3/27/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 6 miles

I actually did: 6.12 miles*

*7.12 miles using Aubree's Bonus Mileage System, getting 1/4 extra mile per 1/2 mile traveled up hill and 1/2 extra mile for temperature less than 20.  Technically it was 27, but "felt like" 18.  I checked with Aubree who said that counts. (This run felt really hard, so I wanted as many bonus miles as I could get!)

Days to go until the marathon: 180

Miles to go until 1000: 942.62

Red Hot Chili Peppers song played during the run: No

On today's run, I thought a lot about mom guilt and actually questioned whether I should really be training for a marathon.  There is no question that I am a happier person when I run, and that I run on a more regular basis, at least right now when I'm not getting uninterrupted sleep at night ever, when I have a training schedule to follow.  So in that regard, I think that my running benefits my family.  But on the other hand, for the forseeable future, I will be away from home for at least an hour every Sunday morning.  Which may not be a huge deal, except that I am already away from home for 10 or so hours Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 5+ hours on Tuesday.  I am really lucky that my husband stays home with my son so at least I know he is under the care of someone who loves him as much as I do.  And I know that it is because I work that 1) my husband is able to stay home, and 2) we are able to eat, so I shouldn't feel guilty about going to work every day, but I do.  And then I add Sunday mornings away from home on top of it?  Today in particular, I ran while my husband fed my son breakfast, which usually I do on the weekends.  I don't think I should stop running (in addition to making me happier, I'm hoping it will inspire my son to be active -- although I don't know if there are many races for the <1 year old set), so I guess I'm hoping maybe I can stop feeling guilty about it . . .

3/25/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 35 minute run

I actually did: 37:04 minutes/2.95 miles*

*3.075 miles using Aubree's Bonus Mileage System, getting 1/8 extra mile for running in the dark

Days to go until the marathon: 182

Miles to go until 1000: 948.76

Red Hot Chili Peppers song played during the run: No

Today's run was kind of pathetic.  It feels pathetic to write about and it felt pathetic while I was doing it.  This morning I was awoken at 3 by my adorable little alarm clock, who wanted to be fed.  So I nursed him and tried to put him back to bed, but he kept crying when I put him in his crib so finally I took him to bed with me.  I probably fell back to sleep around 3:30 or 3:45, but was in a deep sleep when my less adorable actual alarm clock went off at 4.  Not only did I not want to wake up, but I was snuggled next to my little guy so I didn't want to get out of bed.  Honestly, the only reason I got up and ran at all was because I didn't want to admit on here that I skipped 3 days in a row.  (So thank you, blog!)  So I started out my run feeling bitter.  The fact that it was cold (26, although it felt colder; I was sure I'd get bonus miles for the temperature until I got home and looked up what the temperature actually was) didn't help.  I didn't even feel compelled to sing along with the chorus to Candyman's "Knockin' Boots" when it played on my ipod ("Ooh, boy, I love you so, never ever ever gonna let you go, once I get my hands on you.  Ooh boy, I love you so, never ever ever gonna let you go, I hope you feel the same way too."), so you know I was in a bad mood.  But, I told myself I'd run at least a mile because the first mile is always the worst.  (I'm reminded of the New Balance commercial about how the first mile sucks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAteXYqCV7E)  And then once I got to a mile I was ALMOST to the time I was supposed to turn around, so I decided I'd just keep going.  You can see that I did what I was supposed to do, 35 minutes, but didn't travel very far.  We'll try not to calculate my distance/time ratio.  And I never really got out of my bitterness until my run was almost over, so apparently the first 3 miles are the worst?  Or maybe today was just a bad day.  Either way, tomorrow I get to sleep in (Russell willing), and Sunday's run will be better!

3/23-3/24/2011

I have been slacking AGAIN!!  Yesterday I was scheduled to do 45 minute run, and today was scheduled to be a day off.  Yesterday I got up, got dressed, went outside to run, only to discover that the snow that had been falling on me during my previous day's run, had stuck to the ground and the sidewalks and roads were slick.  So I decided not to run that day and figured I'd just run today, and switch the running day with the day off this week.  In retrospect, I should've done strength training or something since I was already in my workout clothes, and I wasn't able to go back to sleep.  At any rate, this morning when my alarm went off, all I could think was "but today's a day off" so I didn't get up.  Slacker!  Tomorrow I'm scheduled to do a 35 minute run so I'll probably do a longer one to try and make up for it a little.  Next week, hopefully, there won't be any snow and I'll actually feel refreshed after the weekend (since I've had some sort of work-related activity every day since 3/7 but have 2 days off this weekend), so no more excuses and no more slacking!

