January Review

JANUARY MILEAGE ~ 116.56

First, I want to start off by saying how thankful I am to have found other fellow bloggers and runner's to share this journey with. It's very exciting and motivating to me to know that I can go to another running blog and within a minute become fully motivated and to also know that I can be checked in on at any time so I can be held accountable for the goals and miles I have placed before me. Thanks to all of you out there who help to support and motivate me!!!

January started off wonderful with my Year to Year Run. I haven't felt so great in a long time during a run. I'm beginning to think it has a lot to do with running in the dark. Maybe it's because you can't see how far you have to run? If only I had a way to do it more often.
I'm feeling pretty good with my mileage so far. I've wanted to be a little more consistent with mileage and the days I run but being a busy Mom I have to learn to be flexible. Considering everything that was going on in January I'm happy. My knee started to cause some concern after a longer run on the 22nd. Since then I have noticed it but it hasn't caused any pain while I am actually running. I'm sure a lot of it was ramping up my miles so quickly. Since I haven't had a running buddy and so many miles are accumulated on a treadmill I tend to be my own personal trainer. This can be good and bad. Good because I tend to be competitive with myself and try to go faster and/or farther against previous runs. Good because I really do need to push myself and try to increase my speed. If I'm aiming for a certain mile marker and go past it then I usually try to make myself round up to the nearest mile... or two :) Bad because since I do this sometimes I don't give my body the time it needs to adjust to the added miles. This has a lot to do with my knee issue right now. In 1993 I wrecked my car and when it rolled my left knee hit the knob you pull out to turn on the headlights-yes, I had a state of the art vehicle :) Since then my knee has popped and cracked off and on. It has caused more issues when I have NOT been running or working out. I'm seriously thinking of just giving in and going to the doctor to get a referral to get it checked out. I don't want to do something that will cause a serious injury where I wouldn't be able to run again. Something happened in there and continues to cause issues. Since I'm getting older I really want to do what I can to remain healthy and in working condition :) I'll keep you posted on that.

Besides my knee I am excited about the miles I accomplished. I hope I can continue with this trend and keep adding to my mileage, endurance, and speed.

Road ID Giveaway

Check out Tricia's blog. She is having a great giveaway. I have wanted one of these forever. Good Luck!!!

http://enduranceisntonlyphysical.blogspot.com/2010/01/road-id-giveaway.html

Tempted

The last week has been crazy and it doesn't feel like I'm getting much accomplished. Today was an awesome day to be able to run outside. Of course, I couldn't take advantage of it. Too much stuff on my plate so I took the next best thing. I managed to get to Thorbecke's and get 30 minutes of weight training in. Since Christmas Break I have been struggling to do the same weight on all the machines. I figured it would be hard the first week but I seem to still be struggling a bit. I'm not sure if it's because I've ramped up my miles too quickly and I'm just overly tired or what. I haven't been doing too well with another of my goals for 2010 either....sleep. Or at least enough of it. I seriously need to put more effort into making that happen. I know from past experience that I tend to wear myself down and risk getting sick. I don't want any part of that.

After my weight workout I headed upstairs to the cardio machines. It has been really busy there since New Year's. So far I've lucked out and managed to get on a treadmill when I've needed one. I managed to squeeze in 7.35 miles before I had to leave to get the of the rest of my errands done. I wish I could run as fast as I could do on a treadmill. I push myself harder or something. I hoping that with all the running I plan on doing I'll get faster on the treadmill and on the road.

In my last Runner's World I noticed a Saucony ad. I am an ASICS girl but a pair of shoes have caught my eye. I have an obsession with green. In a pile of Saucony running shoes, this pair stood out. I have thought about them several times since seeing the picture. Finally I gave in and looked them up on the internet last night. I really want them. I know Saucony's are good running shoes but I need a new pair of shoes desperately and know I should go with my ASICS first. I'm really tempted though. Check them out. Here's the pic from the ad.



Men's ProGrid Guide TR 2
Reg. $100.00 Stock#:20050-1
RUN - Trail

• Protection and stability for on and off-road surfaces
• Perfect blend of cushioning and stability
• Multidirectional lug outsole provides perfect mix of traction and surface area
• Weight: 12.0 oz




These look to be mostly a trail shoe but from everything I've read they might work for any outdoor running. What do you think? Any thoughts?

