Day 3 & 4, Week 2

Tuesday - Day off. A very old friend came to visit. What joy to sit and catch up with someone who knows you so well. Someone who understand the history. We stayed up way too late, sometimes talking constantly, sometimes not saying a word. Friends like that are a gift. I have missed her.

Wednesday - My friend and I walked for 2 hours along the beach. Absolute heaven. After she left, I went to the gym and did my speedwork. I forgot my music and pushed through anyway!Good for me.

Distance: 5 miles
Speed: 9x - 1/4 mile intervals, 1/4 mile recovery
First interval at 8.0 mph (7:30)
.2 increments each 1/4 mile
Last interval at 9.8 mph (6:07)

Lift: Shoulders and Abs
3 sets 10-12 flys
3 sets 10 -12 upright rows
3 sets 10 -12 lateral raises
3 sets 10-12 shoulder presses
Functional Ab work

Day 1 & 2, Week 2

Yesterday we had soccer all day in Williamsburg. The only exercise I did was walking around Dick's Sporting Goods on the way home. Although, I did weed the garden; that counts.

Today, Ian started driver's education. So, Tanner and I headed out to Back Bay for a run (me)/bike (Tanner). What a fabulous place. There is a gravel single lane road along the dunes as well as trails and paths. The views of the marshes, bay, and ocean or overwhelming. Tanner had a hard time keeping up on the gravel path and that was frustrating. I have 10 to do later this week. I am not sure if I want to try it with him. He may be just too little yet, for the distance.

Distance: 8 Miles
Time: 1:05:43
Average Pace: 8:13
Temperature: 81 degrees
Humidity: So much better with an ocean breeze!
Walk Breaks: 4 1/2 miles and once to see the turtles
Wildlife Encounters: Egrets, turtles, no snakes

Lift: Chest - cable push-ups 3 sets of 10
cable flys 3 sets of 8-10
incline bench dumbell press 3 sets 8-10
flat bench wide flys 3 sets 8-10
Back - pull-ups, wide grip 3 sets 9, 6, 3 last set was negatives
seated rows 3 sets 8-10
free motion pulls 3 supersets 8-10
bent over barbell rows 3 sets 8-10

Day 7, Week 1

Today, we hiked a bit in Back Bay Wildlife Refuge. What a fabulous place. I have found my new favorite place to run and I can't wait to get back next week. There are miles of gravel trails along the dunes on one side and along the bay on the opposite side of the peninsula. At low tide, I can run on packed sand. It is about 30 minutes away, and well worth the drive. I can even take Tanner to ride his bike while I run without worrying about him on a sidewalk or road. There are no cars and there is no swimming, surfing or sunbathing on the beaches. So, other than a few fishermen, I have the beach to myself.

Total miles for the week: 31
Total lifts: 2 1/2
Successes: I exceeded my mileage and my speed work improved.
Needs Improvement: Definitely need more time devoted to weights.

Day 6, Week 1

I woke up to overcast skies and cooler temps, so I decided to get my last long run for the week done. The lack of sidewalks has really made my long runs a challenge. I decided to drive out to where Tanner has his soccer practice. I thought I saw a great bike path there the other evening. Well, I did see a great bike path, but unfortunately, it wasn't long enough. So, off to Ian's soccer practice place where I have run before. This put me behind by about 40 minutes and subsequently the temps were rising quickly. I am so glad that I am done with this run and I don't have to do it this weekend. I really hate spending half the weekend managing my run schedule.



Distance: 11 Miles
Time: 1:32:02
Average Pace: 8:22
Temperature: 85 degrees at the start, 93 at the finish
Humidity: Choking for air
Walk Breaks: Mile 4, Mile 8, Mile 10 scheduled walking breaks with clock running. I was grateful for the 3 red lights at intersections. I stopped my watch for these.
Wildlife Incounters: Lots of dead frogs, several geese trying to cross my sidewalk on their way to crossing the road, one snake.

