TGIF!

I don't have much to say.  I woke up at 4:30 so I could get 7 miles in this morning.  The weather is amazing and almost (almost) fall like.  I pushed tomorrow's long run to Sunday; I'm hoping to meet with someone then....it'd be nice to not have to run 10 miles alone.

Today's run:

7 Miles, 1:07:49

Splits:

2 miles: 10:09

.5 miles: 8:27

.5 miles: 9:56

.5 miles:  8:34

.5 miles: 10:36

.5 miles:  8:54

.5 miles:  11:03

.5 miles: 8:30

.5 miles:  8:53

1 miles: 9:31

Average pace: 9:37

I was shooting for 1/2 mile intervals and think I did pretty good....gotta work on consistant pacing though.

Whew!  Those intervals wore me out!

Happy Friday!

Ramblings and such....

Today's run:  

6 miles, 56:40 min

Mile 1: 8:57  

(I think this pace may be off, my tracker had some GPS issues; 

I think I was closer to a 9:30-10:00 pace)

Mile 2: 10:13

Mile 3-4: 9:07

Mile 5: 9:00

Mile 6: 9:46

Avg Pace: 9:22 (Or an estimated 9:45....stupid tracker...)

I was supposed to be running pyramids, but as you can see I failed.... oh well!

I really want to kick my training up a notch given the fact the half is only five weeks away.  Eeek!  Five weeks!  I'm really nervous.  I was in great shape at the end of July and my pace was really improving and I was on target for hitting under a 2:00 hr finish, but I got burnt out and took August off from my training. I just ran to run, and I ended up gaining 10lbs!  I guess I forgot to take a break from my training eating!  My pace went from an average of 9min per mile to a 9:45-10:15 pace.  I've been struggling a lot with eating at night and portion control; I went back to counting calories and I might have to start running some doubles a few days a week until I can get these pounds off; I was doing that over the summer and it really helped.  I have a 10k race scheduled in a couple weeks and I'd like to be closer to my peak fitness level by then.  I want to finish well and finish strong.  I weighed myself this morning and I've managed to drop 4lbs, so I'm hoping to get another 4 or 5 off by then.

On Saturday I did a one mile fun run with my nephew.  He's been wanting to do a 5k race with me, but I thought it would be nice to ease him into it by participating in a fun run.  He had a blast and so did I!  He did really well and ran the mile in 10:02 minutes.  I also feel the need to mention I ran 9 miles that morning, so I got a total of 10  miles in on Saturday.

Sportin' our numbers

Lucas, Levi, and me before the race

Training for the rest of the week:
Thur: 0-4 miles or Cross-training/yoga
Fri: 5-7 miles, mile repeats
Sat: 10 miles, EASY!

Why I love running

Reason number 374 on why I love running: 
I woke up today and felt tired, moody, and tried to convince myself to push my 6 miler off until tonight.  I didn't listen to myself and went out at 6am to run my 6 miles and came back feeling pumped and happy.  Gotta love those endorphins!

Today's run:  6 miles, 55:25 min (9:13 pace).  I did mile repeats but had to throw in three or four, very small, walking breaks so I'm happy with the pace.

On the agenda for tomorrow:  A 9 miler...eek!  Hope I can make it.  Then a one mile fun run with my nephew that evening.

The half is only six weeks away.....I'm really starting to get nervous and have amped up my mileage and am planning on focusing on my nutrition (I've kind of let that slip.)

Happy Friday!

I'm a Quotes Person

"Runners just do it. They run for the finish line even if someone else has reached it first."
–-Unknown

"I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we're all cowards."
-Alberto Salazar, three-time winner of the NYC marathon

"There are clubs you can't belong to, neighborhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open."
--Nike

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit."
-- George Sheehan

"Anybody running beats anybody walking, and anybody walking beats anybody sitting."
--Tom Bunk

"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."
–-Dean Karnazes

"There is no time to think about how much I hurt; there is only time to run."
--Ben Logsdon

"Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones."
-Pat Teske

"Tears streamed down my face as I crossed the finish line. I was a new person, a runner."
-Thomas King

"Love yourself, for who and what you are; protect your dream and develop your talent to the fullest extent."
-Joan Benoit Samuelson

"I run because I used to be envious of people that could run, and now I am that person."
-Kendra Thompson

Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work hard to get better.
-Paul Coffey

"I'm very determined and stubborn. There's a desire in me that makes me want to do more and more, and to do it right. Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it."
-Mary Lou Retton

"You can't become a winner overnight, or even in a couple of years-it takes time...You will lose races and you will have to accept that, learn from it and believe that you'll win the next one, knowing that you'll probably lose that as well. All the time you have to keep believing that one day you will win."
- Paula Radcliffe

"Who says you can't run away from your problems?"

"Yesterday you said tomorrow."

"Someone who is busier than you is running right now."

"The only one who can tell you 'you can't' is you. And you don't have to listen."

"Training is the opposite of hoping."

"Just do it."

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Okay, a lot has happened since I posted last.  I honestly can't believe how much has changed, 2011 has had tons of ups and downs and I honestly feel like a different person. 
One of the changes (and I consider it a big one), is that I lost 65+lbs!  Seriously, when I saw the last pic of myself I was stunned because I can see the change, and I have image problems, so if I can see it then I know it's there!