Cowlitz Valley Runners

I just thought I'd add this link to my blog since I know a few of you who do read it are local. I have ran many of the races sponsored by Cowlitz Valley Runners over the years. I've not had a bad experience yet.

http://cowlitzvalleyrunners.org/joinus.html

Maiden Voyage

I volunteer in Makenna & Makinley's classes during the week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When I walked out of the school today I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't raining. I jumped in my car and tried to get home as quickly as possible. Kinley only has half day Kindergarten so I had a limited amount of time to run and get back before the bus dropped her off. I was even more excited for an outside run so I could try out my Garmin. I changed and then focused on setting up my Garmin and getting it to link to a satellite. Once I figured it out, it linked pretty fast. The next task was to sneak out the front door past our cats. Bella and Edward tend to follow people on their walks on our road. I didn't want them to follow me. I tossed them some more food on the back porch, snuck out the front, and headed down the road. I always run with my iPod and Nike+ system to track my miles and get my groove on. It was fun trying to make sure both my Garmin and iPod were on and working properly. It was a little chilly but I didn't bundle much. I normally get pretty warm so I thought I would warm up. I had enough time to jump across to Avery Road. The wind was pretty crazy at this point. My confidence slacked a little as I had to work harder to fight it. Due to time I made a turn-around and headed back. I had to deal with two dogs before getting back onto my road. That was even more frustrating since it through my time off. About less than a mile from home I looked at my Garmin and it was on a different screen. I tried to quickly change it back but then it kept freaking out more. I finally gave up and fast walked while trying to figure it out. I finally got it back to my workout screen and tried to pick up the pace again. I made it back to my driveway and was happy to see I'd made it 5.51 miles. I haven't downloaded the programs for my Garmin yet. Once I do that and get a few more runs in I'll give a more detailed review. It was awesome to look down and see all my stats in real time. I think I'm going to like it.

Another Great Giveaway!!!
Check out Nikki's Blog~Slow Is The New Fast
http://runninaround.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/monday-funday/

Wednesday's Run

Today was my first real run back since taking a break over the weekend. My calves are still extremely sore from all of the stairs at the Great Wolf Lodge. Several of my friends and fellow workout aquaintances do their cardio workouts and then follow it up with their weight work. I've tried it before and I've always been wore out by the time I made it to the weights. Today I thought I would give it another shot. I went to Thorbecke's and found an open treadmill. It has been crazy there since the New Year's. A lot of resolutions trying to be fulfilled :) I ran 9.5 miles today. I'm pretty happy about that since I have to make up for my time off over the weekend. I headed downstairs to the weights and tried to start off with some chin-ups. After 3 I wasn't doing well. I managed to do 10 and tried something else. I kept making the rounds until I decided I didn't want to die. I finished it off with all of my stretches and some more crunches. I'm feeling pretty good right now. I always do after I accomplish some decent mileage.



Check out Marcia's blog. She is having a great giveaway.

http://teamarcia-runningmouth.blogspot.com/2010/01/well-ideclare.html

Great Wolf Lodge

Now that I might have some followers I just wanted to let everyone know my family is going to the Great Wolf Lodge. It was part of the Christmas/Birthday for Makinley. We are headed out now. I have lots to post about when I get back.

Cheerleading

Makenna is doing cheerleading this year. She missed out on cheering during football season but now she is cheering for the 3rd grade boys basketball team. She practices for 1 1/2 hours after school Monday-Wednesday. Today was her first official cheering debut. They don't have their uniforms yet so she had to borrow some stuff to cheer.

We all went to watch and support her. She had a lot of fun. She can't wait to get her uniform.

Garmin Forerunner 405

Having a Garmin has been a dream of mine for quite awhile. As much as I love my Nike + Sensor, sometimes it fails me. When I run I want to get credit for every step I take. I was hoping to eventually get a Garmin 205 or 305. We looked at them around Christmas time but after talking to some tech guys my hopes were dashed. Everyone told me that they were incompatible with Macs. Life was busy with the holidays so I didn't think about it for awhile. I decided to do some internet research. After doing some reading I learned that the Garmin 405 had downloadable applications for my Mac. I was very excited but also bummed considering that watch is far more expensive than the others.