3/22/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 40 minute run

I actually did: 43:59 minutes/3.93 miles*

*4.68 miles using Aubree's Bonus Mileage System, getting 1/2 extra mile for the wind and 1/4 extra mile for falling snow

Days to go until the marathon: 185

Miles to go until 1000: 951.71

Red Hot Chili Peppers song played during the run: No (But J. Lo's Aint It Funny played for the second run in a row.)

This morning when my alarm went off at 4, I turned it off because on Tuesdays I only work half a day.  And it has been really warm and sunny, so I thought instead of running in the dark, I'd just run in the afternoon with Russell in the jogging stroller.  Little did I know it was windy and snowy out, and that the snow would only fall more and the wind would only blow harder as the day went on.  But, at least it wasn't too cold (32, feels like 20, per www.weather.com).  No, I did not subject Russell to those conditions!

If I haven't already mentioned it, I'm totally over winter and ready for the spring.  So go away, snow!

3/21/2011

Training schedule says I will do: OFF

I actually did: 1.37 mile walk with my dogs and Russell in the Ergobaby

Days to go until the marathon: 186

Miles to go until 1000: 955.64 (I didn't give myself any miles toward my goal today, because if you know my dogs, you know this wasn't a work out!)

3/20/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 5 miles

I actually did: 4.94 miles*

*5.44 miles using Aubree's Bonus Mileage System, getting 1/4 extra mile per 1/2 mile traveled up hill; I ran uphill for 1 mile

Days to go until the marathon: 187

Miles to go until 1000: 955.64

Red Hot Chili Peppers song played during the run: No (the Chili Peppers stats now stand at 25%.  This means one of two things.  Either I grossly overestimated how often they play when I run, or my ipod is exhibiting a Hawthorne effect, a phenomenon in which when a behavior is being studied, that behavior changes simply because it is being studied.  I personally think it is the latter.)

I have already commented on how I think my ipod makes little jokes or points by the songs that it chooses and the order in which it chooses them.  Like today, it played "Dance, Dance" and then "Dancing Queen", which made me smile.  But then later, it played "Magic Man" by Heart.  This song always reminds of my friend Heidi, who is one of my best friends from medical school, and a fellow karaoke enthusiast.  This is one of her favorites to sing, and she does a great job at it.  What you need to know about Heidi is she is a performer, she may not be the best singer up there (which is not to say she's bad, she definitely has a nice voice), but she totally owns her songs.  I was thinking in particular today about the first time she sang this song, and came upon the 48 measure musical break near the end.  48 measures!  That is a lot.  People like me, who really like singing but feel like a fool when there are no words to sing, absolutely dread even a 4 measure musical break.  But not Heidi, she can handle a musical break like it's nothing.  But that first time, the 48 measures were a little long even for her.  She filled it with grace, dancing around and at one point even started swinging the microphone which got her into trouble from the KJ.  Remembering this made me almost laugh out loud while running, and definitely made me miss Heidi.

The very next song that played was Sugar Ray "Every Morning", which reminds me of my friend Janae, another of my best friends from medical school (Heidi, Janae and I called each other Virchow's triad, which is funny if you are a medicine dork like we are).  Janae only sings karaoke if she is in a foreign country or in my living room, which is where she sang "Every Morning".  No microphone swinging for her, but she sang it in the context of playing Karaoke Revolution in which her avatar ("Cherry") totally owned the stage.

How nice of my ipod to make me think of two wonderful friends!

3/19/2011

Training schedule says I will do: OFF

I actually did: 1.01 mile snowshoe trip

Days to go until the marathon: 188

Miles to go until 1000: 960.58

Red Hot Chili Peppers song played during the run: n/a

 

My family and I went snowshoeing today, which may not count as a workout, but about half of it was up a steep hill so it sure felt like a workout!