: 6.3 mph Pace: 9' 34 /mi Calories: 631 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 21 -0' 13 6.4 +0.1 0 ft 2 9' 19 -0' 15 6.4 +0.2 -9 ft 3 9' 33 -0' 01 6.3 +0.0 +3 ft 4 10' 12 +0' 38 5.9 -0.4 +7 ft 5 9' 41 +0' 07 6.2 -0.1 0 ft end 8' 42 -0' 52 6.9 +0.6 +3 ft Versus average of 9' 34 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Virtual Race, Real Trepidation

I have been SO BAD about running over the past few weeks. I'm currently terrified that I'm going to bomb at my 5K on Saturday.

See, I didn't run at all on Wednesday. I had to go pick up my shirt to wear when I volunteered at the 5K on Thursday night. I didn't run on Thursday because all my lunch-time running buddies bailed on me and I couldn't find the motivation to get sweaty all on my own. I didn't run on Friday because, well, I didn't.

So, Saturday, I told myself I was definitely going to run. I actually had motivation because the LJ Runners Community was having a virtual 5K race. My plan was to run at an 8:30 minute per mile pace. Slower than what I want to do at my actual 5K but still pushing it for me on my own.

What I didn't take into account was the horrific humidity. Or the fact that the weird muscle cramps I'd been experiencing the day before actually meant something (yes, they were PMS cramps).

Weather Underground indicated that the humidity was around 96% when I left the house around 8:15 AM. It was like walking out into a wall. I ran my first mile faster than I had intended. And then, about a quarter mile after that, my quads, my lower back, and my abdomen seized up. It was horrible. I didn't want to walk, but I had to. In fact, I almost stopped altogether and went home. Almost. Instead, I walked for about three minutes, gritted my teeth, and started running again. I made it another three quarters of a mile before I had to take another walk break. This one was shorter, though. Then it was back to running.

Overall, I finished 3.1 miles in 29:03 with an average pace of 9:22. More than a full minute slower than I want to run my real 5K. Good thing this was a virtual one, huh?

So, yeah, I'm hoping that this upcoming Saturday the weather is better. I shouldn't have any cramping issues. And I promise not to drink two glasses of wine the night before!

Regardless, I'm still scared. I haven't trained at all for this race and I know I should have. But, there's not much I can do now.

Also, speaking of being scared, I going to try and run with the Oak Park Runners Club tonight. I'm always terrified when I run with a new group of people. What if no one my speed shows up? What if I get left behind? What if I get lost? What if people are cliquish? Please tell me I'm not the only person who thinks these things before running with a group where you don't know anyone!

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Virtual 5K Stats

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 620 ft Location: Forest Park, IL Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 08/08/09 Up/Downhill: [+13/-13] Time: 08:17 AM Difficulty: 1.9 / 5.0   Weather: Light Rain Fog/Mist   72 F temp; 90% humidity   72 F heat index; winds S 14 G 20 Performance Distance: 3.10 miles Time: 0:29:03 Speed: 6.4 mph Pace: 9' 22 /mi Calories: 354 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 09 -1' 13 7.4 +1.0 +3 ft 2 10' 20 +0' 58 5.8 -0.6 -3 ft 3 9' 33 +0' 11 6.3 -0.1 0 ft end 8' 01 -1' 21 7.5 +1.1 0 ft Versus average of 9' 22 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Elvis is Alive 5K Volunteer Report

Last night Kim and I volunteered to hand out water for PAWS at the Elvis is Alive 5K in downtown Chicago. The race started at 6:45 but, as volunteers, we were supposed to check in at 5PM.

We walked about a mile from our offices to the check in point. It took us awhile to find it because the race organizers didn't really communicate the volunteer tent's location to our volunteer coordinator. After we checked in, we then walked another mile to the actual water station.

We stood around for what felt like a LONG time before the aid station coordinator had us start setting up our tables of water. I'm so glad Kim was there so that I had someone to talk to. The view wasn't bad, either, as we were right on the lake looking out over one of the harbors.



Kim and I took our time and chatted while we poured water and lined up cups on our table. We had the choice to staff a water table or a Gatorade table. I chose water. I had a feeling we'd get kind of wet and while wet was okay with me, sticky was not. And, as Kim said at the end, I chose wisely.

After our cups were filled and lined up, we waited around some more before runners started coming through. While we were waiting, a group of guys came up and started chatting with one of the volunteers. They were all tourists from Australia and London. And they wanted to help out. They provided some great comic relief for us. Probably not so much for the runners, though. But I thought it was cute and hilarious that they were so earnest about it!



Now, with a race name like "Elvis is Alive", you have to expect some running Elvises, right? Well, the race certainly didn't disappoint. Kim and I took turns handing out water and taking photos. Here's a little slideshow of some of the costumed runners we saw:

(If that doesn't work for some reason, hopefully you can view it here.)

There were all kinds of other funny t-shirts, wigs, and people wearing glasses with sideburns attached. Some of the runners even thanked us with a "Thank you. Thank you very much."

Kim and I were at one of the later water tables so by the time most runners got to us they had either grabbed water or had decided they didn't want any. As you can see, we had a LOT of volunteers.