Today we took a road trip down to Clackamas, Oregon as a family. Jason had bought a watch before Christmas and one of the buttons had already become stuck on it. They had another one so off we went to exchange it. After we did that we planned on heading straight home to relax and hang out as a family. We knew that Best Buy stores sometimes carried the Garmin's. We decided to take a chance and just check before heading back. We walked in and it didn't look good. They had a 305 on display but weren't going to carry them any longer. Jason asked if they could check the computer to see if there were any at their other stores. The guy came back and said he had a 405. He went and found it and said he would give us a huge deal. It was the display model that was all back in it's original packaging. It had everything but the heart rate monitor. I really didn't want that anyway. I can always add it later. So even though I was having chest pains thinking about saying yes to the purchase, we did it. It was half off and no tax. It is currently charging and I can't wait until I can take it on a test run.

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1. Discovering Melanie's Blog, tallmomontherun@blogspot.com. Having more runners to share the journey with makes it way more exciting.

2. 1,000+ Mile Club. Having a goal and knowing others are also participating makes it fun. Another way to be held accountable.

3. Makenna. I am so thankful for her. She is very smart and very beautiful. She also enjoys running so I look forward to sharing that with her in the future.

4. Makinley. She is a silly little girl. Her laughter and goofiness make me smile. She is also smart and loves learning. She is going to be fun to watch.

5. Our home. After the ups and downs of the past few years having a home again is wonderful. I wake up every morning very happy and blessed to have it.

6. Running shoes, clothes, and gadgets. I love them all.

7. Rockband. We got a Wii for Christmas and a Rockband to go with it. I'm addicted. Jason and I have now started our own band. We'll be releasing tour dates later. I was born to be a drummer.

8. The Portland Marathon. The one that started it all. I missed 2009 but it's looking like I'll be back on 10/10/10. I'm so excited!!!

9. Getting others involved in running. I love watching friends experience their first event.

10. When friends and family make it out to a race to support me. It's about the coolest feeling ever :) Thanks to all of you who have supported me and wil hopefully be there in the future.

Tall Mom 1000+++ Club

This year as part of my 2010 goals I have joined a group of amazing women and runners who aspire to break the 1,000 mile mark in running this year. Very exciting. This is all made possible by Mel @ www.tallmomontherun.blogspot.com. I am so excited to be this motivated.

Here is a link to the official post www.tallmomontherun.blogspot.com/2010/01/tall-mom-1000-club-details.html

Here is the breakdown.

1,000/12 months in a year= 83.33 Miles per month

1,000/52 weeks in a year= 19.23 Miles per week

1,000/365 days in a year= 2.74 Miles per day

So far I'm at 15.55 miles for January. I hope to add more to that today. This is a huge challenge and I look forward to any support, advice, etc. I can get.

Happy Running!!!!

2010 GOALS

Happy New Year Comments
Myspace 2.0 Layouts


I'm a few days late on getting this up. I'm sure I'll be adding to it as time goes on.

Last year didn't start out too well for our family. Once we dealt with the flood it set the tone for the rest of the year. It murdered my treadmill. It wasn't a fancy treadmill with any of the bells and whistles. I couldn't even change the elevation. The things is, it was with me from the beginning. When I first stepped onto it at night when the girls were in bed and Jason had to work it was my companion. It was the one thing that I had to keep me motivated. It was there when I could barely run a mile. It never complained as I worked my way up to 18 mile runs. It was dependable. I still mourn it's loss, especially when I have a treadmill now that likes to speed up, slow down, or just decide to stop on it's own. I feel like I could crash at any moment. Not good for focusing. Without my treadmill and with the added stress it just wasn't the year I had planned on for my running and overall health in general. I plan to change that in 2010.

I am excited to share my goals on my blog. This will hold me accountable. It will put it out there for everyone to see. I think it will be good to focus on several aspects and not just my running. The combination can only be a benefit.