September 2011- 65lbs gone since last post

The second biggest change, and one I'm quite excited about, is that I'm now a runner.  That's right, me, the girl who's clumsy, the girl who has no athletic ability whatsoever, the girl who less then a year ago could barely walk a mile without losing breath, that girl....well, she's a runner now.  

Over the past year I've run four 5k races (and placed in 3 of them!)  In October I will run my first 10k race, and in November I will run my first ever half-marathon!  I'm so stoked to see how far I've come physically, and I'm excited that I'm actually, kind of, good at this running thing.  I love the way it makes me feel mentally and physically.  I love training.  I love being able to eat massive amounts of calories and not worry about not being able to fit into my jeans.  I LOVE RUNNING!

9.5.11 5k-

26:59.54  8:43

Had my game face on!

I've become somewhat of a running geek.  I own a hydration belt and wear it on my long runs.  I know I look silly, but I also know that I have a need for it; I'm not just wearing it to look like one of those people...I am one of those people. :)  I obsess about proper fueling and pace time; I follow a training plan.  I've even been known to run in the rain....yes, my obsession is deep. 

Lately I've been wanting to get into cycling too.  But it's not quite as easy as running.  I do have a bike, but I don't know if it's a great one; however, I think it'll do for now.  I just need to get it cleaned up some, buy a helmet and a few other necessary items for cycling.  I'm excited about adding this into my routine.

Over the summer I was really diligent with my exercising (in addition to my running).  But I've kind of let it slack over the month of September.  I did 20 minutes of yoga yesterday and woke up this morning and can really feel it!  It's sad, I shouldn't be feeling sore in those muscles; those muscles were strengthened and toned over the summer!  It's a little scary to see how fast you can lose that.  Anyway, I've revamped my off days on my running schedule and am going to incorporate yoga and strength training again.  I was doing doubles over the summer too, but I'm not sure I can quite muster that again, at least not yet.

I woke up today, put on my running gear and planned to do 6 miles.  Then I saw the lightening...great....looks like I'm running on the treadmill tonight.  I really don't like treadmill running....and it looks like Thursday and Friday are going to be the same, at least according to the weather channel.  I don't know why, but something about the treadmill takes a little bit of my joy away when it comes to running.  At least it's only 6 miles, back in July I ran 12 miles on it....talk about crazy boring!  I struggled to stay in my happy place then....but I did finish which was a small achievement for me. 

The third change is that my family grew a little bit larger; I got another dog.  I was given a Sheltie in November of last year.  I've always wanted a Sheltie, growing up I dreamed of having one and when I was older I even looked into the possibility of getting one.  But at $750 a pup, I just couldn't do it.   Well, my BIL's step-mom (say that three times fast!) had a Sheltie they no longer wanted and they gave her to me!  She is the sweetest thing and she's become my little shadow.  She and Buddy get along well, which is a huge plus.  And she's really good with the nephews and niece. 
 

The Budster and Nevaeh

I guess that's all for now....I hope to be better about keeping this updated more.  Not that anyone reads it, but it's a nice outlet for me anyway. :)

A rather small update....

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." 

— Mark Twain

So, in case you didn't realize it....I can be a rather lazy person.  I'm not particularly talking about my list of projects, I'm slowly but surely chipping away at it (with a few more additions!).  In particular, I'm talking about blogging.  Even though I'm pretty sure no one out there reads this with the exception of my dah-ling best friend (Hi Donna!), I want to be better at keeping this updated and I'm not happy with my laziness when it comes to that.  Hopefully, soon, I'll update with pics of some completed projects and end this wretched streak of laziness.

Until then!

Projects Galore!

Hello!  It's been awhile since I've posted, but I assure you I have not been slack with my projects list.  In fact, I have a few more items that I have added to that list, but I will have to post on those another time.  This is just a preview post; or more accurately, it's a show-off post.  I am nearly complete with the oak dresser mentioned in my last post; it just needs a little more distressing.  Here is a before and semi-after picture:

Before.

Semi-After.  It still needs more distressing, but I'm loving the look of it.

Check out the hardware.  I actually hated them at first and was going to replace them, but the more I worked with the dresser the more I slowly began to appreciate the beauty of the patina and the shapes of the handles; you can't find hardware like this anymore:

I'll post another picture of the dresser once I'm completely finished.

I was also able to work on a small project for a friend.  I took an old bedside table and proceeded to paint, distress, and glaze it.  This was my first glazing project and I really like the look of it.  However, in hind-sight, I think I should have used a darker glaze.  I can't decide if the mocha color I used gives it character or just makes it look dirty.  I'll definitely try glazing again, but I'll be a bit more selective on the coloring.

Bedside Table Before

After.  It was immediately put to good use.

Another after pic.

It's hard to pick up on the distressing with the pictures, but it really turned out lovely.

So, there you have it!  Proof that I have not been neglecting my list.  Oh, and for good measure, here are the new items I added to it:

- re-purposing a dresser into a changing table (for my sis, not me!)
- making curtains for my nephew's nursery

I'll post pictures as soon as I've completed them.  Until then!