And what do you do with all the water that people don't take at the aid station? You dump it. No, not cup by cup. You dump it table by table.


Cue Hermione Granger: "Is that what my hair looks like from the back??"

The Fleet Feet volunteers took care of all the heavy lifting and the rest of the clean-up leaving us to walk the mile back to the volunteer station and attempt to claim our promised dinners. Sadly, the food was at the back of the beer tent and it appeared they only had ham and turkey sandwiches. For one vegan and one person who wasn't in the mood to fight through a large crowd of sweaty post-race runners, it wasn't the best set up. But, I don't volunteer at races for the perks. I volunteer because I like to give back to the sport that I love. And last night was a great night to do so. Perfect weather, a good friend to chat with, and a nice, laid back race.

Cross-Training Conundrum

Am I the only person out there who actually stresses out about figuring out a workout schedule that also allows me time to eat and veg on the couch?

I sure hope not.

I skipped signing up for any gym classes this summer and, hence, I haven't done any cross-training other than the occasional 30 Day Shred workout and the occasional Swiss ball workout. While I admit I was enjoying doing the strength training on my own, I know that I won't stick to it for long that way. I thought about downloading a bunch of work out videos but I think I need a class to make me feel like I have to go. Case in point, I haven't done any of the videos I do have in the past week and a half! I could have. But, I didn't. I know, though, that cross-training is vital to my running. Plus, I feel like I'm on the verge of actually have some muscle definition and I'd like to keep it!

So, I'm trying to figure out a gym schedule that includes several classes. One thing I've learned, though, is that I don't love circuit training. So, pretty much anything that has me doing super high intense cardio for a few minutes followed by strength training for a few minutes for an hour total. I can handle the 30 Day Shred since it's only 20 minutes at a time, but I don't even love that all that much. I prefer to get my cardio and my strength training done separately.

This bring us to the spreadsheet!


Click to see full sized

Background: I work 9-5. I have a 45 minute commute each way. So, I leave the house at 8:15 and get home at 5:45. The only morning class that sort-of fits my schedule is a circuit class from 6-6:45. But I am NOT a morning person (as I think I've stated before).

So here's the deal: The running club in my area meets on Monday nights at 6:30. You can run either 5.5 miles or 8 miles with them. At least, that's what their website says. Now that I'm done with any official race training schedule I want to hook up with them. I'd probably stick to the 5.5 miles but might switch it up and do 8 if I'm feeling particularly good.

On Tuesday I can run at lunch either with coworkers or my running buddy, Kim. We typically do between 3 and 4 miles. But if I can't run at lunch for some reason (meetings, etc) then I could either skip cardio for the day or do it after work. There's also this Total Body Conditioning class at the gym I'm interested in. At least, I'm interested in it based on the description:

Total Body Conditioning
Advanced exercise class
• Challenging 1-hour workout
• Includes upper body, lower body, and core
strengthening exercises
• Requires higher level of ability.

I emailed the Fitness Coordinator to double check that it wasn't a circuit-based class and this is what she said: Total Body Conditioning does more body resistance, squats push-ups etc. It is very different from a regular class there is no coordination of moves to the beat of the music. It is a difficult class with not much cardio except for the warm up jumping jacks. So, that pretty much sounds like what I'm looking for. Again, if I don't run at lunch on Tuesday I could run after work either at home, outside, or, if I'm already at the gym I could do it there. Or do the elliptical.

Wednesday I actually have a few options. The first would be to do the Beginner's Yoga class at the gym from 6:30 to 7:50 (that's a long yoga class!) and not do any cardio that day. The other would be to run at home or outside. There aren't any other classes that interest me on Wednesday evening.

Thursday is similar to Tuesday in regard to running. If I run at lunch it would be between 3 and 4 miles. If I don't, that's okay because I would have a jam-packed evening at the gym. Pilates from 6-7 and then an adult swimming lesson class from 7:10-7:55. I could also just do Pilates and not take the swimming class. Instead I would do cardio afterward or, if I ran at lunch, just go home.

Friday is my rest day. Always.

Saturday I could hit up Total Body Conditioning again in the morning from 8-9 and get in some running or cardio time afterward. I have a standing appointment on Saturdays from 10:45-11:30 and I like getting my workout in beforehand. Now that I'm not running long (as in more than 8 miles) distances, I don't need to schedule 2-3 hours for running. Phew!

Sunday is flexible. I could do nothing. I could run. I could do a workout video. There aren't any classes that day anyway.

My biggest concern with this schedule is actually dinner. See how it's on there at 8PM most nights? Yeah, that would be pretty much when I was getting home. So, I have to either come up with things that are easy for Jason to make or things that are super-quick for me to make. And, I admit, I always feel guilty asking Jason to cook. He doesn't like cooking. I don't mind it. So, yeah, it's kind of my "job". But I don't want to make him wait until 9PM to eat dinner. Heck, I don't want to wait until 9PM to eat dinner!