1. Run 1,111 miles. Now that I have found a fellow blogger with a favorite number :) Thanks Mel!!! It seems fitting to use mine as an extra boost toward meeting my 1,000+ miles goal.

2. Get more sleep. This is a hard one for me. I tend to get up early and stay up late. I don't on a normal basis mean for it to happen, it just does. Lately I've noticed it is affecting me and I've been exhausted. I need to change some things in my life to make sure I get at least the minimal amount, especially if I'm going to meet my running goals and do it well.

3. Run at least 2 marathons. I'm aiming for Portland again this year. I missed it in 2009. It is the best event I've ever participated in. www.portlandmarathon.org in case you are interested. It will take place on 10/10/10 this year. Pretty cool. Plus, it's my brother's birthday.

4. Lose at least 15 more pounds and maintain it forever. I did great in 2006 and maintained my weight for a very long time. I think just boosting my mileage back up will do the trick. I hope anyway :) I know that is a huge part of what is slowing me down.

5. Healthy eating and portion control. These are huge for me. I'm getting way better on the healthy part but when we have something I really like it's hard for me to stop. I'm also someone who eats when they are bored or stressed. I'm hoping the extra mileage will help keep me busy on that front too.

6. Set some PR's. I'm scared to put a number on it. I want to break the 5 hour mark for a marathon. Like I said, I'm not fast. I would be thrilled if I could break 4:30. I get excited just thinking about it. I would like to break 26 minutes for a 5K and 2:15 for a half marathon.

7. Spend more quality time with my family. We haven't been able to go anywhere as a family in almost 4 years. I think doing things like that is not only fun but healthy and necessary. I'm working on some plans.

8. Keep my blog updated. I'd like to post several times a week. If I'm doing what I'm supposed to then I should have something to blog about, right?

9. Get a new treadmill. I'd rather run outside but I can't a lot of the time. I need one that doesn't have a plot to kill me :)


Long Term Goals/Dreams

1. Run a marathon in every state. I'd love to start with Hawaii or New York. If the opportunity arises, I'll be all over it.

2. Run an ultra-marathon.

3. Travel to Ireland and run the Dublin Marathon. Melanie is going to think I'm a stalker or something :) She also has this as one of her goals for the future. I have always wanted to go to Ireland. I don't have a huge desire to travel much outside the states but I would for this. It would be amazing. While I'm there I might as well run the marathon - http://dublinmarathon.ie/index.php See, I'm already doing my homework.

4. Travel and explore the east coast and all the historical sites there. I'd love to check out a sunrise at the ocean. I'd actually like to explore more of the United States in general. It would be awesome to do an extended road trip.

5. Accomplish something with my photography. I love taking pictures. I'm hoping to someday have it as a career.

6. Learn to play the piano. On a fun side note, I'd also like to master playing the drums on Rockband :) I'm addicted.

7. Have a vehicle that gets great mileage but also is one that all four of us extremely tall people can fit into comfortably. We have a Ford Focus two door right now. It has been great for mileage but with the girls growing so fast I see some issues in our future.

I'm excited to accomplish as many of these as possible. The benefits I've received from running have been priceless. I hope to share it with others and possibly get more people inspired to give it a try. If I can do it, anyone can.

A New Favorite???

I have a shoe obsession. Well, mainly just running shoes. Since beginning my journey into running I have tried several brands. Since I have found ASICS I am done. Of course, once I found my perfect shoe they discontinued it. After doing some research I have found that it looks like the Gel Kinsei's I loved so much are now Gel-Kinetics. They still have Kinsei's in several upgraded versions but they don't have the same look or feel. I've already tried out one. Not the same. The first couple pairs of ASICS I bought were also the men's shoe. I was not impressed with the color options for girls and usually they were sold out of my size. Last year I tried a few women's shoes and I have had little issues here and there. They just don't fit the same. Maybe I just have "boy" feet. I looked on Ebay and found a couple Kinetics that I'd love to get. They have the black option above, along with a red or blue. I'm thinking the black. They are $70 cheaper on Ebay and with free shipping. I'll let you know if I go for it.

Race Reports Up

I was able to get the race reports up on my last two runs. I'm hoping to catch back up to post more frequently. I have a lot coming up.

