Ding dong!

(don't you love packages at the door!?!?)

...and the winner is...............

As my bff said - 'those are kick ass'.  Yes... yes they are.

And I am hoping that new shoes will be the help my knees need!  Oi.  After my SIX (yay me!) mile run on Sunday, they were killing me.  Actually, as we speak, I have corn and peas on the knees again.  BUT, the little pain/ache I have now compared to yesterday?  Zero.

Back to my SIX (yay me again!) - I'm more than dumbfounded that I have even done this.  Seriously.  This is NOT easy for me - nor is it normal.  As I've mentioned before, I'm no born runner.  Nuh uh.  I don't just cruise down the street, or the treadmill, or the Greenway (finally did it!) and look like "one of those runners" that looks like they are the happiest human on earth.

Speaking of the Greenway, the only spot I know to even get on the damn thing is in front of Kohl's.  I looked it up online and thought about going over to Percy Priest Dam and starting there - but I had no clue how to get to the actual trail.  So, my adventurous self went directly to Kohl's.  It was a gorgeous day here in Nashville on Sunday - like 55+ degrees - I was in shorts and a t-shirt at the end of January!  I do have to admit that the Greenway is quite pretty...

...and this is January!  Everything is dead.  Anyway, I always like to go out 1/2 my distance (3 miles on Sunday) on any run and then back - because I have to come back.  Always.  At my 3 miles, guess where I was??  Yep - Percy Priest Dam - I'll be damn.  So THAT will be my 6 mile jaunt (that's putting it lightly) from now on!

Debbie Downer

What a week - 'phew.  Glad it's almost over.

Every run I had this week was a disaster except for Tuesday.  I think it was in sync with how my life went as well:  1) hard-boiled eggs blowing up on the stove, 2) spotting a mouse running in the kitchen, 3) having to wear a holter monitor for 24 hrs due to heart palpitations (WTH???), 4) and my car not starting after I had all the kiddies loaded up.  SO - let's start uber fresh tomorrow, shall we??

Tomorrow is the end of week 5 - wow!  And tomorrow's run is my first 6 mile run ever.  I'm a little nervous - not because I don't think I can do it, but that I have this weird pain in my lower right leg - and as I've said before, any little twitch or pain in my legs = "injury" in my head.  Hopefully it's something that isn't properly stretched or something simple like that.  I am going to pace myself tomorrow and force myself to take it slow and easy.  (PUH-LEEEZ don't be an injury!) I still don't know where my run is even going to take place tomorrow.  Maybe I'll finally venture to the Greenway.

Man - I'm just full of excitement and good news, eh??

The Itch

And that is what I have.  I'm not talking about a gross, running body itch.  I'm talking about the itch to run.  How nice is that???  And it's 63 freakin' degrees in January!  (sigh)  But I've learned the hard way that rest days are AS important as training days.  So here I sit .... wondering what to do.  I have about 6 loads of laundry I could do.  I have numerous closets to clean out.  But those don't sound near as fun as resting.  So for now, I'll just think of my 3 miles tomorrow and my 4 miles (with NO walking) on Wednesday.  And what am I doing on Thursday you ask?  I think I'm going to visit my local (putting that mildly) running store - Fleet Feet - and see if my Mizuno Wave Creations are about to give up.  And there is a big part of me that hopes they are - or that they at least suggest that I have 2 pairs of running shoes to alternate - because I found another pair of Mizuno Wave Creations in not just one, but two colors I LOVE! (I haaaaate the color of my current running shoes - but when you're a true runner, you could give a rat's ass what color they are as long as make you feel like a rock star - or at least run and not hurt.)  So here are my 2 new loves - what do you think?

I think I like the orange ones the best.  And my daughter (3 years old) just picked the orange, so there ya have it!  But seriously, my knees have just started to hurt and ache a bit AND on the past couple runs, I feel like the balls of my feet are a little to close to the ground. 

Close Enough

Another 5 miles done!  Well, it was more like 4.9, but it's sure close enough for me.  My CardioTrainer app didn't work right - I hate when it does that - so I really didn't know how far I went until I got in the car and drove it.  I walked a bit more today than last week (I just chant 'injury prevention.... injury prevention) and it was probably because of all the freakin' hills!  But do you know what is kick ass?  I KNOW I could run 5 miles without stopping <-------- couldn't say that 2 weeks ago!