So, I think the schedule might need a little tweaking. Any suggestions? If you want to check out the gym schedule, you can look at it here. Swim lessons are on page 18 and group fitness classes are on pages 25-27. Or if you just have suggestions for meals that are easy to make and then re-heat, leave those here, too!

I suppose, though, that it would only be for 8 weeks. If I find that one class or another just isn't doing it for me or that I want my evenings back, I can just not sign up for one during the next class session.

I feel like a slug

Kim and I went for a run on Tuesday at lunch. First time we'd run together since before my half-marathon on July 19th. We're running a 5K together on August 15th so we needed to discuss strategy.

Except we spent the whole run just trying not to die. Normally we push each other and find ourselves running at near race-pace. Not so yesterday. I don't know if it was the humidity, the sun, the temperature, the fact that I've been a lazy slug, or the fact that her shin has been bothering her, but the run totally felt like a struggle for both of us.

Our plan had been to do 4 miles. We did about 3.8. We actually stopped to walk during the third mile. We never do that. But we just weren't feeling it. And, of course, I either forgot to or didn't hit the Start button hard enough on my Garmin when we started back up. So, my Garmin thinks I only went 3 miles at a 10:07 pace. Kim's said we went 3.82 at a 9:35 pace.

Our goal for the 5K on the 15th? Average 8:20 pace. Um, yeah. Here's hoping we feel better that day then we did yesterday!

A Brief History of Dogs

As you know, I occasionally take my dog, Trinka Deu, out running with me. But I don't think I've ever really told you anything about her. She's a German Shepherd mix. Possibly part Husky. Maybe Malamute. Maybe something else entirely. We adopted her from the Champaign County Humane Society in May 2006. She was allegedly 6 years old, an owner surrender, and 30 pounds underweight due to undiagnosed parasites. Now she's allegedly 9 years old, 80 pounds, and sweet as can be. Rather over-enthusiastic when people come to visit, but that's just because she can't wait to play!

But before her we had other dogs. Our first dog was Spot.



We met Spot when I was still in college and volunteering at a no-kill animal shelter outside Oxford, Ohio. Spot was a mutt (possibly a border collie-whippet mix) around 9 or 10 years old who had spent his life first in a basement and then at the shelter. We brought him home in June 2002. It took Spot awhile to break out of his shell, but in the end he was the sweetest, calmest, most loving dog. When he passed away from lymphoma in November 2005 we were heartbroken. In fact, as a tribute to him, I got his name tattooed on my foot.



But Spot wasn't our only dog. Shortly after adopting him we also adopted an alleged 7 year old Golden Retriever/Aussie Shepherd mix named Ashley. We also got Ashley from the Champaign County Humane Society.



We always joked that Ashley was like the grumpy old lady who would yell at kids to get off her lawn. She loved people and was a sweetheart to anyone who would pet her, but was very picky about her affection to other dogs. Ashley passed away in December 2008.

So, as you can see, we're strong supporters of adopting dogs from shelters. Which is why last year when I heard about the PAWS Chicago Run for Their Lives 8K race I knew I had to do it. You can read all about my experience here.

I'm doing this race again this year on September 27th. I feel like this race is the perfect melding of two of my favorite things: dogs and running. My registration fee counts as my donation to the cause, but I'd love it if you would also consider donating a few dollars.



Click on the picture above to go to my personal donation page

Or, if you're in the Chicago area, consider doing the 8K run or the 4K walk. Or just coming out to cheer! Whatever you choose, Trinka, I, and all my future shelter adoptees thank you!

July Wrap-Up

What happened in July?

Well, I ran a total of 68.58 miles for the month. Or, approximately anyway. For the first time since I got my Garmin at Christmas I forgot it while doing an outdoor run. Regardless, I guesstimated the distance for that one using G-map pedometer. I think it was pretty close.

But, of course, that's not the big thing that happened in July. Oh no. Because this past month I not only ran my second half-marathon, I also got to meet Holly in person for the first time! Meeting her, running together, and spending so much time together made my first "destination" race more fun that I could have ever imagined.

I think July really summed up for me why I like blogging about my running. Through this blog I've managed to keep track of my mileage and my memories. But, more importantly, I've made two new in-person connections with people and deepened my connections with others.

Granted, Holly and I already knew each other from another blogging platform, but I think that sharing our training via our blogs really helped us support one another leading up to our race. Running with Kim at lunch gives me something to look forward to during long days and weeks at work. I'm super excited about our upcoming 5K even if Kim did just have a birthday that put her into the same age group as me. I was hoping I wouldn't have to compete against her :-)

And, recently, I met Jessica in person as well! We met through our blogs and she invited me to a party called "Born to Fit" where we got to try on jeans from the Gap's new denim line. Seriously. A party filled with wine, food, and clothes? Free clothes? All because I started a little running blog? Who knew? The party was fabulous, I found jeans I like (although, I'm a popular size so I have a coupon for a free pair to redeem instead of a new pair of jeans already in my drawer.), I chatted with so many wonderful and interesting women, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Can you think of a better premise for a party?

Overall, although I'm sort of floundering as to where I want to go next with my running and training, I know that my blog will always play a huge role no matter what I do. As always, stay tuned!