Updates

Race Reports and Blog Updates are in the works. Don't give up on me yet :)

TWO REPORTS UP!!!!!

Year To Year 5K

Last year I convinced Jason to run the Year to Year 5K in Longview with me. It ended up being a pretty cool experience. Even though running is not his favorite thing to do, he went along with it. This year we were back for round two.
We started by dropping the girls off at my Dad's in Vader. We visited for a bit and headed out into the very dark and rainy night. For some reason the thought of running in the rain at night doesn't bother me. Is it because you can't see it??? Maybe I'm just crazy :)
We arrived in Longview around 9PM. We had an Applebee's gift card and Jason was starving. I wasn't but decided to eat a little salad and cheese sticks. It was New Year's Eve, right? I was going all out. After we ate we headed to a Starbuck's to get my signature hot chocolate with caramel sauce. Gift cards are the best. We went to the building where the race would start to pick up our sweatshirts. They are great quality unlike a few things you get at a run. I love mine from last year. We hung out in the gym area for a bit and then decided to go hang out in the car until it got closer for the race to start. Jason was already exhausted so he took a little snooze. Thank goodness for my iPhone to keep me company to pass the time. Since Jason was sleeping I ended up drinking most of the very large hot chocolate. I couldn't let it go to waste. Around 11:30PM we headed back inside to use the restroom and do some stretching.
Last years crowd seemed way bigger to me. I was surprised by that. It was probably still a decent turnout considering the holiday and time of night. At 11:45PM we headed back outside. While Jason slept in the car the weather had cleared and it was a perfect night for running. It turned out that way last year too. I'm very thankful for that. Mostly so I wouldn't have a 30 minute ride home in soaked clothes.
We got into position and the horn went off at 11:50PM. Off I went with Jason right beside me. By the time we hit the first corner he had fallen to right behind me. I figured he was just drafting me. This is his usual game plan that he follows with passing me at the end in a cloud of dust. By this point I was already recognizing the fact that I felt great. My stride was longer and it felt like I was moving much more quickly than normal. Of course my brain was going a million miles per hour with dreams of maintaining the pace for the whole distance. At midnight the fireworks were going off all around us in town. I love this part. All the lights and the cool sounds of the explosions bouncing off the buildings. At about halfway I noticed Jason seemed a little further back but he kept gaining off and on. I figured he was fine. I was amazed at the fact that I was still feeling so great. The best part......I was actually passing people. Not just old or larger but young and male. Very exciting for a girl who watches everyone pass her most of the time. I tried not to get excited about it and just focus. I made it to the last turn that would bring us back around to the road we started on. I knew the finish was somewhere straight ahead of me. I got past two more guys when we suddenly had to come to a stop for a couple cars. My mind was just screaming. I hate having to stop in the middle of a race. Very frustrating being so close to the end. The light seemed to take forever and we were off again. I saw the finish ahead of me and tried to step it up. I was nice and let the two guys beat me :) I didn't even care I was so excited. I ran by the timer and discovered I finished in 28:35. My second best 5K time. It would have been close if it wasn't for the traffic issues. I stopped my iPod and looked around for Jason. I thought he would be fairly close behind me. I waited for a bit and then started to walk back to find him. Let's just say he might listen to my running fashion advice next time. He had way too many layers and cotton stuff on. Good ideas but not in the right combo. He had overheated and wasn't feeling his best. His time was just over 33 minutes. Considering he isn't able to work out or run ever he did great. We went back inside to stretch and get a little snack and water. I was still way to excited to contain myself. I know it's probably not a huge thing for most people but since starting my running journey in 2006, instead of continuing to improve my times I have slowed. I'm not looking to win anything. My main goal is to maintain and improve my own times for myself. This has been a little glimmer into the possibility of maybe attaining some of those dreams and goals I've set. I can't help but be excited.
I give the race a big thumbs up. I will continue to participate in this run as long as I am able. That's not to say I didn't feel a few issues with eating Applebee's and the hot chocolate a little too close to run time. That was my fault. Plus, a bonus for next year will be including at least one of my girls in the family activity. All kids under 12 run for free. I'm looking forward to keeping this New Year's tradition going.