Week 5 starts tomorrow.  And that means my Sunday long runs for the next 2 weeks will be 6 miles.  Yikes.  I'm running out of places to do my long runs.  I need to go to the Greenway - it has all kinda mileage.  But for some reason I just haven't driven that far yet.  And maybe that is just it - it takes so. freakin. long. to. get. anywhere. from our stupid house.  We definitely live out in the sticks.  When I do my neighborhood loop, these are my spectators:

Today, I went 'into the city' and actually passed 4 humans.  Running humans.  This girl is gonna go from running with cows, horses, and llamas to... well... this:

This, my friends, was the starting line at the Rock N Roll Country Music Marathon last year.  This is my race in April. No biggie.  (feeling faint)

Single digits!

99 days to go!  Yee haw!  And as pumped as I am, I am fretting a bit at the moment with a bag of peas on my left shin.  But you can ask my husband - any little quirk or sting in my legs and I promptly RICE.

R.I.C.E. - rest, ice, compression, elevate

Today I got a 90 minute massage.  Ahhhhhhhhhh.  Wow was that needed!  And not just because my hammies were locked up like a vault, nor because I almost came off the table when she steam-rolled my quads - but for the sanity and the stress-relief.  After yesterday's hard-boiled egg explosion all over my kitchen to start the day AND the visit from a little charcoal grey mouse in my kitchen to end my evening, I think I deserved it.

Other than that, I cleaned my house (some) and have Savory Bean and Spinach Soup in the crock-pot as we speak/type/read.  =D

Three miles are on the books tomorrow plus core workout <---------- puke.  I loathe doing core work... but that is because it's where I need the most work.  I guess after 1 c-section and birthing 2 others, it tends to get a little lazy.  But what pisses me off is my cousin, who also has 3 kids - 3 precious boys to be exact - has the flattest stomach ever!  And so does my sister-in-law who ironically has 3 boys as well.  Maybe it was Lucy - the female did it!  Anyway, I'm determined to get this crap toned up somehow.  I always look like I'm 3 - 4  months pregnant - you know, that just barely showing stage when you're so giddy?  Not so giddy here.

Anyway, back to the 3 miles - it actually doesn't sound that long to me now that my long Sunday runs are increasing.  On most of my runs, Jason gives me the option to run/walk in certain intervals.  I haven't done them all like that - sometimes I feel so awesome that I just run the whole thing.  And then sometimes (but not a lot anymore!), like Tuesday, I probably walk more than I run.  And as long as it's not raining buckets, I will get to run outside tomorrow!  (I can only take so much of the treadmill.)

103 days to go...

End of week 3!  I'm so excited.  I also figured out how to put my training plan on here (look at the tabs above).  So, week 4 will be the same as week 3.

My run today was so good - actually got the runner's high and my endorphins are still flying!  FIVE miles - wow.  I'm very proud of myself.  My legs felt strong, my energy was good, my breathing was good, my pace stayed steady.  Probably need to utilize my foam roller after that run.

foam roller - a firm foam log that is primarily used for myofascial release. They come in various sizes but they are generally six inches in diameter and three feet long. People using foam rollers typically use their own body weight and position the sore or tight muscle groups directly on top of it. The pressure from this causes a release in the muscle. A foam roller is often an alternative for seeing a massage therapist. It is an inexpensive, yet highly effective way to treat and prevent the most common injuries seen in runners.


Here is the one I have - I don't use it like I need to, but that needs to change.  I have a love/hate relationship with it.  It can be VERY painful... but in the end, I'm usually so glad I used it!

105 days to go...

I need this cat to run with me.

Maybe sometime this weekend I'll be able to sit down and actually 'talk' about what's going on and my running.  Been super busy this week (along with an intestinal bug) and now my brother-in-law is in town, snow day for the kids, MLK day on Monday - no school, 2 doctor appt's on Monday, and Lucy may be starting swimming up again on Monday.  'Phew - BUT I'm off to run 3 miles!