Day 5, Week 1

No running today. I went to the gym to lift. I am not feeling as strong as I would like, but that is the side effect to the increase in miles. The weight training is so important with racing. If you will forget the elites, regular people that race just don't look or train like that. So, many times the difference between a fast time and a personal record or placing is the upper body pump with the arms or the end of the race kick, which also incorporates the upper body pump.

Muscles Trained: Bi's and Tri's with functional core work for legs (connective tissues and tendons).

Day 4, Week 1

My husband forced me to the gym way too early this morning after staying up way too late last night. It is great to have him home. I thought the workout would really suck, but it was actually great. Speed work today.

Distance: 5 miles
Speed: 9x - 1/4 mile intervals, 1/4 mile recovery
First interval at 8.0 mph (7:30)
.2 increments each 1/4 mile
Last interval at 9.8 mph (6:07)
Lift: 2x - chin ups 10 reps and then 7 reps
2x - cable push-ups
Injuries: Yep, feet still hurt, but not any worse.

Day 3, Week 1

I finally got my car today after almost 7 weeks! I spent the better part of my day organizing my calendar with my family's activities. It is very difficult to find a way to fit my runs in. I thought it would be easier once we were back to 2 cars, but now the soccer schedule has ballooned and Ian has 2 weeks of Driver's Ed to do. I guess if it were easy, everyone would do it. Perseverance...

Distance: none...off day.

No, I'm not lost....

but I have fallen off the wagon. Actually, it's more like the wagon hit a pothole and threw me off. This is the first move I've done since becoming a "runner" and I really didn't expect it to be this hard to fit in runs. My training program for the ATM was supposed to start on July 29, and I did a good job of running while we were visiting family. But this week, all I could see was the mountain of boxes and chaos that had to be dealt with. So I wake up with good intentions, then get anxious about getting settled and dive into that. By the evening, I'm so tired and my feet are so sore I can't stand up anymore.

Today is different! I ate breakfast and I'm going to head out soon. I got a map from the gym with 4 different runs laid out, so I don't have to blaze my own trail. The temps are going to push 100 here, but the humidity is nothing compared to Louisiana, so it really doesn't bother me. There always seems to be a good breeze here too, I guess coming off the plains.

I really need to get back into the gym. I haven't lifted in 3 weeks, and I feel it. I've lost weight, and hopefully it's more fat than muscle! I get so busy that I literally forget to eat. And pee.

I'd better go before it gets too hot. I have no time goal--I'm not even taking a watch. I just hope the MPs here aren't vigilant about enforcing the 'no headphones rule'. I'll plead ignorance if I'm stopped. I need to wean myself off the music anyway since the ATM doesn't allow it.

Gotta' run!

Day 2, Week 1

I really didn't have any enthusiasm today. I kind of planned to run early this morning and then lift when Pete came home (I finally get my car tomorrow). It was so humid and after yesterday, I just never did it. So I did everything at the gym.

Distance: 5 miles on treadmill
Time: 41:07
Average Pace: First mile at 8:30, 3 at 8:00, last mile at 8:30
Temperature: Cooler in the gym
Injuries: Same, but manageable. I need to ice tonight.
Muscles worked: Shoulders, abs

Week 1, Day 1

I did my long run today in the Great Dismal Swamp Park. Yes, that is it's real name. The park is very historical because it was part of the Underground Railroad. I thought a lot about those slaves while running today. It was 95 degrees and the humidity was so high that I walked at 3 miles, 6 miles and every mile after until 10. I didn't turn my watch off when I walked, so my time was still pretty good.

Distance: 10 miles
Time: 1:26:36
Average Pace: 8:40
Temperature: 95 degrees
Humidity: Oppressive
Injuries: Top of right foot...still. I think it is tendinitis from the new shoes.
Wildlife Encounters: 1 Beaver, No Snakes